Immunotherapeutics for nosocomial infections

Abstract

Nosocomial or hospital-acquired infections are associated with prolonged hospitalisation and increased healthcare costs and resource utilisation. Continued advances in sophisticated medical procedures, an increase in the number of immunocompromised patients and a steady rise in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms has renewed interest in the development of novel therapies that can treat nosocomial infections. This review focuses on novel immunological approaches to address this significant unmet medical need.

• active immunisation
• antibody
• bacteraemia
• methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• monoclonal antibody
• nosocomial infection
• passive immunisation