Journal of clinical microbiology
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jul 2020
Letter Multicenter Study Comparative StudyMulticenter Evaluation of the Cepheid Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 Assay for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Oropharyngeal Swab Specimens.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jul 2018
Multicenter StudyFive-Year National Surveillance of Invasive Candidiasis: Species Distribution and Azole Susceptibility from the China Hospital Invasive Fungal Surveillance Net (CHIF-NET) Study.
Data on the epidemiology of invasive candidiasis (IC) and the antifungal susceptibility of Candida isolates in China are still limited. Here we report on surveillance for IC from the China Hospital Invasive Fungal Surveillance Net (CHIF-NET) study. Sixty-five tertiary hospitals collected 8,829 Candida isolates from 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2014. ⋯ Moreover, from years 1 to 5 of the study, there was a significant increase in the rates of resistance to fluconazole among C. glabrata complex isolates (12.2% to 24.0%) and to both fluconazole (5.7% to 21.0%) and voriconazole (5.7% to 21.4%) among C. tropicalis isolates (P < 0.01 for all comparisons). Geographic variations in the causative species and susceptibilities were noted. Our findings indicate that antifungal resistance has become noteworthy in China, and enhanced surveillance is warranted.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Apr 2018
Multicenter Study Observational StudyEfficacy of T2 Magnetic Resonance Assay in Monitoring Candidemia after Initiation of Antifungal Therapy: the Serial Therapeutic and Antifungal Monitoring Protocol (STAMP) Trial.
The performance of blood culture for monitoring candidemia clearance is hampered by its low sensitivity, especially during antifungal therapy. The T2 magnetic resonance (T2MR) assay combines magnetic resonance with nanotechnology to identify whole Candida species cells. A multicenter clinical trial studied the performance of T2MR in monitoring candidemia clearance compared to blood culture. ⋯ Limitations of the study include the small sample size and lack of outcome data. In conclusion, the T2MR assay significantly outperformed blood cultures for monitoring the clearance of candidemia in patients receiving antifungal therapy and may be useful in determining adequate source control, timing for deescalation, and optimal duration of treatment. However, further studies are needed to determine the viability of Candida species cells detected by the T2MR assay and correlate the results with patient outcomes. (This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration number NCT02163889.).
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jan 2018
Multicenter StudyMulticenter Evaluation of the Xpert MRSA NxG Assay for Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Nasal Swabs.
Health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are a burden on the health care system. Clinical laboratories play a key role in reducing this burden, as the timely identification of MRSA colonization or infection facilitates infection control practices that are effective at limiting invasive MRSA infections. The Xpert MRSA NxG assay recently received FDA clearance for the direct detection of MRSA from nasal swabs. ⋯ The positive predictive value (PPV) for rayon swabs was 78.7%, versus 83.5% for ESwabs. The negative predictive values (NPVs) for rayon swabs and ESwab specimens were 98.9% and 99.1%, respectively. In conclusion, the Xpert MRSA NxG assay is a sensitive and specific assay for the direct detection of MRSA from nasal swab specimens.