Native Aortic Valve Endocarditis Caused by Species: Case Report, Considerations for Management, and Review of Literature.

We present the first case of native aortic valve endocarditis caused by Intraoperative images and videos from valve replacement surgery illustrate the severity of fungal endocarditis. This case demonstrates the aggressive presentation of left-sided fungal endocarditis, highlights challenges with treating highly resistant fungi, and considers the potential utility of olorofim.

Introduction to .

Since the initial publication of in 2008, the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) has continued to be a national priority. Progress in healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and implementation science research has led to improvements in our understanding of effective strategies for HAI prevention. Despite these advances, HAIs continue to affect ∼1 of every 31 hospitalized patients, leading to substantial morbidity, mortality, and excess healthcare expenditures, and persistent gaps remain between what is recommended and what is practiced.

SHEA/IDSA/APIC Practice Recommendation: Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene: 2022 Update.

The purpose of this document is to highlight practical recommendations to assist acute-care hospitals in prioritization and implementation of strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene. This document updates the , published in 2014. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology (SHEA).

colonization and the frequency of subsequent treatment for infection in critically ill patients.

Objective: To determine risk factors for colonization and infection (CDI) among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary-care facility.

Multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2 in a University Outbreak After Spring Break - Chicago, Illinois, March-May 2021.

To prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, colleges and universities have implemented multiple strategies including testing, isolation, quarantine, contact tracing, masking, and vaccination. In April 2021, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) was notified of a large cluster of students with COVID-19 at an urban university after spring break. A total of 158 cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed among undergraduate students during March 15-May 3, 2021; the majority (114; 72.

Hand Hygiene Compliance Rate During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This quality improvement study assesses hand hygiene compliance rates in a hospital with an automated hand hygiene monitoring system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three-Tiered COVID-19 Cohorting Strategy and Implications for Memory-Care.

An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) can be devastating for residents and staff. Difficulty identifying asymptomatic and presymptomatic cases and lack of vaccination or treatment options make management challenging. We created, implemented, and now present a guide to rapidly deploy point-prevalence testing and 3-tiered cohorting in an SNF to mitigate an outbreak.

Universal screening for at an urban academic medical center.

We implemented universal inpatient Clostridioides difficile screening at an 800-bed hospital. Over 3 years, 2,010 of 47,048 screening tests (4.2%) were positive, with significantly higher rates of C.

Clinical Sensitivity of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for Diagnosing Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Utilizing 34 348 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) results from 2 health systems, we estimated the clinical sensitivity of a single SARS-CoV-2 NAAT. We found that SARS-CoV-2 NAAT has 82%-97% sensitivity for diagnosing coronavirus disease 2019 among symptomatic patients.

Universal molecular Clostridioides difficile screening and overtreatment in solid organ transplant recipients.

Background: Screening for Clostridioides difficile (CD) colonization can be performed using molecular testing to identify the presence of microbial DNA of the toxin gene. Colonization rates for hospitalized patients are as high as 20% and may be considerably higher in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Treatment for CD should be based on clinical disease and not colonization, yet clinicians may misinterpret a positive CD screen resulting in overtreatment.

High consequence infectious diseases training using interprofessional simulation and TeamSTEPPS.

Background: The comfort level of health care workers to respond to an infectious disease outbreak or epidemic is likely directly related to the amount of education, training, and experience they have in responding to these events.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study evaluated health care workers' state anxiety, self-efficacy, and interprofessional teamwork when working with patients simulated to have a potentially high consequence infectious disease.

Results: Pretest-posttest 1 scores revealed a significant decrease in state anxiety (P < .

Plerixafor for the Treatment of WHIM Syndrome.

WHIM syndrome (warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, and myelokathexis), a primary immunodeficiency disorder involving panleukopenia, is caused by autosomal dominant gain-of-function mutations in CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). Myelokathexis is neutropenia caused by neutrophil retention in bone marrow. Patients with WHIM syndrome are often treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), which can increase neutrophil counts but does not affect cytopenias other than neutropenia.

Understanding the Experiences of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Residents Who Take Parental Leave During Training in Canada: A Needs Assessment.

