Publications by authors named "Eric Cober"

With limited treatments for carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp), curtailing transmission is critical. We applied a network analysis using epidemiological admission data and bacterial genetics to characterize CRKp spread among patients in 16 acute care hospitals linked to 217 other healthcare facilities in the United States. Patients with diagnosed CRKp infection were selected from the Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae (CRACKLE-1), a prospective, observational study conducted from 12/2011 to 6/2016.

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Background: Despite the global public health threat posed by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter spp, clinical and molecular epidemiological studies on international isolates remain scarce. Historically, the taxonomy of Enterobacter has been challenging, limiting our understanding of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter spp infections.

Methods: Hospitalized patients enrolled in the CRACKLE-2 study (ClinicalTrials.

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Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are an important threat to the health of solid organ transplant recipients (SOTr); data comparing outcomes of SOTr with CRE to non-SOTr with CRE are lacking. A matched cohort study was performed within 2 prospective, multicenter, cohort studies (Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella and other Enterobacterales and Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella and other Enterobacterales 2). The epidemiology, desirability of outcome rankings outcomes, and mortality of SOTr and non-SOTr hospitalized in the United States (December 2011-August 2017) with clinical isolates with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-defined CRE were compared.

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Background: The CDC reported a 35% increase in hospital-onset (HO) carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated patient outcomes following HO and community-onset (CO) CRE bloodstream infections (BSI).

Methods: Patients prospectively enrolled in CRACKLE-2 from 56 hospitals in 10 countries between 30 April 2016 and 30 November 2019 with a CRE BSI were eligible.

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Background: Lung transplant recipients (LTRs) are at risk for Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections, in part due to the presence of structural lung disease pre-transplant and relatively higher levels of immunosuppression post-transplant. There is a lack of data regarding outcomes of LTR with MAC infections pre-transplant.

Methods: This is a single-center retrospective analysis of patients who received lung transplants (LTs) from 2013 to 2020 with 1) evidence of MAC on culture or polymerase chain reaction before or at the time of transplant or 2) granulomas on explant pathology and positive acid-fast bacillus stains with no other mycobacteria identified.

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Febrile neutropenia (FN) is an oncologic emergency frequently encountered in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy patients, which requires immediate initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Data regarding antibiotic de-escalation (DE) in neutropenic patients are limited, and guideline recommendations vary. A clinical protocol for antibiotic DE of broad-spectrum agents was implemented if patients were afebrile after 72 hours and had no clinical evidence of infection.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Results showed that 89% of the strains were susceptible to SUL-DUR, while 97% were susceptible when SUL-DUR was combined with imipenem, indicating strong effectiveness.
  • * Certain amino acid changes in penicillin-binding protein 3 were linked to resistance against SUL-DUR, particularly the mutations A515V and T526S.
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  • Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb) is a major concern in antimicrobial resistance, with a study conducted on 842 hospitalized patients from 46 hospitals across five regions to assess its clinical impact and epidemiology between 2017 and 2019.
  • The study found that 64% of the cases were infections, with a 30-day mortality rate of 24% among infected patients, highlighting notable regional differences in mortality rates.
  • Additionally, both bloodstream infections and higher comorbidity were linked to increased mortality, while the dominant clonal group (CG2) was prevalent but non-CG2 strains resulted in higher death rates despite lower resistance to treatment.
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Background: Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) is a global threat, but the distribution and clinical significance of carbapenemases are unclear. The aim of this study was to define characteristics and outcomes of CRPA infections and the global frequency and clinical impact of carbapenemases harboured by CRPA.

Methods: We conducted an observational, prospective cohort study of CRPA isolated from bloodstream, respiratory, urine, or wound cultures of patients at 44 hospitals (10 countries) between Dec 1, 2018, and Nov 30, 2019.

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Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat. As "proof-of-concept," we employed a system-based approach to identify patient, bacterial, and drug variables contributing to mortality in patients with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR) bloodstream infections exposed to colistin (COL) and ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ/AVI) as mono- or combination therapies. Patients ( = 49) and CR isolates ( = 22) were part of the Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae (CRACKLE-1), a multicenter, observational, prospective study of patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) conducted between 2011 and 2016.

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Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR) is an urgent public health threat. Worldwide dissemination of CR has been largely attributed to clonal group (CG) 258. However, recent evidence indicates the global emergence of a CR CG307 lineage.

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Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CR) is a major cause of health care-associated infections. CR is typically multidrug resistant, and infection is difficult to treat. Despite the urgent threat that CR poses, few systematic studies of CR clinical and molecular epidemiology have been conducted.

