In KTx recipients, the occurrence of KPC-Kp-HAI was related to invasive devices and type of transplant; these infections had a high rate of recurrence and reduced survival after KTx.

The incidence of EVD-related infections is high in our hospital, Gram-negative micro-organisms were the most frequent causal agents identified and length of time that the catheter was in place contributed to the infection rate.

Measures for minimizing that risk, including altering the antibiotic prophylaxis, should be investigated and implemented.

This study aimed to describe severe infections with extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (XDR-ABC), as well as to investigate risk factors for mortality, in cancer patients. It was a retrospective study including all patients diagnosed with XDR-ABC bacteraemia during hospitalization in the intensive care unit of a cancer hospital between July 2009 and July 2013. Surveillance cultures were collected weekly during the study period, and clonality was analysed using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). We analysed underlying diseases, oncology therapy, neutrophil counts, infection site and management of infection, in terms of their correlation with 30-day mortality. During the study period, 92 patients with XDR-ABC bacteraemia were identified, of whom 35 (38.0%) were patients with haematological malignancy. We identified XDR-ABC strains with four different profile patterns, 91.3% of patients harbouring the predominant PFGE type. Of the 92 patients with XDR-ABC bacteraemia, 66 (71.7%) had central line-associated bloodstream infections; infection occurred during neutropenia in 22 (23.9%); and 58 (63.0%) died before receiving the appropriate therapy. All patients were treated with polymyxin, which was used in combination therapy in 30 of them (32.4%). The 30-day mortality rate was 83.7%. Multivariate analysis revealed that septic shock at diagnosis of XDR-ABC infection was a risk factor for 30-day mortality; protective factors were receiving appropriate therapy and invasive device removal within the first 48 h. Among cancer patients, ineffective management of such infection increases the risk of death, more so than do features such as neutropenia and infection at the tumour site.

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) is an emergent pathogen in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The aim of this study was to describe HAIs due to KPC-Kp, as well as identify mortality risk factors in cancer patients. In patients diagnosed with HAIs due to KPC-Kp between January 2009 and July 2013, we evaluated only the first infection episode of each patient, analyzing mortality separately for patients treated for ≥48 h with at least one antimicrobial agent proven to display in vitro activity against KPC-Kp. We evaluated variables related to the malignancy, the severity and characteristics of the HAI, and the antimicrobial therapy. We identified 83 HAIs due to KPC-Kp. The 30-day mortality was 57.8 % for all infections and 72.7 % for bacteremic infections. Of the 83 patients, 60 patients received ≥48 h of appropriate treatment and 44 (53 %) developed bacteremia. Ten patients (12 %) were neutropenic at HAI diagnosis and 33 (39.8 %) had infection at the tumor site. The most common HAI was urinary tract infection, seen in 26 patients (31.3 %), followed by primary bloodstream infection, seen in 24 patients (28.9 %). Forty-four patients (73.3 %) received combination antimicrobial therapy, most often including polymyxin (68.3 %). Risk factors for 30-day mortality are high sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, need for intensive care stay at diagnosis of infection, and acute kidney injury; the removal of invasive devices related to infection and treatment with effective antibiotics for KPC-Kp are protective factors. In cancer patients, high mortality is associated with HAI due to KPC-Kp and mortality risk factors are more often related to acute infection than to the underlying disease.

Development of immunity to hepatitis B virus in cirrhotic patients waiting for liver transplantation is highly desirable. Though a double-dose regimen is available, little is know about its effectiveness. We examined the efficacy of double-dose hepatitis B virus vaccination in cirrhotic patients waiting for liver transplantation. We studied 43 patients who were waiting for liver transplantation. They were vaccinated with three doses of 40 µ µ µ µ µg hepatitis B vaccine at 0, 1 and 6 months; the normal dose is 20 µ µ µ µ µg. Efficacy was measured based on seroconversion of anti-HBs. Global response to the primary vaccination scheme was 67.5% (29 patients). Forty-one per cent of responders had anti-HBs titers above 1,000 IU/mL. No factors were associated with response, based on multivariate analysis. The vaccination scheme of 40 µ µ µ µ µg at 0, 1 and 6 months was superior to conventional vaccination doses (20 µ µ µ µ µg) for cirrhotic patients on a waiting list for liver transplantation.

Our study suggests a definite role for several classes of antimicrobials as risk factors for recovery of IRPA but not for recovery of CRPA. Limiting the use of only imipenem and ceftazidime may not be a wise strategy to contain the spread of resistant P. aeruginosa strains.

Treatment of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae infections (KPC-EI) remains a challenge. Combined therapy has been proposed as the best choice, but there are no clear data showing which combination therapy is superior. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial regimens for treating KPC-EI. This was a retrospective cohort study of KPC-EI nosocomial infections (based on CDC criteria) between October 2009 and June 2013 at three tertiary Brazilian hospitals. The primary outcomes were the 30-day mortality for all infections and the 30-day mortality for patients with bacteraemia. Risk factors for mortality were evaluated by comparing clinical variables of survivors and nonsurvivors. In this study, 118 patients were included, of whom 78 had bacteraemia. Catheter-related bloodstream infections were the most frequent (43%), followed by urinary tract infections (n = 27, 23%). Monotherapy was used in 57 patients and combined treatment in 61 patients. The most common therapeutic combination was polymyxin plus carbapenem 20 (33%). Multivariate analysis for all infections (n = 118) and for bacteremic infections (n = 78) revealed that renal failure at the end of treatment, use of polymyxin and older age were prognostic factors for mortality. In conclusion, polymyxins showed suboptimal efficacy and combination therapy was not superior to monotherapy.