Prevalence of MRSA ST398 Carriage in Nursing Home Residents in an Area of Spain With a High Density of Pig Farming.

MRSA nasal carriage was detected in 15.7% of 204 residents from 6 nursing homes (NHs) in the Osona region (Barcelona, Spain), and the MRSA-ST398 lineage was identified in 15.6% of MRSA-positive residents and in 2.5% of all NH residents evaluated. Most MRSA-ST398 carriers (4 of 5) had direct or indirect contact with pig farms. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:90-93.

Prevalence of colonization by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 in pigs and pig farm workers in an area of Catalonia, Spain.

BACKGROUND: A livestock-associated clonal lineage (ST398) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been identified causing colonization or infection in farm workers. The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence of MRSA-ST398 colonization in pigs and in pig farmers in an area with a high pig population (Osona, Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain). METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional prevalence study in Osona (Catalonia, Spain), from June 2014 to June 2015. All pig farm workers from 83 farms were studied. Twenty of these farms were randomly selected for the study of both pigs and farmers: 9 fattening and 11 farrow-to-finish farms. All workers over the age of 18 who agreed to participate were included. Samples were analyzed to identify MRSA-ST398 and their spa type. RESULTS: Eighty-one of the 140 pig farm workers analyzed (57.9% (95% IC: 50.0-66.4%)) were MRSA-positive, all of them ST398. The mean number of years worked on farms was 17.5 ± 12.6 (range:1-50), without significant differences between positive and negative MRSA results (p = 0.763). Over 75% of MRSA-ST398 carriers worked on farms with more than 1250 pigs (p < 0.001). At least one worker tested positive for MRSA-ST398 on all 20 selected pig farms. Ninety-two (46.0% (95% IC: 39.0-53.0%)) of the nasal swabs from 200 pigs from these 20 farms were MRSA-positive, with 50.5% of sows and 41.4% of fattening pigs (p = 0.198) giving MRSA-positive results. All the isolates were tetracycline-resistant, and were identified as MRSA-ST398. The spa type identified most frequently was t011 (62%). Similar spa types and phenotypes of antibiotic resistance were identified in pigs and farmers of 19/20 tested farms. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MRSA-ST398 among pig farm workers and pigs on farms in the studied region is very high, and the size of the farm seems to correlate with the frequency of colonization of farmers. The similar spa-types and phenotypes of resistance detected in pigs and workers in most of the farms studied suggest animal-to-human transmission.

Innovando en la toma de decisiones compartida con pacientes hospitalizados: descripción y evaluación de una herramienta de registro de nivel de intensidad terapéutica / Improving shared decision-making for hospital patients: description and evaluation of a treatment intensity assessment tool

Fundamento y objetivo. La toma de decisiones compartida entre pacientes y profesionales es un elemento clave de la atención centrada en la persona y tiene como objetivo facilitar la adecuada armonización entre los valores y preferencias de los pacientes, los objetivos asistenciales propuestos y la intensidad de las intervenciones realizadas. Pero tan importante como velar por la calidad de este proceso colaborativo es poder disponer de sistemas que permitan registrarlo de forma fiable y sencilla, con el objetivo de preservar la coherencia en las decisiones durante el proceso asistencial. El presente estudio describe un sistema de registro de nivel de intensidad terapéutica (NIT) diseñada para tal fin y evalúa los resultados de su implementación. Material y método. Se comparan los resultados pre-implementación y post-implementación en 2 cohortes de pacientes registrados durante un período de un mes, respectivamente. Resultados. El 6,1% de los pacientes del grupo pre-implementación (n = 673) tienen algún registro de nivel asistencial, frente al 31,6% del grupo post-implementación (n = 832) (p < 0,01), existiendo diferencias entre servicios. La mortalidad intrahospitalaria de ambas cohortes es del 1,9%; el 93,75% de los pacientes del grupo post-implementación que fallecieron tenían registro de NIT. Conclusiones. La disponibilidad de una herramienta hospitalaria específica parece incentivar el proceso de toma de decisiones compartidas entre pacientes y profesionales —multiplicando por más de 5 veces el registro de NIT—, facilita la continuidad asistencial entre equipos y permite monitorizar la personalización de las intervenciones. Serán necesarios más estudios para seguir avanzando en la toma de decisiones compartida con los pacientes hospitalizados (AU)

