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Background To evaluate nasal carriage, antibiotic susceptibility and molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as well as the risk factors of MRSA colonization, in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in northern Taiwan. Methods From September 2014 to November 2015, HIV-infected patients seeking outpatient care at four hospitals were eligible for this study. A nasal specimen was obtained from each subject for the detection of S. aureus and a questionnaire was completed by each subject. MRSA isolates once identified were characterized. Results Of 553 patients surveyed, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) was detected in 119 subjects (21.5%) and MRSA in 19 subjects (3.4%). Female gender, injection drug use, smoking, hepatitis C virus carrier, cancer and antibiotic use within 1 year were positively associated with MRSA colonization. By multivariate analysis, only cancer (adjust odds ratio (aOR) 7.78, [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.909–31.731]) and antibiotic use within 1 year (aOR 3.89, [95% CI, 1.219–12.433]) were significantly associated with MRSA colonization. Ten isolates were characterized as sequence type (ST) 59/staphylococcal chromosome cassette (SCC) IV or VT, endemic community strains in Taiwan, four isolates as ST 8/SCCmec IV (USA 300) and one isolate as ST 239/SCCmec IIIA, a hospital strain. All the community-associated MRSA isolates were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). Conclusions Nasal MRSA carriage in HIV-infected patients seeking outpatient care was low (3.4%) in northern Taiwan. Most of the colonizing isolates were genetically endemic community strains and exhibited high susceptibility to TMP-SMX and fluoroquinolones. Cancer and antibiotic use within 1 year were associated with MRSA colonization.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (Acb) complex has become an important cause of nosocomial pneumonia. Sulbactam is a β-lactamase inhibitor with antimicrobial activity against MDR Acb complex.To investigate outcomes of pneumonia involving MDR Acb complex treated with sulbactam or ampicillin/sulbactam for at least 7 days, we conducted a retrospective study of 173 adult patients over a 34 month period.Of 173 patients, 138 (79.8%) received combination therapy, mainly with carbapenems (119/138, 86.2%). The clinical response rate was 67.6% and the 30 day mortality rate was 31.2%. The independent predictors of clinical failure were malignancy, bilateral pneumonia and shorter duration of treatment. In patients with sulbactam-susceptible strains, there was no difference in clinical and microbiological outcome between combination therapy and monotherapy. Compared to the sulbactam-susceptible group, the sulbactam-resistant group had a lower rate of airway eradication, a longer duration of treatment and a higher rate of combination therapy with predominantly carbapenems (p0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in clinical resolution and 30 day mortality rates.Sulbactam could be a treatment option for pneumonia involving MDR Acb complex, and combination therapy with carbapenems could be considered for sulbactam-resistant cases.

A blood culture-guided review strategy was applied to a hospital-wide computerised antimicrobial approval system (HCAAS) at a medical centre in Taiwan. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of this deployment on prescribers' behaviours, antimicrobial consumption, antimicrobial expenditure and healthcare quality in adult intensive care units (ICUs). The HCAAS automatically identifies patients with positive blood cultures and notifies the pre-assigned infectious diseases (ID) physicians for an online second review of the current antimicrobial regimen. Patients from 16 adult ICUs were selected as a focus group. Descriptive analysis, McNemar's test, interrupted time-series analysis and univariate regression analysis were applied. The number of prescriptions assigned for second review increased from 304 in 2010 to 682 in 2012. The approval rate for the antimicrobial regimen in the second review exceeded 70%. In disapproved cases, prescribers accepted the recommendation from ID physicians in 66.1% of cases in the first year; the acceptance rate increased to 80.6% in 2012. Among the restricted antimicrobial agents, consumption gradients decreased for all eight drug classes. The overall antimicrobial expenditure gradient declined significantly following deployment of the second review strategy. The healthcare-associated infection rate continued to decrease over time, and the mortality and ICU re-admission rates remained stable after deployment. A blood culture-guided review of antimicrobial use based on clinical and microbiological evidence improves accuracy in choosing appropriate antimicrobial agents and encourages de-escalation. Consumption and expenditure gradients of antimicrobial agents decreased after the intervention, and healthcare quality was not compromised.

Summary Background Serratia marcescens is an important nosocomial pathogen causing significant outbreaks. Here we report an outbreak of bloodstream infection caused by S. marcescens at a 3500-bed hospital in Taiwan. The effective cooperative efforts of both laboratory personnel and infection control practitioners (ICPs) jointly contributed to the total control of the outbreak. Methods A sudden increase in the isolation of S. marcescens from blood cultures was noted in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. The information was passed to the ICPs and an investigation was initiated. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to study the relationships among the isolates. Results Pulsotype A was identified in 43 (82.7%) of the 52 blood isolates studied. They were isolated from 52 patients distributed across 22 wards that were surveyed by seven ICPs. All patients had undergone surgery before the infection, and fentanyl-containing intravenous fluids were used for pain control in 43 of them. Isolates from 42 belonged to pulsotype A. Three S. marcescens isolates, all from fentanyl-containing fluids and demonstrating pulsotype A, were identified from 251 environmental cultures. All fentanyl-containing fluids that were in use were withdrawn and the outbreak was stopped. Conclusions The outbreak of S. marcescens bloodstream infection apparently occurred through the use of fentanyl-containing fluids contaminated by a pulsotype A S. marcescens .

Multi-drug-resistant organisms are increasingly recognized as a global public health issue. Healthcare-associated infection and antimicrobial resistance are also current challenges to the treatment of infectious diseases in Taiwan. Government health policies and the health care systems play a crucial role in determining the efficacy of interventions to contain antimicrobial resistance. National commitment to understand and address the problem is prerequisite. We analyzed and reviewed the antibiotic resistance related policies in Taiwan, USA, WHO and draft antimicrobial stewardship program to control effectively antibiotic resistance and spreading in Taiwan. Antimicrobial stewardship program in Taiwan includes establishment of national inter-sectoral antimicrobial stewardship task force, implementing antimicrobial-resistance management strategies, surveillance of HAI and antimicrobial resistance, conducting hospital infection control, enforcement of appropriate regulations and audit of antimicrobial use through hospital accreditation, inspection and national health insurance payment system. No action today, no cure tomorrow. Taiwan CDC would take a multifaceted, evidence-based approach and make every effort to combat antimicrobial resistance with stakeholders to limit the spread of multi-drug resistant strains and to reduce the generation of antibiotic resistant bacteria in Taiwan.

