192. Epidemiology, Microbiological Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Invasive Blood Stream Infections of Group B Streptococcal Isolates From Qatar

Background Group B Streptococci (GBS) or Streptococcus agalactiae colonize humans genitourinary and gastrointestinal tracts particularly of females. The pathogen is capable of causing invasive disease primarily in infants, pregnant and postpartum women as well as the elderly and patients with comorbidities. There is paucity of studies of the disease with regional differences in prevalence and presentation of invasive blood stream infection (BSI). In this study, we aim to assess prevalence, microbiological characteristics as well as clinical outcomes of invasive GBS disease from all ages groups at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on all patients with microbiologically confirmed GBS bacteraemia between January 2015–March 2019. Demographic, microbiological characteristics as well as clinical data were extracted from hospital information system. Results Out of 196 confirmed cases of GBS blood stream infection, 63.7 % were females (125/196) of whom 44.8 % were pregnant (56/125), 53.6 % (30/56) were colonized while 36.3 % (71/196) were males. There were three distinct age group populations, paediatric less than 4 years of age at 35.7 %, young adults 25-34 (20.9 %) and the elderly > 65 year (17.4 %). Presenting symptoms were mild with fever recognised in only 53 % of cases (104/196) while 89% of cases had low Pitt bactermia score of 0-2. Microbiological characteristic using disc diffusion tests demonstrated all isolates were universally sensitive to penicillin (100%, 196/196) with significant resistance to clindamycin at 28.6 % (56/196) and erythromycin at 49 % (96/196) of which 34.4 % (33/96) had inducible clindamycin resistance. Clinical outcome showed high cure rate of 87.25% (171/196) with low complications at 8.76 % (17/196) and 4% (8/196) 30-day mortality. Antibiotic sensitivity profile for GBS isolates Conclusion Streptococcus agalactiae blood stream infection in Qatar is common in females, affects the very young, young adults and the elderly. Almost half of affected pregnant women are colonized. The organism remains universality sensitive to pencilling with significant resistance to clindamycin and erythromycin. Patients presents with mild symptoms with high cure rates, low complications and safe outcome for the majority of cases. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Clinical diversity and treatment results in Tegumentary Leishmaniasis: A European clinical report in 459 patients

Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is frequent in travellers and can involve oro-nasal mucosae. Clinical presentation impacts therapeutic management. Methodology Demographic and clinical data from 459 travellers infected in 47 different countries were collected by members of the European LeishMan consortium. The infecting Leishmania species was identified in 198 patients. Principal findings Compared to Old World CL, New World CL was more frequently ulcerative (75% vs 47%), larger (3 vs 2cm), less frequently facial (17% vs 38%) and less frequently associated with mucosal involvement (2.7% vs 5.3%). Patients with mucosal lesions were older (58 vs 30 years) and more frequently immunocompromised (37% vs 3.5%) compared to patients with only skin lesions. Young adults infected in Latin America with L. braziliensis or L. guyanensis complex typically had an ulcer of the lower limbs with mucosal involvement in 5.8% of cases. Typically, infections with L. major and L. tropica acquired in Africa or the Middle East were not associated with mucosal lesions, while infections with L. infantum, acquired in Southern Europe resulted in slowly evolving facial lesions with mucosal involvement in 22% of cases. Local or systemic treatments were used in patients with different clinical presentations but resulted in similarly high cure rates (89% vs 86%). Conclusion/Significance CL acquired in L. infantum-endemic European and Mediterranean areas displays unexpected high rates of mucosal involvement comparable to those of CL acquired in Latin America, especially in immunocompromised patients. When used as per recommendations, local therapy is associated with high cure rates.

Hepatitis C virus infection and anaesthesia practice: A narrative review

This paper reviews the natural and treated history of hepatitis C virus infection, the interactions between current therapies and anaesthesia medications, and the implications of occupational exposure and infection to anaesthetists in light of significant changes in treatment. In the past decade, the introduction of new direct acting antiviral medications has seen high cure rates with a sustained viral response across all virus genotypes. These medications are well tolerated with minimal side-effects. Should a patient on these medications require anaesthesia, there are few clinically significant interactions with commonly used anaesthesia medications, and minimal perioperative investigations are required, although delaying elective surgery until after the completion of treatment regimens should be considered to maximise treatment success. As anaesthetists may practise exposure-prone procedures, regular screening for hepatitis C virus infection remains recommended to enable both patient protection and treatment of the anaesthetist prior to the development of any long-term complications of hepatitis C virus infection. Similarly, early diagnosis and treatment of occupationally acquired hepatitis C virus infection after body fluid exposure is associated with high cure rates with minimal risk of long-term liver damage. Although hepatitis C virus infection remains a significant public health issue in Australia and New Zealand, improvements in outcomes as a result of new treatment regimens have allowed the World Health Organization to target the elimination of hepatitis C virus infection as a public health threat by 2030, and public health strategies are being implemented to achieve this goal.

Transitioning of Helicobacter pylori Therapy from Trial and Error to Antimicrobial Stewardship

Helicobacter pylori is the only major infection for which antimicrobial therapy is not designed using the principles of antimicrobial stewardship. Traditionally, antimicrobial therapy is a susceptibility-based therapy, achieves high cure rates, and includes surveillance programs to regularly provide updated data regarding resistance, outcomes, and treatment guidelines. Current H. pylori therapies identified by trial-and-error, and treatment recommendations and guidelines are based on comparisons among regimens that rarely take into account the prevalence or effect of resistance. The majority of patients currently treated achieve suboptimal results. A paradigm shift is required to abandon current approaches and embrace antimicrobial stewardship, and therefore reliably achieve high cure rates; develop, propagate, and update best practice guidelines; and provide surveillance of local or regional susceptibility/resistance patterns. These also require timely updates to clinicians regarding the current status of resistance, antimicrobial effectiveness, and ways to prevent antimicrobial misuse to extend the useful life of currently available antibiotics. Here, we discuss the differences among current approaches to H. pylori therapy and antimicrobial stewardship and identify what is required to achieve the transition. Conceptually, the differences are significant, and the transition will likely need to be both abrupt and complete. Recommendations for therapy during the transition period are given.

An Investigation of the Side Effects, Patient Feedback, and Physiological Changes Associated with Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis C

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma globally. The advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) with high cure rates provides an opportunity to reduce the rising HCV disease burden. However, few studies have explored the side effects and physiological benefits of DAA therapy in rural areas. The aim of this study was to investigate the subjective reports of discomfort, patient feedback about the course of treatment, and physiological changes after DAA treatment in HCV patients. Methods: A descriptive, prospective, comparative cohort study was conducted from January to August 2019 in western coastal Yunlin County, Taiwan. Data regarding demographic characteristics, subjective discomfort levels, and physiological responses were collected through face to face interviews and from medical records by a cooperating hospital. Results: Six-hundred-and-twenty-three participants with an active HCV infection were identified; 555 (89.1%) had completed treatment, and sustained virologic response was achieved in 99.6% (n = 553). The mean age was 64.9 (standard deviation = 13.1) years, and 35% of patients experienced discomfort during DAA treatment, including fatigue, itching, and dizziness. After three months of treatment, physiological markers, including body weight (p < 0.001), waist circumference (p < 0.05), blood pressure (p < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (p < 0.001), and aspartate aminotransferase (p < 0.001), had significantly improved. Almost all participants provided positive feedback about the treatment experience and reported manageable side effects. Conclusions: The findings showed that, in an endemic rural area, DAA treatment had a high cure rate and improved physiological markers with few discomforts. These results can be used to reduce the barriers HCV patients face in adopting new medications.