Early predictors of bacterial pneumonia infection in children with congenital heart disease after cardiopulmonary bypass: a single-centre retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the early predictors of bacterial pneumonia infection in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: A freestanding tertiary paediatric hospital in China. PARTICIPANTS: Patients admitted to the hospital due to CHD who underwent open-heart surgery. OUTCOME MEASURES: We retrospectively reviewed and analysed data from 1622 patients with CHD after CPB from June 2018 to December 2020 at the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Enrolled patients were assigned to an infection group or a non-infection group according to the presence of postoperative bacterial pneumonia infection, and the differences in clinical indicators were compared. Potential predictors were analysed by multivariate logistic regression analysis and area under the curve (AUC) analysis. RESULTS: Among the 376 patients (23.2%) in the infection group, the three most common bacteria were Streptococcus pneumoniae in 67 patients (17.8%), Escherichia coli in 63 patients (16.8%) and Haemophilus influenzae in 53 patients (14.1%). The infection group exhibited a lower weight (8.0 (6.0-11.5) kg vs 11.0 (7.5-14.5) kg, p<0.001). In the infection group, procalcitonin (PCT) (ng/mL: 4.72 (1.38-9.52) vs 1.28 (0.47-3.74), p<0.001) and C reactive protein (CRP) (mg/L: 21.0 (12.1-32.0) vs 17.0 (10.0-27.0), p<0.001) levels were significantly greater than those in the non-infection group. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that weight, PCT and CRP were independent risk factors for pulmonary bacterial infection after CPB. The AUCs of weight, PCT, CRP and PCT+CRP for predicting pulmonary bacterial infection after CPB were 0.632 (95% CI 0.600 to 0.664), 0.697 (95% CI 0.667 to 0.727), 0.586 (95% CI 0.554 to 0.618) and 0.694 (95% CI 0.664 to 0.724), respectively, and the cut-off values were ≤10.25 kg, ≥4.25 ng/mL, ≥6.50 mg/L and ≥0.20, respectively. The sensitivities were 69.7%, 54.0%, 93.9% and 70.2%, and the specificities were 53.5%, 77.7%, 19.4% and 59.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, weight, PCT and CRP were found to be independent predictors of pulmonary bacterial infection after CPB. Moreover, PCT was the most specific predictor, and CRP was the most sensitive independent predictor that might be beneficial for the early diagnosis of pulmonary bacterial infection after CPB in patients with CHD.

Characterization and Determinants of Long-Term Immune Recovery Under Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy.

OBJECTIVE: We developed a robust characterization of immune recovery trajectories in people living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and relate our findings to epidemiological risk factors and bacterial pneumonia. METHODS: Using data from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study and the Zurich Primary HIV Infection Cohort Study (n = 5907), we analyzed the long-term trajectories of CD4 cell and CD8 cell counts and their ratio in people living with HIV on ART for at least 8 years by fitting nonlinear mixed-effects models. The determinants of long-term immune recovery were investigated using generalized additive models. In addition, prediction accuracy of the modeled trajectories and their impact on the fit of a model for bacterial pneumonia was assessed. RESULTS: Overall, our population showed good immune recovery (median plateau [interquartile range]-CD4: 718 [555-900] cells/µL, CD8: 709 [547-893] cells/µL, CD4/CD8: 1.01 [0.76-1.37]). The following factors were predictive of recovery: age, sex, nadir/zenith value, pre-ART HIV-1 viral load, hepatitis C, ethnicity, acquisition risk, and timing of ART initiation. The fitted models proved to be an accurate and efficient way of predicting future CD4 and CD8 cell recovery dynamics: Compared with carrying forward the last observation, mean squared errors of the fitted values were lower by 1.3%-18.3% across outcomes. When modeling future episodes of bacterial pneumonia, using predictors derived from the recovery dynamics improved most model fits. CONCLUSION: We described and validated a method to characterize individual immune recovery trajectories of people living with HIV on suppressive ART. These trajectories accurately predict long-term immune recovery and the occurrence of bacterial pneumonia.

