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Transrectal ultrasound-guided (TRUS) biopsy of the prostate is associated with increased risk of post-procedural sepsis with associated morbidity, mortality, re-admission to hospital, and increased healthcare costs. In the study institution, active surveillance of post-procedural infection complications is performed by clinical nurse specialists for prostate cancer under the guidance of the infection prevention and control team. To protect hospital services for acute medical admissions related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, TRUS biopsy services were reduced nationally, with exceptions only for those patients at high risk of prostate cancer. In the study institution, this change prompted a complete move to transperineal (TP) prostate biopsy performed in outpatients under local anaesthetic. TP biopsies eliminated the risk of post-procedural sepsis and, consequently, sepsis-related admission while maintaining a service for prostate cancer diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Mycobacterial infection-related morbidity and mortality in patients following cardiopulmonary bypass surgery is high and there is a growing need for a consensus-based expert opinion to provide international guidance for diagnosing, preventing and treating in these patients. In this document the International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases (ISCVID) covers aspects of prevention (field of hospital epidemiology), clinical management (infectious disease specialists, cardiac surgeons, ophthalmologists, others), laboratory diagnostics (microbiologists, molecular diagnostics), device management (perfusionists, cardiac surgeons) and public health aspects.

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INTRODUCTION: Escherichia coli is a common cause of urinary tract infections (UTI). Reviews of antibiotic resistance of this organism can inform choice of empiric treatment of UTI and other infections and strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance. We reviewed laboratory and hospital pharmacy records to assess trends in non-susceptibility rates and the effect of antimicrobial stewardship interventions. METHODS: A retrospective observational study of isolates of E. coli from MSU samples at a Dublin teaching hospital from inpatients and community, obtained from January 2005 to December 2014. Susceptibility to a panel of antibiotics was determined using the disc diffusion method, as well as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production status. Trends in resistance were plotted graphically and analysed in a descriptive manner. RESULTS: Except for nitrofurantoin and gentamicin, non-susceptibility increased for all antimicrobials tested. Co-amoxiclav non-susceptibility reached 48% in hospital and 32.6% in the community by 2014. Piperacillin-tazobactam non-susceptibility increased from 6.8 to 23.8% in hospital and from <1 to 12.5% in community, with similar increases for ESBL producing isolates. Ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility peaked at 25.5% in hospital in 2012 and 11.44% in the community in 2014. CONCLUSION: Escherichia coli isolates from community MSU samples have high rates of non-susceptibility to trimethoprim and co-amoxiclav. Nitrofurantoin remains the best empiric therapy for cystitis. Increasing non-susceptibility to co-amoxiclav and piperacillin-tazobactam in hospital isolates is concerning. Ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility is increasing faster in the community than in hospital. A sharp reduction in hospital fluoroquinolone consumption did not result in a significant reduction in ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility of hospital E. coli isolates.

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Patients with end-stage renal failure undergo regular haemodialysis (HD) and often develop episodes of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (BSI), which can re-occur. However, clinically, patients on HD, with S. aureus BSI, respond well to treatment, rarely developing overt signs of sepsis. We investigated the contributions of bacterial virulence and cytokine responses to the clinical course of S. aureus BSI in HD and non-HD patients. Seventy patients were recruited, including 27 (38.6 %) patients on HD. Isolates were spa-typed and virulence and antimicrobial resistance gene carriage was investigated using DNA microarray analysis. Four inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, RANTES, GROγ and leptin, were measured in patient plasma on the day of diagnosis and after 7 days. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of genotypes or antimicrobial resistance genes in S. aureus isolates from HD compared to non-HD patients. The enterotoxin gene cluster (containing staphylococcal enterotoxins seg, sei, sem, sen, seo and seu) was significantly less prevalent among BSI isolates from HD patients compared to non-HD patients. Comparing inflammatory cytokine response to S. aureus BSI in HD patients to non-HD patients, IL-6 and GROγ were significantly lower (p = 0.021 and p = 0.001, respectively) in HD patients compared to other patients on the day of diagnosis and RANTES levels were significantly lower (p = 0.025) in HD patients on day 7 following diagnosis. Lowered cytokine responses in HD patients and a reduced potential for super-antigen production by infecting isolates may partly explain the favourable clinical responses to episodes of S. aureus BSI in HD patients that we noted clinically.

