Yield of repeat blood cultures in acute myeloid leukemia patients with febrile neutropenia and bacteremia following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

INTRODUCTION: This study explored the efficacy of repeat blood cultures in bacteremic acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of AML patients who experienced febrile neutropenia (FN) and bacteremia following HSCT at the Taussig Cancer Center from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2022. The primary endpoint was the rate of positive repeat blood cultures following initial positive blood culture. RESULTS: Fifty patients were included in the study. There were 50 occurrences of FN with positive initial blood cultures that were diagnosed following HSCT. Fifty initial sets of blood cultures and 96 sets of repeat blood cultures were drawn between the 50 occurrences of FN. Twelve of 96 (12.5%) repeat blood culture sets were positive for a pathogen, which occurred over nine of 50 (18.0%) episodes of FN. Three of 96 (3.2%) repeat blood culture sets grew a pathogen that differed from the pathogen that grew in the preceding positive blood culture. CONCLUSION: Among bacteremic AML patients in the post-HSCT period, the yield of repeat blood cultures for detecting previously detected and new pathogens was low.

Clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of mpox in solid organ transplant recipients: A multicenter case series and literature review.

In 2022, the largest global outbreak of mpox to date emerged. In the immunocompetent host, mpox generally presents as a self-limiting illness. However, immunosuppression, such as that seen with advanced HIV, has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality related to mpox infection. To evaluate the impact of immunosuppression related to solid organ transplantation on clinical features and outcomes of mpox we established a multicenter case registry. Eleven cases from 7 participating centers in the USA were submitted. All cases occurred in males. The majority were kidney transplant recipients (91%, n = 10). Median duration of symptoms at presentation was 6 days (range, 3-14 days). Rates of hospitalization were high (73%, n = 8) with a median length of stay of 4.5 days (range, 1-10 days). Mpox in solid organ transplant recipients was associated with a high burden of skin lesions and systemic symptoms. Fever, fatigue, pharyngitis, and proctitis were commonly reported. Other clinical features included headache, myalgia, epididymo-orchitis, urinary retention, hematemesis, pneumonitis, and circulatory shock. All patients received treatment with tecovirimat. There was 1 mpox-related death in the cohort. Infection was reported to have resolved at 30-day follow-up in all other cases.

Intravenous immunoglobulin prophylaxis is associated with decreased rate of infection-related hospitalizations in multiple myeloma patients.

This study explored the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) prophylaxis in reducing infection-related hospitalizations (IRHs) in MM patients. This was a retrospective study of MM patients who received IVIG at Taussig Cancer Center between July 2009 and July 2021. The primary endpoint was rate of IRHs per patient-year on-IVIG versus off-IVIG. 108 patients were included. There was a significant difference in the primary endpoint of rate of IRHs per patient-year on-IVIG versus off-IVIG in the overall study population (0.81 vs. 1.08; Mean Difference [MD], -0.27; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], -0.57 to 0.03; p value [P] = 0.04). The subgroup of patients with a 1-year period of continuous IVIG (49, 45.3%), the subgroup with standard-risk cytogenetics (54, 50.0%) and the subgroup with 2 or more IRHs (67, 62.0%) all showed a significant reduction in IRHs while on-IVIG versus off-IVIG (0.48 vs. 0.78; MD, -0.30; 95% CI, -0.59 to 0.002; p = 0.03) and (0.65 vs. 1.01; MD, -0.36; 95% CI, -0.71 to -0.01; p = 0.02) and (1.04 vs. 1.43; MD, -0.39; 95% CI, -0.82 to 0.05; p = 0.04) respectively. IVIG showed significant benefit in reducing IRHs in the overall population and in multiple subgroups.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Solid Organ Transplant: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to significant reductions in transplantation, motivated in part by concerns of disproportionately more severe disease among solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. However, clinical features, outcomes, and predictors of mortality in SOT recipients are not well described. METHODS: We performed a multicenter cohort study of SOT recipients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Data were collected using standardized intake and 28-day follow-up electronic case report forms. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for the primary endpoint, 28-day mortality, among hospitalized patients. RESULTS: Four hundred eighty-two SOT recipients from >50 transplant centers were included: 318 (66%) kidney or kidney/pancreas, 73 (15.1%) liver, 57 (11.8%) heart, and 30 (6.2%) lung. Median age was 58 (interquartile range [IQR] 46-57), median time post-transplant was 5 years (IQR 2-10), 61% were male, and 92% had ≥1 underlying comorbidity. Among those hospitalized (376 [78%]), 117 (31%) required mechanical ventilation, and 77 (20.5%) died by 28 days after diagnosis. Specific underlying comorbidities (age >65 [adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-5.5, P < .001], congestive heart failure [aOR 3.2, 95% CI 1.4-7.0, P = .004], chronic lung disease [aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.2, P = .018], obesity [aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0-3.4, P = .039]) and presenting findings (lymphopenia [aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.5, P = .033], abnormal chest imaging [aOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.1-7.5, P = .027]) were independently associated with mortality. Multiple measures of immunosuppression intensity were not associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality among SOT recipients hospitalized for COVID-19 was 20.5%. Age and underlying comorbidities rather than immunosuppression intensity-related measures were major drivers of mortality.

