Persisting transmission of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae due to an environmental reservoir in a university hospital, France, 2012 to 2014.

In France, the proportion of episodes of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) with no recent stay or hospitalisation abroad is increasing. In this study, we investigate epidemiological links between apparently unrelated cases of OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp OXA-48) colonisation or infection. We genotyped detected organisms by repetitive sequence-based PCR, and used a dynamic registry of cases and contacts to cross-reference patients' hospital stays. Between 1 November 2012 and 28 February 2014, 23 Kp OXA-48 cases were detected in a university hospital in Montpellier, of which 15 were involved in three outbreaks: outbreaks I and II occurred in November 2012 and outbreak III in October 2013. Molecular comparison of bacterial strains revealed clonal identity between cases involved in outbreaks II and III and four single cases. Cross-referencing of hospital stays revealed that these single cases and the index case of outbreak III had occupied the same room. Active case search among former occupants of that room found an additional Kp OXA-48 carrier. A clonal strain was isolated from the sink of that room. The epidemiological link between the contaminated room and outbreak II remained undetected. This study is a reminder that environmental reservoirs should be considered as a source of CPE transmission.

[Psychiatric disorders associated with high-dose methadone (>100 mg/d): a retrospective analysis of treated patients]. / Co-morbidités psychiatriques associées à des fortes posologies de méthadone (> 100 mg/j) : analyse rétrospective d'une cohorte de patients traités.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies show that high-dose methadone (>100 mg/d) allow a better control of the consumptions of illicit opiates by treated patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze data of patients requiring high-dose methadone (>100 mg/d) as well as associated factors. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed charts of treated patients with high-dose methadone followed in the maintenance methadone treatment center between 01/01/07 and 01/07/10. The following variables (medical history, psychiatric comorbidities, associated drugs, and polyaddictions), were assessed with high-dose methadone, using an univariate and then a multavariate analysis. The threshold value of 130 mg/day (median of maximal daily dose) was used to perform analysis. RESULTS: During the study period, 78 patients, mainly men (75.6%), with a median age of 34 years [22-57] were included. The both groups with posology of methadone ≤ 130 mg/d (n=44) versus posology of methadone >130 mg/d (n=34) were close in term of demographic characteristics, consumption of drugs and associated treatments. Plasma methadone concentrations were higher in patients with the daily doses of methadone superior than 130 mg/d (NS), as well as the methadone metabolite (EDDP, p=0.048). Among studied factors, the presence of psychiatric comorbidities was significantly associated with high-dose methadone (threshold 130 mg/d) [OR 4,6 IC 95% (1.412;14.925)]. Seven patients presented with complications related to methadone: cardiac disorder (3), libido troubles (3) and hypofertility (1). CONCLUSION: Patients requiring high-dose methadone are polydrug addicts. In our study, patients with psychiatric comorbidities needed daily dose of methadone significantly more raised.

Adverse reactions related to brentuximab vedotin use: A real-life retrospective study.

Post-marketing data regarding brentuximab vedotin (BV) are sparse. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and nature of significant adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in patients treated with BV in a real-world setting. We conducted a systematic retrospective study of patients treated with BV in a French university hospital. Significant ADRs were collected using the electronic patient records. Between January 2009 and December 2016, 39 patients received BV. Median age was 43.2 and 53.8% were males. Overall, 20 patients (51.3%) experienced at least one significant ADR and 24 reactions were reported in total. Twelve (50%) out of 24 ADRs were severe. The most frequently observed significant ADRs were peripheral sensory neuropathy and CMV reactivation. ADRs led to drug discontinuation for 4 patients and dose reduction for 6 patients. Only 29.2% of the events were spontaneously reported. Prospective monitoring is needed to better assess BV safety.

Prognosis of severe congenital heart diseases: Do we overestimate the impact of prenatal diagnosis?

