The clinical distinctions among variations in Candida species, antifungal resistance (AFR), and clearance status of hospital-acquired persistent candidemia (HA-PC) remain uncertain. This secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the differences in HA-PC based on different Candida species, AFR, and persistent candidemia (PC) clearance status. A retrospective review was conducted using medical records from Tohoku University Hospital of patients for whom blood cultures were performed between January 2012 and December 2021. PC cases were categorized into groups based on Candida species, azole, or echinocandin resistance, as well as PC-clearance status, and the respective characteristics were analyzed. The HA-PC non-clearance group had a tendency toward higher 30–90-day and 90-day mortality rates compared to the HA-PC-clearance group in both the susceptible and resistant strain groups, with the former group demonstrating a statistically significant difference (odds ratio = 19, p = 0.028). The high mortality rate observed in the Candida non-albicans and resistant strain groups necessitates a more meticulous therapeutic management approach for PC. Follow-up blood cultures and confirmation of PC clearance are useful for improving the survival rates of both the HA-PC-susceptible and -resistant strain groups.

Background: Bloodstream infections (BSIs), including persistent bacteremia (PB), are a leading source of morbidity and mortality globally. PB has a higher mortality rate than non- PB, but the clinical aspects of PB in terms of the causative pathogens and the presence of clearance of PB are not well elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of PB in a real-world clinical setting. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational survey of patients who underwent blood culture between January 2012 and December 2021 at Tohoku University Hospital. Cases of PB were divided into three groups depending on the causative pathogen: gram-positive cocci (GPC), gram-negative rods (GNRs), and Candida spp. For each group, we examined the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of PB, including differences in clinical features depending on the clearance of PB. The main outcome variable was mortality, assessed as early (30-day), late (30–90 day), and 90-day mortality. Results: Overall, we identified 31,591 cases of single bacteremia; in 6709 (21.2%) cases, the first blood culture was positive, and in 3124 (46.6%) cases, a follow-up blood culture (FUBC) was performed. Of the cases with FUBCs, 414 (13.2%) were confirmed to be PB. The proportion of PB cases caused by Candida spp. was significantly higher (29.6%, 67/226 episodes) than that for GPC (11.1%, 220/1974 episodes, p < 0.001) and GNRs (12.1%, 100/824 episodes, p < 0.001). The Candida spp. group also had the highest late (30–90 day) and 90-day mortality rates. In all three pathogen groups, the subgroup without the clearance of PB tended to have a higher mortality rate than the subgroup with clearance. Conclusions: Patients with PB due to Candida spp. have a higher late (30–90 day) and 90-day mortality rate than patients with PB due to GPC or GNRs. In patients with PB, FUBCs and confirming the clearance of PB are useful to improve the survival rate.

This retrospective study aims to describe the clinico-epidemiological characteristics of bloodstream infections (BSIs) and the risk factors in patients with head and neck cancer (n = 227) treated at the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Hospital between April 2011 and March 2021. Overall, 23.3% of blood cultures were positive. In the culture-positive group, catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) were the most common (38.8%), followed by respiratory tract infections (19.4%), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (6.0%). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (26.9%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (17.9%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10.4%) infections were common. The most frequent treatment for head and neck cancer was surgery (23.9%), followed by treatment interval or palliative care (19.4%), and single radiotherapy (13.4%). The 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the BSI than in the non-BSI group (10.4% vs. 1.8%, respectively). CRBSIs are the most frequent source of BSIs in patients with head and neck cancer. In conclusion, central venous catheters or port insertion should be used for a short period to prevent CRBSIs. The risk of developing BSI should be considered in patients with pneumonia. Understanding the epidemiology of BSIs is crucial for diagnosing, preventing, and controlling infections in patients with head and neck cancer.

The clinical aspects of persistent bacteremia (PB) caused by gram-negative rods (GNRs) in terms of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and PB clearance status are unclear. This secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study investigated differences in PB caused by Enterobacterales and glucose non-fermentative GNRs (NF-GNRs) based on AMR and PB clearance. We retrospectively surveyed medical records at Tohoku University Hospital. Patients for whom blood cultures were performed between January 2012 and December 2021 were recruited. PB cases were grouped based on AMR and PB clearance; the characteristics of PB due to each bacterial pathogen were examined. The main outcome variable was mortality. The late (30–90-day) mortality rate was significantly higher in the multidrug-resistant (MDR) group than in the non-MDR group for Enterobacterales. However, no significant difference was noted in mortality rates between NF-GNRs with and without AMR. Mortality rates tended to be higher in the non-PB-clearance group than in the clearance group for both Enterobacterales and NF-GNRs. Since the mortality rate was higher in the MDR group in the case of Enterobacterales PB, more careful management is necessary for this condition. Follow-up blood cultures and confirming the clearance of PB are useful for improving the survival rate.

Clinical outcomes of persistent staphylococcal bacteremia vary depending on the causative organism. This secondary data analysis study compared the clinical characteristics of persistent Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)- and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS)-caused bacteremia, focusing on the methicillin-resistant status. This study used data collected from patients who underwent blood cultures between January 2012 and December 2021 at Tohoku University Hospital, Japan. Patients with persistent staphylococcal bacteremia were divided into groups based on the pathogen and methicillin-resistant status, and their characteristics were analyzed. The primary outcomes were early (30-day), late (30–90 days), and 90-day mortality rates. The early, late, and 90-day mortality rates were similar between the persistent CoNS and S. aureus bacteremia groups. Patients with persistent methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteremia tended to have higher early, late, and 90-day mortality rates than those with persistent methicillin-susceptible S. aureus bacteremia (not statistically significant). No differences were observed between the methicillin-resistant and-susceptible CoNS groups. In patients with persistent CoNS bacteremia, mortality tended to increase, especially in debilitated or immunocompromised patients with distant metastases, underscoring the importance of infection source control. Mortality tended to be high in patients with persistent MRSA bacteremia, especially when persistent bacteremia clearance was not confirmed, illustrating the need for careful therapeutic management.