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Article Synopsis
  • Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a major global health threat, prompting a study to analyze its bacterial traits and patient outcomes across various countries.
  • The CRACKLE-2 study recruited 991 hospitalized patients from 71 hospitals in countries like the USA, China, and Argentina, focusing on cultures positive for CRKP and measuring clinical outcomes, including 30-day mortality rates.
  • Results showed that patients from the USA were generally sicker and had more pre-existing health issues compared to those from China and South America, with minimal genetic variation in CRKP observed within countries.
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Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are a global threat. We aimed to describe the clinical and molecular characteristics of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-defined CRE in the USA.

Methods: CRACKLE-2 is a prospective, multicentre, cohort study.

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Objective: The objective of this study was to compare itraconazole with posaconazole for antifungal prophylaxis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy.

Methods: Adult patients with AML received either itraconazole or posaconazole for antifungal prophylaxis while undergoing intensive chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was incidence of prophylaxis failure (change in antifungal agent due to suspected invasive fungal infection [IFI], drug intolerance, drug interaction, or adverse event).

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  • The study investigates the role of MICA polymorphisms in influencing Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and disease after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT).* -
  • An analysis of 423 patients showed that a specific donor MICA-129 genotype (V/V) is linked to a higher risk of CMV infection, while MICA mismatches did not show a significant association.* -
  • The results suggest that individuals with the weak binding affinity genotype (V/V) may be at greater risk for CMV-related complications post-transplant.*
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Background: Predicting mortality risk in patients is important in research settings. The Pitt bacteremia score (PBS) is commonly used as a predictor of early mortality risk in patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs). We determined whether the PBS predicts 14-day inpatient mortality in nonbacteremia carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections.

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Background: The spectrum of infectious complications in autologous hematopoietic cell transplant recipients (AHCT) with multiple myeloma has not been well described in the recent era of novel agent induction and improved supportive care.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 413 adult myeloma AHCT recipients at our institution from 2007-2016 to describe the cumulative incidence and risk factors for various infections and FN occurring within the first 100 days after AHCT. Additionally, landmark analysis was done among 404 patients who survived at least 100 days after transplant admission to estimate the association of infections with subsequent non-relapse mortality (NRM), overall survival (OS), and relapse-free survival (RFS).

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In the Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in and other (CRACKLE), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) had a limited role in the treatment of less severe carbapenem-resistant (CRE) infections, especially urinary tract infections. Of tested CRE, only 29% were susceptible to TMP-SMX. Development of resistance further limits the use of TMP-SMX in CRE infections.

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Colistin and polymyxin B MICs were determined for 106 carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) isolates using Sensititre Research Use Only GNX2F plates (Thermo Fisher) and compared to CLSI broth macrodilution (BMD) as the reference method. For colistin, EUCAST breakpoints were applied and testing of isolates with very major (VM) errors was repeated in duplicate by both methods to determine a majority result. Essential agreement (MIC ± one dilution) of GNX2F with the reference method was 97.

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Background: Patients on chronic intermittent renal replacement therapy (RRT) are at risk for infection with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). However, the impact of RRT on outcomes after CRE infections remains to be defined. Here we perform a comparison of outcomes for CRE-infected patients with preserved renal function compared with CRE-infected patients on RRT.

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Background: This study was performed to characterize the epidemiology, management, and outcomes of skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) and colonization due to carbapenem-resistant (CRE).

Methods: Patients from the Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenem in and Other (CRACKLE-1) from December 24, 2011 to October 1, 2014 with wound cultures positive for CRE were included in the study. Predictors of surgical intervention were analyzed.

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Background: The efficacy of ceftazidime-avibactam-a cephalosporin-β-lactamase inhibitor combination with in vitro activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)-compared with colistin remains unknown.

Methods: Patients initially treated with either ceftazidime-avibactam or colistin for CRE infections were selected from the Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae (CRACKLE), a prospective, multicenter, observational study. Efficacy, safety, and benefit-risk analyses were performed using intent-to-treat analyses with partial credit and the desirability of outcome ranking approaches.

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Among Gram-negative bacteria, carbapenem-resistant infections pose a serious and life-threatening challenge. Here, the CRACKLE network reports a sentinel detection and characterization of a carbapenem-resistant ST147 isolate harboring and from a young man who underwent abdominal surgery in India. was located on an IncFII plasmid of ≈90 kb, whereas was chromosomally encoded.

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