Background/Purpose: To understand the resistance patterns of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) in Taiwan, antimicrobial resistance of clinical isolates was determined as part of the SMART (Surveillance from Multicenter Antimicrobial Resistance in Taiwan) program. Methods: During the period from January 2002 to December 2003, clinical isolates were collected from eight hospitals located on the west side of Taiwan and one reference laboratory. Broth microdilution minimum inhibitory concentrations of 11 antimicrobial agents were determined for 312 clinical isolates of RGM, including the Mycobacterium fortuitum group (110 isolates), Mycobacterium abscessus group (168 isolates), and Mycobacterium chelonae group (34 isolates). Results: Nearly all of the RGM were susceptible to amikacin and ofloxacin (≥90%) and resistant to doxycycline (＜3% susceptible). Tobramycin showed similar in vitro activity against the M. fortuitum and M. chelonae (77%) groups, but was less active against the M. abscessus group (58%). Ciprofloxacin was active mainly against M. fortuitum (95%). Nearly all RGM were resistant to erythromycin and doxycycline. However, around half of the RGM isolates remained susceptible to minocycline (50-54%). Clarithromycin was active against the M. abscessus group (53% susceptible), with a high rate of resistance in the M. chelonae (38% susceptible) and M. fortuitum (15% susceptible) group. Cefoxitin was more active against the M. fortuitum group (65%) than the other two RGM (40-44%), and ＜40% of the RGM isolates remained susceptible to imipenem (21-38%). Conclusion: The resistance of RGM in Taiwan is not as high as previously reported (notably for tobramycin, ciprofloxacin and cefoxitin), but reduction in the susceptibility rates of clarithromycin and imipenem for the M. fortuitum and M. abscessus groups demonstrates the importance of in vitro susceptibility testing of clinically important isolates, as susceptibility may differ in different geographical areas, even regionally, and over time. [J Formos Med Assoc 2008; 107(4):281-287]

The Taiwanese government has provided free highly active antiretroviral therapy since April 1997. Previously, we have reported on the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Taiwan from 1988 to 1998. In addition, an outbreak of circulating recombinant form (CRF) 07_BC among intravenous drug users was noted in 2004. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to elucidate the distribution of HIV-1 subtypes among different high-risk groups in Taiwan from 1999 to 2000 and to conduct surveillance on drug resistance among treatment naïve patients from 1997 to 2000. Blood samples from 239 HIV-1/AIDS patients and their subtypes were examined using DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that among 226 male patients, 213 (94.2%) had subtype B, 11 (4.9%) had CRF01_AE, 1 had unique recombinant strain related to both CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC (strain T12-99TW) and 1 had CRF08_BC (strain L9312-00TW). The patients infected with T12-99TW and L9312-00TW were intravenous drug users and had needle-sharing experiences in Yunnan Province, China. Of the 13 HIV-1-infected females, 7 (53.8%) had subtype B, 5 (38.5%) had CRF01_AE, and 1 (7.7%) had subtype C. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the neither strain T12-99TW nor L9312-00TW clustered with CRF07_BC strains isolated from Taiwanese intravenous drug users in 2004. In addition, 126 treatment naïve patients were selected for genotypic DR analysis and the results showed that 4.3% (2/47) homosexual males had M184V mutations. This is the first report on the identification of CRF08_BC and a unique recombinant strain related to both CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC in Taiwan.

Background/Purpose Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. massiliense (a subspecies of the M. abscessus complex) is a rare causative agent of surgical site infection after cesarean section (C section). We tried to seek the common source of infection and unravel the optimal treatment modalities. Methods From September 2009 to October 2012, four postpartum women developed C-section wound infections caused by M. massiliense. Speciation of the four isolates was identified using of hsp65 , rpoB , and secA1 partial gene sequencing and the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. The erm (41) and rrl genes were detected for the possibility of inducible macrolide resistance. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used as a tool of molecular epidemiology. All patients underwent intensive intravenous and oral antimycobacterial regimens. Of these patients, three underwent debridement at least once. Results All four isolates were identified as M. abscessus subsp. massiliense . All of the isolates harbored a truncated erm (41) gene without rrl gene mutations, which explains the susceptibility to clarithromycin and azithromycin. Three isolates were indistinguishable by DNA strain typing, and the fourth strain was clonal with the other three strains. Their infections were not improved in spite of teicoplanin treatment initially. These patients underwent antimycobacterial regimens with/without surgery and were all cured. Discussion Teicoplanin treatment failure, painful cutaneous nodules, and persistent wound drainage alerted us to the possibility of nontuberculous mycobacterial skin and soft tissue infection. Accurate identification of subspecies, detection of drug resistance genes, susceptibility testing, and optimal antimycobacterial agents with/without surgical debridement are warranted for successful treatment.

Taking antibiotics in strict adherence to physician prescriptions is crucial for maintaining the stability of the drug concentration in the blood and for achieving the best therapeutic effects. The increasing antimicrobial resistance in recent decades has led the Ministry of Health and Welfare to promote the rational use of antibiotics and the use of a computer monitoring system to control the use of antibiotics in hospitals. Although non-adherence is considered as the major factor contributing to antimicrobial resistance, patient non-adherence to antibiotic prescriptions is an issue that has been largely overlooked. This paper explores this issue due to the serious threat from antimicrobial resistance and the few studies that have investigated patient adherence to antibiotic treatments for acute infections in Taiwan.The aims of the study include: (1) describe patient's adherence to antibiotic therapy for acute infections and (2) explore the potential factors of influence on antibiotic adherence such as demographics, disease characteristics, and knowledge of antibiotic treatment.The study used a descriptive correlational design. A convenience sample of 162 patients with acute infections was recruited from outpatient infectious disease clinics in Taoyuan City. Data were collected using the study questionnaire and analyzed using the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression.The study results showed that only 40.1% of patients followed their prescription to take antibiotics completely. The remainder earned lower scores than their prescription-adhering counterparts for knowledge regarding the effects of antibiotics (U = 2654.5, p = .046). Results of logistic regression showed that knowledge regarding the effects of antibiotics was the most significant predictor (B = .481, p = .046) of adherence to antibiotic therapies.Non-adherence to prescriptions is prevalent in short-term antibiotic treatments prescribed for acute infections. This finding reminds healthcare providers to provide proper education to the recipients of antibiotic treatments, even those treated for a very short duration for acute infections in outpatient settings. Special attention should be pay to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of patients for the therapeutic effects of antibiotics.急性感染病人抗生素服藥遵從性及其影響因素之研究服用抗生素的時間和劑量要符合醫師處方才能維持穩定的藥物血中濃度，進而發揮最佳滅菌或抑菌的效果與減少產生細菌抗藥性的機會。有鑑於抗藥性菌種問題日益嚴重，衛生服利部在醫院中積極推動抗生素使用的合理性、電腦管制抗生素的使用量等，卻忽略了門診病人在抗生素的使用上是否正確，國外研究顯示抗生素服藥不遵從是導致抗藥性菌種問題的主因之一，然而台灣關於抗生素服藥遵從性的研究少，且抗藥性菌種問題嚴重，故引發作者探討感染科門診就診之急性感染病人服用抗生素的遵從性及其影響因素之動機，以作為日後改善抗生素服藥遵從性的參考。本研究目的為(1)描述急性感染門診病人服用抗生素的遵從情形，(2)探討影響服用抗生素遵從性的因素，包括人口學、疾病特性與抗生素服藥知識。採描述性相關研究設計，以因急性感染服用抗生素之門診病人為研究對象，採方便取樣，共招募162位符合收案條件之病人參與本研究，以結構式問卷進行資料收集，以Chi-square test、Mann-Whitney U test和logistic regression進行資料分析。研究結果顯示因急性感染接受抗生素短期治療之門診病人按醫囑服用抗生素的遵從度不高，在平均5天的抗生素療程中，僅有40.1%的病人完全遵從醫囑服用抗生素。不遵從者在抗生素效果面向的知識得分較遵從者低（U = 2654.5, p = .046）。邏輯式回歸結果顯示抗生素效果面向的知識為不遵從服藥的重要預測子（B = .481, p = .046）。不同於醫護人員的預期，因急性感染接受短期抗生素治療的病人，未遵從醫囑服藥的情形是很普遍的。此一發現提醒醫護人員即便是治療因急性感染短期接受抗生素治療之門診病人，亦應加強抗生素相關衛教，特別是抗生素效果面向有關的抗生素知識，進而增加病人之服藥遵從性。

