Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of fungal respiratory infections in the critically ill patient                                
 

JOSÉ GARNACHO-MONTERO, PEDRO OLAECHEA, FRANCISCO ALVAREZ-LERMA, LUIS ALVAREZ-ROCHA,  JOSÉ BLANQUER, BEATRIZ GALVÁN, ALEJANDRO RODRIGUEZ, RAFAEL ZARAGOZA, JOSÉ-MARÍA AGUADO, JOSÉ MENSA, AMPARO SOLÉ, JOSÉ BARBERÁN
             

Objective. To elaborate practical recommendations based on scientific evidence, when available, or on expert opinions for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of fungal respiratory infections in the critically ill patient, including solid organ transplant recipients.
Methods. Twelve experts from two scientific societies (The Spanish Society for Chemotherapy and The Spanish Society of Intensive Care and Coronary Units) reviewed in a meeting held in March 2012 epidemiological issues and risk factors as basis for a document about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of respiratory fungal infections caused by Candida spp., Aspergillus spp or Zygomycetes.
Results. Despite the frequent isolation of Candida spp. from respiratory tract samples, antifungal treatment is not recommended since pneumonia by this fungal species is exceptional in non-neutropenic patients. In the case of Aspergillus spp., approximately 50% isolates from the ICU represent colonization, and the remaining 50% cases are linked to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), an infection of high mortality. Main risk factors for invasive disease in the ICU are previous treatment with steroids and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Collection of BAL sample is recommended for culture and galactomannan determination. Voriconazole and liposomal amphotericin B have the indication as primary therapy while caspofungin has the indication as salvage therapy. Although there is no solid data supporting scientific evidence, the group of experts recommends combination therapy in the critically ill patient with sepsis or severe respiratory failure. Zygomycetes cause respiratory infection mainly in neutropenic patients, and liposomal amphotericin B is the elective therapy.
Conclusions. Presence of fungi in respiratory samples from critically ill patients drives to different diagnostic and clinical management approaches. IPA is the most frequent infection and with high mortality.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2013:26(2):173-188 [pdf]

Review of 1.250 episodes of skin and soft tissue infections attended at 49 hospital emergency departments                                 
 

FERRAN LLOPIS, JUAN GONZÁLEZ-CASTILLO, AGUSTÍN JULIÁN-JIMÉNEZ, CARLES FERRÉ, JULIO JAVIER GAMAZO-RÍO, MIKEL MARTÍNEZ Y EL GRUPO DE TRABAJO INFURG-SEMES               

Objetive. To review the prevalence, clinical characteristics, approach and outcome of patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) evaluated at the Emergency Departments (ED) in Spain.
Methods. A descriptive multicenter cross-sectional analysis in 49 ED of patients with SSTI. Data were collected for age, gender, comorbid conditions, risk factors for multiresistant pathogens, STTI type, sepsis criteria, microbiology, antibiotic treatment, destination and ED mortality.
Results. We documented 1,250 episodes (11% of all infections and 1.6% of all patients seen in ED), mean age 52 years (56% men) and the comorbidities and risk factors for major adverse outcomes were diabetes (15%), heart disease (12%), previous antibiotic therapy (10%) and solid malignancy (5%). 81% of STTI were nonnecrotizing, 3.3% had septic syndrome, in 65% of patients was not practised any microbiological study, and 16% had risk factors for infection for antibiotic-resistant gram-positive bacteria, with adequate empirical antibiotic therapy of 2.5%. 72% of patients were discharged home and 2 died. When comparing STTI discharged home respect those that were admitted, these latter were older patients with more comorbidities and risk factors for multidrug resistance, sepsis and there were more practised cultures (p < 0.05).
Conclusions. The SSTI have a prevalence of 1.6%, representing 11% of visits to the ED for infection. 44% of patients have comorbidity and 16% have risk factors for infection for resistant gram-positive pathogens and they were not made an appropriate antibiotic coverage.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2014:27(2):115-121 [pdf]

Identification of fungal clinical isolates by matrix-assisted laser desorption
ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry                                
 

LAURA FERREIRA, FERNANDO SÁNCHEZ-JUANES, SILVIA VEGA, MAGDALENA GONZÁLEZ, Mª INMACULADA GARCÍA, SILVIA RODRÍGUEZ, JOSÉ MANUEL GONZÁLEZ-BUITRAGO, JUAN LUIS MUÑOZ-BELLIDO
             

