Staphylococcus succinus Infective Endocarditis, France.

Infective endocarditis is a rare condition in humans and is associated with high illness and death rates. We describe a case of infective endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus succinus bacteria in France. We used several techniques for susceptibility testing for this case to determine the oxacillin profile.

Susceptibility to mycobacterial infection in VEXAS syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: VEXAS is a recently described acquired auto-inflammatory and hematologic syndrome caused by somatic mutations in UBA1. To date, VEXAS is not a recognized cause of acquired immunodeficiency. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two of our 10 VEXAS patients developed a disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection. To shed light on this observation, we retrospectively studied all patients with disseminated non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections (NTMi) seen at our institution over 13 years. Inclusion criteria were a positive blood/bone marrow culture, or 2 positive cultures from distinct sites, or one positive culture with 2 involved sites. RESULTS: patient 1 presented with fever, rash, orbital cellulitis and lung infiltrates. Patient 2 presented with fever and purpura. In both cases, Mycobacterium avium was identified on bone marrow culture. Twenty cases of disseminated NTMi were reviewed. Among 11 HIV-negative patients, three had chronic immune-mediated disease; three had untreated myeloid neoplasm; two had VEXAS; one had undergone kidney transplantation; one had GATA-2 deficiency; and one had no identified aetiology. None had lymphoid neoplasia or had undergone bone marrow transplantation. HIV-negative cases had higher CD4 counts than HIV-positive patients (median CD4: 515/mm3  vs 38/mm3, p< 0.001). Monocytopenia was present in seven cases. At 2 years, six patients had died, including both VEXAS patients. DISCUSSION: VEXAS patients have an intrinsic susceptibility to disseminated NTMi, which may result from monocytic dysfunction. NTMi can mimic VEXAS flare. Clinicians should maintain a high suspicion for opportunistic infections before escalating immunosuppressive therapy. Further studies are needed to confirm and better decipher the herein reported observations.

Development and validation of a dosing nomogram for continuous infusion cloxacillin in infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Cloxacillin is the first-line treatment for methicillin-susceptible staphylococcal infective endocarditis (IE). The recommended dose is 12 g per day regardless of the patient characteristics, despite the importance of renal function on its pharmacokinetics. OBJECTIVES: We sought to build a population pharmacokinetics model of continuous infusion cloxacillin in IE patients to evaluate the influence of multiple covariates and then develop a nomogram based on significant covariates for individual adaptation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included patients of a local IE cohort who were treated with cloxacillin administered by continuous infusion, excluding those who received intermittent or continuous dialysis, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or extracorporeal circulation. The population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using Pmetrics. The influence of weight, ideal weight, height, body mass index, body surface area, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) calculated with the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula (both expressed in mL/min/1.73 m² and in mL/min) and serum protein level on cloxacillin pharmacokinetics was assessed. Accounting for relevant covariates, a dosing nomogram was developed to determine the optimal daily dose required to achieve a steady-state plasma concentration range of 20-50 mg/L with a probability ≥0.9. RESULTS: A total of 114 patients (331 plasma concentrations) were included. A one-compartment model including GFR expressed in mL/min as a covariate was chosen. Using the nomogram, achieving the cloxacillin concentration target requires a daily dose ranging from 3.5 to 13.1 g for a GFR ranging from 20 to 125 mL/min. CONCLUSIONS: This work provided a practical tool for cloxacillin dose adjustment in IE according to renal function.

A case report of unilateral cerebral vasculitis in adults: keep in mind Lyme neuroborreliosis.

BACKGROUND: Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), due to infection of the nervous system by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, occurs in 15% of Lyme disease cases. However, neurovascular involvement is uncommon, especially recurrent stroke related to cerebral vasculitis in the absence of CSF pleocytosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 58-year-old man without any medical history who exhibited recurrent strokes in the same vascular territory (left internal carotid). Multiple biological screening, neuroimaging methods, and cardiovascular examinations failed to provide a diagnosis and treatment that could have prevented recurrences. Finally, B. burgdorferi sensu lato serology testing in blood and cerebrospinal fluid enabled diagnosis of LNB, in relation to a cerebral vasculitis. The patient experienced no further stroke after four weeks of doxycycline treatment. CONCLUSION: B. burgdorferi central nervous system infection must be considered in case of unexplained recurrent and/or multiple strokes, especially if cerebral vasculitis is suspected or demonstrated on neuroimaging.

