Recent advances and potential applications for metal-organic framework (MOFs) and MOFs-derived materials: Characterizations and antimicrobial activities.

Microbial infections, particularly those caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens, pose a critical global health threat. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), porous crystalline structures built from metal ions and organic linkers, initially developed for gas adsorption, have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. This review, covering research up to 2023, explores the potential of MOFs and MOF-based materials as broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even parasites. It delves into the historical context of antimicrobial agents, recent advancements in MOF research, and the diverse synthesis techniques employed for their production. Furthermore, the review comprehensively analyzes the mechanisms of action by which MOFs combat various microbial threats. By highlighting the vast potential of MOFs, their diverse synthesis methods, and their effectiveness against various pathogens, this study underscores their potential as a novel solution to the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance.

Study on awareness, knowledge, and practices towards antibiotic use among the educated and uneducated people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance developed through the inadequate use of antibiotics; is an overriding task for global public health. OBJECTIVE: To explore awareness, knowledge, and practices, and compare the elements associated with antibiotic misuse in different University students and uneducated people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. METHODS: Cross-sectional study was conducted from July to December 2020 using a validated questionnaire. Data were collected from eleven different university students and uneducated people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. RESULTS: 3,600 questionnaires were completed, consisting of 56.9% Male and 43.0% Female. 1,999 (55.5%) of the antibiotic users reported through the survey used non-prescription antibiotics within a one-month study period. Out of the participants, 230 (6.3%) were uneducated or their education level was below matric rest were university students. 1999 (55.5%) reported buying Antibiotics with Medical Prescription. Most self-medicated participants (56.9%) stop taking antibiotics when they feel better. More than 90% of the respondents answered that doctors and pharmacist staff do not guide them well that how to use antibiotics. 2,171 (60.03%) respondents mistakenly believed that antibiotics improve restoration from coughs and colds. Only 720 (20%) respondents knew that antibiotics also disturb normal flora and 547 participants (15.9%) agree that unnecessary use of antibiotics causes bacterial resistance. CONCLUSION: Finding from this study may have important implications for public health policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan given the growing global resistance to antibiotics and the reported health issues related to their improper use.

Burn Wound Microbiology and the Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Bacterial Isolates in Three Burn Units of Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Infection is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among burn patients and is accentuated multifold by the emergence of antimicrobial resistance among the nosocomial isolates. It is vital to know the common organisms involved in infected burn wound etiology and their respective antibiotic susceptibility patterns. These crucial findings can help in formulating a better and more efficient antimicrobial therapy plan for controlling burn wound infections. The current study was conducted to identify the common bacteria involved in causing infections in wounds of burn patients and their respective antibiotic susceptibility patterns in three hospitals of Abbottabad, Pakistan. A total of 100 patients were included from the burn units of three hospitals in Abbottabad. Wound swabs were taken from the deepest portions of infected burns, and the organisms involved were isolated via standard microbiological techniques. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique was used to monitor antibiotic susceptibility. Gram-positive organisms were found readily in infected burn wounds. Staphylococcus aureus (46%) was the most common isolate followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis (17%), Escherichia coli (16%), Proteus spp. (12%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which was only 7%. Gram-positive bacteria were sensitive to amikacin, gentamicin, cefotaxime, and norfloxacin. In contrast, the gram-negative isolates were sensitive to amikacin, chloramphenicol, and nalidixic acid. Pseudomonas was resistant to most of the antibiotics tested in the present study.

Antibiotic susceptibility profile of bacterial isolates from post-surgical wounds of patients in tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Postoperative wound infections are the infections of the operating site within thirty days after surgery. The infections that develop after surgery are a major problem throughout the world leading to, increased morbidity and mortality. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of bacterial pathogens causing wound infection in the surgical wards and to determine the antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of the isolated bacteria. A total of 250 wound samples were collected over a period of 6 months from July-December, 2016. The pathogenic bacteria were isolated, identified and their antibiotic susceptibility was determined through disc diffusion method. Among 250 cases, 210 (84%) were culture positive for bacterial pathogens, while 40 (16%) were bacteriologically sterile (Negative). Rate of infection was high in males (55.6%) than females (44.4%). The predominant isolates were E.coli 55 (26.19%), followed by S.aureus 51 (24.28%), Pseudomonas spp. 43(20.47%), S.aureus MRSA 21 (10%), Proteus Marbillis 15 (7.14%), E.coli ESBL producer was 8 (3.81%), Acinetobacter 7 (3.33%) Proteus valgaris 5 (2.38%), b-Streptococci 3 (1.43%) and Klebsella pneumonia were the least, 2 (0.95%). Linezolid, Vancomycin, Amoxycillin, Cefoperazone and Meropenem are the most effective antibiotics for treating post-surgical wound infections.