Bothnian Bay Life : BAT Information Exchange System

Regional environmental publications 356A system for co-operation and information exchange regarding best available techniques (BAT) between countries, industries and municipalities around the Bothnian Bay has been set up. This BATIES system was achieved through the development and implementation of an information exchange system that acts as a hub of knowledge for the monitoring and application of best available techniques. The information exchange system is based on a database. Information from the database is provided via a web-interface on the internet. Information provided in the database includes general data about the participating companies from the metal industry and the processes used at these companies, data on permits and emissions and general data about best available techniques for the used processes. It is also possible to compare permits for different parameters. An e-mail list of the project participants is available as well. The acce s to the information is password protected. Information on BAT has been collected from IPPC BREF documents. Information on the plants was collected during plant visits and by phone and e-mail contacts. The system can be further developed in the future. It would be especially interesting to integrate BAT and company information from other industrial branches as well. An integrated reporting system would make it easier for companies to avoid double reporting to both the BATIES system and the national authorities that control the permits. The BAT database puts large amount of BAT information of existing industrial plants into a simple and easily accessible form and especially the “local measures” part of it offers additional and useful information in reference to BREFs and other BAT sources. Evident interest to exchange BAT information regionally, and on a practical level, exists. The network that was created during the project between the different operators in the metal industry and the authorities around Bothnian Bay built a good and natural basis for this purpose

Invasive Candida infections in surgical patients in intensive care units: a prospective, multicentre survey initiated by the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) (2006-2008)

Item does not contain fulltextA prospective, observational, multicentre study of invasive candidosis (IC) in surgical patients in intensive care units (ICUs) was conducted from 2006 to 2008 in 72 ICUs in 14 European countries. A total of 779 patients (62.5% males, median age 63 years) with IC were included. The median rate of candidaemia was 9 per 1000 admissions. In 10.8% the infection was already present at the time of admission to ICU. Candida albicans accounted for 54% of the isolates, followed by Candida parapsilosis 18.5%, Candida glabrata 13.8%, Candida tropicalis 6%, Candida krusei 2.5%, and other species 5.3%. Infections due to C. krusei (57.9%) and C. glabrata (43.6%) had the highest crude mortality rate. The most common preceding surgery was abdominal (51.5%), followed by thoracic (20%) and neurosurgery (8.2%). Candida glabrata was more often isolated after abdominal surgery in patients >/=60 years, and C. parapsilosis was more often isolated in neurosurgery and multiple trauma patients as well as children /=60 years (hazard ratio (HR) 1.9, p 0.001), central venous catheter (HR 1.8, p 0.05), corticosteroids (HR 1.5, p 0.03), not receiving systemic antifungal treatment for IC (HR 2.8, p <0.0001), and not removing intravascular lines (HR 1.6, p 0.02)

Invasive Candida infections in surgical patients in intensive care units: A prospective, multicentre survey initiated by the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) (2006-2008)

A prospective, observational, multicentre study of invasive candidosis (IC) in surgical patients in intensive care units (ICUs) was conducted from 2006 to 2008 in 72 ICUs in 14 European countries. A total of 779 patients (62.5% males, median age 63 years) with IC were included. The median rate of candidaemia was 9 per 1000 admissions. In 10.8% the infection was already present at the time of admission to ICU. Candida albicans accounted for 54% of the isolates, followed by Candida parapsilosis 18.5%, Candida glabrata 13.8%, Candida tropicalis 6%, Candida krusei 2.5%, and other species 5.3%. Infections due to C.krusei (57.9%) and C.glabrata (43.6%) had the highest crude mortality rate. The most common preceding surgery was abdominal (51.5%), followed by thoracic (20%) and neurosurgery (8.2%). Candida glabrata was more often isolated after abdominal surgery in patients ≥60 years, and C.parapsilosis was more often isolated in neurosurgery and multiple trauma patients as well as children ≤1 year of age. The most common first-line treatment was fluconazole (60%), followed by caspofungin (18.7%), liposomal amphotericin B (13%), voriconazole (4.8%) and other drugs (3.5%). Mortality in surgical patients with IC in ICU was 38.8%. Multivariate analysis showed that factors independently associated with mortality were: patient age ≥60 years (hazard ratio (HR) 1.9, p 0.001), central venous catheter (HR 1.8, p 0.05), corticosteroids (HR 1.5, p 0.03), not receiving systemic antifungal treatment for IC (HR 2.8, p &lt;0.0001), and not removing intravascular lines (HR 1.6, p 0.02). © 2014 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases