Predictors of Clostridioides difficile Infection Among Asymptomatic, Colonized Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic patients colonized with Clostridioides difficile are at risk of developing C. difficile infection (CDI), but the factors associated with disease onset are poorly understood. Our aims were to identify predictors of hospital-onset CDI (HO-CDI) among colonized patients and to explore the potential benefits of primary prophylaxis to prevent CDI. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary academic institution. Colonized patients were identified by detecting the tcdB gene by polymerase chain reaction on a rectal swab. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of HO-CDI. RESULTS: There were 19 112 patients screened, from which 960 (5%) colonized patients were identified: 513 met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 39 (7.6%) developed a HO-CDI, with a 30-day attributable mortality of 15%. An increasing length of stay (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] per day, 1.03; P = .006), exposure to multiple classes of antibiotics (aOR per class, 1.45; P = .02), use of opioids (aOR, 2.78; P = .007), and cirrhosis (aOR 5.49; P = .008) were independently associated with increased risks of HO-CDI, whereas the use of laxatives was associated with a lower risk of CDI (aOR 0.36; P = .01). Among the antimicrobials, B-lactam with B-lactamase inhibitors (OR 3.65; P < .001), first-generation cephalosporins (OR 2.38; P = .03), and carbapenems (OR 2.44; P = .03) correlated with the greatest risk of HO-CDI. By contrast, patient age, the use of proton pump inhibitors, and the use of primary prophylaxis were not significant predictors of HO-CDI. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies several factors that are associated with CDI among colonized patients. Whether modifying these variables could decrease the risk of CDI should be investigated.

Impact of Isolating Clostridium difficile Carriers on the Burden of Isolation Precautions: A Time Series Analysis.

Background: The isolation of asymptomatic Clostridium difficile (CD) carriers may decrease the incidence of hospital-associated C. difficile infections (CDI), but its impact on isolation precaution needs is unknown. Methods: A time series analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of isolating CD carriers on the burden of isolation precautions from 2008 to 2016 in a Canadian hospital. To account for the changes in C. difficile infection control policies, the series was divided into 3 intervention periods: period 1 (2008-2011), isolation of patients with CDI until symptom resolution; period 2 (2011-2013), isolation of patients with CDI until discharge; and period 3 (2013-2016), isolation of patients with CDI and CD carriers until discharge. We compared the prevalence of isolation-days for C. difficile (ie, for either CDI or carriage) per 1000 patient-days between study periods. Changes in trend were analyzed by segmented regression analysis. Results: A total of 806357 patient-days and 20455 isolation-days were included. Isolation-day prevalence during periods 1, 2, and 3 were 12.9, 26.2, and 37.8 isolation-days per 1000 patient-days, respectively (P < .001 between periods). Isolating CD carriers was associated with an increase in isolation-days' prevalence compared with period 2 (rate ratio [RR], 1.66; P < .001) followed by a significant decrease in trend (RR per 4-week period, 0.97; P < .001). The downward trend was mainly due to decreasing isolation needs for patients with CDI (RR per 4-week period, 0.94; P < .001) rather than for carriage (RR per 4-week period, 0.996; P = .21). Conclusions: Isolating CD carriers led to an initial increase in isolation needs that was partially compensated by a decrease in isolation needs for CDI.

Detection and Isolation of Clostridium difficile Asymptomatic Carriers During Clostridium difficile Infection Outbreaks: An Exploratory Study.

During 4 Clostridium difficile infection outbreaks, unit-wide screening of 114 patients led to detection and isolation of 15 (13%) C. difficile asymptomatic carriers. Carriage prevalence varied between outbreaks, from 0% to 29% (P = .004). Isolating carriers was not associated with significantly shorter outbreak durations, compared with historical controls.

Emergence of an oseltamivir-resistant influenza A/H3N2 virus in an elderly patient receiving a suboptimal dose of antiviral prophylaxis.

We report the emergence of an influenza virus A/H3N2-E119V neuraminidase variant from an elderly patient with renal dysfunction who received a suboptimal dose of oseltamivir prophylaxis. In neuraminidase inhibition assays, the E119V variant showed a 413-fold increase in the 50% inhibitory oseltamivir concentration and grew at titers comparable to those of the wild type in vitro.

Proven infection-related sepsis induces a differential stress response early after ICU admission.

INTRODUCTION: Neuropeptides arginine-vasopressin (AVP), apelin (APL), and stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) are involved in the dysfunction of the corticotropic axis observed in septic ICU patients. Study aims were: (i) to portray a distinctive stress-related neuro-corticotropic systemic profile of early sepsis, (ii) to propose a combination data score, for aiding ICU physicians in diagnosing sepsis on admission. METHODS: This prospective one-center observational study was carried out in a medical intensive care unit (MICU), tertiary teaching hospital. Seventy-four out of 112 critically ill patients exhibiting systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were divided into two groups: proven sepsis and non sepsis, based on post hoc analysis of microbiological criteria and final diagnosis, and compared to healthy volunteers (n = 14). A single blood sampling was performed on admission for measurements of AVP, copeptin, APL, SDF-1α, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol baseline and post-stimulation, and procalcitonin (PCT). RESULTS: Blood baseline ACTH/cortisol ratio was lower and copeptin higher in septic vs. nonseptic patients. SDF-1α was further increased in septic patients vs. normal patients. Cortisol baseline, ACTH, PCT, APACHE II and sepsis scores, and shock on admission, were independent predictors of sepsis diagnosis upon admission. Using the three first aforementioned categorical bio-parameters, a probability score for predicting sepsis yielded an area under the Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) curves better than sepsis score or PCT alone (0.903 vs 0.727 and 0.726: P = 0.005 and P < 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The stress response of early admitted ICU patients is different in septic vs. non-septic conditions. A proposed combination of variable score analyses will tentatively help in refining bedside diagnostic tools to efficiently diagnose sepsis after further validation.

