Impact of multiplex molecular assay turn-around-time on antibiotic utilization and clinical management of hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infections.

BACKGROUND: Empiric antibiotic treatment is common among children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI), despite infections being predominately viral. The use of molecular respiratory panel assays has become increasingly common for medical care of patients with ARTIs. STUDY DESIGN: This was a 6-year retrospective, single-centered study of pediatric inpatients who tested positive for an ARTI respiratory pathogen. We examined the relationship between clinical outcomes and whether the patient was tested using the Luminex Respiratory Viral Panel ([RVP]; in-use: Dec. 2009 - Jul. 2012) or Biofire Respiratory Pathogen Panel ([RP]; in-use Aug. 2012 - Jun. 2016). The prevalence and duration of pre-test empiric antibiotics, post-test oseltamivir administration to influenza patients, chest x-rays and length of stay between the two assays was compared. RESULTS: A total of 5142 patients (1264 RVP; 3878 RP) were included. The median laboratory turn-around-time for RP was significantly shorter than RVP (1.4 vs. 27.1 h, respectively; p < .001). Patients tested with RP were less likely to receive empiric antibiotics (OR: 0.45; p < .001; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.52) and had a shorter duration of empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics (6.4 h vs. 32.9 h; p < .001) compared to RVP patients. RP influenza patients had increased oseltamivir use post- test compared to RVP influenza patients (OR: 13.56; p < .001; 95% CI: 7.29, 25.20). CONCLUSIONS: Rapid molecular testing positively impacts patient management of ARTIs. Adopting assays with a shorter turn-around-time improves decision making by decreasing empirical antibiotic use and duration, decreasing chest x-rays, increasing timely oseltamivir administration, and reducing length of stay.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis Is Associated with Subsequent Resistant Infections in Children with an Initial Extended-Spectrum-Cephalosporin-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infection.

The objective of this study was to assess the association between previous antibiotic use, particularly long-term prophylaxis, and the occurrence of subsequent resistant infections in children with index infections due to extended-spectrum-cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae We also investigated the concordance of the index and subsequent isolates. Extended-spectrum-cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolated from normally sterile sites of patients aged <22 years were collected along with associated clinical data from four freestanding pediatric centers. Subsequent isolates were categorized as concordant if the species, resistance determinants, and fumC-fimH (E. coli) or tonB (Klebsiella pneumoniae) type were identical to those of the index isolate. In total, 323 patients had 396 resistant isolates; 45 (14%) patients had ≥1 subsequent resistant infection, totaling 73 subsequent resistant isolates. The median time between the index and first subsequent infections was 123 (interquartile range, 43 to 225) days. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses, patients were 2.07 times as likely to have a subsequent resistant infection (95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 3.87) if they received prophylaxis in the 30 days prior to the index infection. In 26 (58%) patients, all subsequent isolates were concordant with their index isolate, and 7 (16%) additional patients had at least 1 concordant subsequent isolate. In 12 of 17 (71%) patients with E. coli sequence type 131 (ST131)-associated type 40-30, all subsequent isolates were concordant. Subsequent extended-spectrum-cephalosporin-resistant infections are relatively frequent and are most commonly due to bacterial strains concordant with the index isolate. Further study is needed to assess the role prophylaxis plays in these resistant infections.

Clinical Course of Enterovirus D68 in Hospitalized Children.

BACKGROUND: Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been sporadically reported as a cause of respiratory tract infections. In 2014, an international outbreak of EV-D68 occurred and caused severe respiratory disease in the pediatric population. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of children admitted to Children's Mercy Hospital from August 1, 2014, to September 15, 2014, with positive multiplex polymerase chain reaction testing for EV/rhinovirus (RV). Specimens were subsequently tested for EV-D68, and clinical data were obtained from the medical records. Patients with EV-D68 were compared with children presenting simultaneously with other EV/RV. RESULTS: Of 542 eligible specimens, children with EV-D68 were significantly older than children with other EV/RV (4.6 vs. 2.2 years, P < 0.001). Children with EV-D68 were more likely to have a history of asthma (38.6% vs. 30.0%, P = 0.04) or recurrent wheezing (22.1% vs. 14.8%, P = 0.04). EV-D68-positive children more commonly received supplemental oxygen (86.7% vs. 65.0%, P < 0.001), albuterol (91.2% vs. 65.5%, P < 0.001) and corticosteroids (82.9% vs. 58.6%, P < 0.001). Age ≥5 years was an independent risk factor for intensive care unit management in EV-D68-infected children. Children with a history of asthma or recurrent wheezing and EV-D68 received supplemental oxygen (92.7% vs. 82.4%, P = 0.007) and magnesium (42.7% vs. 29.7%, P = 0.03) at higher rates and more continuous albuterol (3 vs. 2 hours, P = 0.03) than those with other EV/RV. CONCLUSIONS: EV-D68 causes severe disease in the pediatric population, particularly in children with a history of asthma or recurrent wheezing. EV-D68-positive children are more likely to require therapy for refractory bronchospasm and may need intensive care unit- level care.

Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae, United States.

Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP) is highly prevalent in Asia and is now being reported from Europe. Few data on MRMP are available in the United States. Using genotypic and phenotypic methods, we detected high-level MRMP in 13.2% of 91 M. pneumoniae--positive specimens from 6 US locations.

Microbiology and antimicrobial treatment of pediatric cervical lymphadenitis requiring surgical intervention.

BACKGROUND: Acute cervical lymphadenitis is a common condition often times requiring antibiotic therapy and possible surgical drainage. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics, diagnostic and therapeutic management of children requiring surgical drainage for acute cervical lymphadenitis. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive study was performed at a Midwestern US tertiary-care children's hospital on all immunocompetent children who underwent an incision and drainage procedure of cervical lymphadenitis from January 1999 to July 2009. RESULTS: A total of 277 patients were identified. Males represented 51% and the median age was 28 months (IQR: 13-59). Lymphadenitis was unilateral in 243 (87.7%) cases and bilateral in 19 (6.9%). Median length of hospital stay was 4 days (IQR: 3-5). Aerobic, anaerobic, acid fast bacillus (AFB), and fungal cultures were obtained intraoperatively in 99%, 98%, 82%, and 78% of cases, respectively. However no fungal cultures were positive and only 1% of anaerobic and 2% of AFB cultures were positive. The most common bacterial etiology was Staphylococcus aureus (35.7%) and Streptococcus pyogenes (18.8%). Of all cultures, 32% were negative. Overall, 22% were positive for methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and 13.7% for methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), with 96% MSSA and 100% MRSA susceptible to clindamycin. Median duration of discharge antibiotics prescribed was 10 days (IQR: 7-11). Only 12 (4.5%) patients required a repeat incision and drainage within 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: A single antibiotic that treats S. pyogenes and S. aureus should be the empiric antibiotic for cervical lymphadenitis requiring incision and drain. We recommend sending only aerobic cultures intraoperatively as a routine practice as other pathogens are rare.

Demographics and microbiology of otorrhea through patent tubes failing ototopical and/or oral antibiotic therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Posttympanostomy tube otorrhea (PTTO) results in significant health care cost and decreased satisfaction with care. The authors reviewed PTTO failing initial ototopical and/or oral antibiotic therapy and microbiology/susceptibility data from cultures. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with chart review. SETTING: A community university satellite ambulatory clinic and the outpatient clinic of a children's hospital. METHODS: Review of 202 patients with 228 discrete episodes of culture-positive otorrhea from January 2004 to January 2009. RESULTS: PTTO occurred an average of 13 months after tube placement. Median otorrhea duration was 21 days (mean, 42 days). A mean of 1.6 visits (range, 1-6) to the pediatric otolaryngology office was required for PTTO resolution. Ototopical therapy was reported used in 198 of 228 (87%) episodes of otorrhea prior to pediatric otolaryngology visit. Nearly 50% of patients were prescribed at least 1 or more courses of systemic antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 52% of the organisms cultured, with 57% methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). S aureus resistance to clindamycin was high (49%) and resistance to levofloxacin was low (1.8%). MRSA was 68% clindamycin resistant, much higher than both ours and the children's hospital's clindamycin resistance rate of MRSA cultured from all other body sites. CONCLUSIONS: PTTO that presents as having failed ototopical and/or oral antibiotics most commonly consists of S aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MRSA is highly prevalent in this population. It is not necessary to culture PTTO that presents to an otolaryngology office, as resistance to levofloxacin was only 1.8%. It is unclear why the same fluoroquinolone ototopical therapy that failed initially is often successful in treating PTTO after otolaryngologist visit.

Disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in sickle cell anemia patients.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous in nature and have been implicated in skin/soft-tissue, pulmonary, middle ear, bone, and surgical/traumatic wound infections. Disseminated disease occurs infrequently and almost exclusively in the immunocompromised. We describe the first 2 reported cases of disseminated Mycobacterium fortuitum infection in teenagers with sickle hemoglobinopathy. Both had central venous catheters (CVCs), frequent admissions for vaso-occlusive painful episode and received hydroxyurea. Diagnosis was confirmed by multiple positive blood cultures and pulmonary dissemination occurred in both. Both had successful treatment after CVC removal and combination drug therapy. Positive cultures persisted in 1 patient due to drug resistance emphasizing the need for accurate susceptibility data. NTM infection should be added to the list of pathogens in sickle cell patients with CVCs and fever. Investigation for disseminated disease should be undertaken based on clinical signs and symptoms. Although some routine blood culture systems can identify NTM, specific mycobacterial blood culture is optimal. Removal of involved CVCs is essential and treatment of NTM must be guided by susceptibilities. As dissemination almost always occurs in those with impaired cellular immunity, human immunodeficiency virus testing should be performed. Hydroxyurea may be a risk factor for dissemination and needs further evaluation.