Background and aim. Shared decision-making between patients and healthcare professionals is crucial to guarantee adequate coherence between patient values and preferences, caring aims and treatment intensity, which is key for the provision of patient-centred healthcare. The assessment of such interventions are essential for caring continuity purposes. To do this, reliable and easy-to-use assessment systems are required. This study describes the results of the implementation of a hospital treatment intensity assessment tool. Material and methods. The pre-implementation and post-implementation results were compared between two cohorts of patients assessed for one month. Results. Some record of care was registered in 6.1% of patients in the pre-implementation group (n = 673) compared to 31.6% of patients in the post-implementation group (n = 832) (P < .01), with differences between services. Hospital mortality in both cohorts is 1.9%; in the pre-implementation group, 93.75% of deceased patients had treatment intensity assessment. Conclusions. In hospital settings, the availability of a specific tool seems to encourage very significantly shared decision-making processes between patients and healthcare professionals —multiplying by more than 5 times the treatment intensity assessment. Moreover, such tools help in the caring continuity processes between different teams and the personalisation of caring interventions to be monitored. More research is needed to continue improving shared decision-making for hospital patients (AU)

[Improving shared decision-making for hospital patients: Description and evaluation of a treatment intensity assessment tool]. / Innovando en la toma de decisiones compartida con pacientes hospitalizados: descripción y evaluación de una herramienta de registro de nivel de intensidad terapéutica.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Shared decision-making between patients and healthcare professionals is crucial to guarantee adequate coherence between patient values and preferences, caring aims and treatment intensity, which is key for the provision of patient-centred healthcare. The assessment of such interventions are essential for caring continuity purposes. To do this, reliable and easy-to-use assessment systems are required. This study describes the results of the implementation of a hospital treatment intensity assessment tool. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The pre-implementation and post-implementation results were compared between two cohorts of patients assessed for one month. RESULTS: Some record of care was registered in 6.1% of patients in the pre-implementation group (n=673) compared to 31.6% of patients in the post-implementation group (n=832) (P<.01), with differences between services. Hospital mortality in both cohorts is 1.9%; in the pre-implementation group, 93.75% of deceased patients had treatment intensity assessment. CONCLUSIONS: In hospital settings, the availability of a specific tool seems to encourage very significantly shared decision-making processes between patients and healthcare professionals -multiplying by more than 5 times the treatment intensity assessment. Moreover, such tools help in the caring continuity processes between different teams and the personalisation of caring interventions to be monitored. More research is needed to continue improving shared decision-making for hospital patients.

[IgG4- and MPO-ANCA-associated hypertrophic pachymeningitis]. / Paquimeningitis hipertrófica relacionada con IgG4 y MPO-ANCA.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a fibroinflammatory immune-mediated disease of the dura mater. Its diagnosis requires the preclusion of infectious, tumoral and other inflammatory diseases. In recent years new entities have been reported that can present with hypertrophic pachymeningitis, such as IgG4-associated disease and MPO-ANCA+ pachymeningitis, as a form of vasculitis limited to the central nervous system. CASE REPORT: We describe the case of a 64 years-old male with headaches and cervicalgia, predominantly at night, and clinical signs and symptoms of spinal cord compression. Following the diagnosis of craniocervical hypertrophic pachymeningitis provided by the magnetic resonance imaging study, an aetiological study was conducted. Infectious and tumoral diseases were precluded. The clinical features did not show any systemic involvement and high levels of IgG4 and MPO-ANCA+ were found in the results of the analyses. The clinical signs and symptoms quickly improved following treatment with corticoids. CONCLUSIONS: IgG4-related disease and MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis limited to the central nervous system can account for a high percentage of the cases of hypertrophic pachymeningitis that were considered idiopathic, and their diagnosis requires a biopsy and a histological study.

TITLE: Paquimeningitis hipertrofica relacionada con IgG4 y MPO-ANCA.Introduccion. La paquimeningitis hipertrofica idiopatica es una enfermedad fibroinflamatoria de la duramadre. Su diagnostico requiere la exclusion de enfermedades infecciosas, tumorales y otras enfermedades inflamatorias. En los ultimos años se han descrito nuevas entidades que pueden presentarse con paquimeningitis hipertrofica: la enfermedad relacionada con IgG4 y la paquimeningitis MPO-ANCA+ como forma de vasculitis limitada al sistema nervioso central. Caso clinico. Varon de 64 años con cefalea y cervicalgia de predominio nocturno y clinica de compresion medular. Tras el diagnostico de paquimeningitis hipertrofica craneocervical facilitado por el estudio de resonancia magnetica, se realizo un estudio etiologico. Se descartaron enfermedades infecciosas y tumorales. La clinica no mostraba afectacion sistemica y en la analitica presentaba IgG4 elevada y MPO-ANCA+. Tras tratamiento con corticoides presento una rapida mejoria de la clinica. Conclusiones. La enfermedad relacionada con IgG4 y la vasculitis asociada a MPO-ANCA limitada al sistema nervioso central pueden representar un alto porcentaje de las paquimeningitis hipertroficas que se consideraban idiopaticas, y su diagnostico requiere biopsia y estudio histologico.

