Clinical manifestations of pneumonia according to the causative organism in patients in the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Whether the causative organism influences the clinical course of pneumonia in the intensive care unit (ICU) is controversial. We assessed the clinical manifestations and prognosis of pneumonia according to the causative pathogens in patients in a medical ICU. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was performed in a medical ICU. Among 242 patients who were admitted to the ICU, 103 who were treated for pneumonia were analyzed. RESULTS: The causative pathogen was identified in 50 patients (49.0%); 22 patients (21.6%) had multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. The distribution of causative micro-organisms was Staphylococcus aureus (20%), Pseudomonas species (16%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (12%). No significant difference in ICU mortality rate, duration of ICU stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, or frequencies of re-intubation and tracheostomy were detected based on the identification of any pathogen. In sub-analyses according to the pneumonia classification, the number of pathogens identified did not differ between pneumonia types, and a higher incidence of identified MDR pathogens was detected in the hospital-acquired pneumonia group than in the community-acquired or healthcare- acquired pneumonia groups. However, the clinical outcomes of pneumonia according to identification status and type of pathogen did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Neither the causative micro-organism nor the existence of MDR pathogens in critically ill patients with pneumonia was associated with the clinical outcome of pneumonia, including ICU mortality. This result was consistent regardless of the pneumonia classification.

Evaluation of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry-Based VITEK MS System for the Identification of Acinetobacter Species from Blood Cultures: Comparison with VITEK 2 and MicroScan Systems

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter species are the leading cause of bloodstream infection (BSI), but their correct identification is challenging. We evaluated the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based VITEK MS (bioMerieux, France), and two automated systems, VITEK 2 (bioMerieux) and MicroScan (Siemens, USA) for identification of Acinetobacter BSI isolates. METHODS: A total of 187 BSI isolates recovered at a university hospital in Korea between 2010 and 2012 were analyzed. The identification results obtained using VITEK MS and two automated systems were compared with those of rpoB sequencing. RESULTS: Of 187 isolates analyzed, 176 were identified to the species level by rpoB sequencing: the Acinetobacter baumannii group (ABG; 101 A. baumannii, 43 A. nosocomialis, 10 A. pittii isolates) was most commonly identified (82.4%), followed by Acinetobacter genomic species 13BJ/14TU (5.3%), A. ursingii (2.1%), A. soli (2.1%), A. bereziniae (1.1%), and A. junii (1.1%). Correct identification rates to the species group (ABG) level or the species level was comparable among the three systems (VITEK MS, 90.3%; VITEK 2, 89.2%; MicroScan, 86.9%). However, VITEK MS generated fewer misidentifications (0.6%) than VITEK 2 (10.8%) and MicroScan (13.1%) (P<0.001). In addition, VITEK MS demonstrated higher specificity (100%) for discrimination between ABG and non-ABG isolates than the other systems (both, 31.8%) (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The VITEK MS system is superior to the VITEK 2 and MicroScan systems for identification of Acinetobacter BSI isolates, with fewer misidentifications and better discrimination between the ABG and non-ABG isolates.

Frecuencia de aislamiento y resistencia a los antimicrobianos de Acinetobacter spp. recuperadas de pacientes atendidos en un hospital universitario de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires / Frequency and antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter species in a university hospital of Buenos Aires city

Se analizaron 200 aislamientos de Acinetobacter correspondientes a igual cantidad de pacientes atendidos en el Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín entre marzo de 2013 y junio de 2014. La identificación se realizó mediante espectrometría de masa y se confirmó con métodos moleculares. La sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos se determinó mediante el sistema Vitek-2. La correlación entre la identificación obtenida con la espectrometría de masa y las técnicas moleculares fue del 94 %. Acinetobacter baumannii multirresistente fue la genoespecie predominante (92,6 %) en la infección intrahospitalaria, y la frecuencia de aislamiento de Acinetobacter pitti y de Acinetobacter nosocomialis fue de 3,5 % y 0,5 %, respectivamente. En la infección extrahospitalaria se observó una mayor presencia de otras genoespecies. Acinetobacter johnsonii y A. baumannii fueron las más frecuentes y juntas representaron el 45,9 % de los hallazgos. La resistencia a carbapenems y a minociclina solo se observó en A. baumannii. La espectrometría de masa resultó ser una herramienta útil en la identificación de las diferentes genoespecies

