InfectionPub Date : 2026-09-11DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02910-y
Victoria Lobo-Antuña, María Martínez-Serrano, Elena Montesinos-Sanchis, Amparo Secaduras-Mora, Alejandro Fernández-Soro, Marta Lobo-Antuña, Miguel García-Deltoro, Magdalena García-Rodríguez
{"title":"Real-world implementation and clinical outcomes of a regional prenatal screening programme for Trypanosoma cruzi infection in a non-endemic European setting: an 11-year retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Victoria Lobo-Antuña, María Martínez-Serrano, Elena Montesinos-Sanchis, Amparo Secaduras-Mora, Alejandro Fernández-Soro, Marta Lobo-Antuña, Miguel García-Deltoro, Magdalena García-Rodríguez","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02910-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02910-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In non-endemic countries, congenital transmission has become the main source of new Trypanosoma cruzi infections. Prenatal screening programmes targeting women from endemic areas are recommended, yet long-term real-world evaluations in Europe remain limited. We assessed the implementation of a regional prenatal screening programme and the association between maternal T. cruzi infection and maternal and neonatal outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted an 11-year retrospective cohort study (2014-2024) at a tertiary hospital in Valencia, Spain. All pregnancies in women born in endemic countries were eligible. Two analyses were performed: (1) implementation of prenatal screening and factors associated with non-screening; and (2) maternal and neonatal outcomes according to maternal serological status. Multivariable logistic regression models with clustered robust standard errors were used to identify independent associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 3,004 eligible pregnancies, 2,460 (81.9%) underwent prenatal screening and 70 (2.8%) were seropositive; most seropositive women were born in Bolivia (95%). Screening uptake increased over time (adjusted OR per calendar year 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.14). Increasing maternal age was associated with lower screening probability (aOR 0.97 per year, 95% CI 0.96-0.99), which also varied according to country of origin. Of the 70 seropositive pregnancies identified through prenatal screening, 62 had available delivery data and were included in the maternal and neonatal outcomes analysis, together with 2,080 seronegative pregnancies. An independent association was observed between maternal seropositivity and gestational complications (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.03-3.24), maternal age (aOR 1.11 per year, 95% CI 1.05-1.16), autoimmune disease (aOR 9.71, 95% CI 2.33-33.07), hepatitis B infection (aOR 11.31, 95% CI 3.02-37.63), previous ectopic pregnancy (aOR 5.73, 95% CI 1.09-21.73), and higher neonatal birthweight percentile (aOR 1.02 per unit, 95% CI 1.01-1.03). One case of congenital infection was identified (1.8%) CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal screening for T. cruzi infection achieved high and progressively increasing coverage in a non-endemic European setting. Maternal seropositivity was associated with gestational complications and specific maternal health factors, suggesting that the clinical impact of chronic infection during pregnancy may extend beyond congenital transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148955824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
InfectionPub Date : 2026-09-07DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02958-w
Inge Kroidl
{"title":"Patient recruitment at midnight for a filariasis study in Tanzania.","authors":"Inge Kroidl","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02958-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02958-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148906087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
InfectionPub Date : 2026-09-07DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02962-0
Mario Karolyi, Dorit Stahl, Michelle Naegeli, Erich Pawelka, Alexander Zoufaly, Christoph Wenisch
{"title":"Cefepime/enmetazobactam for invasive infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales: a real-world case series.","authors":"Mario Karolyi, Dorit Stahl, Michelle Naegeli, Erich Pawelka, Alexander Zoufaly, Christoph Wenisch","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02962-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02962-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We present our retrospective case series of eight patients with either bloodstream infection, pneumonia or complicated intra-abdominal infection caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) treated with cefepime/enmetazobactam. Treatment failure and 30-day all-cause mortality occurred in one patient each. Cefepime/enmetazobactam showed favorable clinical results and may represent a carbapenem-sparing treatment option in selected patients with invasive ESBL-E infections. Real-world data remain limited and further studies are needed to specify the most suitable patient population.</p>","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148906069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pre-Analytical Storage Conditions and West Nile Virus Seroprevalence in an HIV Cohort Sero-Repository Comment on: Prevalence and characterization of West Nile virus infections among people living with HIV in Northern Italy: a sero-repository analysis.","authors":"Jinlin Yang, Zewei Sun, Yongzhi Wang, Jinghui Zhao","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02952-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02952-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148906106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
