The impact of infectious diseases consultation on oncology practice

Impact of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) on an Academic Pediatric Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic Referral Population, 2005-2020: Will the Advent of Universal Congenital CMV (cCMV) Screening Change Clinical Practice Referral Patterns?

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections exert a substantial impact on the practice of pediatric infectious diseases. Although most infections in children are minimally symptomatic, several populations are at risk for CMV-associated disease, including immunosuppressed children, children with HIV infection, and, most significantly, children with congenital CMV (cCMV) infection. In spite of the ubiquitous nature of CMV infection, few studies have quantified the impact of CMV-associated care in a pediatric outpatient clinic setting. We evaluated the impact of CMV on clinical care in an outpatient clinic setting over a fifteen-year period at the University of Minnesota (UMN) Masonic Children's Hospital Pediatric Infectious Diseases (PID) Clinic. A retrospective review of clinic appointments identified 253 unique patients specifically evaluated over this time period for consideration of CMV infection. Of these, 242 were pediatric patients. The majority of the pediatric patients evaluated in the PID clinic were referred for either confirmed or suspected cCMV infection, including children referred for consideration of CMV as a potential reason for a failed newborn hearing screen (NHS) and/or for evaluation of CMV as a possible etiology for documented hearing loss. In total, 116 of the children evaluated during this time period (48%) were unequivocally confirmed as having cCMV infection, with an additional 37 (15%) presenting with presumed, probable, or possible cCMV infection. A total of 16 (7%) of the pediatric CMV cases were confirmed to be post-natally acquired infections. Of the 253 total patients, 11 (4%) of the referrals were for pregnant patients seeking advice about potential therapies in the setting of a known or suspected primary maternal infection during their pregnancies, with an attendant risk of fetal CMV infection. This overview of the demographics and referral patterns for patients evaluated for known or suspected CMV infections in a tertiary care center outpatient PID clinic will serve as a useful baseline assessment, even as future patterns of outpatient care are highly likely to evolve. We predict that PID clinic referrals for newborns identified by universal cCMV screening programs will result in a shift of the CMV outpatient population to healthier infants with clinically inapparent infections, and care will need to be taken by practitioners not to over-medicalize management for these asymptomatic newborns.

Coinfections in Patients With Cancer and COVID-19: A COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) Study

BACKGROUND

The frequency of coinfections and their association with outcomes have not been adequately studied among patients with cancer and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a high-risk group for coinfection.

METHODS

We included adult (≥18 years) patients with active or prior hematologic or invasive solid malignancies and laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection, using data from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19, NCT04354701). We captured coinfections within ±2 weeks from diagnosis of COVID-19, identified factors cross-sectionally associated with risk of coinfection, and quantified the association of coinfections with 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

Among 8765 patients (hospitalized or not; median age, 65 years; 47.4% male), 16.6% developed coinfections: 12.1% bacterial, 2.1% viral, 0.9% fungal. An additional 6.4% only had clinical diagnosis of a coinfection. The adjusted risk of any coinfection was positively associated with age >50 years, male sex, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal comorbidities, diabetes, hematologic malignancy, multiple malignancies, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, progressing cancer, recent cytotoxic chemotherapy, and baseline corticosteroids; the adjusted risk of superinfection was positively associated with tocilizumab administration. Among hospitalized patients, high neutrophil count and C-reactive protein were positively associated with bacterial coinfection risk, and high or low neutrophil count with fungal coinfection risk. Adjusted mortality rates were significantly higher among patients with bacterial (odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% CI, 1.33-1.95) and fungal (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.28-3.76) coinfections.

CONCLUSIONS

Viral and fungal coinfections are infrequent among patients with cancer and COVID-19, with the latter associated with very high mortality rates. Clinical and laboratory parameters can be used to guide early empiric antimicrobial therapy, which may improve clinical outcomes.

Infectious disease specialist consultations in a Japanese cancer center: a retrospective review of 776 cases

Background

Little is known about the impact of infectious disease (ID) consultations on the management of patients with cancer. This study aimed to describe the consultation services provided by ID specialists to all departments in a comprehensive cancer center in Japan.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of ID consultations with adult patients at a comprehensive cancer center in Japan from April 2017 to March 2018.

Results

During the study period, 776 patients with cancer had an ID consultation. Of these, 414 (53.4%) were hospital inpatients. Reasons for the ID consultation comprised clinical management (n = 481, 62.0%), immunization (n = 272, 35.1%), and infection control (n = 23, 3.0%). Of the 474 ID consultations for diagnostic purposes, the most frequent condition was fever or elevated inflammatory markers of unknown origin (n = 125, 26.4%). The most frequent diagnoses after the diagnostic ID consultation were hepatobiliary infections (n = 97, 22.4%), respiratory infections (n = 89, 20.618.8%), and intra-abdominal infections (n = 71, 16.4%). The commonest reasons for immunization consultations were to prevent seasonal influenza (n = 193, 71.0%) and post-splenectomy vaccination (n = 58, 21.3%). The commonest reasons for infection control consultations were suspected tuberculosis or contact with tuberculosis (n = 11, 47.8%) and herpes zoster infection (shingles) (n = 7, 30.4%).

