Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI): results from the Egyptian surveillance study 2010-2014.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viral and atypical bacterial infections data in Egyptian patients are sparse. This study describes the clinical features and outcomes of patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) in hospitalized patients in Egypt. METHODS: SARI surveillance was implemented at Cairo University Hospital (CUH) during the period 2010-2014. All hospitalized patients meeting the WHO case definition for SARI were enrolled. Nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal (NP/OP) swabs were collected and samples were tested using RT-PCR for influenza A, B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), parainfluenza virus (PIV 1,2,3,4), adenovirus, bocavirus, coronavirus, enterovirus, rhinovirus, and atypical bacteria. Data were analyzed to calculate positivity rates for viral pathogens and determine which pathogens related to severe outcomes or resulted in death. RESULTS: Overall, 1,075/3,207 (33.5%) cases had a viral etiology, with a mean age of 5.74 (±13.87) years. The highest rates were reported for RSV (485 cases, 45.2%), PIV (125, 11.6%), and adenovirus (105, 9.8%). Children had a higher viral rate (981, 91.2%) compared to 94 (8.8%) cases in adults. Patients with identified viruses had significantly lower rates for ICU admission, hospital stay, mechanical ventilation, and overall mortality than those without identified viruses. No infections were independently associated with severe outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Viral pathogens were encountered in one-third of hospitalized adult and pediatric Egyptian patients with SARI, while atypical bacteria had a minor role. Highest rates of viral infections were reported for RSV, PIV, and adenovirus. Viral infections had neither negative impacts on clinical features nor outcomes of patients with SARI in our locality.

Antimicrobial stewardship to optimize the use of antimicrobials for surgical prophylaxis in Egypt: A multicenter pilot intervention study.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program on the use of antibiotics for surgical prophylaxis at acute care hospitals in Egypt. METHODS: This was a before-and-after intervention study conducted in 5 tertiary, acute-care surgical hospitals. The baseline, intervention, and follow-up periods were 3, 6, and 3 months, respectively. The impact of the intervention was measured by preintervention and postintervention surveys for surgical patients with clean and clean-contaminated wounds. Information was collected on demographic characteristics and antibiotic use. The intervention focused mainly on educating surgical staff on the optimal timing and duration of antibiotics used for surgical prophylaxis. Only 3 hospitals identified a surgeon to audit antibiotic surgical prescriptions. The primary outcome measures were the percentages of surgical patients receiving optimal timing and duration of surgical prophylaxis. RESULTS: Data were collected for 745 patients before the intervention and for 558 patients after the intervention. The optimal timing of the first dose improved significantly in 3 hospitals, increasing from 6.7% to 38.7% (P < .01), from 2.6% to 15.2% (P < .01), and from 0% to 11% (P < .01). All hospitals showed a significant rise in the optimal duration of surgical prophylaxis, with an overall increase of 3%-28% (P < .01). Days of therapy per 1000 patient-days were decreased significantly in hospitals A, B, C, and D, with no change in hospital E. CONCLUSIONS: An AMS program focusing on education supported by auditing and feedback can have a significant impact on optimizing antibiotic use in surgical prophylaxis practices.

Impact of serology and molecular methods on improving the microbiologic diagnosis of infective endocarditis in Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Conventional diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) is based mainly on culture-dependent methods that may fail because of antibiotic therapy or fastidious microorganisms. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the added values of serological and molecular methods for diagnosis of infective endocarditis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty-six cases of suspected endocarditis were enrolled in the study. For each patient, three sets of blood culture were withdrawn and serum sample was collected for Brucella, Bartonella and Coxiella burnetii antibody testing. Galactomannan antigen was added if fungal endocarditis was suspected. Broad range PCR targeting bacterial and fungal pathogens were done on blood culture bottles followed by sequencing. Culture and molecular studies were done on excised valve tissue when available. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-two cases were diagnosed as definite IE. Causative organisms were detected by blood cultures in 40 (30.3 %) of cases. Blood culture-negative endocarditis (BCNE) represented 69.7 %. Of these cases, PCR followed by sequencing on blood and valvular tissue could diagnose five cases of Aspergillus flavus. Eleven patients with BCNE (8.3 %) were diagnosed as zoonotic endocarditis by serology and PCR including five cases of Brucella spp, four cases of Bartonella spp and two cases of Coxiella burnetii. PCR detected three cases of Brucella spp and two cases of Bartonella spp, while cases of Coxiella burnetii were PCR negative. The results of all diagnostic tools decreased the percentage of non-identified cases of BCNE from 69.7 to 49.2 %. CONCLUSION: Our data underline the role of serologic and molecular tools for the diagnosis of blood culture-negative endocarditis.

