Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
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Early diagnosis and treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) improves outcome. ⋯ A recently developed pan-Aspergillus PCR assay and GM testing of BAL fluid may facilitate the diagnosis of IPA after lung transplantation. A. fumigatus- and A. terreus-specific real-time PCR assays may be useful in rapidly identifying the most common cause of IPA and a species that is intrinsically resistant to amphotericin B, respectively.
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Increasingly, peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) are placed for prolonged intravenous access. Few data exist regarding risk factors for central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) complicating PICCs in hospitalized children, especially children hospitalized outside the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Prolonged catheter dwell time, pediatric ICU exposure, and administration of parenteral nutrition as the indication for PICC insertion are important predictors of PICC-associated CLABSI in hospitalized children. A careful assessment of these risk factors may be important for future success in preventing CLABSIs in hospitalized children with PICCs.