Neurological Manifestations of Scrub Typhus Infection in Pediatric Patient: A Case Report From Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India.

Scrub typhus is a neglected tropical bacterial disease endemic in central India which can manifest as meningitis/meningoencephalitis in children. It is difficult to diagnose clinically, especially in the absence of eschar or rash. Scrub typhus is seldom considered the differential diagnosis of meningitis in the Indian subcontinent. Appropriate investigations can lead to early detection of infection and initiation of correct antibiotic treatment leading to better patient prognosis even when features of meningitis supervene. Here, we report a pediatric case of scrub typhus meningitis that could be saved due to timely investigations and initiation of appropriate antimicrobial agents.

Chaetomium globosum: Spotting a scarce saprophyte in bacterial-fungal co-infection of the sinuses in a post-COVID-19 patient.

Atypical fungal co-infections in post-COVID-19 patients may have been underreported due to limited diagnostic methods. We present a case of Chaetomium globosum sinusitis in a 55-year-old post-COVID-19 patient with pain in the left side of the face, mimicking rhino-cerebral mucormycosis. CT-paranasal sinuses showed mucosal thickening of left paranasal sinuses, biopsy of which grew a velvety, white colony. It was confirmed as Chaetomium globosum. The patient responded to oral Posaconazole therapy for three months. Prompt identification of atypical fungal agents is critical for appropriate treatment.

The Characteristics of Ocular Findings and the Presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Tears of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients.

Purpose The purpose of the study is to observe the characteristics of ocular manifestations in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and to analyze the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ribonucleic acid (SARS-CoV-2 RNA) in the tears of patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Material and methods We conducted this prospective cross-sectional study from February to June 2021 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, one of the tertiary eye care centers in Nagpur, India. The study included confirmed COVID-19 patients based on real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) nasopharyngeal swabs, whether or not the patients exhibited ocular symptoms. We recorded detailed information regarding the patients' history, including demographic profile, ocular symptoms, systemic symptoms, and radiologic findings. We collected ocular samples within 48 hours of collecting naso-oropharyngeal samples from the patients' eyes. We used conjunctival swabs to obtain tear samples, which we then placed in viral transport media (VTM) for cold chain transportation to the microbiology department. We performed RT-PCR on the tear samples to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Result We included 40 patients in the study, with 26 (65%) classified as having moderate COVID-19, six (15%) classified as having severe COVID-19, and the remaining having mild COVID-19. Out of the 40 patients, five (12%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the tear sample using RT-PCR, seven (17%) exhibited ocular signs and symptoms, and only one tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in their tears. The ocular manifestations observed in COVID-19 patients included dry eye, conjunctivitis (including conjunctival hyperemia and epiphora), and lid edema. Notably, we detected a positive COVID-19 tear sample in patients both with and without ocular symptoms. Conclusion Limited reports have focused on ocular involvement in patients with COVID-19. However, our study demonstrates the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival swabs from confirmed COVID-19 patients, albeit with a lower positivity rate. Despite the low prevalence of the virus found in tears, there is a potential risk of transmission through ocular routes. It is noteworthy that we observed a COVID-19-positive tear sample in patients with and without ocular symptoms. Therefore, it is important to consider the possibility of ocular transmission even in the absence of ocular manifestations. Medical personnel should take careful precautions during ocular examinations of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 to minimize the risk of transmission.

Guillain-Barré's Syndrome Post Snake Envenomation: Rare Case Report and Literature Review.

Snake bite is commonly encountered problem in India and world-wide. Common neurological presentation of snake bite includes neuromuscular junction dysfunction leading to acute neuromuscular paralysis. But snake envenomation affecting peripheral nerves is rarely reported. Authors are reporting a post cytotoxic snake bite Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is the sixth case reported till date.

Promoting Patient Safety: Exploring Device-Associated Healthcare Infections and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern in a Multidisciplinary Intensive Care Units.