Correlation analysis of the peripheral blood lymphocyte count and occurrence of pneumonia after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Infections are the most common complication in patients after lung transplantation and the main cause of death at all stages after transplantation; therefore, awareness regarding the occurrence of infectious pneumonia after lung transplantation is vital. This study aimed to explore the correlation between the absolute lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte subpopulation counts in the peripheral blood and the occurrence of pneumonia after lung transplantation and to predict the risk of pneumonia development after lung transplantation. MATERIALS: Patients who underwent lung transplantation with long-term follow-up between June 2018 and December 2021 were prospectively included. The patients were divided into pneumonia and non-pneumonia groups. Demographic and clinical characteristics, and the levels of leukocytes, neutrophils, platelets, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), serum albumin, peripheral blood T lymphocytes, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood were measured in both groups. RESULTS: We included 22 patients with post-lung transplants in the analysis. Of the 104 collected samples, 26 (56.5%) were pathogenically positive, 16 (61.5%) had bacterial infections, 7 samples (26.9%) had fungal infections, and 8 (30.8%) had viral infections. Patients with pneumonia had higher levels of peripheral blood neutrophils (P = 0.01), platelets (P = 0.03), and CRP (P < 0.001) than did those without pneumonia. Logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of peripheral blood neutrophils, total T lymphocytes, CRP, and PCT were associated with the development of pneumonia after transplantation (P < 0.05), as documented by their area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.702, 0.792, 0.899, and 0.789, respectively. The AUC for the combined receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting the development of pneumonia was 0.943, with a sensitivity of 91.3% and specificity of 93.1%. There was no significant difference in T-lymphocyte counts in patients with lung transplants between the pneumonia and non-pneumonia groups who were treated with two anti-rejection agents. In contrast, the absolute lymphocyte, total T-lymphocyte, and CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts in patients who developed pneumonia after treatment with three anti-rejection agents were lower than those in patients who did not develop pneumonia (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Bacterial pneumonia is more common after lung transplantation than after fungal or viral infections. Peripheral blood T-lymphocyte counts combined with neutrophil, CRP, and PCT levels had good predictive value for the development of pneumonia after lung transplantation. Monitoring of patients should be strengthened by implementing peripheral blood T-lymphocyte counts to improve the early identification and prevention of pneumonia after lung transplantation.

Ensayo controlado y aleatorizado del uso de Heberkinasa® en el derrame pleural paraneumónico en niños / Randomized Controlled Trial of the Use of Heberkinase® in Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion in Children

Introducción: El derrame pleural paraneumónico resulta la complicación más frecuente de la neumonía bacteriana, de manejo complejo y muchas veces quirúrgico. No existen publicaciones en Cuba provenientes de ensayos clínicos controlados y aleatorizados ni del uso de la estreptoquinasa recombinante (Heberkinasa®) en el derrame pleural. Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia y la seguridad de la Heberkinasa® en el tratamiento del derrame pleural paraneumónico complicado complejo y el empiema en niños. Métodos: Ensayo clínico fase III, abierto, aleatorizado (2:1), en grupos paralelos y controlado. Se concluyó la inclusión prevista de 48 niños (1-18 años de edad), que cumplieron los criterios de selección. Los progenitores otorgaron el consentimiento informado. Los pacientes se distribuyeron en dos grupos: I- experimental: terapia estándar y administración intrapleural diaria de 200 000 UI de Heberkinasa® durante 3-5 días y II-control: tratamiento estándar. Las variables principales: necesidad de cirugía y la estadía hospitalaria. Se evaluaron los eventos adversos. Resultados: Ningún paciente del grupo I-experimental requirió cirugía, a diferencia del grupo II-control en el que 37,5 por ciento necesitó cirugía video-toracoscópica, con diferencia altamente significativa. Se redujo la estadía hospitalaria (en cuatro días), las complicaciones intratorácicas y las infecciones asociadas a la asistencia sanitaria en el grupo que recibió Heberkinasa®. No se presentaron eventos adversos graves atribuibles al producto. Conclusiones: La Heberkinasa® en el derrame pleural paraneumónico complicado complejo y empiema resultó eficaz y segura para la evacuación del foco séptico, con reducción de la necesidad de tratamiento quirúrgico, de la estadía hospitalaria y de las complicaciones, sin eventos adversos relacionados con su administración(AU)

