Five-Year Surveillance of Invasive Aspergillosis in a University Hospital
Author Information
Author(s): Graf Karolin, Khani Somayeh Mohammad, Ott Ella, Mattner Frauke, Gastmeier Petra, Sohr Dorith, Ziesing Stefan, Chaberny Iris F
Primary Institution: Hannover Medical School
Hypothesis
The study aimed to determine the incidence of invasive aspergillosis (IA) cases in a tertiary care university hospital using a standardized surveillance method.
Conclusion
The study confirms that solid organ and stem cell transplantation are significant risk factors for invasive aspergillosis, highlighting the need for surveillance in high-risk patients.
Supporting Evidence
- 704 patients were positive for at least one indicator of invasive aspergillosis.
- 214 IA cases were detected, with 56 proven, 25 probable, and 133 possible.
- 44% of proven and probable cases were classified as health-care associated.
- Mortality rates for proven and probable cases were 45%.
Takeaway
Doctors looked at a lot of patients in a hospital to see how many got a serious lung infection called invasive aspergillosis, especially those who had organ transplants.
Methodology
The study involved screening all inpatients for indicators of IA, including microbiological cultures, pathology diagnoses, and antifungal treatments, and classifying cases according to EORTC criteria.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of ascertainment bias as reliance on microbiological data alone may overlook cases diagnosed through clinical suspicion or pathology.
Limitations
The study may have missed some cases of IA due to reliance on specific indicators and the decreasing autopsy rates.
Participant Demographics
The median age of proven and probable IA cases was 51 years, with a male to female ratio of 2.5.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0004
Confidence Interval
95% CI not specified
Statistical Significance
p = 0.0004
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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