Outbreak of an Uncommon Rifampin-resistant blaNDM-1Citrobacter amalonaticus Strain in a Digestive Rehabilitation Center: The Putative Role of Rifaximin.

We describe a sudden 2-week outbreak due to a blaNDM-1Citrobacter amalonaticus strain in a 22-bed digestive rehabilitation center. Three of the 5 colonized patients received long-term rifaximin treatment to prevent hepatic encephalopathy. The strains were genotypically identical, phenotypically resistant to rifampin, and harbored arr-3, a rifampin adenosine diphosphate-ribosyl transferase.

De-escalation and discontinuation strategies in high-risk neutropenic patients: an interrupted time series analyses of antimicrobial consumption and impact on outcome.

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is the main reason for antibiotic prescription in hematology wards where, on the other hand, antibiotic stewardship (AS) is poorly explored. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate (1) the impact of an AS intervention on antibiotic consumption and (2) the applicability and acceptance rate of the intervention and its clinical impact. A persuasive AS intervention based on European Conference on Infection in Leukaemia (ECIL) guidelines for FN was implemented in a high-risk hematology ward in a tertiary referral public university hospital. This included the creation and diffusion of flow charts on de-escalation and discontinuation of antibiotics for FN, and the introduction in the team of a doctor dedicated to the implementation of flow charts and to antibiotic prescription revision. All consecutive patients receiving antibiotics during hospitalization were included. A segmented linear regression model was performed for the evaluation of antibiotic consumption, taking into account 1-year pre-intervention period and 6-month intervention period. Overall, 137 consecutive antibiotic prescriptions were re-evaluated, 100 prescriptions were for FN. A significant reduction of the level of carbapenem consumption was observed during the intervention period (level change (estimate coefficient ± standard error) = - 135.28 ± 59.49; p = 0.04). Applicability and acceptability of flow charts were high. No differences in terms of intensive care unit transfers, bacteremia incidence, and mortality were found. A persuasive AS intervention in hematology significantly reduced carbapenem consumption without affecting outcome and was well accepted. This should encourage further applications of ECIL guidelines for FN.

Detection of (1,3)-ß-d-Glucan for the Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infection in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Invasive fungal infections (IFI) are complications after liver transplantation involving high morbidity and mortality. (1,3)-ß-d-glucan (BG) is a biomarker for IFI, but its utility remains uncertain. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of BG following their diagnosis. Between January 2013 and May 2016, 271 liver transplants were performed in our institution. Serum samples were tested for BG (Fungitell®, Associates Cape Code Inc., Falmouth, MA, USA) at least weekly between liver transplantation and the discharge of patients. Nineteen patients (7%) were diagnosed with IFI, including 13 cases of invasive candidiasis (IC), eight cases of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and one case of septic arthritis due to Scedosporium apiospernum. Using a single BG sample for the primary analysis of IFI, 95% (21/22) of the subjects had positive BG (>80 pg/mL) at the time of IFI diagnosis. The area under the ROC curves to predict IFI was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.73-0.83). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of BG for IFI were 75% (95% CI: 65-83), 65% (62-68), 17% (13-21), and 96% (94-97), respectively. Based on their high NPV, the BG test appears to constitute a good biomarker to rule out a diagnosis of IFI.

ATG-Fresenius increases the risk of red blood cell transfusion after kidney transplantation.

Introduction: In sensitized deceased donor kidney allograft recipients, the most frequent induction therapy is anti-thymocyte globulins (ATG), including Thymoglobulin® (Thymo) and ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F). Methods: We conducted a 3-year monocentric observational study to compare the impact of ATGs on hematological parameters. We included adult kidney transplant recipients treated with ATG induction therapy, either Thymo or ATG-F, on a one-in-two basis. The primary endpoint was red blood cell (RBC) transfusions within 14 days after transplantation. Results: Among 309 kidney allograft recipients, 177 (57.2%) received ATG induction, 90 (50.8 %) ATG-F, and 87 (49.2%) Thymo. The ATG-F group received significantly more RBC transfusions (63.3% vs. 46% p = 0.02) and in bigger volumes (p = 0.01). Platelet transfusion was similar in both groups. Within 14 and 30 days after transplantation, older age, ATG-F induction, and early surgical complication were independently associated with RBC transfusion. Patient survival rate was 95%, and the death-censored kidney allograft survival rate was 91.5% at 12 months post-transplantation. There was no difference in the incidence of acute rejection and infections or in the prevalence of anti-HLA donor-specific antibodies. Discussion: In conclusion, after kidney transplantation, ATG-F is an independent risk factor for early RBC transfusion and early thrombocytopenia without clinical and biological consequences. These new data should be clinically considered, and alternatives to ATG should be further explored.

Medication errors management process in hospital: a 6-month pilot study.

The objectives of this study are to assess the relevance of the medication error reporting system in a French teaching hospital, to enable the collection of medication error reports and to take corrective actions to reduce occurrence. This is a prospective pilot study based on blame-free reporting by healthcare professionals. The study setting is five medical/surgical departments in a French teaching hospital over a 6-month period. The main outcomes of this study are types, frequency, and consequences of medication errors reported. Over a 6-month period, 47 medication errors were reported. Twenty-eight (60%) were related to the prescription process, of which 17 were prescribing errors, 10 were because of data capture error and one was because of software malfunction. Ten medication errors (21%) were related to the dispensing process and eight (17%) to errors occurring during drug administration. Finally, one medication error (2%) was related to prescription, dispensing, and administration. The reporting process was accepted by most healthcare professionals who agreed to initiate medication errors reports upon assurance that data collection will be confidential. The reporting process led to several avoidance actions to minimize the medication error risk. Maintaining confidentiality embedded within a nonpunitive environment, this method was accepted by all participating personnel. Medication errors could be collected, reviewed, and corrective actions taken. This strategy can be a first step in a long-term ongoing process to prevent future medication errors in hospitals.