The history and evolution of outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT).

Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) is now a widely accepted and safe therapeutic option for carefully selected patients. Benefits include cost savings and improved patient satisfaction; risks include failure to adhere to care, unexpected changes in the underlying infection, and adverse drug and intravenous access events. We report on our 40-year experience with OPAT in a single healthcare system in the USA and highlight OPAT developments in several countries. We compared data on patients treated in our programme over two time periods: Period 1 from 1978 to 1990; and Period 2, calendar year 2014. In Period 2 paediatric patients were excluded. Between Periods 1 and 2, changes included an almost three-fold increase in the number of patients treated per year (80 vs. 229), treatment of more patients with severe orthopaedic-related infections (20% vs. 38%), a marked increase in the use of peripherally inserted central catheters to administer antibiotics (20% vs. 98%), a shorter duration of inpatient stay and a longer duration of OPAT (13 days vs. 24 days). Other changes in Period 2 included treatment of 20% of patients without antecedent hospitalisation, and use of carbapenems rather than cephalosporins as the most frequently administered agents. OPAT was safe, with rehospitalisation rates of 6% and 1% in Periods 1 and 2, respectively. We recommend increased access to structured OPAT teams and the development of standard definitions and criteria for important outcome measures (e.g. clinical 'cure' and unplanned hospital re-admissions). These steps are critical for patient safety and financial stewardship of resources.

Serial testing of refugees for latent tuberculosis using the QuantiFERON-gold in-tube: effects of an antecedent tuberculin skin test.

Screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in refugee populations immigrating to low-incidence countries remains a challenge. We assessed the characteristics of the QuantiFERON-Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) compared with the tuberculin skin test (TST) in 198 refugees of all ages from tuberculosis-endemic countries. Diagnostic agreement between the first QFT-GIT and simultaneous TST was 78% (kappa = 0.56) and between serial QFT-GITs was 89% (kappa = 0.76). In serial QFT-GIT testing, 70% of subjects had an increased QFT-GIT value, perhaps the result of an antecedent TST in the setting of previous TB exposure. This boosting seemed to become less prevalent with time from TST and occurred less frequently in those with negative first QFT-GIT readings. Despite small changes in the quantitative results caused by nonspecific variation and boosting, the diagnostic result of the QFT-GIT was reliable. The QFT-GIT shows the potential to replace the TST for LTBI screening in refugees from tuberculosis-endemic areas.

Central nervous system tuberculosis: pathogenesis and clinical aspects.

Tuberculosis of the central nervous system (CNS) is a highly devastating form of tuberculosis, which, even in the setting of appropriate antitubercular therapy, leads to unacceptable levels of morbidity and mortality. Despite the development of promising molecular diagnostic techniques, diagnosis of CNS tuberculosis relies largely on microbiological methods that are insensitive, and as such, CNS tuberculosis remains a formidable diagnostic challenge. Insights into the basic neuropathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the development of an appropriate animal model are desperately needed. The optimal regimen and length of treatment are largely unknown, and with the rising incidence of multidrug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis, the development of well-tolerated and effective antibiotics remains a continued need. While the most widely used vaccine in the world largely targets this manifestation of tuberculosis, the BCG vaccine has not fulfilled the promise of eliminating CNS tuberculosis. We put forth this review to highlight the current understanding of the neuropathogenesis of M. tuberculosis, to discuss certain epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of CNS tuberculosis, and also to underscore the many unmet needs in this important field.

Early detection of central nervous system tuberculosis with the gen-probe nucleic Acid amplification assay: utility in an inner city hospital.

Central nervous system tuberculosis is a serious clinical problem, the treatment of which is sometimes hampered by delayed diagnosis. We investigated the utility of the Gen-Probe nucleic acid amplification assay for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis and as a noninvasive method of identifying intracranial tuberculoma.