This study investigated the relationships between lymphocyte subsets and viral load in AIDS patients with and without major depression. During a 7-year period, a total of 60 male hospitalized AIDS patients were recruited in this study. The diagnosis of major depression in patients was made by the same psychiatrist according to the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders criteria. All patients had data for CD4, CD8 and CD4/CD8, and only 42 patients had viral load data. Of 60 AIDS patients, 32 patients had received highly active antiretroviral therapy and received subsequent assessment of lymphocyte cell counts 1 month later. Using ancova with age adjustment, the authors found that patients with major depression (n = 22) had significantly lower CD8 cell counts than patients without major depression (n = 38). However, CD4 cell counts and CD4/CD8 ratios were not significantly different between these two groups. In addition, there was no significant difference in viral load between patients with major depression (n = 16) and patients without major depression (n = 26). Of 32 patients received highly active antiretroviral therapy, 14 patients with an antidepressant (e.g. fluoxetine 20 mg/day) had significantly decreased CD4 and not CD8 cell counts and significantly reduced CD4/CD8 ratios during a period of 1 month. In conclusion, these results suggest that AIDS patients with major depression had significantly lower CD8 cell counts and might have a more severe inflammation/immunity reaction than patients without major depression.

This study evaluated the current status of antimicrobial resistance in clinical isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes in Taiwan as part of the SMART (Surveillance from Multicenter Antimicrobial Resistance in Taiwan) program. In 2001, 419 different isolates of S. pyogenes , including 275 from respiratory secretions, 87 from wound pus, and 31 from blood, were collected from nine hospitals in different parts of Taiwan. MICs of 23 antimicrobial agents were determined at a central location by the agar dilution method. All of the isolates were susceptible to penicillin (MIC at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited [MIC 90 ], ≤0.03 μg/ml), cefotaxime (MIC 90 , ≤0.03 μg/ml), cefepime (MIC 90 , 0.06 μg/ml), meropenem (MIC 90 , ≤0.03 μg/ml), moxifloxacin (MIC 90 , 0.25 μg/ml), vancomycin (MIC 90 , 0.5 μg/ml), and linezolid (MIC 90 , 1 μg/ml). Overall, 78% of isolates were not susceptible to erythromycin (54% were intermediate, and 24% were resistant), and 5% were not susceptible to clindamycin. Of the 101 erythromycin-resistant isolates, 80.2% exhibited the M phenotype ( mefA gene positive), 18.9% exhibited the cMLS (constitutive resistance to macrolides-lincosamides-streptogramin B [MLS]) phenotype ( ermB gene positive), and 1% exhibited the iMLS (inducible resistance to MLS) phenotype ( ermB gene positive). Fluoroquinolones (sitafloxacin > moxifloxacin > ciprofloxacin = levofloxacin = gatifloxacin > gemifloxacin) demonstrated potent activity against nearly all of the isolates of S. pyogenes tested. Thirty-two isolates (8%) were not susceptible to quinupristin-dalfopristin. Seventeen percent of isolates had telithromycin MICs of ≥1 μg/ml, and all of these isolates exhibited erythromycin MICs of ≥32 μg/ml. The high prevalence of resistance to telithromycin (which is not available in Taiwan) limits its potential use in the treatment of S. pyogenes infections, particularly in areas with high rates of macrolide resistance.

There is a high prevalence of β-lactam- and macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Taiwan. To understand the in vitro susceptibilities of recent isolates of S. pneumoniae to fluoroquinolones and telithromycin (which is not available in Taiwan), the MICs of 23 antimicrobial agents for 936 clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae isolated from different parts of Taiwan from 2000 to 2001 were determined by the agar dilution method. Overall, 72% of isolates were not susceptible to penicillin (with 61% being intermediate and 11% being resistant) and 92% were resistant to erythromycin. Telithromycin MICs were ≥1 μg/ml for 16% of the isolates, and for 99% of these isolates the MICs of all macrolides tested were ≥256 μg/ml; all of these isolates had the constitutive macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B phenotype. Eighty-eight percent of the isolates were resistant to three or more classes of drugs. The ciprofloxacin MICs were ≥4 μg/ml for six (0.6%) isolates from five patients collected in 2000 and 2001, and the levofloxacin MICs were ≥8 μg/ml for five of these isolates. Seven isolates for which ciprofloxacin MICs were ≥4 μg/ml, including one isolate recovered in 1999, belonged to three serotypes (serotype 19F, five isolates; serotype 23A, one isolate; and serotype 23B, one isolate). The isolates from the six patients for which ciprofloxacin MICs were ≥4 μg/ml had different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles and random amplified polymorphic DNA patterns, indicating that no clonal dissemination occurred over this time period. Despite the increased rate of fluoroquinolone use, the proportion of pneumococcal isolates for which ciprofloxacin MICs were elevated (≥4 μg/ml) remained low. However, the occurrence of telithromycin resistance is impressive and raises concerns for the future.

