Investigation of a suspected outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia infection / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo investigate a suspected outbreak of healthcare-associated infection （HAI） caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia （CRKP） in a secondary grade-A hospital， analyze the infection source and transmission route， and put forward corresponding preventive and control measures. MethodsEpidemiological investigation was conducted on 5 patients with CRKP infection in department of neurosurgery during December 23‒30， 2021. Specimens were collected with the environmental microbiology monitoring procedure. CRKP isolated from the environmental samples were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing （MLST） method. Comprehensive measures were taken to control the CRKP infection. ResultsThe 5 infected patients were located in 3 rooms， and all were diagnosed as HAI. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing results from the specimens of 3 CRKP infected patients were the same. Through environmental microbiology monitoring， CRKP strains were detected from the faucet handle and sink specimens in 3 rooms. The results of MLST analysis showed that the faucet handle and sink specimens in room 2 and 3 were ST11 type. The environmental specimen in room 1 was ST23 type. The suspected outbreak was effectively controlled after comprehensive interventions. ConclusionHAI suspected outbreak might be caused by the environmental contamination from the pathogens of CRKP-infected patients as well as the contaminated hands of medical staff and accompanying family members. Strengthening the publicity， education and management of medical staff and accompanying staff， early identification of infection outbreaks， and timely comprehensive control measures are the keys to controlling multidrug-resistant nosocomial infection outbreaks.

Clinical characteristics of 151 COVID-19 cases in a designated hospital in a district of Shanghai， 2022 / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical characteristics of 151 local COVID-19 patients in Shanghai， 2022. MethodsThe clinical data of 151 COVID-19 patients admitted to a district-level designated hospital in Shanghai from April 13 to May 10， 2022 were reviewed， and their clinical manifestations， laboratory tests， lung imaging， treatment and outcomes were analyzed. ResultsThe 151 patients ranged from 3 to 97 years old， with a median age of 72 years. Most of them were clustered cases in the communities and families. The main clinical types were mild （95 cases， 62.9%） and general （47 cases， 31.1%）. Most of the 9 severe/critical patients （6.0%） were elderly and complicated with multiple comorbidities. The proportion of people who had not been vaccinated was as high as 66.9%， and the proportion of those among severe/critically ill patients who had not been vaccinated was even higher. The most common first symptoms were expectoration in 71 cases （47.0%）， fever in 51 cases （33.8%） and dry cough in 30 cases （19.9%）. The counts of white blood cells and neutrophils in mild or general group were mostly normal or decreased， and in the severe/critical group increased significantly （P<0.001）. Increase of troponin， D-dimer， creatinine， and myoglobin； and decrease of lymphocytes in severe/critical group were more common than the other clinical types （P<0.05）. The proportions of use of antibiotics， antiviral drugs， thymalfasin and heparin in severe/critical and general patients were significantly higher than those in mild patients （P<0.05）. Among the cured and discharged patients （138 cases， 91.4%）， the median number of days for COVID-19 viral nucleic acid to turn negative after treatment was 12 days. The negative conversion days of mild patients were significantly shorter than those of general patients and severe/critical patients （P<0.01）. Four （2.6%） death patients were all over 80 years old， unvaccinated， combined with multiple comorbidities， and eventually died of those serious comorbidities. ConclusionCOVID-19 patients at the district-level designated hospital are mainly clustered cases， and the proportion of patients who do not receive COVID-19 vaccine is high. Most of the hospitalized patients are mild， but advanced age， multiple underlying diseases， and lack of vaccination are high-risk factors for developing severe disease. Early assessment and comprehensive treatment are the key to improve prognosis.

Aortic elastic properties and its clinical significance in intracranial aneurysms / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the aortic elastic properties and its clinical significance in intracranial aneurysms (IAs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and seven IAs patients (57 with hypertension) and 108 healthy subjects were recruited. The internal aortic diameters in systole and diastole were measured by the M-mode echocardiography, the aortic elasticity indexes were calculated and compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The aortic distensibility (DIS) was lower and the aortic stiffness index (SI) was higher in IAs patients than those in controls (both P <0.001). DIS was lower and SI was higher in IAs patients with hypertension (IAs-HP) than those in IAs with no hypertension (P <0.001). Similar results were obtained when the aortic elasticity index were adjusted for body surface area and body mass index.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Abnormal aortic elasticity is a common finding in IAs patients and hypertension is closely related to the severity of aortic elasticity.</p>

Clinical implication of peri-operative urine bacterial examination in upper urinary tract stone / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To analyze the bacterial distribution and resistance in upper urinary tract stone patients, then choose suitable antibiotics and reduce infectious complications accordingly.Methods Middle flow urine, infectious stone and the end of kidney drainage tube were taken for culture in 148 patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy between January 2009 to September 2010. Antibiotics were used according to the culture results and the complications secondary to infection were analyzed. Results Urinary pathogens presented in 38 (25.7%) patients before operation.There were 112 strains of bacteria. The predominant strains included: Escherichia coli (17 cases,11.5%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (4 cases) and Proteus mirabillis (4 cases). Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabillis were common in stone culture. Staphylococcus epidermidis (5 cases),Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5 cases) and Staphylococcus haemolytcus (5 cases) were found in renal drainage tube culture which were positive in 25 patients. Imipenem, cefepime, vacomycin, nitrofurinton were sensitive and commonly used antibiotics. Forty-one patients (27.7 %) had fever postoperatively, including 10 positive for middle urine culture and 9 positive for drainage tube culture. One infective shock was diagnosed postoperatively. Conclusions Gram-negative bacilli are predominant in the upper urinary tract stone patients preoperatively. Gram-positive ones are common postoperatively.Suitable antibiotics, based on middle flow urine culture, could reduce urinary infective complications.