Bloodstream infections

Infections after surgery are more likely due to bacteria already on your skin than from microbes in the hospital − new research

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Research, Bacteria, Pneumonia, Science Translational Medicine, CSI, Fungal infection, Instrument, Infection, Patient, Harborview Medical Center, Accreditation, Hospital, Diarrhea, University, Death, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bloodstream infections, Neurosurgery, Woman, Quality, Agency, Skin, Microbiology, Pharmacy, Spine, Nose, Nursing care plan, Elective surgery, Neck, Dentistry

Genetic data from the bacteria causing these infections – think CSI for E. coli – tells another story: Most health care-associated infections are caused by previously harmless bacteria that patients already had on their bodies before they even entered the hospital.

Key Points: 
  • Genetic data from the bacteria causing these infections – think CSI for E. coli – tells another story: Most health care-associated infections are caused by previously harmless bacteria that patients already had on their bodies before they even entered the hospital.
  • We show that many surgical site infections after spinal surgery are caused by microbes that are already on the patient’s skin.

Surgical infections are a persistent problem

  • Among the different types of heath care-associated infections, surgical site infections stand out as particularly problematic.
  • A 2013 study found that surgical site infections contribute the most to the annual costs of hospital-acquired infections, totaling over 33% of the US$9.8 billion spent annually.
  • Still, surgical site infections occur following about 1 in 30 procedures, typically with no explanation.
  • While rates of many other medical complications have shown steady improvement over time, data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the problem of surgical site infection is not getting better.

BYOB (Bring your own bacteria)

  • Prior studies on surgical site infection have been limited to a single species of bacteria and used older genetic analysis methods.
  • But new technologies have opened the door to studying all types of bacteria and testing their antibiotic resistance genes simultaneously.
  • Over a one-year period, we sampled the bacteria living in the nose, skin and stool of over 200 patients before surgery.
  • In fact, 86% of the bacteria causing infections after spine surgery were genetically matched to bacteria a patient carried before surgery.
  • That number is remarkably close to estimates from earlier studies using older genetic techniques focused on Staphylococcus aureus.
  • They likely acquired these antibiotic-resistant microbes through prior antibiotic exposure, consumer products or routine community contact.

Preventing surgical infections

  • At face value, our results may seem intuitive – surgical wound infections come from bacteria that hang out around that part of the body.
  • If the most likely source of surgical infection – the patient’s microbiome – is known in advance, this presents medical teams with an opportunity to protect against it prior to a scheduled procedure.
  • The fact that most infections don’t actually start with sources in the hospital is probably a testament to the efficacy of these protocols.


Dustin Long receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. Dr Bryson-Cahn receives funding from the Gordon and Berry Moore Foundation and is the co-medical director for Alaska Airlines.

Seres Therapeutics Announces Completion of Patient Enrollment for SER-155 Phase 1B Cohort 2 Clinical Trial in Allogenic HSCT

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Health, Clinical Trials, Disease, Allo, Infection, Incidence, Patient, Immune tolerance, Gastrointestinal tract, GI, David Berry (inventor), Mortality, Bacteria, HSCT, Bloodstream infections, Graft-versus-host disease, Therapy, Chronic liver disease, Safety, Immunodeficiency, Data, Pharmaceutical industry

Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRB), a leading microbiome therapeutics company, announced today that enrollment is complete in the placebo-controlled Cohort 2 of its Phase 1b trial of SER-155 in patients who received Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Allo HSCT).

Key Points: 
  • Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRB), a leading microbiome therapeutics company, announced today that enrollment is complete in the placebo-controlled Cohort 2 of its Phase 1b trial of SER-155 in patients who received Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Allo HSCT).
  • Infections are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in this immunocompromised patient population.
  • Our pending clinical results could validate the promise of microbiome therapeutics to prevent poor outcomes associated with pathogens in the GI tract.
  • Study Cohort 2, which includes 45 participants, incorporates a randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled 1:1 design to further evaluate safety and engraftment, as well as clinical outcomes.

Retractable Technologies, Inc. Declares Dividends to Series II and III Class B Preferred Stock Shareholders

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 29, 2024
General Health, Medical Devices, Other Health, Health, Medical Supplies, RVP, Risk, Injury, Bloodstream infections, Syringe, Injection, Safety, Online shopping

Retractable Technologies, Inc. (“Retractable”) (NYSE American: RVP) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared dividends to holders of its Series II Class B and Series III Class B Convertible Preferred Stock in the amounts of $39,050.00 and $18,561.25, respectively.

