Vaccination acceptance and its associated factors in patients on hemodialysis in Austria: A nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: Vaccines are essential in disease prevention among patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). However, during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, there has been an increased rate of vaccination hesitancy. A better understanding of patients' opinions may help identify a more targeted approach to increase vaccination rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaires with 43 questions based on the recommendations of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy were administered to patients during routine HD sessions at different dialysis centers in Austria. RESULTS: In total, 347 patients participated in this study. Approximately 81% of the patients were aged > 54 years, and 65% were men. Further, 53% of patients were receiving HD from private units. In ~ 72% of patients, the dialysis physicians were the source of vaccination information. Meanwhile, the source of information in 28% of patients was the primary care physician (28%), and 18% of patients obtained vaccination details from the internet. The number of younger (aged < 55 years) patients who were more likely to use online content as the main source of information was significantly higher than that of older patients (32 vs. 15%, p = 0.001). Furthermore, the number of older patients who wanted to receive more information from the dialysis physician was significantly higher than that of younger patients (57 vs. 38%, p = 0.009). Only 65% of patients had a good understanding of the mechanisms of action of vaccines. The younger population (aged 18 - 54 years) had a higher number of individuals with a good understanding of vaccine mechanisms than the older population (78 vs. 62%, p = 0.016). Moreover, 86% of the whole population wanted to complete the recommended vaccinations. However, only 39% of respondents had sufficient information about the vaccination plan in Austrian. CONCLUSION: Numerous patients receiving HD wanted to obtain more information from their dialysis physicians. Increased awareness among providers and targeted communication might increase vaccination rates.

Treatment options for multidrug-resistant Gram-negatives in urinary tract infections.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Infections due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria are challenging to treat because of limited treatment options and potential side effects of less frequently used anti-infectives. In the past few years, several new antimicrobial agents effective against MDR Gram-negatives have become available. This review focuses on the treatment options for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) caused by MDR Gram-negatives. RECENT FINDINGS: The novel combinations, betalactam or carbapenem and betalactamase inhibitor, ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam, are effective for infections caused by KPC-carbapenemase-producing pathogens. Imipenem/relebactam, another carbapenem/betalactamase inhibitor combination, has been approved for the treatment of cUTI. However, data on the efficacy of imipenem/relebactam against carbapenem-resistant pathogens is still limited. Ceftolozane/tazobactam is mainly used for the treatment of MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. For the treatment of cUTI caused by extended-spectrum betalactamases producing Enterobacterales aminoglycosides or intravenous fosfomycin should be considered. SUMMARY: To ensure prudent use and to avoid the development of resistance to novel anti-infective substances, an interdisciplinary approach, including urologists, microbiologists, and infectious disease physicians, is strongly advised.

An epidemic CC1-MRSA-IV clone yields false-negative test results in molecular MRSA identification assays: a note of caution, Austria, Germany, Ireland, 2020.

We investigated why a clinical meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolate yielded false-negative results with some commercial PCR tests for MRSA detection. We found that an epidemic European CC1-MRSA-IV clone generally exhibits this behaviour. The failure of the assays was attributable to a large insertion in the orfX/SCCmec integration site. To ensure the reliability of molecular MRSA tests, it is vital to monitor emergence of new SCCmec types and junction sites.

Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program for urinary tract infections in long-term care facilities: a cluster-controlled intervention study.

BACKGROUND: Widespread inappropriate use of antimicrobial substances drives resistance development worldwide. In long-term care facilities (LTCF), antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications. More than one third of antimicrobial agents prescribed in LTCFs are for urinary tract infections (UTI). We aimed to increase the number of appropriate antimicrobial treatments for UTIs in LTCFs using a multi-faceted antimicrobial stewardship intervention. METHODS: We performed a non-randomized cluster-controlled intervention study. Four LTCFs of the Geriatric Health Centers Graz were the intervention group, four LTCFs served as control group. The main components of the intervention were: voluntary continuing medical education for primary care physicians, distribution of a written guideline, implementation of the project homepage to distribute guidelines and videos and onsite training for nursing staff. Local nursing staff recorded data on UTI episodes in an online case report platform. Two blinded reviewers assessed whether treatments were adequate. RESULTS: 326 UTI episodes were recorded, 161 in the intervention group and 165 in the control group. During the intervention period, risk ratio for inadequate indication for treatment was 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.90), p = 0.025. In theintervention group, the proportion of adequate antibiotic choices increased from 42.1% in the pre-intervention period, to 45.9% during the intervention and to 51% in the post-intervention period (absolute increase of 8.9%). In the control group, the proportion was 36.4%, 33.3% and 33.3%, respectively. The numerical difference between intervention group and control group in the post-intervention period was 17.7% (difference did not reach statistical significance). There were no significant differences between the control group and intervention group in the safety outcomes (proportion of clinical failure, number of hospital admissions due to UTI and adverse events due to antimicrobial treatment). CONCLUSIONS: An antimicrobial stewardship program consisting of practice guidelines, local and web-based education for nursing staff and general practitioners resulted in a significant increase in adequate treatments (in terms of decision to treat the UTI) during the intervention period. However, this difference was not maintained in the post-intervention phase. Continued efforts to improve the quality of prescriptions further are necessary. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04798365.

