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Objectives: The Pre-school Osteoarticular Infection (POI) study aimed to describe the burden of disease, epidemiology, microbiology and treatment of acute osteoarticular infections (OAI) and the role of Kingella kingae in these infections. Method(s): Information about children 3-60 months of age who were hospitalized with an OAI to 11 different hospitals across Australia and New Zealand between January 2012 and December 2016 was collected retrospectively. Result(s): A total of 907 cases (73%) were included. Blood cultures grew a likely pathogen in only 18% (140/781). The peak age of presentation was 12 to 24 months (466/907, 51%) and Kingella kingae was the most frequently detected microorganism in this age group (60/466, 13%). In the majority of cases, no microorganism was detected (517/907, 57%). Addition of PCR to culture increased detection rates of K. kingae. However, PCR was performed infrequently (63/907, 7%). Conclusion(s): This large multi-national study highlights the need for more widespread use of molecular diagnostic techniques for accurate microbiological diagnosis of OAI in pre-school aged children. The data from this study supports the hypothesis that a substantial proportion of pre-school aged children with OAI and no organism identified may in fact have undiagnosed K. kingae infection. Improved detection of Kingella cases is likely to reduce the average length of antimicrobial treatment.Copyright © 2021

The practice of an infectious diseases (ID) physician is evolving. A contemporary understanding of the frequency and variety of patients and syndromes seen by ID services has implications for training, service development and setting research priorities. We performed a 2-week prospective survey of formal ID physician activities related to direct inpatient care, encompassing 53 hospitals throughout Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and documented 1722 inpatient interactions. Infections involving the skin and soft tissue, respiratory tract and bone/joints together accounted for 49% of all consultations. Suspected/confirmed pathogens were primarily bacterial (60%), rather than viral (6%), fungal (4%), mycobacterial (2%) or parasitic (1%). Staphylococcus aureus was implicated in 409 (24%) episodes, approximately four times more frequently than the next most common pathogen. The frequency of healthcare-related infections (35%), immunosuppression (21%), diabetes mellitus (19%), prosthesis-related infections (13%), multiresistant pathogens (13%) and non-infectious diagnoses (9%) was high, although consultation characteristics varied between geographical settings and hospital types. Our study highlights the diversity of inpatient-related ID activities and should direct future teaching and research. ID physicians' ability to offer beneficial consultative advice requires broad understanding of, and ability to interact with, a wide range of referring specialities.Copyright © 2014 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

The practice of an infectious diseases (ID) physician is evolving. A contemporary understanding of the frequency and variety of patients and syndromes seen by ID services has implications for training, service development and setting research priorities. We performed a 2-week prospective survey of formal ID physician activities related to direct inpatient care, encompassing 53 hospitals throughout Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and documented 1722 inpatient interactions. Infections involving the skin and soft tissue, respiratory tract and bone/joints together accounted for 49% of all consultations. Suspected/confirmed pathogens were primarily bacterial (60%), rather than viral (6%), fungal (4%), mycobacterial (2%) or parasitic (1%). Staphylococcus aureus was implicated in 409 (24%) episodes, approximately four times more frequently than the next most common pathogen. The frequency of healthcare-related infections (35%), immunosuppression (21%), diabetes mellitus (19%), prosthesis-related infections (13%), multiresistant pathogens (13%) and non-infectious diagnoses (9%) was high, although consultation characteristics varied between geographical settings and hospital types. Our study highlights the diversity of inpatient-related ID activities and should direct future teaching and research. ID physicians’ ability to offer beneficial consultative advice requires broad understanding of, and ability to interact with, a wide range of referring specialities.