INTRODUCTION: Device-associated healthcare infections are among the prevailing threats to patient safety worldwide. They constitute the third most common adverse event during healthcare delivery, resulting in heightened morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are at increased risk for device-associated healthcare infections. Focused active surveillance is a crucial measure for assessing the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections and controlling the transmission of pathogens, ultimately contributing to the establishment of quality outcome indicators. This study aimed to investigate and establish the baseline rates of healthcare-associated infections associated with medical devices in adult multidisciplinary ICUs within a tertiary care institute. MATERIAL AND METHODS:  This hospital-based prospective observational study was conducted in two adult ICUs of a tertiary care institute in Central India over nine months. Targeted active surveillance for three device-associated health care infections namely central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and ventilator-associated event (VAE) was conducted as per the Center for Disease Control (CDC)/National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) 2016 surveillance definitions and criteria. Pathogens associated with device-associated healthcare infections were identified and their antimicrobial susceptibility profile was studied. RESULTS:  During the study period, a total of 5,773 patient days were investigated. Of 1,270 patients, 28 episodes of device-associated healthcare infections were detected in 26 patients, this suggests a collective occurrence of five device-associated healthcare infections for every 1,000 patient days in the ICUs. The device utilization ratios of the central line, mechanical ventilator, and urinary catheters were 0.33, 0.27, and 0.68, respectively. VAE, CLABSI, and CAUTI rates were 8.92, 5.68, and 0.76 per 1,000 device days, respectively. The most common pathogen isolated from device-associated healthcare infections was Klebsiella pneumoniae (39%) followed by Acinetobacter baumanii (22%). The majority (82.3%) of pathogens were multidrug resistant. The death rate among device-associated healthcare infections was 69.2% with a crude excess mortality rate of 37.7%. CONCLUSION: The study sheds light on the proportion, types of device-associated healthcare infections, and underlying etiological agents associated with these infections in our institute's ICUs, thereby facilitating a better understanding of the healthcare-associated infection landscape within our facility. Moreover, the susceptibility pattern of pathogens associated with these infections offers crucial information for guiding the selection of appropriate antimicrobial therapies and infection control measures.

Incidence of COVID-19 infection and its variation with demographic and clinical profile: lessons learned at a COVID-19 RT-PCR laboratory in Nagpur, India.

Introduction. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic emerged as a global health crisis in 2020. The first case in India was reported on 30 January 2020 and the disease spread throughout the country within months. Old persons, immunocompromised patients and persons with co-morbidities, especially of the respiratory system, have a more severe and often fatal outcome to the disease. In this study we have analysed the socio-demographic trend of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nagpur and adjoining districts. Methods. The study was conducted from April to December 2020. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs collected from suspected cases of COVID-19 were tested using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at a diagnostic molecular laboratory at a tertiary care hospital in central India. Patient-related data on demographic profile and indication for testing were obtained from laboratory requisition forms. The results of the inconclusive repeat samples were also noted. The data were analysed using SPSS v24.0. Results. A total of 46 898 samples were received from April to December 2020, of which 41 410 were included in the study; 90.6 % of samples belonged to adults and 9.4 % belonged to children. The overall positivity rate in the samples was 19.3 %, although it varied over the period. The yield was significantly high in the elderly age group (25.5 %) and symptomatic patients (22.6 %). On repeat testing of patients whose first test was inconclusive, 17.1% were positive. There was a steady increase of both the number of tests and the rate of positivity in the initial period of the study, followed by a sharp decline. Conclusion. We can conclude that rigorous contact tracing and COVID-appropriate behaviour (wearing a mask, social distancing and hand hygiene) are required to break the chain of transmission. Elderly people are more susceptible to infection and should follow stringent precautions. It is also important to perform repeat testing of those individuals whose tests are inconclusive with fresh samples so that no positive cases are missed. Understanding of demographics is crucial for better management of this crisis and proper allocation of resources.

Conventional Naso-Oropharyngeal Sampling Versus Self-Collected Saliva Samples in COVID-19 Testing.

