Mediastinal Mucormycosis: Case report, review of literature and treatment with continuous liposomal amphotericin B irrigation.

Mediastinal mucormycosis is an uncommon but lethal infection associated with an 83% mortality. We describe a case of fatal Rhizopus microsporus mediastinitis despite three exploratory mediastinal surgeries and complementary systemic and mediastinal irrigation with liposomal amphotericin B. We further review the literature on surgical and antifungal management of mediastinal mucormycosis.

Novel paramyxovirus associated with severe acute febrile disease, South Sudan and Uganda, 2012.

In 2012, a female wildlife biologist experienced fever, malaise, headache, generalized myalgia and arthralgia, neck stiffness, and a sore throat shortly after returning to the United States from a 6-week field expedition to South Sudan and Uganda. She was hospitalized, after which a maculopapular rash developed and became confluent. When the patient was discharged from the hospital on day 14, arthralgia and myalgia had improved, oropharynx ulcerations had healed, the rash had resolved without desquamation, and blood counts and hepatic enzyme levels were returning to reference levels. After several known suspect pathogens were ruled out as the cause of her illness, deep sequencing and metagenomics analysis revealed a novel paramyxovirus related to rubula-like viruses isolated from fruit bats.

Sonication of antibiotic spacers predicts failure during two-stage revision for prosthetic knee and hip infections.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infection is a leading cause of failure after two-stage reimplantation. One cause of relapse may be persistent subclinical infection. Difficulty exists in detecting biofilm-forming infections. Sonication disrupts biofilm and has led to higher rates of positive intraoperative cultures. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: Our aims in this study were to determine (1) if sonication results were predictive of failure, including reinfection, at 2-year followup; and (2) whether sonication of antibiotic spacers at the time of reimplantation improves sensitivity of intraoperative cultures. METHODS: We prospectively followed 36 consecutive patients undergoing two-stage reimplantation for periprosthetic hip or knee infection. Minimum followup was 19 months (mean, 29.9 months; range, 19­38 months). Results of intraoperative cultures and sonicated antibiotic spacers were analyzed. RESULTS: Positive sonication results were predictive of failure as defined by reinfection at 2-year followup. Among the 18 patients who had positive sonication results, reinfection developed in nine patients (50%) compared with two of 18 patients (11%) with negative sonication results (odds ratio, 8.0; 95% CI, 1.2­69.0). Sonication of antibiotic spacers improved the sensitivity of intraoperative cultures from 45% to 82%. [corrected]. CONCLUSIONS: Sonication of antibiotic spacers appears to be useful in predicting failure attributable to recurrent infection after two-stage reimplantation. For patients with positive sonication cultures during reimplantation, more aggressive antimicrobial treatment may be indicated after reimplantation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic study. See the Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Empyema caused by Mycoplasma salivarium.

Mycoplasma salivarium infections outside the oral cavity are rare. We describe a 49-year-old man with laryngeal cancer and right pleural space infection with M. salivarium. To our knowledge, this is the first report of empyema due to Mycoplasma salivarium.

Costs of management of occupational exposures to blood and body fluids.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cost of management of occupational exposures to blood and body fluids. DESIGN: A convenience sample of 4 healthcare facilities provided information on the cost of management of occupational exposures that varied in type, severity, and exposure source infection status. Detailed information was collected on time spent reporting, managing, and following up the exposures; salaries (including benefits) for representative staff who sustained and who managed exposures; and costs (not charges) for laboratory testing of exposure sources and exposed healthcare personnel, as well as any postexposure prophylaxis taken by the exposed personnel. Resources used were stratified by the phase of exposure management: exposure reporting, initial management, and follow-up. Data for 31 exposure scenarios were analyzed. Costs were given in 2003 US dollars. SETTING: The 4 facilities providing data were a 600-bed public hospital, a 244-bed Veterans Affairs medical center, a 437-bed rural tertiary care hospital, and a 3,500-bed healthcare system. RESULTS: The overall range of costs to manage reported exposures was $71-$4,838. Mean total costs varied greatly by the infection status of the source patient. The overall mean cost for exposures to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected source patients (n=19, including those coinfected with hepatitis B or C virus) was $2,456 (range, $907-$4,838), whereas the overall mean cost for exposures to source patients with unknown or negative infection status (n=8) was $376 (range, $71-$860). Lastly, the overall mean cost of management of reported exposures for source patients infected with hepatitis C virus (n=4) was $650 (range, $186-$856). CONCLUSIONS: Management of occupational exposures to blood and body fluids is costly; the best way to avoid these costs is by prevention of exposures.