Epidemiology and Clinical Impact of Respiratory Coinfections at Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The role of respiratory coinfections at diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PcP) on clinical impact has been underestimated. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted January 2011 to April 2019 to evaluate respiratory coinfections at diagnosis of PcP patients in 2 tertiary care hospitals. Coinfection was defined by identification of pathogens from P. jirovecii-positive samples. RESULTS: Of 7882 respiratory samples tested for P. jirovecii during the 8-year study, 328 patients with diagnosis of PcP were included. Mean age was 56.7 (SD 14.9) years, 193 (58.8%) were male, 74 (22.6%) had positive HIV serology, 125 (38.1%) had viral coinfection, 76 (23.2%) bacterial coinfection, and 90-day mortality was 25.3%. In the overall population, 90-day mortality was independently associated with solid tumor underlying disease (odds ratio [OR], 11.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.90-78.0; P = .008), sepsis-related organ failure assessment score (SOFA) at admission (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.34-2.05; P< .001), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) respiratory coinfection (OR, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.24-2.90; P = .02). Among HIV-negative patients, respiratory CMV coinfection was associated with worse prognosis, especially when treated with adjunctive corticosteroid therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory CMV coinfection at PcP diagnosis was independently associated with increased 90-day mortality, specifically in HIV-negative patients.

Safety and risk of febrile recurrence after early antibiotic discontinuation in high-risk neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies: a multicentre observational study.

BACKGROUND: Early antibiotic discontinuation according to the Fourth European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL-4) recommendations is not systematically applied in high-risk neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies. METHODS: A retrospective multicentre observational study was conducted over 2 years to evaluate the safety of early antibiotic discontinuation for fever of unknown origin (FUO) during neutropenia after induction chemotherapy or HSCT, in comparison with a historical cohort. We used Cox proportional hazards models, censored on neutropenia resolution, to analyse factors associated with febrile recurrence. RESULTS: Among 147 included patients in the ECIL-4 cohort, mainly diagnosed with acute leukaemia (n = 104, 71%), antibiotics were discontinued during 170 post-chemotherapy neutropenic episodes. In comparison with the historical cohort of 178 episodes of neutropenia without antibiotic discontinuation, no significant differences were observed regarding febrile recurrences [71.2% (121/170) versus 71.3% (127/178), P = 0.97], admission in ICUs [6.5% (11/170) versus 11.2% (20/178), P = 0.17], septic shock [0.6% (1/170) versus 3.9% (7/178), P = 0.07] and 30 day mortality [1.4% (2/147) versus 2.7% (4/150), P = 0.084]. In the ECIL-4 cohort, the rate of bacteraemia in case of febrile recurrence was higher [27.1% (46/170) versus 11.8% (21/178), P < 0.01] and antibiotic consumption was significantly lower (15.5 versus 19.9 days, P < 0.001). After early antibiotic discontinuation according to ECIL-4 recommendations, enterocolitis was associated with febrile recurrence [HR = 2.31 (95% CI = 1.4-3.8), P < 0.001] and stage III-IV oral mucositis with bacteraemia [HR = 2.26 (95% CI = 1.22-4.2), P = 0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: After an FUO episode in high-risk neutropenia, compliance with ECIL-4 recommendations for early antibiotic discontinuation appears to be safe and mucosal damage was associated with febrile recurrence and bacteraemia. Prospective interventional studies are warranted to assess this strategy in high-risk neutropenic patients.

Is Rifampin Use Associated With Better Outcome in Staphylococcal Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis? A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: International guidelines recommend rifampin-based combinations for staphylococcal prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). However, no robust clinical data support this recommendation, and rifampin tolerability is an issue. We aimed to evaluate the impact of rifampin for the treatment of staphylococcal PVE. METHODS: An observational retrospective cohort study of all adults with staphylococcal PVE (modified Duke criteria) was conducted in 3 referral centers for endocarditis, during years 2000-2018. Primary outcome measurement was 1-year mortality. RESULTS: We enrolled 180 patients with PVE due to Staphylococcus aureus (n = 114, 63.3%), or coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 66, 36.7%), on bioprosthesis (n = 111, 61.7%), mechanical valve (n = 67, 37.2%), or both (n = 2). There were 132 males (73.3%), and mean age was 70.4 ± 12.4 years. Valvular surgery was performed in 51/180 (28.3%) cases. Despite all isolates were susceptible to rifampin, only 101 (56.1%) were treated with rifampin, for a median duration of 33.0 days, whereas 79 (43.9%) received no rifampin. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. One-year mortality was, respectively, 37.6% (38/101), and 31.6% (25/79), in patients treated with, or without, rifampin (P = .62). Relapse rates were 5.9% (6/101), and 8.9% (7/79), P = .65. Patients treated with rifampin had longer hospital length-of-stay: 42.3 ± 18.6 vs 31.3 ± 14.0 days (P < .0001). On multivariate analysis, only cerebral emboli (odds ratio [OR] 2.95, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-6.70, P = .009), definite endocarditis (OR 7.15, 95% CI, 1.47-34.77, P = .018), and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (OR 6.04, 95% CI, 1.34-27.26, P = .019), were associated with 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion (43.9%) of staphylococcal PVE received no rifampin. One-year survival and relapse rates were similar in patients treated with or without rifampin.