InfectionPub Date : 2026-09-04DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02954-0
Pedro Suarez-Urquiza, María Ángeles Ferre, Ignacio Moreno, Ana Moret, Juan Frasquet, Mónica Gordon, Patricio Favier, Jon Salmanton-García, María Tasias, Eva Calabuig, Paula Muñoz-Brell, Víctor García-Bustos, Paula Ramírez Galleymore, Javier Pemán, Maria Dolores Gomez Ruiz, José Luis López Hontangas, Alba Ruiz-Gaitán
{"title":"Persistent candidemia matters: risk factors and clinical outcomes in a retrospective matched cohort study.","authors":"Pedro Suarez-Urquiza, María Ángeles Ferre, Ignacio Moreno, Ana Moret, Juan Frasquet, Mónica Gordon, Patricio Favier, Jon Salmanton-García, María Tasias, Eva Calabuig, Paula Muñoz-Brell, Víctor García-Bustos, Paula Ramírez Galleymore, Javier Pemán, Maria Dolores Gomez Ruiz, José Luis López Hontangas, Alba Ruiz-Gaitán","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02954-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02954-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Persistent candidemia remains incompletely understood, with inconsistent definitions and conflicting evidence on outcomes. We aimed to identify factors associated with persistent candidemia and to assess its impact on complications and 30-day mortality in a single-centre cohort.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective matched cohort study including patients aged ≥ 14 years with at least one positive peripheral blood culture for Candida species (September 2014-September 2024) at a 900-bed tertiary hospital in Valencia, Spain. Persistent candidemia was defined as isolation of the same Candida species from blood cultures obtained ≥ 5 days after initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy. A total of 105 patients with persistent candidemia were compared with 105 with non-persistent candidemia, matched by Charlson comorbidity index. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors independently associated with persistence and 30-day mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Persistent candidemia was identified in 105/515 (20.4%) patients with follow-up cultures. Patients with persistent candidemia were younger (59.3 vs. 66.0 years, p = 0.02) and had higher Candida scores (2 [IQR 1-3] vs. 2 [1-2], p = 0.03). Persistent candidemia was associated with central venous catheter presence (80% vs. 65.7%, p = 0.03), parenteral nutrition (61.9% vs. 46.7%, p = 0.04), and ICU-acquired candidemia (55.2% vs. 37.1%, p = 0.01). Early catheter removal within 48 h was less frequent (27.2% vs. 56.8%, p < 0.01) and independently associated with a reduced risk of persistence (aOR 0.20; 95% CI 0.09-0.42). Thirty-day mortality was higher in patients with persistent candidemia (29.5% vs. 16.2%, p = 0.03). After adjustment, persistent candidemia (aOR 2.10; 95% CI 1.03-4.26) and ICU-acquired candidemia (aOR 3.38; 95% CI 1.57-7.29) remained independently associated with increased 30-day mortality.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Persistent candidemia occurred in one in five patients and was independently associated with increased 30-day mortality. Early catheter removal emerged as the only independent protective factor, underscoring the importance of prompt source control and systematic follow-up blood cultures in the management of candidemia.</p>","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148891536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
InfectionPub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02933-5
Hongxia Guo, Wanqiu Huang, Cheng Chen, Bo Sun
{"title":"A retrospective study of alternative antibiotics for prophylaxis of the Group B Streptococcus maternal-fetal disease.","authors":"Hongxia Guo, Wanqiu Huang, Cheng Chen, Bo Sun","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02933-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02933-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of cefazolin prophylactic regimen versus standard penicillin treatment in pregnant women colonized with GBS(Group B Streptococcus), and further analyzed the timing of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We retrospectively analyzed the singleton pregnant women with GBS colonization at 35-37 weeks of gestation in Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital between September 2018 and January 2024. 2653 pregnant women received standardized penicillin prophylaxis and 2418 pregnant women received alternative cefazolin prophylaxis in labor. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between the two different intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant differences were found in postpartum hemorrhage, amniotic fluid fecal contamination, delivery assistance, neonatal sepsis, neonatal asphyxia and Apgar score between Penicillin group and Cefazolin group (P > 0.05). In terms of chorioamnionitis, neonatal pneumonia, cesarean section, neonatal jaundice and NICU admission, the cefazolin group showed significantly lower rates than that of penicillin group(P < 0.05). The incidence of chorioamnionitis, transfer to cesarean section and NICU admission in both penicillin and cefazolin IAP subgroup of more than 4 h were lower than that of less than or equal 4 h, however with no significantly difference when using cefazolin about chorioamnionitis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study shows that cefazolin is effective and safe as penicillin in preventing maternal-fetal GBS infection and may be used as an alternative antibiotics. In addition, it is supposed that IAP should be administered during labor for at least 4h prior to delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148887383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
