Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Masquerading As Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: A Challenging Diagnosis.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare lesions of the gastrointestinal tract that have a strong predisposition to the stomach and small intestine. We present a case of an 89-year-old female who initially presented to the emergency room with signs and symptoms of acute decompensated heart failure (HF) and was later discovered to have a 23-centimeter GIST in her abdominal cavity. This case emphasizes the implications of large intraperitoneal neoplasms and the unique constellation of symptoms they may present with.

The Time for Action Is Now: The Impact of Timing of Infectious Disease Consultation for Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

This retrospective cohort study was performed to compare clinical outcomes between patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia who received an early versus late infectious disease consultation. Early consultation resulted in significantly greater adherence to quality care indicators and shorter hospital stays.

Fusariosis: An Invasive Fungal Disease in a Neutropenic Patient With Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Although rare in the U.S invasive Fusariosis (IF) is increasingly being recognized as a cause of severe invasive fungal disease in patients with neutropenia in the setting of hematologic malignancy and hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). IF in these patients is associated with high mortality, moreover there are no guidelines on effective therapy, thus early diagnosis and involvement of an expert with experience in treating Fusariosis are imperative. We present a case of IF in a patient with profound prolonged neutropenia in the setting of chemotherapy for relapsed, refractory acute myeloid leukemia. A 33-year-old woman with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was hospitalized for re-induction chemotherapy. Five days post cycle 1 she became neutropenic. She was treated with prophylactic antimicrobials that included acyclovir, levofloxacin, and Posaconazole. On day sixty she began to run a high-grade fever. The physical exam was remarkable for a temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit and a heart rate of 116 beats per minute. Complete blood count was remarkable for 130 WBC/ml, Hb 6.5 g/dl, hematocrit (HCT) 18.7%, 13000 platelets/ml, absolute neutrophils counts (ANC) of 0. Her CT chest showed new bilateral lung nodules. Antibiotics were changed to cefepime, vancomycin, and metronidazole on day sixty-two without response. On day sixty-five meropenem was started and cefepime stopped. On day sixty-eight posaconazole was stopped and amphotericin B was started and two days later fever became low grade. She developed hyperpigmented skin lesions with necrotic centers on extremities that were biopsied. Histopathology staining favored the presence of rare fungal hyphae. The culture of the biopsy sample grew Fusarium spp that was identified by DNA sequencing as Fusarium falciforme. Voriconazole and terbinafine were added. Her fevers resolved within the next 24 hours and she remained afebrile. Fusarium is a hyaline mold present in the environment. Infection is acquired by inoculation into the skin, intravascular devices, or inhalation. IF incidence is low in the United States. F. solani and F. oxysporum are the most predominant disease-causing species complexes. Invasive Fusariosis (IF) is a rare disease seen in patients with hematologic malignancy and hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) with profound neutropenia. Immunocompromised patients suffer disseminated disease to multiple sites as in this case, with mortality rates of between sixty to eighty percent in this patient population. Blood and skin lesions biopsy cultures are diagnostic. Blood cultures are positive in up to sixty percent of cases in about four days. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can identify Fusarium but species identification by PCR is difficult. Newer molecular methods are better for species identification. Histopathology can be helpful. Differential diagnoses include invasive aspergillosis (IA), mucormycosis, mycobacterial and dimorphic fungal infections. There are no guidelines for standard therapy. Amphotericin B or voriconazole are preferred. Combination therapy may be indicated. Neutrophil recovery is crucial. Adjunctive and preventive measures have roles.

Effectiveness and Safety of Beta-Lactam Antibiotics with and without Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia or Bloodstream Infection.