Long-term Outcome of Patients With Nonoperated Prosthetic Valve Infective Endocarditis: Is Relapse the Main Issue?

In nonoperated prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE), long-term outcome is largely unknown. We report the follow-up of 129 nonoperated patients with PVE alive at discharge. At 1 year, the mortality rate was 24%; relapses and reinfection were rare (5% each). Enterococcal PVE was associated with a higher risk of relapse.

Development and validation of a dosing nomogram for amoxicillin in infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Amoxicillin is the first-line treatment for streptococcal or enterococcal infective endocarditis (IE) with a dose regimen adapted to weight. OBJECTIVES: Covariates influencing pharmacokinetics (PK) of amoxicillin were identified in order to develop a dosing nomogram based on identified covariates for individual adaptation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients treated with amoxicillin administered by continuous infusion for IE were included retrospectively. The population PK analysis was performed using the Pmetrics package for R (NPAG algorithm). Influence of weight, ideal weight, height, BMI, body surface area, glomerular filtration rate adapted to the body surface area and calculated by the CKD-EPI method (mL/min), additional ceftriaxone treatment and serum protein level on amoxicillin PK was tested. A nomogram was then developed to determine the daily dose needed to achieve a steady-state free plasma concentration above 4× MIC, 100% of the time, without exceeding a total plasma concentration of 80 mg/L. RESULTS: A total of 160 patients were included. Population PK analysis was performed on 540 amoxicillin plasma concentrations. A two-compartment model best described amoxicillin PK and the glomerular filtration rate covariate significantly improved the model when included in the calculation of the elimination constant Ke. CONCLUSIONS: This work allowed the development of a dosing nomogram that can help to increase achievement of the PK/pharmacodynamic targets in IE treated with amoxicillin.

Complete post-mortem data in a fatal case of COVID-19: clinical, radiological and pathological correlations.

A 75-year-old man presented to a French hospital with a 4-day fever after returning from a coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) cluster region. A reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction test was positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) using a nasopharyngeal swab sample. After he returned home and a telephone follow-up, he was found deceased 9 days after first showing symptoms. Whole-body, non-enhanced, post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) and a forensic autopsy were performed approximately 48 h after death, with sanitary precautions. The PMCT showed bilateral and diffuse crazy-paving lung opacities, with bilateral pleural effusions. Post-mortem virology studies detected the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1 lineage) in the nasopharynx, plasma, lung biopsies, pleural effusion and faeces confirming the persistence of viral ribonucleic acid 48 h after death. Microscopic examination showed that severe lung damage was responsible for his death. The main abnormality was diffuse alveolar damage, associated with different stages of inflammation and fibrosis. This case is one of the first to describe complete post-mortem data for a COVID-19 death and highlights the ability of PMCT to detect severe involvement of the lungs before autopsy in an apparently natural death. The present pathology results are concordant with previously reported findings and reinforce the disease pathogenesis hypothesis of combined viral replication with an inappropriate immune response.

Systematic assessment of venous thromboembolism in COVID-19 patients receiving thromboprophylaxis: incidence and role of D-dimer as predictive factors.

