Epidemiologic features of invasive group A Streptococcus infection in a rural hospital: 6-year retrospective report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: High rates of invasive group A Streptococcus disease were suspected by clinicians in northwestern Ontario. Patients with sepsis were being encountered with bacteremia positive for group A Streptococcus. This study was designed to assess the incidence of invasive group A Streptococcus infection in the region and provide best-practice treatment information. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review at the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre (SLMHC) from 2009 to 2014 to examine rates of infection due to invasive group A Streptococcus and outcomes. All blood cultures from 2015 were also examined to calculate the relative rates of distinct pathogens responsible for cases of bacteremia. A literature review on this topic was performed, with attention to rural incidence where available and clinical practice guidelines. RESULTS: Invasive group A Streptococcus disease was diagnosed in 65 patients during the study period. Most (37 [57%]) had bacteremia without a clinical focus. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was a comorbid condition in 27 (42%) and skin conditions in 30 (46%). The case fatality rate was 4.6%. In 2015, group A Streptococcus accounted for 8% of all positive blood cultures from in- and outpatients in the catchment area. The calculated annual incidence rate of invasive group A Streptococcus infection was 37.2 cases per 100 000 population. CONCLUSION: Rural physicians may encounter group A Streptococcus bacteremia in their practice. The death rate associated with these infections can be as high as 20%, and patients require urgent treatment, typically with intravenous penicillin and clindamycin therapy. The rate of invasive group A Streptococcus infection in the predominantly First Nations population served by the SLMHC exceeded the Canadian rate eightfold and is comparable to rates observed in low-income countries and among Indigenous populations in Australia. This disparity may result from inadequate housing, overcrowding or limited access to clean water.

INTRODUCTION: Des cliniciens soupçonnaient des taux élevés d'infections invasives à streptocoque du groupe A dans le Nord-Ouest de l'Ontario. Les patients infectés présentaient une bactériémie positive pour les streptocoques du groupe A. Notre étude visait à évaluer l'incidence des infections invasives à streptocoque du groupe A dans la région et à offrir des renseignements sur les meilleures pratiques de traitement. METHODS: Nous avons mené une étude rétrospective des dossiers de patients du Centre de santé Meno Ya Win de Sioux Lookout (SLMHC) entre 2009 et 2014 afin d'étudier les taux d'infections invasives à streptocoque du groupe A et les résultats. Nous avons également examiné toutes les hémocultures effectuées en 2015 afin de déterminer les taux relatifs de pathogènes distincts responsables des cas de bactériémie. Nous avons procédé à une analyse documentaire sur le sujet, en portant attention à l'incidence en milieu rural lorsque les données étaient disponibles ainsi qu'aux guides de pratique clinique. RESULTS: Soixante-cinq patients ont reçu un diagnostic d'infection invasive à streptocoque du groupe A pendant la période à l'étude. La plupart d'entre eux (37 [57 %]) présentait une bactériémie sans manifestation clinique. Vingt-sept (42 %) patients présentaient également un diabète de type 2 et 30 (46 %) patients présentaient des affections cutanées. Le taux de mortalité clinique était de 4,6 %. En 2015, les infections à streptocoque du groupe A comptaient pour 8 % de la totalité des hémocultures positives provenant des patients hospitalisés et des patients externes dans la région à l'étude. On a calculé un taux d'incidence annuel d'infections invasives à streptocoque du groupe A de 37,2 cas par 100 000 personnes. CONCLUSION: Les médecins en milieu rural peuvent rencontrer des cas de bactériémie à streptocoque du groupe A dans le cadre de leur pratique. Le taux de mortalité associé à ces infections peut atteindre 20 %. Les patients ont besoin d'un traitement urgent, reposant généralement sur l'administration de pénicilline et de clindamycine par voie intraveineuse. Le taux d'infections invasives à streptocoque du groupe A dans la population majoritairement autochtone desservie par le SLMHC était 8 fois plus élevé que le taux observé dans la population canadienne et est comparable aux taux observés dans les pays à faible revenu et chez les populations aborigènes d'Australie. Cette disparité pourrait être attribuable au logement inadéquat, au surpeuplement ou à l'accès limité à de l'eau potable.

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection: Literature review and clinical update.

OBJECTIVE: To provide information on the prevalence and treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and the distinction between community-associated MRSA and health care-associated MRSA. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched from 2005 to 2016. Epidemiologic studies were summarized and the relevant treatment literature was based on level I evidence. MAIN MESSAGE: The incidence of community-associated MRSA infection is rising. Certain populations, including indigenous Canadians and homeless populations, are particularly affected. Community-associated MRSA can be distinguished from health care-associated MRSA based on genetic, epidemiologic, or microbiological profiles. It retains susceptibility to some oral agents including trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, and tetracyclines. Community-associated MRSA typically presents as purulent skin and soft tissue infection, but invasive infection occurs and can lead to severe, complicated disease. Treatment choices and the need for empiric MRSA coverage are influenced by the type and severity of infection. CONCLUSION: Community-associated MRSA is a common cause of skin and soft tissue infections and might be common in populations where overcrowding and limited access to clean water exist.