Newly detected paediatric melioidosis cases in a single referral children's hospital in Ho Chi Minh City indicate the probable underrecognition of melioidosis in South Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of melioidosis in Vietnam, a disease caused by the soil bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, remains unclear. This study aimed to detect paediatric melioidosis in South Vietnam and describe clinical features and the geographic distribution. METHODS: We introduced a simple laboratory algorithm for detecting B. pseudomallei from clinical samples at Children's Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City in July 2015. A retrospective observational study of children <16 y of age with culture-confirmed melioidosis between July 2015 and August 2019 was undertaken. RESULTS: Thirty-five paediatric cases of melioidosis were detected, with cases originating from 13 of 32 provinces and cities in South Vietnam. The number of paediatric melioidosis cases detected from a certain region correlated with the overall number of inpatients originating from the respective geographic area. Suppurative parotitis (n=15 [42.8%]) was the most common clinical presentation, followed by lung infection (n=10 [28.6%]) and septicaemia (n=7 [20%]). Fourteen (40%) children had disseminated disease, including all cases of lung infection, four cases with central nervous system symptoms and four (11.4%) deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The patients' origin indicates a wide distribution of melioidosis in South Vietnam. It seems probable that cases not only in children, but also in adults, remain grossly undiagnosed. Further awareness raising and laboratory capacity strengthening are needed in this part of the country.

Establishing breakpoints for amoxicillin/clavulanate and ampicillin/sulbactam for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing directly from positive blood culture bottles.

Introduction. In 2018, EUCAST released guidelines on rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (RAST) directly from positive blood culture bottles for selected bacterial species and antimicrobial agents, but not for the commonly used agents amoxicillin/clavulanate (AMC) and ampicillin/sulbactam (SAM).Hypothesis/Gap statement. This work addresses the Enterobacterales RAST capability gap for betalactam/betalactamase inhibitor combinations.Aim. We aimed to determine RAST breakpoints for AMC and SAM for Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae after 4 and 6 h of incubation directly from positive blood cultures.Methodology. Blood culture bottles were spiked with clinical isolates of E. coli (n=89) and K. pneumoniae (n=81). RAST was performed according to EUCAST guidelines and zones were read after 4 and 6 h. Breakpoints were defined to avoid very major errors.Results. The proportion of readable zone diameters after 4 h of incubation were 90.8 % in E. coli and 85.8 % in K. pneumoniae isolates. After 6 h of incubation all zone diameters could be read. The proposed breakpoints for E. coli after 6 h of incubation were ≥16 mm S (susceptible), 14-15 mm ATU (area of technical uncertainty) and <14 mm R (resistant) for AMC; ≥15 mm S, 12-14 mm ATU and <12 mm R for SAM; for K. pneumoniae these were ≥16 mm S, 14-15 mm ATU and <14 mm R for AMC; ≥13 mm S, 12 mm ATU, <12 mm R for SAM. Applying our newly set breakpoints, major errors were infrequent (2.6 %).Conclusion. We propose novel AMC and SAM breakpoints for RAST directly from positive blood cultures for reading after 4 and 6 h of incubation.

Sustained Increase in Very Low Influenza Vaccination Coverage in Residents and Healthcare Workers of Long-Term Care Facilities in Austria after Educational Interventions.

Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are particularly at risk for influenza infections. We aimed to improve influenza vaccination coverage among residents and healthcare workers (HCWs) in four LTCFs by implementing educational programs and enhanced vaccination services. We compared vaccination coverage before and after the interventions (2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons). Data on vaccination adherence were recorded during a four-year observational period (2019/20 to 2022/23 seasons). Following the interventions, vaccination coverage increased significantly from 5.8% (22/377) to 19.1% (71/371) in residents and from 1.3% (3/234) to 19.7% (46/233) in HCWs (p < 0.001). During the observational period (2019/20 to 2022/23 seasons), vaccination coverage remained high in residents but decreased in HCWs. Vaccination adherence was significantly higher in residents and HCWs in LTCF 1 compared to the other three LTCFs. Our study suggests that a bundle of educational interventions and enhanced vaccination services can be an effective method for improving influenza vaccination coverage in LTCFs in both residents and HCWs. However, vaccination rates are still well below the recommended targets and further efforts are needed to increase vaccine coverage in our LTCFs.

Comparison of temporal artery ultrasound versus biopsy in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a medical and ophthalmological emergency due to risk of stroke and sudden irreversible loss of vision. Fast and accurate diagnosis is important to prevent complications and long-term high dose glucocorticoids toxicity. Temporal artery biopsy is gold standard for diagnosing GCA. However, temporal artery ultrasound is a fast and non-invasive procedure which may provide a supplement or an alternative to biopsy. This study assesses the diagnostic performance of ultrasound and biopsy in the diagnosis of GCA. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Examination results of patients suspected of having GCA in the period from August 2018 to June 2019 were reviewed. Patients underwent clinical examination and blood tests. Within a few days of starting glucocorticoid treatment, temporal ultrasound and unilateral biopsy were performed. Experienced physicians established the final clinical diagnosis at 6-months follow-up. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients underwent both ultrasound and biopsy. Thirty-five (45%) received the final clinical diagnosis of GCA. Compared with the final clinical diagnosis, biopsy had a sensitivity of 69% (51-83%) and a specificity of 100% (92-100%), and ultrasound a sensitivity of 63% (45-79%) and a specificity of 79% (64-94%). Area under the receiver operating characteristics curves were 0.84 and 0.71 for biopsy and ultrasound respectively (p = 0.048). False negative rate of ultrasound was 4 out of 78 (5%). CONCLUSION: Sensitivity of ultrasound is almost on par with that of biopsy although the overall diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound was slightly lower. We find that ultrasound is a reliable tool for first line diagnosis of GCA.

Prospective Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Infections in Residents in Four Long-Term Care Facilities in Graz, Austria.

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) are a common cause for residents' mortality and morbidity associated with a significant socio-economic burden. Data on HCAIs in Austrian long-term care facilities are scare. Therefore, we evaluated the incidence rate of HCAIs per 1000 resident days in four LTC facilities in Graz, Austria, characterized the spectrum of HCAIs and the use of antimicrobial substances. We conducted a prospective surveillance study from 1 January to 31 December 2018 in four LTCFs of the Geriatric Health Centre of the City of Graz (total of 388 beds). Nursing staff collected data on HCAIs once a week using an electronic reporting system. During the 12-month surveillance period, 252 infections of 165 residents were recorded. The overall incidence rate of HCAIs was 2.1 per 1000 resident days. Urinary tract infections were the most commonly recorded HCAIs (49%, 124/252, 1.03 per 1000 resident days), followed by skin and soft tissue infections and respiratory tract infections. Beta-lactams (ATC class J01C) were prescribed most frequently (63/212), followed by fluoroquinolones (J01M; 54/212). In conclusion, the overall incidence rate for HCAIs was relatively low at 2.1 per 1000 resident days. Our real-life data can serve as a basis for future antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention interventions.

Surveillance of Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Anaerobe Clinical Isolates in Southeast Austria: Bacteroides fragilis Group Is on the Fast Track to Resistance.

Anaerobic bacteria play an important role in human infections. Bacteroides spp. are some of the 15 most common pathogens causing nosocomial infections. We present antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results of 114 Gram-positive anaerobic isolates and 110 Bacteroides-fragilis-group-isolates (BFGI). Resistance profiles were determined by MIC gradient testing. Furthermore, we performed disk diffusion testing of BFGI and compared the results of the two methods. Within Gram-positive anaerobes, the highest resistance rates were found for clindamycin and moxifloxacin (21.9% and 16.7%, respectively), and resistance for beta-lactams and metronidazole was low (<1%). For BFGI, the highest resistance rates were also detected for clindamycin and moxifloxacin (50.9% and 36.4%, respectively). Resistance rates for piperacillin/tazobactam and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were 10% and 7.3%, respectively. Two B. fragilis isolates were classified as multi-drug-resistant (MDR), with resistance against all tested beta-lactam antibiotics. The comparative study of 109 BFGI resulted in 130 discrepancies in 763 readings (17%) with a high number of Very Major Errors (VME) and Major Errors (ME). In summary, resistance rates, with the exception of clindamycin and moxifloxacin, are still low, but we are facing increasing resistance rates for BFGI. Surveillance studies on a regular basis are still recommended.