Objective: From October 1996 to March 1997, a cluster of 11 cases of neonatal sepsis caused by Enterobacter cloacae with similar antimicrobial susceptibility patterns occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit. This outbreak prompted an investigation. Method: Twelve isolates obtained from 6 neonatal patients who developed E cloacae sepsis during the outbreak were analyzed. Four E cloacae isolates from 2 preterm neonates without E cloacae infection on the same ward, and 1 isolate from the hands of a nurse, were also examined. No E cloacae were isolated from the environment. Bacterial DNA digested with Xba I or Not I was analyzed with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Result: Three distinct banding patterns were identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Of the 6 preterm infants with sepsis, strain I was identified in 1, strain II in 2, a mixed infection of strains I and II in 2, and strain III was found in only 1 infant. An isolate from the hands of a nurse was identified as strain II , as were the 4 isolates from the 2 preterm neonates without E cloacae infection. Thus, this outbreak of sepsis was caused by 2 genotypes of E cloacae . Conclusion: This study demonstrates that pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with restriction enzyme digestion is a valuable tool for genetic characterization of multidrug-resistant E cloacae strains during outbreaks. (Am J Infect Control 2002;30:381-5)

Acinetobacter baumannii was considered endemic in a university-affiliated tertiary hospital. A significant increase was noted in the proportion of nosocomial infections associated with this micro-organism from 1996 to 1999, although no apparent clusters could be found. Between July 1998 and February 2000, 58 nosocomial isolates of A. baumannii were collected and characterized by antibiotyping and a genotyping method, infrequent-restriction-site PCR (IRS-PCR). High resistance to the 14 antimicrobial agents examined was observed among the isolates. Of the 13 antibiograms detected, eight were multi-resistant to gentamicin and almost all of the traditional and extended-spectrum β-lactams. These multi-resistant strains consisted of 41 isolates (71%), distributed amongst different wards and intensive care units (ICUs). By IRS-PCR, 23 types were obtained, with one major type found among 28 (48%) isolates. All of these 28 isolates were collected from surgical ICUs. It appears that a single strain of multi-resistant A. baumannii was responsible for the prevalence of nosocomial infection amongst surgical patients, clearly differentiating this outbreak from the previous endemic situation. An efficient molecular typing method played a vital role in making this discrimination.

Between August 1996 and July 1997, 550 clinically significant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were collected from 14 geographically separate laboratories in Taiwan. These isolates were serotyped and MICs were determined by agar dilution. Among serotypes covered by the 23-valent vaccine, types 19F, 19A, 23F, 23A and 6B dominated, comprising 255 isolates; among non-vaccine serotypes, types 35, 39, 34, 13 and 31 dominated, comprising 118 isolates. Of the 550 isolates, 310 (56.4%) were resistant to penicillin G (MIC ≥ 0.12 mg/L), 238 (43.3%) with intermediate resistance (MIC 0.12-1 mg/L) and 72 (13.1%) with high-level resistance (MIC ≥ 2 mg/L). Most non-susceptible pneumococci were of serotypes 19F and 23F; non-susceptible isolates of these serotypes were distributed across all of Taiwan. Fourteen other antibiotics were tested; 83% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, 78% to azithromycin, 74% to erythromycin, 54% to clindamycin and 23% to chloramphenicol. Thus, macrolides can no longer be used as first line agents to treat pneumococcal infections in Taiwan. Multi-resistance (isolates resistant to three or more chemically unrelated antibiotics) was found in each serotype or group, but mostly in types 19F and 23F. The emergence of such strains complicates antibiotic selection, but both types are covered by the 23-valent vaccine, as were 82% of the isolates from blood and eight of the nine from cerebrospinal fluid. Good antibiotic control and appropriate use of this vaccine may improve the current problem in Taiwan, especially for the elderly.

During a 5-month period, 17 infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units of a medical center and a branch hospital developed 18 episodes of Candida parapsilosis fungemia. The mean age at onset was 35 days. Prior to fungemia, all the infants had received hyperalimentation and antibiotics, and 15 infants had had central venous catheters. The presenting symptoms were variable but only vague in 40% of the episodes. Despite administration of antifungal agents, subsequent eradication of fungemia was achieved in only two-thirds of the episodes. None of the environmental samples was positive for C. parapsilosis, while 20% of hand-washing samples of staff working in both units yielded this microorganism. Four genotypes with two main types were identified from 14 outbreak strains and eight genotypes from 14 hand-washing strains, with one type predominant. The results suggest that C. parapsilosis fungemia increases the morbidity and mortality of neonates but does not cause acute lethal events. The outbreak was caused by two main genotypes, possibly via cross-infection by the hands of health care workers.

During a 4-month period, 9 premature infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) developed Candida albicans fungaemia. All 9 infants received antifungal agents. Fluconazole was administered in 7 patients and successfully eradicated this organism in 6 with no adverse effects. For epidemiological investigation, 64 environmental specimens and hand-washings of all 54 staff members involved in the NICU were examined for the presence of this organism. No C. albicans could be identified from environmental sources, while the hand-washing of 1 nurse was C. albicans-positive. Two genotyping methods, including electrophoretic karyotyping using contour-clamped homogeneous electric field gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction-based direct sequencing of rRNA gene, were used in the analysis of the isolates recovered from blood cultures of the infants, the hand-washing of the nurse and 7 control isolates. Both methods yielded comparable results and revealed that all 13 isolates from infected infants as well as the isolate from hand washing of the nurse were of the same genotype while the control isolates were distinct. These results suggest that the outbreak of C. albicans fungaemia was caused by a particular strain and possibly via cross-infection. In addition, we showed that fluconazole seemed to be safe and effective in treating C. albicans fungaemia in neonates, although the data were limited.

A patient with end stage breast cancer was admitted to hospital due to fever, chills, multiply eroded discharging wounds, and sudden onset of left hemiparesis. Clostridium septicum bacteremia and brain abscess were diagnosed. The patient was treated successfully with intravenous penicillin and clindamycin and stereotactic aspiration of the abscess. Eleven cases of C. septicum central nervous system infection are reviewed. They showed an extremely fulminant course and high fatality. Nevertheless, some relationship seems to exist between outcome and type of brain lesion. Hemolytic-uremic syndrome associated with central nervous system infection is also discussed, because all these cases in the literature were due to this organism. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, including surgical drainage and appropriate antibiotics, are the key to improving the prognosis. A long-term prophylactic oral antimicrobial agent is suggested for patients who survive this infection.

The significance of candiduria remains unclear. We correlated Candida albicans candidemia with candiduria by molecular genotyping. 33 pairs of concurrent blood and urine C. albicans isolates from 31 adult (≥ 18 years) were genotyped with infrequent-restriction-site PCR. The molecular concordance rates of three major genotypes were 100% for I, 82% for II, and 71% for III. The molecular concordance between concurrent C. albicans candidemia and candiduria was frequent. Our findings substantiate the importance of candiduria in appropriate clinical context as the majority of our patients were from intensive care units.

Introduction Mycobacterium marinum causes skin and soft tissue, bone and joint, and rare disseminated infections. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between treatment outcome and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. A total of 27 patients with M. marinum infections were enrolled. Methods Data on clinical characteristics and therapeutic methods were collected and analyzed. We also determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations of 7 antibiotics against 30 isolates from these patients. Results Twenty-seven patients received antimycobacterial agents with or without surgical debridement. Eighteen patients were cured, 8 failed to respond to treatment, and one was lost to follow-up. The duration of clarithromycin (147 vs. 28; p = 0.0297), and rifampicin (201 vs. 91; p = 0.0266) treatment in the cured patients was longer than that in the others. Surgical debridement was performed in 10 out of the 18 cured patients, and in 1 of another group (p = 0.0417). All the 30 isolates were susceptible to clarithromycin, amikacin, and linezolid; 29 (96.7%) were susceptible to ethambutol; 28 (93.3%) were susceptible to sulfamethoxazole; and 26 (86.7%) were susceptible to rifampicin. However, only 1 (3.3%) isolate was susceptible to doxycycline. Discussion Early diagnosis of the infection and appropriate antimicrobial therapy with surgical debridement are the mainstays of successful treatment. Clarithromycin and rifampin are supposed to be more effective agents.

