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Review
. 2022 Jan 28;9(2):51.
doi: 10.3390/bioengineering9020051.

Nosocomial Infections and Role of Nanotechnology

Thripthi Ananda  1 , Ankita Modi  2 , Ishita Chakraborty  3 , Vishwanath Managuli  4 , Chiranjay Mukhopadhyay  1   5 , Nirmal Mazumder  3
Affiliations
Review

Nosocomial Infections and Role of Nanotechnology

Thripthi Ananda et al. Bioengineering (Basel). .

Abstract

Nosocomial infections, termed hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), are acquired from a healthcare or hospital setting. HAI is mainly caused by bacteria, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterococci spp., Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and many more. Due to growing antibacterial resistance, nanotechnology has paved the way for more potent and sensitive methods of detecting and treating bacterial infections. Nanoparticles have been used with molecular beacons for identifying bactericidal activities, targeting drug delivery, and anti-fouling coatings, etc. This review addresses the looming threat of nosocomial infections, with a focus on the Indian scenario, and major initiatives taken by medical bodies and hospitals in spreading awareness and training. Further, this review focuses on the potential role nanotechnology can play in combating the spread of these infections.

Keywords: healthcare; hospital-acquired infection; multidrug resistance; nanotechnology; nosocomial infection.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Global distribution of 10 million deaths expected by 2050 due to antimicrobial resistance. (Source: The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance–Tackling drug resistant infections globally, The Wellcome Trust, The UK Department of Health, London, 2014).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mechanisms of nanoparticle action in bacterial cells include changing membrane permeability and the generation of free radicals leading to DNA and protein damage. Adapted from Wang et al., 2017, Copyright 2017 Informa PLC [56].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mechanisms of nanoparticles combating nosocomial infections: (a) nanoparticles as molecular beacons, (b) nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery of antibiotics, and (c) types of nanoparticles preventing biofilm-associated nosocomial infections.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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