Analysis of COVID-19 outbreaks in 3 long-term care facilities in Graz, Austria.

BACKGROUND: Nursing homes and long-term care facilities (LTCF) caring for elderly and chronically ill residents are at high risk to experience severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks. We report an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 3 LTCFs of the Geriatric Health Centres of Graz, Austria lasting from March 22 to April 14, 2020. AIM: The objectives of our study were: (1) to elucidate contributing factors and transmission pathways of SARS-CoV-2, (2) to analyze symptoms of COVID-19 in the residents and health care workers. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective outbreak analysis. FINDINGS: Thirty-six of /277 residents of 3 LTCFs were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Only a quarter of COVID-19 cases among residents had fever ≥38.1°C and 19% suffered from cough. Six of 36 residents remained asymptomatic. Hospitalization rate was 58% in residents. Overall, 33% (12/36) residents infected with SARS-CoV-2 died. Nineteen of 214 health care workers were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Universal rt-PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 of all residents and health care workers as well as infection control measures contributed to ending the outbreaks. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed recognition of possible COVID-19 cases due to either mild symptoms or symptoms that were perceived as atypical early in the pandemic contributed to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in LTCFs. This emphasizes the importance of low-threshold testing in LTCF residents.

Longitudinal Evaluation of Plasma Cytokine Levels in Patients with Invasive Candidiasis.

Interleukin (IL) 17A plays a decisive role in anti-Candida host defense. Previous data demonstrated significantly increased IL-17A values in candidemic patients. We evaluated levels and time courses of IL-17A, and other cytokines suggested to be involved in Candida-specific immunity (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17F, IL-22, IL-23, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, Pentraxin-related protein 3, transforming growth factor-ß) in patients with invasive candidiasis (IC) compared to bacteremic patients (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli) and healthy controls (from previous 4 days up to day 14 relative to the index culture (-4; 14)). IL-17A levels were significantly elevated in all groups compared to healthy controls. In IC, the highest IL-17A values were measured around the date of index sampling (-1; 2), compared to significantly lower levels prior and after sampling the index culture. Candidemic patients showed significantly higher IL-17A values compared to IC other than candidemia at time interval (-1; 2) and (3; 7). No significant differences in IL-17A levels could be observed for IC compared to bacteremic patients. Candidemic patients had higher IL-8, IL-10, IL-22, IFN-γ, PTX3 and TNF-α values compared to non-candidemic. Based on the limited discriminating competence between candidemia and bacteremia, IL-17A has to be considered a biomarker for blood stream infection rather than invasive Candida infection.

Seasonal variation in biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis in Eastern Denmark from 1990-2018.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate seasonal variation in cases of biopsy-proven GCA in eastern Denmark in a 29-year period. METHODS: Pathology records of all temporal artery biopsies in eastern Denmark between 1990 and 2018 were reviewed. For each patient, data were collected which included age, sex, date of birth and biopsy result. Seasonality was evaluated using logistic regression and Poisson regression analysis. Lastly, an explorative pilot study was conducted to investigate a possible association between three weather parameters (average temperature, amount of rain and hours of sunshine) and the biopsy outcome. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred twenty-three biopsies were included of which 336 fulfilled objective criteria for GCA diagnosis. Mean age at diagnosis was 75.6 years (range 52-94 years). Among the biopsy-proven cases of GCA, there were 223 women (66.3%, mean age 76.2 years) and 113 men (33.7%, mean age 74.4 years) giving a female to male ratio of 1.97:1. The peak occurrence of GCA was in the 70-79 years age group. Statistical analysis of seasonal variation showed an increased risk of a positive biopsy during summer compared to autumn (p = 0.037). No association between the three weather parameters and the biopsy outcome was found. CONCLUSION: In this study of biopsy-proven GCA in a large Danish patient cohort, the occurrence of GCA showed seasonal variation with higher occurrence in the summer months when compared to autumn. Future studies pooling all cases of GCA worldwide are needed to determine seasonality in the occurrence of GCA.