Urinary tract infections in patients with neurogenic bladder.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in patients with neurogenic bladder are a major public health issue due to their high incidence and major consequences. Despite their frequency and potential severity, their physiopathology and management are poorly known. We provide a narrative literature review on the epidemiology, physiopathology, diagnostic criteria, microbiology, antimicrobial management, and prevention. UTIs among patients with neurogenic bladder are associated with high morbidity and healthcare utilization. Risk factors for UTI among this population are: indwelling catheter, urinary stasis, high bladder pressure, and bladder stones. Their diagnosis is a major challenge as clinical signs are often non-specific and rare. A urinary sample should be analyzed in appropriate conditions before any antibiotic prescription. According to most guidelines, a bacterial threshold≥103CFU/ml associated with symptoms is acceptable to define UTI in patients with neurogenic bladder. The management of acute symptomatic UTI is not evidence-based. A management with a single agent and a short antibiotic treatment of 10 days or less seems effective. Antibiotic selection should be based on the patient's resistance patterns. Asymptomatic bacteriuria should not be treated to avoid the emergence of bacterial resistance. Regarding preventive measures, use of clean intermittent catheterization, intravesical botulinum toxin injection, and prevention using antibiotic cycling are effective. Bacterial interference is promising but randomized controlled trials are needed. Large ongoing cohorts and randomized controlled trials should soon provide more evidence-based data.

Healthcare workers' knowledge and perceptions of the risks associated with emerging extensively drug-resistant bacteria.

OBJECTIVE: Guidelines have been issued in 2010 to prevent the spread of emerging extensively resistant bacteria (eXDR), but their implementation is difficult. We aimed to evaluate healthcare workers' (HCW) knowledge and their risk perception to identify barriers to the implementation of guidelines. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted at a University Hospital, where case patients are regularly admitted. The interviews focused on HCW's knowledge, risk perception, and challenges met. The evaluation of HCW's knowledge and contagiousness and perception of severity of eXDR carriage were analyzed statistically. Risk perception and opinion about guidelines were analyzed by qualitative description. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-one HCWs were interviewed. The category of HCW, having searched for information on resistant bacteria, and having taken care of case patients were associated with better knowledge. The HCW category, age, type of unit, seniority, and having taken care of case patients were associated with risk perceptions. Qualitative analysis identified 61 themes. HCWs were extremely concerned by the spread of bacteria within the hospital. The main challenges identified were organizational and communication issues. CONCLUSION: HCWs reported a lack of knowledge and a lack of resources to implement guidelines. Strategies to improve guidelines implementation must be based on a better availability of resources, better communication, and new educational methods.

Management of an Acinetobacter baumannii outbreak in an intensive care unit.

INTRODUCTION: Acinetobacter baumannii is a ubiquitous pathogen resistant to desiccation and responsible for healthcare-associated infections (HAI), especially in intensive care units (ICU) where it is responsible for 5-10% of HAIs. An A. baumannii outbreak occurred in the ICU of the University Hospital of Angers, France. OBJECTIVES: To describe the A. baumannii outbreak and to evaluate the control measures taken. The secondary objective was to evaluate the impact of the electronic alert system on the incidence of multidrug resistance to antibiotics. METHODS: We performed a descriptive study of A. baumannii carriers during the outbreak. Case contacts and carriers were described using the epidemic curve and a case synopsis table. RESULTS: From August 2011 to September 2013, 49 patients presenting with an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing A. baumannii infection were identified: thirty-four were colonized and 15 were infected. No death was due to the outbreak. Measures taken were: geographical and technical isolation of patients, dedicated team implementation, contact precaution implementation including hand hygiene measures, appropriate use of gloves, and reinforcement of bio-cleaning procedures. CONCLUSION: Some patients were re-admitted to hospital while still being carriers; this could explain epidemic peaks. The immersion mission of the hygiene nurse contributed to answering healthcare workers' queries and led to a better cooperation between the ICU and the hygiene team.