Paquimeningitis hipertrófica relacionada con IgG4 y MPO-ANCA / IgG4- and MPO-ANCA-associated hypertrophic pachymeningitis

Introducción. La paquimeningitis hipertrófica idiopática es una enfermedad fibroinflamatoria de la duramadre. Su diagnóstico requiere la exclusión de enfermedades infecciosas, tumorales y otras enfermedades inflamatorias. En los últimos años se han descrito nuevas entidades que pueden presentarse con paquimeningitis hipertrófica: la enfermedad relacionada con IgG4 y la paquimeningitis MPO-ANCA+ como forma de vasculitis limitada al sistema nervioso central. Caso clínico. Varón de 64 años con cefalea y cervicalgia de predominio nocturno y clínica de compresión medular. Tras el diagnóstico de paquimeningitis hipertrófica craneocervical facilitado por el estudio de resonancia magnética, se realizó un estudio etiológico. Se descartaron enfermedades infecciosas y tumorales. La clínica no mostraba afectación sistémica y en la analítica presentaba IgG4 elevada y MPO-ANCA+. Tras tratamiento con corticoides presentó una rápida mejoría de la clínica. Conclusiones. La enfermedad relacionada con IgG4 y la vasculitis asociada a MPO-ANCA limitada al sistema nervioso central pueden representar un alto porcentaje de las paquimeningitis hipertróficas que se consideraban idiopáticas, y su diagnóstico requiere biopsia y estudio histológico (AU)

Introduction. Idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a fibroinflammatory immune-mediated disease of the dura mater. Its diagnosis requires the preclusion of infectious, tumoral and other inflammatory diseases. In recent years new entities have been reported that can present with hypertrophic pachymeningitis, such as IgG4-associated disease and MPO-ANCA+ pachymeningitis, as a form of vasculitis limited to the central nervous system. Case report. We describe the case of a 64 years-old male with headaches and cervicalgia, predominantly at night, and clinical signs and symptoms of spinal cord compression. Following the diagnosis of craniocervical hypertrophic pachymeningitis provided by the magnetic resonance imaging study, an aetiological study was conducted. Infectious and tumoral diseases were precluded. The clinical features did not show any systemic involvement and high levels of IgG4 and MPO-ANCA+ were found in the results of the analyses. The clinical signs and symptoms quickly improved following treatment with corticoids. Conclusions. IgG4-related disease and MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis limited to the central nervous system can account for a high percentage of the cases of hypertrophic pachymeningitis that were considered idiopathic, and their diagnosis requires a biopsy and a histological study (AU)

Correlation between immature platelet fraction and reticulated platelets. Usefulness in the etiology diagnosis of thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND: Reticulated platelets (RP) are a surrogate marker for megakaryocytic activity, but the limitation of this determination is the lack of standardization of methodology. The determination of the immature platelet fraction (IPF) is performed in a simple, automated, and reproducible way between laboratories. We analyzed the correlation between IPF and RP, and usefulness of IPF in patients with thrombocytopenia. METHODS: RP were determined by flow cytometry using double staining with thiazole orange and CD61 PerCP. IPF was performed with Sysmex XE2100 analyzer. We used a control group with normal platelets, and thrombocytopenic patients were classified into three groups: Group 1. Central thrombocytopenia, Group 2. Thrombocytopenia as a result of enhanced peripheral platelet destruction, and Group 3. Peripheral non-immune thrombocytopenia by abnormal distribution. RESULTS: Fourteen controls and 66 patients were analyzed. Group 1: 25 patients, they had mean and confidence interval 95% (95% CI) for IPF 8.67% (6.49-10.46%) and RP 4.08% (2.86-5.30%). Group 2: 20 patients, they had mean and 95%CI for IPF 16.80% (12.20-21.39%) and RP 16.14% (9.89-22.40%). Group 3: 21 patients, they had mean and 95% CI for IPF 9.04% (6.95-11.14%) and RP 5.23% (3.41-7.05%). The overall Pearson linear correlation between IPF and RP was r: 0.65. There were statistically significant differences in values of IPF and RP between Group 2 and the other two groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: There is a good correlation between IPF and RP mainly in thrombocytopenia by peripheral destruction. Determination of IPF is an easy technique in their implementation, standardized and reproducible, so it could be a useful screening technique in patients with thrombocytopenia.

[Relationship between reticulated platelets and megacaryocyte number in thrombocytopenic patients]. / Relación entre plaquetas reticuladas y número de megacariocitos en pacientes con trombocitopenia.