Introduction: Paraneumonic pleural effusion is the most frequent complication of bacterial pneumonia, with complex and often surgical management. There are no publications in Cuba from randomized controlled clinical trials or the use of recombinant streptokinase (Heberkinase®) in pleural effusion. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Heberkinase® in the treatment of complex complicated parapneumonic pleural effusion and empyema in children. Methods: Phase III, open-label, randomized (2:1), parallel-group, controlled clinical trial. The planned inclusion of 48 children (1-18 years of age), who met the selection criteria, was completed. Parents gave informed consent. The patients were divided into two groups: I-experimental: standard therapy and daily intrapleural administration of 200,000 IU of Heberkinase® for 3-5 days; and II-control: standard treatment. The main variables: need for surgery and hospital stay. Adverse events were evaluated. Results: No patient in group I-experimental required surgery, unlike group II-control in which 37.5 percent required video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, with a highly significant difference. Hospital stay (to 4 days), intrathoracic complications and infections associated to healthcare in the group that received Heberkinase® was reduced. No serious adverse events attributable to the product occurred. Conclusions: Heberkinase® in complex complicated parapneumonic pleural effusion and empyema was effective and safe for the draining of the septic focus, with reduction of the need for surgical treatment, hospital stay and complications, with no adverse events related to its administration(AU)

Therapeutic Effects of Hyaluronic Acid Against Cytotoxic Extracellular Vesicles Released During Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pneumonia.

ABSTRACT: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have now been recognized as important mediators of cellular communication during injury and repair. We previously found that plasma EVs isolated from ex vivo perfused human lungs injured with Escherichia coli bacterial pneumonia were inflammatory, and exogenous administration of high molecular weight (HMW) hyaluronic acid (HA) as therapy bound to these EVs, decreasing inflammation and injury. In the current study, we studied the role of EVs released during severe Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) pneumonia in mice and determined whether intravenous administration of exogenous HMW HA would have therapeutic effects against the bacterial pneumonia. EVs were collected from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice infected with PA103 by ultracentrifugation and analyzed by NanoSight and flow cytometry. In a cytotoxicity assay, administration of EVs released from infected mice (I-EVs) decreased the viability of A549 cells compared to EV isolated from sham control mice (C-EVs). Either exogenous HMW HA or an anti-CD44 antibody, when co-incubated with I-EVs, significantly improved the viability of the A549 cells. In mice with PA103 pneumonia, administration of HMW HA improved pulmonary edema and bacterial count in the lungs and decreased TNF-α and caspase-3 levels in the supernatant of lung homogenates. In conclusion, EVs isolated from BALF of mice with P. aeruginosa pneumonia were cytotoxic and inflammatory, and intravenous HMW HA administration was protective against P. aeruginosa pneumonia.

Viral and Bacterial Co-Infections in the Lungs: Dangerous Liaisons.

Respiratory tract infections constitute a significant public health problem, with a therapeutic arsenal that remains relatively limited and that is threatened by the emergence of antiviral and/or antibiotic resistance. Viral-bacterial co-infections are very often associated with the severity of these respiratory infections and have been explored mainly in the context of bacterial superinfections following primary influenza infection. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the mechanisms underlying these co-infections between respiratory viruses (influenza viruses, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2) and bacteria, at both the physiological and immunological levels. This review also explores the importance of the microbiome and the pathological context in the evolution of these respiratory tract co-infections and presents the different in vitro and in vivo experimental models available. A better understanding of the complex functional interactions between viruses/bacteria and host cells will allow the development of new, specific, and more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Acute vaping exacerbates microbial pneumonia due to calcium (Ca2+) dysregulation.

As electronic cigarette (E-cig) use, also known as "vaping", has rapidly increased in popularity, data regarding potential pathologic effects are recently emerging. Recent associations between vaping and lung pathology have led to an increased need to scrutinize E-cigs for adverse health impacts. Our previous work (and others) has associated vaping with Ca2+-dependent cytotoxicity in cultured human airway epithelial cells. Herein, we develop a vaped e-liquid pulmonary exposure mouse model to evaluate vaping effects in vivo. Using this model, we demonstrate lung pathology through the use of preclinical measures, that is, the lung wet: dry ratio and lung histology/H&E staining. Further, we demonstrate that acute vaping increases macrophage chemotaxis, which was ascertained using flow cytometry-based techniques, and inflammatory cytokine production, via Luminex analysis, through a Ca2+-dependent mechanism. This increase in macrophage activation appears to exacerbate pulmonary pathology resulting from microbial infection. Importantly, modulating Ca2+ signaling may present a therapeutic direction for treatment against vaping-associated pulmonary inflammation.

