Intensive care unit burden is associated with increased mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Traditional models to predict intensive care outcomes do not perform well in COVID-19. We undertook a comprehensive study of factors affecting mortality and functional outcome after severe COVID-19. METHODS: In this prospective multicentre cohort study, we enrolled laboratory-confirmed, critically ill COVID-19 patients at six ICUs in the Skåne Region, Sweden, between May 11, 2020, and May 10, 2021. Demographics and clinical data were collected. ICU burden was defined as the total number of ICU-treated COVID-19 patients in the region on admission. Surviving patients had a follow-up at 90 days for assessment of functional outcome using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE), an ordinal scale (1-8) with GOSE ≥5 representing a favourable outcome. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality; the secondary outcome was functional outcome at 90 days. RESULTS: Among 498 included patients, 74% were male with a median age of 66 years and a median body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 . Invasive mechanical ventilation was employed in 72%. Mortality in the ICU, in-hospital and at 90 days was 30%, 38% and 39%, respectively. Mortality increased markedly at age 60 and older. Increasing ICU burden was independently associated with a two-fold increase in mortality. Higher BMI was not associated with increased mortality. Besides age and ICU burden, smoking status, cortisone use, Pa CO2 >7 kPa, and inflammatory markers on admission were independent factors of 90-day mortality. Lower GOSE at 90 days was associated with a longer stay in the ICU. CONCLUSION: In critically ill COVID-19 patients, the 90-day mortality was 39% and increased considerably at age 60 or older. The ICU burden was associated with mortality, whereas a high BMI was not. A longer stay in the ICU was associated with unfavourable functional outcomes at 90 days.

Necrotizing myositis and septic shock caused by Haemophilus influenzae type f in a previously healthy man diagnosed with an IgG3 and a mannose-binding lectin deficiency.

An increased incidence of infections by Haemophilus influenzae type f (Hif) has recently been suggested, but such infections have mainly been regarded as opportunistic. We present here a dramatic case of Hif necrotizing myositis and septic shock. A subsequently diagnosed IgG3 and mannose-binding lectin deficiency possibly contributed to the severe outcome.

[New definition of and diagnostic criteria for sepsis - Swedish use of Sepsis-3]. / Nu gäller Sepsis-3 för definitioner och diagnostiska kriterier - De nya internationella begreppen ska användas i svensk sjukvård ­ bland annat ska ¼SIRS« och ¼svår sepsis« skrotas.

A working group representing the Swedish Society for Infectious Diseases, the Swedish Society for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, the Swedish Society for Emergency Medicine, and the Swedish Intensive Care Registry have reached consensus on how to adopt the new sepsis definition, Sepsis-3, in Sweden. The recommendation is to implement the new definitions and diagnostic criteria for sepsis and septic shock, but not the use of the new screening tool for sepsis, quick-SOFA, as it needs prospective validation and since it is not clear if quick-SOFA is more useful than the currently used general triage and early warning score systems. The group recommends the use of the sfollowing ICD-10 codes: R65.1 for sepsis and R57.2 for septic shock.

Early stent fracture and collapse of a Zenith TX2 thoracic stent graft used for traumatic aortic rupture.

Structural failure and collapse of thoracic stent grafts may cause fatal complications that are easily overlooked on follow-up imaging. A young man with multiple injuries from a motorcycle crash was treated with endografting for an aortic transection. The clinical course was initially satisfactory but deteriorated one week after the injury and the patient died two weeks later. Autopsy and retrospective assessment of chest X-rays revealed early fractures and collapse of the stent graft that had been overlooked and may have contributed to the lethal outcome. The design of thoracic stent grafts needs to be improved for treatment of traumatic aortic transection. Careful follow-up of these patients is warranted.

First case of type E wound botulism diagnosed using real-time PCR.

Wound botulism is a growing problem among injecting drug users. The condition is often difficult to diagnose, with laboratory confirmation in only 50% of the cases. Here we present a real-time PCR-based method for the diagnosis of wound botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum. The assay includes an internal amplification control which is amplified simultaneously with the genes encoding neurotoxin types A, B, and E. This method was used to detect the first case of wound botulism in an injecting drug user in Sweden. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of wound botulism caused by C. botulinum type E.

Group A streptococcus bacteraemia complicated by osteomyelitis in an immunocompetent adult.

Osteomyelitis due to group A streptococcus is an unusual complication of varicellae in children. We report the first case of group A streptococcus bacteraemia complicated by multifocal osteomyelitis in an adult.