Background: There are few large-scale, prospective studies of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in children that identify predictors of adverse outcomes. Objective(s): We aimed to examine clinical epidemiology and predictors for adverse outcomes in children hospitalised with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in Australia. Method(s): Active hospital surveillance in six tertiary paediatric referral centres (June-September, 2009). All children aged <15 years admitted with laboratory-confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 were studied. Result(s): Of 601 children admitted with laboratory-confirmed influenza, 506 (84.2%) had influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. Half (51.0%) of children with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 were previously healthy. Hospital stay was longer in children with pre-existing condition (mean 6.9 versus 4.9 days; P = 0.02) as was paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay (7.0 versus 2.3 days; P = 0.005). Rapid diagnosis decreased both antibiotic use and length of hospital and PICU stay. Fifty (9.9%) children were admitted to a PICU, 30 (5.9%) required mechanical ventilation and 5 (0.9%) died. Laboratory-proven bacterial co-infection and chronic lung disease were significant independent predictors of PICU admission (OR 6.89, 95% CI 3.15-15.06 and OR 3.58, 95% CI 1.41-9.07, respectively) and requirement for ventilation (OR 5.61, 95% CI 2.2-14.28 and OR 5.18, 95% CI 1.8-14.86, respectively). Chronic neurological disease was a predictor of admission to PICU (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.14-4.61). Conclusion(s): During the 2009 pandemic, influenza was a major cause of hospitalisation in tertiary paediatric hospitals. Co-infection and underlying chronic disease increased risk of PICU admission and/or ventilation. Half the children admitted were previously healthy, supporting a role for universal influenza vaccination in children.Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The practice of an infectious diseases (ID) physician is evolving. A contemporary understanding of the frequency and variety of patients and syndromes seen by ID services has implications for training, service development and setting research priorities. We performed a 2-week prospective survey of formal ID physician activities related to direct inpatient care, encompassing 53 hospitals throughout Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and documented 1722 inpatient interactions. Infections involving the skin and soft tissue, respiratory tract and bone/joints together accounted for 49% of all consultations. Suspected/confirmed pathogens were primarily bacterial (60%), rather than viral (6%), fungal (4%), mycobacterial (2%) or parasitic (1%). Staphylococcus aureus was implicated in 409 (24%) episodes, approximately four times more frequently than the next most common pathogen. The frequency of healthcare-related infections (35%), immunosuppression (21%), diabetes mellitus (19%), prosthesis-related infections (13%), multiresistant pathogens (13%) and non-infectious diagnoses (9%) was high, although consultation characteristics varied between geographical settings and hospital types. Our study highlights the diversity of inpatient-related ID activities and should direct future teaching and research. ID physicians' ability to offer beneficial consultative advice requires broad understanding of, and ability to interact with, a wide range of referring specialities.

BACKGROUND: There are few large-scale, prospective studies of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in children that identify predictors of adverse outcomes. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine clinical epidemiology and predictors for adverse outcomes in children hospitalised with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in Australia. METHODS: Active hospital surveillance in six tertiary paediatric referral centres (June-September, 2009). All children aged <15 years admitted with laboratory-confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 were studied. RESULTS: Of 601 children admitted with laboratory-confirmed influenza, 506 (84·2%) had influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. Half (51·0%) of children with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 were previously healthy. Hospital stay was longer in children with pre-existing condition (mean 6·9 versus 4·9 days; P = 0·02) as was paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay (7·0 versus 2·3 days; P = 0·005). Rapid diagnosis decreased both antibiotic use and length of hospital and PICU stay. Fifty (9·9%) children were admitted to a PICU, 30 (5·9%) required mechanical ventilation and 5 (0·9%) died. Laboratory-proven bacterial co-infection and chronic lung disease were significant independent predictors of PICU admission (OR 6·89, 95% CI 3·15-15·06 and OR 3·58, 95% CI 1·41-9·07, respectively) and requirement for ventilation (OR 5·61, 95% CI 2·2-14·28 and OR 5·18, 95% CI 1·8-14·86, respectively). Chronic neurological disease was a predictor of admission to PICU (OR 2·30, 95% CI 1·14-4·61). CONCLUSIONS: During the 2009 pandemic, influenza was a major cause of hospitalisation in tertiary paediatric hospitals. Co-infection and underlying chronic disease increased risk of PICU admission and/or ventilation. Half the children admitted were previously healthy, supporting a role for universal influenza vaccination in children.

Background: The anatomy of carotid stenosis may influence the outcome of endovascular treatment or carotid endarterectomy. Whether anatomy favors one treatment over the other in terms of safety or efficacy has not been investigated in randomized trials. Methods: In 414 patients with mostly symptomatic carotid stenosis randomized to endovascular treatment (angioplasty or stenting; n=213) or carotid endarterectomy (n=211) in the Carotid and Vertebral Artery Transluminal Angioplasty Study (CAVATAS), the degree and length of stenosis and plaque surface irregularity were assessed on baseline intraarterial angiography. Outcome measures were stroke or death occurring between randomization and 30 days after treatment, and ipsilateral stroke and restenosis =50% during follow-up. Results: Carotid stenosis longer than 0·65 times the common carotid artery diameter was associated with increased risk of peri-procedural stroke or death after both endovascular treatment [odds ratio 2·79 (1·17-6·65), P=0·02] and carotid endarterectomy [2·43 (1·03-5·73), P=0·04], and with increased long-term risk of restenosis in endovascular treatment [hazard ratio 1·68 (1·12-2·53), P=0·01]. The excess in restenosis after endovascular treatment compared with carotid endarterectomy was significantly greater in patients with long stenosis than with short stenosis at baseline (interaction P=0·003). Results remained significant after multivariate adjustment. No associations were found for degree of stenosis and plaque surface. Conclusions: Increasing stenosis length is an independent risk factor for peri-procedural stroke or death in endovascular treatment and carotid endarterectomy, without favoring one treatment over the other. However, the excess restenosis rate after endovascular treatment compared with carotid endarterectomy increases with longer stenosis at baseline. Stenosis length merits further investigation in carotid revascularisation trials. © 2013 The Authors. International Journal of Strok