Summary Objectives To investigate the clinical implication and prognostic predictors of tigecycline treatment for pneumonia involving multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB). Methods A retrospective observational study over a 32-month period for adult patients receiving tigecycline treatment at least 7 days for pneumonia involving MDRAB. Results We reviewed 112 patients with 116 episodes of tigecycline-treated pneumonia involving MDRAB. The mean age was 70.8 years. The mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was 21.7. Seventy episodes (60.3%) had clinical resolution. The episodes with monomicrobial MDRAB pneumonia had a significantly lower clinical resolution rate than polymicrobial pneumonia (14/31, 45.2% vs. 56/85, 65.9%; p = 0.044). The independent predictors for failure of clinical resolution were female gender, malignancy, bilateral pneumonia, monomicrobial pneumonia, and higher APHCHE II scores. Forty-two episodes (36.2%) had the 30-day mortality, and the only independent predictor was deterioration of pneumonia on chest radiographs. Conclusions A high disease severity, bilateral pneumonia, and monomicrobial MDRAB pneumonia predicted failure of clinical resolution, and deterioration of pneumonia predicted mortality. MDRAB in monomicrobial pneumonia was the most certain to be causal. The clinical resolution rate from such pneumonia might reflect the ultimate efficacy of tigecycline in treating MDRAB pneumonia and the overall efficacy might be overestimated.

Antibiotic stewardship is important to address the problem of antimicrobial resistance, but a practical and sustainable strategy to provide stewardship in a large hospital setting is lacking. We developed a hospital-wide computerised antimicrobial approval system (HCAAS) to guide the use of antimicrobial agents in late 2004 in a 3500-bed medical centre in Taiwan. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of HCAAS on the hospital from 2003 to 2009. Following HCAAS deployment, the gradients of consumption over time during the study period of third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and glycopeptides fell significantly, whilst that of carbapenems increased. The amount and expenditure of antimicrobial use did not increase with the overall healthcare-associated infection rate, and inpatient mortality rate remained stable with a slight decreasing trend. The rate of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus started to decline in 2002 and continued after HCAAS deployment. There was an increasing isolation of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, presumably leading to the increased use of carbapenems. The isolation rate of Clostridium difficile from patients who developed diarrhoea after antimicrobial therapy did not change over the years, with a mean annual rate of 10.0% after the implementation of HCAAS. HCAAS along with strict infection control measures is necessary to reduce the spread of resistant organisms within the hospital. HCAAS is a sustainable system for providing antibiotic stewardship and exerts a positive impact on the hospital by reducing antimicrobial consumption and expenditure whilst not compromising healthcare quality.

Background Multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) is an important nosocomial pathogen usually susceptible to carbapenems; however, growing number of imipenem resistant MDRAB (IR-MDRAB) poses further clinical challenge. The study was designed to identify the risk factors for appearance of IR-MDRAB on patients formerly with imipenem susceptible MDRAB (IS-MDRAB) and the impact on clinical outcomes. Methodology/Principal Findings A retrospective case control study was carried out for 209 consecutive episodes of IS-MDRAB infection or colonization from August 2001 to March 2005. Forty-nine (23.4%) episodes with succeeding clinical isolates of IR-MDRAB were defined as the cases and 160 (76.6%) with all subsequent clinical isolates of IS-MDRAB were defined as the controls. Quantified antimicrobial selective pressure, “time at risk”, severity of illness, comorbidity, and demographic data were incorporated for multivariate analysis, which revealed imipenem or meropenem as the only significant independent risk factor for the appearance of IR-MDRAB (adjusted OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.27). With selected cases and controls matched to exclude exogenous source of IR-MDRAB, multivariate analysis still identified carbapenem as the only independent risk factor (adjusted OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.92). Case patients had a higher crude mortality rate compared to control patients (57.1% vs. 31.3%, p = 0.001), and the mortality of case patients was associated with shorter duration of “time at risk”, i.e., faster appearance of IR-MDRAB (adjusted OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.83 to 0.98). Conclusions/Significance Judicious use of carbapenem with deployment of antibiotics stewardship measures is critical for reducing IR-MDRAB and the associated unfavorable outcome.

Objectives: Mycobacterium kansasii causes a variety of infections. Although previous reports on the prognosis of antimicrobial therapy have been mostly satisfactory, problems involving treatment failure or relapse have been encountered. The purpose of this study was to establish a relationship between the clinical treatment outcomes of M. kansasii infections and bacterial drug susceptibility, and their clonality. Methods: A total of 37 M. kansasii clinical isolates and clinical information on 34 patients were retrospectively collected in a tertiary medical centre in Taiwan. Bacterial drug susceptibility was determined by the microdilution method. The phylogenetic relationship was analysed by PFGE analysis. Results: Results of PFGE typing revealed a major cluster (cluster I) and eight other divergent patterns. Two/three strains leading to treatment failure were also multidrug resistant and belonged to cluster I. Conclusions: A relationship between high drug resistance and genetic relatedness of some M. kansasii strains was established. This was associated with clinical treatment failure.

Several rickettsioses are endemic in Taiwan. They are under-reported not only because of ignorance but also due to difficulty in recognition caused by their nonspecific manifestations, which overlap with other acute febrile illnesses. We conducted a retrospective study to delineate distinctive clinical features of rickettsiosis, in order to develop a system for differential diagnosis of rickettsiosis.Patients admitted to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan, Taiwan, with suspected rickettsiosis during the period from January 2004 to May 2006 were included. Clinical suspicion was based on the presence of acute fever with eschar formation, relevant contact history, poor response to broad-spectrum empiric antibacterial therapy, unexplained thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, or abnormal liver biochemistry, or unexplained major organ involvement. Serum samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan, for serologic diagnosis of the 3 rickettsioses endemic to Taiwan - scrub typhus (Tsutsugamushi's disease), murine typhus (endemic typhus) and Q fever. Serologically confirmed and excluded cases were compared for signs and symptoms, risk factors, laboratory findings and response to treatment.Among 138 suspected cases, 88 were excluded from the study because of incomplete serological tests or insufficient information, 28 were confirmed to have one of the 3 rickettsioses and 22 were negative for all of them. Distinct features among confirmed cases, compared to controls, were eschar formation, relevant contact history, and presence of atypical lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Normal or low leukocyte count, thrombocytopenia and relative bradycardia were not significant in predicting diagnosis. We propose a predictive system for tentative diagnosis of rickettsiosis based on relevant clinical attributes. This system has a positive predictive value of 80% and a negative predictive value of 100%.The predictive scoring system may allow institution of appropriate treatment for rickettsiosis in a more timely manner. However, a low probability of diagnosis should prompt vigorous search for other etiologies.

