Sexual behaviors and risk of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales carriage: a cross-sectional analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Sexual transmission of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) is suspected. We aimed to identify clusters of sexual behavior associated with ESBL-E carriage among individuals at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients attending an STI-screening center and HIV outpatient clinic in Paris, France between 2018-2019 were asked questions on the following sexual activities in the last 6 months: receptive/insertive anal intercourse, passive/active rimming, receptive/insertive fellatio, receptive/insertive fisting, receptive/insertive fingering, active/passive cunnilingus. ESBL-E carriage was determined from rectal swabs. Bayesian latent class analysis was used to identify clusters of sexual activity, which were then associated with ESBL-E carriage using logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 1211 men who have sex with men (MSM), those belonging to two latent classes with higher prevalence of insertive fingering and active rimming (ESBL-E prevalence=15.3%, N=124 and 16.0%, N=100) and one class with higher proportions of all behaviors (24.3%, N=70) had a higher risk of ESBL-E carriage compared to those in a class with few sexual behaviors (7.3%, N=259) after adjustment. Among 439 other men and 479 women, no clear associations between sexual clusters and ESBL-E carriage were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual behaviors are associated with varying degrees of ESBL-E carriage, particularly among MSM.

Performance and impact of rapid multiplex PCR on diagnosis and treatment of ventilated hospital-acquired pneumonia in patients with extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales rectal carriage.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) or ventilated hospital-acquired pneumonia (vHAP) in extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) carriers is challenging. BioFire® FilmArray® Pneumonia plus Panel (mPCR) can detect bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes, including blaCTX-M, the most common ESBL-encoding gene. METHODS: This monocentric, prospective study was conducted on a group of ESBL-E carriers from March 2020 to August 2022. The primary objective was to evaluate the concordance between the results of mPCR and conventional culture performed on respiratory samples of ESBL-E carriers to investigate suspected VAP/vHAP. The secondary objective was to appraise the impact of performing or not mPCR on initial antibiotic therapy adequacy in ESBL-E carriers with confirmed VAP/vHAP. RESULTS: Over the study period, 294 patients with ESBL-E carriage were admitted to the ICU, of who 168 (57%) were mechanically ventilated. (i) Diagnostic performance of mPCR was evaluated in suspected 41 episodes of VAP/vHAP: blaCTX-M gene was detected in 15/41 (37%) episodes, where 9/15 (60%) were confirmed ESBL-E-induced pneumonia. The culture and blaCTX-M were concordant in 35/41 (85%) episodes, and in all episodes where blaCTX-M was negative (n = 26), the culture never detected ESBL-E. (ii) The impact of mPCR on initial antibiotic therapy adequacy was assessed in 95 episodes of confirmed VAP/vHAP (22 episodes were tested with mPCR and 73 without); 47 (49%) episodes were ESBL-E-induced, and 24 (25%) were carbapenem-resistant bacteria-induced. The use of mPCR was significantly associated with higher prescription of adequate empirical antibiotic therapy in the multivariable logistic regression (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) (95% CI) of 7.5 (2.1-35.9), p = 0.004), propensity-weighting (aOR of 5.9 (1.6-22.1), p = 0.008), and matching-cohort models (aOR of 5.8 (1.5-22.1), p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: mPCR blaCTX-M showed an excellent diagnostic value to rule out the diagnosis of ESBL-E related pneumonia in ESBL-E carriers with suspected VAP/vHAP. In addition, in patients with confirmed VAP/vHAP, a mPCR-based antibiotic therapy was associated with an increased prescription of adequate empirical antibiotic therapy. Performing mPCR on respiratory samples seems to be a promising tool in ESBL-E carriers with suspected vHAP/VAP. However, if mPCR is used in very low pre-test clinical probability of pneumonia, due to the high sensitivity and the rate of overdiagnosed pneumonia, the risk of overconsumption of carbapenem may prevail. Further studies are warranted.

