Lab Information
Makeda Semret (MD/MSc)
InvestigatorClinical Research Unit
Department of Medicine (McGill)
Research Profile
Keywords
Hospital infections • infection control • molecular diagnostics • antimicrobial resistanceResearch Interests
My research focuses on hospital-associated infections (HAI) in Africa and in Canada, with an emphasis on specific infection control measures that will improve quality of care and patient safety. HAI and antimicrobial resistance are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients in industrialized countries. The burden of HAI and of antimicrobial resistance is largely unknown in Africa, where systematic surveillance is limited by weak laboratory infrastructure. We are systematically analyzing the characteristics of HAI in a large referral hospital in Ethiopia, in conjunction with training in infectious diseases and support of the microbiology laboratory. Additionally we are assessing the impact of laboratory diagnostics and of antimicrobial stewardship interventions on patient outcomes, antimicrobial prescriptions and antimicrobial resistance patterns in Ethiopia and in Canada.Team Members
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Latest Publications
- LeBlanc, J. J., ElSherif, M., Ye, L., MacKinnon-Cameron, D., Ambrose, A., Hatchette, T. F., Lang, A. L. S., Gillis, H. D., Martin, I., Demczuk, W. H. B., Andrew, M. K., Boivin, G., Bowie, W., Green, K., Johnstone, J., Loeb, M., McCarthy, A. E., McGeer, A., Semret, M., Trottier, S., Valiquette, L., Webster, D. & McNeil, S. A. (2022). Recalibrated estimates of non-bacteremic and bacteremic pneumococcal community acquired pneumonia in hospitalized Canadian adults from 2010 to 2017 with addition of an extended spectrum serotype-specific urine antigen detection assay. Vaccine, vol. 40, p. 2635-2646.
- Ali, K., Azher, T., Baqi, M., Binnie, A., Borgia, S., Carrier, F. M., Cavayas, Y. A., Chagnon, N., Cheng, M. P., Conly, J., Costiniuk, C., Daley, P., Daneman, N., Douglas, J., Downey, C., Duan, E., Duceppe, E., Durand, M., English, S., Farjou, G., Fera, E., Fontela, P., Fowler, R., Fralick, M., Geagea, A., Grant, J., Harrison, L. B., Havey, T., Hoang, H., Kelly, L. E., Keynan, Y., Khwaja, K., Klein, G., Klein, M., Kolan, C., Kronfli, N., Lamontagne, F., Lau, R., Fralick, M., Lee, T. C., Lee, N., Lim, R., Longo, S., Lostun, A., MacIntyre, E., Malhamé, I., Mangof, K., McGuinty, M., Mergler, S., Munan, M. P., Murthy, S., O'Neil, C., Ovakim, D., Papenburg, J., Parhar, K., Parvathy, S. N., Patel, C., Perez-Patrigeon, S., Pinto, R., Rajakumaran, S., Rishu, A., Roba-Oshin, M., Rushton, M., Saleem, M., Salvadori, M., Scherr, K., Schwartz, K., Semret, M., Silverman, M., Singh, A., Sligl, W., Smith, S., Somayaji, R., Tan, D. H. S., Tobin, S., Todd, M., Tran, T.-V., Tremblay, A., Tsang, J., Turgeon, A., Vakil, E., Weatherald, J., Yansouni, C., Zarychanski, R., Canadian Treatments for COVID-19 (CATCO) & Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada (AMMI) Clinical Research Network and the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (2022). Remdesivir for the treatment of patients in hospital with COVID-19 in Canada: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, vol. 194, p. E242-E251.
- Gebretekle, G. B., Mariam, D. H., Mac, S., Abebe, W., Alemayehu, T., Degu, W. A., Libman, M., Yansouni, C. P., Fenta, T. G., Semret, M. & Sander, B. (2021). Cost-utility analysis of antimicrobial stewardship programme at a tertiary teaching hospital in Ethiopia. BMJ open, vol. 11, p. e047515.
- Semret, M., Abebe, W., Kong, L. Y., Alemayehu, T., Beyene, T., Libman, M. D., Amogne, W., Johannsen, Ø. H., Gebretekle, G. B., Seifu, D. & Yansouni, C. P. (2020). Prolonged empirical antibiotic therapy is correlated with bloodstream infections and increased mortality in a tertiary care hospital in Ethiopia: bacteriology testing matters. JAC-antimicrobial resistance, vol. 2, p. dlaa039.
- Andrew, M. K., MacDonald, S., Godin, J., McElhaney, J. E., LeBlanc, J., Hatchette, T. F., Bowie, W., Katz, K., McGeer, A., Semret, M. & McNeil, S. A. (2021). Persistent Functional Decline Following Hospitalization with Influenza or Acute Respiratory Illness. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 69, p. 696-703.
- Yansouni, C. P., Seifu, D., Libman, M., Alemayehu, T., Gizaw, S., Johansen, Ø. H., Abebe, W., Amogne, W. & Semret, M. (2020). A Feasible Laboratory-Strengthening Intervention Yielding a Sustainable Clinical Bacteriology Sector to Support Antimicrobial Stewardship in a Large Referral Hospital in Ethiopia. Frontiers in public health, vol. 8, p. 258.
- Cheng, M. P., Yansouni, C. P., Basta, N. E., Desjardins, M., Kanjilal, S., Paquette, K., Caya, C., Semret, M., Quach, C., Libman, M., Mazzola, L., Sacks, J. A., Dittrich, S. & Papenburg, J. (2020). Serodiagnostics for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus 2 : A Narrative Review. Annals of internal medicine, vol. 173, p. 450-460.
- Gebretekle, G. B., Haile Mariam, D., Abebe Taye, W., Mulu Fentie, A., Amogne Degu, W., Alemayehu, T., Beyene, T., Libman, M., Gedif Fenta, T., Yansouni, C. P. & Semret, M. (2020). Half of Prescribed Antibiotics Are Not Needed: A Pharmacist-Led Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention and Clinical Outcomes in a Referral Hospital in Ethiopia. Frontiers in public health, vol. 8, p. 109.
- LeBlanc, J., ElSherif, M., Ye, L., MacKinnon-Cameron, D., Ambrose, A., Hatchette, T. F., Lang, A. L., Gillis, H. D., Martin, I., Demczuk, W. H., LaFerriere, C., Andrew, M. K., Boivin, G., Bowie, W., Green, K., Johnstone, J., Loeb, M., McCarthy, A., McGeer, A., Semret, M., Trottier, S., Valiquette, L., Webster, D. & McNeil, S. A. (2020). Age-stratified burden of pneumococcal community acquired pneumonia in hospitalised Canadian adults from 2010 to 2015. BMJ open respiratory research, vol. 7.
- Lees, C., Godin, J., McElhaney, J. E., McNeil, S. A., Loeb, M., Hatchette, T. F., LeBlanc, J., Bowie, W., Boivin, G., McGeer, A., Poirier, A., Powis, J., Semret, M., Webster, D. & Andrew, M. K. (2020). Frailty Hinders Recovery From Influenza and Acute Respiratory Illness in Older Adults. The Journal of infectious diseases, vol. 222, p. 428-437.
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