Identifying Mortality Predictors in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: Insights from a Single-Center Retrospective Study at a University Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: The pandemic instigated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to over 7 million deaths globally, primarily attributable to viral pneumonia. Identifying fundamental markers associated with an elevated risk of mortality can aid in the early identification of patients prone to disease progression to a severe state, enabling prompt intervention. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective study. RESULTS: In this study, we examined 299 patients admitted to the Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine in Kosice, Slovakia, with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients were monitored from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021, with the endpoint being discharge from the hospital or death. All patient-related data were retrospectively collected from medical records. This study identified several risk factors significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality, including the requirement of HFNO (p < 0.001), age over 60 years (p < 0.001), Ne/Ly values of >6 (p < 0.001), as well as certain lymphocyte subtypes-CD4+ < 0.2 × 109/L (p = 0.035), CD8+ < 0.2 × 109/L (p < 0.001), and CD19+ < 0.1 × 109/L (p < 0.001)-alongside selected biochemical inflammatory markers-IL-6 > 50 ng/L (p < 0.001) and lactate > 3 mmol/L (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that the mentioned risk factors were significantly associated with the death of patients from viral pneumonia in the hospital.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults Associated with Recent Infection with COVID-19.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) is an uncommon but severe and still understudied post-infectious complication of COVID-19. Clinically, the disease manifests itself most often 2-6 weeks after overcoming the infection. Young and middle-aged patients are especially affected. The clinical picture of the disease is very diverse. The dominant symptoms are mainly fever and myalgia, usually accompanied by various, especially extrapulmonary, manifestations. Cardiac damage (often in the form of cardiogenic shock) and significantly increased inflammatory parameters are often associated with MIS-A, while respiratory symptoms, including hypoxia, are less frequent. Due to the seriousness of the disease and the possibility of rapid progression, the basis of a successful treatment of the patient is early diagnosis, based mainly on anamnesis (overcoming the disease of COVID-19 in the recent past) and clinical symptoms, which often imitate other severe conditions such as, e.g., sepsis, septic shock, or toxic shock syndrome. Because of the danger of missing the treatment, it is necessary to initiate it immediately after the suspicion of MIS-A is expressed, without waiting for the results of microbiological and serological examinations. The cornerstone of pharmacological therapy is the administration of corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulins, to which the majority of patients clinically react. In this article, the authors describe the case report of a 21-year-old patient admitted to the Clinic of Infectology and Travel Medicine for febrility up to 40.5 °C, myalgia, arthralgia, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea three weeks after overcoming COVID-19. However, as part of the routine differential diagnosis of fevers (imaging and laboratory examinations), their cause was not clarified. Due to the overall worsening of the condition, the patient was transferred to the ICU with suspicion of developing MIS-A (he met all clinical and laboratory criteria). Given the above, reserve antibiotics, intravenous corticosteroids, and immunoglobulins were added to the treatment due to the risk of missing them, with a good clinical and laboratory effect. After stabilizing the condition and adjusting the laboratory parameters, the patient was transferred to a standard bed and sent home.

Delayed Spontaneous Pneumothorax in a Previously Healthy Nonventilated COVID-19 Patient.

Spontaneous pneumothorax is a serious and life-threatening complication of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. It most commonly occurs during the acute phase of the disease in patients with pre-existing lung disease (e.g. emphysema, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, etc.) and in patients who require oxygen supplementation in any form (low-flow oxygen therapy, high-flow non-invasive or mechanical invasive or mechanical invasion). A rare case of a 52-year-old patient with a spontaneous pneumothorax who developed four weeks after PCR SARS-CoV-2 positivity was described. Interestingly, the patient did not have any factors that the literature considered risky for the development of this complication. During the acute phase of the disease, his condition did not require hospitalization. Imaging examinations could not clarify the cause of pneumothorax. With this case report, we want to point out the fact that spontaneous pneumothorax, as a rare and life-threatening complication of COVID-19 infection, may develop during recovery, and it is necessary to think about this complication in the differential diagnosis of dyspnoea.

