Impact of automated pop-up alerts on simultaneous prescriptions of antimicrobial agents and metal cations.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial agents (AMAs) are essential for treating infections. A part of AMAs chelate with metal cations (MCs), reducing their blood concentrations. That drug-drug interaction could lead to a reduction of therapeutic efficacy and the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. However, prescriptions ordering concomitant intake (co-intake) of AMAs and MCs are frequently seen in clinical settings. A method for preventing such prescriptions is urgently needed. METHODS: We implemented pop-up alerts in the hospital's ordering and pharmacy dispensation support system to notify the prescriptions ordering co-intake of AMAs and MCs for physicians and pharmacists, respectively. To assess the effectiveness of the pop-up alerts, we investigated the number of prescriptions ordering co-intake of AMAs and MCs and the number of pharmacist inquiries to prevent co-intake of AMAs and MCs before and after the implementation of pop-up alerts. RESULTS: Before the implementation of pop-up alerts, 84.5% of prescriptions containing AMA and MCs ordered co-intake of AMAs and MCs. Implementing pop-up alerts time-dependently reduced the proportion of prescriptions ordering co-intake of AMAs and MCs to 43.8% and 29.5% one year and two years later, respectively. The reduction of tetracycline-containing prescriptions was mainly significant. Before the implementation of pop-up alerts, the proportion of prescriptions in which pharmacists prevented co-intake of AMAs and MCs was 3.4%. Implementing pop-up alerts time-dependently increased proportions of such prescriptions to 20.9% and 28.2% one year and two years later. CONCLUSION: Implementing pop-up alerts reduced prescriptions ordering co-intake of AMAs and MCs and accelerated pharmacists to prevent co-intake of AMAs and MCs. The implementation of dual pop-up alerts in the hospital's ordering and pharmacy dispensation support system could help prevent co-intake of AMAs and MCs.

A case of community-acquired Clostridioides difficile infection causing intussusception, severe pneumonia, and severe hypokalemia.

BACKGROUND: Clostridioides difficile infection is associated with antibiotic use and manifests as diarrhea; however, emerging cases of fulminant diarrhea caused by binary toxin-producing C. difficile unrelated to prior antibiotic exposure have been reported. Although fulminant colitis caused by C. difficile has been documented, instances of intussusception remain scarce. Here, we present a case of adult intussusception with severe hypokalemia and pneumonia resulting from a community-acquired C. difficile infection in Japan. CASE PRESENTATION: An 82-year-old male presented with dizziness, progressive weakness, and diarrhea. Initial vital signs indicated severe respiratory and circulatory distress, and laboratory findings revealed hypokalemia, pneumonia, and septic shock. Imaging confirmed intussusception of the ascending colon. Although colonoscopy suggested a potential tumor, no malignancy was found. The C. difficile rapid test result was positive, indicating community-acquired C. difficile infection. Treatment with vancomycin was initiated; however, intussusception relapsed. Surgical intervention was successful and led to clinical improvement. The patient's complex pathophysiology involved community-acquired C. difficile-induced severe diarrhea, hypokalemia, hypermetabolic alkalosis, and subsequent intussusception. Although adult intussusception is uncommon, this case was uniquely linked to binary toxin-producing C. difficile. The identified strain, SUH1, belonged to a novel sequence type (ST1105) and clade 3, suggesting a highly virulent clone. Resistome analysis aligned with phenotypic susceptibility to metronidazole and vancomycin, confirming their treatment efficacy. CONCLUSION: This case report highlights a binary toxin-producing C. difficile that caused intussusception. The consideration of community-acquired C. difficile in the differential diagnosis of severe enteritis is necessary, even in Japan.

Changing trends in Japanese spotted fever epidemiology in Shimane, Japan: A two-decade retrospective study with emphasis on the COVID-19 pandemic era.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of Japanese Spotted Fever (JSF) cases reported through the National Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Disease (NESID) system in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, from 2000 to 2022, encompassing the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on JSF cases reported to the NESID system in Shimane Prefecture between 2000 and 2022. Population data were obtained from the Statistical Information of Shimane. Poisson regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between the annual prevalence rate of JSF and the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 301 JSF cases were analyzed during the study period. Even the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period, a gradual and significant increase in the prevalence rate was observed (prevalence rate = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05; p = 0.01), and a rapid increase was noted since 2020 (prevalence rate = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.39-1.78; p < 0.01). The slope during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period was estimated to have significantly increased (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that while the prevalence rate of JSF had exhibited a slight increase in the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, it demonstrated a more significant increase following the pandemic in Shimane Prefecture. JSF has increased since 2020 and may be linked to COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on global health, underscoring the importance of investigating the prevalence of specific infectious diseases and other health-related indicators to accurately assess the pandemic's impact.