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Traditionally, the modified Duke's criteria, based primarily on positive blood cultures, is used to diagnose Infective Endocarditis (IE). However, reports demonstrate that 31% of cases are diagnosed as Culture Negative Infective Endocarditis (CNIE)1. Consequently, empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed to cover unidentified organisms and, as a result, antibiotic therapy may be compromised. Molecular diagnostic techniques aid with identifying causative organisms in cases of CNIE and we question if the increasing use of such technologies will change the local epidemiology of CNIE. We present the first case of Tropheryma whipplei Infective Endocarditis (TWIE) reported in Ireland.

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The phenotypic expression of methicillin resistance among coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) is heterogeneous regardless of the presence of the mecA gene. The potential discordance between phenotypic and genotypic results has led to the use of vancomycin for the treatment of CoNS infective endocarditis (IE) regardless of methicillin MIC values. In this study, we assessed the outcome of methicillin-susceptible CoNS IE among patients treated with antistaphylococcal ß-lactams (ASB) versus vancomycin (VAN) in a multicenter cohort study based on data from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis (ICE) Prospective Cohort Study (PCS) and the ICE-Plus databases. The ICE-PCS database contains prospective data on 5,568 patients with IE collected between 2000 and 2006, while the ICE-Plus database contains prospective data on 2,019 patients with IE collected between 2008 and 2012. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Secondary endpoints were 6-month mortality and survival time. Of the 7,587 patients in the two databases, there were 280 patients with methicillin-susceptible CoNS IE. Detailed treatment and outcome data were available for 180 patients. Eighty-eight patients received ASB, while 36 were treated with VAN. In-hospital mortality (19.3% versus 11.1%; P = 0.27), 6-month mortality (31.6% versus 25.9%; P = 0.58), and survival time after discharge (P = 0.26) did not significantly differ between the two cohorts. Cox regression analysis did not show any significant association between ASB use and the survival time (hazard ratio, 1.7; P = 0.22); this result was not affected by adjustment for confounders. This study provides no evidence for a difference in outcome with the use of VAN versus ASB for methicillin-susceptible CoNS IE.

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BACKGROUND: Nearly half of patients require cardiac surgery during the acute phase of infective endocarditis (IE). We describe the characteristics of patients according to the type of valve replacement (mechanical or biological), and examine whether the type of prosthesis was associated with in-hospital and 1-year mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 5591 patients included in the International Collaboration on Endocarditis Prospective Cohort Study, 1467 patients with definite IE were operated on during the active phase and had a biological (37%) or mechanical (63%) valve replacement. Patients who received bioprostheses were older (62 vs 54years), more often had a history of cancer (9% vs 6%), and had moderate or severe renal disease (9% vs 4%); proportion of health care-associated IE was higher (26% vs 17%); intracardiac abscesses were more frequent (30% vs 23%). In-hospital and 1-year death rates were higher in the bioprosthesis group, 20.5% vs 14.0% (p=0.0009) and 25.3% vs 16.6% (p<.0001), respectively. In multivariable analysis, mechanical prostheses were less commonly implanted in older patients (odds ratio: 0.64 for every 10years), and in patients with a history of cancer (0.72), but were more commonly implanted in mitral position (1.60). Bioprosthesis was independently associated with 1-year mortality (hazard ratio: 1.298). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IE who receive a biological valve replacement have significant differences in clinical characteristics compared to patients who receive a mechanical prosthesis. Biological valve replacement is independently associated with a higher in-hospital and 1-year mortality, a result which is possibly related to patient characteristics rather than valve dysfunction.

