Evaluation of Risk Factors in Nosocomial Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Colonization and Infection

Introduction: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have recently been observed as an increasingly responsible agent among nosocomial infections. In our study, we aimed to investigate the possible risk factors for VRE colonization and infection. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted prospectively in the hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation departments between September 2004 and April 2005. Rectal swab culture was obtained on admission day and once a week from patients who had been hospitalized in these departments. A follow-up form was completed for each patient. Stata version 8.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 462 rectal swab samples were obtained in the seven-month period. VRE was isolated in 13 patients. All these patients were from the hematology department. Female gender, long duration of hospitalization, prolonged neutropenia, total parenteral nutrition, sucralfate usage, central venous catheterization, and duration of antibiotic usage (third- and fourth- generation cephalosporins, metronidazole, amikacin, glycopeptides, macrolides, carbapenems, quinolones) were found as risk factors with univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, long duration of hospitalization was found as an independent risk factor. Conclusion: Establishing the risk factors for colonization and infection with VRE can contribute to the implementation of effective infection control measures

Karbapenemlerin gram-negatif patojenlere karşı in vitro aktivitelerinin karşılaştırmalı değerlendirmesi: COMPACT çalışması Türkiye verisi

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro activities of doripenem, imipenem, and meropenem against clinical gram-negative isolates. A total of 596 clinical isolates were obtained from intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients in 10 centers over Turkey between September-December 2008. The origin of the isolates was patients with nosocomial pneumonia (42.4%), bloodstream infections (%40.4), and complicated intraabdominal infections (17.1%). Of the isolates, 51.8% were obtained from ICU patients. The study isolates consisted of Pseudomonas spp. in 49.8%, Enterobacteriaceae in 40.3%, and other gram-negative agents in 9.9%. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for doripenem, imipenem and meropenem were determined for all isolates in each center using Etest;reg; strips (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden). Of the isolates, 188 (31.5%) were resistant to at least one of the carbapenems. MIC50 of doripenem against Pseudomonas spp. was 1 mg/L which was similar to that of meropenem and two-fold lower than imipenem. Susceptibility to carbapenems in P.aeruginosa was 64% for doripenem at an MIC level of 2 mg/L, 53.9% and 63% for imipenem and meropenem at an MIC level of 4 mg/L, respectively. Doripenem and meropenem showed similar activity with the MIC90 of 0.12 mg/L whereas imipenem was four-fold less active at 0.5 mg/L. Against other gramnegative pathogens, mostly Acinetobacter spp., MIC50 was 8 mg/L for doripenem and 32 mg/L for other two carbapenems. P.aeruginosa isolates were inhibited 84.2% with doripenem and 72.1% with meropenem at the MIC level of 8 mg/L. Doripenem generally showed similar or slightly better activity than meropenem and better activity than imipenem against pathogens collected in this study. Against Pseudomonas spp., doripenem was the most active of the three carbapenems. Doripenem and meropenem were equally active against Enterobacteriaceae and at least four-fold more active than imipenem. It was concluded that doripenem seemed to be a promising agent in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia, blood stream infections and intraabdominal infections particularly in patients who were under risk of developing antimicrobial resistance.Bu çalışmada, doripenem, imipenem ve meropenemin gram-negatif klinik izolatlara karşı in vitro aktivitesinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Türkiye genelinde toplam 10 merkezden Eylül-Aralık 2008 tarihleri arasında, yoğun bakım ünitesi (YBÜ) ve YBÜ dışı hastalardan, toplam 596 adet klinik izolat toplanmıştır. Bunlardan %42.4’ü nozokomiyal pnömoni, %40.4’ü kan dolaşımı enfeksiyonu ve %17.1’i komplike intraabdominal enfeksiyon kaynaklı olup; %51.8’i YBÜ hastalarından alınmıştır. İzolatların %49.8’i Pseudomonas spp., %40.3’ü Enterobacteriaceae ve %9.9’u diğer gram-negatif etkenlerden oluşmaktadır. Her merkezde Etest® (AB Biodisk, Solna, İsveç) kullanılarak tüm izolatlar için doripenem, imipenem ve meropenemin minimum inhibitör konsantrasyonu (MİK) belirlenmiştir. İzolatlardan 188 (%31.5)’i en az bir karbapeneme dirençli bulunmuştur. Pseudomonas türlerine karşı doripenem için MİK50 değerleri meropeneme benzer olarak 1 mg/L bulunurken, imipenemden iki kat daha düşük olduğu izlenmiştir. Pseudomonas aeruginosa izolatlarının duyarlılıkları, doripenem için MİK 2 mg/L düzeyinde %64, imipenem ve meropenem için MİK 4 mg/L düzeyinde sırasıyla %53.9 ve %63 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Doripenem ve meropenem, Enterobacteriaceae türlerine karşı benzer aktivite gösterirken (MİK90 0.12 mg/L), imipenem dört kat daha az aktif (0.5 mg/L) bulunmuştur. Büyük çoğunluğunu Acinetobacter türlerinin oluşturduğu diğer gram-negatif basiller için doripenem MİK50 değeri 8 mg/L, diğer iki ilaç için ise 32 mg/L’dir. P.aeruginosa izolatları 8 mg/L MİK düzeyinde doripenem ile %84.2, meropenem ile %72.1 oranında inhibe olmuştur. Sonuç olarak doripenem, bu çalışmada toplanan patojenlere karşı genel olarak meropenem ile benzer ya da daha iyi; imipenemden ise belirgin olarak daha iyi in vitro aktiviteye sahiptir. Üç karbapenem arasında Pseudomonas türlerine karşı en aktif olan ilacın doripenem olduğu görülmüştür. Doripenem ve meropenem Enterobacteriaceae türlerine karşı benzer aktiviteye sahip olup, imipenemden en az dört kat daha aktiftir. Bu bulgular ışığında, hastanede YBÜ’de ya da YBÜ dışında tedavi gören nozokomiyal pnömoni, kan dolaşımı enfeksiyonu ve intraabdominal enfeksiyonu olan hastalar ile antibiyotik direnci gelişim riski olan hastaların antimikrobiyal tedavisinde doripenemin öne çıkan yeni bir antibiyotik olduğu kanısına varılmıştır

