Disinfectants are used to reduce the concentration of pathogenic microorganisms to a safe level and help to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. However, bacteria have a tremendous ability to respond to chemical stress caused by biocides, where overuse and improper use of disinfectants can be reflected in a reduced susceptibility of microorganisms. This review aims to describe whether mutations and thus decreased susceptibility to disinfectants occur in bacteria during disinfectant exposure. A systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted with the databases PubMed, Science Direct and Web of Science. For the final analysis, 28 sources that remained of interest were included. Articles describing reduced susceptibility or the resistance of bacteria against seven different disinfectants were identified. The important deviation of the minimum inhibitory concentration was observed in multiple studies for disinfectants based on triclosan and chlorhexidine. A reduced susceptibility to disinfectants and potentially related problems with antibiotic resistance in clinically important bacterial strains are increasing. Since the use of disinfectants in the community is rising, it is clear that reasonable use of available and effective disinfectants is needed. It is necessary to develop and adopt strategies to control disinfectant resistance.

Textiles are a common material in healthcare facilities; therefore it is important that they do not pose as a vehicle for the transfer of pathogens to patients or hospital workers. During the course of use hospital textiles become contaminated and laundering is necessary. Laundering of healthcare textiles is most commonly adequate, but in some instances, due to inappropriate disinfection or subsequent recontamination, the textiles may become a contaminated inanimate surface with the possibility to transfer pathogens. In this review we searched the published literature in order to answer four review questions: (1) Are there any reports on the survival of microorganisms on hospital textiles after laundering? (2) Are there any reports that indicate the presence of microorganisms on hospital textiles during use? (3) Are there any reports that microorganisms on textiles are a possible source infection of patients? (4) Are there any reports that microorganisms on textiles are a possible source infection for healthcare workers?

Amoxicillin (AMX) and Ciprofloxacin (CIP) are antibiotics commonly used in human medicine with high environmental toxicity and poor biodegradability. They have been found in various hospital effluents and groundwater, and their environmental impact is still not fully understood. In this work, we investigated the possibility of treating model wastewaters containing the antibiotics AMX and CIP using ozonation, with the addition of H₂O₂ under various conditions, including different pH values, H₂O₂, and ozone dosages. The quantification of and treatment efficacy for antibiotic removal were determined via solid phase extraction followed by chromatographic separation by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). This analytical system is quite efficient for the detection of all major antibiotic classes, even if they are present at very low concentrations. The efficiency of ozonation was determined by measuring the TOC (Total Organic Carbon) changes after ozonation of the model wastewater and by measuring the concentration of the two antibiotics. In a sequential activated sludge process of ozone-treated model wastewater, almost complete TOC removal and an overwhelming decrease in antibiotic concentrations (up to 99%) were observed. Ozonation resulted in complete removal of AMX and CIP in less than 30 and 120 min, respectively. The results of this work indicate that ozonation could be a suitable pretreatment method to reduce the toxicity of contaminants (AMX and CIP) and improve the biodegradability of hospital wastewater.

Vending machines in health and social care facilities are often the only possible choice for a quick snack for workers and visitors, in many cases providing unhealthy dietary choices. Our study aimed to analyse the variety and nutritional quality of foods available in vending machines placed in social and health care institution in Slovenia. The available snacks were quantitatively assessed, using traffic light profiling. The model used for nutrient profiling was that of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Vending machines in 188 institutions were surveyed, resulting in 5625 food-items consisting of 267 unique product labels. Sweet products dominate in vending machines offers (about 70%), while nuts and seeds (8.4%), yoghurts (2.1%), fruits (1.4%) and milk (0.3%) are present in a very small proportion or are not available at all. According to FSANZ, 88.5% of all displayed food items in vending machines can be considered as lower nutritional quality or less healthy products. The authors’ future activities will be focused on ensuring wider availability of healthy dietary choices and on including official guidelines in tender conditions for vending machines in health and social care institutions in Slovenia.

Disinfectants are used intensively to control and prevent healthcare-associated infections. With continuous use and exposure to disinfectants, bacteria may develop reduced susceptibility. The study aimed to check the hygiene of devices in the physiotherapy department. For isolated bacterial strains, we aimed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of five different disinfectant wipe products currently in use. Microbiological environmental sampling in four various institutions in four different cities from two counties was performed, followed by CFU calculation and identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization with time-of-flight analyzer mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The sampling was performed on three different occasions: before patient use, after patient use, and after disinfection. The susceptibility of isolates to three different alcohol-based and three different quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) disinfectant wipes was examined by determining the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC). We identified 27 different bacterial species from 11 different genera. Gram-positive bacteria predominated. The most abundant genera were Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, and Bacillus. The average MIC values of alcohol-based disinfectants range between 66.61 and 148.82 g/L, and those of QAC-based disinfectants range between 2.4 and 3.5 mg/L. Distinctive strains with four-fold increases in MIC values, compared to average values, were identified. The widespread use of disinfectants can induce a reduction in the susceptibility of bacteria against disinfectants and affect the increase in the proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, it is urgent to define clear criteria for defining a microorganism as resistant to disinfectants by setting epidemiological cut-off (ECOFF) values and standardizing protocols for testing the resistance of microorganisms against disinfectants.

Infection control is crucial for high-quality patient care. One of the most effective and commonly used infection control procedures is hand hygiene which, it is known, requires repeated refresher training. There are many ways to educate healthcare professionals about hand hygiene, including the use of mobile applications (apps). Our aim is to review such hand hygiene apps, and to identify which have been available since 2021 and to assess their quality. We conducted a review using the PRISMA diagram to document our app selection process in the Google Play Store and Apple store in March 2024. For the evaluation of apps, we used the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale questionnaire (uMARS). Of 16 apps only five adhere to WHO hand hygiene guidelines. Timers were included in 12 of the 16 apps and reminders were included in 10 of 16 apps. The highest overall uMARS scoring app was Give Me 5–Hand Hygiene (4.31 ± 0.28), while Wash your hands! (1.17 ± 0.14) had the lowest score. We found that more than half of the apps were unavailable from the 2021 review. We believe that app-based education could effectively sustain hand hygiene knowledge in healthcare settings.