Time to positivity of Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus In Neonatal Blood Cultures as an adjunct tool to help discriminate between sepsis and contamination.

Objective: To assess the usefulness of time to positivity (TTP) to distinguish between sepsis and contamination in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates.

Study Design: Unicentric retrospective observational. Medical records of 168 patients with suspected sepsis and positive blood culture for CoNS were reviewed.

Comparative performance of the Platelia Antigen and Galactomannan antigen Virclia Monotest immunoassays in serum and lower respiratory tract specimens: a "real-life" experience.

The Platelia Aspergillus Antigen immunoassay is the "gold standard" for Aspergillus galactomannan (GLM) measurement in sera and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). We evaluated the performance of the Aspergillus GLM antigen Virclia Monotest compared to the Platelia assay. A total of 535 specimens [320 sera, 86 bronchial aspirates (BAs), 70 BAL, and 59 tracheal aspirates (TAs)] from 177 adult patients (72 hematological, 32 Intensive Care Unit, and 73 hospitalized in other wards) were processed for GLM testing upon clinical request.

Routine pretransfusion testing before primary total hip or knee arthroplasty are an expensive and wasteful routine. Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The excessive routine ordering of pretransfusion tests (blood typing, screening, and cross-matching) for surgical cases incurs significant unnecessary costs and places an undue burden on transfusion services. This study aims to systematically review the literature regarding the necessity of routine pretransfusion tests before total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and summarize their outcomes.

Study Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and lateral flow immunochromatography for rapid identification of β-lactamase-gene-harboring Enterobacterales in urine specimens: Performance and cost-benefit analyses.

In this single-center prospective study, we evaluated the performance to the MALDI-ToF MS based method in conjunction with lateral flow immunochromatographic (LFIC) in urine specimens for rapid diagnosis of bacterial Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and detection of carbapenemase and/or extended-spectrum β- lactamase (ESBL) enzymes produced by the involved bacteria, compared to standard culture, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing/genotypic resistance markers characterization performed on culture-grown colonies. In addition, a cost-benefit analysis comparing this approach against standard procedures was conducted. A total of 324 urines were included in the study, of which 288 (88.

A rapid MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry-based method for categorization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from blood cultures as susceptible or resistant to meropenem.

We developed and evaluated a simple, low-cost matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based method for the detection of meropenem (MER) resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa directly from blood. A volume of 50 μL of positive-flagged blood culture (BC) was transferred in 450 μL brain heart infusion (BHI) broth to microtubes either containing MER (test) or not (control) at 25 or 50 mg/L. P.

Symmetrical Peripheral Gangrene: Report of Three Cases.

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene (SPG) is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by an acute onset of ischemic damage in two or more extremities without obstruction or vasculitis of supplying vessels. Body parts commonly affected include toes, hands, scrotum, and earlobes, increasing the risk of limb amputation and impairing the quality of life. The vascular injury mechanism is disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Population-based sequencing of reveals how current population dynamics are shaped by past epidemics.

Transmission is a driver of tuberculosis (TB) epidemics in high-burden regions, with assumed negligible impact in low-burden areas. However, we still lack a full characterization of transmission dynamics in settings with similar and different burdens. Genomic epidemiology can greatly help to quantify transmission, but the lack of whole genome sequencing population-based studies has hampered its application.

Infective Endocarditis in the Elderly: Challenges and Strategies.

The specific management of infective endocarditis (IE) in elderly patients is not specifically addressed in recent guidelines despite its increasing incidence and high mortality in this population. The term "elderly" corresponds to different ages in the literature, but it is defined by considerable comorbidity and heterogeneity. Cancer incidence, specifically colorectal cancer, is increased in older patients with IE and impacts its outcome.

Multi-body-site colonization screening cultures for predicting multi-drug resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteremia in hematological patients.

Background: To investigate the multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDRB) colonization rate in hematological patients hospitalized for any cause using a multi-body-site surveillance approach, and determine the extent to which this screening strategy helped anticipate MDRB bloodstream infections (BSI).

Methods: Single-center retrospective observational study including 361 admissions documented in 250 adult patients. Surveillance cultures of nasal, pharyngeal, axillary and rectal specimens (the latter two combined) were performed at admission and subsequently on a weekly basis.

