Clinical Decision Support in Non-typhoidal Salmonella Bloodstream Infections in Children
Bloodstream InfectionSalmonella Bacteremia2 moreIn sub-Saharan Africa, non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) are a frequent cause of bloodstream infection, display high levels of antibiotic resistance and have a high case fatality rate (15%). In Kisantu hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), NTS account for 75% of bloodstream infection in children and many children are co-infected with Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria. NTS bloodstream infection presents as a non-specific severe febrile illness, which challenges early diagnosis and, as a consequence, prompt and appropriate antibiotic treatment.Moreover, at the first level of care, frontline health workers have limited expertise and diagnostic skills and, as a consequence, clinical danger signs that indicate serious bacterial infections are often overlooked. Basic handheld diagnostic instruments and point-of-care tests can help to reliably detect danger signs and improve triage, referral and the start of antibiotics, but there is need for field implementation and adoption to low-resource settings. Further, it is known that some clinical signs and symptoms are frequent in NTS bloodstream infections. The integration of these clinical signs and symptoms in a clinical decision support model can facilitate the diagnosis of NTS bloodstream infections and target antibiotic treatment. The investigators aim to develop such a clinical decision support model based on data from children under five years old admitted to Kisantu district referral hospital in the Democratic republic of the Congo. While developing the model, the investigators will focus on the signs and symptoms that can differentiate NTS bloodstream infection from severe Pf malaria and on the clinical danger signs that can be assessed by handheld diagnostic instruments and point-of-care tests. The deliverable will be a clinical decision support model ready to integrate in an electronic decision support system.
Epidemiology and Determinants of Outcomes of Hospital Acquired Blood Stream Infections in the Intensive...
BacteremiaSepsis2 moreEurobact II will investigate the mortality and morbidity of hospital-acquired blood stream infections in patients treated in intensive care units (ICU). It will investigate the effects of the micro-organism and its characteristics, such as type and resistance to antibiotics on the infection and its consequences. It will also investigate the effects of the antibiotics and other treatments on survival of patients. Eurobact II will include patients from multiple ICUs in multiple countries.
CRP and PCT as Predictors of Sepsis Cause
SepsisGram-Positive Bacteremia1 moreThe aim of this retrospective study is to determine the predictive role of serum level of procalcitonin (PCT) and c-reactive protein (CRP) in determining the causative agent of sepsis in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The main question it aims to answer is: what serum level of PCT and CRP is predictive of gram+ and gram- sepsis in patients with positive blood cultures in the surgical ICU. The study will be retrospective and will include all patients with positive blood cultures who were hospitalized in the surgical ICU of University Hospital Osijek in the period from January 2019 to May 2022.
Prevalence and Characterization of Diagnostic Error Among Patients With Bacteremia
Bacteremia SepsisDiagnostic error is an important but often under-recognized source of adverse events in the hospital. This study is focused on the delayed or missed diagnosis of sepsis associated with bacteremia among patients admitted to The Ottawa Hospital. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and characterization of diagnostic error among patients admitted to the at The Ottawa Hospital with sepsis associated with a positive blood culture. This study will consist of a retrospective chart review of all patients who are greater than 18 years with positive blood culture taken within 12 hours of presenting to the Emergency Department of Ottawa Hospital Civic and General Campus between January 2016 to August 13th 2017. For charts that are eligible for review for diagnostic errors, the qSOFA (Quick Sequential [Sepsis-related] Organ Failure Assessment) score at time at admission will be used to identify those patients who were at risk of serious harm because of a missed diagnosis of sepsis and lack of treatment. Patient variables will be collected and compared between the following three groups: (1) patients who received antibiotics within 24 hours, (2) patients who did not receive antibiotics within 24 hours and who did not meet qSOFA criteria, and (3) patients who did not receive antibiotic within 24 hours and who met qSOFA criteria. Variables to be studied include age, gender, hospital campus, admitting service, day of admission (weekend vs. weekday), time of admission (night vs. day), length of stay, disposition and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. For charts eligible for review for diagnostic error, the DEER (Diagnostic Error Evaluation Research) Taxonomy tool will be used to classify cases per the location and type of error that occurred in the diagnostic process.
Next-Generation Sequencing Diagnostics of Bacteremia in Sepsis
SepsisSeptic ShockSepsis remains a major challenge, even in modern intensive care medicine. The identification of the causative pathogen is crucial for an early optimization of the antimicrobial treatment regime in patients with sepsis. In this context, culture-based diagnostic procedures (e.g. blood cultures) represent the standard of care, although they are associated with relevant limitations. Therefore, culture independent methods (e.g. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)) seem to be an attractive alternative. By the identification of circulating cell-free DNA in the blood and the use of the quantitative sepsis indicating quantifier (SIQ) score, causing pathogens can be identified and potential contaminations can be excluded. The goal of the presented study is therefore, to assess the diagnostic performance of a NGS-based approach for the detection of relevant infecting organisms in a big cohort of septic patients (n=500). Moreover, the plausibility of this NGS-based approach will be estimated by a panel of independent clinical specialists, retrospectively identifying potential changes in patients´ management based on NGS results.
