Publications by authors named "Barbara D Alexander"

Background: Invasive primary surgical site infections (IP-SSI) complicate lung transplant (LT) surgery. Identification of IP-SSI risk factors is critical to IP-SSI prevention.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study of adult patients who underwent LT at Duke University over a 5-year period (2017-2021) aimed to identify IP-SSI risk factors and describe outcomes associated with IP-SSI diagnosis.

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Background: Only a small number of antifungal therapies for invasive fungal disease (IFD) are currently available, and many pathogens are resistant to one or more of these therapies. Olorofim, the first orotomide antifungal agent to be developed, is active against fungi that are resistant to registered therapies. It impairs fungal pyrimidine biosynthesis, leading to cell death.

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Background: Data on the epidemiology of healthcare facility-associated (HCFA) nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are sparse. We performed a multicenter longitudinal cohort study of HCFA NTM epidemiology.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed positive cultures for NTM performed from 2012 through 2020 within a network of 10 US academic hospitals and associated clinics.

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Surgical site infections (SSI) surveillance after heart transplantation is critical for preventing SSI. We analyzed the accuracy of 3 SSI surveillance systems: National-Healthcare-Safety-Network (NHSN), Society-of-Thoracic-Surgeons (STS), and detailed manual surveillance (TXID). National-Healthcare-Safety-Network and Society-of-Thoracic-Surgeons showed low sensitivity compared to TXID, highlighting the need for more accurate and efficient surveillance strategies.

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Background: New and minimally-invasive tools to aid the diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases (IFD) are urgently needed as the immunocompromised population at highest risk increases. Advancements in molecular technology have rendered new diagnostics more readily available for clinical use.

Methods: This case-control study utilized prospectively collected, archived plasma specimens and data from the Aspergillus Technology Consortium (AsTeC) Repository to investigate the diagnostic performance of microbial cell free DNA (mcfDNA) sequencing as a minimally-invasive diagnostic for IFDs in a population of high-risk immunocompromised hosts including hematologic malignancy, stem cell and solid organ transplants patients.

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Background: Early antifungal initiation in invasive aspergillosis (IA) is recommended. Changing antifungals occurs for a myriad of reasons but associated costs are unclear.

Methods: US claims data for adults admitted for IA were identified from 10/1/2015 to 11/30/2022.

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Changes to antifungal therapy (AFT) in invasive aspergillosis (IA) may occur due to intolerance, side effects, drug interactions, or lack of response. We describe AFT change patterns in IA patients. This was a US claims data study.

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Article Synopsis
  • EBV DNAemia surveillance is used to prevent post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in lung transplant recipients (LTRs), but its effectiveness in adult seropositive patients is unclear.
  • A study analyzed EBV viral loads in seropositive LTRs and compared levels between those who developed PTLD and those who didn't, revealing that peak viral loads were only significantly higher after PTLD was suspected.
  • The study found low positive predictive values (PPVs) for moderate (14.7%) and high-grade (33.3%) EBV DNAemia in indicating risk for future PTLD, suggesting improved diagnostic approaches are needed.
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Background: Invasive primary surgical site infections (IP-SSI) are a severe complication of liver transplant surgery. Identification of risk factors for IP-SSI is critical to IP-SSI prevention.

Methods: All adult single liver transplants performed at Duke University Hospital in the period 2015-2020 were reviewed for IP-SSI occurring within 90 d of transplant.

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Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma species are urogenital mollicutes that can cause serious donor-derived infections in lung transplant recipients. Best practices for mollicute screening remain unknown. We conducted a single-center prospective study analyzing lung transplants performed from October 5, 2020, to September 25, 2021, whereby donor and recipient bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples obtained at time of transplant underwent mollicute screening via culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

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This study identified 26 late invasive primary surgical site infection (IP-SSI) within 4-12 months of transplantation among 2073 SOT recipients at Duke University Hospital over the period 2015-2019. Thoracic organ transplants accounted for 25 late IP-SSI. Surveillance for late IP-SSI should be maintained for at least one year following transplant.

