Major trends in the microbial etiology of nosocomial infection

To determine trends in the microbial etiology of nosocomial infections in the 1980s, surveillance data on the microbiology of documented nosocomial infection reported to the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System and from the University of Michigan Hospital were analyzed. Antimicrobial susceptibility data on selected pathogens from both sources were also reviewed. Overall, Escherichia coli decreased from 23% of infections in 1980 to 16% in 1986-1989, Klebsiella pneumoniae dropped from 7% to 5%, whereas coagulase negative staphylococci increased from 4% to 9% and Candida albicans increased from 2% to 5%. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species and enterococci had minor increases, but antimicrobial resistant strains for these pathogens as well as coagulase-negative staphylococci were seen more frequently. In contrast to the 1970s, major shifts in the etiology of nosocomial infection have occurred in the decade of the 1980s. Taken as a whole, the shifts are away from more easily treated pathogens toward more resistant pathogens with fewer options for therapy. These shifts underscore the continued need for prevention and control to accompany new developments in therapy.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29131/1/0000170.pd

Differential Service Utilization Associated With Trauma-informed Integrated Treatment for Women With Co-occurring Disorders

Women with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and trauma histories vary greatly in symptom severity and use of support services. This study estimated differential effects of an integrated treatment intervention (IT) across sub-groups of women in this population on services utilization outcomes. Data from a national study were used to cluster participants by symptoms and service utilization, and then estimate the effect of IT versus usual care on 12-month service utilization for each sub-group. The intervention effect varied significantly across groups, in particular indicating relative increases in residential treatment utilization associated with IT among women with predominating trauma and substance abuse symptoms. Understanding how IT influences service utilization for different groups of women in this population with complex needs is an important step toward achieving an optimal balance between need for treatment and service utilization, which can ultimately improve outcomes and conserve resources

Precision dosing-based optimisation of paroxetine during pregnancy for poor and ultrarapid CYP2D6 metabolisers:a virtual clinical trial pharmacokinetics study

Objective: Paroxetine has been demonstrated to undergo gestation-related reductions in plasma concentrations, to an extent which is dictated by the polymorphic state of CYP 2D6. However, knowledge of appropriate dose titrations is lacking. Methods: A pharmacokinetic modelling approach was applied to examine gestational changes in trough plasma concentrations for CYP 2D6 phenotypes, followed by necessary dose adjustment strategies to maintain paroxetine levels within a therapeutic range of 20–60 ng/ml. Key findings: A decrease in trough plasma concentrations was simulated throughout gestation for all phenotypes. A significant number of ultrarapid (UM) phenotype subjects possessed trough levels below 20 ng/ml (73–76%) compared to extensive metabolisers (EM) (51–53%). Conclusions: For all phenotypes studied, there was a requirement for daily doses in excess of the standard 20 mg dose throughout gestation. For EM, a dose of 30 mg daily in trimester 1 followed by 40 mg daily in trimesters 2 and 3 is suggested to be optimal. For poor metabolisers (PM), a 20 mg daily dose in trimester 1 followed by 30 mg daily in trimesters 2 and 3 is suggested to be optimal. For UM, a 40 mg daily dose throughout gestation is suggested to be optimal

Is group cognitive behaviour therapy for postnatal depression evidence-based practice? A systematic review

Background: There is evidence that psychological therapies including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) may be effective in reducing postnatal depression (PND) when offered to individuals. In clinical practice, this is also implemented in a group therapy format, which, although not recommended in guidelines, is seen as a cost-effective alternative. To consider the extent to which group methods can be seen as evidence-based, we systematically review and synthesise the evidence for the efficacy of group CBT compared to currently used packages of care for women with PND, and we discuss further factors which may contribute to clinician confidence in implementing an intervention. Methods: Seventeen electronic databases were searched. All full papers were read by two reviewers and a third reviewer was consulted in the event of a disagreement on inclusion. Selected studies were quality assessed, using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, were data extracted by two reviewers using a standardised data extraction form and statistically synthesised where appropriate using the fixed-effect inverse-variance method. Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses showed group CBT to be effective in reducing depression compared to routine primary care, usual care or waiting list groups. A pooled effect size of d = 0.57 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.80, p < 0.001) was observed at 10–13 weeks post-randomisation, reducing to d = 0.28 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.53, p = 0.025) at 6 months. The non-randomised comparisons against waiting list controls at 10–13 weeks was associated with a larger effect size of d = 0.94 (95% CI 0.42 to 1.47, p < 0.001). However due to the limitations of the available data, such as ill-specified definitions of the CBT component of the group programmes, these results should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions: Although the evidence available is limited, group CBT was shown to be effective. We argue, therefore, that there is sufficient evidence to implement group CBT, conditional upon routinely collected outcomes being benchmarked against those obtained in trials of individual CBT, and with other important factors such as patient preference, clinical experience, and information from the local context taken into account when making the treatment decision

