Sepsis in Patients Hospitalized in Sicily, Italy, over the Period of 2016-2020: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Epidemiological data regarding the incidence and mortality of sepsis are scarcely available. The present study aimed to delineate the epidemiology of sepsis and related mortality among patients hospitalized in Sicily, Italy. Methods: Data on the discharge forms of all patients with sepsis in all Sicilian hospitals from January 2016 to December 2020 were retrospectively collected. Results: In Sicily, 15,373 hospitalizations associated with sepsis occurred from 2016 to 2020, with an overall in-hospital mortality rate of 36.3%. The percentage of hospitalizations associated with sepsis represented 0.65% of all admissions, with an increase over the years. Most patients were admitted to non-surgical and non-infectious disease units, accounting for 50.3% of total admissions. Stratification of patients according to age, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and presence of septic shock revealed variations in in-hospital mortality rates. Among adult ICU-admitted patients with septic shock, mortality was highest at 81.0%, followed by non-ICU adult patients with septic shock (63.5%), ICU pediatric patients with septic shock (56.7%), ICU adult patients without septic shock (43.9%), non-ICU pediatric patients with septic shock (37.9%), non-ICU adult patients without septic shock (17.9%), ICU pediatric patients without septic shock (10.4%), and non-ICU pediatric patients without septic shock (1%).

An Uncommon Case of Syphilis With Simultaneous, Different Lesions: Moth-Eaten Alopecia, Syphilitic Keratoderma, and Psoriasiform Syphilis.

Syphilis is a re-emerging disease, and an increasing number of cases are being reported in Italy and worldwide. In this report, we present a case of a male patient with secondary syphilis characterized by the heterogenicity of the lesions: hyperkeratosis, psoriasiform-like lesions, papules, macules, and patchy alopecia on the scalp. The patient had applied several topical antimicrobials and steroid medicaments and taken oral acyclovir, which yielded no relief, for a previous wrong diagnosis. At the time of his presentation to our clinic, syphilis was suspected and confirmed by serology. The administration of a single intramuscular dose of penicillin led to a full recovery in three weeks. Screening for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections returned negative. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for syphilis when encountering sexually active patients with atypical skin manifestations.