Over 8% of admitted patients are carriers of toxinogenic C. difficile with an almost 6 times higher risk of infection. These findings update current knowledge regarding the contribution of colonization in CDI epidemiology and stress the importance of preventive measures toward colonized patients.

Bloodstream infections are associated with considerable morbidity and health care costs. Molecular rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) are a promising complement to conventional laboratory methods for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections and may reduce the time to effective therapy among patients with bloodstream infections. The concurrent implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) may reinforce these benefits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectivenesses of competing strategies for the diagnosis of bloodstream infection alone or combined with an ASP. To this effect, we constructed a decision-analytic model comparing 12 strategies for the diagnosis of bloodstream infection. The main arms compared the use of mRDT and conventional laboratory methods with or without an ASP. The baseline strategy used as the standard was the use of conventional laboratory methods without an ASP, and our decision-analytic model assessed the cost-effectivenesses of 5 principal strategies: mRDT (with and without an ASP), mRDT with an ASP, mRDT without an ASP, conventional laboratory methods with an ASP, and conventional laboratory methods without an ASP. Furthermore, based on the availability of data in the literature, we assessed the cost-effectivenesses of 7 mRDT subcategories, as follows: PCR with an ASP, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis with an ASP, peptide nucleic acid fluorescent hybridization (PNA-FISH) with an ASP, a blood culture nanotechnology microarray system for Gram-negative bacteria (BC-GP) with an ASP, a blood culture nanotechnology microarray system for Gram-positive bacteria (BC-GN) with an ASP, PCR without an ASP, and PNA-FISH without an ASP. Our patient population consisted of adult inpatients in U.S. hospitals with suspected bloodstream infection. The time horizon of the model was the projected life expectancy of the patients. In a base-case analysis, cost-effectiveness was determined by calculating the numbers of bloodstream infection deaths averted, the numbers of quality-adjusted life years gained, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). In a probabilistic analysis, uncertainty was addressed by plotting cost-effectiveness planes and acceptability curves for various willingness-to-pay thresholds. In the base-case analysis, MALDI-TOF analysis with an ASP was the most cost-effective strategy, resulting in savings of $29,205 per quality-adjusted life year and preventing 1 death per 14 patients with suspected bloodstream infection tested compared to conventional laboratory methods without an ASP (ICER, -$29,205/quality-adjusted life year). BC-GN with an ASP (ICER, -$23,587/quality-adjusted life year), PCR with an ASP (ICER, -$19,833/quality-adjusted life year), and PCR without an ASP (ICER, -$21,039/quality-adjusted life year) were other cost-effective options. In the probabilistic analysis, mRDT was dominant and cost-effective in 85.1% of simulations. Importantly, mRDT with an ASP had an 80.0% chance of being cost-effective, wh...

The burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization among the increasing number of solid organ transplant patients has not been systematically explored. We searched PubMed and EMBASE for pertinent articles, performed a metaanalysis of prevalence across eligible studies and estimated the risk of ensuing MRSA or VRE infections relative to colonization status. We stratified effects in the pretransplant and posttransplant period. Twentythree studies were considered eligible. Seventeen out of 23 (74%) referred to liver transplants. Before transplantation, the pooled prevalence estimate for MRSA and VRE was 8.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.2-15.8) and 11.9% (95% CI 6.8-18.2), respectively. MRSA estimate was influenced by small studies and was lower (4.0%; 95% CI 0.4-10.2) across large studies (>200 patients). After transplantation, the prevalence estimates were 9.4% (95% CI 3.0-18.5) for MRSA and 16.2% (95% CI 10.7-22.6) for VRE. Pretransplant as well as posttransplant MRSA colonization significantly increased the risk for MRSA infections (pooled risk ratio [RR] 5.51; 95% CI 2. respectively). Pretransplant and posttransplant VRE colonization were also associated with significant risk of VRE infection (RR 6.65; respectively). Solid organ transplantation is a high-risk setting for MRSA and VRE colonization, and carrier state is associated with infection. Upgraded focus in prevention and eradication strategies is warranted.

BackgroundThe impact of Clostridium difficile colonization in C. difficile infection (CDI) is inadequately explored. As a result, asymptomatic carriage is not considered in the development of infection control policies and the burden of carrier state in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) is unknown.PurposeTo explore the epidemiology of C. difficile colonization in LTCFs, identify predisposing factors and describe its impact on healthcare management.Data SourcesPubMed, Embase and Web of Science (up to June 2014) without language restriction, complemented by reference lists of eligible studies.Study SelectionAll studies providing extractable data on the prevalence of toxigenic C. difficile colonization among asymptomatic residents in LTCFs.Data ExtractionTwo authors extracted data independently.Statistical MethodsThe pooled colonization estimates were calculated using the double arcsine methodology and reported along with their 95% random-effects confidence intervals (CIs), using DerSimonian-Laird weights. We assessed the impact of patient-level covariates on the risk of colonization and effects were reported as odds ratios (OR, 95% CI). We used the colonization estimates to simulate the effective reproduction number R through a Monte Carlo technique.ResultsBased on data from 9 eligible studies that met the specified criteria and included 1,371 subjects, we found that 14.8% (95%CI 7.6%-24.0%) of LTCF residents are asymptomatic carriers of toxigenic C. difficile. Colonization estimates were significantly higher in facilities with prior CDI outbreak (30.1% vs. 6.5%, p = 0.01). Patient history of CDI (OR 6.07; 95% CI 2.06–17.88; effect derived from 3 studies), prior hospitalization (OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.08–4.13; derived from 3 studies) and antimicrobial use within previous 3 months (OR 3.68; 95% CI 2.04–6.62; derived from 4 studies) were associated with colonization. The predicted colonization rate at admission was 8.9%.ConclusionAsymptomatic carriage of toxigenic C. difficile represents a significant burden in LTCFs and is associated with prior CDI outbreaks in the facility, a history of CDI, prior hospitalization and antimicrobial use. These findings can impact infection control measures at LTCFs.

The duration of antibiotic therapy for bacteremia due to Enterobacteriaceae is not well defined. We sought to evaluate the clinical outcomes with shorterversus longer-course treatment. We performed a systematic search of the PubMed and EMBASE databases through May 2018. Studies presenting comparative outcomes between patients receiving antibiotic treatment for Յ10 days ("short-course") and those treated for Ͼ10 days ("long-course") were considered eligible. Four retrospective cohort studies and one randomized controlled trial comprising 2,865 patients met the inclusion criteria. The short-and long-course antibiotic treatments did not differ in 30-day all-cause mortality (1,374 patients; risk ratio [RR] ϭ 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69 to 1.43), 90-day all-cause mortality (1,750 patients; RR ϭ 1.16; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.66), clinical cure (1,080 patients; RR ϭ 1.02; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.08), or relapse at 90 days (1,750 patients; RR ϭ 1.08; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.67). In patients with bacteremia due to Enterobacteriaceae, the short-and long-course antibiotic treatments did not differ significantly in terms of clinical outcomes. Further welldesigned studies are needed before treatment for 10 days or less is adopted in clinical practice.

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In three distinct and clinically important settings (hemodialysis, cancer treatment patients and home parenteral nutrition), antimicrobial lock solutions are an effective strategy for the prevention of CLABSI and their use can result in significant health-care savings.

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