Key Points: 
  • Retractable Technologies, Inc. (“Retractable”) (NYSE American: RVP) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared dividends to holders of its Series II Class B and Series III Class B Convertible Preferred Stock in the amounts of $39,050.00 and $18,561.25, respectively.
  • The dividends cover the period beginning January 1, 2024 through March 31, 2024.
  • The dividends will be paid on April 22, 2024 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 10, 2024.
  • Retractable manufactures and markets VanishPoint® and Patient Safe® safety medical products and the EasyPoint® needle.

Access Vascular Supports Updated Standards of Care Emphasizing New Materials to Reduce Catheter Complications

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Nursing, Medical Supplies, Health, Medical Devices, Hospitals, Other Health, Managed Care, Bloodstream infections, Thrombosis, Occlusion, INS, PICC, Phlebitis, Catheter, AVI, Patient, HBM, Risk

Access Vascular, Inc. (AVI), a company addressing the most common and costly vascular access complications with its novel hydrophilic biomaterial platform, today announced that the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) has updated its standard of care to include innovative catheter materials, to reduce the risk of vascular access complications.

Key Points: 
  • Access Vascular, Inc. (AVI), a company addressing the most common and costly vascular access complications with its novel hydrophilic biomaterial platform, today announced that the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) has updated its standard of care to include innovative catheter materials, to reduce the risk of vascular access complications.
  • The new INS guidelines cite improvements in catheter materials as having the potential to reduce complications such as phlebitis, occlusion, and thrombosis.1 The guidelines also advise healthcare providers to consider using devices made of novel materials in populations with high rates of occlusion or thrombosis.
  • Studies have shown that peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) and midline catheters made using AVI’s MIMIX™ hydrophilic biomaterial (HBM) offer lower rates of failure,2 occlusion,3 bacterial adhesion and thrombus accumulation,4 compared with catheters made from conventional polyurethane materials.
  • “Rates of bloodstream infections have soared, at great cost to the U.S. healthcare system and, most importantly, leading to a myriad of patient complications,” said James Biggins, Founder and CEO of Access Vascular.

T2 Biosystems Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for the Expanded T2Bacteria Panel

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Infection, ICU, Escherichia coli, Catheter, Acinetobacter baumannii, FDA, Food, Carbapenem, Bloodstream infections, Risk, Intensive care medicine, Bacteria, World Health Organization, Patient, Septic shock, S. aureus, Mortality

LEXINGTON, Mass., Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- T2 Biosystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTOO), a leader in the rapid detection of sepsis-causing pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the expanded T2Bacteria® Panel, adding the capability to detect another bacterial species, Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii), to the expansive panel.

Key Points: 
  • LEXINGTON, Mass., Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- T2 Biosystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTOO), a leader in the rapid detection of sepsis-causing pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the expanded T2Bacteria® Panel, adding the capability to detect another bacterial species, Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii), to the expansive panel.
  • “We are thrilled to receive the FDA 510(k) clearance for the expanded T2Bacteria Panel, to include the detection of A. baumannii, as we believe it will lead to increased adoption of our proprietary direct-from-blood platform,” stated John Sperzel, Chairman and CEO of T2 Biosystems.
  • The FDA-cleared T2Bacteria Panel now detects E. faecium, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and A. baumannii.
  • Rapid detection of these pathogens is essential to getting infected patients on the appropriate antimicrobial therapy and improving clinical outcomes.

Study Demonstrates the Potential of HelixBind’s RaPID/BSI Assay to Accurately Identify Bloodstream Infections Associated with Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Antimicrobial Treatment

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024
Division, Sepsis, Infection, Blood, Physician, Investigator, SRL Diagnostics, BSI, Fungal infection, Bloodstream infections, Standard of care, Patient, Journal, MBBS, Tufts Medical Center, Medical imaging

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, titled, “ Culture-independent identification of bloodstream infections from whole blood: prospective evaluation in specimens of known infection status ,” was conducted at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Mass.

Key Points: 
  • The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, titled, “ Culture-independent identification of bloodstream infections from whole blood: prospective evaluation in specimens of known infection status ,” was conducted at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Mass.
  • “In this study, the Investigators demonstrated that RaPID/BSI is not prone to false positive results, which is common with assays that rely on sequencing or standard molecular diagnostic techniques.
  • Importantly, they also demonstrated that the assay can detect ongoing infections missed by follow-up cultures.
  • RaPID/BSI correctly identified 58% more ongoing infections in patients with concurrent antimicrobial therapy than follow-up blood cultures.

