Control of an outbreak of post-transplant cutaneous mucormycosis by removing the vehicle: An intervention study of contiguous cohorts.

BACKGROUND: An outbreak of post-kidney transplant cutaneous mucormycosis (PK-CM), a severe and even fatal complication in immunocompromised patients, occurred in our institution. The objective of this study was to compare the usual fixation of sterile wound dressings with non-sterile elastic bandages and fixation with sterile bandages processed at our centralized sterile services department with regard to PK-CM prevention. METHODS: We conducted a before-and-after trial in a private tertiary care hospital. The pre-intervention cohort (n = 16) included all patients who had undergone kidney transplant (KT) during the outbreak (June 2010-April 2011), and the post-intervention cohort (n = 49) included all patients who had undergone KT between May 2011 and October 2013. From May 2011, only bandages sterilized by the centralized sterile services department were used to fix wound dressings of KT patients. RESULTS: Differences in age (50.2 years vs 51.3 years), sex (43.8% male vs 59.2% female), weight (63.3 kg vs 69.7 kg), hemodialysis vintage (55.6 months vs 47.8 months), and other risk factors were not observed between the pre- and post-intervention cohorts, respectively. PK-CM incidence dropped from 25% in the pre-intervention cohort (4/16) to 0% in the post-intervention cohort (0/49). Relative risk was 0 (P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: With regard to KT patients and sterile wound dressing fixation with non-sterile bandages versus the use of autoclaved bandages, fixation with autoclaved bandages proved to be effective for cutaneous mucormycosis outbreak control and prevention in our institution.

[Septic arthritis byAggregatibacteraphrophilus: Case report] / Artritis séptica por Aggregatibacter aphrophilus.

Introduction: Septic arthritis by Aggregatibacter aphrophilus is an uncommon entity, so it's important to diagnose it early, to avoid serious consequences. In adults, the knee is the most affected site. Methods: We present a case of a 17-year-old boy, with pain in the left knee since one month ago. It shows an increase in local temperature, erythema and movement inability. A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was performed and empirical treatment was given with cephalothin and clindamycin. A knee arthrotomy was realized, and intramedullary secretion and bone tissue was sent to study. Results: the NMR images were suggestive of an infectious process. In the culture gram-negative coccobacilli were isolated, later identified like as Aggregatibacter aphrophilus. According to this diagnostic, the treatment was changed to ceftriaxone The main conclusions: the rapidity and certainty in the choice of antimicrobial therapy is the most important step for a well evolution of this infection, therefore is very important to emphasize the importance of a correct identification of these rare microorganisms

Introducción: Aunque la artritis séptica es una entidad poco común, es importante debido a las graves consecuencias de un diagnóstico tardío o un incorrecto tratamiento. En adultos, la rodilla es el sitio más afectado. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un caso clínico de artritis séptica por Aggregatibacter aphrophilus en rodilla en un paciente joven, inmunocompetente, sin antecedentes patológicos. Materiales y métodos: Se estudia el caso de un joven de 17 años, tabaquista, con un cuadro de 1 mes de evolución caracterizado por gonalgia izquierda, aumento de la temperatura local, eritema e impotencia funcional. Se realizan análisis de sangre, una ecografía,y resonancia magnética (RMN).Se solicitan hemocultivos y cultivos de líquido intrarticular de rodilla. En la RMN se observa una lesión expansiva en la región femoral, sugestiva de un proceso infeccioso. Se comienza tratamiento empírico con cefalotina y clindamicina. Se realiza una artrotomia de rodilla enviándose para su estudio secreción endomedular, tejido óseo y endomedular. Resultados: Los hemocultivos y el cultivo del líquido intraarticular fueron negativos, pero los materiales obtenidos por técnica quirúrgica fueron positivos para el cultivo, aislándose cocobacilos gram negativos, posteriormente identificados como Aggregatibacter aphrophilus Se realizó el diagnóstico de artritis séptica por Aggregatibacter aphrophilus y se roto el tratamiento antimicrobiano a ceftriaxona. Conclusión: La rapidez y la certeza en la elección de la terapia antimicrobiana son un paso decisivo para la evolución de la enfermedad, por lo tanto se remarca la importancia de una correcta identificación de estos microorganismos poco frecuentes.

Estimating the likelihood of success with the initial empiric antimicrobial therapy in patients with nosocomial infections.

In order to estimate the likelihood of success (SL) with the initial empiric antimicrobial therapy, the following formula was constructed with data subjected to prior clinical validation in real time: SL (%) = (Nº isolates susceptible to IEAT/Nº patients with MDI) × 100. Where the numerator of the formula represents the total number of isolates recovered from the assessed type of infection, that was susceptible to any component of empiric antimicrobial therapy (IEAT) used, and the denominator represents the total number of patients with the same assessed, but microbiologically documented infection (MDI). For male hospital-acquired urinary tract infection, only imipenem reached a suitable SL value (i.e. ≥80%). In patients with hospital-acquired peritonitis, imipenem and tigecycline-ceftazidime showed the highest coverage rates. For ventilator-associated pneumonia only imipenem yielded acceptable coverage as a single drug. Implementing the present formula instead of the regular global antibiograms used to guide the selection of the initial treatment may benefit the patient outcome and improve antimicrobial usage.

Control of an outbreak of postoperative bone mucormycosis: An intervention study of contiguous cohorts.

An outbreak of postoperative bone mucormycosis following arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a tertiary referral center in Paraná, Argentina, could have been transmitted through an arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction-exclusive contaminated item. The outbreak was controlled after changing from a system of direct delivery of implants and instruments to the operating room without proper verification, to a controlled and centralized process; specifically, the institution's pharmacy verified the quality and traceability of implants, and instruments were processed only by the institution's central sterile services department.