2-O, 3-O desulfated heparin (ODSH) increases bacterial clearance and attenuates lung injury in cystic fibrosis by restoring HMGB1-compromised macrophage function.

BACKGROUND: High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is an alarmin following its release by immune cells upon cellular activation or stress. High levels of extracellular HMGB1 play a critical role in impairing the clearance of invading pulmonary pathogens and dying neutrophils in the injured lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A heparin derivative, 2-O, 3-O desulfated heparin (ODSH), has been shown to inhibit HMGB1 release from a macrophage cell line and is efficacious in increasing bacterial clearance in a mouse model of pneumonia. Thus, we hypothesized that ODSH can attenuate the bacterial burden and inflammatory lung injury in CF and we conducted experiments to determine the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: We determined the effects of ODSH on lung injury produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection in CF mice with the transmembrane conductance regulator gene knockout (CFTR-/-). Mice were given ODSH or normal saline intraperitoneally, followed by the determination of the bacterial load and lung injury in the airways and lung tissues. ODSH binding to HMGB1 was determined using surface plasmon resonance and in silico docking analysis of the interaction of the pentasaccharide form of ODSH with HMGB1. RESULTS: CF mice given 25 mg/kg i.p. of ODSH had significantly lower PA-induced lung injury compared to mice given vehicle alone. The CF mice infected with PA had decreased levels of nitric oxide (NO), increased levels of airway HMGB1 and HMGB1-impaired macrophage phagocytic function. ODSH partially attenuated the PA-induced alteration in the levels of NO and airway HMGB1 in CF mice. In addition, ODSH reversed HMGB1-impaired macrophage phagocytic function. These effects of ODSH subsequently decreased the bacterial burden in the CF lungs. In a surface plasmon resonance assay, ODSH interacted with HMGB1 with high affinity (KD = 3.89 × 10-8 M) and induced conformational changes that may decrease HMGB1's binding to its membrane receptors, thus attenuating HMGB1-induced macrophage dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that ODSH can significantly decrease bacterial infection-induced lung injury in CF mice by decreasing both HMGB1-mediated impairment of macrophage function and the interaction of HMGB1 with membrane receptors. Thus, ODSH could represent a novel approach for treating CF and ARDS patients that have HMGB1-mediated lung injury.

DNA Methylation Profiling for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Patients with Nontuberculous Mycobacterium Lung Disease.

The incidence of nontuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) lung disease is rapidly increasing; however, its diagnosis and prognosis remain unclear while selecting patients who will respond to appropriate treatment. Differences in DNA methylation patterns between NTM patients with good or poor prognosis could provide important therapeutic targets. We used the Illumina MethylationEPIC (850k) DNA methylation microarray to determine the pattern between differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in NTM patients with good or poor prognosis (n = 4/group). Moreover, we merged and compared 20 healthy controls from previous Illumina Methylation450k DNA methylation microarray data. We selected and visualized the DMRs in the form of heatmaps, and enriched terms associated with these DMRs were identified by functional annotation with the "pathfinder" package. In total, 461 and 293 DMRs (|Log2 fold change| > 0.1 and p < 0.03) were more methylated in patients with four poor and four good prognoses, respectively. Furthermore, 337 and 771 DMRs (|Log2 fold change| > 0.08 and p < 0.001) were more methylated in eight NTM patients and 20 healthy controls, respectively. TGFBr1 was significantly less methylated, whereas HLA-DR1 and HLA-DR5 were more methylated in patients with poor prognosis (compared to those with good prognosis). LRP5, E2F1, and ADCY3 were the top three less-methylated genes in NTM patients (compared with the controls). The mTOR and Wnt signaling pathway-related genes were less methylated in patients with NTM. Collectively, genes related to Th1-cell differentiation, such as TGFBr1 and HLA-DR, may be used as biomarkers for predicting the treatment response in patients with NTM lung disease.

GP96 Drives Exacerbation of Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia following Influenza A Virus Infection.

