Pneumococcal arthritis in paediatric population                     

GEMA BARBEITO-CASTIÑEIRAS, MARÍA GUINDA-GIMÉNEZ, OLAIA CORES-CALVO,  MANUELA HERNÁNDEZ-BLANCO, FERNANDA PARDO-SÁNCHEZ           

Introduction. Cases of septic arthritis in paediatric population by Streptococcus pneumoniae in the Health Area of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) were reviewed.
Material and methods. A retrospective study from January 2005 to March 2014 was conducted for all S. pneumoniae isolates obtained from joint fluids in children.
Results. From the 7,416 joint fluids received in the Microbiology Department, 77 belonged to paediatric patients, and of these, only 8 had positive culture. In total, there were three positive cases for S. pneumoniae, two with positive culture and a third with positive antigen detection. In the three patients (two of them under 15 months) the affected joint was hip, antibiotic treatment was combined with surgical drainage and evolution was favourable.
Conclusions. We conclude that pneumococcal arthritis is an entity that must be taken into account since most cases of arthritis in paediatric population appear as a complication of bacteraemia after a common cold or an ear infection. The greatest risk of sequel is associated with delays in diagnosis, so it is essential clinical and microbiological early diagnosis.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2017; 30(2):118-122  [pdf]

Consensus document on pneumococcal vaccination in adults at risk by age and underlying clinical conditions. 2017 Update                     

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ-ROMO, JUAN JOSÉ PICAZO,  AMÓS GARCÍA ROJAS, MOISÉS LABRADOR HORRILLO, VIVENCIO BARRIOS, MARÍA CARMEN MAGRO, PEDRO GIL GREGORIO, RAFAEL DE LA CÁMARA, ALEJANDRO RODRÍGUEZ, JOSÉ BARBERÁN, FRANCISCO BOTÍA MARTÍNEZ, MANUEL LINARES RUFO, ISABEL JIMENO SANZ, JOSÉ MARÍA PORTOLÉS, FRANCISCO SANZ HERRERO,  JAVIER ESPINOSA ARRANZ, VALLE GARCÍA-SÁNCHEZ, MARÍA GALINDO IZQUIERDO, ENRIQUE MASCARÓS           

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) represent an important health problem among aging adults and those with certain underlying pathologies and some diseases, especially immunosuppressed and some immunocompetent subjects, who are more susceptible to infections and present greater severity and worse evolution. Among the strategies to prevent IPD and PP, vaccination has its place, although vaccination coverage in this group is lower than desirable. Nowadays, there are 2 vaccines available for adults. Polysacharide vaccine (PPV23), used in patients aged 2 and older since decades ago, includes a greater number of serotypes (23), but it does not generate immune memory, antibody levels decrease with time, causes an immune tolerance phenomenon, and have no effect on nasopharyngeal colonization. PCV13 can be used from children 6 weeks of age to elderly and generates an immune response more powerful than PPV23 against most of the 13 serotypes included in it. In the year 2013 the 16 most directly related to groups of risk of presenting IPD publised a series of vaccine recommendations based on scientific evidence regarding anti-pneumococcal vaccination in adults with underlying pathologies and special conditions. A commitment was made about updating it if new scientific evidence became available. We present an exhaustive revised document focusing mainly in recommendation by age in which some more Scientific Societies have been involved.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2017; 30(2):142-168  [pdf]

Non-febrile syndromes in the traveler returning from tropical regions admitted in a monographic unit                     

ÁLVARO ANULA-MORALES, BÁRBARA MARTIN-GINER, MICHELE HERNÁNDEZ-CABRERA, CRISTINA CARRANZA-RODRÍGUEZ, ELENA PISOS-ÁLAMO, NIEVES JAÉN-SÁNCHEZ, JOSÉ-LUIS PÉREZ-ARELLANO           

 

