'Effectiveness of various sulbactam-based combination antibiotic therapy in the management of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a tertiary care Health centre'.

OBJECTIVE: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Some in vitro data favour various combination antibiotic therapy. However, there is a need for more in vivo studies for the management of VAP caused by CRAB. This retrospective study was done to evaluate the effectiveness of various combination antibiotic therapy including sulbactam on outcomes of VAP caused by CRAB. METHODS: Adult patients (age ≥18 years) diagnosed with VAP caused by CRAB were included. Patients with polymicrobial infections were excluded from the study. Patients with CRAB associated VAP who were given sulbactam based antibiotic combinations were observed for outcomes. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality after diagnosis of VAP caused by CRAB. Reduction in serum HsCRP (High sensitivity C-reactive protein) during treatment and requirement of inotropes were the secondary outcomes. Outcomes were compared between various sulbactam based antibiotic combination therapies. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients were included. A total of 44 (42.7 %) patients received sulbactam and minocycline or sulbactam and polymyxin B dual antibiotic combination, and 59 (57.3 %) patients received sulbactam, polymyxin B and minocycline triple antibiotic combination. The percentage difference in 28 days mortality was 27.51 % (95 % CI 8.03 %-44.06 %; p = 0.005) in dual vs triple sulbactam based antibiotic combination therapy. The percentage difference in requirement of inotropes during therapy and HsCRP reduction after 7 days of therapy was 23.65 % (95 % CI 6.43 %-38.3 %; p = 0.007) and 25.1 % (95%CI 10.1 %-38.2 %; p < 0.001) respectively when compared between dual vs triple sulbactam based antibiotic combination therapy. CONCLUSION: Treatment with sulbactam, polymyxin B and minocycline combination antibiotic therapy was associated with significantly lower 28-day mortality. Moreover, the lower requirement of inotropes during treatment and a significant reduction in HsCRP level favours this combination antibiotic therapy in VAP caused by CRAB.

Exploring Micronutrient Dynamics in COVID-19 Severity and Mortality: Unraveling the Roles of Vitamin D, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and ALP.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of understanding the intricate relationship between micronutrient levels and disease outcomes. This study explores the impact of Vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) on COVID-19 severity and mortality. The study involves 200 participants (100 COVID-19 patients, 100 controls), we meticulously analyzed micronutrient dynamics. Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and ALP was measured spectrophotometrically. Vitamin D was measured using Chemiluminescent method. The study reveals that diminished levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and with elevated ALP, are significantly associated with COVID-19 cases. Whereas the Vitamin D levels in severe group was increased when compared to mild cases but decreased than control group. Disease severity correlated with declining calcium (r = - 0.35, p < 0.01), phosphorus (r = - 0.26, p < 0.05), and magnesium (r = - 0.21, p < 0.05), and increased ALP (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Post-discharge, calcium (p < 0.05) and phosphorus (p < 0.01) showed positive trends, while ALP (p < 0.001) decreased. Notably, calcium (OR = 0.63, p < 0.05) and ALP (OR = 1.87, p < 0.001) emerged as significant predictors of disease severity. The findings not only illuminate potential therapeutic avenues but also emphasize the need to optimize nutrient levels, including magnesium, for COVID-19 prevention and management. Given the complexities of these relationships, further rigorous exploration, including well-designed trials and understanding underlying mechanisms, is imperative to unravel the dynamics of these nutrient interactions in the context of COVID-19. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12291-024-01225-9.

