Review
Infectious Diseases
Vasiliki Soulountsi, Theodoros Schizodimos, Serafeim Chrysovalantis Kotoulas
Summary: In recent decades, invasive candidiasis (IC) has become a significant cause of morbidity, mortality, and economic burden in the intensive care unit (ICU). The epidemiology of IC remains a difficult and unsolved puzzle for the literature. IC burden estimation is challenging due to various definitions and limitations in case-finding methodologies. Candidemia and intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC) are the predominant types of IC in the ICU, with an increasing incidence of candidemia, particularly in elderly or immunosuppressed patients, and a shift towards non-albicans species worldwide.
Article
Microbiology
Malene Risum, Karen Astvad, Helle Krogh Johansen, Henrik Carl Schonheyder, Flemming Rosenvinge, Jenny Dahl Knudsen, Rasmus Kroger Hare, Raluca Datcu, Bent Lowe Roder, Valeria Stanislavovna Antsupova, Lise Kristensen, Jan Berg Gertsen, Jens Kjolseth Moller, Esad Dzajic, Turid Snekloth Sondergaard, Maiken Cavling Arendrup
Summary: The study on fungal blood isolates from 2016-2018 revealed that Candida albicans and Candida glabrata were the most common species, with an increasing proportion of C. glabrata over time. Fluconazole susceptibility gradually decreased, and acquired echinocandin resistance became more common over the study periods.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Joveria Farooqi, Hammad Niamatullah, Seema Irfan, Afia Zafar, Faisal Malik, Kauser Jabeen
Summary: This study compared serum BDG levels in patients with different Candida species, finding that BDG levels were lower in C. auris and the sensitivity of serum BDG was also lower for C. auris compared to other species. Therefore, more sensitive testing methods are needed to improve the detection accuracy of C. auris infection.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jian Miao, Jessica Regan, Chun Cai, Glen E. Palmer, David L. Williams, Michael D. Kruppa, Brian M. Peters
Summary: This study characterizes the glycogen metabolism pathways in Candida albicans and shows that glycogen metabolism is important for the long-term survival and virulence of the fungus.
Article
Dermatology
Nana Nakada-Motokawa, Taiga Miyazaki, Takashi Ueda, Yuka Yamagishi, Koichi Yamada, Hideki Kawamura, Hiroshi Kakeya, Hiroshi Mukae, Hiroshige Mikamo, Yoshio Takesue, Shigeru Kohno
Summary: A study involving 422 candidaemia patients found that high PBS score, dialysis, and retention of central venous catheter were independent risk factors for all-cause 30-day mortality. A modified version of the PBS, mPBS, was developed by replacing fever with dialysis, showing improved predictive ability for mortality.
Article
Dermatology
Caitlin Livia Keighley, Alun Pope, Deborah J. E. Marriott, Belinda Chapman, Narin Bak, Kathryn Daveson, Krispin Hajkowicz, Catriona Halliday, Karina Kennedy, Sarah Kidd, Tania C. Sorrell, Neil Underwood, Sebastiaan van Hal, Monica A. Slavin, Sharon C-A Chen
Summary: The study identified risk factors for candidaemia, including neutropenia, solid organ transplant, significant liver, respiratory or cardiovascular disease, recent gastrointestinal, biliary or urological surgery, central venous access device, intravenous drug use, urinary catheter and carbapenem receipt. Preventive strategies should target iatrogenic disruption of mucocutaneous barriers and intravenous drug use.
Article
Immunology
Matteo Bassetti, Elie Azoulay, Bart-Jan Kullberg, Markus Ruhnke, Shmuel Shoham, Jose Vazquez, Daniele Roberto Giacobbe, Thierry Calandra
Summary: The EORTC/MSGERC recently revised the definitions of invasive fungal disease, focusing on cancer and transplant patients but not ICU patients. The challenges in diagnosing IFD in the ICU setting vary for different types of fungal infections.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Caitlin Keighley, Louise Cooley, Arthur J. Morris, David Ritchie, Julia E. Clark, Peter Boan, Leon J. Worth
Summary: Patients with haematological malignancies, haemopoietic stem cell transplant recipients and patients requiring admission to intensive care settings are at high risk for invasive candidiasis (IC). Recent guidelines recommend using echinocandin as first-line therapy for high-risk patients with IC and emphasize the importance of non-pharmacological management.
INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Teera Leepattarakit, Orawan Tulyaprawat, Chyanis Vongseenin, Pongprueth Rujirachun, Phuuwadith Wattanachayakul, Prawut Phichinitikorn, Pakpoom Phoompoung, Popchai Ngamskulrungroj
Summary: This study investigated the associations between case fatality and patient characteristics, infectious disease unit consultation, and the EQUAL Candida score in cases of Candida tropicalis bloodstream infection. The results showed that septic shock, mechanical ventilation use, and the EQUAL Candida score were independent factors for predicting the 30-day case fatality rate.