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection predisposes the host to secondary bacterial pneumonia, known as a major cause of morbidity and mortality during influenza virus epidemics. Analysis of interactions between IAV-infected human epithelial cells and Streptococcus pneumoniae revealed that infected cells ectopically exhibited the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone glycoprotein 96 (GP96) on the surface. Importantly, efficient pneumococcal adherence to epithelial cells was imparted by interactions with extracellular GP96 and integrin αV, with the surface expression mediated by GP96 chaperone activity. Furthermore, abrogation of adherence was gained by chemical inhibition or genetic knockout of GP96 as well as addition of RGD peptide, an inhibitor of integrin-ligand interactions. Direct binding of extracellular GP96 and pneumococci was shown to be mediated by pneumococcal oligopeptide permease components. Additionally, IAV infection induced activation of calpains and Snail1, which are responsible for degradation and transcriptional repression of junctional proteins in the host, respectively, indicating increased bacterial translocation across the epithelial barrier. Notably, treatment of IAV-infected mice with the GP96 inhibitor enhanced pneumococcal clearance from lung tissues and ameliorated lung pathology. Taken together, the present findings indicate a viral-bacterial synergy in relation to disease progression and suggest a paradigm for developing novel therapeutic strategies tailored to inhibit pneumococcal colonization in an IAV-infected respiratory tract. IMPORTANCE Secondary bacterial pneumonia following an influenza A virus (IAV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Although it is generally accepted that preceding IAV infection leads to increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial infection, details regarding the pathogenic mechanism during the early stage of superinfection remain elusive. Here, we focused on the interaction of IAV-infected cells and Streptococcus pneumoniae, which revealed that human epithelial cells infected with IAV exhibit a cell surface display of GP96, an endoplasmic reticulum chaperon. Notably, extracellular GP96 was shown to impart efficient adherence for secondary infection by S. pneumoniae, and GP96 inhibition ameliorated lung pathology of superinfected mice, indicating it to be a useful target for development of therapeutic strategies for patients with superinfection.

Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia in patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases: clinical characteristics, antimicrobial resistance and factors associated with extended-spectrum ß-lactamase production.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decades, Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) infections have been increasing and affected immunocompromised patients nosocomially and communally, with extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) production becoming a major concern. Patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases, mostly receiving immunosuppressive therapy, are vulnerable to various infections, including K. pneumoniae. However, few have investigated K. pneumoniae infections in this specific population. This study aimed to identify factors associated with ESBL production and mortality of K. pneumoniae pneumonia among patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases in the Emergency Department. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated patients with rheumatic diseases who were diagnosed with K. pneumoniae pneumonia. The diagnosis of K. pneumoniae pneumonia was based on clinical manifestations, radiological findings and microbiological testing results. Prognostic factors and risk factors for ESBL production were determined with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Empirical therapy and antimicrobial susceptibility data were also collected. RESULTS: Of 477 K. pneumoniae pneumonia patients, 60 were enrolled into this study. The in-hospital mortality was 28.3%. Septic shock, ICU admission, the need for mechanical ventilation and change of antibiotics due to clinical deterioration, all related to mortality, were included as unfavorable clinical outcomes. Multivariate analysis suggested that ESBL production (OR, 6.793; p = 0.012), initial PCT ≥ 0.5 ng/ml (OR, 5.024; p = 0.033) and respiratory failure at admission (OR, 4.401; p = 0.046) predicted increased mortality. ESBL production was significantly associated with dose of corticosteroids (OR, 1.033; p = 0.008) and CMV viremia (OR, 4.836; p = 0.032) in patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases. Abnormal leukocyte count (OR, 0.192; p = 0.036) was identified as a protective factor of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae pneumonia. The most commonly used empirical antibiotic was ceftazidime, while most isolates showed less resistance to carbapenems and amikacin in susceptibility testing. CONCLUSIONS: K. pneumoniae pneumonia could be life-threatening in patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases. Our findings suggested that ESBL production, initial PCT ≥ 0.5 ng/ml and respiratory failure at admission were independent factors associated with poor prognosis. Dose of corticosteroids and CMV viremia, predicting ESBL production in K. pneumoniae pneumonia, may help make individualized antibiotic decisions in clinical practice.