Gut microbiome diversity and composition in individuals with and without extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales carriage: a matched case-control study in infectious diseases department.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the effect of gut microbial and extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) carriage, particularly in the general population. The aim of this study was to identify microbiota signatures uniquely correlated with ESBL-E carriage. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study among individuals seeking care at the Sexual Health Clinic or Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris, France. Using coarsened exact matching, 176 participants with ESBL-carriage (i.e. cases) were matched 1:1 to those without ESBL-carriage (i.e. controls) based on sexual group, ESBL-E prevalence of countries travelled in <12 months, number of sexual partners in <6 months, geographic origin, and any antibiotic use in <6 months. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to generate differential abundances at the genus level and measures of α- and ß-diversity. RESULTS: Participants were mostly men (83.2%, n = 293/352) and had a median age of 33 years (interquartile range: 27-44). Nine genera were found associated with ESBL-E carriage: Proteus (p < 0.0001), Carnobacterium (p < 0.0001), Enterorhabdus (p 0.0079), Catonella (p 0.017), Dermacoccus (p 0.017), Escherichia/Shigella (p 0.021), Kocuria (p 0.023), Bacillus (p 0.040), and Filifactor (p 0.043); however, differences were no longer significant after Benjamini-Hochberg correction (q > 0.05). There were no differences between those with versus without ESBL-E carriage in measures of α-diversity (Shannon Diversity Index, p 0.49; Simpson Diversity Index, p 0.54; and Chao1 Richness Estimator, p 0.16) or ß-diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index, p 0.42). DISCUSSION: In this large carefully controlled study, there is lacking evidence that gut microbial composition and diversity is any different between individuals with and without ESBL-E carriage.

First report of Acinetobacter pittii acute community-acquired pneumonia in an immunocompetent patient in France following a heat wave.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (ABC) infections have attracted attention, mainly because of the impact of carbapenem-resistant isolates in hospital-acquired infections. However, acute community-acquired ABC infections are not uncommon in warm and humid countries, where they are responsible for community-acquired infections with specific clinical features. To date, such infection has not been reported in France. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 55-year-old non-immunocompromised patient living in France with no known risk factors for community-acquired ABC infections who presented pneumonia with bloodstream infection due to wild-type A. pittii. The outcome was favorable after 7 days of antibiotic treatment with cefepime. We confirmed bacterial identification with whole-genome sequencing, and we examined the A. pitii core-genome phylogeny for genomic clusters. CONCLUSIONS: This situation is uncommon in Europe and occurred after a heat wave in France with temperatures above 38 °C. Herein, we discuss the possibility that this pneumonia may be emerging in the current context of global warming.

Impact of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Ventriculostomy-Related Infections Prospective Comparison of Two Neurosurgical Injury Contexts.

BACKGROUND: Long thought to be immune privileged, the central nervous system is far from being devoid of local immunity. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and traumatic brain injury represent 2 distinct central nervous system injury situations which, while both exposed to external ventricular drains, present different incidences of ventriculostomy-related infection (VRI). We sought to compare VRI incidence and initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammatory profiles in these 2 clinical situations. METHODS: From 2015 to 2020, 227 patients treated for SAH (193) or traumatic brain injury (34) with an external ventricular drain were prospectively included. CSF samples were sent daily for microbiological examination, cell count, and biochemical analysis. VRI was defined as a positive CSF culture associated with CSF profile modifications and clinical signs. Ventriculostomy-related colonization was defined as positive catheter culture at removal. Positive events were defined as VRI and/or ventriculostomy-related colonization. RESULTS: Eleven patients suffered from VRI, with an incidence of 3.6 VRI per 1000 catheter-days. All VRIs occurred among SAH patients without a significant difference. Median duration of drainage was 12 (7-18) days, there were no significant differences for known VRI risk factors. Positive events were significantly higher in SAH patients (20.7% vs. 2.9%, P = 0.013). Inflammatory CSF markers and serum white blood cells were higher in SAH patients. CONCLUSIONS: Local inflammatory markers were markedly higher in SAH than in traumatic brain injury. However, positive events were more frequent in SAH. Furthermore, SAH may be a risk factor for VRI. Hypothesis that a primary injury to the subarachnoid space could impair central nervous system immune functions should be explored.

Biofilm Assessment and Metagenomic Analysis of Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Cannulas and Membrane Oxygenators.

