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Background: We previously reported an increase in meropenem prescriptions for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in our hospital after the implementation of the 10th version of the EUCAST breakpoints table for P. aeruginosa in January 2020. As a consequence, antibiotic susceptibility testing results were adapted by masking meropenem for P. aeruginosa isolates susceptible to either ceftazidime, cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam. We aimed to assess the changes in meropenem prescriptions after the implementation of the selective reporting. Methods: In this retrospective single-centre observational study, we analysed antimicrobial therapies prescribed for P. aeruginosa infections after the susceptibility testing results have been made available over three periods: "before EUCAST update", "after EUCAST update without selective reporting" and "after EUCAST update with selective reporting", at Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland. We collected epidemiological, microbiological and clinical data. The primary outcome was the prescription of meropenem to treat P. aeruginosa infections after the release of susceptibility testing results. Secondary outcomes were the use of increased dosage of non-meropenem anti-pseudomonal drugs, and IDs' consultations rates after the release of susceptibility testing results. Results: Among the 457 patients included, 65 (14.2%) received meropenem: 5/148 (3.4%) before EUCAST update, 51/202 (25.3%) after EUCAST update without selective reporting, and 9/107 (8.4%) after EUCAST update with selective reporting. Supervision and counselling from IDs as well as the use of increased dosages of non-carbapenem antibiotics increased in both periods after EUCAST update, compared to the first period, respectively: 40.5% (60/148) versus 61.4% (124/202) versus 51.4% (55/107) (P < 0.001), and 57.9% (84/148) versus 91.1% (183/202) versus 90.7% (97/107) (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Selective reporting of antibiotic susceptibility testing results might decrease unnecessary meropenem prescriptions for the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections and could be part of multimodal antibiotic stewardship interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: In this retrospective study involving 14 university hospitals from France and Switzerland, the aim was to define the clinicopathological features of chronic neuropathies with anti‐disialosyl ganglioside immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies (CNDA). Results: Fifty‐five patients with a polyneuropathy evolving for more than 2 months and with at least one anti‐disialosyl ganglioside IgM antibody, that is, anti‐GD1b, ‐GT1b, ‐GQ1b, ‐GT1a, ‐GD2 and ‐GD3, were identified. Seventy‐eight percent of patients were male, mean age at disease onset was 55 years (30–76) and disease onset was progressive (82%) or acute (18%). Patients presented with limb sensory symptoms (94% of cases), sensory ataxia (85%), oculomotor weakness (36%), limb motor symptoms (31%) and bulbar muscle weakness (18%). Sixty‐five percent of patients had a demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy electrodiagnostic profile and 24% a sensory neuronopathy profile. Anti‐GD1b antibodies were found in 78% of cases, whilst other anti‐disialosyl antibodies were each observed in less than 51% of patients. Other features included nerve biopsy demyelination (100% of cases), increased cerebrospinal fluid protein content (75%), IgM paraprotein (50%) and malignant hemopathy (8%). Eighty‐six percent of CNDA patients were intravenous immunoglobulins‐responsive, and rituximab was successfully used as second‐line treatment in 50% of cases. Fifteen percent of patients had mild symptoms and were not treated. CNDA course was progressive (55%) or relapsing (45%), and 93% of patients still walked after a mean disease duration of 11 years. Conclusion: Chronic neuropathies with anti‐disialosyl ganglioside IgM antibodies have a recognizable phenotype, are mostly intravenous immunoglobulins‐responsive and present with a good outcome in a majority of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can result in profound changes in blood coagulation. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and predictors of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) among patients with COVID-19 requiring hospital admission. Subjects and Methods. We performed a retrospective study at the Lausanne University Hospital with patients admitted because of COVID-19 from February 28 to April 30, 2020. Results. Among 443 patients with COVID-19, VTE was diagnosed in 41 patients (9.3%; 27 pulmonary embolisms, 12 deep vein thrombosis, one pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, one portal vein thrombosis). VTE was diagnosed already upon admission in 14 (34.1%) patients and 27 (65.9%) during hospital stay (18 in ICU and nine in wards outside the ICU). Multivariate analysis revealed D-dimer value > 3,120 ng / ml (P < 0.001 ; OR 15.8, 95% CI 4.7-52.9) and duration of 8 days or more from COVID-19 symptoms onset to presentation (P 0.020; OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.3-18.3) to be independently associated with VTE upon admission. D-dimer value ≥ 3,000 ng / l combined with a Wells score for PE ≥ 2 was highly specific (sensitivity 57.1%, specificity 91.6%) in detecting VTE upon admission. Development of VTE during hospitalization was independently associated with D-dimer value > 5,611 ng / ml (P < 0.001 ; OR 6.3, 95% CI 2.4-16.2) and mechanical ventilation (P < 0.001 ; OR 5.9, 95% CI 2.3-15.1). Conclusions. VTE seems to be a common COVID-19 complication upon admission and during hospitalization, especially in ICU. The combination of Wells ≥ 2 score and D − dimer ≥ 3,000 ng / l is a good predictor of VTE at admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]