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Background Candida bloodstream infections (BSI) became an important invasive disease in the late 20th century, in particular among immunocompromised patients. Although considerable progress has been made in the management of patients with invasive mycoses, Candida BSI are still widespread among hospitalised patients and are associated with relatively high mortality. Objectives We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate patient characteristics, incidence, species distribution and antifungal susceptibility of BSI isolates of Candida spp. as well as outcomes of Candida BSI from 2001 to 2012, before the widespread use of echinocandins. This is the first epidemiological study of Candida BSI in Slovenia so far. Methods All documented candidaemia cases from 2001 to 2012 in two major hospitals-University Medical Centre and Institute of Oncology in Ljubljana, Slovenia-were taken into consideration. Candida BSI were identified in 422 patients (250 male, 172 female). Laboratory and clinical data of these patients were retrospectively analysed. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables and Fisher's exact test or chi-squared test for categorical variables. Results and conclusions The average incidence of Candida BSI was 0.524/10.000 patient-days (0,317/1000 admissions); 16/422 were younger than 1 year and 251/422 patients were over 60 years old. The most commonly isolated species were Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, followed by Candida parapsilosis. Majority of the patients had a single episode of Candida BSI, multiple episodes of Candida BSI occurred in 18/434 patients (4.1%); in 25/434 patients (5.8%) mixed Candida BSI were observed. Crude 30-day case-fatality rate was 55.4%.

International audience; Background - Infective endocarditis (IE) is a common and serious complication in patients receiving chronic hemodialysis (HD). Objectives - This study sought to investigate whether there are significant differences in complications, cardiac surgery, relapses, and mortality between IE cases in HD and non-HD patients. Methods - Prospective cohort study (International Collaboration on Endocarditis databases, encompassing 7,715 IE episodes from 2000 to 2006 and from 2008 to 2012). Descriptive analysis of baseline characteristics, epidemiological and etiological features, complications and outcomes, and their comparison between HD and non-HD patients was performed. Risk factors for major embolic events, cardiac surgery, relapses, and in-hospital and 6-month mortality were investigated in HD-patients using multivariable logistic regression. Results - A total of 6,691 patients were included and 553 (8.3%) received HD. North America had a higher HD-IE proportion than the other regions. The predominant microorganism was Staphylococcus aureus (47.8%), followed by enterococci (15.4%). Both in-hospital and 6-month mortality were significantly higher in HD versus non-HD-IE patients (30.4% vs. 17% and 39.8% vs. 20.7%, respectively; p

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Introduction. In the third Slovenian national healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) prevalence survey, conducted within the European point prevalence survey of HAIs and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals, we estimated the prevalence of all types of HAIs and identified factors associated with them. Methods. Patients were enrolled into a one-day cross-sectional study in November 2017. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe the characteristics of patients, their exposure to invasive procedures and the prevalence of different types of HAIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses of association of having at least one HAI with possible risk factors were performed to identify risk factors. Results. Among 5,743 patients, 4.4% had at least one HAI and an additional 2.2% were still treated for HAIs on the day of the survey, with a prevalence of HAIs of 6.6%. The prevalence of pneumoniae was the highest (1.8%), followed by surgical site infections (1.5%) and urinary tract infections (1.2%). Prevalence of blood stream infections was 0.3%. In intensive care units (ICUs), the prevalence of patients with at least one HAI was 30.6%. Factors associated with HAIs included central vascular catheter (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.1 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.1–5.4), peripheral vascular catheter (aOR 3.0 95% CI: 2.3–3.9), urinary catheter (aOR 1.8 95% CI: 1.4–2.3). Conclusions. The prevalence of HAIs in Slovenian acute care hospitals in 2017 was substantial, especially in ICUs. HAIs prevention and control is an important public health priority. National surveillance of HAIs in ICUs should be developed to support evidence-based prevention and control. Izhodišča. Tretja slovenska nacionalna presečna raziskava bolnišničnih okužb (BO) je potekala v okviru evropske presečne raziskave okužb, povezanih z zdravstvom in uporabe protimikrobnih zdravil v bolnišnicah za akutno oskrbo. Naši cilji so bili oceniti prevalenco vseh vrst BO in opredeliti dejavnike, ki so povezani z BO. Metode. V enodnevno presečno raziskavo smo vključili vse bolnike, ki so bili na izbrani dan v novembru 2017 zdravljeni v slovenskih bolnišnicah za akutno oskrbo. Z deskriptivnimi analizami smo opisali značilnosti bolnikov, izpostavljenost invazivnim posegom in ocenili prevalenco različnih vrst BO. Z univariatnimi in multivariatnimi analizami povezanosti BO z možnimi dejavniki tveganja smo opredelili dejavnike tveganja. Rezultati. Na dan raziskave je imelo BO 4,4 % (95 % interval zaupanja (IZ): 3,9 %–4,9 %) bolnikov in dodatnih 2,2 % (95% IZ: 1,8 %–2,6 %) bolnikov je bilo še vedno zdravljenih zaradi BO, torej je imelo BO 6,6 % (95% IZ: 6,0 %–7,3 %) bolnikov oziroma je bila prevalenca BO 6,6 %. Na 100 bolnikov je bilo 7,1 epizod BO, ker so nekateri bolniki imeli več kot eno epizodo. Najvišja je bila prevalenca pljučnic (1,8 %), sledile so okužbe kirurške rane (1,5 %) in okužbe sečil (1,2 %). Prevalenca okužb krvi je bila 0,3 %. Delež bolnikov z vsaj eno BO je bil najvišji v enotah za intenzivno zdravljenje (30,6 %). Na 100 bolnikov v enotah za intenzivno zdravljenje je bilo 38,3 epizod BO. V primerjavi z bolniki brez različnih invazivnih posegov so imeli bolniki s centralnim žilnim katetrom 4,1-krat višji obet BO (prilagojeno razmerje obetov (pRO) 4,1 95 % interval zaupanja (IZ): 3,1–5,4), bolniki s perifernim žilnim katetrom 3,0-krat višji obet BO (pRO 3,0 95 % IZ: 2,3–3,9), bolniki z urinskim katetrom 1,8-krat višji obet BO (pRO 1,8 95 % IZ: 1,4–2,3) in bolniki z operacijo v času hospitalizacije 1,6-krat višji obet BO (pRO 1,6 95% IZ: 1,2–2,0). Zaključki. Prevalenca BO v slovenskih bolnišnicah za akutno oskrbo je bila v letu 2017 precejšnja. Predvsem je bila visoka v enotah za intenzivno zdravljenje. Preprečevanje in obvladovanje BO je pomembna javnozdravstvena prednostna naloga. Za preprečevanje in obvladovanje BO, ki temelji na dokazih, je treba vzpostaviti nacionalno epidemiološko spremljanje BO tudi v enotah za intenzivno zdravljenje.

