Infectious disease hotlines to provide advice to general practitioners: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Telephone hotlines in infectious diseases (ID) are part of antimicrobial stewardship programs designed to provide support and expertise in ID and to control antibiotic resistance. The aim of the study was to characterize the activity of the ID hotlines and estimate their usefulness for general practitioners (GPs). METHODS: This was a multicenter prospective observational study in different French regions. ID teams involved in antimicrobial stewardship with a hotline for GPs were asked to record their advice from April 2019 to June 2022. In these regions, all GPs were informed of the ID hotline's operating procedures. The main outcome was usage rate of the hotlines by GPs. RESULTS: Ten volunteer ID teams collected 4138 requests for advice from 2171 GPs. The proportion of GPs using the hotline varied pronouncedly by region, from 54% in the Isere department, to less than 1% in departments with the lowest usage. These differences were associated with the number of physicians in ID teams and with the age of the hotline. These results highlighted the value of working time as a means of ensuring the permanence of expertise. The main reasons for calling were: a diagnostic question (44%); choice of antibiotic (31%). The ID specialist provided advice on antibiotic therapy (43%) or a proposal for specialized consultation or hospitalization (11%). CONCLUSIONS: ID hotlines could help to strengthen cooperation between primary care and hospital medicine. However, the deployment and perpetuation of this activity require reflection concerning its institutional and financial support.

Multicenter evaluation of a syndromic rapid multiplex PCR test for early adaptation of antimicrobial therapy in adult patients with pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Improving timeliness of pathogen identification is crucial to allow early adaptation of antibiotic therapy and improve prognosis in patients with pneumonia. We evaluated the relevance of a new syndromic rapid multiplex PCR test (rm-PCR) on respiratory samples to guide empirical antimicrobial therapy in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and ventilator-acquired pneumonia (VAP). METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study was conducted in four French university hospitals. Respiratory samples were obtained from patients with clinical and radiological signs of pneumonia and simultaneously tested using conventional microbiological methods and the rm-PCR. A committee composed of an intensivist, a microbiologist, and an infectious diseases specialist retrospectively assessed all medical files and agreed on the most appropriate antimicrobial therapy for each pneumonia episode, according to the results of rm-PCR and blinded to the culture results. The rm-PCR-guided antimicrobial regimen was compared to the empirical treatment routinely administered to the patient in standard care. RESULTS: We included 159 pneumonia episodes. Most patients were hospitalized in intensive care units (n = 129, 81%), and episodes were HAP (n = 68, 43%), CAP (n = 54, 34%), and VAP (n = 37, 23%). Conventional culture isolated ≥ 1 microorganism(s) at significant level in 95 (60%) patients. The syndromic rm-PCR detected at least one bacteria in 132 (83%) episodes. Based on the results of the rm-PCR, the multidisciplinary committee proposed a modification of the empirical therapy in 123 (77%) pneumonia episodes. The modification was a de-escalation in 63 (40%), an escalation in 35 (22%), and undetermined in 25 (16%) patients. In microbiologically documented episodes (n = 95), the rm-PCR increased appropriateness of the empirical therapy to 83 (87%), as compared to 73 (77%) in routine care. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a syndromic rm-PCR test has the potential to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial exposure and increase the appropriateness of empirical antibiotic therapy in adult patients with pneumonia.

Microbiology and antibiotics after second-stage revision of periprosthetic joint infections: A two-year follow-up cohort.