Infection risks in multiple myeloma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials from 2015 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) remain at an increased risk of infection due to the disease process, as well as the ensuing treatments. METHODS: We performed a systematic review to evaluate the monthly risk of grade III/IV infection, pneumonia, and neutropenia in patients with myeloma enrolled in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). RESULTS: The risk of grade III or higher infection, pneumonia, and neutropenia persists among all phases of treatment. There was no statistical difference in grade III or higher infection, pneumonia, and neutropenia between frontline and relapsed/refractory setting. In the maintenance setting, the complications of infection, pneumonia, and neutropenia were low, but not negligible. Three-drug regimens were no more likely than two-drug regimens to have an increased risk of Grade III or higher infection. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to quantify the monthly risk of grade III or higher infection, pneumonia, and neutropenia across different treatment regimens in the frontline, maintenance, and relapsed/refractory settings. The results of our systematic review demonstrate a significant risk for severe infection, pneumonia, and neutropenia in patients with MM. Further studies are needed to determine the value of antibiotic prophylaxis in a broader myeloma patient population, as well as other approaches that will further mitigate the morbidity and mortality related to infection in this vulnerable patient population.

Revisiting Role of Vaccinations in Donors, Transplant Recipients, Immunocompromised Hosts, Travelers, and Household Contacts of Stem Cell Transplant Recipients.

Vaccination is an effective strategy to prevent infections in immunocompromised hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Pretransplant vaccination of influenza, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenza type b, diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis B, both in donors and transplant recipients, produces high antibody titers in patients compared with recipient vaccination only. Because transplant recipients are immunocompromised, live vaccines should be avoided with few exceptions. Transplant recipients should get inactive vaccinations when possible to prevent infection. This includes vaccination against influenza, pneumococcus, H. influenza type b, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, meningococcus, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis A, human papillomavirus, and hepatitis B. Close contacts of transplant recipients can safely get vaccinations (inactive and few live vaccines) as per their need and schedule. Transplant recipients who wish to travel may need to get vaccinated against endemic diseases that are prevalent in such areas. There is paucity of data on the role of vaccinations for patients receiving novel immunotherapy such as bispecific antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor T cells despite data on prolonged B cell depletion and higher risk of opportunistic infections.

A Single-Center Experience and Literature Review of Management Strategies for Clostridium difficile Infection in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study is to evaluate risk factors associated with the development of C. difficile infection (CDI) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients, determine its incidence and report outcomes of CDI in our patient population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of medical records of adult HSCT recipients diagnosed between 2013 and 2016 at our center. Logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between risk factors and the odds of CDI. RESULTS: The overall incidence of CDI in HSCT patients was 9.4%. The incidence of CDI was higher in allogeneic HSCT (20%) versus autologous HSCT (4.8%). No statistically significant differences in age, gender, cancer type, transplant type were found between those who developed CDI and those who did not. However, patients with CDI had a longer length of stay (25 days) and used more antibiotics (30 days prior to and during admission for HSCT) than non-CDI patients (19 days). Only two of 17 patients (11.8%) with CDI experienced recurrence among 180 patients after HSCT. No patient suffered from toxic megacolon or ileus and no patient underwent colectomy. There was no mortality associated with CDI at our center. CONCLUSION: CDI has an incidence rate of 9.4% in HSCT recipients. Established risk factors including age, gender, cancer type, and transplant type were not identified as risk factors in our population. However, longer LOS and use of greater than four lines of antibiotics were observed among those with CDI compared to those without CDI.

