Almond oil implicated in a Staphylococcus capitis outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an effective outbreak-control strategy by identifying the source and modes of transmission of Staphylococcus capitis in a 60-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a study among neonates hospitalized during the outbreak (June 2000 through November 2003). All cases of S. capitis colonization or infection detected by clinical samples during the outbreak were included. The molecular analysis of the isolated was assessed by pulsed-field electrophoresis. We reported the description of the outbreak and the measures taken during this investigation. RESULT: Thirty-three patients were colonized or infected by S. capitis. Mean gestational age was 28.5+/-4.4 weeks of gestation, mean birth weight was 1068+/-637.3 g and the mean length of hospital stay was 77.9+/-35.9 days. We observed that positive S. capitis cultures were over-represented in six beds of the NICU. Because S. capitis is known to thrive in lipid media, we cultured samples from the almond oil bottles assigned to these beds. S. capitis strain recovered from one of the almond oil sample was genetically identical to the strain recovered from the cases. CONCLUSION: Almond oil is an unusual reservoir infection. Control policy allowed prompt institution of measures that were successful in ending the outbreak.

Usefulness of DNA viral load quantification for cytomegalovirus disease monitoring in renal and pancreas/renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the usefulness of quantifying DNA-cytomegalovirus (CMV) load for the diagnosis and monitoring of CMV disease among renal and pancreas transplant patients under immunosuppressive drugs. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted among 34 consecutive, unselected renal and pancreas/renal transplanted patients in our unit. During the first 3 posttransplant months, weekly monitoring of CMV infection and CMV disease was done, involving the determination of viremia by the shell vial assay, qualitative DNAemia by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative DNAemia by the hybrid capture system (HCS), a new and original hybridization method (337 samples were collected for each test). Qualitative and quantitative DNAemia results were blinded to physicians and three grades of disease were defined according to CMV related symptom occurrence. RESULTS: PCR was the most sensitive (100%) but the least specific (78%) method for the diagnosis of CMV disease. HCS was specific for CMV genome detection, sensitive and reproducible. Blood DNA levels above 60 pg/ml were predictive of severe or moderate CMV disease (sensitivity, 92%; specificity, 100%). A significant decrease in viral load was observed after ganciclovir administration, and a positive PCR or HCS result at the end of the antiviral treatment was associated with relapse of CMV infection or disease. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that quantitative DNAemia detection, with this new commercially available method, can predict disease and may be useful for a rational evaluation of ganciclovir preemptive therapy in such patients.

Clinical and practical value of human cytomegalovirus DNAemia detection by semi-nested PCR for follow-up of BMT recipients.

The aim of this prospective study of 162 recipients of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was to evaluate the use of DNAemia detection by semi-nested PCR for the diagnosis of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and HCMV disease. We compared the results obtained for DNAemia with those obtained for viremia, using the shell vial assay. Patients were divided in three groups, according to BMT type (allogeneic or autologous) and date of transplant; 876 DNAemia/viremia pairs were analyzed and the overall concordance between the two tests was 97.5%. Discrepancies between the two tests were essentially due to the earlier positivity of DNAemia. Among the 10 patients with positive DNAemia episodes, 9 developed HCMV disease. DNAemia was more sensitive than viremia for HCMV disease diagnosis, while viremia had a higher positive predictive value. DNAemia appeared easily adaptable to routine laboratory use, less expensive and more informative than viremia. This study shows that DNAemia is a method that can replace viremia detection, allowing HCMV infection and disease follow-up of recipients of allogeneic BMT during the first year after BMT.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus control in hospitals: the French experience. Association des Pays de la Loire pour l'Eviction des Infections Nosocomiales.

