Outbreak of Streptococcus pyogenes emm89 ST646 in a head and neck surgical oncology ward.

Streptococcus pyogenes causes a variety of human infections, and hospital outbreaks with this pathogen have also been reported. The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics of an outbreak of S. pyogenes involving 15 patients and four healthcare workers (HCWs), as well as the molecular characteristics of the causative isolates. The course and response to the outbreak were reviewed, and information on the characteristics of the patients was extracted retrospectively from the medical records. Whole-genome sequencing of the 16 causative isolates (14 from patients and two from HCWs) was also performed. All 15 patients were postoperative of head and neck cancer with tracheotomy, and 12 had invasive infections, primarily surgical site infections, all of which resolved without causing serious illness. All but the first case was detected more than 7 days after admission. S. pyogenes was detected in two patients after empiric antimicrobial administration was performed on all inpatients and HCWs, and the outbreak was finally contained in approximately 2 months. All isolates detected in patients and HCWs belonged to emm89/clade 3, a hypervirulent clone that has emerged worldwide and was classified as sequence type 646. These isolates had single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) differences of zero to one, indicating clonal transmission. This study demonstrated an outbreak of S. pyogenes emm89/clade 3 in a ward of patients with head and neck cancer. The global emergence of hypervirulent isolates may increase the risk of outbreaks among high-risk patients. IMPORTANCE: This study describes an outbreak of Streptococcus pyogenes that occurred in a ward caring for patients with head and neck cancer and tracheostomies. Many cases of invasive infections occurred in a short period, and extensive empiric antimicrobial administration on patients and healthcare workers was performed to control the outbreak. Whole-genome sequencing analysis of the causative strains confirmed that it was a monoclonal transmission of strains belonging to emm89/clade 3. The epidemiology and clinical characteristics of S. pyogenes infections have changed with the replacement of the prevalent clones worldwide. In the 1980s, there was a reemergence of S. pyogenes infections in high-income countries due to the spread of hypervirulent emm1 strains. emm89/clade 3 has recently been spreading worldwide and shares common features with emm1, including increased production of two toxins, NADase, and streptolysin O. The outbreak reported here may reflect the high spreading potential and virulence of emm89/clade 3.

Osteomyelitis pubis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa secondary to surgical site infections subsequent to vulvar cancer surgeries: A case report.

Secondary osteomyelitis pubis is rare, particularly when it arises due to genitourinary postoperative infections, such as those occurring after vulvar cancer surgeries. Diagnosis and treatment of secondary osteomyelitis pubis are challenging. Here, we report on two cases of osteomyelitis pubis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa secondary to surgical site infections after of vulvar cancer surgeries. Both patients were in their 80 s and underwent vulvectomy and vulvar reconstructive surgery using skin flaps. The patients were discharged from the hospital after postoperative antimicrobial treatment for surgical site infections and continued self-cleaning of the wound dehiscence. Both patients presented, respectively, with gait disturbance due to pain in the pubic bone postoperatively at 24 and 7 weeks. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed to confirm the diagnosis of osteomyelitis pubis. The patients underwent pubic bone debridement, and tissue culture revealed the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that required several months of antimicrobial therapy. Pubic pain and gait disturbance improved with treatment, and no osteomyelitis pubis relapse has been observed in both cases 12 and 9 months since treatment initiation. CT and MRI were useful in diagnosing osteomyelitis pubis. Early debridement helped identify the causative organism and appropriate antibiotics selection.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with Pneumocystis jirovecii infection in patients with solid tumors: study of thirteen-year medical records of a large cancer center.

BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP)-related risk factors among patients with solid tumors are not completely defined. Thus, we aimed to characterize PCP cases with underlying solid tumors, to highlight the factors contributing to its development besides the prolonged use of moderate-to-high dose corticosteroids. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with solid tumors diagnosed with PCP between 2006 and 2018 at a cancer center in Tokyo, Japan. Demographic and clinical data were collected, which included malignancy types, total lymphocyte count, coexisting pulmonary disease, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, corticosteroid use, and PCP-attributable mortality. RESULTS: Twenty cases of PCP with solid tumors were documented in 151,718 patients and 788,914 patient-years. Lung cancer (n = 6, 30%) was the most common underlying tumor, followed by breast cancer (n = 3, 15%). Only six (30%) patients were taking a dosage of ≥20 mg prednisone equivalents daily for ≥4 weeks from the onset of PCP. Among the remaining 14 patients, seven (50%) had coexisting pulmonary diseases, 10 (71%) had received chemotherapy within 90 days prior to PCP diagnosis, seven (50%) had undergone chest radiation therapy before PCP diagnosis, seven (50%) had received only intermittent corticosteroids, and one (7%) received no corticosteroids. Mortality attributable to PCP was 40%. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the patients were not taking a dosage of ≥20 mg prednisone equivalents daily for ≥4 weeks. Multiple other factors (e.g., lymphocytopenia, radiation to chest) may have potentially contributed to PCP in patients with solid tumors in a composite manner. We need to establish a method for estimating the likelihood of PCP taking multiple factors into account in this patient population.