BACKGROUND: Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) is controversial because of unclear benefits in terms of morbidity and mortality, and issues with healthcare costs and organization. AIM: To compare, in children with severe CHD, 1-year morbidity and mortality between prenatal and postnatal diagnosis groups. METHODS: All pregnancies and children aged<1 year with a diagnosis of severe CHD were collected over a 5-year period from our database. Severe CHDs were defined as lethal cases, cases leading to medical termination of pregnancy, or children requiring surgery and/or interventional catheterization and/or hospitalization during their first year of life. The primary endpoint was 1-year mortality rate among live births. RESULTS: Overall, 322 cases of severe CHD were identified; 200 had a prenatal diagnosis and there were 97 terminations of pregnancy. Of the 225 live births, 34 died before the age of 1 year. The 1-year mortality rate was not significantly different between prenatal and postnatal groups (16.7% vs. 13.9%; p=0.13). In the prenatal group, prostaglandin use was more important and precocious, duration of hospitalization stay was longer, extracardiac complications were less common and cardiac surgery was performed more frequently and later. An association with chromosomal or syndromic anomalies was a risk factor for 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal diagnosis of severe CHD had an impact on the decision regarding termination of pregnancy, but not on the 1-year prognosis among live births. We should now use large multicentre CHD registries to determine the impact of prenatal diagnosis on postnatal management, neurological prognosis and quality of life.

Complications with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) used in hospitalized patients and outpatients: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICCs) are widely used for hospitalized patients and among outpatients. Despite many advantages, PICC-related complications can occur such as infection, thrombosis or mechanical complications. We aimed to evaluate rates and nature of PICC-related complications from insertion to removal and analyze risk factors of complications at baseline and during healthcare. METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study looking at PICC-related complication rates in the inpatient and outpatient settings of 163 patients over a 7-month period. Pertinent patient demographics as well as catheter-related factors were collected. The data were analyzed to identify catheter-related complications using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-two PICCs were monitored for a total of 5218 PICC-days (3337 PICC-days for inpatients, 1881 PICC-days for outpatients). The overall complication rate was 30.2% (11.1 per 1000 PICC-days) with a mean time to onset of 16.1 days. Complications included occlusion (8.9%), accidental withdrawal (8.9%), infections (6.3%) including 9 local infections (4.7%) and 3 bloodstream infections (1.6%), venous thrombosis (1.6%) and hematoma (1%). Complication rate was higher in the hospitalization setting (36.1%; 14.38 per 1000 PICC-days) than in the outpatient setting (19.4%; 3.19 per 1000 PICC-days). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of occlusion was significantly associated with an age > 65 years (OR = 4.19; 95% CI [1.1-15.81]) and the presence of a pre-occlusive event the week before PICC removal (OR = 76.35; 95% CI [9.36-622.97]). CONCLUSIONS: PICCs appear safe in the inpatient and outpatient settings with low rates of infectious or thrombotic complications. Occlusion and accidental withdrawal were the most common complications, with age > 65 and catheter pre-occlusive event associated with an increased likelihood of catheter occlusion.

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium in asymptomatic patients under 30 years of age screened in a French sexually transmitted infections clinic.

BACKGROUND: An increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) has been noted in France over the past decade. Asymptomatic carriage may be high in patients infected with Chlamydia trachomatis attending free and anonymous screening centres (CDAG) and information, diagnosis and screening centres for STI (CIDDIST). In these centres, systematic C. trachomatis detection is recommended in women ≤25 years and in men ≤30 years. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at estimating the prevalence of C. trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium in asymptomatic patients younger than 30 years attending a CDAG-CIDDIST. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A free systematic screening for C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae and M. genitalium was offered to asymptomatic subjects under 30 years attending the Montpellier CDAG-CIDDIST from April to August 2009. Pathogens were identified by PCR in first void urine samples. RESULTS: Of the 1381 subjects included (53.8% women and 46.2% men), 105 (42.9% men and 57.1% women) tested positive for C. trachomatis (7.6%, 95% CI [6.3;9.13]); eight (seven men and one woman) tested positive for M. genitalium (0.58% [0.2;1]) of whom two were infected with C. trachomatis ; five (two men and three women) tested positive for N. gonorrhoeae (0.36% [0.1;0.8]) of whom three were infected with C. trachomatis. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the need for C. trachomatis screening in all patients under 30 years. Our results did not support a systematic screening for N. gonorrhoeae and M. genitalium in urine samples in this kind of facility.