Two-hundred Acinetobacter isolates belonging to 200 patients admitted to Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín during the period March 2013-June 2014 were analyzed. The identification was performed by mass spectrometry and was confirmed by molecular methods. Susceptibility to antimicrobials was studied by the Vitek-2 system. A 94% correlation of both identification methods was found. Multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii was the predominant genomic species (92.6%) in hospital-acquired infections, whereas Acinetobacter pitti and Acinetobacter nosocomialis accounted for 3.5% and 0.5% of the isolates recovered, respectively. In community-acquired infections a major predominance of the different genomic species was observed. Acinetobacter johnsonii and A. baumannii are the most frequent species, accounting for 45.9% of the isolates recovered. Resistance to carbapenems and minocycline was only observed in A. baumannii. Mass spectrophotometry was an effective tool for the identification of the different genomic species

Correlation of Ciprofloxacin Resistance with the AdeABC Efflux System in Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important pathogens capable of colonization in burn patients, leading to drug-resistant wound infections. This study evaluated the distribution of the AdeABC efflux system genes and their relationship to ciprofloxacin resistance in A. baumannii isolates collected from burn patients. METHODS: A total of 68 A. baumannii clinical strains were isolated from patients hospitalized in Motahari Burns Center in Tehran, Iran. Ciprofloxacin susceptibility was tested by the disk diffusion and agar dilution methods. PCR amplification of the adeRS-adeB drug efflux genes was performed for all resistant and susceptible isolates. To assess the role of the drug efflux pump in ciprofloxacin susceptibility, carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) was used as an efflux pump inhibitor (EPI). RESULTS: Approximately 95.6% of the Acinetobacter isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 4 to > or =128 microg/mL. The susceptibility of 86.1% of the resistant isolates increased by factors of 2 to 64 in the presence of CCCP. All resistant isolates were positive for the adeRS-adeB genes, and 73.2% of them had mutations in the AdeRS regulatory system. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that AdeABC genes are common in A. baumannii, which might be associated with ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility, as indicated by the observed linkage to the presence of the genes essential for the activity of the AdeABC, several single mutations occurring in the adeRS regulatory system, and an increase of ciprofloxacin susceptibility in the presence of a CCCP EPI.

Nosocomial Infection by Sequence Type 357 Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Daejeon, Korea

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important microorganism responsible for a number of nosocomial outbreaks, in particular, in intensive care units (ICUs). We investigated a nosocomial infection caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Korea. A. baumannii isolates were characterized using Etest (AB Biodisk, Sweden), two multiplex PCR assays, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. PCR and PCR mapping experiments were performed for detecting and characterizing the determinants of antimicrobial resistance. Eight strains isolated from an NICU belonged to European (EU) clone II and revealed only one sequence type (ST), namely, ST357. All the isolates were susceptible to imipenem but were resistant to amikacin, gentamicin, ceftazidime, cefepime, and ciprofloxacin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a nosocomial infection in an NICU in Korea caused by ST357 MDR/carbapenem-susceptible A. baumannii strains. This result demonstrates that nosocomial outbreaks of MDR/carbapenem-susceptible strains as well as MDR/carbapenem-resistant isolates may occur in NICUs.

Modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter Medium for Direct Detection of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Strains in Nasal and Rectal Swab Samples

This study aimed to investigate whether CHROMagar Acinetobacter medium (CHROMagar, France) in combination with an antimicrobial supplement (modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter; CHROMagar, France) can be used for detecting and isolating multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter species (MRA) in nasal and rectal surveillance cultures. Nasal and rectal swab samples were collected from patients in an intensive care unit at a teaching hospital. The samples were used to inoculate modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter plates, which were examined after 24 and 48 hr of incubation at 37degrees C. Their susceptibility against the antimicrobial agents meropenem, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and amikacin was analyzed using the Etest (bioMerieux, France). A total of 406 paired samples (406 nasal swabs and 406 rectal swabs) were obtained from 226 patients, and 120 samples (28 nasal and 28 rectal cultures, 47 nasal cultures only, and 17 rectal cultures only) yielded MRA. Seventy-five MRA isolates (18.5%) were recovered from the 406 nasal samples, and 45 MRA isolates (11.1%) were recovered from the 406 rectal samples. Of the 120 MRA isolates, 3 (2.5%) were detected only after 48 hr of incubation. The use of modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter together with nasal and rectal swabs and 1-day incubation is an effective surveillance tool for detecting MRA colonization.

Modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter Medium for Direct Detection of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Strains in Nasal and Rectal Swab Samples

This study aimed to investigate whether CHROMagar Acinetobacter medium (CHROMagar, France) in combination with an antimicrobial supplement (modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter; CHROMagar, France) can be used for detecting and isolating multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter species (MRA) in nasal and rectal surveillance cultures. Nasal and rectal swab samples were collected from patients in an intensive care unit at a teaching hospital. The samples were used to inoculate modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter plates, which were examined after 24 and 48 hr of incubation at 37degrees C. Their susceptibility against the antimicrobial agents meropenem, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and amikacin was analyzed using the Etest (bioMerieux, France). A total of 406 paired samples (406 nasal swabs and 406 rectal swabs) were obtained from 226 patients, and 120 samples (28 nasal and 28 rectal cultures, 47 nasal cultures only, and 17 rectal cultures only) yielded MRA. Seventy-five MRA isolates (18.5%) were recovered from the 406 nasal samples, and 45 MRA isolates (11.1%) were recovered from the 406 rectal samples. Of the 120 MRA isolates, 3 (2.5%) were detected only after 48 hr of incubation. The use of modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter together with nasal and rectal swabs and 1-day incubation is an effective surveillance tool for detecting MRA colonization.

A case of fulminant community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia in Korea

Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) is a common pathogen found in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia all over the world. Community-acquired AB pneumonia, however, is very rare and has seldom been reported in Asia-Pacific countries. Community-acquired AB pneumonia has a fulminant course and is associated with a higher mortality than hospital-acquired AB pneumonia. In Korea, no case of fatal community-acquired AB pneumonia has been reported to date. Here, we describe the first fatal case of fulminant community-acquired AB pneumonia in Korea.

A case of community-acquired Acinetobacter junii-johnsonii cellulitis / Celulitis por Acinetobacter junii-johnsonii adquirida en la comunidad: una presentación de caso

Acinetobacter skin and soft tissue infection outside of the traumatic wound setting are rare occurrences. The majority of cases occur in the presence of significant comorbilities and by Acinetobacter baumanii. Herein a case is reported of community-onset, health-care-associated, non-traumatic cellulitis caused by Acinetobacter, species junii-johnsonii with bacteremia. This is the first reported case of Acinetobacter junii-johnsonii skin and soft tissue infection. Hemorrhagic bullae might be one of the clinical features of Acinetobacter cellulitis.

La infección de piel y tejidos blandos por Acinetobacter no relacionada con trauma es una presentación inusual. La mayoría de los casos descritos presentan enfermedades concomitantes y son causados por Acinetobacter baumanii. Se describe un caso de celulitis no traumática por A. junii-johnsonii con bacteriemia, de inicio en la comunidad y asociado con el tratamiento médico. De acuerdo con nuestro conocimiento, éste sería el primer caso reportado de infección de tejidos blandos y piel por A. junii-johnsonii. La vesícula hemorrágica podría ser una característica clínica de celulitis por Acinetobacter.

Fulminating septicemia due to persistent pan-resistant community-acquired metallo-β-lactamase (IMP-1)-positive Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is considered as an emerging nosocominal pathogen and is renowned for its multi-drug resistance. We report a case of community-acquired pan-resistant A. baumannii strain isolated from blood, pus , urine and tracheal aspirate was confirmed by 16S r-RNA sequence homology and found positive for metallo-ß-lactamase IMP-1, and was found to be a strong biofilm producer The isolate was only susceptible (moderately) to colistin.

