Cutaneous leishmaniasis in a patient receiving infliximab.

Leishmaniasis is endemic in the Mediterranean region, and the prevalence of latent infection in this area is high. Treatment with tumour necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists represents a major breakthrough in the treatment of several inflammatory diseases, including psoriasis. Reports describing opportunistic leishmaniasis in European patients treated with TNF-α antagonist drugs are rapidly accumulating. We describe a case of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a patient treated with infliximab and corticosteroids.

[Predictive factors of ESBL versus non-ESBL Escherichia coli bacteraemia and influence of resistance on the mortality of the patients]. / Bacteriemia por Escherichia coli: factores predictivos de presencia de bacterias productoras de betalactamasas de espectro extendido e influencia de la resistencia en la mortalidad de los pacientes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To analyze predictor factors of extended-spectrum betalactamasa (ESBL)-producing E. coli and its repercussion in mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Observational and comparative study of a cohort of non-paediatric admitted patients with E. coli bacteraemia (EB). RESULTS: 153 EB (22% ESBL-producing strains). Risk factors associated with ESBLB: previous antibiotic treatment (OR 2.61; 95% CI 1.1-6.19), severity Winston score ≤2 (OR 9.83, 95% CI 3.42-28.26) and health-related acquired infection (OR 5.35; 95% CI 1.57-18.27). Related mortality rate was 21%, being independent risk factors: cancer (OR 4.02; 95% CI 1.08-14.82), high severity of underlying disease (McCabe) (OR 7.69; 95% CI 1.96-30.09) and critical severity of illness at onset (Winston) (OR 48.89; 95% CI 11.58-206.97). Inappropriate empirical therapy was more frequent in EBSL-producing group (67%, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Previous antibiotic treatment, severity Winston score ≤2 and health-related acquisition are factors associated to ESBL EB. EBSL-producing strains or inadequate treatment were not associated to higher mortality. Factors statistically associated to mortality were cancer, severity of underlying diseases and critical severity of illness at onset.

Use of antibiotics at a University Clinic Hospital: effect of protocolized antibiotic treatment in the evolution of hospital patients with infections.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse factors associated to "failure" in patients under antibiotic (AB) treatment at a third level hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients receiving an AB treatment along April 2012 were prospectively observed and factors associated to failure were analyzed. Failure was defined as clinical or microbiological failure, relapse or death. Statistically significance was established as p<0.05. RESULTS: 602 of 1,265 admitted patients during the study month included an AB in their medical prescriptions, being 178 considered as prophylactic AB prescriptions, 342 empirical treatments and 82 directed treatments as empiric treatments. Ceftriaxone and levofloxacin were the most used AB; choice of empirical and directed treatments were in line with protocols in 71% (242 of 342 cases) and 67% (55 of 82), respectively. Of all the patients receiving antibiotics for therapy (n=424), 402 had infection criteria (in 22 cases antibiotic treatment was deemed unnecessary since the patient showed no infectious process). Of these, 292 (72%) showed a good evolution, while the others were considered as failed therapies, either because of microbiological persistence in 49 (12.8%), relapse in 31 (7.71%) and death in en 30 (7.46%). Factors associated to "failure" were Charlson score ≥3 (OR 3.35; 95%CI 1.602-7.009); empirical and/or directed treatment not in keeping with the protocol (OR 5.68; 95%CI 2.898-11.217); and infection by ESBL and/or ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli (OR 4.43; 95%CI 1.492-13.184). CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of AB prescriptions in admitted patients correspond to empirical infection treatment, being ceftriaxone and levofloxacin the most used AB. Inadequate empirical and/or directed treatment is associated to clinical or microbiological failure and death.

[Bacteraemia at a second level hospital: epidemiological study, analysis of pronostic factors associated to mortality and economic cost estimation]. / Bacteriemias en un hospital de segundo nivel: estudio epidemiológico, análisis de factores pronósticos asociados a mortalidad y estimación de su coste económico.

INTRODUCTION: Bacteraemia (B) accounts for a considerable proportion (0.36%) of all hospital admissions due to infections diseases and it is associated to increased hospital costs. The aim of this study is to describe a cohort of patients with bacteraemia at a second level hospital, to analyze factors associated to mortality and its economical impact during hospital admission. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Observational study of a cohort of adult patients with bacteraemia admitted at a second level hospital during 2010. Data collection from clinical records has been done according to a standard protocol: epidemiological and clinical variables and factors associated to mortality were analysed. Total economical cost per patient was estimated. RESULTS: 148 patients were included: 80 community B (55.4%), 23 health care associated B (15.5%) and 45 nosocomial B (28.5%). The incidence was 9 cases 10.000 persons/year. Mean age was 69 years and the global mortality was 24%. In bivariate analysis smoking, diabetes mellitus, McCabe Jackson score type I-II, Pitt Index ≥ 3, APACHE ≥ 20, Glasgow ≤ 9, shock, respiratory distress, invasive procedures, nosocomial bacteraemia and inadequate empiric or definitive antibiotic treatment were associated to mortality (p<0.05). Factors associated to mortality in multivariate analysis included McCabe Jackson score type I-II (OR 4.95; 95% CI 1.095-22.38), haemodialysis during acute stage (OR 7.8; 95% CI 2.214-27.773) and inadequate empiric antibiotic treatment (OR 7.68; 95% CI 19.82-29.77). Admission economic cost per patient was 9,459 € for community acquired bacteriemia, 5,656 € for health care associated bacteraemia and 41,680€ for nosocomial bacteraemia. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidity, inadequate empiric antibiotic treatment and haemodialysis during acute phase are statistically significantly in our cohort of patients with bacteraemia.