Article
Pediatrics
Juan C. Lona-Reyes, Larissa M. Gomez-Ruiz, Araceli Cordero-Zamora, Sandra I. Cortes-Gonzalez, Moises Quiles-Corona, Rene O. Perez-Ramirez, Herlinda Pinto-Macedo
Summary: The study in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Mexico found an incidence rate of 2.27 events/1000 live newborns for invasive Candida spp. infections. Factors such as mechanical ventilation, systemic antibiotics, and the use of central catheters and parenteral nutrition were associated with a higher risk of infection. However, prophylactic fluconazole was found to decrease the risk of infection.
ANALES DE PEDIATRIA
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Chinonyelum A. Okoye, Emeka Nweze, Chibuike Ibe
Summary: The author discusses the management and challenges of invasive candidiasis in Africa. A systematic search of literature revealed 18,293 documented cases of invasive candidiasis in Africa between 1976 and 2021, with 91% of cases being candidemia. South Africa accounted for the highest number of reported cases, potentially due to underreporting in other countries. Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species, followed by Candida parapsilosis and Candida auris. Blood culture was the most commonly used diagnostic method, while serological tests were used in only a few studies. Echinocandins were recommended as first-line therapy but limited in availability and high in cost, leading to increased resistance to fluconazole.
PATHOGENS AND DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Precious Macauley, Oleg Epelbaum
Summary: The study examined the incidence and species distribution of candidaemia cases in non-oncological patients admitted to medical ICUs, revealing a higher incidence and admission rate of candidaemia in COVID-19 patients compared to non-COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, COVID-19 patients showed lower ICU admission SOFA score but longer ICU length of stay and central venous catheter dwell time at candidaemia detection compared to non-COVID-19 patients.
Article
Microbiology
Jessica S. Price, Melissa Fallon, Raquel Posso, Matthijs Backx, P. Lewis White
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of the commercially available OLM CandID real-time PCR in serum testing for invasive candidiasis (IC). The study found that CandID had excellent sensitivity and specificity, and when combined with (1-3)-beta-D-Glucan testing, it could accurately confirm or exclude IC.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Hameid Alenazy, Amenah Alghamdi, Ruxandra Pinto, Nick Daneman
Summary: Candida colonization is strongly associated with the likelihood of developing invasive candidiasis in critically ill patients with sepsis. The presence of Candida colonization has a high negative predictive value, but a low positive predictive value.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Ben Y. Parslow, Christopher R. Thornton
Summary: Invasive candidiasis is a serious infection in immunocompromised individuals, but it is often neglected by public health authorities. Increasing incidence rates, driven by at-risk populations, and the lack of fast, accurate diagnostics have led to unnecessary use of antifungal drugs, contributing to emerging drug resistance. Preserving and expanding the utility of antifungals should be a top priority, potentially through the use of biomarker tests and development of novel antifungals targeting Candida pathogenesis mechanisms.
Article
Dermatology
Marta Zubkowicz, Juergen Held, Michael Baier, Mathias W. Pletz, Miriam Kesselmeier, Stefan Hagel, Christina Bahrs
Summary: The retrospective cohort study evaluated the diagnostic performance of the fungal biomarker BDG using the beta-Glucan test and the Fungitell assay in real-life clinical practice. A positive test result of both BDG assays at manufacturer's cut-offs predicted a high percentage of proven or probable IFD. Adjusting the GT cut-off value improved the detection rate of IFDs.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Norman Rose, Josephine Storch, Anna Mikolajetz, Thomas Lehmann, Konrad Reinhart, Mathias W. Pletz, Christina Forstner, Horst Christian Vollmar, Antje Freytag, Carolin Fleischmann-Struzek
Summary: In the elderly, influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations can respectively reduce the risk of laboratory-confirmed influenza, pneumonia, and sepsis. However, vaccine effectiveness varies by year and season, and there are still some phenomena that are difficult to explain.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sebastian Weis, Andre Scherag, Michael Baier, Michael Kiehntopf, Thomas Kamradt, Steffi Kolanos, Juliane Ankert, Stefan Gloeckner, Oliwia Makarewicz, Stefan Hagel, Christina Bahrs, Aurelia Kimmig, Hans Proquitte, Joel Guerra, Dagmar Rimek, Bettina Loeffler, Mathias W. Pletz
Summary: The CoNAN study aimed to assess SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence using six different IgG-detecting immunoassays, and investigate potential risk factors for symptomatic versus asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 courses. The study found that antibody-positive participants with symptoms had significantly higher antibody levels than asymptomatic participants, but no persisting viral replication was detected.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Christina Bahrs, Aurelia Kimmig, Sebastian Weis, Juliane Ankert, Stefan Hagel, Jens Maschmann, Andreas Stallmach, Andrea Steiner, Michael Bauer, Wilhelm Behringer, Michael Baier, Miriam Kesselmeier, Cora Richert, Florian Zepf, Martin Walter, Andre Scherag, Michael Kiehntopf, Bettina Loffler, Mathias W. Pletz