Surveillance of ventilator associated pneumonia in a network of indian hospitals using modified definitions: a pilot study.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients receiving mechanical ventilation in India. Surveillance of VAP is essential to implement data-based preventive measures. Implementation of ventilator-associated events (VAE) criteria for surveillance has major constraints for low resource settings, which can lead to significant underreporting. Surveillance of VAP using common protocols in a large network of hospitals would give meaningful estimates of the burden of VAP in low resource settings. This study leverages a previously established healthcare-associated infections (HAI) surveillance network to develop and test a modified VAP definition adjusted for Indian settings. Methods: In this observational pilot study, thirteen hospitals from the existing HAI surveillance network were selected for developing and testing a modified VAP definition between February 2021 and April 2023. The criteria used for diagnosing VAP were adapted from the CDC's Pediatric VAP definition and modified to cater to the needs of Indian hospitals. Designated nurses recorded each VAP event in a case report form (CRF) and also collected denominator data. The data was entered into an indigenously developed database for validation and analysis. At the time of data analysis, a questionnaire was sent to sites to get feedback on the performance of the modified VAP definitions. Findings: Out of 133,445 patient days and 40,533 ventilator days, 261 VAP events were recorded, with an overall VAP rate of 6.4 per 1000 ventilator days and a device utilization ratio (DUR) of 0.3. A total of 344 organisms were reported from the VAP events. Of these, Acinetobacter spp (29.6%, 102) was the most frequent, followed by Klebsiella spp (26.7%, 92). Isolates of Acinetobacter spp (98%) and Enterobacterales (85.5%) showed very high resistance against Carbapenem. Colistin resistance was observed in 6% of Enterobacterales and 3.2% of Acinetobacter spp. Interpretation: Data from this pilot study needs to validated in the larger Indian HAI surveillance network so that it can help in wider implementation of this protocol in order to assess its applicability p VAP across India. Funding: This work was supported by a grant received from the Indian Council of Medical Research (code I-1203).

Genomic insights into in-ICU emergence of last-resort antimicrobial resistance in a rare, carbapenem resistant, ST16 Klebsiella pneumoniae strain from Jodhpur, India.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the genomic differences between two extensively drug resistant, ST16 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae recovered from patients in the same ICU, one of which was colistin resistant. METHODS: Antimicrobial susceptibilities of the isolates were determined using VITEK-2. Hybrid assemblies for both strains were generated using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina technologies. The sequence type, capsule type, O-locus type, antimicrobial resistance determinants and plasmids carried by the isolates were inferred from the genome sequence. The phylogenetic placement, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence determinants of the isolates relative to a collection (n = 871) of ST16 isolates were assessed. RESULTS: Both BC16, a colistin-resistant blood stream isolate and U23, a colistin-sensitive urinary isolate displayed near-identical antimicrobial resistance profiles and genome sequences with varying plasmid profiles. The BC16 genome only had 21 SNPs relative to U23 and belonged to the same capsule, O-antigen locus and multi-locus sequence types. The mgrB locus in BC16 was disrupted by an IS5 element. Phylogenetically, U23 and BC16 were placed on a clade with 4 strains belonging to K-type K48 and O-type O2a as opposed to majority (n = 807) of the strains (K-type K51 and O-type O3b). CONCLUSIONS: BC16 was a colistin resistant derivative of U23, which evolved colistin resistance by an IS5-mediated disruption of the mgrB locus, likely during treatment of the index patient with colistin in the ICU. The strains belong to a rare subtype of ST16 with unique capsular and O-antigen types underscoring the utility of genomic surveillance networks and open-access genomic surveillance data in tracking problem clones.

Short-term outcomes of enhanced recovery after surgery protocol in minimally invasive oesophagectomy: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Although fast-track treatment pathways are well established in colorectal surgeries, their role in oesophageal resections has not been well studied. This study aims to prospectively evaluate the short-term outcomes of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in patients undergoing minimally invasive oesophagectomy (MIE) for oesophageal malignancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied a prospective cohort of 46 consecutive patients from January 2019 to June 2022 who underwent MIE for oesophageal malignancy. The ERAS protocol mainly consists of pre-operative counselling, pre-operative carbohydrate loading, multimodal analgesia, early mobilisation, enteral nutrition and initiation oral feed. Principal outcome measures were the length of post-operative hospital stay, complication rate, mortality rate and 30-day readmission rate. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of patients was 49.5 (42, 62) years, and 52.2% were female. The median (IQR) post-operative day of intercoastal drain removal and initiation of oral feed was 4 (3, 4) and 4 (4, 6) days, respectively. The median (IQR) length of hospital stay was 6 (6.0, 7.25) days, with a 30-day readmission rate of 6.5%. The overall complication rate was 45.6%, with a major complication (Clavien-Dindo ≥3) rate of 10.9%. Compliance with the ERAS protocol was 86.9%, and the incidence of major complications was associated with failure to follow the protocol ( P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: ERAS protocol in minimally invasive oesophagectomy is feasible and safe. This may result in early recovery with shortened length of hospital stay without an increase in complication and readmission rates.