InfectionPub Date : 2026-09-02DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02940-6
Himali Ratnayake, Damon Eisen, Oyelola Adegboye, Anton Pak, Emma McBryde
{"title":"Outcomes and associated risk factors among hospitalisations attributed to invasive group A streptococcal disease in Northern Queensland, Australia: a 21-year population-based data linkage study.","authors":"Himali Ratnayake, Damon Eisen, Oyelola Adegboye, Anton Pak, Emma McBryde","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02940-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02940-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) disease is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of iGAS infection and associated risk factors in Northern Queensland, Australia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective cohort study was conducted using linked hospital data from 2000 to 2020. iGAS cases were identified using ICD-10-AM diagnosis codes in administrative health datasets. Mortality and disease burden were analysed, and risk factors for adverse outcomes were assessed using logistic regression and competing risks regression. Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were estimated to quantify disease burden.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 933 iGAS related hospitalisations were identified among 870 individuals. The mean age of the cohort was 45 years (SD = 24), with a median age of 61 years (IQR: 48-77 years). Hospitalised case fatality rate was 5.2%. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission was required for 219 patients (23.5%). Readmissions occurred in 2.0% of cases, and 3.6% experienced recurrent infection. Most deaths were attributable to sepsis (80%), with necrotising fasciitis (18%) and septic shock (13.3%) also contributing. In multivariable analysis, age ≥ 60 years was associated with lower odds of ICU admission, while female sex, non-Indigenous status, higher Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) decile, cardiac disease, and renal failure were associated with increased odds of ICU admission (p < 0.01). Older age, non-Indigenous status and renal failure were significantly associated with increased mortality (p < 0.01). The total DALY burden was 1,375 years.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>iGAS imposes a substantial health burden in Northern Queensland, characterised by significant morbidity and high advanced health resource utilisation. Identification of high-risk groups highlights opportunities for targeted prevention of adverse health outcomes of iGAS.</p>","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148880009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
InfectionPub Date : 2026-08-31DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02951-3
Hui Ke, Hong-Xiang Xu, Kun-Long Xiong, Hua Wang, Yi Zeng, Qi-Long Zhang, Jie Zhou, Yan Bai, Bing-Qing Liang, Shao-Jun Zhang, Li-Rong Liu, Jian-Ping Xie, Zhe-Min Zhang, Lin Fan
{"title":"Novel blood biomarkers distinguish active pulmonary tuberculosis from non-pulmonary tuberculosis: a prospective, large scale, clinical trial in Eastern China.","authors":"Hui Ke, Hong-Xiang Xu, Kun-Long Xiong, Hua Wang, Yi Zeng, Qi-Long Zhang, Jie Zhou, Yan Bai, Bing-Qing Liang, Shao-Jun Zhang, Li-Rong Liu, Jian-Ping Xie, Zhe-Min Zhang, Lin Fan","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02951-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02951-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Active Tuberculosis (TB) had the challenge in early detection. Our pilot study showed four novel diagnostic biomarkers had high value of TB diagnosis. The aim of the study was to further verify the diagnosis value of these biomarkers for active pulmonary TB (PTB) from non-TB through clinical trial with large scale samples.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The prospective, large scale, multicenter, diagnostic clinical trial was performed from 2022 Jan to 2024 Dec in Eastern China. PTB suspects met inclusion criteria were enrolled the study, taken RNA abstract from the Peripheral venous blood for RNA examination of BATF2, UBE2L6, SERPING1, VAMP5 and tested by QFT-GIT as well, the diagnosis value of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and AUC for active TB by single and fixed groups of biomarkers were calculated and evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>890 cases were finally included the study, containing 564 cases of PTB (365 had definite and 199 had probable TB) and 326 cases of non-PTB. Any single biomarker from BATF2, UBE2L6, SERPNG1 or VAMP5 has advantage diagnosis values over QFT-GIT, UBE2L6 had the best value of the diagnosis (AUC 0.84) of active TB. Combination of UBE2L6/SERPING1/VAMP5 had best diagnosis value of active PTB (sensitivity of 70.5% and specificity of 95.4%) from non-PTB.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Blood derived transcription level of combination on Three-genes (UBE2L6, SERPING1, VAMP5) had excellent diagnosis value of active PTB from non-TB diseases, which deserved clinical application in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148864808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
