Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Willingness Among Dutch Nursing Home Health Care Workers.

Objectives: To explore the influenza and COVID-19 vaccination status among Dutch nursing home (NH) health care workers (HCWs), factors associated with vaccination including the influence of the pandemic, and the facilitators and barriers to vaccination willingness.

Design: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study.

Setting And Participants: HCWs providing direct care to residents in Dutch NHs.

Immunization with a whole cell vaccine reduces pneumococcal nasopharyngeal density and shedding, and middle ear infection in mice.

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines (PCVs) have substantially reduced the burden of disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus). However, protection is limited to vaccine serotypes, and when administered to children who are colonized with pneumococci at the time of vaccination, immune responses to the vaccine are blunted. Here, we investigate the potential of a killed whole cell pneumococcal vaccine (WCV) to reduce existing pneumococcal carriage and mucosal disease when given therapeutically to infant mice colonized with pneumococci.

Reptile-associated Salmonella urinary tract infection: a case report.

We present an 18-year-old woman with a urinary tract infection caused by Salmonella Oranienburg. S. Oranienburg was isolated from her pet snake and confirmed as the source of infection using whole genome sequencing.

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Nursing Homes: Insight in Sequence Types and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns.

Introduction: Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) largely contribute to antibiotic use in older adults. Understanding the genetic characteristics of is needed to identify patients at risk for recurrence. The aim of this study was to obtain a greater understanding of the genetics of rUTI in nursing home residents.

Diagnostic work-up of urinary tract infections in pregnancy: study protocol of a prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Symptoms of urinary tract infections in pregnant women are often less specific, in contrast to non-pregnant women where typical clinical symptoms of a urinary tract infection are sufficient to diagnose urinary tract infections. Moreover, symptoms of a urinary tract infection can mimic pregnancy-related symptoms, or symptoms of a threatened preterm birth, such as contractions. In order to diagnose or rule out a urinary tract infection, additional diagnostic testing is required.

Susceptibility Testing by Volatile Organic Compound Detection Direct from Positive Blood Cultures: A Proof-of-Principle Laboratory Study.

Background: Bacteria produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during growth, which can be detected by colorimetric sensor arrays (CSAs). The SpecifAST system (Specific Diagnostics) employs this technique to enable antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) directly from blood cultures without prior subculture of isolates. The aim of this study was to compare the SpecifAST AST results and analysis time to the VITEK2 (bioMérieux) system.

Resident-Related Factors Influencing Antibiotic Treatment Decisions for Urinary Tract Infections in Dutch Nursing Homes.

The aim of this cohort study was to identify resident-related factors that influence antibiotic treatment decisions for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in nursing home residents and to provide an overview of the appropriateness of antibiotic treatment decisions according to the updated Dutch guideline for UTIs in frail older adults. The PROGRESS study dataset, consisting of 298 suspected UTI episodes in Dutch nursing home residents, was used. The presence of dysuria was associated with the highest frequency of antibiotic prescription (87.

Diapers as Promising Alternative Collection Method for Urine Specimens in Nursing Home Residents: A Noninferiority Study.

Objective: There is unmet need for an easy, noninvasive urine collection method to diagnose urinary tract infections (UTIs) in nursing home residents suffering from urinary incontinence or cognitive impairments. UTIs are highly prevalent in nursing home residents, and urine specimen collection can be difficult. The objective of this study was to assess if urine specimens collected from super-absorbing incontinence pads (adult diapers) are a reliable collection method for UTI diagnosis.

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic target attainment of ciprofloxacin in adult patients on general wards with adequate and impaired renal function.

Limited prospective data on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target attainment of ciprofloxacin in patients with adequate and impaired renal function (eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73m) are available in the literature. We aimed to investigate whether the PK/PD target (AUC/MIC ≥125) is attained in patients with adequate and impaired renal function receiving regular and reduced ciprofloxacin doses.

Reduced CETP glycosylation and activity in patients with homozygous B4GALT1 mutations.

The importance of protein glycosylation in regulating lipid metabolism is becoming increasingly apparent. We set out to further investigate this by studying the effects of defective glycosylation on plasma lipids in patients with B4GALT1-CDG, caused by a mutation in B4GALT1 with defective N-linked glycosylation. We studied plasma lipids, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) glyco-isoforms with isoelectric focusing followed by a western blot and CETP activity in three known B4GALT1-CDG patients and compared them with 11 age- and gender-matched, healthy controls.

Sensitivity of point-of-care testing C reactive protein and procalcitonin to diagnose urinary tract infections in Dutch nursing homes: PROGRESS study protocol.

Introduction: Suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) ranks among the most common reasons for antibiotic use in nursing homes. However, diagnosing UTI in this setting is challenging because UTI often presents with non-specific symptomatology. Moreover asymptomatic bacteriuria is common in elderly, which complicates attribution of causality to detection of bacteria in urine.

N-Glycosylation Defects in Humans Lower Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Through Increased Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor Expression.

Background: The importance of protein glycosylation in regulating lipid metabolism is becoming increasingly apparent. We set out to further investigate this by studying patients with type I congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs) with defective N-glycosylation.

Methods: We studied 29 patients with the 2 most prevalent types of type I CDG, ALG6 (asparagine-linked glycosylation protein 6)-deficiency CDG and PMM2 (phosphomannomutase 2)-deficiency CDG, and 23 first- and second-degree relatives with a heterozygous mutation and measured plasma cholesterol levels.

Barriers and facilitators and the need for a clinical guideline for microbiological diagnostic testing in the hospital: a qualitative and quantitative study.

The appropriate use of microbiological investigations is an important cornerstone of antibiotic stewardship programmes, but receives relatively limited attention. This study aimed to identify influencing factors in performing microbiological diagnostic tests and to assess the need for a clinical guideline. We performed a qualitative (focus group) and quantitative (online questionnaire survey) study among medical specialists and residents to identify physicians' considerations in performing microbiological diagnostic tests and to assess the need for a diagnostic guideline.

High epidemic burden of RSV disease coinciding with genetic alterations causing amino acid substitutions in the RSV G-protein during the 2016/2017 season in The Netherlands.

Background: We found amino acid substitutions in the Gglycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A during the 2016/2017 epidemic in The Netherlands.

Objectives: We evaluated whether these alterations led to increased RSV incidence and disease burden.

Study Design: We sequenced the gene encoding the G-protein of prospectively collected clinical specimens from secondary care adult patients testing positive for RSV during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 epidemic RSV season.