ObjectivesThe first hospital outbreak of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Slovenia occurred in 2014-2016. Whole genome sequencing was used to analyse the population of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae collected in Slovenia in 2014-2017, including OXA-48 and/or NDM-1 producing strains from the outbreak.MethodsA total of 32 K. pneumoniae isolates were analysed using short-read sequencing. Multilocus sequence typing and core genome multi-locus sequence typing were used to infer genetic relatedness. Antimicrobial resistance markers, virulence factors, plasmid content and wzi types were determined. Long-read sequencing was used for six isolates for detailed analysis of plasmids and their possible transmission.ResultsOverall, we detected 10 different sequence types (STs), the most common being ST437 (40.6%). Isolates from the initial outbreak belonged to ST437 (12/16) and ST147 (4/16). A second outbreak of four ST15 isolates was discovered. A new ST (ST3390) and two new wzi types (wzi-556, wzi-559) were identified. blaOXA-48 was found in 17 (53.1%) isolates, blaNDM-1 in five (15.6%), and a combination of blaOXA-48/NDM-1 in seven (21.9%) isolates. Identical plasmids carrying blaOXA-48 were found in outbreak isolates sequenced with long-read sequencing technology.ConclusionsWhole genome sequencing of Slovenian carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates revealed multiple clusters of STs, two of which were involved in the first hospital outbreak of carbapenem producing K. pneumoniae in Slovenia. Transmission of the plasmid carrying blaOXA-48 between two STs was likely to have occurred. A previously unidentified second outbreak was also discovered, highlighting the importance of whole genome sequencing in detection and/or characterization of hospital outbreaks and surveillance of drug-resistant bacterial clones.

Early diagnosis with rapid detection of the virus plays a key role in preventing the spread of infection and in treating patients effectively. In order to address the need for a straightforward detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection and assessment of viral spread, we developed rapid, sensitive, extraction-free one-step reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) tests for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. We analyzed over 700 matched pairs of saliva and nasopharyngeal swab (NSB) specimens from asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. Saliva, as either an oral cavity swab or passive drool, was collected in an RNA stabilization buffer. The stabilized saliva specimens were heat-treated and directly analyzed without RNA extraction. The diagnostic sensitivity of saliva-based RT-qPCR was at least 95% in individuals with subclinical infection and outperformed RT-LAMP, which had at least 70% sensitivity when compared to NSBs analyzed with a clinical RT-qPCR test. The diagnostic sensitivity for passive drool saliva was higher than that of oral cavity swab specimens (95% and 87%, respectively). A rapid, sensitive one-step extraction-free RT-qPCR test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in passive drool saliva is operationally simple and can be easily implemented using existing testing sites, thus allowing high-throughput, rapid, and repeated testing of large populations. Furthermore, saliva testing is adequate to detect individuals in an asymptomatic screening program and can help improve voluntary screening compliance for those individuals averse to various forms of nasal collections. Nasl. z nasl. zaslona. Soavtorji: Tina Šket, Arne Praznik, Petra Sušjan, Alenka Šmid, Dunja Urbančič, Irena Mlinarič-Raščan, Polona Kogovšek, Tina Demšar, Mojca Milavec, Katarina Prosenc Trilar, Žiga Jensterle, Mihaela Zidarn, Viktorija Tomič, Gabriele Turel, Tatjana Lejko-Zupanc, Roman Jerala, Mojca Benčina. Opis vira z dne 5. 11. 2021. Eva Rajh in Tina Šket sta enakovredni prvi avtorici. Št. članka: 6617. Bibliografija: str. 17-19. Abstract. ARRS ARRS ARRS ARRS ARRS Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport (MIZŠ) and the European Regional Development Fund, RI-SI-EATRIS