Prevention of urinary tract infections by antibiotic cycling in spinal cord injury patients and low emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a major recurrent problem for spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Repeated antibiotic treatments contribute to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB). We evaluated the use of weekly oral cycling antibiotics (WOCA) in the prevention of UTIs over a mean follow-up period of 53 months (median follow-up period: 57 months) and analyzed the risk of MDRB emergence. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of adult SCI patients with neurogenic bladder who were receiving the WOCA regimen. RESULTS: We included 50 patients, mainly men (60%), with a mean age of 51±13.5 years. Overall, 66% of patients had been paraplegic or tetraplegic for 19.4±14.3 years; 92% underwent intermittent catheterization; and 36% had no postvoid residual. The number of febrile and non-febrile UTIs significantly reduced after WOCA initiation (9.45 non-febrile UTIs before WOCA initiation vs. 1.57 after; 2.25 febrile UTIs before WOCA initiation vs. 0.18 after; P=0.0001). Only one adverse event was reported during the follow-up period. The number of MDRB-colonized patients decreased from 9/50 to 4/50 during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: WOCA is an effective and safe strategy to prevent UTIs in SCI patients with neurogenic bladder. WOCA does not lead to the emergence of MDRB resistance and even seems to reduce MDRB carriage.

Prospective evaluation of antibiotic treatment for urological procedure in patients presenting with neurogenic bladder.

OBJECTIVES: Patients presenting with neurogenic bladder often require urological procedures (urodynamic testing and botulinum toxin injections) and a preventive antibiotic therapy. We aimed to assess the efficacy of this little known strategy in a cohort of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients presenting with neurogenic bladder who underwent urological procedure were included in the study. They received an antibiotic therapy in accordance with the urine cytobacteriological examination results. The antibiotic therapy was initiated two days before the procedure and prolonged up until two days after the procedure if the culture was positive. Patients were treated with a single dose of fosfomycin-trometamol in case of a negative culture. The main study outcome was the occurrence of urinary tract infection (UTI), defined by a positive urine culture and symptoms, up until 14 days after the procedure. RESULTS: A total of 80 urological procedures were performed. Mean patient age was 47±13.1 years (sex ratio 1.22); 59 (73.8%) presented with asymptomatic bacteriuria before the procedure. Nine (11.1%) UTIs were recorded on Day 14, of which one (1.2%) was febrile. Two patients required an additional curative antibiotic therapy. No patient was hospitalized. Overall, 77.8% of UTIs were cured without antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: Screening and treating asymptomatic bacteriuria before urological procedures seems unnecessary and vainly exposes this population at high risk of infectious diseases to antibiotic therapies. This data should be confirmed by a randomized clinical trial.

Audit of carbapenem prescriptions comparing 2 assessment periods.

OBJECTIVE: The emergence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae has resulted in the increase of carbapenem prescriptions. The objective of our study was to determine the appropriateness of carbapenem prescriptions from initiation to reassessment of treatment, between 2009 and 2011. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A questionnaire drafted by infectious diseases specialists (IDS) and microbiologists was used to collect clinical and microbiological data concerning carbapenem prescriptions in 2009 and 2011. An IDS then compared the results to assess carbapenem prescription compliance with our hospital's local recommendations. RESULTS: Seventy-one prescriptions were included in 2009 and 32 in 2011. The carbapenem treatment had been most frequently probabilistic to treat nosocomial infections. The microbiological data revealed that the number of multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections had increased between 2009 and 2011, especially infections involving ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. At treatment reassessment, in 2009 and 2011, 15 (21%) and 12 (38%) carbapenem prescriptions were appropriate and continued. Overall, when comparing the 2 periods, prescriptions complied with local guidelines from initiation to reassessment of treatment without any statistically significant difference (68% in 2009 and 75% in 2011). CONCLUSION: Our study results showed that MDR infections had increased and especially infections due to ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae; this was consistent with epidemiological data. We also proved that most carbapenem prescriptions were compliant with recommendations. The increased mobile IDS interventions in medical and surgical departments helped reach this rate of compliance. Carbapenem stewardship may be promoted even in a difficult epidemiological context, especially with IDS interventions for the duration of treatment or at treatment reassessment.

Management of multidrug resistant bacterial endemic.

The fight against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDRGNB), especially extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae, is about to be lost in our country. The emergence of new resistance mechanisms to carbapenems in these Enterobacteriaceae exposes patients to a risk of treatment failure without any other therapeutic options. This dramatic situation is paradoxical because we are well aware of the 2 major factors responsible for this situation: 1) MDRO cross-transmission, associated with a low compliance to standard precautions, especially hand hygiene, and 2) overexposure of patients to antibiotics. The implementation of a "search and isolate" policy, which was justified to control the spread of some MDRO that remained rare in the country, was not associated with a better adherence to standard precautions. The antibiotic policy and the measures implemented to control antibiotic consumptions have rarely been enforced and have shown inconsistent results. Notably, no significant decrease of antibiotic consumption has been observed. There is no excuse for these poor results, because some authors evaluating the effectiveness of programs for the control of MDRO have reported their positive effects on antimicrobial resistance without any detrimental effects. It is now urgent to deal with the 2 major factors by establishing an educational and persuasive program with quantified and opposable objectives. Firstly, we have to improve the observance of hand hygiene above 70%. Secondly, we have to define and reach a target for the reduction of antibiotic consumption both in community and in hospital settings.