Unveiling Gram-Ghost Cells: A Crucial Aspect of Gram Staining in the COVID-19 Era.

The term "Gram-ghost appearance" refers to mycobacteria's unique Gram staining characteristics. Recognizing Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a potential pathogen in respiratory infections, especially in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic, is critical. This case highlights the pivotal role of Gram staining in diagnosis, particularly when COVID-19 tests consistently show negative results. Recognition of Gram-ghost bacilli facilitated prompt tuberculosis diagnosis, emphasizing the enduring diagnostic value of Gram staining, especially in the COVID-19 era.

Effects of Serum Antibody Test Reagent Discontinuation on Diagnosis of Amebiasis in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.

Amebiasis is a notifiable infectious disease in Japan, and the number of reported cases had been on the rise, but since the discontinuation of insurance-covered serum antibody testing reagent in 2017, concerns have arisen regarding the decrease in reported cases. This study aimed to investigate changes occurring after discontinuation of the serum antibody test reagent production. We retrospectively analyzed amebiasis cases from January 2014 to December 2019 using the National Center for Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases system. Interrupted time-series regression analysis was used to evaluate trends in weekly amebiasis cases before and after the discontinuation period. The study period was divided into prediscontinuation (2014-2017) and discontinuation (2018-2019) periods. A total of 6,179 amebiasis cases were reported. The average numbers of weekly cases were 21.5 during 2014-2017 and 16.3 during 2018-2019. The frequency of diagnoses decreased in the discontinuation period (prevalence rate ratio = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.89; P < 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed lower diagnostic rates, particularly for extraintestinal amebiasis (prevalence rate ratio = 0.37; 95% CI, 0.22-0.55; P < 0.01). We observed a significant decrease in the number of reported amebiasis cases per week after discontinuation of the serum antibody test reagent in Japan. Our findings hold significance for both public health policy and practice in Japan, underscoring the requirement for enhanced amebiasis diagnostic tools and strategies. To ensure accurate diagnosis, availability of antibody reagents for serum testing, covered by insurance, should be encouraged.

The Changes in Broad-spectrum Antimicrobial Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Japanese Acute Tertiary-care Hospital: An Interrupted Time-series Analysis.

Objective The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread worldwide, and hospitals in Japan have been forced to respond to the situation. This study evaluated the broad-spectrum antimicrobial use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in an acute tertiary-care hospital. Methods This single-center, retrospective study was conducted between January 2019 and June 2021. Patients We reviewed patients treated with three broad-spectrum antipseudomonal agents: carbapenems, tazobactam/piperacillin, and cefepime. Monthly aggregated hospital antimicrobial consumption was measured as days of therapy (DOTs) per 1,000 patient-days, and the monthly incidences of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA), and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) were recorded. Results The median monthly carbapenem-DOTs during the pre-pandemic and pandemic era were 8.4 and 8.2 per 1,000 patient-days, respectively. A time-series analysis showed non-significant changes in the level between periods (coefficients: 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.9 to 7.0; p=0.44). No change in the trend of monthly carbapenem-DOTs was observed after intervention. No post-intervention changes in the incidence of MRPA or CPE were observed; however, the trend in the incidence of CDI per 1,000 patient-days significantly differed between the two periods (coefficient: -0.04; 95% CI: -0.07, 0.00; p=0.01), and a downward trend was observed in the monthly CDI incidence during the COVID-19 period. Conclusion The consumption of broad intravenous antimicrobial agents has not changed significantly during the pandemic. We need to maintain the quality of medical care, including antimicrobial stewardship, even in specialized resource-limited facilities during a pandemic.

Non-infectious diseases in infectious disease consultation: A descriptive study in a tertiary care teaching hospital.