Conclusions

ID specialists play an important role in the clinical management of patients with cancer. ID physicians who work in cancer centers need to be specialized in treating IDs, diagnosing the causes of fevers of unknown origin, and controlling infection.

Timeliness of Infectious Diseases Referral and Inappropriate Antibiotic Usage Post-Referral in an Asian Tertiary Hospital

Infectious diseases (ID) specialists advise on complicated infections and are advocates for the interventions of antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP). Early referral to ID specialists has been shown to improve patient outcomes; however, not all referrals to ID specialists are made in a timely fashion. A retrospective cross-sectional study of all referrals to ID specialists in a Singaporean tertiary hospital was conducted from January 2016 to January 2018. The following quality indicators were examined: early referral to ID specialists (within 48 h of admission) and ASP intervention for inappropriate antibiotic usage, even after referral to ID specialists. Chi-square was used for univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. A total of 6490 referrals over the 2-year period were analysed; of those, 36.7% (2384/6490) were from surgical disciplines, 47.0% (3050/6490) were from medical disciplines, 14.2% (922/6490) from haematology/oncology and 2.1% (134/6490) were made to the transplant ID service. Haematology/oncology patients and older patients (aged ≥ 60 years) had lower odds of early referral to ID specialists but higher odds of subsequent ASP intervention for inappropriate antibiotic usage, despite prior referral to an ID specialist. Elderly patients and haematology/oncology patients can be referred to ID specialists earlier and their antimicrobial regimens further optimised, perhaps by fostering closer cooperation between ID specialists and primary physicians.

Acute myeloid leukemia and the infectious diseases consultant

Infectious complications following treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are important causes of morbidity and mortality. The spectrum and complexity of these infections is reflected by the severe net state of immunosuppression of AML patients, that is dynamic and continuously changing, the polypharmacy, including the widespread use of anti-infectives and the complex epidemiology of severe and frequently resistant pathogens afflicting these patients. Infectious diseases (ID) consultants having a critical mass of expertise and intimate knowledge of the intricacies of leukemia care, add considerable value in improving outcomes of patients with AML who develop infections. Furthermore, pharmaco-economic considerations such as length of stay, choice of cost-effective anti-infective program, infection control and antibiotic stewardship strategies create a delicate interplay of the ID consultant and the ecosystem of care of AML patients. This is an increasingly recognized area of cross collaboration and a productive direction for future collaborative practice models and research.

The value of specialist care-infectious disease specialist referrals-why and for whom? A retrospective cohort study in a French tertiary hospital

This study evaluated the impact of infectious disease (ID) specialist referrals on outcomes in a tertiary hospital in France. This study tackled methodological constraints (selection bias, endogeneity) using instrumental variables (IV) methods in order to obtain a quasi-experimental design. In addition, we investigated whether certain characteristics of patients have a bearing on the impact of the intervention. We used the payments database and ID department files to obtain data for adults admitted with an ID diagnosis in the North Hospital, Marseille from 2012 to 2014. Comparable cohorts were obtained using coarsened exact matching and analysed using IV models. Mortality, readmissions, cost (payer perspective) and length of stay (LoS) were analysed. We recorded 15,393 (85.97%) stays, of which 2,159 (14.03%) benefited from IDP consultations. The intervention was seen to significantly lower the risk of inpatient mortality (marginal effect (M.E) = -19.06%) and cost of stay (average treatment effect (ATE) = - €5,573.39). The intervention group was seen to have a longer LoS (ATE = +4.95 days). The intervention conferred a higher reduction in mortality and cost for stays that experienced ICU care (mortality: odds ratio (OR) =0.09, M.E cost = -8,328.84 €) or had a higher severity of illness (mortality: OR=0.35, M.E cost = -1,331.92 €) and for patients aged between 50 and 65 years (mortality: OR=0.28, M.E cost = -874.78 €). This study shows that ID referrals are associated with lower risk of inpatient mortality and cost of stay, especially when targeted to certain subgroups.

[Antibiotic prescription usage and assessment in geriatric patients]

Due to the high risk of infection, the geriatric population is regularly subjected to antibiotics. Faced with bacterial resistance, particularly among elderly dependent patients, it is essential to promote proper use and correct prescription of antibiotics. A study evaluated antibiotic prescription in a geriatric hospital with 598 beds and highlighted the importance of collaboration between geriatricians and infectious disease specialists.

The number of inpatient consultations is negatively correlated with patient satisfaction in patients with prolonged hospital stays

BACKGROUND

Patient satisfaction is often measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Our aim was to examine the structural and clinical determinants of satisfaction among inpatients with prolonged lengths of stays (LOS).

METHODS

Adult patients who were admitted between 2009 and 2012, had a LOS of 21 days or more, and completed the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, were included. Univariate analyses assessed the relationship between satisfaction and patient/system variables. Recursive partitioning was used to examine the relative importance of the identified variables.

