Symptomatic MERS-CoV infection reduces the risk of future COVID-19 disease; a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The general human immune responses similarity against different coronaviruses may reflect some degree of cross-immunity, whereby exposure to one coronavirus may confer partial immunity to another. The aim was to determine whether previous MERS-CoV infection was associated with a lower risk of subsequent COVID-19 disease and its related outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among all patients screened for MERS-CoV at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia between 2012 and early 2020. Both MERS-CoV positive and negative patients were followed up from early 2020 to September 2021 for developing COVID-19 infection confirmed by RT-PCR testing. RESULTS: A total of 397 participants followed for an average 15 months during COVID-19 pandemic (4.9 years from MERS-CoV infection). Of the 397 participants, 93 (23.4%) were positive for MERS-CoV at baseline; 61 (65.6%) of the positive cases were symptomatic. Out of 397, 48 (12.1%) participants developed COVID-19 by the end of the follow-up period. Cox regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, and major comorbidity showed a marginally significant lower risk of COVID-19 disease (hazard ratio = 0.533, p = 0.085) and hospital admission (hazard ratio = 0.411, p = 0.061) in patients with positive MERS-CoV. Additionally, the risk of COVID-19 disease was further reduced and became significant in patients with symptomatic MERS-CoV infection (hazard ratio = 0.324, p = 0.034) and hospital admission (hazard ratio = 0.317, p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: The current findings may indicate a partial cross-immunity, where patients with symptomatic MERS-CoV have a lower risk of future COVID-19 infection and related hospitalization. The present results may need further examination nationally using immunity markers.

Identified Transmission Dynamics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection During an Outbreak: Implications of an Overcrowded Emergency Department.

A total 130 cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus were identified during a large hospital outbreak in Saudi Arabia; 87 patients and 43 healthcare workers. The majority (80%) of transmission was healthcare-acquired (HAI) infection, with 4 generations of HAI transmission. The emergency department was the main location of exposure.

Notes from the Field: Nosocomial Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in a Large Tertiary Care Hospital--Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2015.

Since the first diagnosis of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) caused by the MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2012, sporadic cases and clusters have occurred throughout the country (1). During June-August, 2015, a large MERS outbreak occurred at King Abulaziz Medical City, a 1,200-bed tertiary-care hospital that includes a 150-bed emergency department that registers 250,000 visits per year.

Appropriateness of antimicrobial use among septic patients managed by the critical care response team: an opportunity for improvement through de-escalation.

Background: Most septic patients managed by critical care response teams (CCRT) are prescribed antimicrobials. Nevertheless, data evaluating their appropriateness are lacking both locally and internationally. The objective was to assess antimicrobial use among septic and non-septic patients managed by CCRT. Setting: Case-control design was used to compare septic (cases) and non-septic (controls) CCRT patients at tertiary care setting. The frequency of antimicrobial use was assessed before and after CCRT activation. The appropriateness of antimicrobial use was assessed at day four post-CCRT, based on standard recommendations, clinical assessment, and culture results. Main results: A total of 157 cases and 158 controls were included. The average age was 61.1 ± 20.4 years, and 54.6% were males, with minor differences between groups. The use of any antimicrobial was 100.0% in cases and 87.3% in controls (p < 0.001). The use of meropenem (68.2% versus 34.8%, p < 0.001) and vancomycin (56.7% versus 25.9%, p < 0.001) were markedly higher in cases than controls. The overall appropriateness was significantly lower in cases than controls (50.7% versus 59.6%, p = 0.047). Individual appropriateness was lowest with meropenem (16.7%) and imipenem (25.0%), and highest with piperacillin/tazobactam (87.1%) and colistin (78.3%). Only 48.5% of antimicrobials prescribed by CCRT were de-escalated by a primary team within four days. Individual appropriateness and de-escalations were not different between groups. Conclusions: Empiric use and inadequate de-escalation of broad-spectrum antimicrobials were major causes for inappropriate antimicrobial use in CCRT patients. Our findings highlight the necessity of urgent implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program, including training and auditing of antimicrobial prescriptions.

