A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study to Characterize Patients Hospitalized With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults and Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the United States, 2020-2021.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) requires distinguishing it from acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may affect clinical management. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we applied the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case definition to identify adults hospitalized with MIS-A at 6 academic medical centers from 1 March 2020 to 31 December 2021. Patients MIS-A were matched by age group, sex, site, and admission date at a 1:2 ratio to patients hospitalized with acute symptomatic COVID-19. Conditional logistic regression was used to compare demographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, laboratory and imaging results, treatments administered, and outcomes between cohorts. RESULTS: Through medical record review of 10 223 patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2-associated illness, we identified 53 MIS-A cases. Compared with 106 matched patients with COVID-19, those with MIS-A were more likely to be non-Hispanic black and less likely to be non-Hispanic white. They more likely had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 ≥14 days before hospitalization, more likely had positive in-hospital SARS-CoV-2 serologic testing, and more often presented with gastrointestinal symptoms and chest pain. They were less likely to have underlying medical conditions and to present with cough and dyspnea. On admission, patients with MIS-A had higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and higher levels of C-reactive protein, ferritin, procalcitonin, and D-dimer than patients with COVID-19. They also had longer hospitalization and more likely required intensive care admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, and vasopressors. The mortality rate was 6% in both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with patients with acute symptomatic COVID-19, adults with MIS-A more often manifest certain symptoms and laboratory findings early during hospitalization. These features may facilitate diagnosis and management.

Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection Caused by Mycolicibacterium iranicum, California, USA.

We describe a case of catheter-related bacteremia caused by Mycolicibacterium iranicum in the United States. The case highlights the value of using next-generation sequencing to identify infrequent and emerging pathogens and the challenges associated with choosing appropriate treatments because of limited knowledge of drug resistance mechanisms in those emerging pathogens.

Clinical, microbiological, and genomic characteristics of clade-III Candida auris colonization and infection in southern California, 2019-2022.

BACKGROUND: Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen causing outbreaks in healthcare facilities. Five distinctive genomic clades exhibit clade-unique characteristics, highlighting the importance of real-time genomic surveillance and incorporating genotypic information to inform infection prevention practices and treatment algorithms. METHODS: Both active and passive surveillance were used to screen hospitalized patients. C. auris polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay on inguinal-axillary swabs was performed on high-risk patients upon admission. All clinical yeast isolates were identified to the species level. C. auris isolates were characterized by both phenotypic antifungal susceptibility tests and whole-genome sequencing. RESULTS: From late 2019 to early 2022, we identified 45 patients with C. auris. Most had a tracheostomy or were from a facility with a known outbreak. Moreover, 7 patients (15%) were only identified through passive surveillance. Also, 8 (18%) of the patients had a history of severe COVID-19. The overall mortality was 18%. Invasive C. auris infections were identified in 13 patients (29%), 9 (69%) of whom had bloodstream infections. Patients with invasive infection were more likely to have a central line. All C. auris isolates were resistant to fluconazole but susceptible to echinocandins. Genomic analysis showed that 1 dominant clade-III lineage is circulating in Los Angeles, with very limited intrahost and interhost genetic diversity. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that a robust C. auris surveillance program can be established using both active and passive surveillance, with multidisciplinary efforts involving the microbiology laboratory and the hospital epidemiology team. In Los Angeles County, C. auris strains are highly related and echinocandins should be used for empiric therapy.

Case Report: Symptomatic Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 and Monkeypox Coinfection in an Adult Male.

A 39-year-old man presented with a history of fatigue, malaise, and rash with varied morphology on his perianal region. Polymerase chain reaction testing of the lesions confirmed coinfection with monkeypox and herpes simplex virus type 2. We emphasize the difficulty in distinguishing between monkeypox virus and herpes simplex virus type 2 based on history and examination alone.

Secondary Cases of Delta Variant Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Vaccinated Healthcare Workers With Breakthrough Infections is Rare.

In a retrospective, cohort study at 4 medical centers with high coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination rates, we evaluated breakthrough severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Delta variant infections in vaccinated healthcare workers. Few work-related secondary cases were identified. Breakthrough cases were largely due to unmasked social activities outside of work.

MPEG1/Perforin-2 Haploinsufficiency Associated Polymicrobial Skin Infections and Considerations for Interferon-γ Therapy.