Delays in Coccidioidomycosis Diagnosis and Associated Healthcare Utilization, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Tucson, Arizona, USA, is a highly coccidioidomycosis-endemic area. We conducted a retrospective review of 815 patients in Tucson over 2.7 years. Of 276 patients with coccidioidomycosis, 246 had a delay in diagnosis; median delay was 23 days. Diagnosis delay was associated with coccidioidomycosis-related costs totaling $589,053 and included extensive antibacterial drug use.

Prophylaxis for Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in the Era of Drug Resistance and Newer Antivirals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are at a very high risk of hepatitis B virus reactivation (HBVr). Lamivudine is commonly used as prophylaxis against HBVr in high-risk patients undergoing allo-HSCT. Unfortunately, its efficacy is diminishing due to the development of HBV mutant drug-resistant strains. With the availability of newer antiviral agents such as entecavir, telbivudine, adefovir, and tenofovir, it is important to assess their role in HBVr prophylaxis. A comprehensive search of 7 databases was performed to evaluate efficacy of antiviral prophylaxis against HBVr in allo-HSCT patients (PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ClinicalTrials.gov (June 21, 2017)). We identified 10 studies, with 2067 patients undergoing allo-HSCT; these primarily evaluated the use of lamivudine and entecavir as prophylaxis against HBVr in patients undergoing allo-HSCT because there were little or no data about adefovir, telbivudine, or tenofovir as prophylaxis in this specific patient population. Thus, included studies were categorized into 2 main prophylaxis groups: lamivudine and entecavir. Results of our meta-analysis suggest that entecavir is very effective against HBVr, although further clinical trials are required to test efficacy of new antivirals and explore the emerging threat of drug resistance.

A 20-year experience with nocardiosis in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients in the Southwestern United States: A single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Nocardiosis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at higher risk (incidence 0.04%-3.5%) of developing nocardiosis. Rate of nocardiosis in the Southwestern US may be high due to environmental factors. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review study on 54 SOT patients diagnosed with Nocardia between 1997 and 2016 at our center. To explore the association of various risk factors with both the development of disseminated disease and mortality, a series of Fisher's exact tests was used. FINDINGS: Incidence of nocardiosis in SOT patients was 2.65%. Fisher's exact tests revealed no association between development of disseminated disease and the following variables: transplant rejection (P = 1), elevated tacrolimus levels (P = .4), and CMV viremia (P = .06). Also, we did not find any association between mortality and the variables we evaluated: type of transplant, transplant rejection, renal failure, disseminated nocardia, and patient's age. Overall mortality and 1-year mortality were 17% and 11%. INTERPRETATION: Based on our findings, daily 1 DS TMP/SMX prophylaxis did not appear to provide reliable protection against nocardiosis. However, we could not state definitely that TMP/SMX prophylaxis was or wasn't protective because of lack control group. None of the Fisher's exact tests revealed associations between the tested risk factors and either disease dissemination or mortality. This could be due to a true lack of association between the variables in each pair. However, it is also likely that our relatively small sample size limited our power to detect underlying relationships that may be present. Compared with other studies, 1-year mortality was lower at our institution (11% vs 16%).

An update on emerging therapies for urinary tract infections.

INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common healthcare-acquired infections, and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Worldwide use of antibiotics has led to a significant rise in resistant uropathogens emanating from both hospitals and communities. The huge concern of multidrug resistance (MDR) has led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to encourage drug companies to invest in the development of new antibiotics. Area covered: In this review we summarized data on already approved antibiotics, and selected emerging therapies that are currently in phase II and III trials with emphasis on complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs). We performed our search using PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar and Pharmaprojects. Expert opinion: Efficacious antimicrobials are needed to overcome MDR organisms. There are several dugs in initial and later stages of development, but most of them lack full spectrum of activity against some Gram-negative organisms, particularly against MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Better understanding of the pathogenesis of UTI and genetic engineering of pathogens can provide new drugs to combat resistance in the future.