Influenza infection poses annual threats and leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment. Laboratory-based diagnosis has various limitations. Diagnosis based on symptoms or signs is still indispensable in clinical practice. We investigated the symptoms or signs associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza.A prospective study across 2 influenza seasons was performed from June 2010 to June 2012 at 2 branches (Taipei and Lin-Kou) of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Patients who visited outpatient clinics with suspected acute respiratory tract infection were sampled by throat swab or nasopharyngeal swab. RT-PCR and/or virus culture were used as a reference standard. We used logistic regression to identify the symptoms or signs associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. We also evaluated the performance metrics of different influenza-like illness used in Taiwan, the USA, and WHO.A total of 158 patients were included in the study. The prevalence of influenza infection was 45% (71/158). Fever, cough, rhinorrhea, sneezing, and nasal congestion were significant predictors for influenza infection. Whereas fever + cough had a best sensitivity (86%; confidence interval [CI] 76%-93%), fever + cough and sneezing had a best specificity (77%; CI 62%-88%). Different case definitions of influenza-like illness had comparable accuracy in sensitivity and specificity.Clinical diagnosis based on symptoms and signs is useful for allocating resources, identifying those who may benefit from early antiviral therapy and providing valuable information for surveillance purpose.

Carbapenems are considered the drugs of choice for the treatment of serious infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella and Escherichia coli. However, controversy exists about the antibiotic choice for infections due to ESBL-producing organisms of other genera.This retrospective study evaluated the risk factors and outcomes of 54 adult patients with bacteremia due to ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae other than Klebsiella spp. or E. coli treated at a tertiary care hospital in northern Taiwan from January 2001-December 2003. Patients were categorized into carbapenem (n = 22) and non-carbapenem (n = 32) treatment groups. All patients had at least one positive blood culture together with fever or other clinical features compatible with systemic infection.Higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, glucocorticoid use, and presentation of septic shock were significant risk factors for mortality (p0.05). Patients treated with a carbapenem had a better 14-day or overall survival rate (i.e., survived to discharge) than those treated with non-carbapenem antibiotics, although this difference was not significant. Among patients in the non-carbapenem group, the overall survival rates of ciprofloxacin, aminoglycoside, and ceftazidime were 70% (14/20), 62.5% (5/8), and 50% (2/4), respectively (p=0.877). The overall survival rates of the carbapenem (72.7%) and ciprofloxacin (70.0%) groups were similar.The results suggest that ciprofloxacin, when indicated based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing, may serve as an alternative choice for infections caused by ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae other than E. coli or Klebsiella spp. and may not affect the clinical outcome at discharge.

An increasing incidence of group B streptococcus (GBS) infection in non-pregnant adults has been noted in recent years. To understand the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcome of GBS bacteremia in non-pregnant adults, we conducted a retrospective study at a tertiary teaching hospital in Taiwan.This retrospective analysis included 94 non-pregnant adults (age/=18 years) with GBS bacteremia hospitalized between January 2001 and December 2003.The incidence of GBS bacteremia increased from 0.16 cases/1000 admissions in 2001 to 0.30 cases/1000 admissions in 2003 (p=0.017, chi-squared test for trend). The mean age of patients was 64.7 +/- 1.39 years. At least 1 underlying systemic disease was found in 81% of patients, with the most frequent being malignancy (43.6%), diabetes mellitus (42.6%), and liver cirrhosis (16%). The 2 major clinical syndromes were primary bacteremia (34%) and soft tissue infection (31.9%). The overall mortality rate was 20.2%. Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the 2 most common concurrently isolated bloodstream pathogens. Polymicrobial bacteremia, thrombocytopenia, and shock were independent risk factors for mortality in GBS bacteremia.The increasing incidence of GBS bacteremia is noteworthy, especially among patients with invasive infections. These infections are also responsible for substantial mortality in elderly patients with underlying diseases. Susceptibility testing indicated that penicillin G remains the drug of choice for GBS bacteremia.

We report on a 65-year-old man who presented with a 1-month history of aggravating backache and low-grade fever. He suddenly became paraplegic (Frankel B). Muscle power was grade 0 approximately 1 over the bilateral lower limbs. X-ray films showed disc space narrowing and end-plate blurring at the T9 approximately T11 and L4 approximately L5 levels. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an infectious lesion at T9 approximately T11 and another at L4 approximately L5. An emergent operation was performed under the impression of pyogenic spondylitis with spinal cord compression. The patient showed a significant recovery (Frankel D) after the thoracic and lumbar spinal surgeries. Pyogenic spondylitis usually presents as a vertebra-disc-vertebra lesion spreads to the contiguous vertebra-disc-vertebra unit. The current patient had pyogenic spondylitis with coexistent thoracic and lumbar lesions. This kind of skip lesion is common in spinal malignant metastasis, but rare in spinal infections. Awareness of the possibility of multiple lesions or skip lesions will facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

There were 40 cases of Achromobacter xylosoxidans bacteremia during a 6-year period in a medical center in northern Taiwan. Males outnumbered females (72.5% vs 27.5%). Common underlying diseases and conditions in these 40 bacteremic patients were malignancies (57.5%), central venous catheter implants (55%), surgery (35%), neutropenia (30%) and use of steroids (25%). Recurrent bacteremia occurred in 4 patients (10%), all of whom had a central venous catheter implant which was considered the most probable source of infection. More than one-quarter (27.5%) of the cases were community acquired. The mortality rate due to A. xylosoxidans bacteremia was 47.5%. Risk factors significantly associated with mortality were nosocomial acquisition and polymicrobial bacteremia. Disk susceptibility testing showed that these isolates were resistant to aminoglycosides and most cephalosporins but were susceptible to piperacillin, imipenem, ceftazidime and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

Tuberculous (TB) pericarditis is a rare but life-threatening form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The diagnostic strategy and optimal therapy for TB pericarditis are not well established. We retrospectively analyzed the diagnostic data, clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome in a total of 19 patients with TB pericarditis treated from January 1988 to July 2002. Based on the finding of echocardiography, 8 of these patients were classified as having early stage and 11 as having advanced-stage disease. There were 15 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 65 years (range, 34 to 80 years). All patients received antituberculosis chemotherapy, and all but 2 underwent at least 1 of the following procedures: pericardiocentesis and biopsy, pericardial window placement, and pericardiectomy. None of the patients received corticosteroids concurrently. Of the 8 patients with early-stage TB pericarditis, 3 (37.5%) developed constrictive pericarditis, while of the 7 patients with advanced-stage disease (excluding 4 who had already developed TB constrictive pericarditis at diagnosis), 6 (85.7%) subsequently developed constriction. These findings underscore the importance of pericardiectomy in patients with advanced-stage TB pericarditis. To avoid potentially lethal cardiac tamponade and constrictive cardiomyopathy, clinicians should have a high index of suspicion of TB pericarditis when encountering a patient with pericardial effusion. Histopathologic study of pericardial tissue sample is the key to timely diagnosis of TB pericarditis. The favorable outcomes of patients in this series suggest that a combination of antituberculosis chemotherapy and timely pericardiectomy may be the optimal therapy for patients with TB pericarditis.