Background. Recently, bacterial identification by MALDI-TOF MS has acquired a high relevance in terms of speed and reliability. Conventional mycological identification has some disadvantages: it is frequently slow, reliability is sometimes low, and an extensive experience is required. The risk population for fungal infections, and therefore their clinical significance has progressively increased in recent years.
Methods. 153 yeast and mould clinical isolates were analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS and conventional identification. When both methods were discrepant to the genus or species level, ITS-2 sequencing was performed.
Results. The correlation in yeasts identification between conventional identification methods and MALDI-TOF MS was extremely high (99.2% to the species level and 100% to the genus level). The only discrepancy was checked by ITS-2 sequencing and confirmed the MALDI-TOF identification. The correlation in moulds identification was more heterogeneous. 68.7% of the isolates showed correlation at least to the genus level and 40.6% to the species level. Therefore, the correlation between conventional identification and MALDI-TOF MS in fungal identification was, in whole, 87% to the species level, and 93.5% to the genus level.
Conclusions. Identification of fungi by MALDI-TOF MS is reliable and shows potential advantages over conventional identification methods.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2013:26(3):193-197 [pdf]

Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in Salamanca                                 
 

MARÍA SILLER-RUIZ, NOELIA CALVO-GARCÍA, SARA HERNÁNDEZ-EGIDO, ANA MARÍA-BLÁZQUEZ, MÓNICA DE FRUTOS-SERNA, JOSÉ ELÍAS GARCÍA-SÁNCHEZ               

Introduction. Clostridium difficile infection is considered a major cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in developed countries and is increasingly becoming more important as an etiologic agent of community diarrhoea, also in patients without risk factors.
Method. Beginning in May 2011, the aim of our study is to know the characteristics of patients suffering from C. difficile Associated Disease in Salamanca University Hospital, collecting their data in a survey conducted for this purpose. A case was defined as a patient with compatible clinical and positive microbiological diagnosis.
Results. After 18 months of study, 41 cases had been documented representing an incidence of 1.15 cases per 10,000 patient-days. Patients were hospitalized (37) or health care associated (4), females (54%), age ≥65 years (56%) with prior antibiotic treatment (80%), most had diarrhea after the third day of admission, less than three weeks and without blood. Most were treated with metronidazole alone (78%), 19% with metronidazole and vancomycin, and the remaining percentage was resolved without treatment. Recurrences were about 20% and 7 (17%) died.
Conclusions. The characteristics of our patients with C. difficile – associated disease are the same as those reported by other authors. Local surveillance is important in order to study the endemic and epidemic C. difficile infection. According to published epidemiological changes, we sould be able to develop strategies from the Microbiology laboratories that will improve diagnosis of the disease.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2014:27(2):122-126 [pdf]

Psoas abscess associated with hip arthroplasty infection                                 
 

IBON LÓPEZ-ZABALA, SEBASTIÁN GARCÍA-RAMIRO, GUILLEM BORI, XAVIER GALLART, XAVIER TOMÁS,DAVID FUSTER, JOSEP MENSA, ALEX SORIANO
             

Introduction. Psoas abscess associated with hip arthroplasty infection is a rare entity. The aim of this report was to review our experience.
Material and methods. Patients with computerized tomography (CT) diagnosis of psoas abscess associated with a hip arthroplasty infection from 2004 to 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, microbiological data, CT results and outcome of each patient were recorded.
Results. Seven patients out of 214 evaluated by CT due to hip infection suspected were identified. Three women and 4 men, with a mean age of 69 years (range 46-89). Mean abscess diameter was of 62x47mm. In all cases, a direct communication between abscess and prosthesis was observed. The most commonly isolated microorganisms were grampositive cocci. All patients were treated with two-stage revision surgery. After a mean follow-up of 65 months (28-113), six patients were in remission.
Conclusions. The use of CT in the study of suspected infection of a hip arthroplasty identified a psoas abscess in 7 cases out of 214 evaluated. Patients treated with two-stage revision surgery and large debridement was associated with a good clinical outcome.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2013:26(3):198-202 [pdf]