Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose a significant danger to global public health, mainly because their numbers are growing exponentially each year. Additionally, the rise of bacterial strains resistant to current treatment options further exacerbates this threat. This study aimed to examine the occurrences of HAIs identified in public hospitals at the county level. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing data provided to the Mures Public Health Directorate from all the public hospitals within the studied county. We examined HAIs reported during the period spanning from 2017 to 2021, which amounted to a total of 4603 cases. Results: The medical departments reported the highest prevalence of HAIs at 48.25%. The most common infections included enterocolitis with Clostridioides difficile (32.61%), COVID-19 (19.83%), bronchopneumonia (16.90%), sepsis, surgical wound infections, and urinary tract infections. The five most frequently identified pathogens were Clostridioides difficile (32.61%), SARS-CoV-2 (19.83%), Acinetobacter baumannii (11.82%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.58%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7.95%). Acinetobacter baumannii was the predominant agent causing bronchopneumonia, while Klebsiella pneumoniae was the leading cause of sepsis cases. Escherichia coli was the primary agent behind the urinary tract infections, and Staphylococcus aureus MRSA was identified as the main etiology for wound infections and central catheter infections. Throughout the study period, there was a significant rise in Clostridioides difficile and Gram-negative bacteria prevalence rates. Conclusions: This study identified increased Clostridioides difficile in HAI cases during COVID-19, highlighting the need for careful antibiotic use and emphasizing the growing challenge of multi-resistant strains in post-pandemic state hospitals.

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) pose a significant danger to global public health, mainly because their numbers are growing exponentially each year. Additionally, the rise of bacterial strains resistant to current treatment options further exacerbates this threat. The study aimed to examine the occurrences of HAIs identified in public hospitals at the county level. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing data provided to the Mures Public Health Directorate from all the public hospitals within this county. We examined HAIs reported during the period spanning from 2017 to 2021, which amounted to a total of 4603 cases. Results: The medical departments reported the highest prevalence of HAIs at 48.25%. The most common infections in-cluded enterocolitis with Clostridioides difficile (32.61%), COVID-19 (19.83%), bronchopneumonia (16.90%), sepsis, surgical wound infections, and urinary tract infections. The five most frequently identified pathogens were Clostridioides difficile (32.61%), SARS-CoV-2 (19.83%), Acinetobacter baumannii (11.82%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.58%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7.95%). Acinetobacter baumannii was the predominant agent causing bronchopneumonia, while Klebsiella pneumoniae was the leading cause of sepsis cases. Escherichia coli was the primary agent behind urinary tract infec-tions, and Staphylococcus aureus MRSA was identified as the main etiology for wound infections and central catheter infections. Throughout the study period, there was a significant rise in Clostridioides difficile cases, accounting for 40.36% of all reported HAIs in 2021. Conclusions: The study identifies Clostridioides difficile increase in HAI cases during COVID-19, highlighting the need for careful antibiotic use, and emphasizing the growing challenge of multi-resistant strains in post-pandemic state hospitals.

As populations age, micronutrient deficiencies increase and are linked to frailty, functional decline, cognitive impairment, anemia, and a higher healthcare burden. This review synthesizes evidence from the past five years on adults ≥65 years, comparing residents of nursing homes/assisted-living facilities with community-dwelling peers. Community-dwelling older adults show high prevalence of deficiencies—particularly vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, folate, and zinc—while vitamin B12 deficiency is less common overall but increases with age due to malabsorption. Institutionalized adults face higher risk, driven by limited dietary variety, reduced sunlight exposure, greater multimorbidity, and polypharmacy. Reported rates include vitamin D deficiency in 70–94% of institutionalized adults (≈6.3-fold higher odds), zinc deficiency in 50–66% (vs. 31–49% in the community), iodine deficiency in 67–78% (vs. 22% in the community), and a Mini Nutritional Assessment classification of severe malnutrition/at risk in 67.9% (vs. 28% in the community). Consequences encompass frailty, falls, infections, higher costs, and increased institutionalization. Recommended actions include routine biomarker screening, improving access to vitamin D (supplementation/fortification), individualized care for micronutrient deficiencies—including vitamin B12 when relevant—multidisciplinary nutrition support, and long-term targeted research to guide best practices for healthy aging and equity.