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) exposes the patient to infectious complications related to the cannulas or the site of insertion. The aim of the current study was to investigate and compare the prevalence of cannula and membrane oxygenators colonization using three different methods: microbiological culture, scanning electron microscopy, and metagenomic (rRNA 16S analysis). A monocentric prospective study was conducted between December 2017 and June 2018. Consecutive patients undergoing VA-ECMO support for refractory cardiac arrest or cardiogenic shock were included. Ten patients were included with a median age of 64 (52-62) years. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was inserted for refractory cardiac arrest in five (50%), cardiogenic shock in four (40%), and self-poisoning in one (10%) cases. Microbiological culture of all (8/8, 100%) membrane oxygenators was negative, whereas all (10/10, 100%) were colonized by biofilm, and eight (8/9, 89%) presented bacterial DNA. Three (3/9, 33%) arterial and venous cannulas were positive in culture and seven (7/9, 78%) were colonized by biofilm, respectively. Seven (7/9, 78%) arterial and four (4/9, 44%) venous cannulas presented bacterial DNA. Colonization of cannulas and membranes is more frequent when assessed by electron microscopy or metagenomic analysis than with culture. Membrane oxygenators are more often colonized than cannulas.

Ampicillin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium infections: clinical features, causal clades, and contribution of MALDI-TOF to early detection.

Enterococcus faecium, a common resident of the human gastrointestinal tract, is also a major pathogen. Prompt initiation of appropriate treatment is essential to improve patient outcome in disseminated E. faecium infections. However, ampicillin resistance is frequent in this species, rendering treatment difficult. We used a comprehensive approach, including clinical data review, whole-genome sequencing, and mass spectrometry, to characterize ampicillin-susceptible (EFM-S) and ampicillin-resistant (EFM-R) isolates. We included all patients with culture-confirmed E. faecium infection attending our hospital over a 16-month period. A comparison of 32 patients infected with EFM-S strains and 251 patients infected with EFM-R strains revealed that EFM-R isolates were strongly associated with a longer hospital stay, history of prior hospitalization, and the carriage of multidrug-resistant organisms. An analysis of the genomes of 26 EFM-S and 26 EFM-R isolates from paired patients revealed a population structure almost perfectly matching ampicillin susceptibility, with resistant isolates in clade A1, and susceptible isolates in clades A2 and B. The clade B and A2 isolates mostly came from digestive or biliary tract samples, whereas clade A1 isolates were mostly obtained from urine and blood. Finally, we built a custom database for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), which differentiated between clade B and clade A1/A2 strains with high-positive and high-negative predictive values (95.6% and 100%, respectively). This study provides important new insight into the clinical features and clades associated with EFM-S and EFM-R isolates. In combination with MALDI-TOF MS, these data could facilitate the rapid initiation of the most appropriate treatment.IMPORTANCEEnterococcus faecium is an important human pathogen in which the prevalence of ampicillin resistance is high. However, little is known about the clinical characteristics of patients infected with ampicillin-resistant and ampicillin-susceptible strains. Indeed, current knowledge is based on genus-wide studies of Enterococcus or studies of very small numbers of susceptible isolates, precluding robust conclusions. Our data highlight specific clinical features related to the epidemiology of EFM-S and EFM-R strains, such as length of hospital stay, history of prior hospitalization, carriage of multidrug-resistant organisms, and type of sample from which the isolate was obtained. The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry with a custom-built database may make it possible to distinguish clade B isolates, which are typically susceptible to ampicillin, from clade A1/A2 isolates (A1 being typically resistant), thereby facilitating the management of these infections.

Evaluation of the contribution of shotgun metagenomics in the microbiological diagnosis of liver abscesses.

