The aim of this study was to re-evaluate fluoroquinolone (FQ) use in treatment by analyzing the consumption of FQ and the resistance levels of selected Gram‑negative bacilli, as well as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in EU/EEA countries and in Poland between 2016 and 2021. Data from ECDC surveillance systems EARS-Net, Euro-GASP, and the European Tuberculosis Surveillance Network were included in the description of pathogen resistance. And the ESAC-Net project for determining FQ consumption. In over half of the EU/EEA countries, the consumption of fluoroquinolones decreased in both the community sector and the hospital sector between 2016 and 2021. The prevalence of FQ-R Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter spp., Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae exceeded 20%. The prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-R) Pseudomonas aeruginosa in EU/EEA countries was less than 20% except for 2017. In most EU/EEA countries, the use of FQ has reduced in last years, except for countries like Poland where FQ were an overused group of antibiotics in the treatment of various types of infections. Fluoroquinolones, as life-saving antibiotics in severe infections, should be withdrawn from empirical treatment in Poland and in countries with a high prevalence of FQ-R microorganisms.

This study aimed to assess whether VAP surveillance and prevention practices in Polish ICUs were aligned with WHO/ECDC recommendations and whether complete

Background/Objectives: The effective prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) require the active engagement of clinical staff, which depends on strong relationships between the Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT) and frontline healthcare personnel. The role of the Infection Control Physician (ICP) as a clinical leader is essential for supporting evidence-based practice and fostering collaboration. This study aimed to demonstrate the impact of leadership-oriented interventions—particularly the introduction of ICP consultations in hospital wards—on HAI surveillance quality. Methods: A retrospective observational quasi-experimental study was conducted in a single hospital in southern Poland between 2017 and 2024, excluding 2020–2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. HAI surveillance followed the ECDC HAI-Net methodology. The study included all hospitalized patients in wards where invasive medical devices or invasive procedures were used. The intervention consisted of expanding the IPCT, increasing managerial support, extending infection control nurses’ competencies, and implementing routine ICP medical consultations. Changes in HAI incidence rates between the pre-intervention (pre-IP) and post-intervention (post-IP) periods were analyzed for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), expressed per 1000 device-days. Results: The overall device utilization increased from 0.44 to 0.54 per 1000 patient-days in the post-IP period. The utilization of microbiological diagnostic tests more than doubled, with marked increases in blood cultures (6.4% vs. 15.5%) and urine cultures (7.7% vs. 11.0%). No IPCT consultations occurred in the pre-IP period, while 874 consultations were recorded in the post-IP period. Th incidence rates for CAUTI and VAP increased (1.4 to 3.1 and 11.7 to 24.6 per 1000 device-days, respectively). The CLABSI incidence showed no significant overall change. Conclusions: Structural and functional changes in the IPCT, combined with the introduction of ICP consultations, substantially enhanced the quality and completeness of HAI surveillance in the analyzed hospital. The findings highlight the importance of leadership-driven engagement in improving infection prevention and control systems.

Candida fungi are among the most common human fungal pathogens and invasive candidiasis is one of the predominant invasive mycoses that mainly affects hospitalized patients with suppression of the immunological system and breaches in skin or mucosal barriers. Rapid diagnosis and implementation of appropriate antifungal treatment are key to achieving recovery. In recent years, attention has been drawn to the increasing significance of Candida species other than C. albicans, in particular C. auris and fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis. The aim of this work was to present the species spectrum and drug susceptibility of 570 Candida strains isolated from candidemia cases diagnosed in patients hospitalized in southern Poland in the period 2017–2022. The results of Candida-positive blood cultures obtained from five hospitals were analyzed. C. albicans was the most common species, accounting for 42.6% of all strains, followed by Nakaseomyces glabratus (formerly C. glabrata) and C. parapsilosis complex—22.1% and 18.8%, respectively. No C. auris was found. Fluconazole resistance was found in 4.9% of C. albicans strains, 34.7% of N. glabratus strains, and 8.7% of C. parapsilosis complex strains.