Institutional outbreak involving multiple clades of IMP-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex sequence type 78 at a cancer center in Tokyo, Japan.

BACKGROUND: Information about the clinical and microbiological characteristics of IMP-producing Enterobacterales has been limited. Here, we describe an institutional outbreak of IMP-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) involving multiple clades of ECC sequence type (ST) 78 strains. METHODS: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, and conjugation experiments of 18 IMP-producing ECC strains isolated during four-year study period were performed. Species and subspecies were determined by average nucleotide identity analysis and clonal relatedness of the isolates was analyzed with multilocus sequence typing and core-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Relevant clinical information was extracted from medical records. RESULTS: Fourteen of 18 IMP-producing ECC isolates were determined as Enterobacter hormaechei ST78. Sixteen isolates, including 13 isolates belonging to ST78, carried blaIMP-1 in In316-like class 1 integron and also carried IncHI2 plasmids. Conjugation experiments were successful for 12 isolates carrying blaIMP-1 on IncHI2 plasmids and for an isolate carrying blaIMP-11 on an IncL/M plasmid. Although isolation of ST78 strains was clustered in a 14-months period suggesting nosocomial transmission, these strains were subdivided into three clades by SNP analysis: clade A (n = 10), clade B (n = 1), clade C (n = 3). A part of clonal relatedness was unexpected by the epidemiological information at the time of isolation of the strains. Most of the IMP-producing ECC strains were susceptible to non-ß-lactam antibiotics and had relatively low minimum inhibitory concentrations to carbapenems (≤4 µg/mL). Five of six infections caused by IMP-producing ECC were treated successfully. CONCLUSIONS: Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed the outbreak was caused by three different clades of ST78 strains, where patients had favorable treatment outcome of the infections compared with that caused by Enterobacterales producing other carbapenemases, possibly due to their non-multidrug-resistant phenotype.

Clinical characteristics of peripheral venous catheter-associated gram-negative bloodstream infection among patients with malignancy.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have suggested that peripheral venous catheter is a significant source of gram-negative bacteraemia in patients with malignancy. We aimed to identify risk factors and develop a clinical prediction rule for the involvement of gram-negative organisms in peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections (PVC-BSIs) among patients with malignancy. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a 700-bed cancer hospital in Japan. Consecutive patients diagnosed with PVC-BSI based on clinical and microbiological criteria were included in this study. Based on clinical and microbiological characteristics of PVC-BSIs in cancer patients, a logistic regression model for predicting gram-negative organisms as causative organisms in PVC-BSIs was then developed. RESULTS: Of the 99 patients included in our cohort, 60 patients (60.6%) had gram-negative PVC-BSIs. The median age of patients with PVC-BSIs was 67 years (interquartile range [IQR], 59-74 years), and the median Pitt bactearemia score was 1 (IQR, 0-3). The median duration of catherization was 5 days (IQR, 4-7 days) and 70 patients (70.7%) received peripheral parenteral nutrition that contained amino acids. On multivariable analysis, age ≥65 years (odds ratio [OR], 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-8.62), showering (OR, 3.15; 95% CI, 1.07-9.26), Pitt bacteraemia score ≥2 points (OR, 6.96; 95% CI, 2.52-19.2), and use of peripheral parenteral nutrition (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.10-0.98) were independent predictors for gram-negative PVC-BSIs among all PVC-BSIs. The simplified PVC-GN scores established to predict gram-negative PVC-BSIs had a optimism-corrected c-index of 0.775. CONCLUSION: Gram-negative bacteria were more commonly responsible for PVC-BSI than Gram-positive bacteria among cancer patients in this cohort. Involvement of Gram-negative bacteria in PVC-BSIs could be predicted with readily available clinical variables.

Fatal invasive pulmonary aspergillosis caused by voriconazole-resistant Aspergillus tubingensis in a patient with solid tumor.

We report a fatal case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis caused by voriconazole-resistant Aspergillus tubingensis in a patient with solid tumor but without severe immunosuppression. A high index of suspicion for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, coupled with molecular identification of species and resistance genes, may facilitate early initiation of appropriate treatment.

