European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
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Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · May 2014
Discrepant results from sampling different lumens of multilumen catheters: the case for sampling all lumens.
It is unclear whether blood culture samples should be obtained through one or multiple catheter lumens. We measured how frequently drawing blood cultures from all the lumens from a multilumen catheter resulted in discordant results and how often these caused medical interventions. We performed a retrospective review of the microbiology database of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center. ⋯ In 77 % of the 173 episodes, the discordant isolate led to a medical intervention. In immunocompromised patients, sampling all the lumens of a multilumen catheter results in more positive blood cultures, and many of these result in medical interventions. When evaluating bloodstream infection in patients with multilumen catheters, sampling all lumens should be strongly considered.
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Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2014
Acquisition of resistant microorganisms and infections in HIV-infected patients admitted to the ICU.
Whether critically ill human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are at risk of acquiring nosocomial infections and resistant or potentially resistant microorganisms (RPRMs) remains to be clarified. The aim was to compare the acquisition of RPRMs, infections and mortality in critically ill HIV-infected and non-infected patients. An observational, prospective cohort study of patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit (ICU) was undertaken. ⋯ Despite a longer ICU stay, critically ill HIV-infected patients did not show a higher rate of RPRMs acquisition. The rate of ICU-acquired infection was similar between HIV-infected and non-infected patients, except for catheter-related bacteraemia, which was higher in the HIV-infected population. Mortality was similar in both groups.
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Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2014
Daptomycin versus vancomycin for osteoarticular infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): a nested case-control study.
Vancomycin is the standard antibiotic for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. While daptomycin is approved for MRSA bacteremia, its effectiveness in osteoarticular infections (OAIs) has not been established. A 1:2 nested case-control study of adult patients with MRSA OAIs admitted to an academic center from 2005 to 2010 was carried out. ⋯ The frequency of adverse events was similar between treatment groups [1 (5%) vs. 7 (18%); p = 0.2]. Daptomycin and vancomycin achieved similar rates of clinical success and drug tolerability. Daptomycin is a reasonable alternative for treating MRSA OAIs, particularly in patients where therapy with vancomycin has not been well tolerated.
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Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2014
Heterogeneity among septic shock patients in a set of immunoregulatory markers.
Immune activation is a regular feature of sepsis, but the incidence and nature of the ensuing inflammation-resolving and immunosuppressive component is less well understood. In this study, we compared immunoregulatory markers on blood leukocytes from patients with Gram-negative or Gram-positive sepsis or septic shock, and compared this to blood from patients with severe virosis or healthy controls. To this end, blood from 32 patients with sepsis, including ten cases with shock, and 12 patients with severe virosis were analysed by flow cytometry for the expression levels of monocyte HLA-DR, CD11c, CD14 and CD40, and for frequencies of CD163(+)-suppressive monocytes, HLA-DR(+) or CD40(+)-activated T cells and Tregs. ⋯ Signs of immunosuppression dominated in the septic shock and Gram-positive sepsis groups, whereas monocyte activation was common in Gram-negative sepsis patients without shock. However, the main finding was the large inter-individual variation of immune activation and immunosuppression, with no correlation to prognosis among the shock patients. The pronounced inter-individual variation in the analysed monocyte and lymphocyte markers forms a strong argument that, when immunomodulatory treatment is considered in a sepsis patient, it should be personalised and guided by a detailed immune status assessment.
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Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2014
Trends in hospitalizations of patients with sepsis and factors associated with inpatient mortality in the Region of Madrid, 2003–2011.
The objectives of this investigation were to study the temporal trends in hospitalizations of patients with sepsis in the Region of Madrid (Spain) from 2003 to 2011 and analyze the factors associated with inpatient mortality. All sepsis hospitalizations from the minimum basic data set (MBDS) during 2003 to 2011 in the Region of Madrid were analyzed. Genderspecific crude and age-adjusted rates were calculated each year. ⋯ Death was most frequent among the elderly and in patients with more organ failures and comorbidities. In a populous region of Southern Europe, an upward trend in sepsis incidence was observed between 2003 and 2011, as well as a decreasing trend in mortality for sepsis inpatients. Mortality increased with age, comorbidities, and organ failures.