Serratamolide is a hemolytic factor produced by Serratia marcescens

Serratia marcescens is a common contaminant of contact lens cases and lenses. Hemolytic factors of S. marcescens contribute to the virulence of this opportunistic bacterial pathogen. We took advantage of an observed hyper-hemolytic phenotype of crp mutants to investigate mechanisms of hemolysis. A genetic screen revealed that swrW is necessary for the hyper-hemolysis phenotype of crp mutants. The swrW gene is required for biosynthesis of the biosurfactant serratamolide, previously shown to be a broad-spectrum antibiotic and to contribute to swarming motility. Multicopy expression of swrW or mutation of the hexS transcription factor gene, a known inhibitor of swrW expression, led to an increase in hemolysis. Surfactant zones and expression from an swrW-transcriptional reporter were elevated in a crp mutant compared to the wild type. Purified serratamolide was hemolytic to sheep and murine red blood cells and cytotoxic to human airway and corneal limbal epithelial cells in vitro. The swrW gene was found in the majority of contact lens isolates tested. Genetic and biochemical analysis implicate the biosurfactant serratamolide as a hemolysin. This novel hemolysin may contribute to irritation and infections associated with contact lens use. © 2012 Shanks et al

Surgical site infections in Italian Hospitals: a prospective multicenter study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Surgical site infections (SSI) remain a major clinical problem in terms of morbidity, mortality, and hospital costs. Nearly 60% of SSI diagnosis occur in the postdischarge period. However, literature provides little information on risk factors associated to in-hospital and postdischarge SSI occurrence. A national prospective multicenter study was conducted with the aim of assessing the incidence of both in-hospital and postdisharge SSI, and the associated risk factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 2002, a one-month, prospective national multicenter surveillance study was conducted in General and Gynecological units of 48 Italian hospitals. Case ascertainment of SSI was carried out using standardized surveillance methodology. To assess potential risk factors for SSI we used a conditional logistic regression model. We also reported the odds ratios of in-hospital and postdischarge SSI.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SSI occurred in 241 (5.2%) of 4,665 patients, of which 148 (61.4%) during in-hospital, and 93 (38.6%) during postdischarge period. Of 93 postdischarge SSI, sixty-two (66.7%) and 31 (33.3%) were detected through telephone interview and questionnaire survey, respectively. Higher SSI incidence rates were observed in colon surgery (18.9%), gastric surgery (13.6%), and appendectomy (8.6%). If considering risk factors for SSI, at multivariate analysis we found that emergency interventions, NNIS risk score, pre-operative hospital stay, and use of drains were significantly associated with SSI occurrence. Moreover, risk factors for total SSI were also associated to in-hospital SSI. Additionally, only NNIS, pre-operative hospital stay, use of drains, and antibiotic prophylaxis were associated with postdischarge SSI.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study provided information on risk factors for SSI in a large population in general surgery setting in Italy. Standardized postdischarge surveillance detected 38.6% of all SSI. We also compared risk factors for in-hospital and postdischarge SSI, thus providing additional information to that of the current available literature. Finally, a large amount of postdischarge SSI were detected through telephone interview. The evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of the telephone interview as a postdischarge surveillance method could be an issue for further research.</p

The Linkage Outcomes of a Large-scale, Rapid Transfer of HIV-infected Patients From Hospital-based to Community-based Clinics in South Africa

