Time to positivity for differentiating blood culture contamination: A 20-hour cutoff for major contaminants.

Background: Blood culture remains the gold standard for diagnosing bacteremia; however, contamination inevitably occurs in 2-3% of cases, requiring differentiation between true bacteremia and contamination. Although time to positivity (TTP) aids in this clinical decision, with detection after 24 hours generally indicating contamination, technological advances in blood culture systems may have shortened this threshold interval.

Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed blood culture data in our hospital from April 2023 to January 2025 to determine the optimal TTP cutoff.

Trends in the incidence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Japan: an observational study from 2013 to 2022.

We aimed to determine the 10-year trend in the incidence of Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in Japan. This retrospective observational study used a publicly available national database. Trends in the incidence of SFTS with annual percent changes (APC) were examined using Joinpoint regression analysis with stratification by patient age, season, and region.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of high-level daptomycin-resistant Corynebacterium species: A systematic scoping review.

Introduction: Corynebacterium species potentially develop high-level daptomycin resistance (HLDR) shortly after daptomycin (DAP) administration. We aimed to investigate the clinical and microbiological characteristics of HLDR Corynebacterium infections.

Methods: We first presented a clinical case accompanied by the results of a comprehensive genetic analysis of the isolate, and then performed a systematic scoping review.

Trends in the Incidence of Disseminated Cryptococcosis in Japan: A Nationwide Observational Study, 2015-2021.

Background: Cryptococcus species can cause severe disseminated infections in immunocompromised hosts. This study investigated the epidemiological features and trends in disseminated cryptococcosis in Japan.

Methods: We used publicly available Infectious Diseases Weekly Reports to obtain data on the incidence of disseminated cryptococcosis in Japan from 2015 to 2021.