Source, pattern and antibiotic resistance of blood stream infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

UNLABELLED: Mucositis developing as a result of myelo-ablative high dose therapy administered prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with the risk of bacteremia. The aim of the present study was to detect the pattern of bacteremia coinciding with the present practice of HSCT, to study the contribution of health-care associated infection (HAI) to the pattern of infection, in the context of the problem of antibiotic resistance in HSCT recipients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective, single center study including patients who developed febrile neutropenia (FN) among HSCT recipients in one year duration. RESULTS: Ninety FN episodes were recorded in 50 patients. Out of 39 positive blood cultures, Gram negative rods (GNR) were the predominant pathogens, constituting 67% (n=26) of isolated organisms, while 33% of infections were caused by gram positive cocci (GPC) (n=13). Bacteremia was significantly associated with central venous line (CVL) infections and gastroenteritis (diarrhea and vomiting) with a p-value 0.024, 0.20 and 0.0001, respectively. Multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) were identified in 27 (69%) of the 39 positive blood cultures. CONCLUSION: In one year duration, gram negative pathogens were the predominant causes of infection in HSCT recipients with high rates of MDROs in our institution. Gastroenteritis and central venous line infections are the main sources of bacteremia.

Molecular characterization of carbapenem-insensitive Acinetobacter baumannii in Egypt.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the prevalence of diverse Ambler class ß-lactamase-encoding genes in 40 carbapenem-insensitive Acinetobacter baumannii isolates collected from two hospitals in Egypt during the period January-March 2012. METHODS: The resistance levels to different groups of antimicrobial agents were determined. PCR was used to detect the different Ambler class ß-lactamases encoding the following genes: blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M, blaVEB, blaPER, blaGES, blaVIM, blaIMP, blaSIM, blaSPM, blaGIM, blaNDM, blaADC, blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24, blaOXA-51, and blaOXA-58. ISAba1 and int1 were detected by PCR. RESULTS: The isolates were 100% resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanate, aztreonam, cefepime, cefotaxime, and ceftazidime. Of the isolates, 5% were resistant to colistin, 45% to amikacin, 70% to imipenem, and 85% to ciprofloxacin. The blaADC- and blaOXA-51-like genes were detected in the entire collection. The prevalences of blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24, and blaOXA-58 were 50%, 7.5%, and 5%, respectively. However, the prevalences of blaTEM-, blaPER-, and blaGES-like genes were 87.5%, 55%, and 27.5%, respectively. SHV, CTX-M, VEB, KPC, and MBL encoding genes were not detected. The ISAba1 was found upstream to blaOXA-51, blaOXA-23, and blaADC in 85%, 80%, and 50%, respectively. Of note, 45% (18/40) of the isolates co-produced extended-spectrum ß-lactamases (PER and GES) and carbapenemases (OXA-23 and OXA-58). CONCLUSIONS: The blaADC-, blaTEM-, blaPER-, blaOXA-23-, and blaGES-like genes were found to be the most prevalent types of ß-lactamase-encoding gene in A. baumannii collected from Egypt. A high level of carbapenem resistance is mediated by blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24, and blaOXA-58 (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 32 to >256µg/ml), and a low level of carbapenem resistance is mediated by blaGES (MIC 4-16µg/ml) and by up-regulation of ISAba1-OXA-51 (MIC 1-4µg/ml). Class B MBL was not identified to play a role in carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii isolates from Egypt.