Background: President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding changes have resulted in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinic closures. We evaluated linkage to care following a large-scale patient transfer from a PEPFAR-funded, hospital-based HIV clinic to government-funded, community-based clinics in Durban. Methods: All adults were transferred between March and June 2012. Subjects were surveyed 5–10 months post-transfer to assess self-reported linkage to the target clinic. We validated self-reports by auditing records at 8 clinics. Overall success of transfer was estimated using linkage to care data for both reached and unreached subjects, adjusted for validation results. Results: Of the 3913 transferred patients, 756 (19%) were assigned to validation clinics; 659 (87%) of those patients were reached. Among those reached, 468 (71%) had a validated clinic record visit. Of the 46 who self-reported attending a different validation clinic than originally assigned, 39 (85%) had a validated visit. Of the 97 patients not reached, 59 (61%) had a validated visit at their assigned clinic. Based on the validation rates for reached and unreached patients, the estimated success of transfer for the cohort overall was 82%. Conclusions: Most patients reported successful transfer to a community-based clinic, though a quarter attended a different clinic than assigned. Validation of attendance highlights that nearly 20% of patients may not have linked to care and may have experienced a treatment interruption. Optimizing transfers of HIV care to community sites requires collaboration with receiving clinics to ensure successful linkage to care

Monitoring Antimicrobial Use and Resistance: Comparison with a National Benchmark on Reducing Vancomycin Use and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

To determine if local monitoring data on vancomycin use directed quality improvement and decreased vancomycin use or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), we analyzed data from 50 intensive-care units (ICUs) at 20 U.S. hospitals reporting data on antimicrobial-resistant organisms and antimicrobial agent use. We compared local data with national benchmark data (aggregated from all study hospitals). After data were adjusted for changes in prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, changes in specific prescriber practice at ICUs were associated with significant decreases in vancomycin use (mean decrease -48 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days, p<0.001). These ICUs also reported significant decreases in VRE prevalence compared with those not using unit-specific changes in practice (mean decrease of 7.5% compared with mean increase of 5.7%, p<0.001). In this study, practice changes focused towards specific ICUs were associated with decreases in ICU vancomycin use and VRE prevalence

Endemic Acinetobacter baumannii in a New York Hospital

Acinetobacter baumannii is an increasingly multidrug-resistant (MDR) cause of hospital-acquired infections, often associated with limited therapeutic options. We investigated A. baumannii isolates at a New York hospital to characterize genetic relatedness.Thirty A. baumannii isolates from geographically-dispersed nursing units within the hospital were studied. Isolate relatedness was assessed by repetitive sequence polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR). The presence and characteristics of integrons were assessed by PCR. Metabolomic profiles of a subset of a prevalent strain isolates and sporadic isolates were characterized and compared.We detected a hospital-wide group of closely related carbapenem resistant MDR A. baumannii isolates. Compared with sporadic isolates, the prevalent strain isolates were more likely to be MDR (p = 0.001). Isolates from the prevalent strain carried a novel Class I integron sequence. Metabolomic profiles of selected prevalent strain isolates and sporadic isolates were similar.The A. baumannii population at our hospital represents a prevalent strain of related MDR isolates that contain a novel integron cassette. Prevalent strain and sporadic isolates did not segregate by metabolomic profiles. Further study of environmental, host, and bacterial factors associated with the persistence of prevalent endemic A. baumannii strains is needed to develop effective prevention strategies

Joint effects of alcohol consumption and high-risk sexual behavior on HIV seroconversion among men who have sex with men

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effects of alcohol consumption and number of unprotected receptive anal intercourse partners on HIV seroconversion while appropriately accounting for time-varying confounding. DESIGN: Prospective cohort of 3725 HIV-seronegative men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study between 1984 and 2008. METHODS: Marginal structural models were used to estimate the joint effects of alcohol consumption and number of unprotected receptive anal intercourse partners on HIV seroconversion. RESULTS: Baseline self-reported alcohol consumption was a median 8  drinks/week (quartiles: 2, 16), and 30% of participants reported multiple unprotected receptive anal intercourse partners in the prior 2 years. Five hundred and twenty-nine HIV seroconversions occurred over 35 ,870 person-years of follow-up. After accounting for several measured confounders using a joint marginal structural Cox proportional hazards model, the hazard ratio for seroconversion associated with moderate drinking (1-14 drinks/week) compared with abstention was 1.10 [95% confidence limits: 0.78, 1.54] and for heavy drinking (>14 drinks/week) was 1.61 (95% confidence limits: 1.12, 2.29) (P for trend <0.001). The hazard ratios for heavy drinking compared with abstention for participants with 0-1 or more than 1 unprotected receptive anal intercourse partner were 1.37 (95% confidence limits: 0.88, 2.16) and 1.96 (95% confidence limits: 1.03, 3.72), respectively (P for interaction = 0.42). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that alcohol interventions to reduce heavy drinking among men who have sex with men should be integrated into existing HIV prevention activities