[Imipenem-cilastatin-relebactam used to treat ventilator-associated pneumonia developing after infection with SARS-CoV-2].

The article describes the use of the last-resort carbapenem antibiotic imipenem in combination with relebactam, a novel b-lactamase inhibitor, in the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia developing after SARS-CoV-2 infection in a young pregnant patient. The introduction briefly describes the mechanism and spectrum of activity of the antibiotic, including its dosage.

Occurrence of bacteria belonging to the genus Enterococcus and Staphylococcus on inanimate surfaces of selected hospital facilities and their nosocomial significance.

OBJECTIVES: This work aimed to determine the representation and resistance of bacteria belonging to the genus Staphylococcus and Enterococcus on inanimate surfaces of two selected workplaces of the University Hospital of L. Pasteur in Kosice (UHLP) and to investigate their importance in the hospital environment. The men's ward of the Department of Internal Medicine (DIM) and the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (DAIC) were chosen. METHODS: Using sterile sampling kits, a total of 182 swabs were collected from the inanimate surfaces of both UHLP workplaces. The swabs were then transported to a microbiological laboratory and inoculated onto sterile culture media (blood agar containing 5% ram erythrocytes). After culturing (24-48 hours, in a thermostat at constant temperature 37 °C), bacterial colonies were identified by mass spectrometry on a MALDI TOF MS. Bacteria belonging to the genera Staphylococcus and Enterococcus were subsequently separated from the spectrum of identified bacteria. Nosocomial significant strains of staphylococci (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus) and all isolated enterococci were subjected to susceptibility testing for selected antibiotics using the disk diffusion method - E-tests. RESULTS: Several members of the genus Staphylococcus were identified from the inanimate surfaces of both workplaces. These were mainly coagulase-negative strains - Staphylococcus epidermidis (45), Staphylococcus capitis (34), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (20), Staphylococcus hominis (45), Staphylococcus pasteuri (2), Staphylococcus sroph (1), Staphylococcus simulans (3), and Staphylococcus warneri (4). Staphylococcus aureus strains were also identified (2). Nosocomial significant isolates were tested for susceptibility to the antibiotics cefoxitin (FOX) and oxacillin (OXA). Two members of the genus Enterococcus - Enterococcus faecium (7) and Enterococcus faecalis (8) were isolated. All strains were subject to vancomycin susceptibility testing using the disk method.

Diagnostic Value of Radioisotope Cisternography Using 111In-DTPA in a Patient with Rhinorrhea and Purulent Meningitis.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage is a rare condition. Prompt diagnosis and early treatment of CSF leakage minimizes the risk of severe complications such as bacterial meningitis. Different diagnostic modalities are used to detect the site of CSF leakage but often with unreliable results. The literature offers limited evidence-based guidance on the diagnostic approach for rhinorrhea. Correct localization of the defect is the mainstay for successful surgical treatment. Herein, we describe a case of recurrent meningitis due to cranio-nasal fistula and rhinorrhea successfully localized with radioisotope cisternography (RIC). We provide a detailed and practical overview of the RIC procedure and compare different imaging modalities used to detect the site of CSF leakage.

Gram-Negative Rods on Inanimate Surfaces of Selected Hospital Facilities and Their Nosocomial Significance.