Effect of Mycetoma in Lung Transplant Patients - a Single Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Mycetomas are uncommon in lung transplant recipients. Prior studies have shown increased mortality associated with mycetoma in lung transplant recipients (LTR). We reviewed our center's experience in outcome of LTRs with pre -or post-transplant mycetoma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed electronic health records of LTRs performed at our institute between January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2020. RESULTS: Mycetoma was present in less than 1 percent of LTR patients (7/1086). Mean age at the time of the transplant was 65 years. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (5/7), interstitial lung disease (1/7), and sarcoidosis (1/7) were underlying pulmonary diagnoses. Seventy-one percent (5/7) received single lung transplant and 29% received double lung transplant. Seventy-one percent had negative serum galactomannan vs 29% (2/7) of patients who had positive serum galactomannan (one post and one pre). Fifty-seven percent had positive bronchoalveolar aspergillus galactomannan (23% had negative). A total of 42% (3/7) were found to have mycetoma before transplant and 58% (4/7) had mycetoma post transplant. Chest computed tomography findings in all patients were consistent with mycetoma. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort of patients, mycetoma was not found to be the primary cause of death if diagnosed pre transplant. Transplant recipients with mycetoma pre transplant did not develop invasive fungal infection or mycetoma post transplant. Careful evaluation of lung transplant candidates with mycetoma is critical. Further studies are needed to determine optimal duration of antifungal therapy and to determine if surgical resection may be needed to manage post-lung transplant mycetoma.

Cytomegalovirus Infection Post-Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: Experience from a Country with High Seropositivity.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Limited data are available from developing countries regarding the frequency of CMV infection and treatment outcomes. We enrolled 230 consecutive patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT for various hematologic disorders at the Armed Forces Bone Marrow Transplant Center/National Institute of Blood And Marrow Transplant between February 2017 and December 202. CMV reactivation post-HSCT was monitored weekly starting at day +30 and continuing until day +100, and preemptive antiviral therapy was administered to prevent CMV disease in all HSCT recipients with ≥2000 CMV copies/mL. The median age of the study cohort was 9.5 years (range, .6 to 53 years), and the male:female ratio was 2.4:1. The most frequent indication for HSCT was beta thalassemia major (36.1%), followed by aplastic anemia (23.9%). Malignant disorders constituted 20% of all the patients. Pretransplantation CMV seropositivity was 99.1% for the recipients and 99.5% for the donors. CMV infection was seen in 66.1% of the patients, and the median time to CMV DNAemia was 36 days (range, 12 to 95 days). Preemptive antiviral therapy was administered to 140 patients with a CMV viral load ≥2000 copies/mL (61%). In multivariate analysis, patient age >12 years, steroid administration, and use of mycophenolate mofetil with or without post-transplantation cyclophosphamide was associated with the greatest probability of CMV reactivation. Overall survival was 97.4% in patients without CMV reactivation, compared to 80.3% in those with CMV reactivation (P = .001). Event-free survival was 78.7% in the total study cohort, including 89.7% for patients without CMV reactivation and 73% for patients with CMV reactivation (P = .003). Our study is the first from this region to explore the frequency of CMV seropositivity and CMV infection, risk factors for CMV reactivation, and outcomes of antiviral therapy in HSCT recipients.

Transplantid.net: A Pilot Crowdsourced, Living, Online Library of Resources for the Teaching and Practice of Transplant Infectious Diseases.

The field of transplant infectious diseases is rapidly evolving, presenting a challenge for clinical practice and trainee education. Here we describe the construction of transplantid.net, a free online library, crowdsourced and continuously updated for the dual purpose of point-of-care evidence-based management and teaching.

Pearls & Oy-sters: Seronegative Eastern Equine Encephalitis in an Immunocompromised Stem Cell Transplant Recipient.

Altered mental status in immunosuppressed patients has a wide differential diagnosis. In this case, a 27-year-old man presented with encephalopathy, nausea, vomiting, and fevers. His medical history was significant for acute myeloid leukemia in remission after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 17 months prior complicated by graft vs host disease affecting his skin treated with sirolimus. A lumbar puncture was performed with a lymphocytic pleocytosis, mildly elevated protein, and negative Gram-stain and bacterial and fungal cultures. His examination deteriorated, and he became comatose with loss of pupillary and corneal reflexes. An MRI of his brain demonstrated T2/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal abnormality involving the bilateral basal ganglia, mesial temporal lobes, and entire brainstem along with bilateral temporal parenchymal and leptomeningeal enhancement. Ultimately, diagnosis was made through metagenomic PCR sequencing from his CSF. This case highlights diagnostic challenges in immunosuppressed patients because antibodies against the causative antigen were negative (potentially related to decreased antibody production in the setting of immunosuppression).

