Gradually Increasing Surgical Site Infection Prevention Bundle with Monitoring of Potentially Preventable Infections Resulting in Decreasing Overall Surgical Site Infection Rate.

Reduction of surgical site infection. Retrospective evaluation of a surgical infection prevention program consisting of the gradual introduction of specific infection prevention methods and a surveillance system identifying and reporting on potentially preventable surgical site infections as defined by the omission of a preventive method. A university tertiary referral medical center.

Variants of Concern Are Overrepresented Among Postvaccination Breakthrough Infections of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Washington State.

Across 20 vaccine breakthrough cases detected at our institution, all 20 (100%) infections were due to variants of concern (VOCs) and had a median Ct of 20.2 (IQR, 17.1-23.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Levels Measured by the AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 Assay Are Concordant with Previously Available Serologic Assays but Are Not Fully Predictive of Sterilizing Immunity.

With the availability of widespread SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, high-throughput quantitative anti-spike protein serological testing will likely become increasingly important. Here, we investigated the performance characteristics of the recently FDA-authorized semiquantitative anti-spike protein AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay compared to the FDA-authorized anti-nucleocapsid protein Abbott Architect SARS-CoV-2 IgG, Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2-S, EuroImmun anti-SARS-CoV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and GenScript surrogate virus neutralization assays and examined the humoral response associated with vaccination, natural protection, and vaccine breakthrough infection. The AdviseDx assay had a clinical sensitivity at 14 days after symptom onset or 10 days after PCR detection of 95.

Improving Appropriate Diagnosis of Infection Through an Enteric Pathogen Order Set With Computerized Clinical Decision Support: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

Background: Inappropriate testing for leads to overdiagnosis of infection (CDI). We determined the effect of a computerized clinical decision support (CCDS) order set on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test utilization and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This study is an interrupted time series analysis comparing PCR test utilization, hospital-onset CDI (HO-CDI) rates, and clinical outcomes before and after implementation of a CCDS order set at 2 academic medical centers: University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) and Harborview Medical Center (HMC).

How Clean Is the Linen at My Hospital? The Mucorales on Unclean Linen Discovery Study of Large United States Transplant and Cancer Centers.

Mucormycosis outbreaks have been linked to contaminated linen. We performed fungal cultures on freshly-laundered linens at 15 transplant and cancer hospitals. At 33% of hospitals, the linens were visibly unclean.

10-year trends in vancomycin-resistant enterococci among allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.

Objectives: We examined VRE colonization, bacteremia (VREB) incidence and outcomes within 100 days of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).

Methods: HCT recipients screened for VRE were assessed, and colonization and VREB incidence compared over time using linear regression. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to assess the relationship between mortality, pre-HCT colonization, and underlying disease.

Seasonal clustering of sinopulmonary mucormycosis in patients with hematologic malignancies at a large comprehensive cancer center.

Background: Invasive Mucorales infections (IMI) lead to significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. The role of season and climatic conditions in case clustering of IMI remain poorly understood.

Methods: Following detection of a cluster of sinopulmonary IMIs in patients with hematologic malignancies, we reviewed center-based medical records of all patients with IMIs and other invasive fungal infections (IFIs) between January of 2012 and August of 2015 to assess for case clustering in relation to seasonality.

Legionnaires' disease in transplant recipients: A 15-year retrospective study in a tertiary referral center.

Legionnaires' disease (LD) can be fatal among high-risk transplant recipients. To understand the epidemiology of LD, we reviewed 15-year longitudinal data from a center in Seattle, Washington that cares for both solid organ transplant (SOT) and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. We identified all laboratory-confirmed LD and extracted data on species, diagnostic modalities, clinical presentation, management, and outcomes from medical records.

Hospital-acquired listeriosis linked to a persistently contaminated milkshake machine.

One case of hospital-acquired listeriosis was linked to milkshakes produced in a commercial-grade shake freezer machine. This machine was found to be contaminated with a strain of Listeria monocytogenes epidemiologically and molecularly linked to a contaminated pasteurized, dairy-based ice cream product at the same hospital a year earlier, despite repeated cleaning and sanitizing. Healthcare facilities should be aware of the potential for prolonged Listeria contamination of food service equipment.

The emergence of Clostridium difficile infection among peripartum women: a case-control study of a C. difficile outbreak on an obstetrical service.

Objective: An outbreak of 20 peripartum Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) occurred on the obstetrical service at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) between April 2006 and June 2007. In this report, we characterize the clinical manifestations, describe interventions that appeared to reduce CDI, and determine potential risk factors for peripartum CDI.

Methods: An investigation was initiated after the first three peripartum CDI cases.

Treatment of febrile neutropenic patients with cancer who require hospitalization: a prospective randomized study comparing imipenem and cefepime.

Background: The objective of the current study was to compare the efficacy and safety of imipenem and cefepime in the treatment of adult patients with cancer who had fever and neutropenia requiring hospitalization according to Infectious Disease Society of America criteria.