Epidemiology of nosocomial infections and mortality following congenital cardiac surgery in Cairo University, Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial infections (NI) have been associated with significant morbidity and attributed mortality, as well as increased healthcare costs. Relatively few data on congenital cardiac surgical ICU NI have been reported from developing countries. Little is known about the epidemiology of NI following congenital cardiac surgery in Egypt. The aims of the present study were: (a) to estimate the incidence rate and types of NI among children admitted to Pediatric Surgical Cardiac ICU in Cairo University Children's Hospital (Egypt) and (b) to estimate the mortality rate related to congenital cardiac surgery and identify its contributing risk factors. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A follow-up study in the period between 1 January 2009 and 1 January 2010 included all patients admitted to the Pediatric Surgical Cardiac ICU in Cairo University, Abo El Reesh Children's Specialized Hospital (Egypt). Data were collected for each patient during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods. Certain infection control procedures were carried out in certain months. RESULTS: Of 175 patients, NI were identified in 119 (68%). Poor hand hygiene was associated with increased NI in certain months of the study duration. NI were significantly higher at a younger age [median 9 (5-30) months, P<0.03]. Mortality was found in 54 patients, that is, 31% of the study population. Mortality was significantly observed with younger age, higher complexity score for congenital cardiac lesions, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass and ischemic times, NI, prolonged mechanical ventilation, prolonged central line insertion, and the use of total parenteral nutrition. Mortality among the NI patients was found in 44 of 119 (37%). On carrying out a multivariate analysis, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score [P<0.001, odds ratio (OR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1-1.2], age (P<0.001, OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.4), and prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation (P<0.03, OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.1-7.2) were identified as risk factors of mortality. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: NI rate and subsequent mortality were high among cases followed up during the period from 1 January 2009 to 1 January 2010 in the University Children's Hospital (Cairo, Egypt). Early surgical interference, enforcement of proper infection control practices, especially hand hygiene, can reduce NI and trials for early extubation from mechanical ventilation might improve outcome following congenital cardiac surgery in pediatrics.

Acute lower respiratory tract infection due to respiratory syncytial virus in a group of Egyptian children under 5 years of age.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important causes of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI) in infants and young children. This study was conducted to describe the epidemiology of ALRTI associated with RSV among children ≤ 5 years old in Egypt. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 427 children ≤ 5 years old diagnosed with ALRTI attending the outpatient clinic or Emergency Department (ED) of Children Hospital, Cairo University during a one- year period. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were obtained from the patients, kept on ice and processed within 2 hours of collection. Immunoflourescent assay (IFA) for RSV was performed. RESULTS: 91 cases (21.3%) had viral etiology with RSV antigens detected in 70 cases (16.4%). The RSV positive cases were significantly younger than other non-RSV cases (mean age 8.2 months versus 14.2 months, p <0.001). RSV cases had significantly higher respiratory rate in the age group between 2-11 months (mean 58.4 versus 52.7/minute, p < 0.001) and no significant difference in the mean respiratory rate in the age group between 12-59 months. More RSV cases required supplemental oxygen (46% versus 23.5%, p < 0.001) with higher rate of hospitalization (37.1% versus 11.2%, p < 0.001) than the non-RSV cases. 97% of RSV cases occurred in winter season (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RSV is the most common viral etiology of ALRTI in children below 5 years of age, especially in young infants below 6 months of age. It is more prevalent in winter and tends to cause severe infection.

Randomized, controlled trial on tracheal colonization of ventilated infants: can gravity prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia?

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to test the hypothesis that intubated infants positioned on their sides would be less likely to contract bacterial colonization in their tracheae, compared with those positioned supine. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled trial with 60 intubated infants; 30 infants were positioned supine (supine group), and 30 infants were maintained in the lateral position (lateral group). Tracheal aspirates were cultured and bacterial colony counts were recorded after 48 hours and after 5 days of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: After 2 days, the numbers of positive tracheal cultures in the supine group (67%) and in the lateral group (47%) showed no statistical difference. After 5 days of mechanical ventilation, tracheal cultures differed significantly between groups. Cultures were positive for 26 infants (87%) in the supine group and 9 infants (30%) in the lateral group. Compared with the lateral group, more infants in the supine group experienced increased colony counts or had new organisms in their tracheal aspirates over time (21 vs 8 infants). The most common organisms isolated from tracheal aspirates in both groups were Gram-negative rods. CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory contamination is very common among ventilated infants. Therefore, judicious use of mechanical ventilation cannot be overemphasized. Gravitational force can ameliorate the onset of respiratory colonization. The mechanism and clinical applicability of such observations need to be explored further.