European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
-
Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Jul 2013
Clinical and microbiological implications of time-to-positivity of blood cultures in patients with Gram-negative bacilli bacteremia.
Time-to-positivity (TTP) is defined as the length of time from the beginning of culture incubation to the detection of bacterial growth by an automated system. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical and microbiological implications of TTP among patients with Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) bacteremia. This was a prospective, single-center, observational study. ⋯ Mortality was highest among patients with inadequate empiric therapy (56% vs. 14%, p < 0.001) and TTP <11 h (23.1% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.18). Lactose-fermenting GNB had a shorter mean TTP than non-lactose fermenters (11.4 vs. 17.9 h, p = 0.001). Among patients with bacteremia due to GNB, TTP values are inversely associated with mortality risk.
-
Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Jul 2013
Coinfection in acute gastroenteritis predicts a more severe clinical course in children.
The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of enteric pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among hospitalized children in a large Italian hospital, to measure the incidence of coinfections, and to compare the clinical characteristics of those infected with one versus multiple agents. A prospective study was conducted from March 2010 to April 2011 at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, Italy. All patients between 1 month and 16 years of age admitted to the Pediatric Department with a diagnosis of AGE were eligible for enrollment. ⋯ In 27 children out of 151 (17.9%), we found evidence of coinfection. Coinfection with rotavirus and toxin-producing C. difficile was the most common (63%). Children with coinfection had a more severe clinical presentation and had a higher probability to be severely dehydrated, independently of age and living community type.