A5049754447- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
- Fungal Infections and Studies
- Hepatitis C virus research
- Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Antibiotics Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy
- Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus
- Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies
- Nail Diseases and Treatments
- T-cell and Retrovirus Studies
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Malaria Research and Control
- Urinary Tract Infections Management
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
- Polyomavirus and related diseases
- Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment
- Infectious Diseases and Mycology
- Nosocomial Infections in ICU
University of Catania
2021-2025
Policlinico Universitario di Catania
2021-2025
Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico - Vittorio Emanuele
2021-2023
University of Naples Federico II
2017-2022
Azienda Ospedaliera Sant'Andrea
2014
University of Milan
1995-1996
Luigi Sacco Hospital
1995
University of Konstanz
1993
Intensive care units constitute a critical setting for the management of infections. The patients' fragilities and spread multidrug-resistant microorganisms lead to relevant difficulties in care. Recent epidemiological surveys documented Gram-negative bacteria supremacy among intensive unit (ICU) infection aetiologies, accounting numerous isolates. Regarding this specific setting, clinical microbiology support holds crucial role definition diagnostic algorithms. Eventually, complete patient...
Klebsiella pneumoniae represent a common invasive infection etiological agent, whose potential carbapenem-resistance and hypermucoviscosity complicate the patient's management. Infection development often derives from gastrointestinal colonization; thus, it is fundamental to monitor asymptomatic K. colonization through surveillance protocols, especially for intensive care immunocompromised patients. We described six-month routine screening protocol Policlinico of Catania (Italy), while blood...
Background Among multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria able to threaten human health, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) have become a major public health threat globally. National and international guidelines point out the importance of active routine surveillance policies prevent CRE transmission. Therefore, defining lines intervention strategies capable containing controlling spread is considered determinant. screening one main actions curb transmission control outbreaks, outlining...
Objectives Carbapenem-resistance is a challenging healthcare concern and require specific stewardship programs. Monitoring workflows include the identification from surveillance samples, such as rectal swabs. Although culture assays represent gold standard, data report significant effectiveness in detecting carbapenemases genes directly The aim of this study was to evaluate REALQUALITY Carba-Screen kit (AB ANALITICA, Padova, Italy) swabs, also comparing its results. A next-generation...
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) reports significant mortality rates among critically ill patients. A prompt microbiological diagnosis is essential to establish a coherent antifungal treatment. Despite its low sensitivity and prolonged turn-around time, culture represents the conventional diagnostic technique. Additionally, galactomannan detection may support process. Ultimate generation methods, such as real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-Time PCR), integrated procedure improve...
Despite being implicated in a wide spectrum of community- and healthcare-acquired infections, anaerobes have not yet been incorporated into systematic surveillance programs Europe. We conducted multicentre retrospective observational study analysing all anaerobic strains isolated from blood cultures 44 European Hospital Centres over 4-year period (2020-2023). Diagnostic approach, epidemiology, antimicrobial susceptibility according to EUCAST v. 15.0 were investigated. Our included 14,527...
Molecular techniques recently integrated the candidiasis diagnostic workflow, avoiding culture-based prolonged turn-around time and lack of sensitivity. The present retrospective study evaluated OLM CandID Real-Time PCR on serum samples in early rapid candidaemia diagnosis among ICU patients. final purpose protocol was to demonstrate effectiveness a assay invasive workflow due high sensitivity rates species identification possibility. evaluation screened 60 suitable patients, accounting for...
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, known as a complication in patients with severe respiratory syndromes, recently showed correlation COVID-19 pneumonia, and the clinical characteristics of associated aspergillosis (CAPA) have been described. Unfortunately, infections by Aspergillus genus are often diagnosed post-mortem time, because diagnostic delays rapid worsening conditions. Literature data document, fact, only few cases niger coinfection. The aim this study was to describe case...
Diabetes is characterized by an increased rate of serum glucose due to defects in insulin secretion, action or both conditions. Glucose excesses can lead extended cellular damage, with the consequence several infectious and non-infectious skin disorders. The aim present study was evaluate toenail onychomycosis incidence diabetic patients healthy ones. non-interventional, retrospective performed at mycology laboratory University hospital "Policlinico-San Marco" Catania, Italy, for over one...
