Patty W. Wright

Donor-Related Coccidioidomycosis in Organ Transplant Recipients

Most cases of coccidioidomycosis in organ transplant recipients arise from either primary infection with Coccidioides immitis after environmental exposure or from reactivation of latent infection. Herein, we report 2 cases of rapidly fatal, disseminated coccidioidomycosis that occurred in organ transplant recipients who had never lived in or visited an area where C. immitis is endemic. Both subjects had received a transplanted organ from the same donor, an individual with unrecognized active coccidioidomycosis at the time of his death.

Blastomycosis of the Central Nervous System: A Multicenter Review of Diagnosis and Treatment in the Modern Era

BACKGROUND Central nervous system (CNS) involvement with Blastomyces dermatitidis is an uncommon and potentially fatal complication of blastomycosis. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 22 patients with CNS blastomycosis at our institutions from 1990 through 2008 (13 proven, 5 probable, and 4 possible cases). RESULTS Magnetic resonance imaging was used in most patients, alone or in addition to computed tomography. CNS blastomycosis manifested as epidural abscess (1 of 22), meningitis (7 of 22), intracranial mass lesions (10 of 22), and concomitant intracranial mass lesions and meningitis (4 of 22). All patients received amphotericin B deoxycholate or a lipid formulation of amphotericin B as part of their treatment regimens. Most patients received amphotericin B followed by a prolonged course of oral azole therapy (voriconazole, fluconazole, or itraconazole). Four (18%) of 22 patients died during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of these data, we recommend initial treatment with a lipid formulation of amphotericin B followed by a prolonged course of oral azole therapy, preferably voriconazole.

Herpes Simplex Encephalitis during Treatment with Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitors

We report 3 cases of herpes simplex virus encephalitis in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors for rheumatologic disorders. Although TNF-alpha inhibitors have been reported to increase the risk of other infectious diseases, to our knowledge, an association between anti-TNF-alpha drugs and herpes simplex virus encephalitis has not been previously described.

A Prospective Study of Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)–Seropositive Women: Correlations with CD4 Cell Count and Plasma HIV-1 RNA Level

A cohort of 217 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-seropositive women was observed prospectively from 1996 through 2000 to determine the frequency of genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) disease (symptomatic and asymptomatic) and to correlate those findings with HIV-1-related immunosuppression (absolute CD4 cell counts and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels). Participants underwent twice-yearly pelvic examinations, including cultures of cervicovaginal specimens and swab specimens from genital lesions, if lesions were present. Of the participants, 72 (33%) had genital HSV-2 infection diagnosed on the basis of either history alone (23 [32%]) or positive culture results (49 [68%]). The 72 women who had genital herpes diagnosed completed 242 total visits. Of these visits, positive HSV-2 culture results were noted at 80 (33%); at 23 (29%) of the 80 visits at which there were HSV-2-positive cultures, culture results were not associated with a clinically apparent genital lesion. Positive HSV-2 culture results occurred more frequently for samples obtained from patients with higher plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (P=.019) and lower CD4 cell counts (P<.001).

Acute Kidney Injury After Placement of an Antibiotic-Impregnated Cement Spacer During Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty

We performed a retrospective cohort study of 84 patients to determine the incidence and predictors of acute kidney injury after antibiotic-impregnated cement spacer (ACS) placement for infected total knee arthroplasties. Acute kidney injury was defined as a more than 50% rise in serum creatinine from a preoperative baseline to a level greater than 1.4 mg/dL within 90 days postoperatively. Total incidence was 17% (n = 14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10%-26%), and acute kidney injury was significantly associated with ACS tobramycin dose as both a dichotomous variable (>4.8 g; odds ratio, 5.87; 95% CI, 1.43-24.19; P = .01) and linear variable (odds ratio, 1.24 for every 1-g increase; 95% CI, 1.00-1.52; P = .049). Routine monitoring of serum creatinine and measurement of serum aminoglycoside levels in response to a threshold creatinine rise may be warranted after the placement of an aminoglycoside-containing ACS.

Clinical Impact of Blood Cultures Contaminated with Coagulase- Negative Staphylococci at an Academic Medical Center

Of all blood cultures positive for coagulase-negative staphylococci collected in 1 year at an academic hospital, 100 were selected randomly for review and designated true positives or contaminated. For the 85 patients whose cultures were determined to be contaminated, chart abstractions revealed substantial unnecessary antibiotic administration, additional laboratory tests and procedures, and hospital readmissions.

Blood Culture Collection through Peripheral Intravenous Catheters Increases the Risk of Specimen Contamination among Adult Emergency Department Patients

Five hundred five blood cultures collected through a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIV) in an emergency department were matched to cultures obtained by dedicated venipuncture from the same patient within 10 minutes. The relative risk of contamination for cultures collected through PIVs compared with dedicated venipuncture was 1.83 (95% confidence interval, 1.08-3.11).

Histoplasma capsulatum endocarditis: multicenter case series with review of current diagnostic techniques and treatment.