This objective of this study was to compare clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia (PNA) or bloodstream infection (BSI) receiving beta-lactam antibiotic (BLA) infusions with and without the guidance of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). A retrospective, parallel cohort study was conducted at two academic medical centers between December 2015 and January 2020, UF Shands Gainesville, which uses BLA TDM for select patients (BLA TDM), and UF Health Jacksonville, which does not use BLA TDM (No-BLA TDM). All hospitalized adult patients with respiratory or blood culture positive for P. aeruginosa who met diagnosis criteria for lower respiratory tract infection with a positive P. aeruginosa respiratory culture and who received ≥48 h of intravenous BLA with in vitro susceptibility within 72 h of positive culture collection were included. The primary outcome was a composite of presumed treatment failure defined as the presence of any of the following from index-positive P. aeruginosa culture collection to the end of BLA therapy: all-cause mortality, escalation of and/or additional antimicrobial therapy for P. aeruginosa infection after 48 h of treatment with susceptible BLA due to worsening clinical status, or transfer to a higher level of care (i.e., the intensive care unit [ICU]). Analyses were adjusted for possible confounding with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Two-hundred patients were included (BLA TDM, n = 95; No-BLA TDM, n = 105). In IPTW-adjusted analysis of the primary composite endpoint, BLA TDM demonstrated a significant decrease in presumed treatment failure compared to No-BLA TDM (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.037, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.013 to 0.107]; P < 0.001). BLA TDM had more 30-, 60- and 90-day infection-related readmissions ([aOR], 11.301, 95% CI (3.595 to 35.516); aOR 10.389, 95% CI [2.496 to 43.239], and aOR 24.970, 95% CI [6.703 to 93.028]) in IPTW analyses. For both unadjusted and IPTW-adjusted cohorts, there was no significant difference in hospital and ICU length of stay, adverse effects while on BLA, or microbiological eradication between BLA TDM and No-BLA TDM. In hospitalized adult patients with P. aeruginosa PNA or BSI, the use of TDM-guided BLA infusions decreased the odds of presumed treatment failure compared to patients receiving BLA infusions without TDM guidance. Future studies should evaluate BLA TDM impact on readmission.

A Case Report of Melioidotic Prostatic Abscess in a Traveler.

A 48-year-old man who had returned from Panama 5 weeks prior presented with fever, dysuria, hematuria, flank pain, and suprapubic pain and was found to have a prostatic abscess. Abscess fluid obtained during transurethral drainage grew Burkholderia pseudomallei. Blood cultures remained negative, and imaging did not show any other visceral abscess. This presentation of primary prostatic melioidosis is extremely rare in this region.

Influence of Antimicrobial Stewardship and Molecular Rapid Diagnostic Tests on Antimicrobial Prescribing for Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase- and Carbapenemase-Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Bloodstream Infection.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of the Verigene BC-GN molecular rapid diagnostic test to standard antimicrobial stewardship practices (mRDT + ASP) decreased the time to optimal and effective antimicrobial therapy for patients with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)- and carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections (BSI) compared to conventional microbiological methods with ASP (CONV + ASP). This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study evaluating the time to optimal antimicrobial therapy in 5 years of patients with E. coli or K. pneumoniae BSI determined to be ESBL- or carbapenemase-producing by mRDT and/or CONV. Of the 378 patients included (mRDT + ASP, n = 164; CONV + ASP, n = 214), 339 received optimal antimicrobial therapy (mRDT + ASP, n = 161; CONV + ASP, n = 178), and 360 (mRDT + ASP, n = 163; CONV + ASP, n = 197) received effective antimicrobial therapy. The mRDT + ASP demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in the time to optimal antimicrobial therapy (20.5 h [interquartile range (IQR), 17.0 to 42.2 h] versus 50.1 h [IQR, 27.6 to 77.9 h]; P < 0.001) and the time to effective antimicrobial therapy (15.9 h [IQR, 1.9 to 25.7 h] versus 28.0 h [IQR, 9.5 to 56.7 h]; P < 0.001) compared to CONV + ASP, respectively. IMPORTANCE Our study supports the additional benefit of molecular rapid diagnostic test in combination with timely antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) intervention on shortening the time to both optimal and effective antimicrobial therapy in patients with ESBL- or carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections, compared to conventional microbiological methods and ASP. Gram-negative infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, often resulting in life-threatening organ dysfunction. Both resistance phenotypes confer resistance to many of our first-line antimicrobial agents with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales requiring novel beta-lactam and beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations or other susceptible non-beta-lactam antibiotics for treatment. National resistance trends in a cohort of hospitalized patients at U.S. hospitals during our study period demonstrate the increasing incidence of both resistance phenotypes, reinforcing the generalizability and timeliness of such analysis.

Cryptococcal meningitis presenting with acute hearing loss.