Coagulopathy in COVID-19 is a burning issue and strategies to prevent thromboembolic events are debated and highly heterogeneous. The objective was to determine incidence and risk factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in COVID-19 inpatients receiving thromboprophylaxis. In this retrospective French cohort study, patients hospitalized in medical wards non-ICU with confirmed COVID-19 and adequate thromboprophylaxis were included. A systematic low limb venous duplex ultrasonography was performed at hospital discharge or earlier if deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was clinically suspected. Chest angio-CT scan was performed when pulmonary embolism (PE) was suspected. Of 71 patients, 16 developed VTE (22.5%) and 7 PE (10%) despite adequate thromboprophylaxis. D-dimers at baseline were significantly higher in patients with DVT (p < 0.001). Demographics, comorbidities, disease manifestations, severity score, and other biological parameters, including inflammatory markers, were similar in patients with and without VTE. The negative predictive value of a baseline D-dimer level < 1.0 µg/ml was 90% for VTE and 98% for PE. The positive predictive value for VTE was 44% and 67% for D-dimer level ≥ 1.0 µg/ml and ≥ 3 µg/ml, respectively. The association between D-dimer level and VTE risk increased by taking into account the latest available D-dimer level prior to venous duplex ultrasonography for the patients with monitoring of D-dimer. Despite thromboprophylaxis, the risk of VTE is high in COVID-19 non-ICU inpatients. Increased D-dimer concentrations of more than 1.0 µg/ml predict the risk of venous thromboembolism. D-dimer level-guided aggressive thromboprophylaxis regimens using higher doses of heparin should be evaluated in prospective studies.

Risk-benefit Assessment of Systematic Thoracoabdominal-pelvic Computed Tomography in Infective Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: In the management of infective endocarditis (IE), the presence of extracardiac complications has an influence on both diagnosis and treatment. Current guidelines suggest that systematic thoracoabdominal-pelvic computed tomography (TAP-CT) may be helpful. Our objective was to describe how systematic TAP-CT affects the diagnosis and the management of IE. METHODS: In this multicenter cohort study, between January 2013 and July 2016 we included consecutive patients who had definite or possible IE according to the Duke modified criteria, validated by endocarditis teams. We analyzed whether the Duke classification and therapeutic management were modified regarding the presence or the absence of IE-related lesion on CT and investigated the tolerance of this examination. RESULTS: Of the 522 patients included in this study, 217 (41.6%) had 1 or more IE-related lesions. On the basis of CT results in asymptomatic patients, diagnostic classification was upgraded from possible endocarditis to definite endocarditis for only 4 cases (0.8%). The presence of IE-related lesions on CT did not modify the duration of antibiotic treatment (P = .55), nor the decision of surgical treatment (P = .39). Specific treatment of the lesion was necessary in 42 patients (8.0%), but only 9 of these lesions (1.9%) were asymptomatic and diagnosed only on the TAP-CT. Acute kidney injury (AKI) within 5 days of CT was observed in 78 patients (14.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The TAP-CT findings slightly affected diagnosis and treatment of IE in a very small proportion of asymptomatic patients. Furthermore, contrast media should be used with caution because of the high risk of AKI.

High-Dosage Cefazolin Achieves Sufficient Cerebrospinal Diffusion To Treat an External Ventricular Drainage-Related Staphylococcus aureus Ventriculitis.

A patient received continuous infusion of cefazolin 10 g then 8 g daily for an external ventricular drainage-related methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) ventriculitis. Median free concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid were 11.9 and 6.1 mg/liter after 10- and 8-g doses, respectively. Free concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid were always above the MIC usually displayed by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates. These results support the use of high-dose cefazolin to achieve sufficient meningeal concentrations.

Comparative effectiveness of empirical antibiotic treatments in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis: A post hoc analysis of a prospective French cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The empirical treatment of infective endocarditis is still debated. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of empirical treatment with antistaphylococcal penicillin (ASP) or cefazolin vs. other treatments in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) endocarditis. METHODS: A post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study of patients hospitalized in a French reference centre with MSSA endocarditis was conducted between 2013 and 2022. The primary outcome was the duration of bacteraemia under treatment. RESULTS: Of the 208 patients included, 101 patients (48.6%) were classified in the reference group (ASP or cefazolin) and 107 (52.4%) in the non-reference group. Empirical treatment with ASP/cefazolin was associated with a shorter duration of bacteraemia compared to other treatments (3.6 d vs. 4.6 d, P = 0.01). This difference was not corrected by the addition of an aminoglycoside (3.6 d vs. 4.7 d, P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, empirical treatment with ASP/cefazolin was associated with a duration of bacteraemia ≤72 h (P = 0.02), whereas endocarditis on native valves (P = 0.01), and intracardiac abscess were associated with longer duration of bacteraemia (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Empirical treatment of endocarditis with ASP or Cefazolin is more effective than other treatments in MSSA endocarditis, even when the other treatments are combined with aminoglycosides.

