CASE PRESENTATION: In September 2010, a 58-year-old diabetic Malaysian male presented with fever and a fluctuant mass on the right side of his neck. B. pseudomallei was isolated from an aspirate of this lesion and there was radiological evidence of disseminated infection in the liver and spleen. The recurrence of clinical symptoms over ensuing months prompted further aspiration and biopsy of a cervical abscess and underlying lymph nodes. Salmonella enterica serovar Stanley and then M. tuberculosis were identified from these specimens by culture and molecular methods. The patient responded to targeted medical management of each of these infections.
CONCLUSION: In endemic settings, a high index of suspicion and adequate tissue sampling are imperative in identifying these pathogenic organisms. Diabetes was identified as a predisposing factor in this case while our understanding of other potential risk factors is evolving.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the occurrence of C. nivariensis and C. bracarensis in a culture collection of 185 C. glabrata isolates at a Malaysian teaching hospital.
METHODS: C. nivariensis was discriminated from C. glabrata using a PCR assay as described by Enache-Angoulvant et al. (J Clin Microbiol 49:3375-9, 2011). The identity of the isolates was confirmed by sequence analysis of the D1D2 domain and internal transcribed spacer region of the yeasts. The isolates were cultured on Chromogenic CHROMagar Candida (®) agar (Difco, USA), and their biochemical and enzymic profiles were determined. Antifungal susceptibilities of the isolates against amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole and caspofungin were determined using E tests. Clotrimazole MICs were determined using a microbroth dilution method.
RESULTS: There was a low prevalence (1.1 %) of C. nivariensis in our culture collection of C. glabrata. C. nivariensis was isolated from a blood culture and vaginal swab of two patients. C. nivariensis grew as white colonies on Chromogenic agar and demonstrated few positive reactions using biochemical tests. Enzymatic profiles of the C. nivariensis isolates were similar to that of C. glabrata. The isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole and caspofungin. Clotrimazole resistance is suspected in one isolate.
CONCLUSION: This study reports for the first time the emergence of C. nivariensis in our clinical setting.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of cohorting adult dengue patients on the quality of care and the clinical outcome in a university hospital in Malaysia.
METHODS: A pre (2003) and post-intervention (2005-6) retrospective study was undertaken.
INTERVENTION: Cohorting all dengue patients under the care of the Infectious Disease team in a designated ward in 2004.
RESULTS: The number of patients enrolled was 352 in 2003, 785 in 2005 and 1158 in 2006. The evaluation and detection of haemorrhage remained high (>90%) and unchanged throughout the study period. The evaluation of plasma leakage increased from 35.4% pre-intervention to 78.8% post-intervention (p = <0.001) while its detection increased from 11.4% to 41.6% (p = <0.001). Examination for peripheral perfusion was undertaken in only 13.1% of patients pre-intervention, with a significant increase post-intervention, 18.6% and 34.2% respectively, p = <0.001. Pre-intervention, more patients had hypotension (21.5%) than detected peripheral hypoperfusion (11.4%), indicating that clinicians recognised shock only when patients developed hypotension. In contrast, post-intervention, clinicians recognised peripheral hypoperfusion as an early sign of shock. The highest haematocrit was significantly higher post-intervention but the lowest total white cell counts and platelet counts remained unchanged. A significant and progressive reduction in the use of platelet transfusions occurred, from 21.7% pre-intervention to 14.6% in 2005 and 5.2% in 2006 post-intervention, p<0.001. Likewise, the use of plasma transfusion decreased significantly from 6.1% pre-intervention to 4.0% and 1.6% in the post-intervention years of 2005 and 2006 respectively, p<0.001. The duration of intravenous fluid therapy decreased from 3 days pre-intervention to 2.5 days (p<0.001) post-intervention; the length of hospital stay reduced from 4 days pre- to 3 days (p<0.001) post-intervention and the rate of intensive care admission from 5.8% pre to 2.6% and 2.5% post-intervention, p = 0.005.
CONCLUSION: Cohorting adult dengue patients under a dedicated and trained team of doctors and nurses led to a substantial improvement in quality of care and clinical outcome.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 14-year-old Chinese Malaysian boy presented with a history of recurrent pneumonia, poor growth and steatorrhoea since childhood, and was diagnosed with CF. B. pseudomallei was cultured from his sputum during three different admissions between 2013 and 2016. However, the patient succumbed to end stage of respiratory failure in 2017 despite antibiotics treatment against B.pseudomallei. The isolates were compared using multilocus-sequence typing and repetitive-element polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and confirmed that two of the isolates were of same sequence type, which may indicate relapse.
CONCLUSIONS: CF patients should be aware of melioidosis in endemic regions, as it is an emerging infectious disease, especially when persistent or recurrent respiratory symptoms and signs of infection occur. The high prevalence rates of melioidosis in Malaysia warrants better management options to improve quality of life, and life expectancy in patients with CF. Travel activities to endemic regions should also be given more consideration, as this would be crucial to identify and initiate appropriate empiric treatment.
AIM: To examine the epidemiological trends of infective endocarditis in a developing nation.
METHODS: Single-centre, retrospective study of patients admitted with IE to a tertiary hospital in Malaysia over a 12-year period.
RESULTS: The analysis included 182 patients (n = 153 Duke's definite IE, n = 29 possible IE). The mean age was 51 years. Rheumatic heart disease was present in 42%, while 7.6% were immunocompromised. IE affected native valves in 171 (94%) cases. Health-care associated IE (HCAIE) was recorded in 68 (37.4%). IE admission rates increased from 25/100,000 admissions (2012) to 59/100,000 admissions (2017). At least one major complication on admission was detected in 59 (32.4%) patients. Left-sided IE was more common than right-sided IE [n = 159 (87.4%) vs. n = 18 (9.9%)]. Pathogens identified by blood culture were staphylococcus group [n = 58 (40.8%)], streptococcus group [n = 51 (35.9%)] and Enterococcus species [n = 13 (9.2%)]. staphylococcus infection was highest in the HCAIE group. In-hospital death occurred in 65 (35.7%) patients. In-hospital surgery was performed for 36 (19.8%) patients. At least one complication was documented in 163 (85.7%).
CONCLUSION: Staphylococcus is the new etiologic champion, reflecting the transition of the healthcare system. Streptococcus is still an important culprit organism. The incidence rate of IE appears to be increasing. The rate of patients with underlying rheumatic heart disease is still high.
OBJECTIVES: To assess nurses' level of knowledge, attitude and perceived practice regarding CAUTI and its preventive measures.
METHODS: A cross-sectional design was adopted, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Nurses from the medical and surgical inpatient wards of a tertiary teaching hospital in Malaysia were recruited in two stages using the stratified and simple random sampling methods. A total of 301 nurses participated. Descriptive analysis, an independent t test, ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression were employed to analyse the data using SPSS software version 25. In addition, a STROBE checklist was used to report the results of this study.
RESULTS: Nurses were found to have good knowledge, a positive attitude and good perceived practice regarding CAUTI prevention. Nurses aged above 30 and who had more than ten years of experience reported higher knowledge levels. Knowledge was found to be positively correlated with attitude and perceived practice; however, attitude explained a higher variance in perceived practice of CAUTI prevention compared with knowledge.
CONCLUSION: Attitude was found to have a higher significant influence on perceived practice in this study. Educators need to emphasise the inculcation of a positive attitude among nurses rather than just knowledge for CAUTI prevention. Since this study assessed perceived practice, examining nurses' actual practice and its impact on patient outcomes is recommended in future studies.