InfectionPub Date : 2026-08-31DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02961-1
Alexander J Ruehman, Shaimaa Elshafie, Mohammed Zuber, Lorenzo Villa Zapata, Andrés F Henao-Martínez, Daniel B Chastain
{"title":"Immunosuppressive medication exposure and risk of invasive fungal and nontuberculous mycobacterial infections following TNF-α inhibitor initiation: a time-varying analysis.","authors":"Alexander J Ruehman, Shaimaa Elshafie, Mohammed Zuber, Lorenzo Villa Zapata, Andrés F Henao-Martínez, Daniel B Chastain","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02961-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02961-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Invasive fungal and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are important complications following TNF-α inhibitor initiation, but the contribution of additional immunosuppressive medication exposure remains incompletely defined. We evaluated their incidence and spectrum and associations with time-varying immunosuppressive medication exposure.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Merative MarketScan data (2018-2022) among adults initiating TNF-α inhibitors. Invasive fungal and NTM infections were identified using ICD-10-CM codes. Systemic glucocorticoid and non-glucocorticoid immunosuppressant exposures were modeled as time-varying variables. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated associations between immunosuppressive medication exposure and infection risk.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 62,772 adults, 238 (0.4%) developed an invasive fungal or NTM infection after a median of 14.6 months, corresponding to 146 per 100,000 person-years. Histoplasmosis (26%), NTM infections (22%), and coccidioidomycosis (16%) were most common. In time-varying analyses, glucocorticoid exposure alone (aHR 1.77, 95% CI 1.24-2.52) and non-glucocorticoid immunosuppressant exposure alone (aHR 2.25, 95% CI 1.43-3.52) were associated with higher infection risk compared with periods without either exposure. Combined exposure was not associated with infection risk (aHR 1.31, 95% CI 0.92-1.85).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Invasive fungal and NTM infections were uncommon following TNF-α inhibitor initiation. Time-varying glucocorticoid and non-glucocorticoid immunosuppressant exposures were associated with higher infection risk, illustrating the importance of dynamic immunosuppressive medication exposure when assessing infection risk during longitudinal care.</p>","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148864842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
InfectionPub Date : 2026-08-31DOI: 10.1007/s15010-026-02960-2
Mads-Gustav Nebel Hvidt, Amna Alhakak, Peter Laursen Graversen, Katra Hadji-Turdeghal, Jacob Eifer Møller, Niels Eske Bruun, Kasper Karmark Iversen, Jonas Agerlund Povlsen, Claus Moser, Morten Holdgaard Smerup, Daniel Faurholt-Jepsen, Henning Bundgaard, Lauge Østergaard, Lars Køber, Emil Loldrup Fosbøl
{"title":"Impact of time from symptom onset to diagnosis in infective endocarditis: insights from the nationwide NIDUS registry.","authors":"Mads-Gustav Nebel Hvidt, Amna Alhakak, Peter Laursen Graversen, Katra Hadji-Turdeghal, Jacob Eifer Møller, Niels Eske Bruun, Kasper Karmark Iversen, Jonas Agerlund Povlsen, Claus Moser, Morten Holdgaard Smerup, Daniel Faurholt-Jepsen, Henning Bundgaard, Lauge Østergaard, Lars Køber, Emil Loldrup Fosbøl","doi":"10.1007/s15010-026-02960-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-026-02960-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Infective endocarditis (IE) often presents with non-specific symptoms, which may delay diagnosis and treatment. Previous studies exploring symptom duration have been limited by small cohorts or single-centre studies. We aimed to investigate patient characteristics, microbial aetiology, treatment, and all-cause mortality of patients with IE according to symptom duration prior to diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included all patients with first-time IE from the NatIonal Danish Endocarditis StUdies (NIDUS) registry (2016-2021). Patients with left-sided IE and available symptom duration were stratified as short, intermediate, or prolonged (≤ 7, 8-29, or ≥ 30 days). The primary outcome was six-month mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 2,938 patients with left-sided IE, median symptom duration was 8 days [IQR:4-20], and 17.6% had symptoms ≥ 30 days. The short-duration group compared with the prolonged-duration group was older (median 74.1 vs. 72.2 years), more often female (35.1% vs. 24.8%), had more comorbidities, embolism (14.5% vs. 8.9%), sepsis (28.2% vs. 12.2%), and Staphylococcus aureus IE (38.3% vs. 11.6%). The short- and intermediate-duration groups underwent surgery less frequently (18.1% and 23.2%) than the prolonged-duration group (31.7%). The six-month cumulative incidence of mortality was lower in the prolonged-duration group (21.8%) than in the short and intermediate groups (28.7% and 28.9%), although non-significant after adjustment (HR 0.92 [95% CI:0.74-1.14]) compared to the short group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In patients with left-sided IE, short symptom duration prior to diagnosis was associated with Staphylococcus aureus IE, sepsis, and lower surgical rates. Prolonged symptom duration was associated with lower cumulative mortality, but this was not significant after multivariable adjustment.</p>","PeriodicalId":13600,"journal":{"name":"Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148864779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}