Background and Objectives: Rumors, disinformation, and fake news are problems of contemporary society. We live in a world where the truth no longer holds much importance, and the line that divides the truth from lies, between real news and disinformation, becomes increasingly blurred and difficult to identify. The purpose of this study is to describe this concept, to draw attention to one of the “pandemics” of the 21st-century world, and to find methods by which we can defend ourselves against them. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on a sample of 442 respondents. Results. For 77.8% of the people surveyed, the concept of “fake news” is important in Romania. Regarding trust in the mass media, a clear dominance (72.4%) was observed among participants who have little trust in the mass media. Although 98.2% of participants detect false information found on the internet, 78.5% are occasionally deceived by the information provided. Of the participants, 47.3% acknowledged their vulnerability to disinformation. The main source of disinformation is the internet, as 59% of the interviewed subjects believed. As the best measure against disinformation, the study group was divided almost equally according to the three possible answers, all of which were considered to be equally important: imposing legal restrictions and blocking the posting of certain news (35.4%), imposing stricter measures for authors (33.9%), and increasing vigilance among people (30.5%). Conclusions. According to the statistics based on the participants’ responses, the main purposes of disinformation are propaganda, manipulation, distracting attention from the truth, making money, and misleading the population. It can be observed that the main intention of disinformation, in the perception of the study participants, is manipulation.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), particularly those caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, remain an important cause of adverse outcomes among hospitalized patients. The combined contribution of antimicrobial resistance, clinical characteristics, and antimicrobial treatment to mortality requires further evaluation. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with in-hospital mortality among patients with HAIs, with particular emphasis on multidrug resistance (MDR) and post-culture antimicrobial treatment. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study that included 192 patients with 242 documented HAI episodes in a hospital in Târgu-Mureș, Romania. Demographic and clinical characteristics, invasive procedures, microbiological findings, antimicrobial resistance phenotypes, antimicrobial exposure, and in-hospital outcome were evaluated. Comparisons between survivors and non-survivors were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test, Pearson’s chi-square test, or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality were investigated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Overall, 161/192 patients (83.9%) died during hospitalization. Non-survivors were significantly older than survivors [median: 71 (IQR: 62–78) vs. 62 (50.5–72) years; p = 0.025]. MDR organisms were more common among non-survivors (51.6% vs. 22.6%; p = 0.003), and MDR phenotype was associated with increased odds of mortality in univariable analysis (OR = 3.65, 95% CI: 1.49–8.95; p = 0.005). After adjustment for age, mechanical ventilation, and recent surgery, MDR remained independently associated with in-hospital mortality (aOR = 3.58, 95% CI: 1.42–8.98; p = 0.007). In the treatment-focused model, aminopenicillin exposure (aOR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.07–0.64; p = 0.006), second-generation aminoglycosides (aOR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06–0.97; p = 0.045), and third-generation cephalosporins (aOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14–0.88; p = 0.025) were associated with lower odds of mortality. No significant association was observed between time to specific antimicrobial therapy and mortality (p = 0.541). Conclusions: MDR was the main antimicrobial-resistance factor independently associated with in-hospital mortality among patients with HAIs. Although several antimicrobial classes were associated with lower odds of death, these observational associations should not be interpreted as causal treatment effects. The findings emphasize the importance of antimicrobial resistance surveillance, rapid microbiological diagnosis, antimicrobial stewardship, and timely access to active antimicrobial therapy.

Objective : This study investigates trust in health-related content sources on social media among Mureș County, Romania residents. Methods : An online survey was administered using a 23-item questionnaire to assess demographics, frequency of social media usage, and trust in health information sources. Results : Of the 419 respondents, religious figures emerged as the most trusted source of medical information, followed by doctors. Trust in religious figures was significantly higher among individuals with lower education levels and those who used social media frequently but for short durations. Correlation analysis indicated a weak positive relationship between social media usage and trust in information. Conclusions : The findings highlight the unexpectedly high relevance of clergy in Romanian communities within such a specialized field, emphasizing the importance of involving trusted local figures in health communication strategies.