PRODIGY BIOTECH ENTERS INTO A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH LEADING CANCER CENTER TO ADVANCE PRODUCTS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING ALLOGENEIC HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
MSK, Partnership, Mortality, Alcoholic hepatitis, Research, MD, Therapy, Disease, Patient, IND, Graft-versus-host disease, Alcoholic liver disease, Immunoglobulin Y, Assistant, Drug development, Doctor of Philosophy, SAB, Dysbiosis, Gastrointestinal tract, Bloodstream infections, Cancer, Pharmaceutical industry

The accelerator program launch was announced at the MSK Life Sciences Innovation Summit in New York City on January 26, 2024.

Key Points: 
  • The accelerator program launch was announced at the MSK Life Sciences Innovation Summit in New York City on January 26, 2024.
  • Prodigy and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) will co-develop a product targeting Enterococcus sp.
  • to treat microbial dysbiosis in patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
  • February 6, 2024 – Prodigy and MSK have entered into a sponsored research agreement through the MSK Therapeutics Accelerator program to evaluate Prodigy’s product candidate for the improvement of outcomes in patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT).

Arkstone Launches Innovative Clinical Study to Evaluate OneChoice Report's Impact on Antimicrobial Prescribing, Stewardship, and Patient Outcomes

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Mortality, Death, Patient, Fungal infection, Infection, Research, Hospital, Culture, Septic shock, Intelligence, Antimicrobial stewardship, Drug, Risk, Bloodstream infections, Sepsis, Allergy, Molecular Informatics, Machine learning, BOCA, Trial of the century, Pharmaceutical industry

This joint effort marks a significant advancement in the appropriate antimicrobial prescribing and the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Key Points: 
  • This joint effort marks a significant advancement in the appropriate antimicrobial prescribing and the fight against antibiotic resistance.
  • The study aims to evaluate the clinical utility and benefits of Arkstone's innovative clinical decision support software, the OneChoice Report®, and its impact on selecting appropriate antibiotic therapy.
  • "The OneChoice Report is the most advanced antimicrobial stewardship program available, providing guidance to clinicians on optimal therapy for infections.
  • The study will also investigate the relationship between the use of the OneChoice Report®, clinician usage, antibiotic selection, patient outcomes, and healthcare cost-effectiveness.

Human medicines European public assessment report (EPAR): Fetcroja, cefiderocol, Date of authorisation: 23/04/2020, Revision: 8, Status: Authorised

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Urine, Medical Subject Headings, Diarrhea, Marketing, Agency, INN, Infection, Allergy, ATC, Carbapenem, International, Cough, Nausea, Language, Urinary tract infection, European Medicines Agency, Cilastatin, Bloodstream infections, Imipenem, Select, Patient, Iron, Bacteria, Anatomy, Penicillin, Vomiting, IIA, Gram-negative bacteria, Medical device

Human medicines European public assessment report (EPAR): Fetcroja, cefiderocol, Date of authorisation: 23/04/2020, Revision: 8, Status: Authorised

Key Points: 


Human medicines European public assessment report (EPAR): Fetcroja, cefiderocol, Date of authorisation: 23/04/2020, Revision: 8, Status: Authorised

Retractable Technologies, Inc. Declares Dividends to Series II and III Class B Preferred Stock Shareholders

Retrieved on: 
Friday, December 29, 2023
General Health, Health, Medical Supplies, Medical Devices, Risk, RVP, Syringe, Injection, Bloodstream infections, Safety, Injury, Online shopping

Retractable Technologies, Inc. (“Retractable”) (NYSE American: RVP) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared dividends to holders of its Series II Class B and Series III Class B Convertible Preferred Stock in the amounts of $39,050.00 and $18,561.25, respectively.

Key Points: 
  • Retractable Technologies, Inc. (“Retractable”) (NYSE American: RVP) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared dividends to holders of its Series II Class B and Series III Class B Convertible Preferred Stock in the amounts of $39,050.00 and $18,561.25, respectively.
  • The dividends cover the period beginning October 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
  • The dividends will be paid on January 22, 2024 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on January 10, 2024.
  • Retractable manufactures and markets VanishPoint® and Patient Safe® safety medical products and the EasyPoint® needle.