In this retrospective study, we aimed to investigate the frequency, trend, and nature of non-infectious diseases (non-IDs) as the final diagnosis for patients during an infectious disease (ID) consultation in an acute care hospital in Japan. This study included adult inpatients who underwent ID consultations between October 2016 and March 2018. The demographic data, clinical manifestations, and final non-ID diagnoses of cases were explored. Among the 502 patients who underwent ID consultations, 45 (9.0%) were diagnosed with non-IDs. The most common diagnoses were tumors (22.2%, n = 10), connective tissue and collagen vascular diseases (13.3%, n = 6), other inflammatory diseases (8.9%, n = 4), and drug-induced fever (8.9%, n = 4). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of consultations for diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 22.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.1-48.2; p<0.01), consultations from the internal medicine department (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.2-5.2; p = 0.02), and non-bacteremia cases (OR, 5.2; 95% CI, 1.4-19.3; p = 0.01) were independently associated with diagnosed non-IDs. Non-IDs after ID consultations were mainly tumor-related, inflammatory diseases, and drug fever. The presence of consultations for diagnosis, consultations from the internal medicine department and non-bacteremia cases were related to non-IDs among ID consultations. Further research is needed to explore the frequency and pattern of non-IDs to improve the quality of ID consultations in daily practice.

Unraveling the Mystery of Fever Source: The Vital Role of Physical Examination in Hospitalized Patients With Emphasis on Peripheral Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections.

Fever in hospitalized patients requires timely identification of the underlying cause for appropriate treatment. While laboratory tests and imaging studies are valuable, the significance of physical examination should not be overlooked. We present a case of peripheral line-associated bloodstream infection that was readily diagnosed through physical examination during an infectious disease consultation for fever of unknown origin. It is important for busy physicians to prioritize physical examinations to prevent diagnostic errors. Prompt and focused physical examinations contribute to improved patient outcomes and the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.

Kluyvera intermedia bacteremia with septic shock: A case report.

Background: Kluyvera intermedia is a bacterium indigenous to humans. But Kluyvera intermedia bacteremia has been not reported thus far. We report a case of Kluyvera intermedia bacteremia with septic shock due to left obstructive pyelonephritis as a result of urolithiasis. Case presentation: A 66-year-old woman with septic shock due to left obstructive pyelonephritis was transferred to our hospital. Tazobactam/Piperacillin 4.5 g was administered every 8 h for 5 days. The patient's condition improved, and she was transferred back to the previous hospital. Kluyvera intermedia was obtained by blood cultures. The patient was successfully treated with a two-week course of antibiotics. Conclusions: We describe the first case of bacteremia with septic shock caused by Kluyvera intermedia. Kluyvera intermedia can be a causative pathogen of septic shock. Since this bacterium has not been reported in the past, we expect further reports and the accumulation of cases in the future.

A fatal case of persistent bacteremia and acute cholecystitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus: A case report.

Biliary tract infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are rare. Here, we describe a case of fatal acute cholecystitis and persistent bacteremia caused by S. aureus in a patient with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus. Staphylococcus aureus can cause bacteremic biliary tract infections, which are associated with higher mortality rates compared to biliary Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia. Early aggressive treatment and consultations with infectious disease specialists are recommended when biliary S. aureus bacteremia is clinically suspected.

The importance of infectious disease specialists consulting on a weekly basis in a Japanese tertiary care hospital: A retrospective observational study.

Limited data are available regarding part-time infectious disease consultations (IDCs) and their importance in tertiary care teaching hospitals in Japan. This is a retrospective review of IDCs from June 2016 to March 2021 and describes IDC services provided by part-time infectious disease specialists once a week for 4 hours, and their impact on the quality of medical care, including antimicrobial stewardship. Data, such as the requesting department, requesting reasons, and final diagnoses, were analyzed. In April 2018, part-time infectious disease specialists launched consultation services and attended an antimicrobial stewardship team conference. Meropenem, tazobactam/piperacillin, and cefepime monthly days of therapy (DOT) were calculated to assess the effect of each intervention; a pre-post analysis was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Additional quality improvement (QI) projects related to infectious diseases were implemented. There were 237 IDCs during the study period. Consultations were mostly requested by the General Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Cardiology departments. The most common diagnoses were bone/joint, respiratory, and genitourinary infections. Infectious disease services, even on a part-time basis, achieve good outcomes in patient management, antimicrobial stewardship, and QI projects. DOT/1000 patient-days were reduced for meropenem and cefepime, while it increased for tazobactam/piperacillin. The DOT/1000 patient-days for the 3-antipseudomonal agents significantly decreased during this period. After implementing the QI tetanus vaccination project in the Emergency Room, the number of tetanus toxoid vaccinations per month increased.

