Is there an interest in systematic serum screening for aspergillosis in COVID-19 patients in a medical ward?

PURPOSE: We evaluated the interest of systematic screening of serum fungal markers in patients hospitalized in a medical ward. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all patients hospitalized in our infectious disease department from October 1st to October 31st, 2020 for COVID-19 without prior ICU admission, and for whom systematic screening of serum fungal markers was performed. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included. The majority of patients received corticosteroids (96.7%). The galactomannan antigen assay was positive for 1/30 patients at D0, and 0/24, 0/16, 0/13 and 0/2 at D4, D7, D10 and D14 respectively. 1,3-ß-D-glucan was positive for 0/30, 1/24, 1/12, 0/12, 0/2 at D0, D4, D7, D10 and D14 respectively. No Aspergillus fumigatus PCR was positive. No cases of aspergillosis were retained. CONCLUSION: Our study does not support the interest of systematic screening of fungal markers in immunocompetent patients with COVID-19 in a conventional unit.

Characteristics and Treatment of Gordonia spp. Bacteremia, France.

Systemic Gordonia spp. infections are rare and occur mostly among immunocompromised patients. We analyzed 10 cases of Gordonia bacteremia diagnosed in 3 tertiary care centers in France to assess risk factors, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Most patients were cured within 10 days by using ß-lactam antimicrobial therapy and removing central catheters.

The challenge of diagnosing Guillain-Barre syndrome in patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit.

Various neurological complications have been described in COVID-19 patients, especially Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). The underlying mechanisms on the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and GBS remain unclear, but several hypotheses have been proposed. It seems that post-SARS-CoV-2 GBS shares many characteristics with classic post-infectious GBS; however, it may occur in sedated and intubated patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit for SARS-CoV-2 acute respiratory distress syndrome, which presents challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of GBS. In this study, we describe three cases of post-SARS-CoV-2 GBS that were hospitalized in the intensive care unit.

Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Mucormycosis in France: A Rare but Deadly Complication.

We studied COVID-19 associated mucormycosis based on 17 cases reported nationwide and assessed the differences with India. They differed by frequencies of diabetes mellitus (47% in France versus up to 95% in India), hematological malignancies (35% versus 1%), anatomical sites (12% versus >80% rhino-orbito-cerebral) and prognosis (88% mortality versus <50%).

Factors associated with mechanical ventilation in SARS-CoV-2 patients treated with high-flow nasal cannula oxygen and outcomes.

Five percent of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 require advanced respiratory support. The high-flow nasal cannula oxygenotherapy (HFNCO) appears to be effective and safe to reduce the need for mechanical ventilation. However, the factors associated with HFNCO failure as well as the outcomes of patients receiving this noninvasive respiratory strategy remain unclear. Thus, we performed this study to determine factors leading to intubation of SARS-CoV-2 patients treated with HFNCO and patients' outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed the medical charts of patients admitted in our ICU center for acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and who initially benefited from HFNCO, between September 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021. We included all adults patients who received HFNCO and compared two groups: those treated with HFNCO alone and those who failed HFNCO. Patients treated with HFNCO and secondarily limited to the use of mechanical ventilation were excluded from the analysis. Sixty-nine patients were included, 33 were treated with HFNCO alone and 36 failed HFNCO. We found more patients with shock in the HFNCO failure group (p = 0.001). The mean IGSII score was higher in the HFNCO failure group (p < 0.001). The minimum PaO2 /FiO2 was lower in the HFNCO failure group (p = 0.024). The length of stay in ICU was higher in the HFNCO failure group (p < 0.001). The mean duration of HFNCO before intubation was 1.77 days. Six-week mortality was higher in the HFNCO failure group (p = 0.034). Ten patients had a complication during intubation. The HFNCO leads to reduce the intubation rate, the length of stay in ICU, and the mortality. Determining the factors associated with HFNCO failure is important to avoid complications following late intubation.

Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii in Patients with Severe COVID-19: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges.

Cases of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in patients suffering from COVID-19 were described in patients with various comorbidities and outcomes. The diagnosis of PCP in these patients is difficult due to clinical and radiological similarities. We carried out this study in order to better describe potentially at-risk patients and their outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed all patients with a P. jirovecii PCR performed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, tracheal aspirate, or sputum within a month after the COVID-19 diagnosis. Fifty-seven patients with COVID-19 infection were tested for P. jirovecii. Among 57 patients with COVID-19, four patients had a concomitant positive P. jirovecii PCR. These four patients were elderly with a mean age of 78. Two patients were immunocompromised, and the two others presented only diabetes mellitus. Three patients presented an ARDS requiring transfer to the ICU and mechanical ventilation. All patients presented lymphocytopenia. Three patients had probable PCP, and one had proven PCP. All patients died within two months after hospital admission. These co-infections are rare but severe, therefore, PCP should be considered in case of worsening of the condition of patients with severe COVID-19.