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Buchan BW. When less is more: the art of communicating clinical microbiology results. J Clin Microbiol 2024; 62:e0070324. [PMID: 38953652 PMCID: PMC11323566 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00703-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The clinical microbiology laboratory is capable of identifying microorganisms in clinical specimens faster and more accurately than ever before. At face value, this should enable patient care providers to make better-informed decisions and target antimicrobial therapies to deliver individualized care. Ironically, more complete and specific reporting of microorganisms isolated from specimens may result in overtreatment based on the presence of a pathogen, even in the absence of clear signs of clinical infection. This conundrum calls into question the role of the laboratory in contributing to care through selective or "exception" reporting whereby some results are selectively withheld when there is a low probability that laboratory findings correlate with the clinical infection. In a recent article published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Bloomfield et al. (J Clin Microbiol 62:e00342-24, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00342-24) examine the impact and safety of an exception reporting strategy applied to wound swab specimens. Canonical pathogens associated with skin and soft tissue infections including S. aureus and beta-hemolytic streptococci are withheld from the laboratory report if certain patient criteria are met that would put them at low risk of adverse outcomes if untreated, or if treated with guideline-recommended empiric therapy. Their central finding was an approximately 50% reduction in post-laboratory report antibiotic initiation without adverse events or increased 30-day admission rate (indicative of infection-related complications, e.g., disseminated disease). While effectively achieving their goal, the premise of exception reporting and other modified reporting strategies raises questions about the potential risk of underreporting and how to ensure that the message is being interpreted, and acted upon, by care providers as was intended by the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake W. Buchan
- Department of Pathology, The Medical College of Wisconsin, and Children’s Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA
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2
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Di Bella S, Sanson G, Monticelli J, Zerbato V, Principe L, Giuffrè M, Pipitone G, Luzzati R. Clostridioides difficile infection: history, epidemiology, risk factors, prevention, clinical manifestations, treatment, and future options. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0013523. [PMID: 38421181 PMCID: PMC11324037 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00135-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the major issues in nosocomial infections. This bacterium is constantly evolving and poses complex challenges for clinicians, often encountered in real-life scenarios. In the face of CDI, we are increasingly equipped with new therapeutic strategies, such as monoclonal antibodies and live biotherapeutic products, which need to be thoroughly understood to fully harness their benefits. Moreover, interesting options are currently under study for the future, including bacteriophages, vaccines, and antibiotic inhibitors. Surveillance and prevention strategies continue to play a pivotal role in limiting the spread of the infection. In this review, we aim to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of epidemiological aspects, predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tools, and current and future prophylactic and therapeutic options for C. difficile infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Di Bella
- Clinical Department of
Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste
University, Trieste,
Italy
| | - Gianfranco Sanson
- Clinical Department of
Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste
University, Trieste,
Italy
| | - Jacopo Monticelli
- Infectious Diseases
Unit, Trieste University Hospital
(ASUGI), Trieste,
Italy
| | - Verena Zerbato
- Infectious Diseases
Unit, Trieste University Hospital
(ASUGI), Trieste,
Italy
| | - Luigi Principe
- Microbiology and
Virology Unit, Great Metropolitan Hospital
“Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli”,
Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Mauro Giuffrè
- Clinical Department of
Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste
University, Trieste,
Italy
- Department of Internal
Medicine (Digestive Diseases), Yale School of Medicine, Yale
University, New Haven,
Connecticut, USA
| | - Giuseppe Pipitone
- Infectious Diseases
Unit, ARNAS Civico-Di Cristina
Hospital, Palermo,
Italy
| | - Roberto Luzzati
- Clinical Department of
Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste
University, Trieste,
Italy
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3
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Guh AY, Fridkin S, Goodenough D, Winston LG, Johnston H, Basiliere E, Olson D, Wilson CD, Watkins JJ, Korhonen L, Gerding DN. Potential underreporting of treated patients using a Clostridioides difficile testing algorithm that screens with a nucleic acid amplification test. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2024; 45:590-598. [PMID: 38268440 PMCID: PMC11027077 DOI: 10.1017/ice.2023.262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients tested for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) using a 2-step algorithm with a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) followed by toxin assay are not reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network as a laboratory-identified CDI event if they are NAAT positive (+)/toxin negative (-). We compared NAAT+/toxin- and NAAT+/toxin+ patients and identified factors associated with CDI treatment among NAAT+/toxin- patients. DESIGN Retrospective observational study. SETTING The study was conducted across 36 laboratories at 5 Emerging Infections Program sites. PATIENTS We defined a CDI case as a positive test detected by this 2-step algorithm during 2018-2020 in a patient aged ≥1 year with no positive test in the previous 8 weeks. METHODS We used multivariable logistic regression to compare CDI-related complications and recurrence between NAAT+/toxin- and NAAT+/toxin+ cases. We used a mixed-effects logistic model to identify factors associated with treatment in