Infectious diseases consultations from general internal medicine physicians in Japan: A descriptive single-center study.

In Japan, general internal medicine (GIM) physicians must be aware of frequently encountered infections because of the shortage of infectious disease (ID) specialists. However, there are currently no epidemiological data on this subject. This study aimed to describe the frequency and pattern of ID consultations requested by GIM physicians in Japan. This is a 3-year retrospective review of the ID consultations requested by GIM physicians in Japan at a community-based acute tertiary care teaching hospital in Tokyo from April 2018 to March 2021. Demographic data, such as reasons for consultation, causative organism, and final diagnoses, were collected. During the study period, ID consultations were requested by GIM physicians 128 times. The incidence rates of bacteremia and 30-day mortality were 65.6% (n = 84) and 3.1% (n = 4), respectively. The most common diagnostic classifications after ID consultation were bone/joint (24.2%, n = 31), respiratory (17.7%, n = 22), and cardiovascular infections (12.5%, n = 16). The most common final diagnoses were bacteremia (11.7%, n = 15), infective endocarditis (9.4%, n = 12), and vertebral osteomyelitis (7.8%, n = 10). This is the first study to describe the ID consultation cases requested by GIM physicians in Japan in a community-based acute tertiary care teaching hospital. Despite the shortage of ID specialists, GIM physicians covered a wide range of IDs, including bone/joint infections and infectious endocarditis, which require long-term care. ID and GIM physicians, including hospitalists, should cooperate to promote the quality of care and clinical management. Future multi-center studies with large numbers of clinical cases are needed to determine the ID clinical knowledge required by GIM physicians in Japan.

Impact of the antimicrobial stewardship program on hospital-acquired candidemia.

Antibiotic stewardship programs reduce antibiotic use without negative clinical outcomes. However, epidemiological data describing the relationship between implementing antimicrobial stewardship and candidemia incidence are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of antibiotic stewardship on the incidence of hospital acquired candidemia. We conducted a retrospective study from April 2017 to September 2020. We reviewed patients that were treated with three broad-spectrum antipseudomonal agents: carbapenem, tazobactam/piperacillin, and cefepime. Monthly aggregated hospital antimicrobial consumption was measured as days of therapy (DOTs) per 1000 patient-days, and the monthly incidence of hospital acquired candidemia was recorded. The median monthly carbapenem-DOTs during pre-intervention and intervention were 28.4 and 10.0, respectively. Time-series analysis showed significant level changes after intervention: - 10.0 DOTs (p = 0.02). There was a downward trend in the monthly carbapenem-DOTs after intervention. The median hospital-acquired candidemia incidence was 0.17 and 0.08 per 1000 patient-days during pre-intervention and intervention periods, respectively. Time-series analysis showed a significant level change after intervention (- 0.16 per 1000 patient-days; p = 0.048). The trend in the incidence of hospital-acquired candidemia did not significantly change between pre-intervention and intervention. Decreased broad-spectrum antibiotic use (particularly carbapenem) by our antimicrobial stewardship term may reduce hospital-acquired candidemia incidences.

Staphylococcus pettenkoferi bacteremia in a tertiary care hospital in Japan: Report of three cases.

Staphylococcus pettenkoferi is a coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) species first isolated in 2002. Human infections caused by S. pettenkoferi are rare. We herein report three cases of S. pettenkoferi bacteremia in a tertiary care hospital in Japan. Staphylococcus pettenkoferi can be a causative pathogen of catheter related blood stream infection including complicated infection, and unknown source of bacteremia. All of the patients presented with fever and shaking chills, and good clinical outcome. Further research is needed to determine the role of this organism as a pathogen and frequency.

Acute myeloid leukaemia presenting with ecthyma gangrenosum as the first manifestation: A case report.

