2024 update of the AGIHO guideline on diagnosis and empirical treatment of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in adult neutropenic patients with solid tumours and hematological malignancies.

Febrile Neutropenia is an emergency in the treatment of cancer patients. It requires prompt and evidence-based clinical and antimicrobial management. The implementation of standard operating procedures (SOP) across hospitals and outpatient cancer departments can improve the outcome of FN patients by reducing FN-related morbidity and mortality and by the continuation of cancer treatment.

Echinocandin persistence directly impacts the evolution of resistance and survival of the pathogenic fungus .

Unlabelled: Recent epidemiological studies documented an alarming increase in the prevalence of echinocandin-resistant (ECR) blood isolates. ECR isolates are known to arise from a minor subpopulation of a clonal population, termed echinocandin persisters. Although it is believed that isolates with a higher echinocandin persistence (ECP) are more likely to develop ECR, the implication of ECP needs to be better understood.

Imperfect cross-linking of xanthan for pH-responsive bio-based composite moist wound dressings by stencil printing.

The work addresses the use of bio-based and -degradable materials for the production of a moist, adaptive and anti-microbial wound dressing. The dressing is targeted to exhibit a pH-dependent active agent release. Xanthan hydrogel structures are coated on cellulose fabrics via stencil printing and subsequently cross-linked using glyoxal.

Interaction in vitro of pulmonary surfactant with antifungal agents used for treatment and prevention of invasive aspergillosis.

Background: Optimizing antifungal therapy is important to improve outcomes in severely immunocompromised patients.

Objectives: We analysed the in vitro interaction between pulmonary surfactant and antifungal agents used for management of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Methods: Amphotericin B formulations, mould-active triazoles and echinocandins were tested in vitro against 24 clinical isolates of different Aspergillus spp.

Global guideline for the diagnosis and management of mucormycosis: an initiative of the European Confederation of Medical Mycology in cooperation with the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium.

Mucormycosis is a difficult to diagnose rare disease with high morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis is often delayed, and disease tends to progress rapidly. Urgent surgical and medical intervention is lifesaving.

The impact of bacteremia on lipoprotein concentrations and patient's outcome: a retrospective analysis.

Bacteremia is a major clinical challenge requiring early treatment. Metabolic alterations occur during bacteremia, and accordingly plasma concentrations of lipoproteins LDL-C and HDL-C are substantially changed. We questioned whether bacteremia with Gram-negative versus Gram-positive bacteria causes contrasting changes of lipoprotein levels in order to differentiate between the 2-g stain types and if there is a relation with outcome parameters namely ICU-admission, 30-day mortality, duration of hospitalization.

Multicenter comparison of the ISO standard 20776-1 and the serial 2-fold dilution procedures to dilute hydrophilic and hydrophobic antifungal agents for susceptibility testing.

A multicenter study was conducted to assess the accuracy of the ISO standard 20776-1 and the serial 2-fold dilution procedures for antifungal susceptibility testing. Fluconazole trays can be accurately prepared by following ISO and serial dilution schemes. However, itraconazole trays showed a significant lack of reproducibility that was independent of which method was followed.

Zygomycosis and other rare filamentous fungal infections in solid organ transplant recipients.

Fungi cause severe infections in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Recently, a shift towards non-Aspergillus filamentous fungal infections (nAFFI) was noticed. In a series of 2878 SOTs (kidney, pancreas, islets, liver, heart, lung, and bowel) performed between January 1995 and December 2006 at the Innsbruck medical university, eleven cases of nAFFI were diagnosed.

Enterocolitis due to simultaneous infection with rotavirus and Clostridium difficile in adult and pediatric solid organ transplantation.

Diarrhea is a well-known complication of immunosuppression but is also frequently caused by pathogens such as Clostridium difficile (CD) and rotavirus (RV). Three adult and five pediatric solid organ recipients (SORs) developed diarrhea with simultaneous identification of CD and RV. Rotavirus was identified using an immunochromatografic- or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; CD was identified using a rapid immunoassay or enzyme immunoassay.

Early identification of bacteria leading to central venous catheter contamination.

Unlabelled: Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) are a common problem in patients after central venous catheterization. Using DNA analysis we compared bacteria found on the tip of central venous catheters removed because of clinical signs of CRBSI with bacteria found on needle, dilator, and guidewire used for insertion of these catheters. In five of seven central venous catheters removed because of clinical signs of CRBSI, bacteria on the catheter tip were genetically identical to bacteria found on the insertion device, proving that catheter contamination in these cases was caused by contacting bacteria during the initial puncture.

Case Reports. Chronic and acute Aspergillus meningitis.

Cerebral aspergillosis usually occurs in severely immunocompromized hosts, is difficult to diagnose, and has a poor prognosis. After 14 months of chronic meningitis, ventriculitis, choroid plexitis, and lumbar arachnoiditis, which was complicated by acute hydrocephalus, Aspergillus, suspected to be from the candidus group, was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a previously healthy man. Thereafter Aspergillus antigen was found in stored plasma and CSF samples.