Candida Bloodstream Infections Among Persons Who Inject Drugs - Denver Metropolitan Area, Colorado, 2017-2018

Epidemiology, Outcomes, and Trends of Patients With Sepsis and Opioid-Related Hospitalizations in U.S. Hospitals

OBJECTIVES

Widespread use and misuse of prescription and illicit opioids have exposed millions to health risks including serious infectious complications. Little is known, however, about the association between opioid use and sepsis.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

About 373 U.S. hospitals.

PATIENTS

Adults hospitalized between January 2009 and September 2015.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Sepsis was identified by clinical indicators of concurrent infection and organ dysfunction. Opioid-related hospitalizations were identified by the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes and/or inpatient orders for buprenorphine. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared by sepsis and opioid-related hospitalization status. The association between opioid-related hospitalization and all-cause, in-hospital mortality in patients with sepsis was assessed using mixed-effects logistic models to adjust for baseline characteristics and severity of illness.The cohort included 6,715,286 hospitalizations; 375,479 (5.6%) had sepsis, 130,399 (1.9%) had opioid-related hospitalizations, and 8,764 (0.1%) had both. Compared with sepsis patients without opioid-related hospitalizations (n = 366,715), sepsis patients with opioid-related hospitalizations (n = 8,764) were younger (mean 52.3 vs 66.9 yr) and healthier (mean Elixhauser score 5.4 vs 10.5), had more bloodstream infections from Gram-positive and fungal pathogens (68.9% vs 47.0% and 10.6% vs 6.4%, respectively), and had lower in-hospital mortality rates (10.6% vs 16.2%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.60-0.79; p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Of 1,803 patients with opioid-related hospitalizations who died in-hospital, 928 (51.5%) had sepsis. Opioid-related hospitalizations accounted for 1.5% of all sepsis-associated deaths, including 5.7% of sepsis deaths among patients less than 50 years old. From 2009 to 2015, the proportion of sepsis hospitalizations that were opioid-related increased by 77% (95% CI, 40.7-123.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with opioid-related hospitalizations, and opioid-related hospitalizations contribute disproportionately to sepsis-associated deaths among younger patients. In addition to ongoing efforts to combat the opioid crisis, public health agencies should focus on raising awareness about sepsis among patients who use opioids and their providers.

Case Report: A Candida Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient Detected Through the Next-Generation Sequencing

Background: Fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are not commonly seen clinically. Clinical diagnosis of fungal infections often depend on the pathogen culture and the clinical features. This method is time-consuming and insensitive, which can lead to misdiagnosis. The authors introduce an adult patient with fungal infections diagnosed by next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Case: The patient was a 60-year-old male Chinese who had both hypermyotonia of the lower extremities and fever. The auxiliary examinations such as MRI, CT, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed obvious abnormalities. Because of the difficulties in diagnosis, it was hard to determine the treatment plan. The NGS detected specific sequences of Candida albicans in 3 days. The patient was then treated with liposomal amphotericin B and fluconazole. About 3 weeks later, the symptoms of the patient improved significantly and he was discharged from the hospital.

Conclusion: Compared with the routine cultural method, NGS has made a huge advancement in infection diagnosis and targeting antimicrobial therapy for CNS infection.

Injection Drug Use-Associated Candidemia: Incidence, Clinical Features, and Outcomes, East Tennessee, 2014-2018

BACKGROUND

Injection drug use (IDU) is an established but uncommon risk factor for candidemia. Surveillance for candidemia is conducted in East Tennessee, an area heavily impacted by the opioid crisis and IDU. We evaluated IDU-associated candidemia to characterize the epidemiology and estimate the burden.

METHODS

We assessed the proportion of candidemia cases related to IDU during January 1, 2014-September 30, 2018, estimated candidemia incidence in the overall population and among persons who inject drugs (PWID), and reviewed medical records to compare clinical features and outcomes among IDU-associated and non-IDU candidemia cases.

RESULTS

The proportion of IDU-associated candidemia cases in East Tennessee increased from 6.1% in 2014 to 14.5% in 2018. Overall candidemia incidence in East Tennessee was 13.5/100 000, and incidence among PWID was 402-1895/100 000. Injection drug use-associated cases were younger (median age, 34.5 vs 60 years) and more frequently had endocarditis (39% vs 3%). All-cause 30-day mortality was 8% among IDU-associated cases versus 25% among non-IDU cases.

CONCLUSIONS

A growing proportion of candidemia in East Tennessee is associated with IDU, posing an additional burden from the opioid crisis. The lower mortality among IDU-associated cases likely reflects in part the younger demographic; however, Candida endocarditis seen among approximately 40% underscores the seriousness of the infection and need for prevention.

National Public Health Burden Estimates of Endocarditis and Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections Related to Injection Drug Use: A Review

BACKGROUND

Despite concerns about the burden of the bacterial and fungal infection syndromes related to injection drug use (IDU), robust estimates of the public health burden of these conditions are lacking. The current article reviews and compares data sources and national burden estimates for infective endocarditis (IE) and skin and soft-tissue infections related to IDU in the United States.

METHODS

A literature review was conducted for estimates of skin and soft-tissue infection and endocarditis disease burden with related IDU or substance use disorder terms since 2011. A range of the burden is presented, based on different methods of obtaining national projections from available data sources or published data.

RESULTS

Estimates using available data suggest the number of hospital admissions for IE related to IDU ranged from 2900 admissions in 2013 to more than 20 000 in 2017. The only source of data available to estimate the annual number of hospitalizations and emergency department visits for skin and soft-tissue infections related to IDU yielded a crude estimate of 98 000 such visits. Including people who are not hospitalized, a crude calculation suggests that 155 000-540 000 skin infections related to IDU occur annually.