Rapid, cost-effective, sensitive and quantitative detection of Acinetobacter baumannii from pneumonia patients

Pneumonia with Acinetobacter baumannii has a major therapeutic problem in health care settings. Decision to initiate correct antibiotic therapy requires rapid identification and quantification of organism. The aim of this study was to develop a rapid and sensitive method for direct detection of A. baumannii from respiratory specimens. A Taqman real time PCR based on the sequence of bla[oxa-51] was designed and used for direct detection of A. baumannii from 361 respiratory specimens of patients with pneumonia. All specimens were checked by conventional bacteriology in parallel. The new real time PCR could detect less than 200 cfu per ml of bacteria in specimens. There was agreement between the results of real time PCR and culture [Kappa value 1.0, p value < 0.001]. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of real time PCR were 100%. The prevalence of A. baumannii in pneumonia patients was 10.53% [n = 38]. Poly-microbial infections were detected in 65.71% of specimens. Acinetobacter baumannii is the third causative agent in nosocomial pneumonia after Pseudomonas aeroginosa [16%] and Staphylococcus aureus [13%] at Tehran hospitals. We recommend that 10[4] CFU be the threshold for definition of infection with A. baumannii using real time PCR

Infecciones por acinetobacter multirresistente en la unidad de quemados / Multiresistant acinetobacter infections in the burn unit

Acinetobacter spp ha emergido como un importante germen en unidades de cuidados intensivos y en pacientes críticos como los quemados. Objetivos: Evaluar las características epidemiológicas, clínicas y de evolución en pacientes admitidos en la unidad de quemados con infecciones por Acinetobacter spp multiresistente. Población y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de todos los pacientes que entre enero de 2005 y diciembre de 2006 tuvieron aislamiento de Acinetobacter spp multitresistente en la unidad de quemados del Hospital J P Garrahan. Resultados: Se incluyeron 26 pacientes. La edad media fue de 66.5 meses (rango: 2 a 168 m), 17 pacientes (65%) fueron del sexo masculino. La superficie quemada fue entre 10% y 87% (mediana 42.5%). Diez pacientes (39%) tenían quemadura profunda o "full thickness". El foco más frecuente fue sepsis asociada a la quemadura en 10 pacientes (39%). En 8 pacientes (30%), la infección de la quemadura no se asoció con sepsis. Fue diagnosticada Bacteriemia asociada a catéter en 3 pacientes (11%), y bacteriemia no asociada en 1 paciente (4%). Dos pacientes tuvieron neumonía asociada a respirador (8%), y 2 (8%) infección urinaria asociada a sonda. Todos los pacientes recibieron colistín de acuerdo a test de susceptibilidad. El tiempo de tratamiento con colistín fue entre 10 y 71 días (mediana 21días). Ninguno de los pacientes presentó alteraciones renales o neurológicas relacionadas con el colistín. La evolución fue favorable en todos los pacientes (AU)

Acinetobacter spp has emerged as an important germ in intensive care units and in critical patients, such as those with burn wounds. Objectives: To assess epidemiological and clinical features and evolution of patients admitted to the burn unit with multiresistent Acinetobacter spp infections. Patients and Methods: All patients admitted to the burn unit of the J P Garrahan Hospital between January 2005 and December 2006 in whom multiresistent Acinetobacter spp was isolated were studied. Results: 26 patients were included in the study. Mean age was 66.5 months (range: 2 to 168 m), 17 patients (65%) were male. The burn surface was between 10% and 87% (median 42.5%). Ten patients (39%) had a deep or "full thickness" burn. The most frequent focus was burn-wound-associated sepsis in 10 patients (39%). In 8 patients (30%), infection of the burn wound was not associated with sepsis. Catheter-related bacteriemia was diagnosed in three patients (11%) and non-catheter-related bacteriemia in one patient (4%). Two patients developed respirator-associated pneumonia (8%) and two (8%) catheterassociated urinary infection. After susceptibility testing, all patients received colistin. Duration of colistin treatment was between 10 and 71 days (median: 21days). None of the patients developed colestin-related renal or neurological impairment. Evolution was favorable in all patients (AU)

Ventilator-associated pneumonia with Col-S strains: a successful comeback of colistin!

Emergence of multi and pan-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria causing nosocomial infections in intensive care settings has become a challenge for clinicians. The mortality rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is known to increase when the initial microbiological diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy are inappropriate. We present a case of a 18-year-old man, who after being admitted following an accident, had developed VAP due to multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. and had a downhill clinical course despite broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment. The strains were found to be Col-S, as the susceptibility was tested. Colistin was instituted, with remarkable recovery. It is imperative to diagnose VAP with multi-drug resistant strains as early as possible; colistin, the 'last resort' antibiotic, if instituted with proper monitoring at the right time, can be life saving.

