Aspergillus Infection
Conditions
Brief summary
Aspergillus is a filamentous mould ubiquitous in the environment and the concentration of its spores in the air varies according to weather conditions and seasons. In this regard, efforts are often made to limit its diffusion in wards where fragile patients are housed (e.g., ICU, Haematology, Oncology, etc.). Indeed, in these patients, Aspergillus infections can present as pulmonary aspergillosis, invasive rhinosinusitis or angio-invasive aspergillosis with significantly high rates of morbidity and mortality, while it rarely causes disease in healthy immunocompetent subjects. Previous studies have established the correlation between nasal carriage of microorganisms and the development of an invasive infectious disease; however, those studies mainly focused on Staphylococci and Candida species. The main target of this study is to investigate the spread of Aspergillus within a hospital ward and analyse the correlation between nosocomial infection and symptom severity in a cohort of frail population.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* ≥ 18 years old * Signature of informed consent * Admission to San Matteo's Hematology ward
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| number of new onset of invasive aspergillosis | up to 2 years | number of new onset of invasive aspergillosis in patients who entered the ward with a negative swab at admission over person-time. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| correlation between the levels of Aspergillus in the air and the number of subjects with a positive swab at discharge | up to 2 years |
Countries
Italy
Contacts
CONTACTAlba Muzzi
Outcome results
None listed