Septic arthritis of the facet joint is also a severe vertebral infection: A multicenter retrospective study of 65 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Septic arthritis of the Facet Joints (SAFJ) is a rare condition. Little data has been published on the subject. We aimed to describe the clinical, biological and imagery presentations, as well as the course of this rare infection. METHODS: We included patients hospitalized between January 1st, 2016 and December 31th, 2019, in the Departments of Infectious Diseases or Rheumatology in 5 French centres in the CRIOGO network. We defined septic arthritis according to Newman's criteria and facet joint arthritis using imagery. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients were included, predominantly males (64.6%), with a mean age of 68.1 years. The mean time to diagnosis was 25.0 days. The principal symptoms at diagnosis were acute back pain (95.2%) and fever (76.9%). Neurological symptoms were present for 60.7% of the patients, including 16.4% motor deficit or cauda equina syndrome. SAFJ was located on the lumbosacral spine (73.4%) and was rarely multifocal (4.7%). Bacteriological identification was performed by blood cultures in 84.4% of the cases, and the pathogen was mainly Staphylococcus aureus (49.2%). Infective endocarditis was present for 26.9% of patients assessed by echocardiography. On MRI, soft tissue abscess or inflammation, epiduritis and epidural abscess were present in 87.1%, 66.7% and 33.9% of cases, and the pathogen was significantly more frequently Staphylococcus aureus. Mortality reached 9.2%, 18.5% and 23% at one, two, and three years respectively. CONCLUSION: SAFJ is a rare but severe disease. Microbiological diagnosis is primarily made on blood cultures, and S. Aureus was the main pathogen. Our results highlight the fact that SAFJ is associated with high morbidity and mortality, and with infective endocarditis.

Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra Trace Results: Decision Support for the Treatment of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in Low TB Burden Countries.

OBJECTIVES: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) can be difficult to diagnose, especially in severe forms. The Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra test introduced an additional category called trace to reference very small amounts of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) DNA. The objective of our multicenter study was to evaluate whether the trace result on an extrapulmonary (EP) sample is a sufficient argument to consider diagnosing tuberculosis and starting treatment, even in severe cases. METHODS: A retrospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted from 2018 to 2022. Patients strongly suspected of EPTB with a trace result on an EP specimen were included. Hospital records were reviewed for clinical, treatment, and paraclinical data. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients were included, with a severe form in 22/52 (42.3%) cases. Culture was positive for MTBC in 33/46 (71.7%) cases. Histological analysis showed granulomas in 36/45 (80.0%) cases. An Ultra trace result with a presumptive diagnosis of TB led to the decision to treat 41/52 (78.8%) patients. All patients were started on first-line anti-TB therapy (median duration of 6.1 months), with a favorable outcome in 31/35 (88.6%) patients. The presence of a small amount of MTBC genome in EPTB is a sufficient argument to treat patients across a large region of France.

18F-FDG-Based Radiomics and Machine Learning: Useful Help for Aortic Prosthetic Valve Infective Endocarditis Diagnosis?

BACKGROUND: Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) results in better sensitivity for prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) diagnosis, but visual image analysis results in relatively weak specificity and significant interobserver variability. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a radiomics and machine learning-based analysis of 18F-FDG PET/CT (PET-ML) as a major criterion for the European Society of Cardiology score using machine learning as a major imaging criterion (ESC-ML) in PVE diagnosis. The secondary objective was to assess performance of PET-ML as a standalone examination. METHODS: All 18F-FDG-PET/CT scans performed for suspected aortic PVE at a single center from 2015 to 2021 were retrospectively included. The gold standard was expert consensus after at least 3 months' follow-up. The machine learning (ML) method consisted of manually segmenting each prosthetic valve, extracting 31 radiomics features from the segmented region, and training a ridge logistic regressor to predict PVE. Training and hyperparameter tuning were done with a cross-validation approach, followed by an evaluation on an independent test database. RESULTS: A total of 108 patients were included, regardless of myocardial uptake, and were divided into training (n = 68) and test (n = 40) cohorts. Considering the latter, PET-ML findings were positive for 13 of 22 definite PVE cases and 3 of 18 rejected PVE cases (59% sensitivity, 83% specificity), thus leading to an ESC-ML sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 83%. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ML for analyzing 18F-FDG-PET/CT images in PVE diagnosis was feasible and beneficial, particularly when ML was included in the ESC 2015 criteria. Despite some limitations and the need for future developments, this approach seems promising to optimize the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in PVE diagnosis.