Objective: This study sought to identify and understand the barriers and supports associated with taking parental leave during obstetrics and gynaecology residency training in Canada, with the aim of helping to direct parental leave policies.

Methods: Participants were recruited by social media, program directors, and through the SOGC. The study included a short demographic questionnaire and a semistructured qualitative interview in person, by either telephone or videoconference.

Poor Immunogenicity, Not Vaccine Strain Egg Adaptation, May Explain the Low H3N2 Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in 2012-2013.

Background: Influenza vaccination aims to prevent infection by influenza virus and reduce associated morbidity and mortality; however, vaccine effectiveness (VE) can be modest, especially for subtype A(H3N2). Low VE has been attributed to mismatches between the vaccine and circulating influenza strains and to the vaccine's elicitation of protective immunity in only a subset of the population. The low H3N2 VE in the 2012-2013 season was attributed to egg-adaptive mutations that created antigenic mismatch between the actual vaccine strain (IVR-165) and both the intended vaccine strain (A/Victoria/361/2011) and the predominant circulating strains (clades 3C.

Bacterial colonization and succession in a newly opened hospital.

The microorganisms that inhabit hospitals may influence patient recovery and outcome, although the complexity and diversity of these bacterial communities can confound our ability to focus on potential pathogens in isolation. To develop a community-level understanding of how microorganisms colonize and move through the hospital environment, we characterized the bacterial dynamics among hospital surfaces, patients, and staff over the course of 1 year as a new hospital became operational. The bacteria in patient rooms, particularly on bedrails, consistently resembled the skin microbiota of the patient occupying the room.

Impact of Pharmacy Practice Model Expansion on Pharmacokinetic Services: Optimization of Vancomycin Dosing and Improved Patient Safety.

The impact of pharmacy interventions on optimizing vancomycin therapy has been described, however interventions vary among studies and the most optimal pharmacy practice model (PPM) for pharmacokinetic (PK) services has not been established. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the value of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7) PK services. New PK services were implemented in 2 phases with institutional PPM expansion.

Assessment of an Aggregate-Level Hand Hygiene Monitoring Technology for Measuring Hand Hygiene Performance Among Healthcare Personnel.

BACKGROUND Despite significant advances in technological methods for hand hygiene surveillance, a lack of evidence prohibits comparison of systems to one another or against the current gold standard of direct observation. OBJECTIVE To validate a hand hygiene monitoring technology (HHMT) designed to capture hand hygiene behaviors aggregated at the hospital-unit level (GOJO Industries, Akron, OH). METHODS Our team followed a rigorous validation approach to assess the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of an HHMT.

Investigation of the First Seven Reported Cases of Candida auris, a Globally Emerging Invasive, Multidrug-Resistant Fungus - United States, May 2013-August 2016.

Candida auris, an emerging fungus that can cause invasive infections, is associated with high mortality and is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs. C. auris was first described in 2009 after being isolated from external ear canal discharge of a patient in Japan (1).

Social media as a tool for antimicrobial stewardship.

Background: To increase the reach of our antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP), social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, were used to increase internal medicine residents' (IMRs') antibiotic (Abx) knowledge and awareness of ASP resources.

Methods: Fifty-five of 110 (50%) IMRs consented to participate; 39 (71%) completed both pre- and postintervention surveys and followed our ASP on social media. Along with 20 basic Abx and infectious diseases (IDs) questions, this survey assessed IMR awareness of ASP initiatives, social media usage, and attitudes and beliefs surrounding Abx resistance.

Risk of infection transmission in curvilinear array echoendoscopes: results of a prospective reprocessing and culture registry.

Background And Aims: The complex design of the elevator mechanism in duodenoscopes has been recognized as a challenge for disinfection and recently implicated as a potential source of persistent bacterial contamination. Curvilinear array (CLA) echoendoscopes also have an elevator mechanism; however, there are no recommendations or data regarding the risk of persistent bacterial contamination of echoendoscopes. Here we hoped to determine the yield of microbial growth with routine bacterial surveillance cultures of reprocessed CLA echoendoscopes.