In early September, members of the REVERSE consortium traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, for the 8th International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC). As a premier gathering for the global IPC community, the four-day event provided an ideal platform to showcase the project's cutting-edge research, innovative solutions, and invaluable experiences.

The REVERSE team was heavily engaged across the conference. Prof. Stephan Harbarth, WP 3 Lead and ICPIC Co-Chair, presented and participated throughout the event. REVERSE lead PI, Prof. Walter Zingg (University Hospital Zurich), was in the thick of things, leading an interactive Pro/Con debate on the IPC implications of new terminology defining airborne transmission. 

A major highlight was Valerie Goldstein’s (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève and WP 3) team having their entry accepted into the ICPIC video clip competition, which honors creativity and quality in promoting infection control. Their clip, focusing on reinforcing good IPC practices—ok or not ok?—received a respectable 542 votes.

Check out the clip

Key Poster Presentations

 Several critical posters detailing REVERSE's findings were presented:

 Main REVERSE Project Update (P1124): Presented by Valerie Goldstein (HUG), this poster 

 detailed the REVERSE trial as a prospective, multi-center, cluster-randomised, stepped-  wedge, hybrid

 Type 2 effectiveness-implementation trial across 24 hospitals in four European countries. The study

 evaluates the impact of diagnostic, infection prevention and control (IPC), and antibiotic stewardship

 programmes on antimicrobial resistance.Results: The first year showed that sites implemented between

 one and four SOPs. The most frequent were Hand Hygiene (HH) (96%) and Active Surveillance (AS)

 (68%). Crucially, 77% of sites improved their HHSAF score and AS significantly improved for CRE 

 and CRAB. 

 The conclusion underscored both the potential and the challenges of tailored IPC interventions in high-

 prevalence settings.

AMR Surveillance in Switzerland (P1045): REVERSE Scientific Manager Dr. Ashlesha Sonpar (University Hospital Zurich) presented data from the Swissnoso Point Prevalence Surveys (PPS). Comparing data from 2017 and 2024, the poster revealed a concerning increase in the proportion of isolates with resistance:

• Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa increased from 12.2% to 32.6%.

• Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci increased from 2.2% to 9.1%.

The ratios of MRSA, ESBL, and CRE remained stable over the seven-year period. The data highlights the utility of the Swissnoso PPS as a crucial tool for monitoring resistance.

Optimising Glove Use and Hand Hygiene: Carlota Hidalgo-Lopez (Hospital del Mar, Barcelona) presented an intervention poster showcasing the impact of installing point-of-care (POCT) glove dispensers. The objective was to address inappropriate glove use, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and often undermined hand hygiene (HH) compliance.

Results: The intervention successfully decreased glove consumption by up to 12% in some units, while HH compliance concurrently increased by up to 12.85%. The findings suggest that placing dispensers at the POCT reinforced proper glove use and HH practices by increasing convenience and awareness, though the study noted other factors like training and safety culture are also influential.

Concluding Thoughts

The ICPIC 2025 conference successfully highlighted the REVERSE project's comprehensive, data-driven strategy to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The presentations not only shared critical surveillance data, but also demonstrated the measurable effectiveness of pragmatic, real-world interventions, like point-of-care glove dispensing. By combining the strategic evaluation of implementation with the continuous monitoring of clinical outcomes, REVERSE is generating essential evidence to guide future IPC and antibiotic stewardship policies, proving that a tailored and collaborative approach is vital for achieving sustainable progress against MDROs in healthcare settings.