In-house protocol and performance of MALDI-TOF MS in the early diagnosis of bloodstream infections in a fourth-level hospital in Colombia: Jumping to full use of this technology.

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a major cause of mortality in hospitalized patients. Rapid diagnosis is crucial because any delay in the antimicrobial treatment is associated with an increase in adverse patient outcomes. The application of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) technology directly to blood cultures permits earlier identification of BSIs and facilitates treatment management. METHODS: A total of 470 positive blood cultures from patient samples were analyzed using Standard Aerobic/F and Anaerobic/F blood culture media. Isolates were identified using conventional identification methods and by the direct method using the MALDI-TOF MS system. RESULTS: In 470 blood cultures, the direct method showed good identification results (420/470, 89%); specifically, accurate species and genus identification in 283/470 (60%), and only correct genus identification in 137/470 (29%). The direct protocol had better performance for Gram-negative compared to Gram-positive bacteria (97% vs 76%) and was unable to identify the positive blood cultures for both yeasts and some bacteria, mostly Gram-positive (50/470). CONCLUSIONS: The protocol used here gave good and reliable results, being available up to 24 h earlier, while also leading to better use of MALDI-TOF.

Pseudobrote por Burkholderia cepacia en dos unidades de cuidados intensivos de un Hospital Universitario en Bogotá - Colombia / Pseudo-Outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia in two intensive care unit in a University Hospital in Bogotá - Colombia

Introducción: Burkholderia cepacia es causante de brotes cuyo origen frecuentemente son fuentes ambientales. Materiales y métodos: Ante la sospecha de brote por B. cepacia en hemocultivos. Se realizó toma de cultivos ambientales y de insumos. Los aislamientos microbiológicos fueron sometidos a análisis molecular. Resultados: Se identificaron 8 pacientes con hemocultivos para B. cepacia en la UCI Adultos y UCI Pediátrica, edades entre 3 meses y 88 años, Los hemocultivos fueron tomados a través de catéter venoso central. Ningún paciente presentó infección por este microorganismo. Se documentó crecimiento de B. cepacia en lote de bolsitas ("sachet") jabón de clorhexidina al 4% y en lavamanos que se correlacionaron con el clon identificado en los pacientes. Con el retiro del lote de jabón de clorhexidina, optimización de los procesos de limpieza y desinfección, lavado de manos y medidas de aislamiento se controló el pseudobrote. Conclusiones: Se presenta un pseudobrote por B. cepacia causado por la contaminación de un lote de clorhexidina jabón y de los lavamanos, llamando la atención acerca de la posibilidad de contaminación de antisépticos con este microorganismo.

Introduction: The Burkholderia cepacia has been described as an outbreaks-causing agent, in which case frequently corresponds to environmental sources. Materials and Methods: Having the clinical suspicion of an outbreak or a pseudo-outbreak of B. cepacia in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), samples in sterile solutions were sent to the laboratory for microbiologic study and molecular analysis. Results: Eigth patients with positive blood cultures for B. cepacia were identifed in the adults and pediatric ICU, ages between 3 months to 88 years. Blood cultures were taken through a central venous catheter. None of the patients presented clinical manifestations of infection. There was a positive culture of B. cepacia in a chlorhexidine sachet soap batch and in samples from the washbasin that was correlated with molecular analysis with patient samples. The withdrawal of the chlorhexidine sachet soap batch plus the optimization of cleaning and disinfection processes and patient isolation, were effective to control the pseudo-outbreak, without presenting infection. Conclusions: One pseudo-outbreak was documented by B. cepacia, affecting the adult and pediatric ICU caused by the contamination of a chlorhexidine sachet soap batch and the washbasins.

First report of sporadic cases of Candida auris in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Candida auris is a recently reported Candida species that is phenotypically similar to Candida haemulonii and related to hospital outbreaks. This organism can be misidentified as Candida haemulonii, Candida famata, Candida catenulata, or Rhodotorula glutinis by phenotypic approaches. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and DNA sequence analysis using internal transcribed spacer rDNA bar-coding provide an accurate identification. CASE REPORTS: Three cases of C. auris infection in patients with risk factors for fungal infection (one admitted to the intensive care unit, one with lymphoma, and one with HIV; all three with previous antibiotic use) are reported; these infections were not epidemiologically related. Yeast isolates were recovered from blood, ocular secretion, and bronchoalveolar lavage and were misidentified as C. catenulata and Candida albicans by the phenotypic MicroScan method. The isolates were confirmed to be C. auris by means of MALDI-TOF MS and DNA sequence analysis. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed on these C. auris isolates, which exhibited high minimum inhibitory concentrations to triazoles and amphotericin B. One patient survived and the other two died. Only one of these deaths was related to fungemia. CONCLUSIONS: C. auris is an emerging and opportunistic multidrug-resistant human pathogen. It is necessary to strengthen measures to achieve an accurate and quick identification and also to avoid its dissemination. This will require improvements in health and infection control measures, as well as the promotion of antifungal stewardship in healthcare facilities.