Risk factors for mortality in patients with COVID-19 needing extracorporeal respiratory support.

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Adductor canal block performed 20 hours after total knee arthroplasty to improve postoperative analgesia and functional recovery: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: The goal of postoperative pain protocols in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is to get pain free patients throughout severe pain period without impairing walking ability. The aim of the study was to investigate if an adductor canal block performed 20 hours after TKA, in patients treated with systemic analgesia and intraoperative local infiltration anesthesia (LIA), improves postoperative pain and functional outcomes.

Methods: A prospective randomized, double-blinded controlled study was conducted.

Implementing mHealth-Enabled Integrated Care for Complex Chronic Patients With Osteoarthritis Undergoing Primary Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: Prospective, Two-Arm, Parallel Trial.

Background: Osteoarthritis is a disabling condition that is often associated with other comorbidities. Total hip or knee arthroplasty is an effective surgical treatment for osteoarthritis when indicated, but comorbidities can impair their results by increasing complications and social and economic costs. Integrated care (IC) models supported by eHealth can increase efficiency through defragmentation of care and promote patient-centeredness.

SARS-CoV-2 N-antigenemia in critically ill adult COVID-19 patients: Frequency and association with inflammatory and tissue-damage biomarkers.

The current study aimed at characterizing the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) antigenemia in a cohort of critically ill adult COVID-19 patients and assessing its potential association with plasma levels of biomarkers of clinical severity and mortality. Seventy-three consecutive critically ill COVID-19 patients (median age, 65 years) were recruited. Serial plasma (n = 340) specimens were collected.

Upper respiratory tract SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads in symptomatic and asymptomatic children and adults.

Objectives: Studies comparing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA load in the upper respiratory tract (URT) between children and adults-who either presented with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or were asymptomatic-have yielded inconsistent results. Here, we conducted a retrospective, single-centre study to address this issue.

Patients And Methods: Included were 1184 consecutive subjects (256 children and 928 adults) testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal exudates (NPs); of these, 424 (121 children and 303 adults) had COVID-19 and 760 (135 children and 625 adults) were asymptomatic close contacts of COVID-19 patients.

Performance of a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry-based method for rapid detection of third-generation oxymino-cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. from blood cultures.

We optimized and prospectively evaluated a simple MALDI-TOF MS-based method for direct detection of third-generation oxymino-cephalosporin resistance (3rd CephR) in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. from blood cultures (BC). In addition, we assessed the performance of a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIC) for detecting extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) (NG-Test CTX-M MULTI assay) using bacterial pellets from BC.

Validation of a second-generation appropriateness classification system for total knee arthroplasty: a prospective cohort study.

Background: To test the validity of a second-generation appropriateness system in a cohort of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods: We applied the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method to derive our second-generation system and conducted a prospective study of patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis in eight public hospitals in Spain. Main outcome questionnaires were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Short-Form-12 (SF-12), and the Knee Society Score satisfaction scale (KSS), completed before and 6 months after TKA.

Evaluation of a rapid antigen test (Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag rapid test device) for SARS-CoV-2 detection in asymptomatic close contacts of COVID-19 patients.

Objectives: There is limited information on the performance of rapid antigen detection (RAD) tests to identify SARS-CoV-2-infected asymptomatic individuals. In this field study, we evaluated the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device (Abbott Diagnostics, Jena, Germany) for this purpose.

Methods: A total of 634 individuals (355 female; median age, 37 years; range, 9-87) were enrolled.

Implementing Mobile Health-Enabled Integrated Care for Complex Chronic Patients: Patients and Professionals' Acceptability Study.

Background: Integrated care (IC) can promote health and social care efficiency through prioritization of preventive patient-centered models and defragmentation of care and collaboration across health tiers, and mobile health (mHealth) can be the cornerstone allowing for the adoption of IC.

Objective: This study aims to assess the acceptability, usability, and satisfaction of an mHealth-enabled IC model for complex chronic patients in both patients and health professionals.

Methods: As part of the CONNECARE Horizon 2020 project, a prospective, pragmatic, 2-arm, parallel, hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial was conducted from July 2018 to August 2019 in a rural region of Catalonia, Spain.