Comparison of the effects of caffeine, aminophylline, and saline on the recovery from total intravenous anesthesia in laparoscopic surgeries: A randomized controlled trial.

Background and Aims: The return of consciousness (ROC) after general anesthesia (GA) is by stopping the administration of anesthetic agents. At present, no drug is given to reverse the loss of consciousness produced by general anesthetic agents. This study is conducted to find whether caffeine and aminophylline hasten the ROC. Material and Methods: This study was conducted on 75 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I and II female patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy, aged between 18 and 60 years. The patients were divided into three equal groups (Group C: caffeine citrate, Group A: aminophylline, and Group S: saline) of 25 each by a computer-generated random number table. GA was induced with propofol, fentanyl, and maintained with propofol infusion. On completion of the surgery, the neuromuscular blocking agent was reversed and then the infusion of propofol was stopped. The study drug was administered intravenously when the BIS 60 was achieved. Time to achieve BIS 90, return of first gag reflex, eye-opening on verbal command, and extubation after study drug administration were noted. Hemodynamic parameters and SpO2 were also monitored. Results: The time for BIS 60 to 90 was 10 (4.25) min in the caffeine group, 13 (4.25) min in the aminophylline group, and 26 (9.0) min in the saline group. The time to return of gag reflex and time to extubation were shorter in the caffeine and aminophylline group compared to the saline group. The time to eye-opening on verbal command was shorter in the aminophylline group compared to the saline group. Hemodynamic parameters after infusion of the study drug were comparable in all three groups. Conclusion: Caffeine hastens the recovery from total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and fentanyl in laparoscopic hysterectomy as effectively as aminophylline.

An observational study on carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) colonisation and subsequent risk of infection in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary care hospital in India.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are a global health problem with a growing prevalence. India has a high prevalence of CRE. CRE infections are difficult to treat, and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Colonisation is generally a prerequisite for infection and the prevention of CRE colonisation is key to the prevention of CRE infection. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of CRE colonisation and subsequent infections in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) in India. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in which perirectal swabs were obtained along with relevant clinical details of consenting adult patients upon ICU admission between January 2019 and August 2020. Rectal screening was performed using MacConkey agar plates with ertapenem disks and further identification was performed using conventional microbiological techniques. Ertapenem minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using an epsillometer (E) test. The modified carbapenem inactivation (mCIM) test and EDTA carbapenem inactivation test (eCIM) were performed to confirm carbapenem resistance using the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2020 guidelines. Results: 192 ICU patients were screened for CRE. 37 patients were found to be colonised with CRE. Klebsiella pneumoniae (N=25; 67.6%) was the most frequent CRE isolate, followed by Escherichia coli (N=11; 29.7%) and one Enterobacter species (N=1; 2.7%). 89.2% (33/37) patients developed CRE infection. Pneumonia was the most common CRE infection identified in 12/33 (36.4%) patients.during the hospital stay. The median duration of hospital stay was longer (17 days) for CRE colonised compared to CRE non-colonised patients (9 days) (P<0.001). Death occurred in 27 % (N=10/37) of CRE-colonised patients during the hospital admission. Conclusion: CRE colonisation is associated with high risk of subsequent CRE infection and longer ICU and hospital admission.

Association of Serum Complement C3 Levels with Severity and Mortality in COVID 19.

The severe acute respiratory distress syndrome-associated coronavirus-2 infection can activate innate and adaptive immune responses which may lead to harmful tissue damage, both locally and systemically. C3, a member of complement system of serum proteins, is a major component of innate immune and inflammatory responses. This study is aimed to assess serum C3 as a marker of COVID-19 severity and a predictor of disease progression. A total of 150 COVID-19 patients, confirmed by RT-PCR, and 50 healthy controls were recruited. Serum C3 levels were determined by using direct colorimetric method. Median levels of serum C3 in total cases and controls were 157.8 and 165.7 mg/dL respectively. Serum C3 although not significantly decreased, they were lower in cases when compared to controls. Similarly, significant differences were found between the groups, with severe group (140.6 mg/dL) having low levels of serum C3 protein when compared to mild (161.0 mg/dL) and moderate group (167.1 mg/dL). Interestingly, during hospitalization, significant difference between baseline (admission) and follow-up (discharge) was observed only in patients with moderate disease. Based on our results, lower levels of C3, with an increase in IL-6 and d-dimer levels, are associated with higher odds of mortality. Therefore, we would like to emphasize that measuring serum C3 levels along with other inflammatory markers might give an added advantage in early identification of patients who are prone to having a severe disease course and can help in a more effective follow-up of disease progression. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12291-023-01148-x.