Vascular graft infections (VGI) are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, and antimicrobial treatment is an important adjunct to surgical treatment. While microbial aetiology of VGI is often difficult to determine, other techniques such as sonication of implanted material may be used to enhance the recovery of biofilm-associated organisms.We performed a retrospective analysis of 22 consecutive patients treated for VGI at University Medical Centre Ljubljana from May 2011 through January 2015. Explanted vascular grafts were flooded with sterile Ringer solution, sonicated for 1 min at a frequency of 40 kHz and inoculated on solid and liquid culture media. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were performed, incubated for 14 days and any significant bacterial growth was quantitatively evaluated. Additionally, broad-range PCR from sonicate fluid was performed. Microbiological results were compared with the results of preoperatively taken blood cultures and the results of intraoperative tissue cultures (material from peri-graft collection).Identification of the causative organism (irrespective of the method) was achieved in 95.8%. Preoperative blood cultures were positive in 35.3%, intraoperative tissue cultures in 31.8%, sonicate fluid culture in 79.2%, while broad-range PCR from sonicate fluid was positive in 66.7%. In 37.5% the pathogen detected in sonicate fluid culture or broad-range PCR was the only positive microbiological result.Sonicate fluid culture and broad-range PCR from explanted vascular grafts may contribute to optimization of antimicrobial treatment. Optimal timing of antibiotic therapy before explantation should be further assessed to improve diagnostic yield.

Purpose. Increasing consumption of colistin as treatment for infections with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) has been accompanied by increasingly frequent reports of colistin-resistant (ColR) MDR GNB. Higher selective pressure creates a favourable environment that can facilitate the spread of ColR isolates. Monitoring of asymptomatic ColR GNB carriage can give us a better understanding of this emerging healthcare problem, particularly in wards with higher polymyxin selective pressure and prevalence of carbapenem-resistant GNB. Our aim was to assess the ColR GNB colonization rate in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and evaluate the performance of two surveillance protocols using a selective medium. Methodology. A prospective study included 739 surveillance samples (rectal swabs and tracheal aspirates) from 330 patients that were screened for ColR GNB carriage using SuperPolymyxin medium. Two approaches were used: direct sample plating and overnight pre-enrichment of samples followed by plating. Colistin resistance was confirmed with broth microdilution. ColR isolates were molecularly screened for plasmid-mediated mcr genes. Results. A total of 44/739 samples (45 ColR GNB isolates) were positive for ColR GNB, which included 31/330 (9.4 %) colonized patients; mcr genes were not detected. The direct plating method only identified 17/45 (37.8 %) isolates correctly, whereas the pre-enrichment protocol identified all 45 ColR GNB. Conclusion. The colonization rate among our ICU patients was 9.4 %. Based on our findings, the pre-enrichment step is necessary for the determination of ColR GNB carriage – even though the time to result takes an additional day, fewer than half of ColR GNB carriers were detected using the direct plating protocol.

Acinetobacter baumannii primarily causes colonization, yet it can be an opportunistic pathogen associated with hospital-acquired infections. Many countries report rapid spread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb) which limits treatment options, with colistin frequently being the last line treatment option. The aim of our study was to evaluate a recently developed rapid method, namely the Rapid ResaPolymyxin test, for detection of colistin resistance (ColR) in Acinetobacter baumannii. This test was used for rapid screening of colistin resistance in a clinical setting where there is endemicity of CRAb isolates. A total of 82 A. baumannii clinical isolates were included in the evaluation. The majority of them were resistant to carbapenems (75/82, 91.5%). A total of 37 isolates (45.1%) were resistant to colistin, all being resistant to carbapenems. None of the ColR isolates carried the plasmid- mediated mcr-1 to -5 genes. The Rapid ResaPolymyxin NP test reached a 95.1% categorical agreement with results of reference broth microdilution method, with 93.3% sensitivity and specificity, and positive and negative predictive values being respectively at 92.3% and 97.7%. The Rapid ResaPolymyxin NP test performed well on our collection of clinical and surveillance CRAb isolates from the Central Slovenia region. The test is inexpensive and easy to integrate into laboratory workflow. The main value of the test is rapid categorization of susceptibility and resistance which has important implications with respect to the treatment strategy as well as the infection control measures.