Campath-1H induction and the incidence of infectious complications in adult renal transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate adult renal transplantation patients who received a alemtuzumab (Campath-1H)-based induction protocol for the incidence of infectious complications. METHODS: We began using 30 mg Campath-1H intravenously for induction therapy in May 2003. The patients were treated with a maintenance regimen of tacrolimus or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and rapidly tapered prednisone; valganciclovir was used for CMV prophylaxis. Forty-nine adult patients who received renal transplants between May 1, 2003 and June 7, 2004 were included. The mean follow-up time was 13.7 months with a range of 10-24 months. Data were collected via a retrospective chart review. RESULTS: The infectious complications noted in the Campath-1H group were compared with a historical group of 56 patients receiving conventional immunosuppression. There was one case of cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia and two cases of CMV disease (one pneumonitis and one enteritis). There were four cases of urinary tract infection and one extremity cellulitis. One patient developed Cryptococcal meningitis. Eight of the 49 (16%) patients in the Campath group had an infectious complication, compared to 18 out of 56 (32%) in the historical group. CONCLUSION: Campath-1H induction for renal transplantation appears to have a low incidence of associated infectious complications when compared to historical regimens.

Prosthetic Device Infections.

The immunocompromised host is a particularly vulnerable population in whom routine and unusual infections can easily and frequently occur. Prosthetic devices are commonly used in these patients and the infections associated with those devices present a number of challenges for both the microbiologist and the clinician. Biofilms play a major role in device-related infections, which may contribute to failed attempts to recover organisms from routine culture methods. Moreover, device-related microorganisms can be difficult to eradicate by antibiotic therapy alone. Changes in clinical practice and advances in laboratory diagnostics have provided significant improvements in the detection and accurate diagnosis of device-related infections. Disruption of the bacterial biofilm plays an essential role in recovering the causative agent in culture. Various culture and nucleic acid amplification techniques are more accurate to guide directed treatment regimens. This chapter reviews the performance characteristics of currently available diagnostic assays and summarizes published guidelines, where available, for addressing suspected infected prosthetic devices.

Role of Sonication for Detection of Infection in Explanted Orthopaedic Trauma Implants.

OBJECTIVES: Sonication is a new technology that uses high-frequency sound waves to mechanically dislodge bacteria adherent in biofilms. Unlike arthroplasty, its role in orthopaedic trauma has not been described. The goal of this study was to explore the utility of sonication in orthopaedic trauma. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS: One hundred forty-six sonicated metallic orthopaedic devices from September 2010 to May 2013 were included. Patients were divided into 3 groups: clinically infected, elective implant removals, and nonunion. INTERVENTION: Sonication culture results were retrospectively reviewed for all patients undergoing implant removal. OUTCOMES: Sonication results were the primary study outcome and were considered positive for culture growth if equal to or greater than 20 colony-forming units per plate. RESULTS: In 32 patients with clinical infection, tissue cultures were positive in 30 (94%) and negative in 2 (6%). In contrast, sonication cultures were positive in 19 patients (59%) and did not identify additional organisms. Of the 72 patients who underwent elective implant removal, 52 had pain. Sonication cultures were positive in 5 of these 52 patients (10%) and in 0 of 20 patients with no pain. Sonication culture results were negative in all 42 patients who underwent nonunion surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Sonication of orthopaedic trauma implants in patients with clinically apparent infection or "aseptic" nonunion offered negligible additional information. Sonication demonstrated a positive microbiologic yield in a subset of patients with painful implants; further research is required to better establish the frequency of subclinical infection and to determine the diagnostic role of traditional cultures and sonication. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Response of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy to vaccination with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine.

Whether highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) impacts responses to 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PV) is not known. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels for 6 capsular polysaccharides in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients who had received > or =6 months of HAART were measured either after their first dose of PV (n=46) or after revaccination (n=41); control subjects had never received HAART and had received the first dose of PV (n=38). There were no significant differences in pre- or postvaccination IgG levels among these groups but for 1 capsular polysaccharide. The 3 groups had significant postvaccination increases in IgG levels to all capsular polysaccharides. The control group had a greater number of 2-fold responses than did the combined HAART groups (P<.05). Patients with a CD4 cell count of > or =200 cells/mm3 had a greater number of 2-fold responses than did those with a CD4 cell count of <200 cells/mm3 (P<.05). For revaccinated patients, postvaccination IgG levels were correlated with the CD4 cell count at the initial vaccination. The immunogenicity of PV among patients receiving long-term HAART is modest. It seems best to immunize HIV-infected patients early in the course of disease.

Impact of chronic kidney disease stage on lower-extremity arthroplasty.