Efficacy of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocol in maxillofacial trauma: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Enhanced Recovery after surgery (ERAS) guidelines have been formulated in the literature for various different specialties but none is present for maxillofacial trauma patients. Hence, we have formulated ERAS protocol for maxillofacial trauma (ERAS-MT) patients and compared with the patients receiving the standard traditional care for post trauma outcomes. METHODOLOGY: A randomized controlled trial included 74 patients divided into two groups: Group 1 (ERAS group:37 patients) and Group II (Control group:37 patients). ERAS group were intervened according to the formulated ERAS protocol based on the previous literature and the control group received the standard of care. The both groups were compared for various post trauma outcomes. RESULTS: Baseline demographic data was non-significant between both the groups. There was significant decrease in pre-operative IV fluid use and total number of IV analgesics used till 72 h as well as in the immediate post operative period in the ERAS group(p = 0.001). ERAS group started oral feeds within 6 h and they were significantly compliant for oral carbohydrates in the pre-operative phase(p = 0.001). PONV episodes, swelling and infections were insignificantly less in the ERAS group(p > 0.05), however a significant difference was seen throat pain and decreased anxiety as well as Oral Hygiene Index(p = 0.001). At two weeks, a significant difference was seen in overall patient's satisfaction and cost analysis in the ERAS group (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that ERAS protocol was associated with shorter hospital stay, early recovery with better overall satisfaction of the patients, lesser post-operative complications and significantly decreased cost analysis.

Neuroimaging Spectrum in COVID-19 Infection: A Single-Center Experience.

Background and Purpose The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a multisystemic disease and involvement of the nervous system is well established. The neurological and neuroimaging features of the disease have been extensively evaluated. Our study aimed to elucidate the neuroradiological findings in COVID-19 infected patients admitted to our institute during the first and second waves of the pandemic in India. Methods This was a single-center retrospective study of all COVID-19 positive patients who underwent neuroimaging between March 2020 and May 2021. The presenting neurological complaints, the imaging findings in computed tomography (CT) imaging, and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were recorded. They recorded the findings in the subheadings of ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, parainfectious demyelination, acute encephalitis syndrome, and changes of global hypoxic changes. Patients with age-related, chronic, and incidental findings were excluded. Results The study comprised of 180 COVID-19 positive patients who underwent neuroimaging. CT scan was performed for 169 patients, MRI for 28, and a combination of both CT and MRI was performed for 17 patients. Seventy percent of patients were males, and median age was 61.5 years (interquartile range: 48.25-70.75). Out of the 180 patients, 66 patients had nonspecific findings that could not be attributed to COVID-19 infection. In the remaining 114 patients, 77 (42.7%) had ischemic findings, while 22 (12.2%) had hemorrhagic stroke. Hypoxic ischemic changes were noted in five patients. The rest of the patients had a spectrum of changes including, cerebellitis (3), tumefactive demyelination (1), COVID-19-associated encephalitis (1), hemorrhagic acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (1), transverse myelitis (1), cytotoxic lesions of corpus callosum (1), Guillain-Barre syndrome (1), and COVID-19-associated microhemorrhages (1). Conclusion Neurological manifestations of COVID-19 infection are not uncommon, and our understanding of this topic is expanding. A complex interplay of neurotropism and direct central nervous system invasion, immune activation and cytokine storm, vasculitis, and parainfectious processes are implicated in the pathophysiology. While the most common imaging finding was ischemic stroke, followed by hemorrhagic stroke, a diverse range of parainfectious findings was also noted in our study.

Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy of Presepsin and Procalcitonin for Sepsis in Critically Ill Patients: A Prospective Observational Study.

Objective: Early diagnosis of sepsis is crucial to institute appropriate therapy and then to avert a possible negative outcome. We planned this study to evaluate the diagnostic value of presepsin, its sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing sepsis in critically ill patients, and its ability to prognosticate the outcome of sepsis. Methods: In this prospective observational study, adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at our institute were screened, and those with features suggestive of sepsis were recruited into the study. Procalcitonin (PCT) and presepsin were assessed on the day of admission and day 7 of the ICU stay, apart from routine investigations. Patients were followed for outcome in terms of mortality till 28 days. Results: The study comprised 82 patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria. Presepsin sensitivity for sepsis diagnosis was determined to be 78%, while that of PCT was determined to be 69%. This gave a combined sensitivity of presepsin and PCT of 93% when used in parallel for the diagnosis of sepsis. Conclusion: A combination of PCT and presepsin provides higher sensitivity and can be used to screen for sepsis in the ICU. How to cite this article: Roy S, Kothari N, Sharma A, Goyal S, Sankanagoudar S, Bhatia PK, et al. Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy of Presepsin and Procalcitonin for Sepsis in Critically Ill Patients: A Prospective Observational Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(4):289-293.

Comparative evaluation of colistin susceptibility testing by Disk Diffusion and Broth Microdilution methods: An experience from a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Recent times have seen uninhibited use of colistin due to emergence of carbapenem resistant gram-negative bacteria especially in India and the most common method still employed by most of the laboratories for in vitro testing of colistin is disk diffusion method. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to compare two methods for colistin susceptibility testing Methods: This retrospective observational study was done on a total of 212 non-duplicate carbapenem resistant gram-negative isolates from patients attending our tertiary care hospital from April 2019 to June 2020. Colistin susceptibility testing for these isolates was done by disk diffusion method followed by broth microdilution method. RESULTS: We found out that disk diffusion method showed relatively low sensitivity [34.5%; 95%CI: 19.94-52.65] but high specificity [99.45%; 95% CI: 96.97 - 99.90] in detecting colistin resistant organisms in comparison to broth microdilution method. CONCLUSION: Disk diffusion method is an unreliable method at detecting colistin resistance. Therefore, we should always rely on susceptibility testing by standard broth microdilution or newly introduced broth disk elution method before dispatching the report even in resource limited settings. The early and accurate reporting of susceptibility results can preserve the therapeutic value of the drug until we have newer treatment options available in the country.

Transdermal fentanyl patch versus standard analgesia in postoperative oral submucous fibrosis patients: a triple blinded, randomised control trial.

Severe pain experienced by patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) compromises their physiotherapy and negatively affects the surgical outcome and the patient's compliance. The main aim of this study was to develop a protocol for pain control in the management of OSMF postoperatively. This was a prospective, parallel with active control, double-arm, triple-blinded, randomised control trial (RCT) with 48 OSMF patients, randomised into two groups - Group A (control, n = 25): received non-opioid analgesics (NSAIDs) and Group B (cases, n = 23): received transdermal fentanyl patches (TFP). Pain and interincisal opening were measured on postoperative days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 15, and on the1st and 3rd postoperative months. Quality of Life (QoL) was assessed preoperatively, on the 15th day postoperatively, and 3rd month postoperatively, and compliance was documented postoperatively on the 9th day. The transdermal fentanyl patch was found to have statistically significantly more effect in controlling severe pain during active mouth opening exercises, and thus significantly increased the patients' compliance. Although there was increased mouth opening and QoL in the fentanyl group, the differences were statistically insignificant. Our study recommends the use of TFP for better pain control and compliance in postoperative OSMF patients.

Association of Inflammatory markers with Covid-19 Outcome among Hospitalized adult Patients.

COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease with varied presentation as well as outcome. Inflammation plays a major role in the outcome of COVID-19 infection. This study was aimed to evaluate the role of conventional feasible inflammatory markers in predicting the outcome of COVID-19 in hospitalized adult patients. MATERIAL: A total of 100 confirmed COVID-19 patients were included in the study. Clinical and demographic data were collected. Biochemical, hematological, and inflammatory markers were assessed in all the patients. Disease severity and primary outcome as survival and or mortality were recorded. OBSERVATION: Hematological indices and inflammatory markers were significantly higher among the non-survivor. N/L (Neutrophil/Lymphocyte) ratio and CRP (C-reactive protein) can differentiate non-survivor from survivors with the sensitivity of 85.7%, 85.7%, and specificity of 96.8 %, 77.4% with a cut-off value of 6.44, 23.02 respectively in the receiver operator curve (ROC). N/L ratio and CRP were significantly increased among the patients with severe COVID-19 infection. Cox regression Survival analysis showed that an elevated N/L ratio and CRP were significantly associated with mortality with the Hazard ratio of 1.331 (P <0.001) and 1.014 (P <0.015) respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study implicates that increased N/L ratio and CRP were significantly correlated with severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. These conventional feasible markers can be useful in predicting the outcome of COVID-19 infection.

Prevalence, Presentation and Outcome of Secondary Bloodstream Infections among COVID-19 Patients.

BACKGROUND: The higher mortality rate in COVID-19 patients is still a concern. Though some studies mention that elderly patients with co-morbidities are at higher risk of mortality, some others report uneventful outcomes in young patients even without co-morbidities. Secondary bacterial and fungal infections, especially with nosocomial pathogens are known to be associated with worse outcome in the ongoing pandemic as well as in the previous viral outbreaks. In such a scenario, the outcome of hospitalized COVID-19 patients can be improved by timely identification of secondary infections using appropriate biomarkers and by following appropriate infection control measures to prevent the spread of nosocomial pathogens. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to find out the prevalence of bloodstream infections (BSI) among hospitalized COVID-19 patients and to analyze their laboratory markers and outcome by comparing them with those without BSI. METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the prevalence of secondary BSI was determined among the hospitalized COVID-19 patients by including 388 blood culture bottles collected from 293 patients, which were received in the microbiology lab within the study period. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of BSI in COVID-19 patients was 39.5% (116/293), out of which 35.5% (104/293) infections were bacterial, and 4.1% (12/293) were fungal, while 8.9% (26/293) patients grew contaminants, and 51.5% (151/293) were sterile. Common causative agents of secondary BSI were found to be MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.9%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (8.8%) followed by Candida species (4.1%). Patients with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension and COPD were at higher risk of developing BSI with significantly higher levels of sepsis markers such as Creactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, ferritin and Interleukin-6 (IL-6). The mortality rate was significantly higher (60.2%) in patients with BSI compared to the group of patients without BSI. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the necessity of early diagnosis of the secondary infections using appropriate biomarkers and following proper infection control measures to prevent the spread of the nosocomial infections and improve the outcome of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Emotional distress among health professionals involved in care of inpatients with COVID-19: a survey based cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Health care workers (HCWs) are directly involved in processes linked with diagnosis, management, and assistance of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients which could have direct implications on their physical and emotional health. Emotional aspects of working in an infectious pandemic situation is often neglected in favour of the more obvious physical ramifications. This single point assessment study aimed to explore the factors related to stress, anxiety and depression among HCWs consequent to working in a pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving healthcare workers who were working in COVID-19 inpatient ward, COVID-19 screening area, suspect ward, suspect intensive care unit (ICU) and COVID-19 ICU across four hospitals in India. A web-based survey questionnaire was designed to elicit responses to daily challenges faced by HCWs. The questionnaire was regressed using machine-learning algorithm (Cat Boost) against the standardized Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS 21) which was used to quantify emotional distress experienced by them. RESULTS: A total of 156 participants were included in this study. As per DASS-21 scoring, severe stress was seen in ∼17% of respondents. We could achieve an R² of 0.28 using our machine-learning model. The major factors responsible for stress were decreased time available for personal needs, increasing age, being posted out of core area of expertise, setting of COVID-19 care, increasing duty hours, increasing duty days, marital status and being a resident physician. CONCLUSIONS: Factors elicited in this study that are associated with stress in HCWs need to be addressed to provide wholesome emotional support to HCWs battling the pandemic. Targeted interventions may result in increased emotional resilience of the health-care system.