Mycobacterium Avium complex vertebral osteomyelitis in the absence of HIV infection: a case report and review.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) is an established microbiologic cause of pulmonary disease, lymphadenitis, and disseminated disease in cases of advanced immune suppression. However, MAC manifesting as vertebral osteomyelitis is less common, and is particularly rare in the absence of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Prompt diagnosis of MAC vertebral osteomyelitis is challenging, but necessary to prevent serious morbidity or mortality. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of MAC osteomyelitis of the lumbar spine in a 70-year-old woman on extended duration corticosteroid therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus who presented with progressive back pain. Upon presentation, imaging revealed osteomyelitis of the lumbar spine with associated paraspinal abscess. Cultures from the surgical evacuation of the paraspinal abscess yielded no pathogen growth and she was therefore treated with empiric antibacterial therapy. Two weeks after her initial hospital discharge she represented with severe back pain and radiologic evidence of progressive disease in her lumbar spine. Two additional vertebral biopsies were required during her first 2 weeks of admission. MAC eventually grew from culture 14 days after collection. She was treated with ethambutol and rifampin and her symptoms resolved in 2 weeks, though therapy was continued for 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: MAC is an unusual cause of vertebral osteomyelitis in patients with AIDS, but is exceedingly rare in those without severe immune compromise. Despite its rarity, it must be considered in cases of vertebral osteomyelitis that do not respond to empiric antibiotic therapy. Multiple biopsies may be necessary to obtain a diagnosis and avoid destructive infectious complications of an untreated infection.

Rising rates of injection drug use associated infective endocarditis in Virginia with missed opportunities for addiction treatment referral: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Injection drug use (IDU) is a growing public health threat in Virginia, though there is limited knowledge of related morbidity. The purpose of this study was to describe the temporal, geographic and clinical trends and characteristics of infective endocarditis associated with IDU (IDU-IE) and to identify opportunities for better-quality care of people who inject drugs (PWID). METHODS: We reviewed charts for all admissions coded for both IE and drug use disorders at the University of Virginia Medical Center (UVA) from January 2000 to July 2016. A random sample of 30 admissions coded for IE per year were reviewed to evaluate temporal trends in the proportion of IDU associated IE cases. RESULTS: There were a total of 76 patients with IDU-IE during the study period, 7.54-fold increase (prevalence ratio: 8.54, 95% CI 3.70-19.72) from 2000 to 2016. The proportion of IE that was IDU-associated increased by nearly 10% each year (prevalence ratio of IDU per year: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.05-1.14). Patients with IDU-IE had longer hospital stays [median days (interquartile range); IDU-IE, 17 (10-29); non-IDU-IE, 10 (6-18); p-value = 0.001] with almost twice the cost of admission as those without IDU [median (interquartile range); IDU-IE, $47,899 ($24,578-78,144); non-IDU-IE, $26,460 ($10,220-60,059); p-value = 0.001]. In 52% of cases there was no documentation of any discussion regarding addiction treatment. CONCLUSION: IDU-IE is a severe infection that leads to significant morbidity and healthcare related costs. IDU-IE rates are increasing and will likely continue to do so without targeted interventions to help PWID. The diagnosis and treatment of IDU-IE provides an opportunity for the delivery of addiction treatment, counseling, and harm reduction strategies.

The effect of rapid diagnostic testing with Infectious Diseases fellow consultative intervention on the management of enterococcal bloodstream infection.

BACKGROUND: Rapid diagnostics for enterococcal bloodstream infections (E-BSIs) can decrease the time to speciation and determination of vancomycin resistance but may not lead to improved antibiotic stewardship. METHODS: Over 3 years, the time to administration of institutionally preferred antibiotics (IPT) for patients with E-BSI was evaluated and compared between 3 intervention groups: before (baseline) and after implementation of a rapid diagnostic (BC-GP), and the use of BC-GP with an Infectious Diseases (ID) fellow-driven consultative intervention (BC-GP + ID). RESULTS: A total of 110 patients (63 baseline, 13 BC-GP, 34 BC-GP + ID) with E-BSI were evaluated. Evaluation of Enterococcus faecium BSI showed that the time IPT was significantly reduced with BC-GP + ID by 10.6 h from baseline (P = 0.02) and 5.4 h from BC-GP (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: An ID fellow-driven stewardship intervention was associated with a significant improvement in time to IPT for patients with E. faecium but not E. faecalis BSI.

Pediatric Human Immunodeficiency Virus Continuum of Care: A Concise Review of Evidence-Based Practice.

Children and adolescents living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represent a population that requires a unique approach to HIV care. Prevention, testing, initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and retention and engagement in care are critical steps. Each step requires providers to address age-specific barriers, so that successful and prolonged viral suppression can occur. Adherence to ART, disclosure of HIV-positive status, and stigma are examples of struggles faced by youth, their families, and health care providers. A multifaceted approach and thoughtful transitions of care are needed, but with sustained ART, youth living with HIV can survive and thrive with the expectation of a normal lifespan.

Short-Lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform Headache Attacks with Conjunctival Injection and Tearing in a Patient with Varicella-Zoster Virus Encephalomyelitis.

Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing syndrome (SUNCT) is a type of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia. Its etiology is generally idiopathic, though rarely it has been associated with viral infections. We describe the fourth case reported in the literature of SUNCT in association with viral meningoencephalitis.