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We identified 23 cases of respiratory acquisition linked to a colonized plumbing system at a new hospital addition. We conducted a genomic and epidemiologic investigation to assess for clonal acquisition of from hospital water sources and improve understanding of genetic distances between isolates. We performed whole-genome sequencing on 28 .

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Background: Many centers use universal antifungal prophylaxis after lung transplant, but risk factors for invasive fungal infection (IFI) in this setting are poorly described.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center cohort study including 603 lung transplant recipients assessed risk factors for early (within 90 days of transplant) invasive candidiasis (IC) and invasive mold infection (IMI) and late (90-365 days after transplant) IMI using Cox proportional hazard regression.

Results: In this cohort, 159 (26.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The frequent renaming of medically significant fungi is complicating the work of clinical labs and healthcare providers, highlighting the need for better communication and resources in this area.
  • - Different factors drive name changes at the species and genus levels, prompting the authors to suggest maintaining larger genera and providing diagnostic markers for new classifications to help simplify identification.
  • - The authors call for an open-access online database to track these changes, recommending a committee to regularly review new names so that clinicians can access consistent and validated information about fungal species.
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Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)-positive donors have increased the organ pool. Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have led to high rates of treatment success and sustained virologic response (SVR) in recipients with donor-derived HCV infection without significant adverse effects, although variability remains in the timing and duration of antivirals.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed all adult HCV-NAAT-negative transplant recipients who received an organ from HCV-NAAT-positive donors from November 24, 2018, to March 31, 2022, at Duke University Medical Center with protocolized delay of DAA initiation until after hospital discharge, with at least 180-d follow-up on all patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • Antifungal prophylaxis using mold-active triazoles (MATs) is effective in preventing invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) in high-risk, immunocompromised patients, as shown in a study with over 1,177 participants.
  • The study found that breakthrough IFDs occurred in only 7.1% of patients, with different MATs showing varying percentages and specific pathogens identified.
  • Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reported in 14.1% of patients, but discontinuation of MATs due to these reactions was relatively low at 11.1%, supporting their use in at-risk populations.
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Mollicute infections, caused by Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma species, are serious complications after lung transplantation; however, understanding of the epidemiology and outcomes of these infections remains limited. We conducted a single-center retrospective study of 1156 consecutive lung transplants performed from 2010-2019. We used log-binomial regression to identify risk factors for infection and analyzed clinical management and outcomes.

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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after abdominal organ transplantation is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The use of valganciclovir for CMV prophylaxis is limited by drug-induced myelosuppression and potential emergence of resistance. Letermovir is approved for primary CMV prophylaxis in CMV seropositive allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A review of patient records from a hospital outbreak found that 10 OHT recipients and 7 VAD patients developed infections, with significant differences in the time to first positive culture after surgery (106 days for OHT vs. 29 days for VAD).
  • * Despite aggressive treatment, including lengthy antimicrobial therapy and multiple surgeries, these patients faced high rates of complications and only 47% survived beyond 12 weeks post-diagnosis. *
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Article Synopsis
  • Surgical site infections (SSI) are serious complications for solid organ transplant (SOT) patients, with a study at Duke University identifying 198 cases among 2073 recipients from 2015 to 2019.
  • The rate of invasive primary SSI (IP-SSI) decreased over the years but was notably higher in multi-organ transplants compared to single-organ ones, leading to longer hospital stays and increased mortality rates.
  • Gram-positive bacteria were the most common pathogens causing IP-SSI, but other unexpected pathogens, such as urogenital Mollicute and atypical Mycobacteria, were particularly seen in lung transplant cases, highlighting the need for better management of this complication.
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Background And Objectives: Patients undergoing induction/reinduction chemotherapy for haematologic malignancies (HM) are at risk for invasive fungal infections (IFIs). In 2015, Duke University Hospital (DUH) implemented a new standardised fungal prophylaxis protocol for adult patients undergoing induction chemotherapy for acute lymphocytic leukaemia, acute myelocytic leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. This study assessed the impact of protocol implementation on (1) use of antifungal prophylaxis, throughout the at-risk period and (2) patient outcomes such as IFI and mortality.

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