NAAT+/toxin- cases. RESULTS Of 1,801 cases, 1,252 were NAAT+/toxin-, and 549 were NAAT+/toxin+. CDI treatment was given to 866 (71.5%) of 1,212 NAAT+/toxin- cases versus 510 (95.9%) of 532 NAAT+/toxin+ cases (P < .0001). NAAT+/toxin- status was protective for recurrence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.65; 95% CI, 0.55-0.77) but not CDI-related complications (aOR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.87-1.28). Among NAAT+/toxin- cases, white blood cell count ≥15,000/µL (aOR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.28-2.74), ≥3 unformed stools for ≥1 day (aOR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.40-2.59), and diagnosis by a laboratory that provided no or neutral interpretive comments (aOR, 3.23; 95% CI, 2.23-4.68) were predictors of CDI treatment. CONCLUSION Use of this 2-step algorithm likely results in underreporting of some NAAT+/toxin- cases with clinically relevant CDI. Disease severity and laboratory interpretive comments influence treatment decisions for NAAT+/toxin- cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Y. Guh
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Scott Fridkin
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Georgia Emerging Infections Program, Decatur, Georgia
| | - Dana Goodenough
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Georgia Emerging Infections Program, Decatur, Georgia
- Atlanta Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia
| | - Lisa G. Winston
- University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California
| | - Helen Johnston
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, Colorado
| | | | - Danyel Olson
- Connecticut Emerging Infections Program, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | | | - Lauren Korhonen
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Dale N. Gerding
- Edward Hines, Jr., Veterans’ Affairs Hospital, Hines, Illinois
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Prosty C, Hanula R, Katergi K, Longtin Y, McDonald EG, Lee TC. Clinical Outcomes and Management of NAAT-Positive/Toxin-Negative Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clin Infect Dis 2024; 78:430-438. [PMID: 37648251 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Standalone nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are frequently used to diagnose Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI), although they may be unable to distinguish colonization from disease. A 2-stage algorithm pairing NAATs with toxin immunoassays (Toxin) may improve specificity. We evaluated clinical outcomes of patients who were NAAT+/Toxin+ versus NAAT+/Toxin- and treated versus untreated NAAT+/Toxin- cases through systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS We searched EMBASE and MEDLINE from inception to April 1, 2023 for articles comparing CDI outcomes among symptomatic patients tested by NAAT and Toxin tests. The risk differences (RD) of all-cause mortality and CDI recurrence were computed by random effects meta-analysis between patients who were NAAT+/Toxin+ and NAAT+/Toxin-, as well as between patients who were NAAT+/Toxin- and treated or untreated. RESULTS Twenty-six observational studies comprising 12 737 patients were included. The 30-day all-cause mortality was not significantly different between those who were NAAT+/Toxin+ (8.4%) and NAAT+/Toxin- (6.7%) (RD = 0.41%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -.67, 1.49). Recurrence at 60 days was significantly higher among patients who were NAAT+/Toxin+ (19.8%) versus NAAT+/Toxin- (11.0%) (RD = 7.65%, 95% CI = 4.60, 10.71). Among treated compared to untreated NAAT+/Toxin- cases, the all-cause 30-day mortalities were 5.0% and 12.7%, respectively (RD = -7.45%, 95% CI = -12.29, -2.60), but 60-day recurrence was not significantly different (11.6% vs 7.0%, respectively; RD = 5.25%, 95% CI -1.71, 12.22). CONCLUSIONS Treatment of patients who were NAAT+/Toxin- was associated with reduced all-cause mortality but not recurrence. Although subject to the inherent limitations of observational studies, these results suggest that some patients who are NAAT+/Toxin- may benefit from treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Prosty
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ryan Hanula
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Khaled Katergi
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Longtin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital Sir Mortimer B. Davis, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Emily G McDonald
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Clinical Practice Assessment Unit, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Todd C Lee
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Clinical Practice Assessment Unit, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, QC, Montréal, Canada
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5
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Markantonis JE, Fallon JT, Madan R, Alam MZ. Clostridioides difficile Infection: Diagnosis and Treatment Challenges. Pathogens 2024; 13:118. [PMID: 38392856 PMCID: PMC10891949 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the most important cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea in the United States. The high incidence and recurrence rates of C. difficile infection (CDI), associated with high morbidity and mortality, pose a public health challenge. Although antibiotics targeting C. difficile bacteria are the first treatment choice, antibiotics also disrupt the indigenous gut flora and, therefore, create an environment that is favorable for recurrent CDI. The challenge of treating CDI is further exacerbated by the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of C. difficile, placing it among the top five most urgent antibiotic resistance threats in the USA. The evolution of antibiotic resistance in C. difficile involves the acquisition of new resistance mechanisms, which can be shared among various bacterial species and different C. difficile strains within clinical and community settings. This review provides a summary of commonly used diagnostic tests and antibiotic treatment strategies for CDI. In addition, it discusses antibiotic treatment and its resistance mechanisms. This review aims to enhance our current understanding and pinpoint knowledge gaps in antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in C. difficile, with an emphasis on CDI therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E. Markantonis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; (J.E.M.); (J.T.F.)