DISCUSSION

These estimates carry significant limitations. However, regardless of the source or method, the burden of disease appears substantial, with estimates of thousands of episodes of IE among persons with IDU and at least 100 000 persons who inject drugs (PWID) with skin and soft-tissue infections annually in the United States. Given the importance of these types of infections, more robust and reliable estimates are needed to better quantitate the occurrence and understand the impact of interventions.

Evaluation of Partial Oral Antibiotic Treatment for Persons Who Inject Drugs and Are Hospitalized With Invasive Infections

BACKGROUND

Persons who inject drugs (PWID) are at risk of invasive infections; however, hospitalizations to treat these infections are frequently complicated by against medical advice (AMA) discharges. This study compared outcomes among PWID who (1) completed a full course of inpatient intravenous (IV) antibiotics, (2) received a partial course of IV antibiotics but were not prescribed any antibiotics on AMA discharge, and (3) received a partial course of IV antibiotics and were prescribed oral antibiotics on AMA discharge.

METHODS

A retrospective, cohort study of PWID aged ≥18 years admitted to a tertiary referral center between 01/2016 and 07/2019, who received an infectious diseases consultation for an invasive bacterial or fungal infection.

RESULTS

293 PWID were included in the study. 90-day all-cause readmission rates were highest among PWID who did not receive oral antibiotic therapy on AMA discharge (n = 46, 68.7%), compared with inpatient IV (n = 43, 31.5%) and partial oral (n = 27, 32.5%) antibiotics. In a multivariate analysis, 90-day readmission risk was higher among PWID who did not receive oral antibiotic therapy on AMA discharge (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-3.82) and not different among PWID prescribed oral antibiotic therapy on AMA discharge (aHR, .99; 95% CI, .62-1.62). Surgical source control (aHR, .57; 95% CI, .37-.87) and addiction medicine consultation (aHR, .57; 95% CI, .38-.86) were both associated with reduced readmissions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our single-center study suggests access to oral antibiotic therapy for PWID who cannot complete prolonged inpatient IV antibiotic courses is beneficial.

Risk of New Bloodstream Infections and Mortality Among People Who Inject Drugs With Infective Endocarditis

IMPORTANCE

People who inject drugs (PWID) who are being treated for infective endocarditis remain at risk of new bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to ongoing intravenous drug use (IVDU).

OBJECTIVES

To characterize new BSIs in PWID receiving treatment for infective endocarditis, to determine the clinical factors associated with their development, and to determine whether new BSIs and treatment setting are associated with mortality.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective cohort study was performed at 3 tertiary care hospitals in London, Ontario, Canada, from April 1, 2007, to March 31, 2018. Participants included a consecutive sample of all PWID 18 years or older admitted with infective endocarditis. Data were analyzed from April 1, 2007, to June 29, 2018.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

New BSIs and factors associated with their development, treatment setting of infective endocarditis episodes (ie, inpatient vs outpatient), and 90-day mortality.

RESULTS

The analysis identified 420 unique episodes of infective endocarditis in 309 PWID (mean [SD] patient age, 35.7 [9.7] years; 213 episodes [50.7%] involving male patients), with 82 (19.5%) complicated by new BSIs. There were 138 independent new BSIs, of which 68 (49.3%) were polymicrobial and 266 were unique isolates. Aerobic gram-negative bacilli (143 of 266 [53.8%]) and Candida species (75 of 266 [28.2%]) were the most common microorganisms. Ongoing inpatient IVDU was documented by a physician in 194 infective endocarditis episodes (46.2%), and 127 of these (65.5%) were confirmed by urine toxicology results. Multivariable time-dependent Cox regression demonstrated that previous infective endocarditis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.89; 95% CI, 1.20-2.98), inpatient treatment (HR, 4.49; 95% CI, 2.30-8.76), and physician-documented inpatient IVDU (HR, 5.07; 95% CI, 2.68-9.60) were associated with a significantly higher rate of new BSIs, whereas inpatient addiction treatment was associated with a significantly lower rate (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.32-0.88). New BSIs were not significantly associated with 90-day mortality (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 0.78-4.02); significant factors associated with mortality included inpatient infective endocarditis treatment (HR, 3.39; 95% CI, 1.53-7.53), intensive care unit admission (HR, 9.51; 95% CI, 4.91-18.42), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.03-3.03), whereas right-sided infective endocarditis was associated with a significantly lower mortality rate (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25-0.67).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, new BSIs were common in PWID receiving parenteral treatment for infective endocarditis. Discharging patients to outpatient treatment was not associated with an increase in new BSI incidence or mortality; carefully selected PWID may therefore be considered for such treatment.

Polymicrobial interactions involving fungi and their importance for the environment and in human disease

Understanding polymicrobial interactions involving fungi in the environment and the human mycobiome is necessary to address environmental and medically related problems such as drought or antimicrobial resistance. The diversity of these interactions highlights the complexity of fungi, considering how some interactions can be antagonistic, while others synergistic. Over the years, an increase in studies on the mycobiome have revealed similarities between the human and environmental hosts. More recently, studies have focused on microbial commensal relationships and identifying causative agents of human disease. The overlap of some of these interactions is impossible to ignore, indicating that there are areas for medical exploitation that need to be further investigated. This review provides the latest advances in polymicrobial interactions involving fungi and discusses the importance of the fungal lifestyle in the environment and in human disease.