Comparing the diagnostic utility of salivary specimen samples with conventional nasopharynx-oropharynx (NP-OP) specimen samples to identify COVID-19 cases by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Eighty COVID-19 suspects enrolled for the paired sampling. In addition to conventional sampling, suspects were asked to follow stepwise pictorial instructions for self salivary sampling. Separate nylon swab stick was used for taking the samples from NP-OP and the floor of the oral cavity. The data were analyzed for sensitivity, specificity, concordance of COVID-19 status, and limits of agreement for cycle threshold (ct) values by either method. Forty-nine suspects (61.3%) were males, the mean age was 36.4 years. To determine the diagnostic test performance of the saliva, RT-PCR results of the NP-OP samples were used as the reference standard. Out of 80 suspects, 41 showed positivity by NP-OP swabs and 12 by salivary samples. The salivary samples showed significantly lesser positivity rate. The sensitivity and specificity of salivary samples against conventional reference standards are 24.4%, 94.9% respectively. Concordance of these two types of samples in terms of agreement kappa statistics is estimated as K = 0.252 (0.09-0.42). Median ct values of both the E and ORF1ab gene for the salivary samples were higher compared to the corresponding NP-OP sample. This study showed lesser sensitivity with salivary swab samples as compared to conventional NP-OP sampling for RT-PCR, COVID-19 detection. Hence, we are of opinion that more studies are required to establish the utility of salivary sampling in COVID-19 diagnostics.

Unusual Aetiology of Pasteurella canis Biovar 2 Causing Dacryocystitis in HIV Patient: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Pasteurella species are zoonotic bacterial pathogens implicated very infrequently in various human infections following animal bites or licks usually of dogs and cats. This case report described a rare clinical presentation of dacryocystitis caused by P.canis in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive young male patient involved in caring of cattle. It advocates the utmost need of recognizing the wide clinical manifestation spectrum of P.canis even without prior penetrating injury. P.canis associated clinical infection is more extensive than had been thought previously especially in immunocompromised patient. Early accurate identification and evidence based anti-microbial therapy may prove crucial in preventing further potential complications.

Dual Lower Respiratory Tract Infection by Burkholderia cepacia and Acinetobacter baumannii in A Neonate: A Case Report.

Burkholderia cepacia (B.cepacia) and Acinetobacter baumannii (A.baumannii), the highly intrinsically resistant nonfermenters are known to cause frequent infections in immunocomproimsed or hospitalized patients with significant mortality rate. In this rare clinical presentation, both were simultaneously isolated from a case of neonatal sepsis with respiratory failure. The prompt early diagnosis and antibiogram of these nonfermenters were proved to be of tremendous help in the present case with successful treatment outcome of dual infection of B.cepacia and A.baumannii. The present case report strongly emphasises the clinical importance of early accurate diagnosis of these emerging potential fatal non-fermenters which could otherwise prove fatal in case of any slight delay or misidentification. Implementation of strict surveillance policy to monitor the growth of these non-fermenters and draconian infection control measure holds a key to success in significant reduction of the associated mortality and morbidity.

Fluoroquinolone Therapy in Staphylococcus aureus Infections: Where Do We Stand?

AIM: The study aimed to evaluate the utility of various commonly used fluoroquinolones against Staphylococcus aureus isolates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 250 isolates of S. aureus were studied from different clinical specimens like blood, pus, wound swabs, sputum, ear swabs, and body fluids between November 2009 and December 2011. All the isolates were tested for their susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and other antimicrobial agents by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method using criteria of standard zone of inhibition. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) detection was done by cefoxitin disk diffusion method. The MRSA isolates were tested for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to vancomycin by E-test strips. All the MRSA strains were sent to National Staphylococcal Phage-typing Centre, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi for phage typing. RESULTS: A total of 107 strains of S. aureus (42.8%) were detected as MRSA. Multidrug resistance was observed among the MRSA strains more commonly than among the MSSA stains. Among the fluoroquinolones, maximum resistance in MRSA was seen to ciprofloxacin (92.5%), followed by ofloxacin (80.4%). None of the S. aureus isolates showed resistance to vancomycin and linezolid. The MICs of vancomycin for the MRSA tested ranged from 0.5 to 2 µg/ml. Phage typing pattern of 107 MRSA isolates revealed that 37 (34.6%) MRSA isolates were nontypeable and 70 (65.4%) were typeable. CONCLUSION: Ciprofloxacin can no longer be used in empirical therapy against MRSA infections. Use of other members of fluoroquinolone should be limited only to those strains that show laboratory confirmation of their susceptibility. Vancomycin remains the drug of choice to treat MRSA infections.