Between 1998 and 2000, we characterized 91 nosocomial isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii by antibiotyping and genotyping. A total of 25 ribotypes were obtained among these 91 isolates. When the isolates from surgical intensive care units (ICUs) and other wards were compared, multiresistant A. baumannii isolates with the same ribotype 25 (R-25) were significantly more prevalent in nosocomial infections among the surgical patients. Further subtyping of the strains by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis confirmed that strains of the same ribotype in surgical ICUs and a few isolates from other wards were identical or clonally related. Different antibiotic resistance profiles were observed among these R-25 isolates. All R-25 isolates contained intI1 integrase, and two clusters of integron cassettes were found. These clusters of cassettes were encoded by an open reading frame (ORF) of -5'CS-aac(3)Ia-aadA1a-unknown or f-3'CS or 5'CS-aacA4-aadA1-catB8-3'CS, indicating the involvement of different resistant genes. Two isolates contained bla (IMP-1), which was acquired from a conjugatively transferable plasmid and did not involve integron-associated resistance. In conclusion, an epidemic of nosocomial infections associated with A. baumannii strains that have different resistance profiles was identified. Resistance profiles can change by a combination of plasmid- and integron-associated acquisition, especially in a unit with high antibiotic selective pressures. Infectious control personnel should be alert to the change in resistance profiles during routine monitoring.

To identify risk factors for spontaneous rupture of liver abscess (SRLA), a retrospective study on patients with liver abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae was performed. Of the 140 enrolled patients with liver abscess caused by K. pneumoniae, 8 (5.7%) experienced SRLA. In comparison to those with nonruptured liver abscess (NRLA), patients with SRLA were found to have significantly higher proportions of diabetic mellitus (100% versus 62.1%, P = 0.003), larger abscess size (mean of maximal diameter 7.8 versus 6.1 cm, P = 0.043), gas formation in abscess (87.5% versus 23.5%, P < 0.001), and left hepatic lobe involvement (50.0% versus 16.5%, P = 0.018). K. pneumoniae serotypes K1 and K2 were the predominant microorganisms isolated in both patients with NRLA and SRLA. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis-generated fingerprinting of K. pneumoniae isolates from patients with SRLA revealed that these pathogens were nongenetically related.

The clinical characteristics and isolated pathogens from 49 cases of splenic abscess treated at a medical center in southern Taiwan between 1981 and 2001 were retrospectively analyzed. Male patients were predominant (63%). Mean age at presentation was 55 years (range, 19 to 78 years). The most common presentations were fever (95.9%, 47/49), abdominal pain confined to the left upper quadrant (67.3%, 33/49), left pleural effusion (55.1%, 27/49) and splenomegaly (55.1%, 27/49). Leukocytosis occurred in 39 patients (79.6%), and leucopenia in 3 (6.1%). Blood cultures were positive in 32 patients (65.3%). The most common pathogen was Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.3%, 8/54), a well-known Gram-negative bacillus causing liver abscess in Taiwan, followed by Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. (each 11.1%, 6/54). Multiple splenic abscesses occurred predominantly in patients with underlying malignancies. Due to the rarity of splenic abscess and the increasing number of immunocompromised patients, multicenter study is needed to determine the epidemiological features and optimal management of this disease.

To understand the demographic as well as clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients with rhinocerebral mucormycosis in Taiwan, we retrospectively analyzed patients with this disease admitted to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung from 1988 through 2000. The 21 patients included 8 men (28%) and 13 women (62%). The median age was 60 years (range, 34-82 years). Twenty patients (95%) had underlying diabetes mellitus. The most common clinical feature at admission was ocular lesions, followed by headache, nostril lesions, and consciousness disturbance. Fifteen (94%) of 16 patients who received combined surgical debridement and therapy with amphotericin B survived, while only 1 (20%) of the 5 patients who received amphotericin B alone survived (p=0.004). The diagnosis of rhinocerebral mucormycosis was delayed in 4 patients (19%). Of the 16 patients who survived, 1 (6%) had delayed diagnosis, while of the 5 patients who died, 3 (60%) had delayed diagnoses (p=0.028). This series disclosed a higher proportion of patients with rhinocerebral mucormycosis in Taiwan had underlying diabetes mellitus, and ocular lesions were more frequent than nostril lesions at the time of admission. These results highlight the importance of the timely initiation of a combination of aggressive surgical debridement and treatment with amphotericin B in patients with rhinocerebral mucormycosis. Considering the high rate of delayed diagnosis, improved clinician's awareness of mucormycosis is extremely important and is in urgent need in Taiwan.

In recent years a significant increase in the incidence of Serratia marcescens infections was noted at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan. A review of laboratory (1991 to 2002) and infection control (1995 to 2002) records showed the possibility of an extended epidemic of nosocomial urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by S. marcescens . Therefore, in 1998 and 1999, 87 isolates were collected from patients with such infections and examined and another 51 isolates were collected in 2001 and 2002. The patients were mostly elderly or the infections were associated with the use of several invasive devices. S. marcescens was usually the only pathogen found in urine cultures in our study. Neither prior infections nor disseminated infections with the organism were observed in these patients. Resistance to most antibiotics except imipenem was noted. Two genotyping methods, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and infrequent-restriction-site PCR, were used to examine the isolates. A total of 12 genotypes were identified, and 2 predominant genotypes were found in 72 (82.8%) of the 87 isolates derived from all over the hospital. However, 63.9% of the isolates of the two genotypes were from neurology wards. A subsequent intervention by infection control personnel reduced the infection rate greatly. The number and proportion of the two predominant genotypes were significantly reduced among the 51 isolates collected in 2001 and 2002. Thus, a chronic and long-lasting epidemic of nosocomial UTIs caused by S. marcescens was identified and a successful intervention was carried out. Both a cautious review of laboratory and infection control data and an efficient genotyping system are necessary to identify such a cryptic epidemic and further contribute to the quality of patient care.