Late Effects after Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell Therapy for Lymphoid Malignancies.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell [CAR T] therapy has changed the treatment landscape of relapsed/refractory lymphoid malignancies. With an expanding pool of post CAR T-cell therapy survivors, prevention and management of late toxicities is emerging as an important component of survivorship care. This review summarizes the current state of evidence on late toxicities after CAR T-cell therapy in lymphoid malignancies. Late effects that are well described in clinical trials and observational studies include hypogammaglobulinemia, prolonged cytopenias, late infections, neurologic and neuropsychiatric effects, immune-related late effects, and subsequent malignancies. Hypogammaglobulinemia is the most common late effect in the setting of CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy, which necessitates immunoglobulin replacement. Common determinants of late toxicities are age, underlying tumor type, prior therapy, CAR construct, and acute toxicities. Among currently approved indications, the incidence of hypogammaglobulinemia and prolonged cytopenia is higher in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia compared to aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Patient-reported physical and mental quality of life in long-term survivors is comparable to general population, albeit, with limited data thus far. This review provides an overview of the incidence, known risk-factors, and strategies for prevention and management of late toxicities in this population. Further research is needed to characterize the trajectory of late effects from population-based registries and long-term follow-up of ongoing clinical trials.

Potential Treatment Options for COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review of Global Pharmacological Development Efforts.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), first reported in China during December of 2019, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infection later spread very rapidly around the globe with over 8,708,008 cases reported, including more than 461,715 deaths reported across at least 216 countries by June 20, 2020. It was declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. With the rapidly increasing number of positive cases and deaths, there is a dire need for effective treatment. An urgent unmet need led to the planning and opening of multiple drug development trials for treatment and vaccine development. In this article, we have compiled comprehensive data on many candidate drugs such as remdesivir, favipiravir, ribavirin, umifenovir, arbidol, lopinavir, ritonavir, baricitinib, hydroxychloroquine, nitazoxanide, azithromycin, baloxavir, oseltamivir, losartan, and tocilizumab. We have tabulated available data on various clinical trials testing various aspects of COVID-19 therapeutics.

Does antimicrobial coating and impregnation of urinary catheters prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection? A review of clinical and preclinical studies.

Introduction: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is one of the most common nosocomial infections in hospitals, accounting for 36% of all health care-associated infections. Areas covered: We aimed to address the potential impact of antimicrobial coating of catheter materials for the prevention of CAUTI and to analyze the progress made in this field. We conducted literature searches in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases, and found 578 articles. Data from 60 articles in either the preclinical or clinical stage were analyzed in this expert review. Expert opinion: The literature review revealed many promising methods for preventing CAUTI. Recent studies have suggested the combination of silver-based products and antibiotics, owing to their synergistic effect, to help address the problem of antibiotic resistance. Other coating materials that have been tested include nitric oxide, chlorhexidine, antimicrobial peptides, enzymes, and bacteriophages. Because of heterogeneity among studies, it is difficult to reliably comment on the clinical efficacy of different coating materials. Future research should focus on double-blind randomized clinical trials for evaluating the role of these potential coating agents.

First case of acute granulomatous interstitial nephritis with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in a patient with HIV coinfected with disseminated Mycobacterium kansasii.

Restoration of immune response by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) effectively improved the overall prognosis of HIV infection. However, 25%-31.7% of patients experience paradoxical worsening of pre-existing infections or unmasking of subclinical infections after starting HAART therapy, which is termed as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). Acute granulomatous interstitial nephritis as a consequence of IRIS has never been reported with Mycobacteriumkansasiicoinfection. Here, we describe an HIV/AIDS patient coinfected with disseminated M. kansasii infection, who presented with acute kidney injury 4.5 months after initiation of HAART. The diagnostic workup revealed IRIS was the cause of acute kidney injury. Short-term course of prednisone (1 mg/kg/day) along with antimycobacterial and HAART regimen achieved significant improvement.