First case of rapidly fatal mpox from secondary (household) transmission in a kidney transplant recipient.

In 2022, a global outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) was reported outside of areas considered endemic for the disease, predominantly in persons identifying as men who have sex with men, gay, or bisexual. To date, 3 cases of mpox in solid organ transplant recipients have been published; however, no instances of secondary transmission among solid organ transplant recipients have been reported. Here, we report a case of a 53-year-old male kidney transplant recipient who contracted mpox while caring for a household contact with the disease.

Candida Infectious Endocarditis and Implantable Cardiac Device Infections.

Intravascular diseases due to Candida species, including endocarditis and cardiac device-associated infections, are rare yet devastating manifestations of invasive candidiasis affecting an already vulnerable population. Despite their significant associated morbidity and mortality, limited prospective data exist to inform the optimal diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these entities. Herein, we review the existing literature pertaining to the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of infectious endocarditis, rhythm management device infections, and circulatory support device infections caused by Candida species and suggest areas for future research.

An interdisciplinary student-led multifaceted intervention addressing overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics for patients with penicillin allergies.

Background: Though 15% of hospitalized patients have a documented penicillin (PCN) allergy, fewer than 1% have an IgE-mediated reaction that necessitates avoidance of β-lactam antibiotics.

Objective: Our interdisciplinary team of medical and nursing students led and executed a two-pronged quality improvement intervention to reduce prescribing of non-β-lactam antibiotics (NBLs) for patients with reported PCN allergies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first multidisciplinary student-led intervention aimed at educating providers on low-risk penicillin allergy and encouraging best antibiotic prescribing practices.

Utility of liquid biopsy in diagnosing isolated cerebral phaeohyphomycosis: illustrative case.

Background: Cladophialophora bantiana is a dematiaceous, saprophytic fungus and a rare but reported cause of intracranial abscesses due to its strong neurotropism. Although it predominantly affects immunocompetent individuals with environmental exposure, more recently, its significance as a highly lethal opportunistic infection in transplant recipients has been recognized. Successful treatment requires timely but often challenging diagnosis, followed by complete surgical excision.

Impact of Fluoroquinolone Prophylaxis on Neutropenic Fever, Infections, and Antimicrobial Resistance in Newly Diagnosed AML Patients.

Introduction: Fluoroquinolone prophylaxis is recommended during induction chemotherapy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to reduce risk of neutropenic fever and systemic bacterial infections. We evaluated the effectiveness of primary fluoroquinolone prophylaxis in an area with high fluoroquinolone resistance.

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of newly diagnosed adult AML patients who received frontline therapy at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY, between 2012 and 2019.

Relapsed Infection Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in a Patient With B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

A patient with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed babesiosis before allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation while on atovaquone for pneumonia prophylaxis. Despite receiving a prolonged course of atovaquone and azithromycin until whole-blood DNA was no longer detected by polymerase chain reaction, her post-transplant course was complicated by relapsed babesiosis. We investigate the potential host and parasite characteristics causing relapsing/persistent infection.

Overcoming challenges to removing inappropriate penicillin allergy labels: A quality improvement report.

Over 3 months, we provided monthly education to internal medicine residents and distributed resources regarding penicillin-allergy history taking. Allergy information in the electronic record was updated more often during the intervention compared to the period before the intervention (16.1% vs 10.

Advancing organ transplantation through HIV-to-HIV transplantation.

Purpose Of Review: Persons living with HIV (PLWH) have a life expectancy that is nearly equivalent to the general population, and thus are facing health conditions associated with normal aging as well as long-term HIV infection. End-organ disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and solid organ transplantation (SOT) may be a viable option for many PLWH. We review the history and recent updates in SOT in PLWH, specifically focusing on HIV-to-HIV transplantation.

Subglottic suction frequency and adverse ventilator-associated events during critical illness.

Objective: Tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation provide essential support for patients with respiratory failure, but the course of mechanical ventilation may be complicated by adverse ventilator-associated events (VAEs), which may or may not be associated with infection. We sought to understand how the frequency of subglottic suction, an indicator of the quantity of sputum produced by ventilated patients, relates to the onset of all VAEs and infection-associated VAEs.

Design: We performed a case-crossover study including 87 patients with VAEs, and we evaluated 848 days in the pre-VAE period at risk for a VAE.

Treatment with convalescent plasma in solid organ transplant recipients with COVID-19: Experience at large transplant center in New York City.

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients may be at higher risk for poor outcomes with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Convalescent plasma is an investigational therapy that may benefit immunosuppressed patients by providing passive immunity. Convalescent plasma was administered to hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) at an academic transplant center in New York City.

Practicing Antimicrobial Stewardship: De-Escalating Antibiotics in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Neutropenic Fever.

We compared risk of recurrent fever in patients with acute myeloid leukemia undergoing induction chemotherapy with febrile neutropenia without an infectious source in which antibacterials were de-escalated before neutrophil recovery versus continued. There was less recurrent fever when antibacterials were de-escalated early with no increased adverse events.

A lymphoma patient with Cytomegalovirus retinitis and post-autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation immune reconstitution uveitis: A case report and review of the literature.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in hematologic malignancies in the absence of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) is uncommon. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman with peripheral T-cell lymphoma who develops CMV retinitis and subsequently undergoes an autologous HCT, with eventual development of immune reconstitution uveitis. We further reviewed the PubMed literature on CMV retinitis in patients with lymphoma.