Infective endocarditis is a growing problem with many shifts due to ever-increasing comorbid illnesses, invasive procedures, and increase in the elderly. We performed this multinational study to depict definite infective endocarditis. Adult patients with definite endocarditis hospitalized between January 1, 2015, and October 1, 2018, were included from 41 hospitals in 13 countries. We included microbiological features, types and severity of the disease, complications, but excluded therapeutic parameters. A total of 867 patients were included. A total of 631 (72.8%) patients had native valve endocarditis (NVE), 214 (24.7%) patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE), 21 (2.4%) patients had pacemaker lead endocarditis, and 1 patient had catheter port endocarditis. Eighteen percent of NVE patients were hospital-acquired. PVE patients were classified as early-onset in 24.9%. A total of 385 (44.4%) patients had major embolic events, most frequently to the brain (n = 227, 26.3%). Blood cultures yielded pathogens in 766 (88.4%). In 101 (11.6%) patients, blood cultures were negative. Molecular testing of vegetations disclosed pathogens in 65 cases. Overall, 795 (91.7%) endocarditis patients had any identified pathogen. Leading pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus (n = 267, 33.6%), Streptococcus viridans (n = 149, 18.7%), enterococci (n = 128, 16.1%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 92, 11.6%)) displayed substantial resistance profiles. A total of 132 (15.2%) patients had cardiac abscesses; 693 (79.9%) patients had left-sided endocarditis. Aortic (n = 394, 45.4%) and mitral valves (n = 369, 42.5%) were most frequently involved. Mortality was more common in PVE than NVE (NVE (n = 101, 16%), PVE (n = 49, 22.9%), p = 0.042)., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases are responsible for resistance of Gram-negative bacilli to several beta-lactam antibiotics, including those prescribed for treatment pneumonia. To evaluate the importance of colonization with E-GNB for the choice of empirical treatment we performed a retrospective case-control study including 156 patients, hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia from 2009 through 2013. Empirical treatment success and in-hospital survival were significantly lower in patients colonized with E-GNB compared to non-colonized (p = 0.002, p = 0.035). When comparing subgroups of colonized patients, treatment success was significantly lower in patients who were colonized with E-GNB resistant to empirical antibiotic (p = 0.010), but not in those colonized by E-GNB susceptible to empirically given antibiotic (p = 0.104). Difference in in-hospital mortality was insignificant in both subgroups (p = 0.056, p = 0.331). The results of study suggest that an anti-E-GNB active antibiotic should be used for empirical treatment of pneumonia in E-GNB colonized patients.

In the second Slovenian national healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) prevalence survey, conducted within the European point prevalence survey of HAIs and antimicrobial use in acute-care hospitals, we estimated the prevalence of all types of HAIs and identified risk factors.Patients from acute-care hospitals were enrolled into a one-day cross-sectional study in October 2011. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe the characteristics of patients, their exposure to invasive procedures and the prevalence of different types of HAIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses of association of having at least one HAI with possible risk factors were performed to identify risk factors.Among 5628 patients, 3.8% had at least one HAI and additional 2.6% were still being treated for HAIs on the day of the survey; the prevalence of HAIs was 6.4%. The prevalence of urinary tract infections was the highest (1.4%), followed by pneumoniae (1.3%) and surgical site infections (1.2%). In intensive care units (ICUs), the prevalence of patients with at least one HAI was 35.7%. Risk factors for HAIs included central vascular catheter (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.0; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.9-5.7), peripheral vascular catheter (aOR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.5-2.6), intubation (aOR 2.3; 95% CI: 1.4-3.5) and rapidly fatal underlying condition (aOR 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4-3.3).The prevalence of HAIs in Slovenian acute-care hospitals in 2011 was substantial, especially in ICUs. HAIs prevention and control is an important public health priority. National surveillance of HAIs in ICUs should be developed to support evidence-based prevention and control.Druga slovenska nacionalna presečna raziskava bolnišničnih okužb (BO) je potekala v okviru evropske presečne raziskave okužb, povezanih z zdravstvom, in uporabe protimikrobnih zdravil v bolnišnicah za akutno oskrbo. Naši cilji so bili oceniti prevalenco vseh vrst BO in opredeliti dejavnike tveganja za BO.V enodnevno presečno raziskavo smo vključili vse bolnike, ki so bili na izbrani dan v oktobru 2011 zdravljeni v slovenskih bolnišnicah za akutno oskrbo. Z deskriptivnimi analizami smo opisali značilnosti bolnikov, izpostavljenost invazivnim posegom in ocenili prevalenco različnih vrst BO. Z univariatnimi in multivariatnimi analizami povezanosti BO z možnimi dejavniki tveganja smo opredelili dejavnike tveganja.Na dan raziskave je imelo BO 3,8% (95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 3,3%–4,4%) bolnikov in dodatnih 2,6% (95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 2,1%–3,0%) bolnikov je bilo še vedno zdravljenih zaradi BO, torej je imelo BO 6,4% (95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 5,7%–7,0%) bolnikov oziroma je bila prevalenca BO 6,4%. Na 100 bolnikov je bilo 7,0 epizod BO, ker so nekateri bolniki imeli več kot eno epizodo. Najvišja je bila prevalenca okužb sečil (1,4%), sledile so pljučnice (1,3%) in okužbe kirurških ran (1,2%). Delež bolnikov z vsaj eno BO je bil najvišji v enotah za intenzivno zdravljenje (35,7%). Na 100 bolnikov v enotah za intenzivno zdravljenje je bilo 42,5 epizod BO. V primerjavi z bolniki brez različnih invazivnih posegov so imeli bolniki s centralnim žilnim katetrom 4,0-krat višji obet za nastanek BO (prilagojeno razmerje obetov (pRO) 4,0; 95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 2,9–5,7), bolniki s perifernim žilnim katetrom 2,0-krat višji obet za nastanek BO (pRO 2,0; 95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 1,5–2,6), intubirani bolniki 2,3-krat višji obet za nastanek BO (pRO 2,3; 95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 1,4–3,5) in bolniki s hitro smrtno boleznijo 2,1-krat višji obet za nastanek BO (pRO 2,1; 95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 1,4–3,3).Prevalenca BO v slovenskih bolnišnicah za akutno oskrbo je bila v letu 2011 precejšnja. Predvsem je bila visoka v enotah za intenzivno zdravljenje. Preprečevanje in obvladovanje BO je pomembna javnozdravstvena prednostna naloga. Za preprečevanje in obvladovanje BO, ki temelji na dokazih, je treba vzpostaviti nacionalno epidemiološko spremljanje BO tudi v enotah za intenzivno zdravljenje.

