High frequency of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae carriers at a Japanese long-term care hospital

IntroductionLong-term care hospitals (LTCHs) are at a high risk for the inflow and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pathogens. However, owing to limited laboratory resources, little is known about the extent to which AMR organisms are endemic.MethodsWe performed active surveillance for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) in newly admitted patients at Marugame Medical Center, a nearly 200-bedded LTCH located in Kagawa, Japan. From August to December 2021, we tested stool samples from patients wearing diapers and confirmed the genetic variants using specific PCR assays. We also collected clinical variables and compared them between AMR carriers and non-carriers.ResultsStool samples were collected from 75 patients, with a median age of 84 years. CRE strain was not detected, but 37 strains of ESBL-E were isolated from 32 patients (42.7%). During the study period, 4.9% of in-hospital patients (37 per 756 patients) were identified to be ESBL-E carriers in the routine microbiological processing, suggesting that active surveillance detected approximately 9-fold more ESBL-E carriers. The bla_CTX-M-9 group was the most common (38.5%), followed by the bla_TEM (26.9%). The clinical backgrounds of the ESBL-E non-carriers and carriers were not significantly different.ConclusionOur active screening demonstrated that nearly half of the patients hospitalized or transferred to a Japanese LTCH were colonized with ESBL-E. We highlight the enforcement of universal basic infection prevention techniques at LTCHs where patients carrying AMR pathogens gather.     

Durable remissions with venetoclax monotherapy in secondary AML refractory to hypomethylating agents and high expression of BCL‐2 and/or BIM

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease of the elderly population and survival remains poor after failure of hypomethylating agents (HMA). The BCL‐2 inhibitor venetoclax demonstrated activity as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy or HMA in AML. In this case series, patients with secondary AML (sAML) not eligible for intensive chemotherapy and refractory to HMA were treated with venetoclax within a named patient program at our tertiary cancer center in Salzburg, Austria. Between April 2017 and September 2018, seven patients with sAML received venetoclax therapy. Two out of seven patients achieved a complete remission upon venetoclax initiation with a PFS of 505 days and 352 days and another patient achieved complete peripheral blood blast clearing within nine days after start of venetoclax. Among the venetoclax responders, primary refractory disease to prior HMA therapy was documented, 2 patients harbored IDH1/IDH2 mutations and one patient had an antecedent myeloproliferative neoplasm. High BCL‐2 and/or BIM expression in myeloblasts was found in venetoclax responders and response was significantly associated with overall survival (responders: 364 days versus non‐responders: 24 days, P = 0.018). Venetoclax monotherapy is safe and is able to induce durable responses in elderly patients with secondary AML after treatment failure with HMA.     

超声引导下经皮经肝胆囊穿刺后继发性脓肿发生的危险因素分析

目的 探讨超声引导下经皮经肝胆囊穿刺置管引流术(Percutaneous Transhepatic Gallbladder Drainage,PTGD)术后发生继发性脓肿(Secondary abscess,SA)的发生率及其危险因素。方法 回顾性分析南京医科大学附属无锡人民医院2010年1月至2017年12月间410例经超声引导下PTGD患者的临床资料,采用单因素和多因素Logistic回归分析相关危险因素。结果 12例(2.93%,12/410)患者PTGD术后出现SA,再次针对SA穿刺引流的成功率100%。对良性疾病梗阻、基础疾病、胆囊大小、腹水、凝血功能、血小板、糖化血红蛋白(HbA_1C)、短期内引流管脱落/自行拔出等混杂因素进行校正后,Logistic回归分析表明短期内引流管脱落/自行拔出(OR=6.64,95%Cl：3.34～13.81,P=0.03)和HbA_1C＞9.0%(OR=3.38,95%Cl：1.22～7.95,P=0.04)是引起术后SA的独立危险因素。结论 SA是超声引导下PTGD术后罕见的并发症,再次穿刺引流是治疗SA有效和安全的方法。临床可通过加强对穿刺引流管的保护和应用降血糖药物,降低PTGD术后SA的发生。     

Eisenmenger syndrome and other types of pulmonary arterial hypertension related to adult congenital heart disease

Introduction: Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) is the most advanced form of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). It is characterised by a severe rise in pulmonary vascular resistance resulting in shunt reversal and cyanosis.

Areas covered: In this paper, an overview of ES and other types of PAH related to CHD (PAH-CHD) in adults is provided. The modern management of PAH-CHD in tertiary centers is described, with an emphasis on co-morbidities and complications.

Expert opinion: PAH-CHD describes a wide spectrum of conditions, of which ES is the archetype. The size and location of the shunt, the degree of adaptation of the right ventricle to the increased afterload and other compensatory mechanisms, such as secondary erythrocytosis, define the clinical presentation and natural history of these patients. PAH therapies have improved the quality of life and outcome of many patients with PAH-CHD, but expert multidisciplinary management remains essential in optimising the care of this rare and complex group of patients.