The role of time to positive blood cultures in enhancing the predictive capability of DENOVA score for diagnosing infective endocarditis in patients with Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia.

DENOVA-score is useful to stratify the risk of infective endocarditis (IE) in Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia. Recently, time to positive (TTP) of blood cultures has also been related with a higher risk of IE. The objective was to evaluate DENOVA- score with TTP to improve its specificity. We performed a retrospective, case-control study in adult patients with E. faecalis bacteremia. Thirty-nine patients with definite E. faecalis IE and 82 with E. faecalis bacteremia were included. The addition of a TTP ≤ 8 h to DENOVA-score did not improve the diagnostic accuracy of this score.

Comparison of dalbavancin with standard of care in the management of infective endocarditis: efficacy, safety, and cost analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Due to its long half-life, dalbavancin offers benefits for long-duration treatments, especially osteoarticular and infective endocarditis (IE). We evaluated the efficacy and costs of IE treatment, comparing dalbavancin with standard of care (SOC). METHODS: Retrospective multicenter cohort study of adult patients with Gram-positive cocci definite IE. Dalbavancin was used as a sequential therapy before discharge. Efficacy was a combined variable of clinical cure and absence of recurrence in 12-month follow-up. Length of hospital stay and the associated costs were analyzed in both groups of treatment. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients received dalbavancin and 47 SOC. The efficacy was similar between the groups (dalbavancin 18 [72%] vs SOC 44 [94%], P = 0.198). Hospital stay was shorter in the dalbavancin group (dalbavancin 22 days [16-34] vs SOC 37 days [23-49], P = 0.001), especially in those with E. faecalis IE (dalbavancin 30 days [20-36] vs SOC 65 days [46-74], P <0.001). A reduction of cost was observed between both groups (dalbavancin, 12,206 € [8998-17,283] vs SOC 16,249 € [11,496-22,367], P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Dalbavancin could be a safe and effective option in the sequential treatment of patients with IE. Also, a cost reduction was detected, due to a significant shortness of hospital stay.

A Confounder in the Study of a Patient With Infective Endocarditis.

Positron emission tomography (18FDG PET-CT) is a widely used method to help in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE). Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum (LHIS) is an uncommon fat deposition in the region of the interatrial septum. PET-CT images of LHIS may be indistinguishable from changes associated with IE.

Oral sequential therapy in the treatment of post-surgical epidural abscess and subdural empyema.

PURPOSE: The management of post-surgical subdural empyema and subdural abscess is not standardised. The objective was to analyse the efficacy and safety of oral sequential therapy (OST). METHODS: Retrospective observational study in a tertiary hospital in Vigo (Spain). We included adult patients with subdural abscess or epidural empyema with microbiological isolation. Clinical and demographic variables, isolated microorganisms and treatment regimens were included, as well as mortality and adverse effects during the follow-up period. RESULTS: Thirty patients were reviewed, two died due to causes other than infection. Six-month recurrence rate was 2/28 and all other patients (26/28) had clinical cure at the end of the treatment. The commonest isolated microorganisms were Gram-positive, especially Staphylococcus aureus. The most widely used oral antibiotic was trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (80%). No side effects related to oral treatment were observed. CONCLUSION: After adequate source control, OST can be a safe practice in the management of post-surgical epidural abscess and subdural empyema.

Clinical characteristics, aetiology and mortality/recurrence risk factors of acute cholangitis in patients with and without biliary stent.

