ICU germs coming under the microscope in new study

The capital’s Evangelismos Hospital is the subject of a new Athens Medical School study aimed at identifying and monitoring germs in intensive care units.

Using technology developed by DNASequence, the team of experts headed by pulmonology professor and Evangelismos critical care chief Anastasia Kotanidou and Athens Medical School Dean Gerasimos Siasos is seeking to ascertain whether these microbes have developed a resistance to customary treatments by conducting a genomic analysis. 

The team is also curious to determine whether germs experts have not accounted for are in circulation in the ICU and, based on its findings, to develop strategies for dealing with them.

According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Greece ranks first in the bloc in healthcare associated infections, a problem that is believed to have worsened during the pandemic.