Comparative Outcomes of Candida auris Bloodstream Infections: A Multicenter Retrospective Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes between patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by Candida auris and those with BSIs caused by other Candida spp. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective case-control study was performed at 3 hospitals in Brooklyn, New York, between 2016 and 2020. The analysis included patients ≥18 years of age who had a positive blood culture for any Candida spp. and were treated empirically with an echinocandin. The primary outcome was the 30-day mortality rate. Secondary outcomes were 14-day clinical failure, 90-day mortality rate, 60-day microbiologic recurrence, and in-hospital mortality rate. RESULTS: A total of 196 patients were included in the final analysis, including 83 patients with candidemia caused by C. auris. After inverse propensity adjustment, C. auris BSI was not associated with increased 30-day (adjusted odds ratio, 1.014 [95% confidence interval, .563-1.828]); P = .96) or 90-day (0.863 [.478-1.558]; P = .62) mortality rates. A higher risk for microbiologic recurrence within 60 days of completion of antifungal therapy was observed in patients with C. auris candidemia (adjusted odds ratio, 4.461 [95% confidence interval, 1.033-19.263]; P = .045). CONCLUSIONS: C. auris BSIs are not associated with a higher mortality risk than BSIs caused by other Candida spp. The rate of microbiologic recurrence was higher in the C. auris group.

Emerging Multiorgan Klebsiella pneumoniae Invasive Syndrome Leading to Septic Shock: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a community-acquired pathogen that typically causes pneumonia and urinary tract infections. Rarely, it can affect other organ systems such as the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the meninges, ears, eyes, and spine. We present the case of a 62-year-old male admitted with septic shock secondary to necrotizing pneumonia and multiple hepatic liver abscesses, which to the best of our knowledge, is the first reported case of multiorgan invasive K. pneumoniae infection, including the presence of a newly recognized syndrome referred as Invasive Liver Abscess Syndrome (ILAS). It is important to maintain both ILAS and K. pneumoniae invasive syndrome (KPIS) in the differential diagnosis, especially in areas of the world with a large number of tourists and immigrants, such as New York City, where the presented case took place.

Cladosporium sphaerospermum as a Rare Cause of Pneumonia.

Cladosporium sphaerospermum isa radiotrophic dematiaceous fungus that can rarely cause disease in humans such as infections of the skin, eye, upper airways, and brain. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first reported case of Cladosporium sphaerospermum-induced invasive lung infection. This case presents a 51-year-old male with a medical history significant for heavy smoking and severe alcohol abuse who was admitted for acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to a large exudative right pleural effusion compounded by hydropneumothorax. Despite an initial positive clinical response, appropriate medical treatment, and eradication of the infection, which was confirmed by repeat negative culture studies, the patient had a complicated hospital course. It is suspected that the patient's medical history played a role in the acquisition of the Cladosporium sphaerospermum infection as smoking and alcohol use are known risk factors for aspiration of pathogens into the pulmonary tract. We believe it is important to bring to attention this less known organism as a potential differential diagnosis for a complicated lung infection.

Eosinopenia and COVID-19.

CONTEXT: Early diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and patient isolation are important for both individual patient care and disease containment. The diagnosis is confirmed by testing for the presence of nasopharyngeal viral RNA with a polymerase chain reaction assay, which has limited availability, variable turnaround time, and a high false-negative rate. The authors report that a rapid laboratory test, the eosinophil count, readily obtained from a routine complete blood cell count (CBC), may provide actionable clinical information to aid in the early recognition of COVID-19 in patients, as well as provide prognostic information. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of eosinopenia in COVID-19-positive patients. METHODS: The eosinophil results of routine CBC from the first 50 admitted COVID-19-positive patients were compared with the eosinophil results of 50 patients with confirmed influenza infection at the time of presentation to the emergency department at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. The number of patients with 0 eosinophils on the day of presentation was also compared between the 2 groups. Furthermore, the eosinophil counts in the 50 COVID-19 patients were reviewed for the first 5 days of their hospital stay and before discharge, along with the outcome (deceased vs discharged), and trends in eosinophil data were compared based on the outcome. RESULTS: On the day of presentation, 30 patients in the COVID-19 group (60%) and 8 patients in the influenza group (16%) had an eosinophil count of 0. An additional 14 patients in the COVID-19 group had 0 eosinophils during the following 2 days; the total number of patients in the COVID-19 group who had 0 eosinophils on admission or during the ensuing 2 days was 44 (88%). In addition, 18 of 21 deceased patients in the COVID-19 group (86%) who initially presented with eosinopenia remained eosinopenic compared with 13 of 26 survivors (50%). CONCLUSION: The absence of an eosinophil count in a CBC can aid in early diagnosis of COVID-19. It may be a useful tool in deciding whether to promptly isolate a patient and initiate specific therapies while waiting for confirmatory test results. Persistent eosinopenia after admission correlated with high disease severity and low rates of recovery.