RESULTS

One hundred one patients met inclusion criteria. The average LOS was 35 days and 58% were admitted to a surgical service. Satisfaction with physician communication was significantly associated with fewer consultations (P < .01), nonoperative admission (P < .001), no intensive care unit stay (P < .01), nonsurgical service (P < .01), and non-emergency room admissions (P = .03). Among these, having fewer consultations had the highest relative importance.

CONCLUSIONS

In long stay patients, having fewer inpatient consultations was the strongest predictor of patient satisfaction with physician communication. This suggests that examination of patient-level data in clinically relevant subgroups may be a useful way to identify targets for quality improvement.

The Impact of Infectious Disease Specialist Consultation for Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections: A Systematic Review

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of severe bloodstream infection. We performed a systematic review to assess whether consultation with infectious disease specialists decreased all-cause mortality or rate of complications of S aureus bloodstream infections. The review also assessed parameters associated with the quality of management of the infection. We searched for eligible studies in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and clinical trials.gov as well as the references of included studies. We identified 22 observational studies and 1 study protocol for a randomized trial. A meta-analysis was not performed because of the high risk of bias in the included studies. The outcomes are reported in a narrative review. Most included studies reported survival benefit, in the adjusted analysis. Recommended management strategies were carried out significantly more often among patients seen by an infectious disease specialist. Trials, such as cluster-randomized controlled trials, can more validly assess the studies at low risk of bias.

Inpatient infectious disease consultations requested by surgeons at a comprehensive cancer center

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to describe the value of infectious disease specialist consultations for surgeons at comprehensive cancer centers.

METHODS

A total of 151 cancer surgery inpatients were retrospectively assessed during a 12-month period. We focused on the characteristics of the infectious disease consultations from surgical departments: the referring surgical divisions, the referral phases, and the reasons for the infectious disease consultations.

RESULTS

Three-quarters of all consultation requests were made after the day of surgery. Approximately, 60 % of these requests were made within 30 days after surgery for cancer. The reasons for the infectious disease consultations could be classified into three categories: diagnosis and management (54 %), management of established infections (44 %), and surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (3 %). The most requested reason for consultations was the diagnosis and management of fever or elevated inflammatory markers of unknown etiology. Among the management of established infections, the antimicrobial management of surgical site infections was most frequently requested.

CONCLUSIONS

Many surgeons would prefer infectious disease specialists to assume a more direct role in the care of difficult or perplexing cases (such as fevers of unknown origin) while also maintaining a traditional relationship in which the consultant recommends antimicrobial agents during a perioperative period. Particularly at cancer centers where oncology specialists account for a significant proportion of the providers, the knowledge and skill of infectious disease physicians are valued.

Special considerations of antibiotic prescription in the geriatric population

Infectious diseases pose a major challenge in the elderly for two reasons: on the one hand the susceptibility to infection increases with age and when infections occur they often present atypically-on the other hand diagnostic uncertainty is much more pronounced in the geriatric population. Reconciling the opposing aspects of optimizing patient outcomes while avoiding antibiotic overuse requires significant expertise that can be provided by an infectious diseases consultant. In addition, geriatric facilities are reservoirs for multidrug-resistant organisms and other nosocomial pathogens, and infectious diseases consultants also play a vital role in assuring appropriate infection control measures. In this review we outline the challenges of diagnosis and management of infectious diseases in the elderly, and discuss the importance of appropriate antibiotic use in the elderly in order to demonstrate the value of the infectious diseases consultant in this special setting.

Early initiation of appropriate treatment is associated with increased survival in cancer patients with Candida glabrata fungaemia: a potential benefit from infectious disease consultation

In patients with malignancies, Candida glabrata is one of the most frequent non-albicans Candida clinical isolates. As antifungal resistance in C. glabrata is common, we investigated the relationship between early appropriate antifungal treatment, infectious disease (ID) consultation and mortality in a contemporary cohort of cancer patients with C. glabrata fungaemia. We included patients with at least one C. glabrata-positive blood culture and symptoms or signs of infection seen at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between March 2005 and September 2013. In vitro susceptibility to antifungals was defined according to the 2010 CLSI clinical breakpoints. One-hundred and forty-six episodes of candidaemia were studied. Thirty isolates (20.5%) had fluconazole MIC ≥ 64 mg/L and 15 (10.3%) were caspofungin-resistant. Early (within 48 h after blood culture collection) initiation of appropriate antifungal treatment (hazard ratio 0.374, p 0.003) and early ID consultation (hazard ratio 0.421, p 0.004) were associated with decreased mortality, after adjustment for significant confounders. Thirty-two of 58 patients (55.2%) followed by ID were on appropriate antifungals within 48 h, compared with 16/88 patients (18.2%) who were not followed by ID an ID specialist (p <0.001). The median time-to-reporting of blood culture positivity for yeast was 71 h. Delayed time-to-reporting was associated with increased 28-day all-cause mortality (log-rank p 0.023). The benefits from early initiation of appropriate antifungal treatment and ID consultation were more prominent in patients with non-catheter-related candidaemia. In conclusion, in cancer patients with C. glabrata fungaemia, early ID consultation may lead to timely initiation of appropriate treatment and improved clinical outcomes.