The second Slovenian national healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) prevalence survey (SNHPS) was conducted in acute-care hospitals in 2011. The objective was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the method used for the ascertainment of six types of HAIs (bloodstream infections, catheter-associated infections, lower respiratory tract infections, pneumoniae, surgical site infections, and urinary tract infections) in the University Medical Centre Ljubljana (UMCL).A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients surveyed in the SNHPS in the UMCL using a retrospective medical chart review (RMCR) and European HAIs surveillance definitions. Sensitivity and specificity of the method used in the SNHPS using RMCR as a reference was computed for ascertainment of patients with any of the six selected types of HAIs and for individual types of HAIs. Agreement between the SNHPS and RMCR results was analyzed using Cohen's kappa coefficient.1474 of 1742 (84.6%) patients surveyed in the SNHPS were included in RMCR. The sensitivity of the SNHPS method for detecting any of six HAIs was 90% (95% confidence interval (CI): 81%-95%) and specificity 99% (95% CI: 98%-99%). The sensitivity by type of HAI ranged from 63% (lower respiratory tract infections) to 92% (bloodstream infections). Specificity was at least 99% for all types of HAIs. Agreement between the two data collection approaches for HAIs overall was very good (κ=0.83).The overall sensitivity of SNHPS collection method for ascertaining HAIs overall was high and the specificity was very high. This suggests that the estimated prevalence of HAIs in the SNHPS was credible.Druga slovenska nacionalna presečna raziskava bolnišničnih okužb (SNPRBO) je potekala leta 2011 v slovenskih bolnišnicah za akutno oskrbo v okviru evropske presečne raziskave okužb, povezanih z zdravstvom, in uporabe protimikrobnih zdravil v bolnišnicah za akutno oskrbo. Cilj naše raziskave je bil oceniti občutljivost in specifičnost metode za prepoznavanje šestih pomembnih vrst bolnišničnih okužb (BO): okužb kirurške rane, okužb krvi, okužb, povezanih z žilnimi katetri, okužb sečil, okužb spodnjih dihal brez pljučnic in pljučnic (ki predstavljajo približno tri četrtine vseh BO) v Univerzitetnem kliničnem centru Ljubljana (UKCL).Izvedli smo presečno raziskavo med bolniki UKCL, ki so bili vključeni v SNPRBO. Uporabili smo metodo retrospektivnega pregleda medicinske dokumentacije (RPMD) in evropske standardne definicije za namene epidemiološkega spremljanja BO. Izračunali smo občutljivost in specifičnost metode za prepoznavanje bolnikov z vsaj eno izmed šestih izbranih BO v SNPRBO v primerjavi z referenčno metodo RPMD in za posamezne vrste BO. Skladnost rezultatov SNHPS in RMCR smo ugotavljali s koeficientom kappa po Cohenu.Od 1742 bolnikov, ki so bili vključeni v SNPRBO, smo v RPMD vključili 1474 (84,6%) bolnikov. Občutljivost SNPRBO metode za prepoznavanje bolnikov z vsaj eno od šestih izbranih vrst BO je bila 90% (95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 81%-95%). Specifičnost je bila 99% (95-odstotni interval zaupanja: 98%-99%). Ocenjena občutljivost za posamezne vrste BO je bila najnižja za okužbe spodnjih dihal brez pljučnic (63%) in najvišja za okužbe krvi (92%). Specifičnost za vse vrste BO je bila 99% ali višja. Skladnost rezultatov SNPRBO in RPMD glede prepoznanih BO je bila zelo dobra (κ=0,83). Najpogostejši vzrok za neprepoznavanje BO v SNPRBO je bil nepravilna uporaba definicij BO za namene epidemiološkega spremljanja oziroma njihovo slabo poznavanje. Pomanjkljiva medicinska dokumentacija v času RPMD pa bi bila lahko vzrok za neprepoznavanje nekaterih BO z RPMD.Občutljivost metode, uporabljene za prepoznavanje BO v SNPRBO, je bila visoka in specifičnost zelo visoka. Skladnost pristopov prepoznavanja BO v SNPRBO in RPMD je bila zelo dobra. Zaključimo lahko, da je bila ocena prevalence BO v SNPRBO verodostojna. Temeljito usposabljanje zbiralcev podatkov za pravilno uporabo definicij BO za namene epidemiološkega spremljanja in zagotavljanje čim bolj popolnega beleženja podatkov, ki so pomembni za prepoznavanje BO v medicinski dokumentaciji, sta pomembni za izboljšanje občutljivosti metod prepoznavanja vseh vrst BO v bodočih nacionalnih presečnih raziskavah.