Inanimate surfaces are often referred to as nosocomial bacterial reservoirs and represent an important vector in the process of spreading pathogens to patients. Most gram-negative rods can survive on inanimate surfaces for several months. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and resistance of gram-negative bacteria isolated from the inanimate surfaces of two selected hospital departments. MALDI-TOF identified gram-negative rods isolated from inanimate surfaces. Antibiotic resistance was determined using a disk diffusion method, and the phenotype of resistance was determined using an inhibitory analyzer. From the inanimate surfaces, 98 strains of gram-negative nosocomial bacteria were identified by the MALDI-TOF MS. The most frequently isolated bacterium occurring in both departments was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 33), followed by Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 20) and Enterobacter cloacae (n = 14). The most common phenotypic type of resistance in both departments was ampicillin resistance-AmpC (n = 38), then production of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) (n = 33), followed by SHV-1 (n = 11), TEM-1 (n = 11), and fluoroquinolone resistance-Qnr (n = 22). The nosocomial important enzymes capable of hydrolyzing carbapenems, OXA-48 and metallo-ß-lactamases, were confirmed in 12 and 2 cases, respectively. The results of our study prove that inanimate surfaces in hospitals are a reservoir of resistant gram-negative bacteria, which directly threaten hospitalized patients.

Outbreak of Alimentary Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Eastern Slovakia: An Analysis of Affected Patients and Long-Term Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an endemic zoonotic viral disease in many European countries and in the central and eastern parts of Asia. Slovakia reports the highest occurrence of alimentary tick-borne encephalitis in Europe, after the consumption of unpasteurized milk and cheese from domestic ruminants. In May 2016, an outbreak of tick-borne encephalitis that emerged after the consumption of sheep cheese occurred in eastern Slovakia. In total, 44 people were ill and 36 were hospitalized. METHODS: Data from the 36 hospitalized patients at the Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine in Kosice with TBE were retrospectively analysed from the medical documentation. The patients were contacted 3 years after discharge. RESULTS: Twenty of the hospitalized patients had meningoencephalitis and 16 had meningitis. The main symptoms that occurred in all patients were fever and headache. Nuchal rigidity was seen in 50% of the patients. Three patients developed late systemic complications and another six patients had psychiatric complications. None of the patients died. Three years after the disease onset, 52% of contacted patients reported persistent discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: TBE is an infection with a wide range of clinical courses. Our findings suggest that alimentary-acquired TBE lead to severe disease and persistent discomfort.

Intravenous veterinary ivermectin in a COVID-19 patient causing neurotoxicity.

Ivermectin administration for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has gained a lot of attention recently. Although ivermectin has a relatively good safety profile, serious adverse events may occur in patients given doses that are presumed experimental. Ivermectin for human use is available only as an oral formulation. Parenteral administration, as a subcutaneous injection, is possible in veterinary medicine only. In this brief report we describe an unprecedented case of a patient with severe neurotoxicity after intravenous administration of veterinary ivermectin for confirmed COVID-19 infection. The patient required hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU). The toxic serum concentration of ivermectin was determined by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry - time of flight (LC/MS-TOF) with the value of 187.74 ng/mL.

Single centre clinical experience with fidaxomicin in the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection in Slovakia.

OBJECTIVE: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has become one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired infections. Fidaxomicin is one of the latest antibiotics used in the treatment of CDI, however, treatment cost affects recommendations for its use in several countries. We have analysed the treatment of our patients with CDI, treated by fidaxomicin since it was introduced to the market in 2018 and became available in the second biggest Slovak hospital, University Hospital of L. Pasteur. Our aim was to determine efficacy and safety of fidaxomicin in the treatment of CDI in Slovak patients. METHODS: We reviewed all courses of fidaxomicin use in our hospital (n = 60). Fidaxomicin was used for first recurrence (12 times), second recurrence (4 times), third recurrence (2 times), and fifth recurrence (1 patient). 41 patients received fidaxomicin first-line. RESULTS: Success of fidaxomicin treatment was recorded at 86.7% within the whole cohort. In the recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI) subgroup, fidaxomicin was 63% effective with three patients dying (15.7%) and two patients developing subsequent rCDI. During the duration of the study, 6 patients in total died. Only one of three patients, with three or more recurrences of CDI, had no further presentations after eight weeks of completion of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The biggest benefit from fidaxomicin treatment was shown in a cohort of patients with primary CDI infection demonstrating a low recurrence rate and significant reduction of fidaxomicin effectiveness in preventing a recurrence when treating patients with multiple rCDI.