BACKGROUND: Shotgun metagenomics (SMg) sequencing has gained a considerable interest, as it enables the detection of any microorganisms through a single analysis. Due to the limitations of standard microbiological approaches, the microbial documentation of liver abscesses (LA), which is crucial for their medical management, can be difficult. Here we aimed to compare the performance of SMg with standard approaches for the microbiological documentation of LA. METHODS: In this retrospective study conducted at two centers, we compared the results of standard microbiology with metagenomics analysis of consecutive LA samples. For samples tested positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae, we compared the analysis of virulence and resistance genes using metagenomics data to whole-genome sequencing of corresponding isolates obtained in culture. RESULTS: Out of the 62 samples included, standard approaches and SMg yielded documentation in 80.6% and 96.8%, respectively. In 37.1% (23/62) of cases, both methods showed identical results, whereas in 43.5% (27/62) of cases, the samples were positive by both methods, but SMg found additional species in 88.9% (24/27), mostly anaerobes. When the standard approaches were negative, the SMg was able to detect microorganisms in 80.0% of cases (8/10). Overall, SMg identified significantly more microorganisms than culture (414 vs.105; p<0.05). K. pneumoniae genome analysis was able to detect resistance and virulence genes with a level of sensitivity depending on the depth of sequencing. DISCUSSION: Overall, we showed that SMg had better performance in detecting and identifying microorganisms from LA samples and could help characterizing strain's resistome and virulome. Although still costly and requiring specific skills and expensive equipment, MGs methods are set to expand in the future.

In Vivo Emergence of Dual Resistance to Rifampin and Levofloxacin in Osteoarticular Cutibacterium avidum.

Cutibacterium avidum is an emerging causative agent of orthopedic device-related infections (ODRIs). There are no guidelines for the antimicrobial treatment of C. avidum ODRI, but oral rifampin is frequently used in combination with a fluoroquinolone following intravenous antibiotics. We describe the in vivo emergence of combined resistance to rifampin and levofloxacin in a C. avidum strain isolated from a patient with early-onset ODRI treated with debridement, antibiotic treatment, and implant retention (DAIR) using rifampin combined with levofloxacin as the oral treatment. Whole-genome sequencing of C. avidum isolates before and after antibiotic exposure confirmed strain identity and identified new mutations in rpoB and gyrA, leading to amino acid substitutions previously reported to be associated with resistance to rifampin (S446P) and fluoroquinolones (S101L), respectively, in other microbial agents, in the posttherapy isolate. Aside from the molecular insights reported here, this study highlights potential limitations of the combination of oral rifampin and levofloxacin in patients undergoing a DAIR procedure for C. avidum ODRI and the potential need to evaluate specific optimal therapy for emerging ODRI pathogens. IMPORTANCE In this study, we report for the first time the in vivo emergence of dual resistance to levofloxacin and rifampin in C. avidum isolated from a patient who received both antibiotics orally in the setting of a salvage debridement and implant retention of an ODRI. Aside from the molecular insights reported here, this study highlights potential limitations of the combination of oral rifampin and levofloxacin in patients undergoing these surgical procedures and the potential need to evaluate specific optimal therapy for emerging ODRI pathogens.

Prospective Comparative Study of External Ventricular Drain Catheter Colonization: Antibiotic-Impregnated versus Conventional Drains.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to compare the prevalence of biofilm formation on antibiotic-impregnated (AIC) versus standard (SC) external ventricular drain (EVD) catheters. METHODS: From March 2018 to November 2020, all consecutive EVD catheters inserted in adult patients were included. After removal, EVD catheters were analyzed under scanning electronic microscopy, on both extraluminal and intraluminal faces. Standard culture of catheter tips was also performed. RESULTS: Overall, 114 catheters were included in 101 patients. There were 48 AICs and 66 SCs. Standard culture showed that ventriculostomy-related colonization was more frequent in SC than in AIC (26 vs. 10%; P = 0.06). Gram-negative rods accounted for 25% of ventriculostomy-related colonization in AICs, and none was documented in SCs. Scanning electronic microscopy observation showed mature biofilm on more than 80% of catheters, without significant difference between catheter type. Also, there was no difference between extraluminal and intraluminal colonization rate. There were 2 ventriculostomy-related infections in each group (5% and 3% among AICs and SCs respectively; P = 1). CONCLUSIONS: Mature biofilm presence on the intraluminal and the extraluminal faces is similar on AICs and SCs. Accordingly, AICs do not seem to efficiently prevent biofilm formation on EVD catheters. The impact of AICs on the microbiological epidemiology of colonizing biofilm should be further evaluated.

Unknown Circovirus in Immunosuppressed Patient with Hepatitis, France, 2022.