The rise of multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria necessitates the development new antimicrobial agents. Cefiderocol shows promising activity by exploiting bacterial iron transport systems to penetrate outer membranes resistant pathogens.
Onychomycosis is a nail fungal infection mainly caused by dermatophytes. Diagnostic confirmation conventionally made direct microscopy and culture, which suffer from low or moderate sensitivity. Several molecular methods have been used for dermatophytes detection identification directly samples. The aim of this study was the evaluation DermaGenius®(DG) multiplex kit in detecting identifying samples untreated treated patients with clinical suspicion onychomycosis.All underwent scarification,...
The etiopathogenesis of peripheral neuropathy (PN) that frequently affects human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1-positive patients remains undefined. Forty-seven HIV-1-positive with PN (8 inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and 39 predominantly sensory [PSP]) 266 controls symptomatic HIV-1 infection without were screened for antibodies to T cell lymphotropic (HTLV) types I II. prevalence HTLV-II was significantly higher in PSP than (30.8% vs. 8.3%; P < .001). All seropositive had...
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with most mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) syndromes. In this study, HCV RNA was detected in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 11 (73.3%) 15 patients MC and 5 (71.4%) of7 noncryoglobulinemic chronic hepatitis type C. All 3 (42.8%) 7 without (P < .05) had bone marrow cells. Subjects both groups HCV-positive also serum. The majority syndromes were infected subtypes 1band 2a. Two different genotypes serum Further studies are needed to determine...
Isavuconazole is a new broad-spectrum triazole, with significant in vitro activity against yeasts. susceptibility can be evaluated through broth microdilution as reference method. Considering difficulties equipping such methods laboratory routine, commercial MIC Strip test has been designed. This study aims to implement data about isavuconazole and compare EUCAST defining yeast susceptibility. The involved 629 isolates from positive blood cultures (January 2017–December 2021). identified...
Abstract Background Sepsis represents a time-sensitive disease requiring early therapeutical intervention to avoid adverse patient outcomes. Rapid microbiological diagnosis is essential investigate sepsis aetiological agents. The FAST™ system (Qvella, ON, Canada) provides concentrated microbial suspension, known as Liquid Colony™ (LC), directly from positive blood samples (PBCs) in 30–40 min perform rapid identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Methods Qvella’s...
Background. Among invasive fungal infection pathogens, Candida spp. represent the most common aetiological agents. The increasing rate of severe infections and emergence antimicrobial resistance highlight importance in vitro susceptibility testing. EUCAST CLSI have established reference microdilutions that are reliable but difficult to apply a laboratory routine. Commercial could valuable alternative within diagnostic workflow. Methods. A number 50 collected from positive blood samples...
Background: Invasive fungal infections represent a concerning healthcare issue, with Candida spp. reported as the main aetiological agent. bloodstream show high mortality rates, indicating increasing antifungal-resistance episodes contributing feature. Despite global prevalence of C. albicans, non-albicans species emerged significant in last decades. Methods: The present manuscript reports five-year evaluation on isolates and their antifungal susceptibility profiles, aiming to enrich...
Abstract Objectives The recent emergence of fusidic acid (FA)–resistant Staphylococcus aureus has underscored the importance active surveillance in isolating these strains. molecular basis resistance and carriage virulence factors four borderline oxacillin-resistant (BORSA) clinical strains was assessed through phenotypical genotypical methods. Methods All S. were obtained from various hospital units Sicily. In vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing conducted. WGS performed using Illumina...
Pulmonary aspergillosis is a severe respiratory infection caused by
Invasive candidiasis is known to be one of the most common healthcare-associated complications and caused by several Candida species. First-line drugs, particularly echinocandins, are effective, but there increasing reports resistance these molecules, though rarely related C. albicans. Even rate echinocandins remains low (<3%), sporadic cases emerging. Here, we present a case bloodstream infection pan-echinocandin-resistant albicans affecting critically ill patient, who died in an...
Hematological diseases, especially those causing severe neutropenia, represent the main factor in development of invasive fungal infections (IFIs). Furthermore, COVID-19 has been considerably associated with IFIs due to immunological dysregulation, prolonged hospitalization intensive care units, and immunomodulatory therapies. Opportunistic molds are correlated elevated morbidity mortality rates these patients, immune impairment, diagnostic complexity, therapeutic challenges. Among...