Effect of Detecting and Isolating Clostridium difficile Carriers at Hospital Admission on the Incidence of C difficile Infections: A Quasi-Experimental Controlled Study.

IMPORTANCE: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of health care-associated infection worldwide, and new preventive strategies are urgently needed. Current control measures do not target asymptomatic carriers, despite evidence that they can contaminate the hospital environment and health care workers' hands and potentially transmit C difficile to other patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of detecting and isolating C difficile asymptomatic carriers at hospital admission on the incidence of health care-associated CDI (HA-CDI). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We performed a controlled quasi-experimental study between November 19, 2013, and March 7, 2015, in a Canadian acute care facility. Admission screening was conducted by detecting the tcdB gene by polymerase chain reaction on a rectal swab. Carriers were placed under contact isolation precautions during their hospitalization. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Changes in HA-CDI incidence level and trend during the intervention period (17 periods of 4 weeks each) were compared with the preintervention control period (120 periods of 4 weeks each) by segmented regression analysis and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modeling. Concomitant changes in the aggregated HA-CDI incidence at other institutions in Québec City, Québec (n = 6) and the province of Québec (n = 94) were also examined. RESULTS: Overall, 7599 of 8218 (92.5%) eligible patients were screened, among whom 368 (4.8%) were identified as C difficile carriers. During the intervention, 38 patients (3.0 per 10 000 patient-days) developed an HA-CDI compared with 416 patients (6.9 per 10 000 patient-days) during the preintervention control period (P < .001). There was no immediate change in the level of HA-CDIs on implementation (P = .92), but there was a significant decrease in trend over time of 7% per 4-week period (rate ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-0.99 per period; P = .02). ARIMA modeling also detected a significant effect of the intervention, represented by a gradual progressive decrease in the HA-CDI time series by an overall magnitude of 7.2 HA-CDIs per 10 000 patient-days. We estimated that the intervention had prevented 63 of the 101 (62.4%) expected cases. By contrast, no significant decrease in HA-CDI rates occurred in the control groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Detecting and isolating C difficile carriers was associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of HA-CDI. If confirmed in subsequent studies, this strategy could help prevent HA-CDI.

Human metapneumovirus viral load is an important risk factor for disease severity in young children.

BACKGROUND: The role of viral load in human metapneumovirus (HMPV) disease severity has not yet been clearly determined. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the importance of viral load along with other factors in HMPV disease severity among children aged <3 years old. STUDY DESIGN: HMPV-positive cases were selected from a cohort of outpatients and hospitalized children with lower respiratory tract infections. HMPV groups (A or B) and viral loads were determined in their nasopharyngeal aspirates. Disease severity was defined by assessing risk for hospitalization and by using two validated clinical severity scores. RESULTS: Of the 118 HMPV cases detected over 4 years for which viral load could be determined, 60 belonged to genotype A and 58 to genotype B. Baseline characteristics were similar in HMPV-A and HMPV-B mono-infected patients. In multivariate analysis, HMPV hospitalization was associated with viral load ≥1000 copies/10(4)cells (OR, 3.2; 95%CI, 1.4-7.4), age <6 months (OR, 3.1; 95%CI, 1.2-8.6) and presence of ≥3 children in the household (OR, 2.7; 95%CI, 1.04-6.9). A high HMPV viral load was also associated with pulmonary rales (p=.03), use of bronchodilators (p=.02) and inhaled corticosteroids (p=.01). CONCLUSION: HMPV viral load is associated with disease severity in young children along with young age and household crowding.

Gastrointestinal Mucormycosis following a Streptococcus pyogenes Toxic Shock Syndrome in a Previously Healthy Patient: A Case Report.

Mucormycosis is an uncommon opportunistic infection and the gastrointestinal form is the rarest. Rhizopus sp. is the most frequent pathogen and infection occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised patients. We describe the first case of intestinal mucormycosis occurring after a Streptococcus pyogenes toxic shock syndrome in a previously healthy patient caused by Rhizopus microsporus var. azygosporus.

Increasing risk of infectious complications after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies: time to reassess antimicrobial prophylaxis?

BACKGROUND: An increasing risk of infectious complications following transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy (PNB) has been observed recently in some centers. OBJECTIVE: To delineate the risk factors associated with post-PNB bacteremia and/or urinary tract infection (UTI) and determine why this risk has risen over time. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A case-control study in a Canadian tertiary-care center. Cases were all patients who developed bacteremia and/or UTIs after PNB between 2002 and 2011; controls were randomly selected among patients who underwent a PNB without such complications. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Crude and adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 5798 PNBs were performed during the study period, following which there were 48 cases of urinary sepsis (42% with bacteremia). The incidence increased from 0.52 infections per 100 biopsies in 2002-2009 to 2.15 infections per 100 biopsies in 2010-2011 (p<0.001). Escherichia coli was the predominant pathogen (75% of cases). Among 42 patients whose post-PNB infection was caused by aerobic or facultative Gram-negative rods, 22 patients (52%) were infected by pathogens resistant to ciprofloxacin. Independent risk factors for post-PNB infection were diabetes, hospitalization during the preceding month, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and performance of the biopsy in 2010-2011. In 2010-2011, the minimal inhibitory concentrations for ciprofloxacin increased compared with 2002-2009 (p<0.03). The major limitation of the study was its retrospective hospital-based nature, which hampered data collection on outpatient antibiotic prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS: In the past 2 yr, ciprofloxacin resistance contributed to the increasing incidence of post-PNB infections in our center. Novel antibacterial prophylaxis approaches need to be evaluated.