Clostridium difficile infection in pregnant and postpartum women in 2 hospitals and a review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in pregnant/postpartum women is underreported, especially outside of North America. We report a cluster of cases in 2 neighboring secondary care hospitals in South-East England. The objective of this study was to identify the epidemiology and risk factors for infection. METHODS: An investigation into a cluster of cases of confirmed CDI in pregnant/postpartum women was performed over a 12-month period, from June 2016 to June 2017. RESULTS: Eleven cases, in 10 patients, were identified, including 1 patient who had a relapse. Eight of 10 patients developed symptoms after hospital discharge. All patients had received broad-spectrum antibiotics prior to CDI onset. Environmental vectors, such as labor room mattresses, that were found difficult to effectively decontaminate after heavy contamination with blood, feces, and other body fluids may have been possible reservoirs. An infection control care bundle was successful in preventing further cases. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic use and exposure to the organism in a contaminated labor room environment are likely risk factors for healthcare-associated CDI in postpartum women. Active surveillance is necessary to prevent these infections, as these cases often present after hospital discharge.

A curious case of confusion.

Delirium secondary to pneumonia is expected in the elderly, but when persistent and incongruent with expectation, cerebral abscess should be considered.

Temocillin use in England: clinical and microbiological efficacies in infections caused by extended-spectrum and/or derepressed AmpC ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

BACKGROUND: Temocillin, a ß-lactam stable against most ß-lactamases [including extended-spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs) and derepressed AmpC cephalosporinases (dAmpC)], has been suggested as an alternative to carbapenems when Pseudomonas can be excluded. Aims To assess temocillin clinical and microbiological cure rates (CCR and MCR) in infection caused by ESBL/dAmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae and the effects of different dosage regimens. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively from patients treated for at least 3 days with temocillin for urinary tract infection (n = 42), bloodstream infection (n = 42) or hospital-acquired pneumonia (n = 8) in six centres in the UK. RESULTS: Data on 92 infection episodes were collected. Overall CCR and MCR were 86% and 84% respectively; ESBL/dAmpC status had no effect. Significantly higher CCR and MCR occurred in patients treated with temocillin at optimal dosage [2 g twice daily or renally adjusted equivalent (ORAE)] compared with those treated with a suboptimal dosage (<2 g twice daily ORAE) (CCR 91% and MCR 92% versus CCR 73% and MCR 63%). This difference was more pronounced in the ESBL/dAmpC-positive subset (CCR 97% and MCR 97% versus CCR 67% and MCR 50%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and microbiological efficacies of temocillin are unaffected by ESBL/dAmpC production, confirming its potential application as a carbapenem-sparing agent. Both CCR and MCR are optimized by a regimen of 2 g twice daily ORAE in ESBL/dAmpC-positive infection.

Antimicrobial resistance of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in a British district general hospital: the international connection.

Between January 2000 and March 2001, Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated from the blood of 56 patients admitted to a single district general hospital in the South-East of England. The serotype and antibiotic susceptibility were determined for all isolates and, for those resistant to erythromycin, the presence or absence of the mef(A) and erm(B) genes was determined by PCR. Multi-locus sequence typing, along with PFGE, was undertaken on all isolates resistant to penicillin or erythromycin and a group of antibiotic-susceptible isolates, to identify whether globally distributed pneumococcal clones, as described by the Pneumococcal Molecular Epidemiology Network (PMEN), were present in the study population. Three serotype 9V penicillin-resistant isolates were identified as belonging to the Spain9V-3 clone, while 14 erythromycin-resistant isolates of serotype 14 belonged to the England14-9 clone. A single multi-resistant isolate of serotype 6B, was found to be a single-locus variant of the Spain6B-2 clone. All 14 erythromycin-resistant serotype 14 isolates possessed the mef(A) gene, while the single multi-resistant isolate possessed the erm(B) gene. These findings confirm the wide distribution and clinical impact of PMEN clones, which accounted for all of the penicillin and erythromycin resistance observed amongst invasive isolates in a district general hospital over a 15-month period.