Reversible sensorineural hearing loss is a recognised complication of cryptococcal meningitis. Cryptococcal meningitis typically presents with usual symptoms of fever, headache and neck stiffness. This case highlights acute, profound, bilateral hearing loss as the initial symptom and presentation of cryptococcal meningitis in a young woman, who was later diagnosed with AIDS.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae: An Unexpected Cause of Polyarthritis and Meningitis.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a gram-negative coccus, is a major cause of morbidity among sexually active individuals. Hematogenous spread of N gonorrhoeae from the initial site of infection is thought to occur in only 0.5% to 3% of infected patients. Disseminated gonococcal infections can rarely lead to serious sequelae, such as endocarditis or meningitis. In this article, we present a case that demonstrates a rare finding of disseminated gonococcal infection leading to N gonorrhoeae meningitis, complicated by hydrocephalus. The patient in this case initially presented with intermittent polyarthralgias for two years and later developed a rash. Cultures from blood and joint aspirate were negative. Urine nucleic acid amplification test for N gonorrhoeae was also negative. He was initially started on steroids for what was believed at first to be an autoimmune polyarthritis. The patient later developed acute encephalopathy. Head imaging revealed hydrocephalus. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was consistent with bacterial meningitis. Blood, joint, and mucosal membrane studies failed to isolate the causative organism, but his cerebrospinal fluid grew N gonorrhoeae. He was treated with high-dose intravenous ceftriaxone for two weeks with rapid improvement in his mental status and resolution of his joint pains and rash.

Unusual aetiology of respiratory compromise in a patient with AIDS.

A 36-year-old African American man with no medical history presented with a recent history of cough and dyspnoea. Initial chest imaging revealed diffuse bilateral lung infiltrates. A subsequent HIV test resulted positive, and he was presumptively diagnosed with AIDS, later confirmed by a CD4 of 88 cells/mm3 Empiric therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was initiated for presumed Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. The patient's clinical status deteriorated despite treatment. Further workup with chest CT, bronchoscopy and skin biopsy led to a diagnosis of Kaposi sarcoma with pulmonary involvement. Highly active antiretroviral therapy therapy was initiated, along with plans to start chemotherapy. However, the patient's clinical status rapidly declined, leading to respiratory failure and eventual death. This case underlines the importance of maintaining a broad differential in immunocompromised patients presenting with respiratory symptoms.

Comparison of acute kidney injury in patients prescribed vancomycin in combination with piperacillin-tazobactam or cefepime for diabetic foot infections.

Concomitant therapy with vancomycin (VAN) and piperacillin-tazobactam (PTZ) has been associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). Diabetic patients may be more susceptible to AKI due to various factors. In an observational, retrospective, cohort study of adults treated for diabetic foot infections (DFIs), rates of AKI were compared between groups receiving VAN+PTZ versus VAN+cefepime (CFP). Among 356 patients screened for inclusion, 210 were analyzed. Forty-nine of 140 patients (35%) in the VAN+PTZ group and 5 of 70 patients (7%) in the VAN+CFP group developed AKI according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria (OR 7.00 (95% CI 2.64 to 18.53), p<0.001). After adjusting for baseline differences, VAN+PTZ was an independent predictor of AKI (OR 6.21 (95% CI 2.30 to 16.72), p<0.001). Time to AKI was 102.1 hours (IQR 47-152.7) in the VAN+PTZ group versus 78.3 hours (IQR 39.8-100.6) in the VAN+CFP group (p>0.999). Median length of stay was significantly higher in the VAN+PTZ group at 11.9 days (IQR 7.9-17.8) versus 7.8 days (IQR 4.9-12.1) in the VAN+CFP group (p<0.001). VAN+PTZ was also associated with higher total hospital charges at US$99,742.83 (IQR US$69,342.50-US$165,549.59) compared with US$74,260.25 (IQR US$48,446.88-US$107,396.99) in the VAN+CFP arm (p<0.001). In conclusion, VAN+CFP should be the preferred empiric regimen in patients with severe DFI.

