Association between Following the ESCMID Guidelines for the Management of Candidemia and Mortality: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between ESCMID adherence and 30-day mortality in candidemia. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study in two French tertiary-care hospitals. All patients with at least one positive blood culture (BC) for Candida spp. between January 2013 and December 2019 were included. An adherent case was defined as a candidemia case for which the treatment fulfilled a bundle of defined criteria based on the latest ESCMID recommendations. We explored factors associated with adherence to ESCMID recommendations in an unadjusted model, and we used a propensity score method to address potential channeling biases with regard to 30-day mortality. RESULTS: During the study period, 165 cases of candidemia were included. Among the ESCMID criteria, funduscopic examination was not performed in 45% and neither was echocardiography in 31%, while the ESCMID criteria were fully implemented in 44 cases (27%). In the propensity score analysis, the all-cause 30-day mortality rate was significantly lower among adherent cases (3.4/36.6, 9%) than among nonadherent cases (42.4/119.5, 36%) (OR = 5.3 95% CI [1.6-17.1]). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, adherence to the bundle of criteria for candidemia management was associated with increased survival, supporting additional efforts to implement these recommendations.

Case Report: Leishmania and HIV Co-Diagnosis: How to Understand Medical History?

We report a case of a severe visceral leishmaniasis revealing an HIV-1 infection presenting as an acute primary infection. A young French man living in Paris with history of unprotected sex with a recent male partner and recent travel in Greece was admitted in our Infectious Diseases Department, presenting with acute febrile psychotic disorder, and positive HIV-1 serology with high viral load, very low CD4+ T-cells count and a western blot pattern suggesting an acute infection. The psychotic disorder was finally related to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis diagnosed on bone marrow aspiration, supposedly secondary to HIV acute primary infection. The progressive worsening of pancytopenia despite antiretroviral treatment and the persistence of fever, chills and sweat led to the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis through bone marrow biopsy and leishmanial serology. He was treated with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B with quick improvement. We discuss the way HIV infection and visceral leishmaniasis may have interact to lead to the clinical presentation of our patient.

Incidence and risk factors for medical care interruption in people living with HIV in a French provincial city.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to identify HIV-positive patients at risk of medical care interruption (MCI) in a provincial city of a high-income country. METHODS: We estimated the incidence rate of MCI in 989 individuals followed in an HIV clinic in Caen University Hospital, Normandy, France, between January 2010 and May 2016. We enrolled patients over 18 years old who were seen at the clinic at least twice after HIV diagnosis. Patients were considered to be in MCI if they did not attend care in or outside the clinic for at least 18 months, regardless of whether or not they came back after interruption. We investigated sociodemographic, clinical and immunovirological characteristics at HIV diagnosis and during follow-up through a Cox model analysis. RESULTS: The incidence rate of MCI was estimated to be 3.0 per 100 persons-years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.6-3.5). The independent risk factors for MCI were a linkage to care >6 months after HIV diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.08-1.21), a hepatitis C coinfection (HR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.07-2.88), being born in Sub-Saharan Africa (HR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.42-3.34 vs. in France) and not having a mailing address reported in the file (HR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.07-2.80). During follow-up, the risk of MCI decreased when the patient was older (HR = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.15-0.51 when >45 vs. ≤ 30 years old) and increased when the patient was not on antiretroviral therapy (HR = 2.78; 95% CI = 1.66-4.63). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that it is important to link HIV-positive individuals to care quickly after diagnosis and initiate antiretroviral therapy as soon as possible to retain them in care.

Incidence of and risk factors for medical care interruption in people living with HIV in recent years.

OBJECTIVES: With HIV treatment as a prevention strategy, retention in care remains a key for sustained viral suppression. We sought to identify HIV-infected patients at risk for medical care interruption (MCI) in a high-income country. METHODS: The HIV-infected patients enrolled had to attend the clinic at least twice between January 2010 and October 2014 and were followed up until May 2016. MCI was defined as patients not seeking care in or outside the clinic for at least 18 months, regardless of whether they returned to care after the interruption. The association between MCI and sociodemographic, clinical, and immuno-virological characteristics at HIV diagnosis and during follow-up was assessed using Cox models. RESULTS: The incidence rate of MCI was 2.5 per 100 persons-years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.3-2.7). MCI was more likely in patients who accessed care >6 months after diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.10-1.54 vs. ≤6 months) or did not report a primary care physician (HR = 2.40; 95% CI = 2.03-2.84). MCI was less likely in patients born in sub-Saharan Africa (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.62-0.91 vs. born in France). During follow-up, the risk of MCI increased when the last CD4 count was ≤350 (HR = 2.85, 95% CI = 2.02-4.04 vs. >500 cells/mm3) and when the patient was not on antiretroviral therapy (HR = 3.67, 95% CI = 2.90-4.66). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of MCI is low in this hospital that serves a large proportion of migrants. Low or no recorded CD4 counts for a medical visit could alert of a higher risk of MCI, even more in patients who accessed HIV care late or did not report a primary care physician.