rome and Mycoses

We report an outbreak of Saccharomyces cerevisiae subtype boulardii fungemia among three intensive care unit roommates of patients receiving lyophilized preparations of this fungus. The fungemia was probably due to central venous catheter contamination and resolved after fluconazole treatment. The need for stringent application of proper hygiene when using a probiotic preparation of this organism is emphasized.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Disease Outbreaks; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mycoses; Rome; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Yeast, Dried

The aim of this paper was to enlarge the available knowledge on clinical and etiological aspects of patients affected by spondylodiscitis.. All patients with spondylodiscitis admitted between January 2001 and December 2007 at the 1,300-bed University Hospital "Policlinico Umberto I" of Rome, Italy, were followed. Demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, invasive procedures, imaging studies, isolated microorganisms, treatment, complications, and outcome were recorded.. Eighty-one patients of mean age 57.7 +/- 14.7 years with lumbosacral (72.8%), thoracic (14.8%), and cervical tract (12.3%) site of infection were included, of which 38 developed community-acquired (CA) spondylodiscitis and 43 developed hospital-acquired (HA) spondylodiscitis. Underlying disease was present in 49.4% of patients. HA spondylodiscitis was diagnosed earlier (46.8 +/- 49.7 days) than CA spondylodiscitis (65.0 +/- 55.4 days) (P < 0.05). The most frequently isolated microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (28 strains, 43.1%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) (eight strains, 12.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (eight strains, 12.3%), and three methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains were isolated in CA spondylodiscitis. Fungi and yeasts, isolated in six patients, represented 9.2% of all strains but 17.6% when considering only HA spondylodiscitis. Over 85% of patients were managed by conservative treatment alone, and the treatment time depended on clinical and laboratory evidence. Poor outcome was recorded in 12 (14.8%) patients, and was associated with neurological deficit symptoms (relative risk [RR] 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-8.07; P < 0.05) and the time between diagnosis and the onset of symptoms > or = 60 days (RR 2.65; 95% CI 0.92-7.59; P < 0.05).. Infectious spondylodiscitis affects most frequently the elderly population, who are more exposed to healthcare contacts. Consequently, the infection etiology includes a growing proportion of multi-resistant bacteria and fungi.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Discitis; Female; Fungi; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mycoses; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Rome; Young Adult

From 2 to 5 September 2009, Rome was the venue of Eurobiofilms 2009, providing the 408 participants with a valuable forum for a multidisciplinary scientific exchange in the field of microbial biofilms. The congress joined together microbiologists and specialists in infectious diseases, hygiene and public health involved in investigating different aspects of bacterial and fungal biofilms as well as in designing innovative approaches to prevention and treatment. The scientific program was developed together with the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group on Biofilms (ESGB) to combine state of the art lectures and sessions dealing with the major issues of this fast-growing area of science.

Topics: Bacterial Infections; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Biofilms; Fungi; Humans; Mycoses; Rome

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).. All neonates admitted for > 48 hours between January 2003 and December 2006 in the NICU of the teaching hospital Umberto I of Rome, Italy were considered.. Of the 575 neonates evaluated, 76 (13.2%) developed a total of 100 HAIs, including 36 bloodstream infections (BSIs), 33 pneumonias, 19 urinary tract infections, 8 conjunctivitis, and 4 onphalitis. There were 7.8 HAIs/1000 patient-days and 12.5 BSIs/1000 days of umbilical catheterization. Logistic analysis identified an association with mechanical ventilation (odds ratio [OR] = 3.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.75 to 5.31; P < .01) and birth weight

Topics: Bacterial Infections; Candida; Cross Infection; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Male; Mycoses; Prevalence; Rome; Staphylococcus