Real-life impact on antimicrobial prescription of Syndromic Molecular Testing in adults hospitalized in infectious disease departments. Respiratory Syndromic Molecular Testing panel: Is it worth it?

BACKGROUND: While sensitive molecular diagnostic tests enable accurate and rapid diagnosis of many respiratory viruses, their impact on antibiotic management remains uncertain. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of respiratory syndromic molecular testing panel in real-life clinical practice. METHOD: Retrospective descriptive study involving consecutive hospitalized patients in an infectious disease department who had been prescribed a respiratory syndromic molecular testing panel on nasopharyngeal swab samples (FilmArray Respiratory Panel 2 plus) during hospitalization from October 1st, 2021, to February 28th, 2023. RESULTS: All in all, 94 out of 210 screened patients were included in the study. Syndromic molecular testing results influenced antibiotic treatment in seven cases: discontinuation in four cases (three virus identifications), changes in two (Mycoplasma pneumoniae positive cases), and initiation in two (negative viral PCRs and one positive bacterial culture). CONCLUSION: In our study, respiratory syndromic molecular testing had low impact on antibiotic modification.

Respective roles of social deprivation, health literacy, and clinical factors for COVID-19: a case-control study in hospitalized patients.

Introduction: To investigate the association between social deprivation and COVID-19 among hospitalized patients in an underprivileged department of the greater Paris area. Methods: Individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 between March 1st and October 31, 2020, were included, matched on age and sex, and compared with patients hospitalized for any other reason with negative RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2, through a case-control study. Clinical, socio-demographic characteristics, health literacy, and social deprivation, assessed by the EPICES score, were collected. Factors associated with COVID-19 in hospitalized patients were assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: 69 cases and 180 controls were included. Participants were mostly men (N = 148: 59.4%) aged 65 or older (N = 109: 44.1%). Median EPICES score was 43.2 (IQR 29.4-62.9). EPICES score > 30.17 (precariousness threshold) was not significantly associated with COVID-19 in hospitalized patients (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.46; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [0.21-1.01]). Advanced age, higher BMI, professional activity, home area of less than 25 m2 per person, and low health literacy, were significantly associated with COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. Discussion: This study highlights probable risk factors for specific exposition in disadvantaged area: maintenance of professional activity, smaller home area, and low health literacy.

Esophageal brucellosis? Straight to the goat.

We report the case of a 58-year-old immunocompetent man from Algeria, who presented to the hospital with fever and hepatic cytolysis. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed a homogeneous splenomegaly and a hypodense 12-mm mass on the posterior wall of the esophagus. After ruling out tuberculosis, the patient was diagnosed with brucellosis. Patient was cured after receiving 6 weeks of oral doxycycline and intravenous gentamicin during the 7 first days of therapy. Such treatment was considered as an acceptable alternative of the recommended first-line therapy. This case illustrates the diagnostic issues in the context of an authentic brucellosis presenting as upper gastrointestinal symptoms, with impaired general condition.

Superinfection is associated with short-term outcome and mortality in viral respiratory tract infections during the fall-winter seasons 2016-2018 in the Greater Paris area: the SUPERFLUOUS study: outcomes of viral infections.

BACKGROUND: Following a study of predictors of superinfection in viral respiratory tract infections (VRTIs), this study analyzes the predictors of the outcome. METHODS: Multicenter retrospective study conducted among adults who tested positive for VRTIs with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. We compared characteristics between influenza virus, Paramyxoviridae, and Pneumoviridae and identified predictors of favorable short-term outcome, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 590 patients had VRTI, including 347 (59%) influenza infections. Mean (SD) patient age was 71.0 (18.3) years, with a sex ratio of 0.91. In multivariate analyses, predictors of favorable short-term outcome were age ≤75 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.38 [95% confidence interval, 1.59-18.2]), absence of respiratory disease (4.94 [1.01-24.37]), and absence of superinfection (aOR 3.91 [1.37-11.13]). The predictors of ICU admission were age ≤75 years (aOR 3.28 [1.71-6.25]), chronic respiratory disease (aOR 2.49 [1.20-5.19]), and procalcitonin level >0.25 ng/mL (aOR 4.25 [1.55-11.67]). Predictors of mortality were use of inhaled corticosteroids (2.49 [1.10-5.63]), influenza infection (2.73 [1.27-5.85]), Charlson score ≥5 (5.35 [1.90-15.05]), superinfection (2.54 [1.05-6.18]), and eosinophil count <50/µL (4.39 [1.19-16.2]). Certainty of superinfection was significantly associated with mortality (2.23 [1.15-4.3]). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that superinfection was significantly related to the outcome, and that virus species affects mortality. These findings emphasize the need for improving the tools used in daily practice to confirm certainty of superinfection and for broader implementation of vaccination of individuals at risk of VRTIs.