Summary: A prospective cohort study among hospital staff in Jena University Hospital found a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection for healthcare workers, possibly due to high compliance in wearing personal protective equipment.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Aurelia Kimmig, Stefan Hagel, Sebastian Weis, Christina Bahrs, Bettina Loeffler, Mathias W. Pletz
Summary: Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality, but the significance of a positive blood culture with this pathogen is often underestimated. Current research reviews the key elements and open questions for the management of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Economics
Josephine Storch, Carolin Fleischmann-Struzek, Norman Rose, Thomas Lehmann, Anna Mikolajetz, Srikanth Maddela, Mathias W. Pletz, Christina Forstner, Ole Wichmann, Julia Neufeind, Monique Vogel, Konrad Reinhart, Horst Christian Vollmar, Antje Freytag
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations on health care utilization and costs in the elderly using real-world data. Results showed that influenza vaccination was cost-saving in 2016, while pneumococcal vaccination led to lower outpatient care costs in the elderly in both 2015 and 2016.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Katharina Bach, Birgit Edel, Steffen Hoering, Lucie Bartonickova, Stefan Gloeckner, Bettina Loeffler, Christina Bahrs, Juergen Roedel
Summary: The LAMP-based eazyplex(R) BloodScreen GN is a reliable molecular assay for rapid detection of frequent Gram-negatives directly from positive blood culture (BC) bottles. The assay demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity for various bacterial strains, with a quick turnaround time of 8 to 16 minutes plus sample preparation time of about 6 minutes.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Letter
Respiratory System
Christina Bahrs, Miriam Kesselmeier, Martin Kolditz, Santiago Ewig, Gernot Rohde, Grit Barten-Neiner, Jan Rupp, Martin Witzenrath, Tobias Welte, Mathias W. Pletz
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Stefan Hagel, Christina Bahrs, Richard Schumann, Mathias Pletz, Sebastian Weis
Summary: The study aimed to determine the degree of agreement among infectious diseases physician experts in the management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB). The experts strongly agreed on the use of combination therapy in certain situations, but there was no consensus on the preferred antibiotic for oral stepdown therapy. This study reveals areas for further investigation.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Christina Bahrs, Nicole Harrison
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sebastian Weis, Stefan Hagel, Julia Palm, Andre Scherag, Steffi Kolanos, Christina Bahrs, Bettina Loeffler, Roland P. H. Schmitz, Florian Rissner, Frank M. Brunkhorst, Mathias W. Pletz
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether unsolicited telephone infectious disease consultation (IDC) improved 30-day all-cause mortality in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) at nonacademic hospitals. The results showed that this intervention did not significantly improve the survival rate of SAB patients.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Christina Bahrs, Siegbert Rieg, Annette Hennigs, Florian Hitzenbichler, Thomas T. Brehm, Norman Rose, Rebecca J. Jacobi, Valerie Heine, Daniel Hornuss, Gunnar Huppertz, Stefan Hagel, Frank Hanses
Summary: This study aimed to compare short-course (<= 9 days) and long-course (>= 10 days) antibiotic treatments for vancomycin-resistant enterococcal (VRE) bacteraemia in hospitalized adult patients. The results showed no significant difference in patient outcomes between short-course and long-course treatments.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Christina Bahrs, Sebastian Weis, Miriam Kesselmeier, Juliane Ankert, Stefan Hagel, Stephanie Beier, Jens Maschmann, Andreas Stallmach, Andrea Steiner, Michael Bauer, Wilhelm Behringer, Michael Baier, Cora Richert, Florian Zepf, Martin Walter, Andre Scherag, Michael Kiehntopf, Bettina Loeffler, Mathias W. Pletz
Summary: This study aims to assess the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and infection status in staff members of Jena University Hospital in Germany. The results show that non-patient-related exposure to SARS-CoV-2 posed the highest infection risk for hospital staff members, with contact with household members and colleagues significantly increasing the risk of infection.
Review
Respiratory System
Mathias W. Pletz, Andreas Vestergaard Jensen, Christina Bahrs, Claudia Davenport, Jan Rupp, Martin Witzenrath, Grit Barten-Neiner, Martin Kolditz, Sabine Dettmer, James D. Chalmers, Daiana Stolz, Norbert Suttorp, Stefano Aliberti, Wolfgang M. Kuebler, Gernot Rohde
Summary: Despite advances in CAP research, there are still many unmet needs. CAPNETZ identified eleven topics for future CAP research, including detection of causative pathogens, next generation sequencing for antimicrobial treatment guidance, imaging diagnostics, biomarkers, risk stratification, antiviral and antibiotic treatment, adjunctive therapy, vaccines and prevention, systemic and local immune response, comorbidities, and long-term cardio-vascular complications.
RESPIRATORY RESEARCH
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Immunology
Katharina Grabmeier Pfistershammer, Nicole Harrison, Alexandra Graf, Doris Trapin, Peter Tauber, Judith H. Aberle, Karin Stiasny, Ralf Schmidt, Hildegard Greinix, Michael Ramharter, Heinz Burgmann, Winfried F. Pickl, Christina Bahrs
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)