Cryptococcal Sepsis in a HIV/AIDS Patient: Clinical Findings, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast causing infection in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). With the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the incidence of infection due to Cryptococcus has significantly decreased. The era of HAART has not only affected the incidence ratebutalso the clinical presentation called immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome as a consequence of the immune recovery of the host. In this paper, we presented a HIV/AIDS patient with cryptococcal sepsis and discussed clinical manifestations of cryptococcosis, diagnostic and therapeutic approach

Comparative Evaluation of In Vitro Activities of Carbapenemes Against Gram-Negative Pathogens: Turkish Data of COMPACT Study

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro activities of doripenem, imipenem, and meropenem against clinical gram-negative isolates. A total of 596 clinical isolates were obtained from intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients in 10 centers over Turkey between September-December 2008. The origin of the isolates was patients with nosocomial pneumonia (42.4%), bloodstream infections (%40.4), and complicated intraabdominal infections (17.1%). Of the isolates, 51.8% were obtained from ICU patients. The study isolates consisted of Pseudomonas spp. in 49.8%, Enterobacteriaceae in 40.3%, and other gram-negative agents in 9.9%. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for doripenem, imipenem and meropenem were determined for all isolates in each center using Etest (R) strips (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden). Of the isolates, 188 (31.5%) were resistant to at least one of the carbapenems. MIC(50) of doripenem against Pseudomonas spp. was 1 mg/L which was similar to that of meropenem and two-fold lower than imipenem. Susceptibility to carbapenems in P.aeruginosa was 64% for doripenem at an MIC level of 2 mg/L, 53.9% and 63% for imipenem and meropenem at an MIC level of 4 mg/L, respectively. Doripenem and meropenem showed similar activity with the MIC(90) of 0.12 mg/L whereas imipenem was four-fold less active at 0.5 mg/L. Against other gram-negative pathogens, mostly Acinetobacter spp., MIC(50) was 8 mg/L for doripenem and 32 mg/L for other two carbapenems. P.aeruginosa isolates were inhibited 84.2% with doripenem and 72.1% with meropenem at the MIC level of 8 mg/L. Doripenem generally showed similar or slightly better activity than meropenem and better activity than imipenem against pathogens collected in this study. Against Pseudomonas spp., doripenem was the most active of the three carbapenems. Doripenem and meropenem were equally active against Enterobacteriaceae and at least four-fold more active than imipenem. It was concluded that doripenem seemed to be a promising agent in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia, blood stream infections and intraabdominal infections particularly in patients who were under risk of developing antimicrobial resistance

Comparative Evaluation of In Vitro Activities of Carbapenemes Against Gram-Negative Pathogens: Turkish Data of COMPACT Study

WOS: 000291333900001PubMed ID: 21644063The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro activities of doripenem, imipenem, and meropenem against clinical gram-negative isolates. A total of 596 clinical isolates were obtained from intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients in 10 centers over Turkey between September-December 2008. The origin of the isolates was patients with nosocomial pneumonia (42.4%), bloodstream infections (%40.4), and complicated intraabdominal infections (17.1%). Of the isolates, 51.8% were obtained from ICU patients. The study isolates consisted of Pseudomonas spp. in 49.8%, Enterobacteriaceae in 40.3%, and other gram-negative agents in 9.9%. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for doripenem, imipenem and meropenem were determined for all isolates in each center using Etest (R) strips (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden). Of the isolates, 188 (31.5%) were resistant to at least one of the carbapenems. MIC(50) of doripenem against Pseudomonas spp. was 1 mg/L which was similar to that of meropenem and two-fold lower than imipenem. Susceptibility to carbapenems in P.aeruginosa was 64% for doripenem at an MIC level of 2 mg/L, 53.9% and 63% for imipenem and meropenem at an MIC level of 4 mg/L, respectively. Doripenem and meropenem showed similar activity with the MIC(90) of 0.12 mg/L whereas imipenem was four-fold less active at 0.5 mg/L. Against other gram-negative pathogens, mostly Acinetobacter spp., MIC(50) was 8 mg/L for doripenem and 32 mg/L for other two carbapenems. P.aeruginosa isolates were inhibited 84.2% with doripenem and 72.1% with meropenem at the MIC level of 8 mg/L. Doripenem generally showed similar or slightly better activity than meropenem and better activity than imipenem against pathogens collected in this study. Against Pseudomonas spp., doripenem was the most active of the three carbapenems. Doripenem and meropenem were equally active against Enterobacteriaceae and at least four-fold more active than imipenem. It was concluded that doripenem seemed to be a promising agent in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia, blood stream infections and intraabdominal infections particularly in patients who were under risk of developing antimicrobial resistance