A 21-year-old man with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome presented to the authors' hospital with ventricular fibrillation. Coronary angiography failed to demonstrate coronary stenosis, but temporary mechanical circulatory support resolved the ventricular fibrillation and the patient was extubated eight days later. On the next day, however, he had to be re-intubated with symptoms of congestive heart failure. Echocardiography revealed new severe mitral regurgitation and a mobile mass, while emergency surgery revealed a posteromedial papillary muscle rupture (PMR). The mitral regurgitation was repaired with ruptured papillary muscle relocation, artificial chordae implantation, and ring annuloplasty. Postoperative examinations suggested that an arrhythmia-induced coronary circulation hypoperfusion and septic embolization had caused the PMR.

Introduction: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious disease with a high mortality rate and is defned as an inflammation of the endocardium, caused by microorganisms. Most data about IE originate from referral hospitals, therefore we aimed to analyse the demographics, presentation, diagnostics, treatment and outcome of IE at a regional hospital (Izola General Hospital–SBI) in a 10-year period.Methods: We analysed 51 episodes of IE and compared patients who were treated at a regional hospital alone, to those transferred to a referral centre. We also included data about all IE patients in a large referral hospital (University Medical Centre Ljubljana–UMCL).Results: Gender and age of the patients in SBI were similar to UMCL patients, however, there was a slightly higher share of IE in drug users and lower of prosthetic valve endocarditis. Our patients more often had streptococcal and less often staphylococcal endocarditis. Fewer patients needed surgery and time to operation was 17 days (median). Twenty-six percent of the patients died in the hospital. Approximately a half of the patients were transferred to a referral hospital, more often younger patients and women. The transferred patients often underwent surgery.Conclusions: Good cooperation with a referral hospital ensures that the outcome and other data of IE patients treated at a regional hospital are comparable to those in the literature. Some differences between patients treated in the regional hospital and the referral centre were observed. Time from admission to surgery could be shortened.

Candida spp. are a rare but important cause of infective endocarditis. The study aim was to describe pertinent clinical data on consecutive patients with Candida endocarditis treated at a tertiary referral center between 1984 and 2013.A retrospective search of the authors' endocarditis database was performed and the medical records of patients with confirmed Candida endocarditis were reviewed. Important data relating to demographics, medical history and clinical data, as well as information on outcome and treatment, were extracted.Between 1984 and 2013, a total of 12 episodes of Candida endocarditis in 11 patients (age range: 18 to 85 years) were treated at the authors' department (1.6% of all endocarditis episodes). Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) was present in six patients. In 72% of cases the infection was healthcare-acquired. Endocarditis was shown to occur from 30 days to more than 600 days after cardiovascular surgery. Six patients were surgically treated. All removed valves were microbiologically positive, despite previous antifungal treatment. One patient with two episodes of Candida parapsilosis PVE was successfully treated conservatively, as was one patient with polymicrobial liver abscess, fungal spondylodiscitis and vegetation on the aortic valve. The total mortality rate was 45%.Candida endocarditis has a high mortality, and because of its rare occurrence it is difficult to define the most appropriate treatment. There may be a considerable time lag between cardiovascular surgery and the advent of endocarditis.

A total of 188 human (n = 92) and animal (n = 96) isolates ofClostridium difficileof different PCR ribotypes were screened for susceptibility to 30 antimicrobials using broth microdilution. When comparing the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, the isolates of animal origin were significantly more often resistant to oxacillin, gentamicin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (PP = 0.0006) was found in the level of imipenem resistance, with a prevalence of 53.3 % in isolates of human origin and 28.1 % in isolates of animal origin. Overall, the results show similar MICs for the majority of tested antimicrobials for isolates from human and animal sources, which were collected from the same geographical region and in the same time interval. This supports the hypothesis thatC. difficilecould be transmissible between human and animal hosts. Resistant isolates have been found in all animal species tested, including food and companion animals, and also among non-toxigenic isolates. The isolates of the most prevalent PCR ribotype 014/020 had low resistance rates for moxifloxacin, erythromycin, rifampicin and daptomycin, but a high resistance rate for imipenem. Multiresistant strains were found in animals and humans, belonging to PCR ribotypes 012, 017, 027, 045, 046, 078 and 150, and also to non-toxigenic strains of PCR ribotypes 010 and SLO 080.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is diagnosed by blood and/or resected valve cultivation and echocardiographic findings, as defined by the Duke criteria. Unfortunately, cultures may be negative due to prior antibiotic therapy or fastidious or slow-growing microorganisms. The study aim was to investigate the value of the broad-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in addition to blood and valve culture for the detection of causative microorganisms.Between February 2012 and March 2015, valve samples from 36 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were analyzed; of these patients, 26 had a preoperative diagnosis of IE and 10 served as controls. Multiple blood cultures were obtained from 34 patients before antibiotic therapy was commenced. Valve samples were inoculated on bacteriological media and underwent analysis using broad-range PCR (16S rDNA).IE was confirmed microbiologically in 21 of the 26 patients (80.7%); in 20 cases (76.9%) this was by positive blood cultures and in 16 (61.5%) by positive valves. Valves were positive in 15 blood culturepositive patients, and in one blood-culture negative patient. Broad-range PCR detected a microorganism in valves significantly more frequently (n = 14; 53.8%) compared to valve culture (n = 8; 30.7%) (chisquare 11.5, p0.001). The predominant microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus of the viridans group, coagulasenegative staphylococci and Enterococcus faecalis. Blood, valve cultures and broad-range PCR were negative in five patients (19.3%) with IE, and in all 10 subjects of the control group.Broad-range PCR on valves was more sensitive than valve culture. However, blood culture, if taken before the start of antibiotic therapy, was the best method for detecting IE.

