Variance between studies in a meta-analysis will exist. This heterogeneity may be of clinical,
methodological or statistical origin. The last of these is quantified by the I 2 -statistic. We …

Vancomcyin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have emerged as nosocomial pathogens in the
past 10 years, causing epidemiological controversy. In the USA, colonisation with VRE is …

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium spread dramatically in hospital settings in the
USA in the 1990s and reached endemicity at the turn of the century. Similarly, rising …

Background Selective digestive tract decontamination (SDD) and selective oropharyngeal
decontamination (SOD) are infection-prevention measures used in the treatment of some …

Clin Microbiol Infect 2011; 17: 873–880 Abstract Intestinal carriage of extended‐spectrum
beta‐lactamase (ESBL) ‐producing bacteria in food‐producing animals and contamination of …

Background The efficacy of interleukin-6 receptor antagonists in critically ill patients with
coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is unclear. Methods We evaluated tocilizumab and …

Background In countries with declining numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19, lockdown
measures are gradually being lifted. However, even if most physical distancing measures …

Background Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines prevent pneumococcal
disease in infants, but their efficacy against pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia in …

Background Estimating attributable mortality of ventilator-associated pneumonia has been
hampered by confounding factors, small sample sizes, and the difficulty of doing relevant …

Importance Infection is frequent among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Contemporary
information about the types of infections, causative pathogens, and outcomes can aid the …