Effect of Vitamin B12 on the Development of Sepsis, in Culture Positive Patients
BacteremiaThis is an prospective observational study assessing the effect of vitamin B12 on the odds of developing sepsis in patients with infection confirmed by a positive culture result. The hypothesis is that patients with infection confirmed by positive cultures who develop sepsis have lower vitamin B12 levels than patients infection, confirmed by positive cultures, who do not develop sepsis.
Host RNA Profiles to Detect Infections in Young Infants
Bacterial InfectionsUrinary Tract Infections8 moreThis study seeks to identify and test host RNA expression profiles as markers for infections in young infants. Preliminary studies have shown high sensitivity and specificity for the discrimination of bacterial from non-bacterial infections in children, but the method has only been investigated in a limited number of young infants. The study aims to include 65 young infants with serious bacterial infections. The samples will be analysed by RNA sequencing. New diagnostic tools may help reduce unnecessary antibiotic treatment, antibiotic resistance, side-effects, hospitalisation and invasive procedures.
Prospective Study to Investigate the Frequency of Possible Bacterial Entry Into the Bloodstream...
Bile Duct StrictureCholedocholithiasisThe aim of this study is to prospectively evaluate the frequency of bacteremia after ERCP/cholangioscopy using the Spyglass Direct Visualization System. In addition, the frequency of cholangitis/sepsis despite use of post procedural antibiotics will be studied.
Antibiotic Administration and Blood Culture Positivity in Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock
Severe SepsisSeptic Shock1 moreSepsis is a significant cause health care expenditure and carries an extremely high rate of morbidity and mortality if not treated appropriately. From 1979 to 2000, sepsis resulted in over 10 million admissions to hospital in the United States with a mortality rate of 17.9 to 27.8 percent. In Canada, it is estimated that the incidence of sepsis from 2008-2009 was 103.3 per 100,000 per year. Advances in the multifaceted management of sepsis in recent years have resulted in improved clinical outcomes. However, the cornerstone of sepsis management relies on the prompt administration of appropriate antibiotics. Current clinical practice suggests that antibiotic administration can be delayed up to 45 minutes in order to obtain blood cultures, whose results have a profound impact on the type and duration of antimicrobial therapy. Unfortunately, this recommendation is based on very little evidence and the investigators have found that potential life-saving treatment is often delayed in order to abide by it. Furthermore, recent data suggest that mortality could be increased by approximately 5% by delaying antibiotic administration for that time period. The investigators therefore wish to organize a prospective, multi-centre trial in order to identify the effect of antibiotic administration on blood culture positivity in patients presenting with severe sepsis or septic shock. Other objectives will be to elucidate which patient factors, including age, co-morbid conditions and clinical presentation, as well as antibiotic choice will affect blood culture results. This study will be conducted in the emergency departments at St. Paul's Hospital (SPH), Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), Lion's Gate Hospital (LGH), Surrey Memorial Hospital, Montreal General Hospital (MGH), Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) and Maricopa Integrated Health System. Patients identified for the aforementioned conditions will be treated as per routine hospital protocol. If the patient is deemed eligible for the study, a second set of blood of blood cultures will subsequently be drawn ideally between 30 and 60 minutes after the administration of antibiotic therapy. Subject demographic data will be collected pertaining to age, comorbid immunocompromised conditions, vital signs, laboratory tests pertaining to end organ dysfunction, suspected source of sepsis, the type antibiotics administered and the timing of antimicrobial administration with respect to the second set of blood cultures taken. Our hypothesis is that blood culture positivity in patients presenting with severe sepsis and septic shock will not be altered significantly by antibiotic therapy. If so, our study would strongly argue against delaying life-saving therapy and would thus greatly improve patient care in our local emergency rooms. If incorrect, our study would be the first to demonstrate the benefit of obtaining blood cultures before antibiotic therapy and would strengthen current recommendations.
Bacteremia and Procalcitonin Levels in Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy for Achalasia
Esophageal AchalasiaPeroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) is a novel, promising endoscopic technique for achalasia because it is safer and more effective than traditional Heller's myotomy. However, the issue of antibiotic prophylaxis in POEM has evoked considerable controversy recently. Therefore, we conduct this study to elucidate the status of POEM-related bacteremia and procalcitonin levels in order to preliminary observe whether antibiotic prophylaxis is needed.