The Clinical Microbiological and Clinical Molecular Biology Laboratories and the Infection Control Unit at the Clinical Diagnostic Department handle all aspects of advice, assessment, diagnosis, treatment recommendations, infection control advice, and epidemiology of infectious diseases.
In addition, the Clinical Molecular Biology Laboratory has an interdisciplinary role in the provision of molecular diagnostic methods at Hospital South West Jutland. Although the main focus is on diagnostics, the broad clinical scope and contact with other specialties provide a solid foundation for clinically relevant interdisciplinary research.
Research
Research is centered on two focus areas:
- Improved diagnosis and treatment
- Hospital-acquired infections, including prevention and control, as well as epidemiology and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Research Projects - Current and Upcoming
Improved diagnosis and treatment:
- Rapid Detection of Pathogens in Blood Culture Sepsis-Patients using Multiplex Droplet Digital PCR
- Collaboration with the SYDBAK consortium by utilizing shared laboratory and clinical data from the Region of Southern Denmark using a "big data" approach
- Collaboration with other CMLs in the "One Day in Denmark" initiative, which compares the use of whole-genome sequencing versus conventional methods for diagnosing infection and interpreting antimicrobial resistance determinations
- Collaboration with the Clinical Biochemical Department on sequencing of samples from patients with dysfibrinogenemia
- Collaboration with pharmacologists on sequencing and tailored treatment of kidney transplant recipients
- Collaboration with FAM on oxygen supplementation for COPD patients
- Collaboration with lung departments at SVS and other hospitals in Denmark on treatment of P. aeruginosa in non-CF patients
Hospital-acquired infections, including prevention and control, as well as epidemiology and spread of pathogens:
- Comparison of systemic (mono-/combination therapies) and topical antibiotic treatments against recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI) caused by multi-resistant bacteria in catheterized patients
- Collaboration with SSI and other CMLs on SARS-CoV2 sequencing and surveillance P
- articipation in the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (ESCMID) study group on C. difficile (ESGCD)
- Intestinal pathogen infections and their epidemiology
- National surveillance of the emergence and spread of multi-resistant bacteria
- Collaboration with the UK Healthcare Infection Society, which is developing guidelines for prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections
- Collaboration with OUH, AUH, and SLB on whole-genome sequencing of Fusobacterium spp.
- Collaboration with the State Serum Institute (SSI) and other Clinical Microbiological Departments on the epidemiology of fungemia in Denmark.
