Improvement of pneumococcal pneumonia diagnosis using quantitative real-time PCR targeting lytA in adult patients: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the performance of real-time PCR targeting the lytA gene (rtPCR-lytA) in plasma, urine and nasopharyngeal (NP) samples for the diagnosis of pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (P-CAP).

Methods: Prospective observational study including all consecutive adults with CAP from November 2015 to May 2017. P-CAP was defined if pneumococcus was identified using conventional methods (CM) and/or a positive rtPCR-lytA was detected in blood, urine or NP samples (NP cut-off ≥8000 copies/mL).

Delayed Cerebral Vasculopathy in Pneumococcal Meningitis: Epidemiology and Clinical Outcome. A Cohort Study.

Background: To describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics, impact of systemic steroids exposure and outcomes of delayed cerebral vasculopathy (DCV) in a cohort of adult patients with pneumococcal meningitis (PM).

Methods: Observational retrospective multicenter study including all episodes of PM from January 2002 to December 2015. DCV was defined as proven/probable/possible based upon clinical criteria and pathological-radiological findings.

Emerging extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae causing community-onset urinary tract infections: a case-control-control study.

The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology and risk factors associated with community-onset urinary tract infections (CO-UTIs) due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-Kp). A cohort study including all consecutive patients with K. pneumoniae CO-UTI identified from January 2010 to December 2014 was conducted.