Hepatitis of undetermined origin can be caused by a wide variety of pathogens, sometimes emerging pathogens. We report the discovery, by means of routine shotgun metagenomics, of a new virus belonging to the family Circoviridae, genus Circovirus, in a patient in France who had acute hepatitis of unknown origin.

Rapid diagnostics for skin and soft tissue infections: the current landscape and future potential.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Managing antimicrobial therapy in patients with complicated skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) constitutes a growing challenge due to the wide spectrum of potential pathogens and resistance phenotypes. Today, microbiological documentation relies on cultural methods. This review summarizes the available evidence regarding the clinical input of rapid microbiological diagnostic tools (RMDT) and their impact on the management of antimicrobial therapy in SSTI. RECENT FINDINGS: Accurate tools are already available for the early detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in SSTI samples and may help avoiding or shortening empirical anti-MRSA coverage. Further research is necessary to develop and evaluate RMDT detecting group A streptococci (e.g., antigenic test) and Gram-negative pathogens (e.g., multiplex PCR assays), including through point-of-care utilization. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods could provide pivotal information for the stewardship of antimicrobial therapy, especially in case of polymicrobial or fungal SSTI and in the immunocompromised host; however, a shortening in the turnaround time and prospective data regarding their therapeutic input are needed to better appraise the clinical positioning of these promising approaches. SUMMARY: The clinical input of RMDT in SSTI is currently limited due to the scarcity of available dedicated assays and the polymicrobial feature of certain cases. NGS appears as a relevant tool but requires further developments before its implementation in routine clinical practice.

Clinical outcome of wild-type AmpC-producing Enterobacterales infection in critically ill patients treated with ß-lactams: a prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: ß-lactams are the main antibiotics used against wild-type AmpC-producing Enterobacterales (wtAE). However, they may fail or select AmpC-overproducing mutants. Our aim was to assess factors associated with clinical failure of ß-lactams in the treatment of wtAE infection. METHODS: From September 2017 to December 2020, we prospectively included all consecutive patients treated by definitive ß-lactams therapy for wtAE infection in four university ICUs. Clinical failure was defined as inadequate response to antimicrobial therapy leading to death or to the switch for a broader-spectrum antibiotic. RESULTS: 177 patients were included and 29.4% progressed to clinical failure. E. cloacae was the most prevalent species (42.4%) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) was the most frequent wtAE infection (69.5%). Cefepime and cefotaxime were used as definitive antibiotic treatment in 42.9% and 27.7% of patients, respectively. Occurrence of AmpC-overproduction was documented in 5.6% of patients and was associated with clinical failure (p = 0.004). In multivariate analysis, VAP (p < 0.001, OR 11.58 [95% CI 3.11-43.02] and K. aerogenes (p = 0.030, OR 3.76 [95% CI 1.13-12.46]) were independently associated with clinical failure. Conversely, cefotaxime as definitive treatment was found inversely associated with the risk of clinical failure (p = 0.022, OR 0.25 [95% CI 0.08-0.82]). After inverse probability weighting, cefotaxime showed a 20% risk reduction of clinical failure (95% CI 5-35%, p = 0.007) whatever the location of infection, the SOFA score on the day of wtAE infection, or the bacterial species. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical failure in the treatment of wtAE infections is associated with the infection site and the causal microorganism. Additionally, cefotaxime use is probably protective against clinical failure in wtAE infection.

Vasoplegic Syndrome after Cardiac Surgery for Infective Endocarditis.

