Christina Liscynesky

• Doctor of Medicine
• The Ohio State University

Background Toxigenic Clostridioides difficile (CD) approximately colonizes 11-39% of allogeneic and 13% of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) candidates. Colonization increases risk for CD infection (CDI). Thus, in 2018, our institution established universal CD PCR screening on admission to the HCT unit to decrease hospital on...

A 30-year-old male patient with symptomatic Mycoplasma genitalium urethritis failed treatment with oral azithromycin, two-stage doxycycline-moxifloxacin, and minocycline. Molecular testing confirmed the presence of macrolide resistance mutations. Treatment with oral tinidazole 2 grams daily for seven days resulted in clinical and microbiologic cure...

Background: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a relatively new method for analyzing outbreaks and modes of transmission, particularly for multidrug resistant bacteria. This study sought to investigate clusters of patients with genetically related Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE) bacteremia for shared hospital environmental exposures. Met...

Background: Candida auris is an emerging threat to hospitalized patients and invasive disease is associated with high mortality. This study describes clinical and microbiological characteristics of nine patients identified with C. auris at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center discovered through active surveillance or clinical investigation and uses who...

Background: Clostridioides difficile PCR is extremely sensitive but cannot differentiate colonization versus active disease. Over diagnosis of C. difficile infection (CDI) has negative consequences including overuse of antibiotics targeting C. difficile, increased hospital-acquired (HA)-CDI rates, and increased healthcare costs. We describe the imp...

A healthcare-associated group A Streptococcus outbreak involving six patients, four healthcare workers, and one household contact occurred in the labor and delivery unit of an academic medical center. Isolates were highly related by whole genome sequencing. Infection prevention measures, healthcare worker screening, and chemoprophylaxis of those co...

Background: Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are increasingly implicated in nosocomial outbreaks worldwide. We evaluated whole-genome sequencing (WGS) as an adjunctive epidemiological tool to identify infection clusters and MDRO transmission in the healthcare setting. Methods: Clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) fr...

Study objective: This study evaluates the time to attempted patient contact for positive blood cultures in patients discharged from the Emergency Department (ED) resulting when an Emergency Medicine (EM) pharmacist is on-duty compared to off-duty. Methods: This single center, retrospective study included patients who were discharged from the ED...

Background Although Enterococcus species can colonize and cause infection in multiple body sites, it is considered a rare cause of pneumonia (PNA). The study objective was to describe clinical outcomes in immunocompromised patients with PNA and Enterococcus in respiratory cultures to better elucidate the pathogenic role played by Enterococci. Meth...

Background: Transmission-based precautions against varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in healthcare settings are determined by the extent of rash (localized vs disseminated) and the immune status of the host. At our facility, immunocompetent patients with localized disease are placed in standard precautions whereas patients with disseminated disease and/...

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are an increasing threat to patient safety but only a small percentage of CRE identified are NDMs. Since 2018, clinical CRE isolates have been submitted to the Ohio Department of Health for sequencing and NDM cases have notably increased since that time. Candida auris is an emerging pathogen w...

Background: An increase in candidemia has been observed throughout the world since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with COVID-19 may have different risk factors, clinical presentations, and outcomes compared to patients without COVID-19. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all inpatients with candidemia at a large, ac...

A specific, clinical-epidemiology, month-long rotation for all infectious disease fellows as well as a 1-year subspecialty track provides education in clinical epidemiology during infectious disease fellowship training. We describe the educational process created at our institution to provide this training.

Patients with underlying hematologic malignancy (HM) and/or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients are at risk for mucosal barrier injury laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection (MBI-LCBI) secondary to bacterial translocation. There is sparse data comparing MBI-LCBI management practices, in particular central venous cathe...

There is currently a critical need to determine the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for immunocompromised patients. In this study, we determined the neutralizing antibody response in 160 cancer patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), lung cancer, breast cancer, and various non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL), after they received tw...

There is currently a critical need to determine the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for immunocompromised patients. In this study, we determined the neutralizing antibody response in 160 cancer patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), lung cancer, breast cancer, and various non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL), after they received tw...

Background: Prison populations have been disproportionally affected by COVID-19, partly due to challenges related to social distancing. Data on viral transmission dynamics in inpatient prison units remain limited. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) has a 24-bed inpatient prison unit in collaboration with the Ohio Department of...

Background: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center identified a cluster of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases on an inpatient geriatric stroke care unit involving both patients and staff. The period of suspected severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and exposure on the unit was December 20, 2020, to...

Background Since discovery in December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which causes the disease of COVID-19 has become a global pandemic. Little is known about which risk factors lead to more severe disease or increased mortality in patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. We aimed in this study to compare clinical cha...

Background GAS can cause severe postpartum infections and may be transmitted from colonized healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods Two cases of GAS bacteremia following vaginal delivery were identified on the L&D unit June-July 2019 (Cluster 1), prompting a carrier-disseminator investigation. Two additional cases were identified September-October 2019...

Background Clostridioides difficile (CD) infection is a major cause of infectious diarrhea among Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) patients. Previous research showed asymptomatic colonized patients with CD may confer a risk for nosocomial transmission. We found that 14% of patients admitted to our BMT unit were colonized with toxigenic CD. The objective...

Prophylaxis with fluoroquinolones for patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) remains controversial. We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing ASCT with and without bacterial prophylaxis to compare endpoints of interest. Per institutional policy, patients undergoing ASCT for multiple myeloma routinely receiv...

Introduction PML is a rare infection with JC virus affecting mostly oligodendrocytes and the white matter of the central nervous system. It affects patients with profound cellular immunodeficiency such as uncontrolled HIV or those receiving immunosuppression for neoplastic and autoimmune diseases. Prognosis is poor as there is no effective therapy...

Introduction Autologous stem cell transplant patients (ASCT) are at risk for bacterial. Antibacterial prophylactic strategy is variable among centers. Fluoroquinolone prophylaxis in ASCT patients has not been found to add a survival benefit. We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing ASCT with and without bacterial prophylaxis to co...

Background Patients with hematologic malignancies receiving chemotherapy and those undergoing stem cell transplantation (SCT) are at risk for mucosal barrier injury laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections (MBI-LCBIs). Our comprehensive cancer center, which performs over 300 SCTs per year, has historically removed central venous catheters (CVCs)...

The Effect of Ultraviolet Light on Clostridium difficile Spore Recovery Versus Bleach Alone - Christina Liscynesky, Lisa P. Hines, Justin Smyer, Megan Hanrahan, Robert C. Orellana, Julie E. Mangino

We describe a prospective observational cohort (N = 187) to evaluate peripherally inserted central catheter line complications concurrently from the time of placement until removal. A significantly higher percentage of patients who experienced intraluminal thrombosis were receiving total parenteral nutrition (P ≤ .001) and had a dual lumen catheter...

Background: Blood stream infections (BSIs) cause significant morbidity and mortality in the inpatient setting. The epidemiology of inpatient BSIs is well described resulting in interventions that have decreased their incidence. The burden and characteristics of ambulatory BSIs are less well understood. Methods: Positive blood cultures were evalua...

Background: Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) continue to cause patient morbidity and mortality, and increase institutional financial burden. HAIs related to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), Acinetobacter sp., carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and Clostridium difficile (CD)...