Effect of early administration of coagulation factor XIII on fistula after pancreatic surgery: the FIPS randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The administration of exogenous factor XIII (FXIII) is reportedly effective for fistula closure in patients with a low plasma FXIII level. This study was performed to analyze the effect of early administration of exogenous FXIII on postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). METHODS: A single-center randomized controlled, open-label, parallel group, superiority trial was conducted from October 2015 to August 2016 in Japan. Patients with POPF and a plasma FXIII level of ≤ 70% on postoperative day 7 were randomly assigned to an early replacement (ER) group or control group in a 1:1 ratio by an independent coordinator using a computer-generated random number table. The ER group received FXIII concentrate the day after randomization, and the control group received no FXIII concentrate within 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was the duration of drain placement from randomization (DDPR). RESULTS: Fifty patients were randomized (ER group, 24; control group, 26), and all were analyzed with an intention-to-treat approach. There was no significant difference in the DDPR between the two groups (18 vs. 16 days; hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.813-2.583). No serious harm was reported in either group. CONCLUSION: Early administration of exogenous FXIII does not facilitate the healing of POPF. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Center (UMIN000019480, http://www.umin.ac.jp ).

Comparison of the clinical risk factors between Candida albicans and Candida non-albicans species for bloodstream infection.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the risk factors and susceptibilities to antifungal agents of Candida albicans and Candida non-albicans species (spp.) in candidemia cases in Kobe University Hospital. We investigated all consecutive patients with candida bloodstream infection (BSI) from 2008-2013 for whose full data were available for analyses, examining clinical factors such as gender, general complications, postoperative status or susceptibilities to antifungal agents. These factors were also compared between Candida albicans spp. and Candida non-albicans by univariate and multivariate analyses. Univariate analyses showed a significantly higher rate of Candida non-albicans species BSI patients cancer (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI))=2.29 (1.04-5.06) and P=0.040), chemotherapy (OR=4.35 (1.11-17.1) and P=0.035), fluconazole (FLCZ) resistance (OR=77.3 (4.51-1324) and P=0.003), and itraconazole (ITCZ) resistance (OR=15.6 (5.39-45.1) and P<0.001) and lower rate of underlying cardiovascular diseases (OR=0.27 (0.09-0.80) and P=0.018) and postoperative status (OR=0.35 (0.16-0.77) and P=0.035) in than Candida albicans. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that Candida non-albicans spp. had significantly higher rate of chemotherapy (OR=4.44 (1.04-19.0) and P=0.045), FLCZ resistance (OR=5.87 (2.01-17.1) and P=0.001), and ITCZ resistance (OR=18.7(5.77-60.4) and P<0.001) and lower rate of underlying cardiovascular diseases (OR=0.25 (0.08-0.82) and P=0.022) than Candida albicans. In conclusion, this study revealed several risk factors for BSI with Candida albicans (underlying cardiovascular diseases and postoperative status) and Candida non-albicans spp. (cancer and chemotherapy), and demonstrated that Candida non-albicans spp. were more resistant to FLCZ and ITCZ than Candida albicans.

High frequency of neurolymphomatosis as a relapse disease of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVL) is characterized by lymphoma cell proliferation in the lumina of small vessels in various organs. A high incidence of neurologic symptoms associated with the central nervous system has been reported, but peripheral nerve involvement (neurolymphomatosis [NL]) rarely has been described. METHODS: The medical records from patients who were diagnosed with IVL over the past 4 years were reviewed. A diagnosis of NL was made based on the combination of neurologic symptoms and their correspondence with imaging studies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), (18) F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), and/or the histologic confirmation of lymphoma cells within the peripheral nerves, nerve root/plexuses, or cranial nerves. RESULTS: Four patients with NL were identified among 11 patients who had IVL. All cases of NL occurred as relapsed disease during or shortly after the completion of chemotherapy. Although MRI studies of the brains and whole spines revealed nerve infiltration by gadolinium enhancement in 2 patients, the technology was not sensitive enough to detect such infiltration in the remaining 2 patients. In contrast, FDG-PET/CT studies successfully revealed cranial or peripheral nerve lesions in all 4 patients and was useful for evaluating therapeutic response. Patients received treatment with high-dose methotrexate with or without other systemic chemotherapy, which achieved varied success. Further studies will be needed to determine the optimal treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the rarity of IVL and NL, the current observations suggested that IVL may have a predilection not only for the vessels but also for both the central and peripheral nervous systems.