End-stage renal disease and dialysis is commonly associated with poor outcomes after joint replacement surgery. The goal of this study was to evaluate postoperative complications in patients with less advanced chronic kidney disease undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients who underwent THA or TKA between 2004 and 2011 with stage 1, 2, or 3 chronic kidney disease were retrospectively reviewed via an electronic medical record. The authors compared 377 patients who had stage 1 to 2 chronic kidney disease with 402 patients who had stage 3 chronic kidney disease. No significant differences in 90-day readmission or revision rates were found between the stage 1 to 2 and stage 3 patient groups. For patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease, the overall mortality rate was greater than that in patients with stage 1 to 2 chronic kidney disease. However, when adjusted for comorbid disease, no significant increases were seen in joint infection, readmission, or early revision between patients with stage 1 to 2 chronic kidney disease vs patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. The overall incidence of infection was high (3.5%) but far less than reported for patients with end-stage renal disease, dialysis, and kidney transplant. In conclusion, patients with stage 1, 2, or 3 chronic kidney disease may have a higher than expected rate of prosthetic joint infection (3.5%) after total joint arthroplasty. Patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease are at higher risk for postoperative mortality compared with those with lesser stages of kidney disease.

Death and cardiovascular events after bacteriuria among adult women with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: The impact of bacteriuria on mortality and cardiovascular risk has not been previously reported for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between outpatient episodes of bacteriuria and mortality and cardiovascular risk among women with CKD. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using an electronic health database from an integrated healthcare system in central Pennsylvania. SUBJECTS: Adult women with CKD receiving primary care at Geisinger Health System between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2009 were eligible, and were followed through December 31, 2010 for study outcomes. MAIN MEASURES: The study exposure was bacteriuria, defined as an outpatient urine culture with bacterial growth of 10(4) cfu/mL. Treatment history (antibiotic prescription within 90 days) was identified. Study outcomes were death and the composite of hospitalization for myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, or stroke. Multivariate-adjusted Cox models incorporated all bacteriuria episodes and antibiotic prescriptions in time-dependent fashion (in addition to other covariates) to account for the cumulative impact of infections, treatment, and hospitalization during follow-up. KEY RESULTS: 6807 women were followed for a median (interquartile range) of 5.2 (3.4, 5.9) years. In adjusted models, each untreated bacteriuria episode was associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.56, 95% CI 1.35-1.81) and the composite cardiovascular outcome (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.05-1.65); treated episodes were not associated with an increased risk of death or cardiovascular events. CONCLUSION: Among female patients with CKD, untreated bacteriuria occurring in the outpatient setting is associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular morbidity.

Protecting patients from harm: design and implementation of an institutional bloodborne pathogen protocol.

BACKGROUND: Patients are sometimes exposed to the blood of health care workers (HCWs) while receiving medical care. No national guidelines exist that authoritatively articulate the responsibility of HCWs infected with a potentially transmissible bloodborne pathogen (BBP). Geisinger Health System crafted and implemented a policy delineating the responsibilities of an HCW in the event of accidental blood exposure of a patient, specifically addressing HCWs known to be infected with a BBP. METHODS: In 2008, a multidisciplinary group convened to review available published resources from the American Medical Association, specialty society positions, state and national guidelines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology, as well as selected commentaries. RESULTS: A policy was crafted and enacted within a large integrated heath care system that provided clear guidelines and responsibilities for HCWs who are either infected with a BBP or expose patients to blood in the course of providing medical care. This policy balances the rights of both patients and providers. CONCLUSIONS: The resources to devise policies regarding BBP exposure to patients are available but require distillation of complex scientific data and social and/or legal opinion or precedent. We offer Geisinger Health System's policy as a workable and readily accessible model that defines the obligations of providers to protect patients in the event of a BBP exposure.

Propionibacterium acnes as a cause of prosthetic valve aortic root abscess.

Propionibacterium acnes isolates usually have relatively low virulence and are often classified as contaminants when isolated from blood and tissue cultures. We report a patient with Propionibacterium acnes bacteremia and late prosthetic valve endocarditis, complicated by an aortic root abscess.

Routine incubation of BacT/ALERT FA and FN blood culture bottles for more than 3 days may not be necessary.

We reviewed time to detection for 35,500 blood cultures collected in BacT/ALERT FA and FN bottles. In the first 3 days of incubation, 97.5% of the 2,609 clinically significant isolates were detected, suggesting that routine incubation for more than 3 days may not be necessary for FA and FN bottles.

Implantable defibrillator pocket infection and bacteremia caused by Nocardia nova complex isolate.

Nocardia spp. are common environmental organisms that, to our knowledge, have never been implicated as causing an implantable defibrillator or pacemaker infection. We describe a 70-year-old male with a recent implantable cardiac defibrillator revision and subsequent device infection and bacteremia caused by a Nocardia nova complex isolate.