Objectives: To investigate the pattern of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) activity, GLUD1 and GLUD2 expressions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of untreated B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) in healthy individuals (HI) and patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM). Design and methods: GLDH activity was determined in a supernatant obtained from pelleted PBMC. GLUD1 and GLUD2 mRNA expression was determined using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. CD19 + B cells from PBMC were purified by using positive selection. Results: The highest GLDH activity was found in PBMC of the B-CLL group followed by the HI group and IM group. The PBMC GLDH activity was higher in 60% of the B-CLL patients according to the established reference interval for our HI (2.17–5.70 μkat/g protein). The greater GLDH activity was also found in the CD19 + cell preparation of the B-CLL patients (two of the three) but not in HI ( n = 3). The median value of GLUD1 expression was highest in the IM group ( n = 11), followed by the HI ( n = 14) and B-CLL groups ( n = 59) (median 4.69/3.78, P P GLUD2 expression was not significantly different between groups. Conclusions: The increased GLDH activity is specific for the PBMC of B-CLL patients. The GLUD1 but not the GLUD2 gene expression pattern is different between the PBMC of IM and B-CLL patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of procalcitonin (PCT) in predicting infective endocarditis (IE). 23 adult patients with IE, 30 patients with sepsis and 30 with tick-borne encephalitis were included in this prospective study. The PCT serum level, C-reactive protein (CRP), total leukocyte, and immature polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell counts were determined on admission, prior to the institution of antibiotic therapy, and compared according to the diagnosis. The median PCT level in patients with IE endocarditis was 0.81 ng/ml, in patients with sepsis it was 43.74 ng/ml, and in the group with viral infection it was 0.25 ng/ml (P < 0.001). The highest PCT level was found in patients with Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve that used PCT to predict IE was 0.722 (95% CI 0.572-0.873), compared with 0.909 (95% CI 0.829-0.989) for CRP, 0.699 (95% CI 0.551-0.846) for immature PMN cell count, and 0.619 (95% CI 0.468-0.770) for leukocyte count. Our study fails to demonstrate superiority of PCT as a diagnostic laboratorial parameter in predicting IE compared to CRP.

International audience; Background - The impact of early valve surgery (EVS) on the outcome of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) prosthetic valve infective endocarditis (PVIE) is unresolved. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between EVS, performed within the first 60 days of hospitalization, and outcome of SA PVIE within the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study. Methods - Participants were enrolled between June 2000 and December 2006. Cox proportional hazards modeling that included surgery as a time-dependent covariate and propensity adjustment for likelihood to receive cardiac surgery was used to evaluate the impact of EVS and 1-year all-cause mortality on patients with definite left-sided S. aureus PVIE and no history of injection drug use. Results - EVS was performed in 74 of the 168 (44.3%) patients. One-year mortality was significantly higher among patients with S. aureus PVIE than in patients with non-S. aureus PVIE (48.2% vs 32.9%; P = .003). Staphylococcus aureus PVIE patients who underwent EVS had a significantly lower 1-year mortality rate (33.8% vs 59.1%; P = .001). In multivariate, propensity-adjusted models, EVS was not associated with 1-year mortality (risk ratio, 0.67 [95% confidence interval, .39-1.15]; P = .15). Conclusions - In this prospective, multinational cohort of patients with S. aureus PVIE, EVS was not associated with reduced 1-year mortality. The decision to pursue EVS should be individualized for each patient, based upon infection-specific characteristics rather than solely upon the microbiology of the infection causing PVIE.

We report a kidney transplant recipient with severe skin- and soft-tissue infection mimicking necrotising fasciitis. Patient failed to respond to empirical antibiotic therapy for presumed bacterial cellulitis. Culture of aspirate from the wound and tissue samples revealed Cryptococcus neoformans. No signs of systemic cryptococcal infection were found. After antifungal treatment and surgical intervention, complete healing was achieved. Clinical and microbiological characteristics of this patient are discussed. Our case indicates that primary cutaneous cryptococcosis must be included in the differential diagnosis of severe cellulitis in solid organ transplant recipients not responding to broad-spectrum antibiotic regimens. In our case, prompt diagnosis and treatment could dramatically modify the outcome.

Cellulomonas spp. are often believed to be of low virulence. There are only a few reports of human infections. We report the first case of endocarditis caused by Cellulomonas in an intravenous drug abuser. The diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) in this case was definite using the Duke criteria. The course of the disease was complicated with a heart failure and possible mycotic aneurysm in the left leg. After the end of antimicrobial therapy aortic valve replacement was done because of severe heart failure.

