"Biofilms in Infection and Disease Control: A Healthcare Handbook" outlines the scientific evidence and rationale for the prevention of infection, the role biofilms play in infection control, and the issues concerning their resistance to antimicrobials. This book provides practical guidance for healthcare and infection control professionals, as well as students, for preventing and controlling infection.

Biofilms are the most common mode of bacterial growth in nature. Highly resistant to antibiotics and antimicrobials, biofilms are the source of more than 65 percent of health care associated infections (HCAI), which, according to the WHO, affect 1.4 million people annually. Biofilms are involved in 80 percent of all microbial infections in the body, including those associated with medical devices such as catheters, endotracheal tubes, joint prostheses, and heart valves. Biofilms are also the principle causes of infections of the middle-ear, dental caries, gingivitis, prostatitis and cystic fibrosis. Importantly, biofilms also significantly delay wound healing and reduce antimicrobial efficiency in at-risk or infected skin wounds.
Provides specific procedures for controlling and preventing infectionIncludes case studies of HCAI, and identifies appropriate treatments Presents national government standards for infection prevention and controlIncludes extensive references and links to websites for further information

It is not the presence of microorganisms, but their interaction with patients that determines their influence on wound healing. Documenting this critical but often ignored aspect of the treatment process, Microbiology of Wounds discusses the microbiology and biology of human wounds in relation to infection and non-healing. Gain the necessary scientific and clinical knowledge pertaining to chronic and acute wounds. The practice of wound healing is dynamic, infinitely complex, nonlinear, and prodigiously individualized to the patient. When one considers the myriad host variables that contribute to the disease state, understanding the intricacies of chronic wounds becomes even more difficult. This book presents the necessary scientific and clinical data pertaining to chronic and acute wounds, and discusses inflammation, epithelialization, granulation tissue, and tissue remodeling. It details techniques for treating chronic and acute wounds and covers the mode of action and efficacy of anti-infectives used in treating wounds. Microbiology of Wounds answers the call for a definitive reference on chronic and acute wounds.