| | - John T. Fallon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; (J.E.M.); (J.T.F.)
| | - Rajat Madan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
| | - Md Zahidul Alam
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; (J.E.M.); (J.T.F.)
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van Prehn J, Crobach MJT, Baktash A, Duszenko N, Kuijper EJ. Diagnostic Guidance for C. difficile Infections. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1435:33-56. [PMID: 38175470 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-42108-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) can be challenging. First of all, there has been debate on which of the two reference assays, cell cytotoxicity neutralization assay (CCNA) or toxigenic culture (TC), should be considered the gold standard for CDI detection. Although the CCNA suffers most from suboptimal storage conditions and subsequent toxin degradation, TC is reported to falsely increase CDI detection rates as it cannot differentiate CDI patients from patients asymptomatically colonised by toxigenic C. difficile. Several rapid assays are available for CDI detection and fall into three broad categories: (1) enzyme immunoassays for glutamate dehydrogenase, (2) enzyme immunoassays or single-molecule array assays for toxins A/B and (3) nucleic acid amplification tests detecting toxin genes. All three categories have their own limitations, being suboptimal specificity and/or sensitivity or the inability to discern colonised patients from CDI patients. In light of these limitations, multi-step algorithmic testing has been advocated by international guidelines (IDSA/SHEA and ESCMID) in order to optimize diagnostic accuracy. As a result, a survey performed in 2018-2019 in Europe revealed that most of all hospital sites reported using more than one test to diagnose CDI. CDI incidence rates are also influenced by sample selection criteria, as several studies have shown that if not all unformed stool samples are tested for CDI, many cases may be missed due to an absence of clinical suspicion. Since methods for diagnosing CDI remain imperfect, there has been a growing interest in alternative testing strategies like faecal microbiota biomarkers, immune modulating interleukins, cytokines and imaging methods. At the moment, these alternative methods might play an adjunctive role, but they are not suitable to replace conventional CDI testing strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joffrey van Prehn
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Centre for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- ESCMID Study Group for C. difficile (ESGCD) and Study Group for Host and Microbiota Interaction (ESGHAMI), Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Monique J T Crobach
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Centre for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Amoe Baktash
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Centre for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nikolas Duszenko
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Centre for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ed J Kuijper
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Centre for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
- ESCMID Study Group for C. difficile (ESGCD) and Study Group for Host and Microbiota Interaction (ESGHAMI), Basel, Switzerland
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Meng Y, Sun J, Zhang G. Fecal microbiota transplantation holds the secret to youth. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 212:111823. [PMID: 37192676 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Aging shows itself not just at the cellular level, with shortened telomeres and cell cycle arrest, but also at the organ and organismal level, with diminished brainpower, dry eyes, intestinal inflammation, muscular atrophy, wrinkles, etc. When the gut microbiota, often called the "virtual organ of the host," fails to function normally, it can lead to a cascade of health problems including, but not limited to, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, metabolic liver disease, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even neurological disorders. An effective strategy for restoring healthy gut bacteria is fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). It can reverse the effects of aging on the digestive system, the brain, and the vision by transplanting the functional bacteria found in the excrement of healthy individuals into the gut tracts of patients. This paves the way for future research into using the microbiome as a therapeutic target for disorders associated with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Meng
- Department of Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute. No. 44, Xiaoheyan road, Dadong district, Shenyang, 110042, China.
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Biobank, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute. No. 44, Xiaoheyan road, Dadong district, Shenyang, 110042, China
| | - Guirong Zhang
- Department of Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute. No. 44, Xiaoheyan road, Dadong district, Shenyang, 110042, China
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