West Nile virus transmission through organ transplantation in north-eastern Italy: a case report and implications for pre-procurement screening.

PURPOSE: West Nile virus (WNV) transmission through organ transplantation occurs rarely and screening of organ donors for WNV infection remains controversial. This report describes the case of WNV encephalitis in a kidney recipient and the case of asymptomatic WNV infection in the organ donor, both observed at Treviso Hospital, northeastern Italy. After briefly reviewing the literature, we discuss the implications for WNV screening. METHODS: We reviewed medical, laboratory and epidemiological records at our hospital, and the literature concerning cases of organ-transmitted WNV infections and WNV screening of organ donors in Italy and worldwide. RESULTS: The kidney recipient was the first confirmed case of WNV infection notified in northeastern Italy in 2011, and the first case of WNV infection in a cluster of four transplant recipients who acquired the infection from a common organ donor. The organ donor, whose WNV infection was only retrospectively diagnosed by IgM detection, represents the index case of a WNV outbreak in the Treviso Province. Screening of her blood prior to organ recovery did not show detectable levels of WNV nucleic acid with the use of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSIONS: This report emphasizes that transplant-acquired WNV neuroinvasive disease can be particularly severe. We suggest that pre-procurement screening of organ donors by testing blood with both WNV IgM capture ELISA and a sensitive nucleic acid testing should be adopted during the transmission season in the present Italian epidemiological setting.

Epidemiology of nosocomial infection in 125 Italian intensive care units.

AIM: A continuous infection surveillance program was conducted by GiViTI throughout 2006 in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). METHODS: This was a prospective epidemiological study carried out in 125 Italian intensive care units. All patients have been included in the study. Aside from the detailed clinical information collected for all patients, in cases of infection upon ICU admission and for the first site-specific episode that occurred during the patient's stay, the following data were collected: severity upon admission, micro-organisms and their antibiotic resistance patterns, subsequent multiple episodes in the same site, origin of infections and maximum severity reached. The diagnostic criteria for all infections are explicitly stated. RESULTS: A total of 34,472 patients entered the study. Infection upon admission was present in 12.6% of patients, with a high level of ICU and hospital mortality (29.4% and 38.7%, respectively). In 3148 patients one or more infections were reported as ICU-acquired with an overall incidence of 9.1% and an ICU and hospital mortality of 27.2% and 35.1%, respectively. Out of the device-related infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia was the most frequently diagnosed (8.9/1000 days on ventilator). Catheter-related blood stream infection was reported with a low incidence (1.9/1000 central venous catheter days). Nearly 20% of more than 5000 isolated microorganisms were classified as multi-drug resistant, with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as the most frequently reported bug. CONCLUSIONS: The ad hoc expanded GiViTI software "Margherita2" allows continuous infection surveillance in Italian ICUs, annually providing an extensive and updated database. Interventions to improve infection prevention and patient safety should be tailored to accommodate these data.

Decompressive craniectomy in a case of intractable intracranial hypertension due to pneumococcal meningitis.

A young woman suffering from S. pneumoniae meningitis developed intractable intracranial hypertension with a GCS of 3. Intracranial pressure (ICP) ranged above 30 mmHg despite maximal medical treatment and continuous CSF drainage. We performed a wide bilateral decompressive craniectomy (DC) with duraplasty and we observed an immediate and stable drop of her ICP. When discharged she was independent. DC has been rarely used to control ICP in encephalitis patients and recently only in one case of meningitis. This operation could be a valuable option when all other measures to decrease ICP have failed; when necessary, it should be performed according to some rules otherwise it could be harmful for the patient. Conclusive data on the impact of DC on the final outcome of such patients are not available yet.

Urinary pharmacokinetics and theoretical pharmacodynamics of intravenous levofloxacin in intensive care unit patients treated with 500 mg b.i.d. for ventilator-associated pneumonia.

This study assessed the urinary pharmacokinetics and theoretical pharmacodynamics of levofloxacin in ICU patients treated with 500 mg b.i.d. i.v. for ventilator associated pneumonia to evaluate if this high dosage regimen might ensure appropriate exposure in the treatment of severe UTIs in ICU patients. Nineteen patients (11M, 8F; age, 52 +/- 21 years; weight, 75 +/- 16 kg) presenting with normal renal function (estimated creatinine clearance, 1.83 +/- 0.61 ml/min/kg; diuresis, 1709 +/- 643ml / 24h) were assessed. In steady-state conditions, urine samples were collected at 0-2h, 2-4h, 4-8h and 8-12h during a dosing interval, and urinary concentrations of levofloxacin were assayed by HPLC. Mean (+/- SD) levofloxacin urinary concentrations were 329.1 +/- 159.9, 388.6 +/- 143.5, 266.0 +/- 102.8 and 168.1 +/- 93.3mg/L at 0-2h, 2-4h, 4-8h and 8-12h, respectively, with urinary AUC0-tau of 3171.4 +/- 1192.1mg/L x h. Mean (+/- SD) levofloxacin excretion rates were 44.1 +/- 20.7, 42.8 +/- 8.2, 31.7 +/- 5.8 and 19.8 +/- 4.2 mg/h during the 0-2h, 2-4, 4-8h and 8-12h interval, respectively. Our findings suggest that, consistently with levofloxacin showing high renal excretion as unmodified drug, 500mg b.i.d. i.v. of levofloxacin ensure and maintain urinary concentrations at least 50-fold higher than the MIC90 of most sensitive uropathogens during the overall dosing interval in ICU patients with normal renal function. Considering the major pharmacodynamic determinants for the concentration-dependent bactericidal activity of levofloxacin as applicable at the urinary level (CU/MIC of >12.2 and/or AUC24h U /MIC of >125h), this high dosage regimen may ensure optimal exposure for the treatment of catheter-related and severe lower UTIs not only against sensitive microorganisms, but probably also whenever microorganisms usually considered as intermediate susceptible or resistant to levofloxacin may be involved.

[Total parenteral nutrition in packages. Methods of application in a general surgery department]. / Nutrizione parenterale totale in sacca. Metodiche di applicazione in un reparto di chirurgia generale.

In the period June 1987-March 1988, 80 patients classifiable according to ASPEN criteria were submitted to Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) using a single package nutrient mixing technique. The problems relating to the compatibility and stability of the solution are analysed and a protocol is proposed for the preparation of packages and the management of the central venous catheter compatible with the needs of a general surgery department. Personal experience has enabled us to observe the undoubted advantages of this technique: reduction of the time necessary for nursing the TPN patient, greater reliability in controlling speed of infusion and infectious complications, greater comfort for the patient.