Purpose: Post-operative vasoplegic syndrome is a dreaded complication in infective endocarditis (IE). Methods and Results: This retrospective study included 166 consecutive patients referred to cardiac surgery for non-shocked IE. Post-operative vasoplegic syndrome was defined as a persistent hypotension (mean blood pressure < 65 mmHg) refractory to fluid loading and cardiac output restoration. Cardiac surgery was performed 7 (5−12) days after the beginning of antibiotic treatment, 4 (1−9) days after negative blood culture and in 72.3% patients with adapted anti-biotherapy. Timing of cardiac surgery was based on ESC guidelines and operating room availability. Most patients required valve replacement (80%) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) duration was 106 (95−184) min. Multivalvular surgery was performed in 43 patients, 32 had tricuspid valve surgery. Post-operative vasoplegic syndrome was reported in 53/166 patients (31.9%, 95% confidence interval of 24.8−39.0%) of the whole population; only 15.1% (n = 8) of vasoplegic patients had a post-operative documented infection (6 positive blood cultures) and no difference was reported between vasoplegic and non-vasoplegic patients for valve culture and the timing of cardiac surgery. Of the 23 (13.8%) in hospital-deaths, 87.0% (n = 20) occurred in the vasoplegic group and the main causes of death were multiorgan failure (n = 17) and neurological complications (n = 3). Variables independently associated with vasoplegic syndrome were CPB duration (1.82 (1.16−2.88) per tertile) and NTproBNP level (2.11 (1.35−3.30) per tertile). Conclusions: Post-operative vasoplegic syndrome is frequent and is the main cause of death after IE cardiac surgery. Our data suggested that the mechanism of vasoplegic syndrome was more related to inflammatory cardiovascular injury rather than the consequence of ongoing bacteremia.

Overly broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment of wild-type Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in relation to the EUCAST new definition of susceptibility testing categories, a retrospective multicentre cohort study.

Objectives: EUCAST changed the definition of the 'intermediate' (I) category in 2019, now defined as 'susceptible, increased exposure'. This new definition could lead to an increased prescription of antibiotics still reported as 'S', compared with those now reported as 'I'. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of this definition on the use of overly broad-spectrum antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by WT Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods: A retrospective observational multicentre study was conducted, involving five hospitals. Two 15 month study periods were defined, before and after the implementation of the new definition. All patients with an infection caused by WT P. aeruginosa treated by ß-lactams were included. The main endpoint was the proportion of patients treated by an overly broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment by meropenem or ceftolozane/tazobactam. Results: Two hundred and ninety-one patients were included. No difference between groups was found, in terms of infection, microbiology or demographic characteristics. Two overly broad-spectrum antibiotic treatments by meropenem or ceftolozane/tazobactam were observed in Period 1 (1.2%), versus 13 in Period 2 (10.8%; P < 0.001). No overly broad-spectrum treatment was observed when the antimicrobial stewardship team had given advice. Conclusions: This new definition can cause a negative impact on the use of overly broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment due to misunderstanding by clinicians. Its successful implementation requires adaptation of software for reporting antibiotic susceptibility, a sustained strong information campaign by microbiologists and support by an antimicrobial stewardship team.

Potential of Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Performed on Protected Telescope Catheter Samples for Early Adaptation of Antimicrobial Therapy in ARDS Patients.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of co/superinfection in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is challenging. The FilmArray Pneumonia plus Panel (bioMérieux, France), a new rapid multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (mPCR), has never been assessed on a blinded protected telescope catheter (PTC) samples, a very common diagnostic tool in patients under mechanical ventilation. We evaluated the performance of mPCR on PTC samples compared with conventional culture and its impact on antibiotic stewardship. METHODS: Observational study in two intensive care units, conducted between March and July 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in France. RESULTS: We performed 125 mPCR on blinded PTC samples of 95 ARDS patients, including 73 (77%) SARS-CoV-2 cases and 28 (29%) requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Respiratory samples were drawn from mechanically ventilated patients either just after intubation (n = 48; 38%) or later for suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) (n = 77; 62%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of mPCR were 93% (95% CI 84-100), 99% (95% CI 99-100), 68% (95% CI 54-83), and 100% (95% CI 100-100), respectively. The overall coefficient of agreement between mPCR and standard culture was 0.80 (95% CI 0.68-0.89). Intensivists changed empirical antimicrobial therapy in only 14% (18/125) of cases. No new antibiotic was initiated in more than half of the CAP/HAP pneumonia-suspected cases (n = 29; 60%) and in more than one-third of those suspected to have VAP without affecting or delaying their antimicrobial therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid mPCR was feasible on blinded PTC with good sensitivity and specificity. New antibiotics were not initiated in more than half of patients and more than one-third of VAP-suspected cases. Further studies are needed to assess mPCR potential in improving antibiotic stewardship.