Epidemiology of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant community-acquired Enterobacteria isolated from elderly patients.

AIMS: This survey was made to study the epidemiology of multiresistant bacteria (MRB) in the French community, among elderly patients 65 years of age or more, carrying third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GC-resistant) Enterobacteriaceae, and the co-resistance of prescribed antibiotics. METHODS: The data was collected in 2009 in the West of France by MedQual, a network of 174 private laboratories. RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred and sixty strains of the 88,255 identified Enterobacteria strains were 3GC-resistant (2.4%) and 945 of these strains (41.8%) were isolated from elderly patients 65 years of age or more. Escherichia coli was the predominant 3GC-resistant strain (72.7%). 51.4% of the 945 patients in whom a 3GC-resistant strain was isolated produced an extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL). The main risk factors for infection with the 3GC-resistant strain were hospitalization and antibiotic treatment in the previous year (58.2 and 86.9%, respectively). Hospitalization during the previous year was more frequent among elderly patients who lived at home compared with those who lived in nursing homes (P<0.05). The production of ESBL, among the 945 patients who carried the 3GC-resistant strains, was similar among patients who lived at home compared with those who lived in nursing homes (51.4% versus 49.7%). CONCLUSION: Microbiologists should warn family physicians about MRB isolates with a specific antimicrobial resistance pattern (3GC-resistant, fluoroquinolone-resistant, etc.) to prescribe more effective medications.

[Impact of enterobacteriaceae-producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLE) incidence increasing on barrier precautions implementation in a university hospital]. / Impact de l'augmentation de l'incidence des entérobactéries productrices de bêta-lactamases à spectre étendu (EBLSE) sur l'application des précautions complémentaires dans un centre hospitalier universitaire.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The French national surveillance program of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) shows an increase of enterobacteriaceae-producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLE) incidence. The objectives of this study were to assess: the incidence of EBLSE in a large French university hospital between 2005 and 2010, and the difference of barrier precautions implementation between ESBL and other MDR. METHODS: The ESBLE incidence measure used data from the laboratory of bacteriology. The application of isolation and barrier precautions was analyzed from the MRB national surveillance data over a 3-year period from 2006 to 2008. Data were entered and analyzed using Epi Info software. The Chi(2) test was used for the comparison of proportions. RESULTS: The overall incidence of ESBLE was significantly higher in 2010 than in 2005 (0.20/1000 patients-days vs 0.03/1000 patients-days, respectively) (P<0.001). The same was observed for Escherichia coli incidence with rates ranging from 0.02/1000 patients-days in 2005 to 0.15/1000 patients-days in 2010. Isolation precautions for patients with EBLSE were applied in relation for most patients with MRB (ESBLE vs others), without significant difference. CONCLUSION: The surveillance programme of MRB showed a significant increase of ESBLE, especially for E. coli. Isolation and barrier precautions were used for most patients with MRB, including ESBLE.

[Enterobacteriaceae producing extended spectrum beta-lactamase: epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention]. / Entérobactéries productrices de bêta-lactamases à spectre élargi : épidémiologie, facteurs de risque et mesures de prévention.

Multidrug-resistant bacteria are a major worldwide health public concern. It results from the growing increase in antibiotic prescriptions, which are responsible for selection pressure on bacteria. In France like in other countries, enterobacteriaceae producing extended spectrum beta-lactamase (EESBL) are the predominant multidrug-resistant bacteria. EESBL may be responsible for severe infections and require prescription of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents. The current EESBL outbreak is different from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreak that occurred in the early 1980. Consistently, EESBL are isolated both in hospital and community. Moreover, standard hygiene measures appear ineffective since EESBL prevalence is still increasing. The current inability to contain EESBL outbreak is due to several factors, including the existence of a wide community- and hospital-acquired tank of EESBL, failure to follow strict rules for hygiene, and the current irrational prescription of antibiotics.