BACKGROUND: Optimal duration of antimicrobial regimen after reimplantation of two-stage procedures for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is poorly standardized. The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics of reimplantation microbiology with 6 weeks (2nd stage positive culture) or 10 days (2nd stage negative culture) of antibiotics in patients with complex chronic PJI and factors associated with microbiology at reimplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective single-center study including all consecutive complex PJI recipients managed by two-stage surgery in a referral centre, from 2015 to 2018. Outcome was assessed at a minimum 2-year follow-up. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess predictors of reimplantation microbiology. RESULTS: Fifty patients (median age 69 [62-77] years) were included. PJI predominantly involved the hip (48%). The most common microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (36%), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (24%). At the second stage, reimplantation microbiology was positive for 10 patients (20%). Documentation was obtained within 48hours. With median follow-up of 41 [30-50] months after reimplantation, treatment failure occurred in 4 patients (8%). Using log-rank to compare Kaplan-Meier survival curves, no difference in the probability of treatment failure was found according to reimplantation microbiology (P=0.34). After adjustment, relapse was not associated with positive reimplantation microbiology (P=0.53). CONCLUSIONS: In this work, positive microbiology at reimplantation did not predict treatment failure. Rapid growth at post-reimplantation suggests that antibiotic use should not exceed 10 days when cultures are negative. Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy in case of negative microbiology.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize healthcare workers' (HCWs) intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by the beginning of the vaccine campaign in France. METHODS: Data were collected on a self-administered questionnaire through the website of a tertiary care center (February 9-18, 2021). RESULTS: Among 1,965 respondents, 1,436 (73.1%), 453 (23.1%), and 76 (3.9%) declared themselves in favor, hesitant, or against the COVID-19 vaccine: <60% of auxiliary nurses and technicians intended to be vaccinated, as compared to 60-79% of nurses and support staff, and>80% of medical staff. On multivariate analysis, age, occupation, flu vaccine history, and controversy over the AstraZeneca vaccine tolerability were independently associated with COVID-19 vaccine intention. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of vaccine hesitancy related to the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are similar among HCWs. Media communication on vaccine side effects have a dramatic effect on vaccine hesitancy. Efforts are requested to inform HCWs about the risk/benefit balance of COVID-19 vaccines.

2020 French recommendations on the management of septic arthritis in an adult native joint.

Septic arthritis (SA) in an adult native joint is a rare condition but a diagnostic emergency due to the morbidity and mortality and the functional risk related to structural damage. Current management varies and the recommendations available are dated. The French Rheumatology Society (SFR) Bone and Joint Infection Working Group, together with the French Language Infectious Diseases Society (SPILF) and the French Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Society (SOFCOT) have worked according to the HAS methodology to devise clinical practice recommendations to diagnose and treat SA in an adult native joint. One new focus is on the importance of microbiological documentation (blood cultures and joint aspiration) before starting antibiotic treatment, looking for differential diagnoses (microcrystal detection), the relevance of a joint ultrasound to guide aspiration, and the indication to perform a reference X-ray. A cardiac ultrasound is indicated only in cases of SA involving Staphylococcus aureus, oral streptococci, Streptococcus gallolyticus or Enterococcus faecalis, or when infective endocarditis is clinically suspected. Regarding treatment, we stress the importance of medical and surgical collaboration. Antibiotic therapies (drugs and durations) are presented in the form of didactic tables according to the main bacteria in question (staphylococci, streptococci and gram-negative rods). Probabilistic antibiotic therapy should only be used for patients with serious symptoms. Lastly, non-drug treatments such as joint drainage and early physical therapy are the subject of specific recommendations.

Improving the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis by the detection of Aspergillus in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid: Comparison of non-culture-based assays.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate new tools to diagnose invasive aspergillosis (IA) directly from broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) samples. METHODS: All consecutive patients with suspected IA who underwent bronchoscopy with BAL were prospectively included. Mycological culture and ELISA detection of galactomannan (GM) were performed on BAL. Two in-house and two marketed PCR assays were used on BAL DNA extracts to detect Aspergillus species. Susceptibility testing was performed after culture; marketed PCR assays detected mutations in the CYP51A gene associated to resistance. RESULTS: Within 3 years, 1555 BAL samples were processed, including 413 samples from 387 immunosuppressed patients. IA diagnosis was no-IA, possible, probable or proven IA in 326, 23, 37 and 1 patients, respectively. PCR assays sensitivity for Aspergillus detection ranged from 61% to 74%, below GM (87%), but contrasting with 47% for cultures. Combining PCR to EORTC/MSG criteria increased the sensitivity to 100%. Interestingly, tests performance in non-hematological patients ranged from 60% to 75%, and were higher than in hematological patients, and those with prior exposure to antifungals. All 16 isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus were susceptible; PCR did not detect any resistance marker in the 37 A. fumigatus PCR-positive samples. CONCLUSION: The molecular detection of Aspergillus directly in BAL samples greatly improved the diagnosis of IA, particularly in non-hematological patients.