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION: Marrow aspiration is a test that helps the pathogenic diagnosis of thrombocytopenia. Our goal was to analyze the correlation between reticulated platelets (RP) values in peripheral blood with megakaryocytic number in bone marrow in a group of thrombocytopenic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study in thrombocytopenic patients, between June 2002 and June 2005. RP determination was performed by flow cytometry using whole blood. We used a monoclonal anti-glycoprotein-IIIa antibody (CD61PerCP) for platelet identification and orange thiazole (Retic-count) as platelet mRNA stain. Marrow study was conducted by marrow aspiration. RESULTS: RP were measured in 54 thrombocytopenic patients with bone marrow study. Three were excluded from the study. Thirty-two patients had central thrombocytopenia with diminished megakaryocytes (MK) and/or dysplasia, mean of RP 9.5% (CI 95%:5.6%-13.4%). Thirteen patients had high MK,mean of RP 25.7%(CI 95%:13.1%-38.3%). Six patients had normal MK, mean of RP 13.6% (CI 95%:0.6%-26.8%). There were differences between the group of increased MK and the group of central thrombocytopenias (p=0001). A value of RP>or=11% showed a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 81% for the diagnosis of marrow aspirate with increased MK. CONCLUSIONS: RP are an indirect marker of megakaryocyte number in bone marrow. A value of RP>or=11% in patients with thrombocytopenia, especially with an acute onset, would indicate regenerative thrombocytopenia, while in the presence of low levels of RP a marrow aspiration should be performed.

Relación entre plaquetas reticuladas y número de megacariocitos en pacientes con trombocitopenia / Relationship between reticulated platelets and megacaryocyte number in thrombocytopenic patients

Fundamento y objetivo: El aspirado medular es un test de gran valor para el diagnóstico patogénico de las trombocitopenias. El objetivo fue analizar la correlación entre los valores de plaquetas reticuladas (PR) en sangre periférica con el número de megacariocitos en médula ósea en un grupo de pacientes con trombocitopenia. Pacientes y método: Estudio prospectivo observacional en pacientes con trombocitopenia entre junio de 2002 y junio de 2005. La determinación de PR se realizó mediante citometría de flujo con el uso de sangre total. Se utilizó un anticuerpo monoclonal anti-glucoproteína-IIIa (CD61 PerCP®) para la identificación de plaquetas y naranja de tiazol (Retic-count®) para la tinción del ácido ribonucleico plaquetario residual. El estudio medular se realizó mediante aspirado medular. Resultados: Se determinaron las PR en 54 pacientes con trombocitopenia que tenían estudio medular. Tres pacientes se excluyeron del estudio. Treinta y dos pacientes tenían trombocitopenias centrales con megacariocitos disminuidos o displasia, con una media de PR del 9,5% (intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%: del 5,6 al 13,4%). Trece pacientes tenían megacariocitos elevados, con una media de PR del 25,7% (IC del 95%: del 13,1 al 38,3%). Seis pacientes tenían megacariocitos normales, con una media de PR del 13,6% (IC del 95%: del 0,6 al 26,8%). Se observaron diferencias entre el grupo con megacariocitos aumentados y el grupo de trombocitopenias centrales (p=0,001). Un valor de PR superior o igual al 11% mostró sensibilidad del 70% y especificidad del 81% para el diagnóstico de aspirado medular con megacariocitos aumentados. Conclusiones: Las PR son un marcador indirecto de la producción de megacariocitos en médula ósea. La presencia de PR superior o igual al 11% en pacientes con trombocitopenia, especialmente de inicio agudo, indicaría trombocitopenia regenerativa, mientras que ante la presencia de valores bajos de PR sería recomendable realizar un aspirado medular (AU)

Background and Introduction: Marrow aspiration is a test that helps the pathogenic diagnosis of thrombocytopenia. Our goal was to analyze the correlation between reticulated platelets (RP) values in peripheral blood with megakaryocytic number in bone marrow in a group of thrombocytopenic patients. Patients and methods: Prospective observational study in thrombocytopenic patients, between June 2002 and June 2005. RP determination was performed by flow cytometry using whole blood. We used a monoclonal anti-glycoprotein-IIIa antibody (CD61PerCP) for platelet identification and orange thiazole (Retic-count®) as platelet mRNA stain. Marrow study was conducted by marrow aspiration. Results: RP were measured in 54 thrombocytopenic patients with bone marrow study. Three were excluded from the study. Thirty-two patients had central thrombocytopenia with diminished megakaryocytes (MK) and/or dysplasia, mean of RP 9.5% (CI 95%:5.6% 13.4%). Thirteen patients had high MK,mean of RP 25.7%(CI 95%:13.1% 38.3%). Six patients had normal MK, mean of RP 13.6% (CI 95%:0.6% 26.8%). There were differences between the group of increased MK and the group of central thrombocytopenias (p=0001). A value of RPe11% showed a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 81% for the diagnosis of marrow aspirate with increased MK. Conclusions: RP are an indirect marker of megakaryocyte number in bone marrow. A value of RPe11% in patients with thrombocytopenia, especially with an acute onset, would indicate regenerative thrombocytopenia, while in the presence of low levels of RP a marrow aspiration should be performed (AU)