Introduction: Macrophage expressed gene 1 (MPEG1) is highly expressed in macrophages and other phagocytes. The gene encodes a bactericidal pore-forming protein, dubbed Perforin-2. Structural-, animal-, and cell-based studies have established that perforin-2 facilitates the destruction of phagocytosed microbes upon its activation within acidic phagosomes. Relative to wild-type controls, Mpeg1 knockout mice suffer significantly higher mortality rates when challenged with gram-negative or -positive pathogens. Only four variants of MPEG1 have been functionally characterized, each in association with pulmonary infections. Here we report a new MPEG1 non-sense variant in a patient with the a newly described association with persistent polymicrobial infections of the skin and soft tissue. Case Description: A young adult female patient was evaluated for recurrent abscesses and cellulitis of the breast and demonstrated a heterozygous, rare variant in MPEG1 p.Tyr430*. Multiple courses of broad-spectrum antimicrobials and surgical incision and drainage failed to resolve the infection. Functional studies revealed that the truncation variant resulted in significantly reduced capacity of the patient's phagocytes to kill intracellular bacteria. Patient-derived macrophages responded to interferon gamma (IFN-γ) by significantly increasing the expression of MPEG1. IFN-γ treatment supported perforin-2 dependent bactericidal activity and wound healing. Conclusions: This case expands the phenotype of MPEG1 deficiency to include severe skin and soft tissue infection. We showed that haploinsufficiency of perforin-2 reduced the bactericidal capacity of human phagocytes. Interferon-gamma therapy increases expression of perforin-2, which may compensate for such variants. Thus, treatment with IFN-γ could help prevent infections.

Use of the point of origin code from a universal billing form, UB-04, to efficiently identify hospitalized patients admitted from other health care facilities.

BACKGROUND: Recent exposure to health care facilities is a risk factor for carriage of multidrug-resistant organisms, but identification of hospitalized patients admitted from other health care facilities is often inefficient. METHODS: At an acute care hospital, we utilized a standard point of origin code from a universal billing form (UB-04) to categorize hospitalized patients as admitted from any health care facility (long-term care facility vs acute care facility). In a prospective study, the point of origin code and information obtained from physician-documented history were validated against patient self-report. RESULTS: Admission source for 523 patients was assessed. For identifying admission from any health care facility, the point of origin code had 86% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI]: 77-92) and 98% specificity (95% CI: 97-99). Physician-documented history had 75% sensitivity (95% CI: 65-84) and 98% specificity (95% CI: 96-99). For identifying patients from long-term care facilities, the sensitivities of the point of origin code and physician history were 50% (95% CI: 23-77) and 71% (95% CI: 42-92), respectively. For identifying patients admitted from acute care facilities, the sensitivities of the point of origin code and physician history were 93% (95% CI: 84-98) and 76% (95% CI: 64-85), respectively. CONCLUSION: The point of origin code is an accurate method of identifying patients admitted from another health care facility that is comparable with physician-documented history.

Elevated vancomycin trough is not associated with nephrotoxicity among inpatient veterans.

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin troughs of 15-20 mg/L are recommended in the treatment of invasive staphylococcal disease, higher levels than previously recommended. OBJECTIVE/SETTING: We sought to determine if there was an association between vancomycin trough and nephrotoxicity, defined as 0.5 mg/L or 50% increase in serum creatinine, at a large Veterans Affairs medical center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed records of 348 inpatients at our institution who received ≥5 days of vancomycin during 2 time periods when vancomycin dosing protocols differed (May 2005-April 2006 and January 2007-December 2007). Potential risk factors for nephrotoxicity were collected prior to nephrotoxicity onset, and all patients with nephrotoxicity events occurring within 5 days of starting vancomycin were excluded. RESULTS: Overall incidence of nephrotoxicity was 31/348 patients (8.9%). A similar percentage of patients experienced nephrotoxicity in 2005-2006 versus 2007 (16/201 vs 15/147, respectively; P = 0.57), despite a rise in mean (9.7 mg/L in 2005-2006 vs 13.2 mg/L in 2007; P < 0.0001) and highest (11.8 mg/L in 2005-2006 vs 15.7 mg/L in 2007; P < 0.0001) vancomycin trough levels achieved. In a multivariate logistic regression model, only receipt of intravenous contrast dye was significantly associated with nephrotoxicity (OR 4.01, P < 0.001), though there was a trend toward an association between maximum vancomycin trough ≥15 mg/L and nephrotoxicity (OR 2.05, P = 0.082). Overall reversibility of nephrotoxicity either prior to or within 72 hours of vancomycin discontinuation was 77.8%. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that nephrotoxicity, with higher trough levels occurring at ≥5 days of vancomycin therapy, was uncommon at our institution and typically reversible.