The first cases of isolation of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin in France were published in 1962. However, until recently, very few epidemiological studies or attempts to control the epidemic have been done in France. In this article, we present the results of a prospective study performed during a 3-month period in 27 hospitals of the Région des Pays de la Loire. Among the 94,605 hospitalized patients included in the study, 0.45% (427) developed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, the incidence rate ranging from 0% to 1.2%. Thirty-four percent of MRSA-infected patients were 80 years old or older, 30% had been transferred from another service and 19% from another hospital, 56% were hospitalized at least once during the previous year, MRSA had been isolated at least once previously in 18% of MRSA-infected patients, 19% died, 16% were transferred to another service and 11% to another hospital, and only 32% were discharged to their homes. A poor compliance to contact isolation precautions was observed in all hospitals: 46% of MRSA-infected patients were hospitalized in a private room; gloves, masks, and gowns were worn for the care of 63.4%, 14%, and 42.5% of MRSA-infected patients, respectively; and handwashing was feasible in the rooms of 52% of the patients.

Bacteriology of chronic purulent secretions in chronic rhinosinusitis.

The aim of this work was to study the bacterial flora of purulent secretions during chronic rhinosinusitis. We studied a total of 533 patients divided into two groups. The control population consisted of 139 adults (> 16 years) of both sexes seen in the community or hospitalized for less than 72 hours for non-rhinological conditions. The rhinosinusitis group consisted of 394 patients referred to the ENT clinic with chronic rhinosinusitis. All the patients with rhinosinusitis had had a post-nasal discharge for at least three months, associated with purulent or mucopurulent secretions originating from the involved sinus cavity. All samples were obtained endonasally under endoscopic guidance from the sinus ostium or from the sinus cavity during surgery. Cultures were positive in 81.3 per cent of the control subjects and 83.1 per cent of the patients with rhinosinusitis. Corynebacteria, coagulase-negative staphylococci, propionibacteria and peptostreptococci were the main commensal organisms, while Haemophilus influenzae, streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Prevotella spp and Fusobacterium spp were probable causative pathogens. Anaerobes were isolated from approximately 25 per cent of the patients in the rhinosinusitis group. Betalactamase producers represented 27.5 per cent of H. influenzae and 28 per cent of Prevotella spp isolates. Diminished susceptibility to penicillin was found in 13 per cent of S. pneumoniae isolates. The amoxycillin-clavulanate combination was the most active oral antibiotic tested against the pathogenic species in vitro.

Bacteriology of the adult middle meatus.

The aim of this work was to assess the commensal flora in the adult middle meatus. Thus, 139 samples were taken from subjects of both sexes, over 16 years of age, seen in the community or hospitalized for less than 72 hours for non-rhinological conditions. They had had no nasal or sinus conditions in the previous three months. One hundred and thirteen samples contained at least one aerobic or anaerobic bacterium. Fifty-nine samples yielded a single organism in culture. A maximum of five organisms were isolated from a given patient. These results show that the adult middle meatus contains a mixed commensal flora and should prove useful in interpreting endonasal swab cultures during acute and chronic sinus infection.

Longitudinal study of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections in adult recipients of bone marrow transplants.

The epidemiology of infections was studied in a retrospective cohort of 446 recipients of bone marrow transplants (BMTs; 92 of which were allogeneic and 354 of which were autologous) during 1993--1996. Infections that were microbiologically documented in 274 recipients included bacteremia, urinary tract infections, cytomegalovirus viremia, fungemia, invasive aspergillosis, and catheter-related infections. During the period of neutropenia, no differences were found between recipients of allogeneic BMTs and recipients of autologous BMTs with regard to the incidence and the nature of infection. After patients underwent engraftment, bacteremia, cytomegalovirus viremia, and invasive aspergillosis were significantly more common in recipients of allogeneic BMTs than in recipients of autologous BMTs. Deaths caused by infection were uncommon and were mainly the result of invasive aspergillosis. Therefore, empirical antimicrobial therapy should be the same for recipients of both allogeneic and autologous BMTs during the period of neutropenia; after engraftment, more attention should be paid to the risk of infection in allogeneic BMT recipients, particularly with regard to detection and prevention of invasive aspergillosis.