AbstractInfective endocarditis is an uncommon manifestation of infection with Histoplasma capsulatum. The diagnosis is frequently missed, and outcomes historically have been poor. We present 14 cases of Histoplasma endocarditis seen in the last decade at medical centers throughout the United States. All patients were men, and 10 of the 14 had an infected prosthetic aortic valve. One patient had an infected left atrial myxoma. Symptoms were present a median of 7 weeks before the diagnosis was established. Blood cultures yielded H. capsulatum in only 6 (43%) patients. Histoplasma antigen was present in urine and/or serum in all but 3 of the patients and provided the first clue to the diagnosis of histoplasmosis for several patients. Antibody testing was positive for H. capsulatum in 6 of 8 patients in whom the test was performed.Eleven patients underwent surgery for valve replacement or myxoma removal. Large, friable vegetations were noted at surgery in most patients, confirming the preoperative transesophageal echocardiography findings. Histopathologic examination of valve tissue and the myxoma revealed granulomatous inflammation and large numbers of organisms in most specimens. Four of the excised valves and the atrial myxoma showed a mixture of both yeast and hyphal forms on histopathology.A lipid formulation of amphotericin B, administered for a median of 29 days, was the initial therapy in 11 of the 14 patients. This was followed by oral itraconazole therapy, in all but 2 patients. The length of itraconazole suppressive therapy ranged from 11 months to lifelong administration. Three patients (21%) died within 3 months of the date of diagnosis. All 3 deaths were in patients who had received either no or minimal (1 day and 1 week) amphotericin B.

Does Intrawound Vancomycin Application During Spine Surgery Create Vancomycin-Resistant Organism?

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection (SSI) following spine surgery is a morbid and expensive complication. The use of intrawound vancomycin is emerging as a solution to reduce SSI. The development of vancomycin‐resistant pathogens is an understandable concern. OBJECTIVE: To determine the occurrence of vancomycin‐resistant SSI in patients with and without use of intrawound vancomycin. METHODS: Patients undergoing elective spine surgery were dichotomized based on whether intrawound vancomycin was applied. Outcome was occurrence of SSI requiring return to the operating room within postoperative 90 days. The intrawound culture and vancomycin minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were reviewed. Analyses were conducted to compare the pathogen profile and MIC for vancomycin in patients who received vancomycin and those who did not. RESULTS: Of the total 2802 patients, 43% (n = 1215) had intrawound vancomycin application during the index surgery. The use of vancomycin was associated with significantly lower deep SSI rates (1.6% [n = 20] vs 2.5% [n = 40], P = .02). The occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus SSI was significantly lower in the patients who had application of intrawound vancomycin (32% vs 65%, P = .003). None of the patients who had application of intrawound vancomycin powder, and subsequently developed an S aureus SSI, demonstrated pathogens with resistance to vancomycin. All patients had MIC < 2 &mgr;g/mL, the vancomycin susceptibility threshold. The occurrence of gram‐negative SSI (28% vs 7%) and culture negative fluid collection (16% vs 5%) was higher in the vancomycin cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The use of intrawound vancomycin during the index spine surgery was protective against SSI following spine surgery. The application of intrawound vancomycin during index surgery does not appear to create vancomycin‐resistant organisms in the event of an SSI.

Iatrogenic Cushing Syndrome Secondary to a Probable Interaction Between Voriconazole and Budesonide

Oral budesonide is commonly used for the management of Crohns disease given its high affinity for glucocorticoid receptors and low systemic activity due to extensive first‐pass metabolism through hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. Voriconazole, a second‐generation triazole antifungal agent, is both a substrate and potent inhibitor of CYP isoenzymes, specifically CYP2C19, CYP2C9, and CYP3A4; thus, the potential for drug‐drug interactions with voriconazole is high. To our knowledge, drug‐drug interactions between voriconazole and corticosteroids have not been specifically reported in the literature. We describe a 48‐year‐old woman who was receiving oral budesonide 9 mg/day for the management of Crohns disease and was diagnosed with fluconazole‐resistant Candida albicans esophagitis; oral voriconazole 200 mg every 12 hours for 3 weeks was prescribed for treatment. Because the patient experienced recurrent symptoms of dysphagia, a second 3‐week course of voriconazole therapy was taken. Seven weeks after originally being prescribed voriconazole, she came to her primary care clinic with elevated blood pressure, lower extremity edema, and weight gain; she was prescribed a diuretic and evaluated for renal dysfunction. At a follow‐up visit 6 weeks later with her specialty clinic, the patients blood pressure was elevated, and her physical examination was notable for moon facies, posterior cervical fat pad prominence, and lower extremity pitting edema. Iatrogenic Cushing syndrome due to a drug‐drug interaction between voriconazole and budesonide was suspected, and voriconazole was discontinued. Budesonide was continued as previously prescribed for her Crohns disease. On reevaluation 2 months later, the patients Cushingoid features had markedly regressed. To our knowledge, this is the first published case report of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome due to a probable interaction between voriconazole and oral budesonide. In patients presenting with Cushingoid features who have received these drugs concomitantly, clinicians should consider the potential drug interaction between these agents, and the risks and benefits of continued therapy must be considered.