Infective endocarditis due to Acinetobacter baumannii complex--a case report.

We report a case of infective endocarditis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii complex in a 27-year-old male patient. The patient presented with fever of five days duration, palpitation, dyspnea, cough and chest pain. He had undergone a surgical repair of ruptured aneurysm of sinus of valsalva a month before. The transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a large vegetation on the aortic valve. Three samples of blood for culture grew gram-negative pleomorphic coccobacilli within 24 hours which were identified by cultural and biochemical characteristics to be Acinetobacter baumannii complex. Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by Kirby-Bauer method and the isolate were found to be resistant to ampicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Ceftriaxone, Gentamicin, Amikacin, Augmentin, Levofloxacin, Piperacillin-Tazobactam, Netilimicin and sensitive to Imipenem. Patient was initially treated with Ceftraixone and Gentamicin and subsequently with Ampicillin and Amikacin but did not respond to treatment and died of sepsis before therapy with Imipenem could be started.

Infective endocarditis following implantation of amplatzer atrial septal occluder.

Infective endocarditis is a rare but serious complication following device closure of atrial septal defect. Surgical removal of the device is mandatory in such cases. We report a rare case of polymicrobial endocarditis following implantation of Amplatzer septal occluder in an eight-year-old child.

Comportamiento de acinobacter en los procesos infecciosos de los pacientes ingresados al HEALF de enero 2004 a diciembre de 2005 / Acinobacter behavior in the infectious processes of the patients entered the HEALF of January 2004 to December of 2005

El trabajo comportamiento de acinetobacter en los procesos infecciosos de pacientes ingresados al HEALF de enero de 2004- diciembre de 2005, se realizó con el objetivo de conocer el comportamiento de esta bacteria en nuestro medio ya que el acinetobacter ha surgido como un importante microorganismo a nivel intrahospitalario y uno de los mayores problemas de la infecciones producidas por esta bacteria es su tratamiento, por su amplia multiresistencia y por las pocas alternativas terapéuticas disponibles en la actualidad. Dicho estudio es descriptivo, de serie de casos. Para alcanzar este objetivo se estudiaron 452 pacientes a los que se aisló 528 Acinetobacter. Los procesos infewcciosos más frecuentes fueron: Sepsis de Herida Quirúrgica, Neumonías y Traqueóbronquitis. Los servicios más afectados fueron: Medicina Interna y de esta, la sala de UCI (Unidad de cuidados intensivos), Neurocirugía, principalmente lka sala de Neurocirugía Intermedios y cirugía plástica principalmente la sala de quemados. Según los resultados de Antibiogrma se encontró un alto grado de resistencia de la bacteria a los antibióticos disponibles en la Lista Básica de Medicamentos como son: Ceftriazona, Ampicilina, Amikacina, Ceftazidima y en menor grado de resistencia a los Carbapemenes (Imipenem, Meropenem)...>

Endophthalmitis caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. A profile.

PURPOSE: To report the clinical and microbiological profile of endophthalmitis caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. METHODS: A retrospective study of case series of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus endophthalmitis. Outcome measures included ability to sterilise the eye, anatomical result (clear media and attached retina) and visual recovery (visual acuity > 6/60). RESULTS: Of the 20 cases studied, 10 were cases of postoperative endophthalmitis, 3 were posttraumatic, 6 were endogenous and one was bleb-related endophthalmitis. Specific features of interest observed were relative chronicity of presentation and absence of any obvious predisposing factor in endogenous endophthalmitis cases. All cases could be sterilised except one, which needed evisceration. Cases with postoperative endophthalmitis had better anatomical outcome (7/10 with attached retina and clear media) and visual outcome (4/10 regained vision > 6/18). Higher smear positivity was seen in vitreous samples (72.2%) compared to aqueous samples (37.5%). Culture positivity was higher from the vitreous cavity compared to aqueous. The organism was sensitive to ciprofloxacin in a high percentage (88.9%) of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Visual recovery in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus endophthalmitis is modest. Ciprofloxacin is the antibiotic of choice.