{
  "abstract": "Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use (AMU) in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) represent a growing public health concern, yet longitudinal surveillance data from this setting remain scarce, particularly at the subnational level.\n\nMethods: Three repeated point prevalence surveys (PPSs) were conducted in LTCFs in the Autonomous Province of Trento (Italy) in 2019, 2022, and 2023, following the standardized ECDC HALT-3 protocol. For each survey year, HAI and AMU prevalence were estimated with exact binomial 95% confidence intervals. Facility-level Pearson correlation analyses explored associations between prevalence outcomes and selected resident- and facility-level indicators.\n\nResults: Across the three surveys, 38, 32, and 39 LTCFs participated, covering 4,108, 2,766, and 3,610 eligible residents respectively. HAI prevalence was 3.8% (95% CI: 3.2–4.3) in 2019, 4.8% (95% CI: 4.1–5.8) in 2022, and 2.6% (95% CI: 2.1–3.2) in 2023. AMU prevalence followed a similar pattern: 4.0% (95% CI: 3.4–4.6), 4.5% (95% CI: 3.7–5.3), and 2.8% (95% CI: 2.3–3.4). Urinary tract infections and lower respiratory tract infections were the most frequently recorded HAI categories across all years. Penicillins combined with beta-lactamase inhibitors (8.5–15.6%) and third-generation cephalosporins (8.1–8.9%) were the most prescribed antibiotic classes. Missing data for indication and purpose of AMU were notably high in 2022 (47–48%), improving markedly in 2023. In 2022, significant negative facility-level correlations were observed between HAI prevalence and incontinence (r = −0.42; p = 0.02) and between AMU and urinary catheter use (r = −0.39; p = 0.03), likely reflecting ecological confounding.\n\nConclusions: HAI and AMU prevalence peaked in 2022, plausibly reflecting COVID-19-related disruption, and declined in 2023. Improving documentation completeness and reinforcing HAI prevention and control practices remain priorities for antimicrobial stewardship in LTCFs.\n\nKey messages: • HAIs and AMU prevalence peaked in 2022 and declined in 2023 in LTCFs in north-eastern Italy, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 disruption on infection burden, consistent with European trends.\n\n• Repeated PPSs reveal persistent gaps in antimicrobial documentation and broad-spectrum prescribing in LTCFs, underscoring the need for targeted stewardship programs addressing both practices.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "abstract",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "I Tocco Tussardi"
    },
    {
      "name": "M Arshad"
    },
    {
      "name": "D Visentin"
    },
    {
      "name": "A Arlanch"
    },
    {
      "name": "E Torri"
    },
    {
      "name": "S Minervini"
    },
    {
      "name": "L Fabbri"
    },
    {
      "name": "L Cazzoletti"
    },
    {
      "name": "S Tardivo"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/23t4z3vwa34kd.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1608",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13698365/",
  "id": "23t4z3vwa34kd",
  "issns": [
    "1101-1262",
    "1464-360X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1608",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "6. Poster Displays"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/MED00860"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC01210"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC02610"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "DN. Infectious diseases control"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2402|Antibiotic Use and Resistance"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223704907",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13698365/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13698365",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/23t4z3vwa34kd.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:15Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13698365",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1608"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:44Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13698365",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13698365"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2402|Antibiotic Use and Resistance",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "HAIs and antimicrobial use in long-term care: repeated prevalence surveys in north-eastern Italy",
  "title_text": "HAIs and antimicrobial use in long-term care: repeated prevalence surveys in north-eastern Italy",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:35:14Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/23t4z3vwa34kd",
  "venue": "The European Journal of Public Health",
  "versions": []
}