Infectious spondylodiscitis is diagnosed with increasing frequency. It is most commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The aim of the present study was to determine clinical differences between S. aureus and non-S. aureus spondylodiscitis and, by using spa typing, to determine whether certain clones of S. aureus predominate. During the y 2002-2006, 70 patients (45 male, 25 female) were diagnosed with spondylodiscitis and treated at the Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana. The age range was 13-95 y (mean age 63.4 y). Cultures were positive in 59 (85%) patients; S. aureus was isolated from blood and/or vertebral disc in 42 (60%) and other bacteria were isolated in 17 (25%). In patients with S. aureus spondylodiscitis, the infection was more likely to be haematogenous. These patients were more likely at risk for epidural abscess. Thirty S. aureus isolates from blood were typed with the spa typing molecular method. All of them were methicillin-susceptible. We identified 20 spa types. Seven spa types (t005, t015, t026, t091, t116, t449 and t474) were identified more than once, while 13 were sporadic. Among the sporadic spa types, 6 were newly identified in this study and introduced as new types into the spa server database. A heterogeneity of S. aureus isolates from spondylodiscitis was detected in this study. Thus no specific clone was identified that might be more likely to cause infection of the spine.

International audience; Referral bias occurs because of the clustering of patients at tertiary care centers. This may result in the distortion of observed clinical manifestations of rare diseases. This analysis evaluates the effect of referral bias on the epidemiology of infective endocarditis (IE) in the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS). This is a prospective multicenter cohort study comparing transferred and non-transferred patients with IE. Factors independently associated with transfer status were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. A total of 2,760 patients were included in the analysis, of which 1,164 (42.2%) were transferred from other medical centers. Transferred patients more often underwent surgery for IE (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-3.2). They were also more likely to have complications such as stroke (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.3-1.9), heart failure (OR = 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.6), and new valvular regurgitation (OR = 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.6). The in-hospital mortality rates were similar in both groups. Patients with IE who require surgery and suffer complications are referred to tertiary hospitals more frequently than patients with an uncomplicated course. Hospital transfer has no obvious effect on the in-hospital mortality. Referral bias should be taken into consideration when describing the clinical spectrum of IE.

Early postoperative prosthetic valve endocarditis due to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was diagnosed in seven patients (two men) aged from 68 to 84 years (mean age 78.1 years) over a three-year period. All patients had undergone aortic valve replacement. S. maltophilia was isolated from at least two blood cultures per patient. Four patients experienced CNS embolic complications. Three patients died. All patients were treated with ceftazidime, one in combination with amikacin, one with ciprofloxacin and one with levofloxacin. Because a common source of infection in the operating theater was suspected, 24 environmental samples were taken, of which two contained S. maltophilia. Six of the seven clinical isolates from the patients and two isolates from the environment were analyzed using molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The patients' isolates were resistant to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and, except in one case, to amikacin and piperacillin/tazobactam and susceptible to ceftazidime and levofloxacin. In contrast, the environmental isolates were resistant to ceftazidime, showed intermediate susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, and were susceptible to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. PFGE demonstrated indistinguishable or closely related (1–3 band difference) PFGE patterns in isolates from the patients, but a different pattern in the environmental isolates. No common source of infection was found despite intensive investigation. Extensive cleaning and other measures of infection control were carried out and no new cases were recorded in the two year follow-up period.

Culture-negative endocarditis accounts for 2.5–31% of all endocarditis cases and remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Bartonella spp. has only recently been recognized as an important cause of culture-negative endocarditis. We report a case of Bartonella henselae endocarditis occurring in an immunocompetent man who owned a cat and had previously been diagnosed with valvulopathy. Diagnosis was made only after prolonged diagnostic work-up with serology and with PCR and subsequent sequencing to identify the microorganism in the excised valves. The duration of treatment in patients with bartonella endocarditis is not clearly defined, and we decided to treat our patient with a prolonged course of antibiotic. Surgical treatment is usually necessary and was also successful in our patient. To our knowledge, this is the first case of bartonella endocarditis occurring in our geographic area.

Endocarditis due to Abiotrophia sp. is rare and often associated with negative blood cultures. The rates of treatment failure, infection relapse and mortality are higher than in endocarditis caused by other viridans streptococci.A retrospective review of A. defectiva endocarditis in a patient with prosthetic aortic valve and in a patient with Marfan syndrome was performed.A. defectiva, susceptible to penicillin (MIC 0.064 mg/l and 0.016 mg/l, respectively) was isolated from blood cultures of both patients. Treatment with penicillin and gentamicin was started in both patients. Since the first patient developed a macular rash and leukopenia, penicillin was substituted with ceftriaxone. Both patients responded well to antibiotic treatment, did not need prosthetic valve insertion or reinsertion, and were without any sequelae at one year follow up.Standard treatment of bacterial endocarditis with penicillin and gentamicin was effective in both patients. In contrast to previous reports, the present patients had a favorable outcome on completion of treatment and at one-year follow up.

Background. Actinomycosis is a rare slowly progressive infection caused by Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria from the genus Actinomyces. The disease is characterized by the formation of the abscesses surrounded by dense fibrosis that extend slowly across natural anatomic boundaries.Patients and methods. The case of a 49-year-old patient with pelvic actinomycosis associated with an intrauterine device is presented. The patient was successfully treated with the combination of antibiotic and surgical therapy.Conclusions. Pelvic actinomycosis is a rare disorder. The infection may occur as a consequence of an abdominal disease or an ascending infection from the genito-urinary tract. Diagnosis of the actinomycosis can be difficult, malignant disease if often suspected. The diagnosis is frequently not established until after surgery.