Evaluation of 6 remote First Nations community-based buprenorphine programs in northwestern Ontario: Retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate established opioid addiction treatment programs that use traditional healing in combination with buprenorphine-naloxone maintenance treatment in 6 First Nations communities in the Sioux Lookout region of northwestern Ontario. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Six First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 526 First Nations participants in opioid-dependence treatment programs. INTERVENTION: Buprenorphine-naloxone substitution therapy and First Nations healing programming. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Retention rates and urine drug screening (UDS) results. RESULTS: Treatment retention rates at 6, 12, and 18 months were 84%, 78%, and 72%, respectively. We estimate that the rate at 24 months will also be more than 70%. The UDS programming varied and was implemented in only 1 community. Initially urine testing was voluntary and it then became mandatory. Screening with either method found the proportion of urine samples with negative results for illicit opioids ranged between 84% and 95%. CONCLUSION: The program's treatment retention rates and negative UDS results were higher than those reported for most methadone and buprenorphine-naloxone programs, despite a patient population where severe posttraumatic stress disorder is endemic, and despite the programs' lack of resources and addiction expertise. Community-based programs like these overcome the initial challenge of cultural competence. First Nations communities in other provinces should establish their own buprenorphinenaloxone programs, using local primary care physicians as prescribers. Sustainable core funding is needed for programming, long-term aftercare, and trauma recovery for such initiatives.

Community-wide measures of wellness in a remote First Nations community experiencing opioid dependence: evaluating outpatient buprenorphine-naloxone substitution therapy in the context of a First Nations healing program.

OBJECTIVE: To document the development of unique opioid-dependence treatment in remote communities that combines First Nations healing strategies and substitution therapy with buprenorphine-naloxone. DESIGN: Quantitative measurements of community wellness and response to community-based opioid-dependence treatment. SETTING: Remote First Nations community in northwestern Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 140 self-referred opioid-dependent community members. INTERVENTION: Community-developed program of First Nations healing, addiction treatment, and substitution therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Community-wide measures of wellness: number of criminal charges, addiction-related medical evacuations, child protection agency cases, school attendance, and attendance at community events. RESULTS: The age-adjusted adult rate of opioid-dependence treatment was 41%. One year after the development of the in-community healing and substitution therapy program for opioid dependence, police criminal charges had fallen by 61.1%, child protection cases had fallen by 58.3%, school attendance had increased by 33.3%, and seasonal influenza immunizations had dramatically gone up by 350.0%. Attendance at community events is now robust, and sales at the local general store have gone up almost 20%. CONCLUSION: Community-wide wellness measures have undergone dramatic public health changes since the development of a First Nations healing program involving opioid substitution therapy with buprenorphine-naloxone. Funding for such programs is ad hoc and temporary, and this threatens the survival of the described program and other such programs developing in this region, which has been strongly affected by an opioid-dependence epidemic.

Acute rheumatic fever in First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario: Social determinants of health "bite the heart".

OBJECTIVE: To document a case series of 8 young First Nations patients diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever (ARF), a preventable disease that resulted in the death of 2 patients, in northwestern Ontario in the context of late diagnosis, overcrowded housing, and inadequate public health response. DESIGN: Retrospective case series over an 18-month period. SETTING: Remote First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Eight patients with ARF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence, mortality, residual rheumatic heart disease, time to diagnosis, barriers to diagnosis and treatment, housing situation of patients, patient demographic characteristics (age, sex), and investigation results. RESULTS: The incidence of ARF in this population was 21.3 per 100,000, which is 75 times greater than the overall Canadian estimated incidence. The average patient age was 9.4 years. Most cases developed joint findings, and 5 of the surviving patients had rheumatic heart disease when they received echocardiography. The average time to diagnosis was 88 days. Two 4-year-old children died from ARF. Most patients lived in inadequate and crowded housing. CONCLUSION: This rare disease still exists in remote First Nations communities. These communities demonstrate an incidence equal to that in aboriginal communities in Australia and New Zealand, which have among the highest international incidence of ARF. Primordial prevention, including improved on-reserve housing, is urgently needed. Case detection and ongoing surveillance for primary and secondary prophylaxis requires a well resourced regional strategy.

Invasive CA-MRSA in northwestern Ontario: a 2-year prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Northwestern Ontario has a documented high rate of skin and soft-tissue infections due to community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Recently, invasive illness from this common pathogen has become a serious clinical problem in the region. We sought to better understand this trend of invasive CA-MRSA. METHODS: We prospectively studied cases of positive CA-MRSA bacteremia in 2012 and 2013. We examined genetic typing, comorbidities and outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-three cases of CA-MRSA bacteremia were treated during the 2-year study period. Intravenous drug use accounted for only 17% of cases. One death and 2 cases of endocarditis occurred. CONCLUSION: High rates of CA-MRSA in skin and soft-tissue infections, combined with poor living conditions and poor access to potable water, may account for most of these cases of CA-MRSA bacteremia. Social determinants of health are relevant when common resistant bacterial isolates become associated with life-threatening illness.

INTRODUCTION: La région du Nord-Ouest de l'Ontario présente un taux élevé et documenté d'infections de la peau et des tissus mous causées par une souche de Staphylococcus aureus méthycillinorésistante d'origine communautaire (SARM-C). La maladie invasive causée par cet agent pathogène commun est récemment devenue un problème clinique grave dans la région. Nous avons voulu mieux comprendre cette tendance du SARM-C invasif. MÉTHODES: Nous avons étudié de manière prospective des cas de bactériémie positive à SARM C en 2012 et 2013. Nous avons analysé le typage génétique, les comorbidités et l'issue des infections. RÉSULTATS: Vingt-trois cas de bactériémie à SARM-C ont été traités au cours de la période de 2 ans. L'utilisation de drogues injectables a pu être incriminée dans seulement 17 % de cas. On a enregistré 1 décès et 2 cas d'endocardite. CONCLUSION: Des taux élevés de SARM-C dans les infections de la peau et des tissus mous alliées à de piètres conditions de vie et à un accès limité à de l'eau potable pourraient expliquer la plupart de ces cas de bactériémie à SARM-C. Il faut tenir compte des déterminants sociaux de la santé lorsque des isolats bactériens communs et résistants deviennent associés à des maladies gravissimes.