Preanalytical Challenges During Capillary Fingerstick Sampling Preclude Its Widespread Use in Adult Hospitalized Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Patient compliance with laboratory testing is one of the most underrecognized challenges in developing a treatment plan for acute and chronically ill patients. The ability to offer alternatives to standard venipuncture blood draws would greatly increase a laboratory's ability to provide testing to patients and health care providers. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study on paired venous and fingerstick capillary blood samples from admitted patients undergoing vancomycin therapy. Paired specimens were analyzed for vancomycin and a basic metabolic panel (BMP: calcium, carbon dioxide, chloride, potassium, sodium, creatinine, glucose, serum urea nitrogen) on the core laboratory's automated chemistry and immunochemistry platforms. RESULTS: A total of 59 paired fingerstick and venous blood specimens from 56 unique inpatients were analyzed. Paired samples were comparable for all the analytes tested with the exception of bicarbonate and potassium, which were significantly different among the capillary sample group. Patients required multiple fingers be lanced in 15% of cases to obtain sufficient blood to carry out the testing. Capillary sample rejection rates due to insufficient volumes were as high as 30% in the initial 30 patients enrolled in the study. CONCLUSIONS: Vancomycin and the BMP, with the exception of potassium and bicarbonate, were determined to be analytically comparable. However, significant preanalytical issues should preclude laboratories and providers from more widespread adoption of fingerstick-derived capillary blood as an alternative sampling method except in the most extenuating of circumstances.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio as a screening marker for influenza infection.

Influenza outbreaks occur annually and account for significant morbidity and mortality. The overall burden of influenza infections, in the USA, for the 2017-2018 season, was an estimated 45 million cases, 810 000 hospitalizations and 61 000 deaths. Literature suggests that leukocyte count and differential, particularly lymphopenia and/or monocytosis, can provide diagnostic value for influenza infection. However, studies regarding these findings are limited in the adult population, particularly in the USA. The objective of this study was to determine if lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (L:M)<2 can be used as a screening marker for influenza infection. We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who presented to University of Florida Health, Jacksonville, a university-affiliated tertiary care center in Jacksonville, Florida, between January 2017 and December 2018, with 'influenza-like' symptoms and who were subsequently admitted to the hospital. Patients were divided into two cohorts, based on whether they had laboratory-confirmed influenza versus another confirmed upper respiratory tract viral infection (influenza-like illness (ILI)). L:M was compared between the two groups and was found to be lower in the influenza group compared with the ILI group (p<0.0001). Results of this study demonstrate that a L:M<2 has significant diagnostic value in the acute phase of influenza and can be used for earlier detection and management of this disease, in order to improve clinical outcomes.

Mosquito borne illness in a Floridian hiker.

Chikungunya is an arboviral infection that manifests as an acute viral illness associated with an inflammatory arthritis. It was first described during an outbreak in Tanzania in 1952 and, until 2013, outbreaks had been limited in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In late 2013, the first local transmission of Chikungunya was identified in Caribbean countries with subsequent spread throughout Central and South America. In 2019, the CDC reported 171 travel-associated cases of Chikungunya in the United States. As of October 2020, the CDC records 17 travel-associated cases of Chikungunya in six states including California, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. This is the first reported case of Chikungunya acquired in Florida with no international travel history.

A Rare Case of Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Masquerading as a Forehead Hematoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and can arise from any form of chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. With increasing rates of metabolic syndrome and obesity, it is not surprising that NASH is quickly becoming a leading cause of chronic liver disease and HCC in the western hemisphere (Wang and Malhi, 2018). Metastasis is usually found in advanced stages of the disease, owing to its poor prognosis. The lung, bone, and lymph nodes are the most frequent sites of metastasis (Balogh et al., 2016, and Becker et al., 2014). On the other hand, metastasis to the skin and cranium is relatively rare. Literature review reveals less than 10 reported cases in the last 10 years. Herein, we report an unusual case of a "forehead hematoma" leading to the formal diagnosis of metastatic HCC.

Clinical impact of a pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship initiative evaluating patients with Clostridioides difficile colitis.

Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of healthcare-associated infection and gastroenteritis-associated death in the USA. Adherence to guideline recommendations for treatment of severe C. difficile infection (CDI) is associated with improved clinical success and reduced mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine whether implementation of a pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) CDI initiative improved adherence to CDI treatment guidelines and clinical outcomes. This was a single-center, retrospective, quasi-experimental study evaluating patients with CDI before and after implementation of an ASP initiative involving prospective audit and feedback in which guideline-driven treatment recommendations were communicated to treatment teams and documented in the electronic health record via pharmacy progress notes for all patients diagnosed with CDI. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients treated with guideline adherent definitive regimens within 72 hours of CDI diagnosis. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the impact on clinical outcomes, including length of stay (LOS), infection-related LOS, 30-day readmission rates, and all-cause, in-hospital mortality. A total of 233 patients were evaluated. The proportion of patients on guideline adherent definitive CDI treatment regimen within 72 hours of diagnosis was significantly higher in the post-interventional group (pre: 42% vs post: 58%, p=0.02). No differences were observed in clinical outcomes or proportions of patients receiving laxatives, promotility agents, or proton pump inhibitors within 72 hours of diagnosis. Our findings demonstrate that a pharmacist-led stewardship initiative improved adherence to evidence-based practice guidelines for CDI treatment.

Rapidly progressive necrotizing cellulitis secondary to Candida tropicalis infection in an immunocompromised host.

The incidence of invasive fungal infection is increasing as the population of immunosuppressed patients grows. Many species that were previously thought to be benign are now known pathogens. The most commonly isolated organisms (>80 %) include Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus. However, there are several new and emerging organisms. The Non-albicans species of Candida are one of the emerging invasive fungal organisms that are beginning to affect high-risk patients such as those with bone marrow transplant, neutropenia, HIV/AIDS or on immunosuppressive therapy. We present a case of a patient who suffered with angioinvasive non-Albicans Candidal infection, leading to a life-threatening necrotizing cellulitis.

Multiple myeloma with extensive AL amyloidosis presenting as chronic diarrhoea.

We present a 52-year-old man admitted to the hospital with diarrhoea and lower extremity weakness ongoing for the past 3 months. The patient was found to have malabsorptive diarrhoea, hypoproliferative anaemia and renal insufficiency with proteinuria. Extensive workup was performed including a bone marrow biopsy with 20% plasma cells, renal and duodenal biopsies with Congo-red staining revealed amyloid deposition. The patient was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and amyloidosis with gastrointestinal, kidney and nerve involvement explaining his presentation with diarrhoea, renal insufficiency and weakness. Throughout his admission, there were incidental findings of asymptomatic hypoglycaemia (serum blood glucose <40 mg/dL), which was later found to be caused by anti-insulin monoclonal antibodies produced by the neoplastic plasma cells. This is an extremely rare manifestation of multiple myeloma with only a few cases reported in the literature.

Central nervous system nocardiosis masquerading as metastatic brain lesions.

Nocardiosis is an uncommon infection, however it needs to be included in the differential diagnosis, especially in immunocompromised hosts. Central nervous system (CNS) nocardiosis, in particular, is an even rarer entity with a higher mortality. This is a case of CNS Nocardia infection with an atypical presentation that was initially concerning for metastatic disease. In an immunocompromised patient with CNS findings, atypical infectious processes need to be considered. In a patient with concomitant pulmonary findings, an evaluation for Nocardia should be pursued as the lungs are the primary route of entry for this organism. Treatment typically involves a sulfonamide with secondary antibiotic agent, however a combination using meropenem has proved effective here.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pericarditis causing cardiac tamponade.

Community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an organism that can cause life threatening injuries with 6 cases of purulent pericarditis secondary to MRSA being reported so far. We report a 66 year-old -female who presented to our hospital with a two-week history of worsening shortness of breath, associated with pleuritic chest pain and chills. Patient was found to be positive for influenza type A virus two weeks prior to this presentation, but was never treated. Physical exam upon arrival showed muffled heart sounds and jugular venous distention. Electrocardiogram showed diffuse ST segment elevations along with PR segment depressions in anterolateral leads. She underwent emergent transthoracic echocardiogram that demonstrated a large pericardial effusion most noticeable around the right ventricle with impedance of right ventricle filling. Patient had a pericardial window performed and purulent fluid was drained. Pericardial fluid cultures grew MRSA. Patient was started on vancomycin along with colchicine for MRSA pericarditis and became hemodynamically stable. Pericarditis due to MRSA is extremely rare, especially in the antimicrobial era and in the absence of prior surgical interventions.