TY - JOUR
T1 - Fluorescence in situ hybridization and microbial community profiling analysis of explanted cochlear implants
AU - Asfour, Leena
AU - Smyth, Daniel
AU - Whitchurch, Cynthia B.
AU - Cavaliere, Rosalia
AU - Roland, J. Thomas
N1 - Acknowledgements: Thank you to Cochlear Ltd. for providing the results of the FISH and MCP analysis.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Background: Cochlear implant (CI) infections affect a small, but significant number of patients. Unremitting infections can lead to explantation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and microbial community profiling (MCP) are methods of studying microbial environments of explanted devices that can provide information to reduce morbidity and costs of infected CIs. Aims/objectives: To describe the results and clinical significance of bacterial analyses conducted on explanted CIs. Material and methods: Between 2013 and 2017, 12 explanted devices underwent microbiological analysis in addition to the manufacturer’s device failure analysis. Patients’ clinical history, infection status and outcome were reviewed and correlated with microbial analysis results. Results: From 2013 to 2017, 12 Cochlear™ devices from 11 patients underwent additional MCP or FISH analysis. Five devices were explanted due to suspected implant associated infection, and seven were explanted for other reasons. FISH analysis revealed biofilm presence on all infected devices, only partial correlation of cultures with biofilm composition and confirmation that biofilm formation occurs preferentially at particular device interfaces and geometries. MCP analysis presented challenges in data analysis inherent to its technique but correlated with cultures of infected devices and suggested a diverse microbial composition of explanted devices. Conclusions and significance: Microbial analysis of explanted devices can aid in further elucidating treatment approaches to infected CIs.
AB - Background: Cochlear implant (CI) infections affect a small, but significant number of patients. Unremitting infections can lead to explantation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and microbial community profiling (MCP) are methods of studying microbial environments of explanted devices that can provide information to reduce morbidity and costs of infected CIs. Aims/objectives: To describe the results and clinical significance of bacterial analyses conducted on explanted CIs. Material and methods: Between 2013 and 2017, 12 explanted devices underwent microbiological analysis in addition to the manufacturer’s device failure analysis. Patients’ clinical history, infection status and outcome were reviewed and correlated with microbial analysis results. Results: From 2013 to 2017, 12 Cochlear™ devices from 11 patients underwent additional MCP or FISH analysis. Five devices were explanted due to suspected implant associated infection, and seven were explanted for other reasons. FISH analysis revealed biofilm presence on all infected devices, only partial correlation of cultures with biofilm composition and confirmation that biofilm formation occurs preferentially at particular device interfaces and geometries. MCP analysis presented challenges in data analysis inherent to its technique but correlated with cultures of infected devices and suggested a diverse microbial composition of explanted devices. Conclusions and significance: Microbial analysis of explanted devices can aid in further elucidating treatment approaches to infected CIs.
KW - biofilm
KW - Cochlear implant infection
KW - fluorescence in situ hybridization
KW - microbial analysis
KW - microbial community profiling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130274397&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00016489.2022.2070931
DO - 10.1080/00016489.2022.2070931
M3 - Article
C2 - 35549817
AN - SCOPUS:85130274397
SN - 0001-6489
VL - 142
SP - 395
EP - 401
JO - Acta Oto-Laryngologica
JF - Acta Oto-Laryngologica
IS - 5
ER -