To identify independent prognostic factors for fatality, 73 patients with a total of 75 episodes of invasive Vibrio. cholerae non-O1 infections treated from July 1998 through October 2001 at 2 medical centers were retrospectively studied. The demographic, laboratory, and clinical information of these patients were collected and analyzed. The overall mortality rate was 36%. Multivariate analysis revealed that severe liver cirrhosis (p=0.003; odds ratio [OR], 14.12, with 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.49-79.91), malignancy (p=0.034; OR, 3.9, with 95% CI 1.11-13. 7), and steroid use (p=0.011; OR, 12.37, with 95% CI 1.79-85.49) were independent risk factors for fatality. These findings suggest that patients at high risk of fatality should be hospitalized and aggressively treated when V. cholerae non-O1 infections develop, and that public education on how to avoid exposure to V. cholerae non-O1 is important for the high-risk population.

We report a rare case of Mycoplasma hominis septic arthritis occurring simultaneously with acute gout. A Taiwanese native aboriginal presented with right ankle swelling, erythema, local tenderness, and limitation of range of motion after a vertebroplasty. He had a history of gout without regular follow-up. Under the polarized light microscopy examination, his synovial fluid revealed neutrophilic leukocytosis and monosodium urate crystals. Subsequently, 2 consecutive anaerobic synovial fluid cultures yielded a cell wall-free microorganism, which was identified as M. hominis based on polymerase chain reaction of its 16S rDNA. He did not defervesce under colchicine and indomethacin treatment until we prescribed a doxycycline and moxifloxacin regimen. He responded well to 6-week doxycycline and moxifloxacin treatment without bone destruction and loss of joint function.

Outbreaks of sepsis associated with have been rarely reported in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). We describe such an outbreak in a NICU, and the results of molecular epidemiologic investigations are presented.Between August and September 2000, 6 premature infants hospitalized in a pediatric NICU developed sepsis. Three additional cases had infections during November and December. For an environmental culture survey, 94 environmental specimens and hand washings of all 43 health care workers involved in this unit were examined for the presence of this organism. Two genotyping methods, pulsed field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA digested with I and infrequent restriction site polymerase chain reaction, were used to analyze the 9 bacteremic isolates and any isolates obtained from the environmental survey and the hand washings. Another 3 bacteremic isolates of collected in the same NICU in 1999 were incorporated as controls.The 9 infants were premature and had birth weights of1,500 g. Before onset of sepsis 9 infants had received total parenteral nutrition, and 8 infants had had central venous catheters and received intrafat emulsion. Five (5.3%) environmental specimens and 10 (23.3%) hand washing specimens were positive for the organism. Except for the strain from Case 9, the results of both genotyping methods were concordant; 11 patterns were identified by infrequent restriction site polymerase chain reaction and 10 patterns by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. One major genotype was demonstrated in the first 6 bacteremic isolates as well as 3 hand washing isolates. The genotypes of the other 3 bacteremic isolates, the 3 control strains, the 5 environmental isolates and 7 other hand washing isolates were distinct from the genotype of outbreak strains.An outbreak of bacteremia in a NICU was clearly demonstrated by the molecular epidemiologic investigation and was possibly transmitted via the hands of health care workers.

Mycobacterium marinum often causes skin infections, tenosynovitis, arthritis, and osteomyelitis, and occasionally results in severe disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients. In this study, the clinical features of 14 cases of M. marinum infection were retrospectively analyzed. One patient had septic arthritis, the other 13 had skin infections and/or tenosynovitis. It usually took 2 months or longer for a definite diagnosis to be made in these patients. Three of the 14 patients were cured using clarithromycin alone or in combination with rifampin plus ethambutol. Most patients did not respond to conventional antituberculosis agents. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and infrequent-restriction-site polymerase chain reaction are efficient tools for the molecular typing of M. marinum. Both methods yielded a concordant result, and 4 of 12 isolates were genetically closely related to each other based on their banding patterns. This study indicates that these isolates were derived from the same clone. Because M. marinum infection is curable, early diagnosis is important. Poor healing of wounds after exposure to aquatic animals appears to be the most important clinical clue indicating the need for culture and inclusion of M. marinum infection in the differential diagnosis.

A susceptibility surveillance study of 1,274 bacterial isolates recovered from various clinical specimens from patients in intensive care units (ICUs) of five major teaching hospitals was carried out from March, 2000, to June, 2000, in Taiwan. This study demonstrated a high rate (66%) of oxacillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA), a high rate of nonsusceptibility to penicillin (intermediate, 50% and highly resistant, 8%), and high rates of cefotaxime nonsusceptibility for S. pneumoniae (intermediate, 29% and resistant, 4%), Enterobacter cloacae (57%), Serratia marcescens (34%), and Citrobacter freundii (60%). High rate of ceftazidime nonsusceptibility for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22%), and high rates of imipenem nonsusceptibility for P. aeruginosa (15%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (22%) were also found. The percentage (11.9%) of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli was greater than that (11.3%) for Klebsiella pneumoniae. Rates of quinupristin-dalfopristin nonsusceptibility for S. pneumoniae (42%), Enterococcus faecium (71%), and ORSA (39%) were high, but no vancomycin-resistant enterococci were found in this study. The resistance rates of some pathogen varied by institution or type of ICUs. Surveillance for antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens in hospitals, particularly in ICU settings with a preexisting higher resistance burden, is mandatory in establishing and/or modifying guidelines for empirical treatment of severe infections in ICU patients caused by these antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

The incidence and antimicrobial resistance among clinical isolates of salmonella at a university hospital in Taiwan between 1983 and 1999 are summarized in this report. A total of 7986 isolates were analysed. Serogroup B has been the most prevalent over the years, with an apparently continuous decline after 1995. Concordant decrease was also found among S. choleraesuis and S. typhi isolates in recent years. In contrast, the proportion of serogroup D strains increased significantly after 1996. S. typhi remained relatively susceptible to most of the antimicrobial agents examined. For non-typhoidal isolates, antimicrobial resistance to ampicillin (62%), chloramphenicol (67%), and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (37%) was relatively higher than that reported elsewhere. Newer generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones remained effective over the years, although emerging resistance to these drugs has been noticed since 1992. A more prudent selection and use of antimicrobial agents, in both humans and animals, and a continuous surveillance of resistance are essential in the future.

Nine isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, obtained from one colonized and eight bacteraemic patients on a paediatric ward, were shown to be identical by PFGE, indicating an outbreak. Screening for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production using the double-disc synergy test, Etest for ESBLs and agar diffusion tests indicated ESBL production. The isolates showed reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime but not to other third-generation cephalosporins. Molecular studies revealed production of TEM-1 and SHV-1 but no ESBLs were identified. Deficiency in expression of an outer membrane protein (OmpK35) was also observed. These observations led us to postulate that the extremely low level of OmpK35 expression and the co-existence of TEM-1 and SHV-1 resulted in an increased MIC of cefotaxime and the false designation of the isolates as ESBL producers. All the infected infants were treated with either third-generation cephalosporins alone or multiple antibiotics including a third-generation cephalosporin, and recovered and were discharged without sequelae.