Description of a Hospital Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in a Large Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND Since the first isolation of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia in 2012, sporadic cases, clusters, and sometimes large outbreaks have been reported. OBJECTIVE To describe the recent (2015) MERS-CoV outbreak at a large tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS We conducted an epidemiologic outbreak investigation, including case finding and contact tracing and screening. MERS-CoV cases were categorized as suspected, probable, and confirmed. A confirmed case was defined as positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test for MERS-CoV. RESULTS Of the 130 suspected cases, 81 (62%) were confirmed and 49 (38%) were probable. These included 87 patients (67%) and 43 healthcare workers (33%). Older age (mean [SD], 64.4 [18.3] vs 40.1 [11.3] years, P<.001), symptoms (97% vs 58%, P<.001), and comorbidity (99% vs 42%, P<.001) were more common in patients than healthcare workers. Almost all patients (97%) were hospitalized whereas most healthcare workers (72%) were home isolated. Among 96 hospitalized cases, 63 (66%) required intensive care unit management and 60 (63%) required mechanical ventilation. Among all 130 cases, 51 (39%) died; all were patients (51 [59%]) with no deaths among healthcare workers. More than half (54%) of infections were believed to be caught at the emergency department. Strict infection control measures, including isolation and closure of the emergency department, were implemented to interrupt the chain of transmission and end the outbreak. CONCLUSION MERS-CoV remains a major healthcare threat. Early recognition of cases and rapid implementation of infection control measures are necessary. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1-9.

Predictors of outcome in hospitalized patients with severe hyponatremia.

UNLABELLED: Severe hyponatremia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Clinicians treating patients with severe hyponatremia are often torn between a desire to promptly raise serum sodium concentration to a "safe range," and at the same time, to avoid excessively rapid correction of hyponatremia. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of severe hyponatremia in hospitalized patients, the etiologic factors involved, as well as treatment and outcome of the patients using a retrospective case series. METHODS: Retrospective study of 168 patients with severe hyponatremia (< 115mmol/L) seen at Grady Memorial Hospital, a tertiary teaching hospital, in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1997-2001. The main outcome measures of interest were death during admission or occurrence of neurologic symptoms before, during or after therapy. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-eight patients met the inclusion criteria out of a total of 5994 patients with hyponatremia treated at our hospital over the study period. Eighty-nine patients (52.9%) were symptomatic. The mean absolute serum sodium at 48-hours of therapy was 120.02 +/- 8.31 mmol/L. Respiratory failure and/or hypoxia was present in 28 patients (16.7%); sepsis was documented in 16 patients (9.5%). Mortality rate was high, 34 patients died (20.2%). On multivariate analysis factors with strong association with mortality of patients with severe hyponatremia were hypoxia, presence of neurologic symptoms, slow correction rates and a diagnosis of sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality associated with severe hyponatremia remains high. Sepsis, respiratory failure and the presence of symptoms predict poor outcome in hospitalized patients with severe hyponatremia. More aggressive therapy with 3% saline may improve outcome in symptomatic patients. Our data suggest that a slow rate of correction in severe hyponatremia is associated with higher mortality than rapid correction, at least in the short-term.

Acute intermittent porphyria caused by novel mutation in HMBS gene, misdiagnosed as cholecystitis.

BACKGROUND: Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an autosomal dominant neurovisceral inherited disorder due to a defect in the heme biosynthesis pathway. Misdiagnosis of the porphyrias is not uncommon. CASE REPORT: We present a case of a 26-year-old female with suspected acute cholecystitis, mental status changes, and seizures. Biochemical and molecular investigations confirmed the diagnosis of AIP by findings of elevated urinary porphobilinogen, 5-aminolevulinic acid, and total porphyrins. DNA molecular testing showed a novel heterozygous mutation (c. 760delC p.L254X) in the exon11 of the HMBS gene. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a misdiagnosis of AIP presenting with acute cholecystitis. CONCLUSION: Clinicians are alerted to consider the possibility of AIP in an adult presenting with an acute abdomen, features of cholecystitis, and neuropsychiatric manifestations.