Diaz, Mark Anthony

A middle-aged woman was hospitalised for generalised, painful skin lesions 6 weeks after a successful double-lung transplant. She had end-stage lung disease associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and she had been treated with itraconazole for 16 months because of lung infection associated with Malbranchea spp. Results of a skin biopsy of the initial lesion on her arm showed non-specific dermal inflammation, presumably due to reactivation of the Malbranchea spp infection. Follow-up cervical lymph node biopsy and culture showed Coccidioides posadasii/C. immitis. A detailed review of her travel history showed a 4-month stay in Arizona as a teenager that she barely remembered. Coccidioides spp were likely misidentified as Malbranchea spp owing to similar morphological characteristics. Dosages of immunosuppressive medications were reduced, and antifungal therapy was changed to posaconazole. Her skin lesions resolved.

Introduction. Post-operative meningitis (POM) is a life-threatening complication of neurosurgery. Diagnosis is often difficult due to pre-existing inflammation and antecedent antimicrobial use. Bacterial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures may reveal no growth, but empiric antibiotics are typically given due to the high morbidity and mortality associated with POM. 16S rRNA gene PCR/sequencing is a molecular methodology that can identify the presence of bacteria regardless of viability for culture. Case Presentation. A patient presented with a rapid onset of fever associated with headache, neck pain, nausea and altered mental status 11 days after undergoing laser interstitial thermal therapy for treatment of recurrent astrocytoma at another hospital. Based on clinical presentation and imaging, POM was suspected, and empiric antibacterial therapy was started. Microbiological stains and cultures of CSF were negative. Due to persistent fevers, 16S rRNA gene PCR/sequencing was done on CSF; it detected a member of the order Enterobacteriales most closely resembling Serratia species. All antimicrobials were stopped except for cefepime, which was given for 2 weeks. The patient’s mental status fully recovered. Conclusion. The application of 16S rRNA gene PCR/sequencing in the setting of POM is of value by improving the quality of patient care and decreasing costs by antimicrobial de-escalation. Further studies regarding the positive and negative predictive values of this test are required.

We report a case of a catheter-related bloodstream infection due to oxacillin-susceptible Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in a patient receiving haemodialysis who possibly acquired the organism from her pets. Because of persistent bacteremia and the organism’s ability to form biofilm, catheter removal and antimicrobial therapy were indicated to attain source control. Both clinical and microbiological cure were confirmed. Catheter care education should include information about pet exposure and the possibility of zoonotic infections.

A 25-year-old Filipino woman living in the USA was evaluated for a 5-month history of left eye pain and a subsequent orbital mass. Histopathological analysis of the lacrimal mass showed a mixed inflammatory process with necrotising granulomas and positive cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. She was treated with antituberculosis therapy, with resolution of symptoms. Tuberculosis dacryoadenitis is extremely rare in the USA and other developed countries. It requires a high degree of clinical suspicion with special attention to the patient’s history to make the correct diagnosis. It can be treated successfully with antituberculosis therapy.

Abstract Background Optimum duration of antimicrobial therapy for acute bacteremic cholangitis is not well established; however, 4–7 days is recommended by the 2018 Tokyo guidelines in those without Gram-positive bacteremia. Methods A retrospective study performed at Mayo Clinic - Rochester, Florida and Arizona sites was conducted, reviewing all adult patients with the first episode of acute cholangitis secondary to biliary stone obstruction, between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017. We reviewed the duration of prescribed antimicrobials. Results Among 331 included cases, 197(60%) were men, 66 (20%) were immuno-compromised. Presenting symptoms included fever in 202 (61.5%), abdominal pain in 289 (87%), jaundice 128(38.7%), and altered mentation in 49 (15%). Among these, 256 (77%) were classified as “definite” and 38 (11.5%) were “suspected” using the 2018 Tokyo guideline classification. Cholangitis grade was grade III in 134 (40.5%); grade II in 115 (34.7%); and grade I in 82 (24.8%). Majority of cases, 321 (97%), underwent source control—most commonly 309 (96%) achieved by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Source control occurred within 24 hr of presentation in 197 (61.4%) of the cases. Bacteremia was documented in 131/277 (47%). Majority of bacteremias were due to Gram-negative organisms in 119 (91%). Mean duration of antibiotic therapy following “source control” was 9.6 days (SD 7.0). Cases with bacteremia, resulted in longer treatment duration, mean of 13 days (SD 5.6), regardless of the isolated organism. Overall 30 day mortality was 14/331 (4.2%). No mortality difference was noted in patients who underwent early (within 12 hours) vs. later source control (4.55% Vs. 4.53%), nor in those who received more or less than 6 days of antibiotic therapy after source control (4.7% Vs. 3.9%, P = 0.76). No difference in mortality was observed in those with or without bacteremia. Conclusion Our results note the use of longer courses of antimicrobials for management of bacteremic cholangitis, regardless of the organism type. This population could be a prime target for an antimicrobial stewardship intervention, to decrease the duration of prescribed antimicrobials in accordance with recent guidelines. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Spinal epidural abscess caused by MRSA, a life-threatening organism resistant to methicillin and other antibiotics, is a rare but important infectious pathology due to its potential damage to the spinal cord. We present the case of a 74-year-old man who hematogenously seeded his entire epidural spinal canal from C1 to sacrum with MRSA bacteria and remained infected even after maximal treatment with vancomycin and daptomycin. Ceftaroline, a new 5th generation antibiotic with recently described clearance of widespread MRSA infection in epidural complex spine infections, was added to vancomycin as dual therapy for his MRSA infection. A 74-year-old diabetic man with prior right total knee arthroplasty and MRSA infection presented with persistent bacteremia and sepsis. He was transferred to our academic center after diagnosis of entire spine epidural abscesses from C1 to sacral levels with midthoracic MRI T2 hyperintensities of the vertebral bodies and disc concerning for osteomyelitis and discitis. Despite surgery and IV vancomycin with MIC of 1, suggesting extreme susceptibility, the patient’s blood cultures remained persistently bacteremic at day 5 of treatment. After 48 hours of dual antibiotic therapy with vancomycin and ceftaroline, his blood cultures came back showing no growth. The patient’s outcome was unfavorable due to the advanced nature of his infection and multiple comorbidities, but his negative blood cultures after the addition of ceftaroline to his regime require further investigation into this dual therapy. Randomized controlled trials of 5th generation or combinatorial antibiotics should be considered for this disease.