OBJECTIVES: Acute cholangitis is one of the most frequent complications in patients carrying biliary stents. The aim of our study is to analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as the microbiological profile and evolution of patients with acute bacteremic cholangitis, comparing them based upon they were or not biliary stent carriers. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients over 18 years-old with a stent placement in our center between 2008 and 2017 were included. We compared them with our prospective cohort of patients with a diagnosis of acute bacteremic cholangitis. Primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcome was clinical cure at day 7, 14-day mortality and 90-day recurrence. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-three patients were analyzed, including 156 in the stent-related (SR) and 117 in the stent not-related (SNR) group, respectively. Stent-related colangitis patients were younger, with more comorbidities and with a greater severity of infection. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia were the most frequent isolation. Enterococcus spp. was the third most frequent isolation in SR group but were uncommon in SNR patients; where E. coli was the most prevalent microorganism. Septic shock (HR 3.44, 95% [CI 1.18-8.77]), inadequate empirical treatment (HR 2.65, 95% CI [1.38-.7.98]) and advanced neoplasia (HR 2.41, 95% CI [1.55-6.44]) were independent 30-day mortality risk factors. The 90-day recurrence rate significantly higher in those patients with stent-related cholangitis (29% vs. 13%, p=0.016) and stent replacement was associated with lower recurrence rate (HR 0.38, 95% CI [0.11-0.77]). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and microbiological profile, as well as outcome of patients with SR and SNR cholangitis were different. In SR group, recurrence rate was high and stent replacement was associated with a lower risk.

The benefits and safety of oral sequential antibiotic therapy in non-complicated and complicated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

BACKGROUND: Treatment optimization for serious infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB), is a challenge for antimicrobial stewardship teams. Currently, SAB guidelines recommend a completely intravenous therapy (CIT). OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to analyze the usefulness and safety of oral sequential therapy (OST) in SAB. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, observational study in a tertiary teaching hospital in Spain. The inclusion criteria were complicated and non-complicated monomicrobial SAB and an adequate duration of therapy, with patients classified into OST or CIT. The primary endpoint was the 90-day recurrence of S. aureus infection. We also analyzed the mortality, the length of the hospital stay, and the duration of the intravenous antibiotic administration. RESULTS: Of a total of 201 patients with SAB, 125 (62%) underwent OST. The most commonly administered oral antibiotic was trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (66% of patients). Of those administered OST, 43% had complicated bacteremia (most with an osteoarticular source of infection), and 6% had an intravascular device. The 90-day recurrence rate was 4%, with no differences between the two groups. The duration of the therapy (22 [16-28] vs. 13 days [8-17] for CIT and OST, respectively; p < 0.001) and the hospital stay (36 [27-71] vs. 18 days [13-29] for CIT and OST, respectively; p < 0.001) were shorter for OST. MRSA was related with mortality (OR 4.4, 95% CI [1.67-11.37]; p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: OST for properly selected patients with SAB could be a safe therapeutic option and can reduce their use of CIT and their hospital stay.

Clinical characteristics, aetiology and mortality/recurrence risk factors of acute cholangitis in patients with and without biliary stent.

OBJECTIVES: Acute cholangitis is one of the most frequent complications in patients carrying biliary stents. The aim of our study is to analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as the microbiological profile and evolution of patients with acute bacteremic cholangitis, comparing them based upon they were or not biliary stent carriers. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients over 18 years-old with a stent placement in our center between 2008 and 2017 were included. We compared them with our prospective cohort of patients with a diagnosis of acute bacteremic cholangitis. Primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcome was clinical cure at day 7, 14-day mortality and 90-day recurrence. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-three patients were analyzed, including 156 in the stent-related (SR) and 117 in the stent not-related (SNR) group, respectively. Stent-related colangitis patients were younger, with more comorbidities and with a greater severity of infection. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia were the most frequent isolation. Enterococcus spp. was the third most frequent isolation in SR group but were uncommon in SNR patients; where E. coli was the most prevalent microorganism. Septic shock (HR 3.44, 95% [CI 1.18-8.77]), inadequate empirical treatment (HR 2.65, 95% CI [1.38-.7.98]) and advanced neoplasia (HR 2.41, 95% CI [1.55-6.44]) were independent 30-day mortality risk factors. The 90-day recurrence rate significantly higher in those patients with stent-related cholangitis (29% vs. 13%, p=0.016) and stent replacement was associated with lower recurrence rate (HR 0.38, 95% CI [0.11-0.77]). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and microbiological profile, as well as outcome of patients with SR and SNR cholangitis were different. In SR group, recurrence rate was high and stent replacement was associated with a lower risk.