RATIONALE: Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is an uncommon cutaneous infection usually associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with underlying malignant diseases. Despite its rarity, especially in immunocompetent or nondiagnosed immunodeficiency patients, EG can present as the first manifestation of an underlying immunosuppression. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 42-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital with a 3-day history of a painless red macule on his right forearm and fever. DIAGNOSES: Blood culture on admission revealed the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whereas pus culture of the skin lesion showed Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus positivity. INTERVENTIONS: Additional bone marrow aspirate examination and immunophenotyping were performed to confirm the diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukaemia with PML-retinoic acid alpha receptor. OUTCOMES: The patient was successfully treated with a 14-day course of antibiotics, and no evidence of relapse was noted. The patient achieved complete remission after treatment for acute promyelocytic leukaemia. LESSONS: It should be kept in mind that EG is an important cutaneous infection that is typically associated with P aeruginosa bacteremia and the presence of underlying immunodeficiency, such as acute leukaemia.

Clinical validation of an immunochromatographic SARS-Cov-2 IgM/IgG antibody assay with Japanese cohort.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major health threat. To overcome COVID-19, appropriate diagnosis methods are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to clinically evaluate the colloidal gold immunochromatography assay for SARS-Cov-2 IgM/IgG antibody (Ab). METHODS: Patients confirmed COVID-19 (n = 51) were recruited prospectively from the Musashino Red Cross hospital and Tokyo Medical and Dental University Medical Hospital, between March and May 2020. And the analytical specificity was assessed with serum samples of patients without COVID-19 (n = 100) collected between August to September 2019 before SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in China. RESULTS: Among COVID-19 patients, a total of 87 serum samples were tested for SARS-Cov-2 IgM/IgG Ab assay. IgM was detected 71.0 %, 86.9 %, and 83.3 % at day8-14, 15-28, >29 after symptom onset and IgG was detected in 81.6 %, 87.0 %, and 94.4 %, respectively. The sensitivity of IgM and IgG Ab after day8 assay was significantly higher than before day7, respectively (p=0.0016, 0.0003). There were no positive results in 100 serum samples from patients without COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The SARS-Cov-2 IgM/IgG Ab assay had 79.7% / 86.1% sensitivity (the 8 days after from onset) and 100% specificity in this population.

Reduction of 30-day death rates from Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia by mandatory infectious diseases consultation: Comparative study interventions with and without an infectious disease specialist.

OBJECTIVES: Most Japanese hospitals need to keep to higher Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) quality-of-care indicators (QCIs) and create strategies that can maximize the effect of these QCIs with only a small number of infectious disease specialists. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with SAB before and after the enhancement of the mandatory infectious disease consultations (IDCs). METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Japan. The primary outcome was the 30-day mortality between each period. A generalized structural equation model was employed to examine the effect of the mandatory IDC enhancement on 30-day mortality among patients with SAB. RESULTS: A total of 114 patients with SAB were analyzed. The 30-day all-cause mortality differed significantly between the two periods (17.3% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.02). Age, three-QCI point ≥ 1, and Pitt bacteremia score ≥ 3 were the significant risk factors for 30-day mortality. The intervention was also significantly associated with improved adherence to QCIs. CONCLUSION: Mandatory IDCs for SAB improved 30-day mortality and adherence to QCIs after the intervention. In Japan, improving the quality of management in patients with SAB should be an important target.

Infectious disease consultations and newly diagnosed cancer patients: A single-center retrospective observational study.

Noninfectious diseases may be diagnosed during infectious disease (ID) consultations. Among non-IDs, cancer diagnosis is important; however, epidemiological data describing the relationship between ID consultations and newly diagnosed cancer patients are scarce. This study described the frequency and tendency of new cancer diagnoses in patients after ID consultation.This retrospective study included adult inpatients who underwent ID consultations between October 2016 and March 2018. The demographic data and clinical manifestations of each case are described.Among the 380 inpatients who underwent ID consultations, 6 (1.6%) received a new cancer diagnosis after ID consultation. Among the initial most likely diagnoses, 3 patients were diagnosed with IDs and 3 were diagnosed with non-IDs. The initial most likely ID diagnosis was important for new cancer diagnoses (P = .004, odds ratio: 11.1, 95% confidence interval: 2.11-57.2); diagnostic errors, as judged by the physicians, occurred in 2 of the 6 cases.While the frequency of establishing new diagnoses during ID consultations is low, coexisting infection and cancer is possible. ID specialists should identify any patterns related to new cancer diagnosis in patients to prevent diagnostic error and improve the quality of diagnosis.