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BACKGROUND: In 2009, the World Health Organization recommended the use of a 'multi-faceted, multi-modal hand hygiene strategy' (Five Moments for Hand Hygiene) to improve hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers. As part of this initiative, a training programme was implemented using an automated gaming technology training and audit tool to educate staff on hand hygiene technique in an acute healthcare setting. AIM: To determine whether using this automated training programme and audit tool as part of a multi-modal strategy would improve hand hygiene compliance and technique in an acute healthcare setting. METHODS: A time-series quasi-experimental design was chosen to measure compliance with the Five Moments for Hand Hygiene and handwashing technique. The study was performed from November 2009 to April 2012. An adenosine triphosphate monitoring system was used to measure handwashing technique, and SureWash (Glanta Ltd, Dublin, Ireland), an automated auditing and training unit, was used to provide assistance with staff training and education. FINDINGS: Hand hygiene technique and compliance improved significantly over the study period (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Incorporation of new automated teaching technology into a hand hygiene programme can encourage staff participation in learning, and ultimately improve hand hygiene compliance and technique in the acute healthcare setting.

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AIM: To explore the potential risk to patients and healthcare workers of acquiring meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in clinical and non-clinical areas within a radiology department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: High-risk sites in clinical and non-clinical areas within the Department of Radiology were identified and 125 environmental swabs were obtained by an infection control nurse specialist. Decontamination methods and protocols were reviewed and compared against international decontamination best practice. RESULTS: One of 125 samples was culture positive for MRSA. The positive sample was isolated from the surface of the bore of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit. A hypochlorite cleaning agent was applied using a long-handled brush to clean the bore of the MRI unit. A repeat environmental screen found the MRI unit to be culture negative for MRSA. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that standard decontamination measures are adequate to prevent environmental contamination with MRSA in a radiology department. However, the MRI unit requires special attention because of its long bore and difficult access.

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The documentation of infection with meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on death certificates has been the subject of considerable public discussion. Using data from five tertiary referral hospitals in Ireland, we compared the documentation of MRSA and meticillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) on death certificates in those patients who died in hospital within 30 days of having MRSA or MSSA isolated from blood cultures. A total of 133 patients had MRSA or MSSA isolated from blood cultures within 30 days of death during the study period. One patient was excluded as the death certificate information was not available; the other 132 patients were eligible for inclusion. MRSA and MSSA were isolated from blood cultures in 59 (44.4%) and 74 (55.6%) cases respectively. One patient was included as a case in both categories as both MRSA and MSSA were isolated from a blood culture. In 15 (25.4%) of the 59 MRSA cases, MRSA was documented on the death certificate. In nine (12.2%) of the 74 patients with MSSA cases, MSSA was documented on the death certificate. MRSA was more likely to be documented on the death certificate than MSSA (odds ratio: 2.46; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-6.01; P < 0.05). These findings indicate that there may be inconsistencies in the way organisms and infections are documented on death certificates in Ireland and that death certification data may underestimate the mortality related to certain organisms. In particular, there appears to be an overemphasis by certifiers on the documentation of MRSA compared with MSSA.

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Since the 1970s many tissue banks have been testing allograft heart valves (HVs) for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Donor selection for low risk of tuberculosis (TB) was introduced in the 1980s and appears to have reduced the risk of TB transmission. Regulatory guidance does not specify testing for TB, but does exclude donors with a recent history of TB. This survey of HV international bank practices revealed variations in donor selection, testing and processing of valves. Participant banks (from Europe and the USA) reported that over a period of 15 years, HV tissues from 38,413 donors were banked and 32,289 donors were tested for TB, none being positive. HV-associated tissue from 27,840 donors was stained and underwent microscopy; none of these were positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTBM) were detected by culture on 24 HVs. It is recommended that HV banks employ donor selection to exclude donors at risk of TB, to culture material for mycobacteria, and to investigate potential sources when clusters of NTBM are found to facilitate corrective and preventative actions.

