Journal of palliative medicine
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Background: Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are an important health care issue. Patients in Western societies often present an increased morbidity of chronic conditions accompanied by poor immune status and the use of devices. In particular, patients in palliative care (PC) are at greater risk of MDRO colonization, due to accompanying special devices and being hospitalized. Objective: To gain an overview of the literature regarding MDROs in PC. Design : Systematic review Data sources : On the 19th of October 2019 the databases " PubMed" and " CINAHL" were used to identify studies reporting on MDROs in PC; the search was updated on 16th of May 2020. Results: Seventeen out of 486 articles were included. ⋯ Not even half of institutions utilize existing protocols. Recommendations for dealing with MDROs indicate required staff and time resources as well as information, communication, and specific knowledge. Conclusion: There is a great need for studies examining the prevalence of all MDROs in the PC setting. Additionally, not only patients but also a public enlightenment on MDROs should be provided to decrease knowledge gaps and therefore reduce transmission on MDROs.