[Candida sp endocarditis. Experience in a third-level hospital and review of the literature]. / Endocarditis por Candida sp. Experiencia en un hospital terciario y revisión de la literatura.

Despite the relative high frequency of Candida bloodstream infection, Candida endocarditis is a rare entity. We report five cases of Candida endocarditis admitted to our hospital in the period between 2005 and 2011. Two cases were caused by C. albicans, two cases were caused by C. parapsilosis and in the last one, we didn't identify the species of Candida. All but one had clear risk factors for candidemia. Treatment consisted of amphotericin B with / without flucytosine in four patients, and they all underwent surgery for valve replacement and / or removal of intravascular devices. Overall mortality was 60% (40% of mortality was directly related to endocarditis). All patients who survived were given suppressive therapy with fluconazole for a minimum of two years.After stopping fluconazole there was a case of recurrence.

La leishmaniasis visceral en la región de Murcia: estudio multicéntrico 1997-2013 / Visceral leishmaniasis in Murcia: Multicentric study 1997-2013

Introducción: La prevalencia de la leishmaniasis visceral (LV), una parasitosis endémica en la cuenca mediterránea, puede verse afectada por movimientos migratorios. Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los casos de LV valorados en hospitales de la región de Murcia. Material y métodos: Se trata de un estudio retrospectivo multicéntrico de los casos de LV diagnosticados y tratados en los diferentes hospitales de nuestra región, que se agruparon en 2 cohortes: período A (pA), el comprendido entre los años 1997 y 2005, y período B (pB), el transcurrido entre 2006 y 2013. Resultados: Se analizaron 97 casos de LV (75% fueron hombres y la edad media fue de 35 años), 36 en pA y 61 en pB; el 11% de los pacientes procedían de otros países en pA y el 22% en pB (subsaharianos en 10 casos); el 55% tenían algún tipo de inmunosupresión (80% de ellos estaban diagnosticados de infección por VIH). Las manifestaciones más frecuentes fueron: fiebre (85%) y astenia (66%). La duración media de los síntomas antes de la primera consulta fue de 47 días, y el tiempo medio transcurrido entre esta primera consulta y la realización de la prueba diagnóstica, de 13 días. El hallazgo más común en la exploración física fue la esplenomegalia (89%), mientras que la trombocitopenia fue el hallazgo de laboratorio más constante (78%). El diagnóstico se confirmó con la detección de amastigotes y/o PCR del aspirado medular en el 61% de los casos; en el 39% restante el aspirado fue negativo y fue necesario el estudio de otras muestras (biopsia de médula ósea, ganglio linfático, laringe, colon, parótida y amígdala, PCR en sangre, serología o inmunocromatografía en orina). El tratamiento más usado fue anfotericina B liposomal (71%), seguida de glucantime (27%) y anfotericina B complejo lipídico (1%); en un caso no se pudo averiguar el tratamiento administrado. Se objetivaron 16 recidivas, 11 de ellas en pacientes con sida. Conclusiones: Aun a riesgo de sesgos propios de estudios retrospectivos y a pesar del mejor control de la infección VIH, observamos en nuestra región un aumento en la frecuencia de casos de LV, probablemente favorecido por el aumento del número de inmigrantes.

Introduction: The prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), an endemic parasitic infection in the Mediterranean basin, can be affected by migratory movements. Objective: To analyze VL cases evaluated at several hospitals in the Murcia region. Methods: Retrospective, multicentric study of VL cases; patients were grouped into two time periods: period A (pA: 1997-2005) and period B (pB: 2006-2013). Results: A total of 97 VL cases were analyzed (75% men, mean age 35 years), 36 of them in pA and 61 in pB; 11% and 22% of the patients were foreigners in pA and pB, respectively (10 from sub-Saharan Africa); 55% suffered from some type of immunosuppression (80% HIV). The most common clinical manifestations were fever (85%) and asthenia (66%). The mean duration of symptoms before the first medical contact was 47 days and the average time between the first contact and the microbiological confirmation was 13 days. The most common finding on physical examination was splenomegaly (89%), whereas thrombocytopenia was the most frequent laboratory finding (78%). Diagnoses were confirmed by detection of amastigotes and/or PCR of bone marrow aspiration (BMA) in 61%; in the remaining 39% of cases, BMA was negative and additional samples were necessary (bone marrow, lymph node, larynx, colon, parotid and amygdala biopsy, PCR of blood samples, serology or urine antigen detection). The most commonly used treatment was liposomal amphotericin B (71%), followed by glucantime (27%) and amphotericin B lipid complex (1%). A total of 16 recurrent cases (11 in AIDS patients), were bserved. Conclusions: Although this is a retrospective study and despite better control of HIV infection, we have observed an increase in the frequency of VL cases in our region, which is probably related to migratory flows.