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An increase in the number of new cases of tuberculosis (TB) combined with poor clinical outcome was identified among HIV-infected injecting drug users attending a large HIV unit in central Lisbon. A retrospective epidemiological and laboratory study was conducted to review all newly diagnosed cases of TB from 1995 to 1996 in the HIV unit. Results showed that from 1995 to 1996, 63% (109/173) of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from HIV-infected patients were resistant to one or more anti-tuberculosis drugs; 89% (95) of these were multidrug-resistant, i.e., resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin. Eighty percent of the multidrug-resistant strains (MDR) available for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) DNA fingerprinting clustered into one of two large clusters. Epidemiological data support the conclusion that the transmission of MDR-TB occurred among HIV-infected injecting drug users exposed to infectious TB cases on open wards in the HIV unit. Improved infection control measures on the HIV unit and the use of empirical therapy with six drugs once patients were suspected to have TB, reduced the incidence of MDR-TB from 42% of TB cases in 1996 to 11% in 1999.

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Mycobacterium bovis is naturally resistant to the antituberculosis drug pyrazinamide (PZA). To determine whether all Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates demonstrating PZA monoresistance were truly M. bovis, we examined the phenotype and genotype of isolates reported as PZA monoresistant in five counties in California from January 1996 through June 1999. Isolates reported by local laboratories to be PZA monoresistant were sent to the state reference laboratory for repeat susceptibility testing using the BACTEC radiometric method and to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for pncA sequencing and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the oxyR gene. Of 1,916 isolates, 14 were reported as PZA monoresistant and 11 were available for retesting. On repeat testing, 6 of the 11 isolates were identified as PZA-susceptible M. tuberculosis, 1 was identified as PZA-monoresistant M. bovis, and 1 was identified as M. bovis BCG. The three remaining isolates were identified as PZA-monoresistant M. tuberculosis. Sequencing of the pncA and oxyR genes genotypically confirmed the two M. bovis and the six susceptible M. tuberculosis species. Each of the three PZA-monoresistant M. tuberculosis isolates had different, previously unreported, pncA gene mutations: a 24-bp deletion in frame after codon 88, a base substitution at codon 104 (Ser104Cys), and a base substitution at codon 90 (Ile90Ser). This study demonstrates that PZA monoresistance is not an absolute marker of M. bovis species but may also occur in M. tuberculosis, associated with a number of different mutational events in the pncA gene. It is the first report of PZA-monoresistant M. tuberculosis in the United States.

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Tuberculosis infection control in hospitals has received renewed interest after decades of low prominence following the occurrence of multiply drug-resistant strains in populations of patients with immune systems affected by HIV. This paper examines the history of tuberculosis infection control in hospitals and how recent outbreaks have influenced contemporary measures. The principal infection control measure must always be early recognition and isolation of patients in HIV-care situations who may be dispersing Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in both ward and outpatient areas. If there is either a high degree of suspicion or proven TB, patients should be housed in negative pressure isolation rooms whilst undergoing treatment and investigation. Procedures which may generate infectious aerosols should be carried out in similarly ventilated rooms. The quality assurance in such infection control is through the administrative systems put in place, staff training and the engineering controls of isolation room ventilation.

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We identified 34 HIV-infected patients with sputum smear positive for acid-alcohol fast bacilli (AAFB) to determine any factors predictive of subsequent species identification. There were 20 cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), 9 cases of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI), 3 cases of Mycobacterium kansasii and one each of Mycobacterium malmoense and Mycobacterium fortuitum. Factors associated with isolation of MAI were lower CD4 cell count, a higher incidence of previous AIDS diagnosis, a history of dyspnoea and a normal chest X-ray. The organism was isolated from blood cultures in 58% of patients with MTB and 78% of patients with MAI infection. Disseminated disease was diagnosed in 45% of MTB patients and 33% of MAI patients.

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