Background. The aim was to analyse those syndromes without fever in travellers who return from tropical regions evaluated at our Department of Infectology and Tropical Medicine. Clarifying these conditions intends to reach earlier diagnoses and, perhaps, to avoid the emergence and spread of imported diseases, as well as to establish appropriate preventive measures. 
Methods. An observational descriptive transversal study was performed, selecting those patients who returned from tropical regions without fever (n = 281), amongst all travellers evaluated in our department between 1998 and 2013. We analysed demographic features, information related to the trip, as well as the presenting complaints and the diagnoses.
Results. A total of 281 international travellers presenting without fever were analysed. Only 39% had received health counsel prior to travelling. The most visited regions were Lat-in America (38.8%), Africa (37.8%) and Asia (13.6%). 15% of patients were asymptomatic or suffered from non-infectious conditions. Among the rest, most had either gastrointestinal (46%) or cutaneous (34%) syndromes. The main gastrointestinal condition was diarrhoea, with a microbiological diagnosis reached in almost 50% of cases. Regarding cutaneous syndromes, arthropods bites (31%) and different bacterial lesions (20%) were most common.
Conclusions. Approximately 10% of patients in Travel Medicine are international travellers returning from tropical regions, half of them with no fever. Most are diagnosed with infectious diseases, mainly gastrointestinal or cutaneous syn-dromes. Eosinophilia is the third problem in frequency among this group of patients, and sexually transmitted infections are rare in our cohort. It is important to emphasize in preventive activities.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2017; 30(2):96-102  [pdf]

Resistance rates and phenotypic characterization of Streptococcus pyogenes in a paediatric population in Northern Spain (2005-2015)                     

LAURA CALLE-MIGUEL, CARLOS PÉREZ-MÉNDEZ, MARÍA DOLORES MIGUEL-MARTÍNEZ, EMMA LOMBRAÑA-ÁLVAREZ, ELISA GARCÍA-GARCÍA, GONZALO SOLÍS-SÁNCHEZ           

Background. Streptococcus pyogenes is a significant cause of bacterial infections in children. The aim of the study is to analyse resistance rates and phenotypes of S. pyogenes isolates in a paediatric population in Northern Spain over the last 11 years.
Methods. Descriptive retrospective study of S. pyogenes isolates from paediatric patients between 2005 and 2015 in a region of Asturias (Spain). Resistance rates and changes in erythromycin resistance phenotypes in two time periods (2005-2009 and 2010-2015) were studied.
Results. A total of 1,794 S. pyogenes isolates were registered (70% from 2005 to 2009). 87.5% were obtained from pharyngeal swabs and 0.2% from blood  cultures. Resistance rates to tetracycline (8.8% to 4.3%, p=0.02), erythromycin (22% to 9.3%, p<0.01) and clindamycin (6% to 1.7%, p<0.01) decreased between the two study periods. A reduction in erythromycin-resistant isolates with the MLS_B phenotype was observed.
Conclusions. A decrease in S. pyogenes resistance rates to erythromycin and clindamycin and a change in the erythromycin resistance phenotype were observed along the study period.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2017; 30(2):90-95 [pdf]

Usefulness of biomarkers to predict bacteraemia in patients with infection in the emergency department                     

AGUSTÍN JULIÁN-JIMÉNEZ, FRANCISCO JAVIER CANDEL, JUAN GONZÁLEZ-DEL CASTILLO, EN REPRESENTACIÓN DEL GRUPO INFURG-SEMES (GRUPO DE ESTUDIO DE INFECCIONES DE LA SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE MEDICINA DE URGENCIAS Y EMERGENCIAS)           

Between all patients attended in the Emergency Department (ED), 14.3% have an infectious disease diagnosis. Blood cultures (BC) are obtained in 14.6% of patients and have a profitability of 20%, whereas 1% are considered as contaminated and 1-3% of positive cultures correspond to discharge patients (“hidden bacteraemia”). The highest number of confirmed bacteraemias comes from the samples of patients with urinary tract infections, followed by community-acquired pneumonia. The suspicion and detection of bacteraemia have an important diagnostic and prognostic significance and could modify some important making-decisions (admission, BC request, administration of appropriate and early antimicrobial, etc). Therefore, finding a predictive model of bacteraemia useful and applicable in ED has become the objective of many authors that combine different clinical, epidemiological and analytical variables, including infection and inflammatory response biomarkers (IIRBM), as they significantly increase the predictive power of such models. The aim of this review is to highlight the evidence showed in recent published articles, to clarify existing controversies, and to compare the accuracy of the most important IIRBM to predict bacteremia in patients attended due to infection in the ED. Finally, to generate different recommendations that could help to define the role of IIRBM in improving the indication to obtaining BC, as well as in immediate decision-making in diagnosis and treatment (early and adequate antibiotic treatment, complementary tests, other microbiological samples, hemodynamic support measures, need for admission, etc.).

Rev Esp Quimioter 2017; Mar 8 [pdf]