Events on 28 September 2023

Myositis

Scleroderma

Chronic lung infection is the leading cause of morbidity and early mortality for people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Microbiological surveillance to detect lung pathogens is recommended as best practise in CF patient care. Here we studied pathogen detection in forty pwCF over several years. We found that microbiological culture, the diagnostic gold standard, was significantly disparate to targeted culture-independent approaches for detection and determination of chronic infection status of two important pathogens in CF. Pathogen detection was significantly lower by culture and consequently infection status was also misclassified in the majority of cases.

In particular, the extent of chronic infection by both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus not realised with culture was striking. Our findings have implications for the development of infection and clinical care of pwCF. Future longitudinal studies with greater patient numbers will be needed to establish the full extent of the clinical implications indicated from this study.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 has been the most clinically significant STEC serotype in the UK for over four decades. However, over the last 10 years we have observed a decrease in STEC O157:H7 and an increase in non-O157 STEC serotypes, such as O26:H11. Little is known about the microbiology and epidemiology of non-O157 STEC. This presentation describes the virulence, clinical outcomes and epidemiology of non-O157 STEC, focusing on the most commonly detected serotype, STEC O26:H11.

This presentation will give delegates a:

Real world evaluation of a syndromic panel compared to traditional Gram stain and culture
The presentation will cover:

An outline of the trial
A summary of findings
The local experience of the process
Brief local case studies that show how the multiplex PCR panel results could have positively affected patient management.

Increasing antimicrobial resistance observed globally in key Gram-negative bacteria and failure of the antimicrobial development pipeline to keep up has left clinicians with few remaining treatment options. This presentation will: i) highlight the current gaps in our antimicrobial armamentarium (with a focus on the World Health Organisation critical priority pathogens); ii) give an overview of new antimicrobials that have reached phase 3 clinical trials and other therapeutic approaches currently in the pipeline; and iii) share experience from the reference laboratory.

EUCAST – striving towards a complete system

Meet the Microbiology Experts

Emerging Issues in Medical Mycology

There is a lack of validated tools to assess potential disease progression and hospitalisation decisions in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a suspected infection. The aim to identify suitable blood biomarkers (MR-proADM, PCT, lactate and CRP) and/ or clinical scores (SIRS, SOFA, qSOFA, NEWS and CRB-65) to fulfil this unmet clinical need and recognising the “ill looking well” and the “well looking ill”. We found in patients presenting to the ED with a suspected infection, the blood biomarker MR-proADM could most accurately identify the likelihood of further disease progression.

Incorporation into an early sepsis management protocol may therefore aid rapid decision-making in order to either initiate, escalate or intensify early treatment strategies, or identify patients suitable for safe out-patient treatment. There is currently a randomised controlled trial to assess the accuracy of the above findings.