Methods: In the current prospective randomized clinical trial at a university-affiliated tertiary cancer center, adult patients with cancer who had fever (> or = 38.3 degrees C or > or = 38.

Respiratory disease due to parainfluenza virus in adult leukemia patients.

Reports of human parainfluenza viruses (HPIV) in patients with leukemia have been limited to a few cases or as a portion of general surveys. In order to expand the knowledge of these infections in this patient group, the frequency and clinical course of HPIV infections was determined among 1,787 patients with leukemia treated at The University of Texas M.D.

Epidemiology, molecular mycology, and environmental sources of Fusarium infection in patients with cancer.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiology and environmental sources of Fusarium infections in patients with cancer.

Design: Retrospective case-control study conducted following surveillance environmental cultures and DNA analysis of isolated organisms.

Setting: A tertiary-care, university cancer center.

Community respiratory virus infections in bone marrow transplant recipients: the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center experience.

Community respiratory virus (CRV) infections are common among bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients during community outbreaks. At M.D.

Treatment of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections in the immunocompromised host: quinupristin-dalfopristin in combination with minocycline.

Between February 1994 and November 1998, 56 oncology patients infected with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were treated with quinopristin-dalfopristin (Q-D) plus minocycline (MIN). Infections included bacteremia, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and wound infection. The response rate was 68%, and the most frequent adverse event was arthralgia or myalgia (36%).

Respiratory syncytial virus infections in autologous blood and marrow transplant recipients with breast cancer: combination therapy with aerosolized ribavirin and parenteral immunoglobulins.

Scant data are available concerning the impact and response to therapy of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in patients undergoing autologous blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) for breast cancer. During eight winter seasons from 1992-1993 to 1999-2000, nine (4%) of 249 such patients were hospitalized with RSV infections. Six patients, including all five patients who were early post transplant in the pre-engraftment period, developed pneumonia and were treated with a combination of aerosolized ribavirin and IVIG.

Cytomegalovirus pneumonia in adult autologous blood and marrow transplant recipients.

CMV pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among allogeneic BMT recipients. To assess the frequency, timing, risk factors and response to therapy of CMV pneumonia among autologous BMT recipients, we reviewed our experience with 795 patients. Sixteen (2%) patients were diagnosed with CMV pneumonia.

Cryptococcosis in patients with cancer.

Records of 31 patients with cancer who did not have known human immunodeficiency virus infection and who developed culture-proven cryptococcosis during the period of 1989-1999 (incidence of 18 cases per 100,000 admissions) were retrospectively reviewed. Several presentations of cryptococcosis were seen, including pulmonary in 19 patients (13 of which were symptomatic), disseminated in 6, meningeal in 3, and other, less common manifestations in 3. Hematologic malignancy (in 20 patients [65%]) was the most common underlying disease.

Optimal frequency of changing intravenous administration sets: is it safe to prolong use beyond 72 hours?

Objective: To determine the safety and cost-effectiveness of replacing the intravenous (IV) tubing sets in hospitalized patients at 4- to 7-day intervals instead of every 72 hours.

Design: Prospective, randomized study of infusion-related contamination associated with changing IV tubing sets within 3 days versus within 4 to 7 days of placement.

Setting: A tertiary university cancer center.

Treatment of nosocomial postoperative pneumonia in cancer patients: a prospective randomized study.

Background: Nosocomial pneumonia continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality in cancer patients.

Methods: In an attempt to find an optimal treatment for this infection, nonneutropenic cancer patients with postoperative nosocomial pneumonia were randomized to receive either piperacillin/tazobactam (P/T) 4.5 g i.

Adenovirus infections in adult recipients of blood and marrow transplants.

Adenoviruses are increasingly recognized pathogens that affect blood and marrow transplant (BMT) recipients. Experiences with 2889 adult BMT recipients were reviewed to study the incidence, clinical spectrum, risk factors for dissemination, response to therapy, and outcome of adenovirus infections. Eight-five patients (3%) were diagnosed by means of culture (n=85) or culture and histopathological examination (n=6).

Cytomegalovirus pneumonia in adults with leukemia: an emerging problem.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia is reportedly unusual among adults with leukemia who have not undergone transplantation. To assess the frequency of CMV pneumonia and its outcome during the present time, we reviewed the experience of 2136 hospitalized adults with leukemia. Sixty-one patients (2.

Candida krusei fungemia. An escalating serious infection in immunocompromised patients.

Background: Candida krusei is inherently resistant to fluconazole and is emerging as a frequent cause of fungemia in patients with hematologic malignant neoplasms.

Objective: To determine the risk and prognostic factors associated with C krusei fungemia in comparison with Candida albicans fungemia in patients with cancer.

Methods: Retrospective study of 57 cases of C krusei fungemia occurring at the M.