Aspergillus Infection in Patients Admitted to Hematology Ward

A Prospective Study on the Incidence of Invasive Aspergillus Infections in Hematology Patients: the Utility of Nasal Swab Screening and Environmental Sampling (AspHem)

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Aspergillus Infection

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 193

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Alba Muzzi; Phone Number: 0382/502268; Email: a.muzzi@smatteo.pv.it

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Pavia
    • Pavia, Pavia, Italy, 27100
      • Recruiting
      • Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia
      • Contact: Alba Muzzi; Phone Number: 0382/502268; Email: a.muzzi@smatteo.pv.it

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

patients admitted to the Hematology ward

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• ≥ 18 years old
• Signature of informed consent
• Admission to San Matteo's Hematology ward

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
number of new onset of invasive aspergillosis	number of new onset of invasive aspergillosis in patients who entered the ward with a negative swab at admission over person-time.	up to 2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome 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

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 14, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 14, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 14, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Infections; Bacterial Infections and Mycoses; Mycoses; Aspergillosis
• Other Study ID Numbers: AspHem

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No