State-of-the-art review of secondary pulmonary infections in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of secondary pulmonary infections is not well described in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Understanding the incidence of secondary pulmonary infections and the associated bacterial and fungal microorganisms identified can improve patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This narrative review aims to determine the incidence of secondary bacterial and fungal pulmonary infections in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and describe the bacterial and fungal microorganisms identified. METHOD: We perform a literature search and select articles with confirmed diagnoses of secondary bacterial and fungal pulmonary infections that occur 48 h after admission, using respiratory tract cultures in hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients. We exclude articles involving co-infections defined as infections diagnosed at the time of admission by non-SARS-CoV-2 viruses, bacteria, and fungal microorganisms. RESULTS: The incidence of secondary pulmonary infections is low at 16% (4.8-42.8%) for bacterial infections and lower for fungal infections at 6.3% (0.9-33.3%) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Secondary pulmonary infections are predominantly seen in critically ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The most common bacterial microorganisms identified in the respiratory tract cultures are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella species, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common microorganism identified to cause secondary fungal pulmonary infections. Other rare opportunistic infection reported such as PJP is mostly confined to small case series and case reports. The overall time to diagnose secondary bacterial and fungal pulmonary infections is 10 days (2-21 days) from initial hospitalization and 9 days (4-18 days) after ICU admission. The use of antibiotics is high at 60-100% involving the studies included in our review. CONCLUSION: The widespread use of empirical antibiotics during the current pandemic may contribute to the development of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, and antimicrobial stewardship programs are required for minimizing and de-escalating antibiotics. Due to the variation in definition across most studies, a large, well-designed study is required to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of secondary pulmonary infections in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The Unyvero Hospital-Acquired pneumonia panel for diagnosis of secondary bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19 patients.

The study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of Unyvero Hospitalized Pneumonia (HPN) panel application, a multiplex PCR-based method for the detection of bacterial pathogens from lower respiratory tract (LRT) samples, obtained from COVID-19 patients with suspected secondary hospital-acquired pneumonia. Residual LRT samples obtained from critically ill COVID-19 patients with predetermined microbiological culture results were tested using the Unyvero HPN Application. Performance evaluation of the HPN Application was carried out using the standard-of-care (SoC) microbiological culture findings as the reference method. Eighty-three LRT samples were used in the evaluation. The HPN Application had a full concordance with SoC findings in 59/83 (71%) samples. The new method detected additional bacterial species in 21 (25%) and failed at detecting a bacterial species present in lower respiratory culture in 3 (3.6%) samples. Overall the sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of the HPN Application were 95.1% (95%CI 96.5-98.3%), 98.3% (95% CI 97.5-98.9%), 71.6% (95% CI 61.0-80.3%), and 99.8% (95% CI 99.3-99.9%), respectively. In conclusion, the HPN Application demonstrated higher diagnostic yield in comparison with the culture and generated results within 5 h.

Evaluation of the post-antibiotic effect in vivo for the combination of a ß-lactam antibiotic and a ß-lactamase inhibitor: ceftazidime-avibactam in neutropenic mouse thigh and lung infections.

The post-antibiotic effect (PAE) of ceftazidime-avibactam in vivo was evaluated using models of thigh- and lung-infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in neutropenic mice. In thigh-infected mice, the PAE was negative (-2.18 to -0.11 h) for three of four strains: caused by a 'burst' of rapid bacterial growth after the drug concentrations had fallen below their pre-specified target values. With lung infection, PAE was positive, and longer for target drug concentrations in ELF (>2 h) than plasma (1.69-1.88 h). The time to the start of regrowth was quantified as a new parameter, PAER, which was positive (0.35-1.00 h) in both thigh- and lung-infected mice. In the context that measurements of the PAE of ß-lactam/ß-lactamase inhibitor combinations in vivo have not previously been reported, it is noted that the negative values were consistent with previous measurements of the PAE of ceftazidime-avibactam in vitro and of ceftazidime alone in vivo.

Description of two fatal cases of melioidosis in Mexican children with acute pneumonia: case report.

BACKGROUND: Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. In Mexico, the disease is rarely diagnosed in humans and there is no evidence of simultaneous environmental isolation of the pathogen. Here, we describe clinical profiles of fatal cases of melioidosis in two children, in a region without history of that disease. CASE PRESENTATION: About 48 h before onset of symptoms, patients swam in a natural body of water, and thereafter they rapidly developed fatal septicemic illness. Upon necropsy, samples from liver, spleen, lung, cerebrospinal fluid, and bronchial aspirate tissues contained Burkholderia pseudomallei. Environmental samples collected from the locations where the children swam also contained B. pseudomallei. All the clinical and environmental strains showed the same BOX-PCR pattern, suggesting that infection originated from the area where the patients were swimming. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of B. pseudomallei confirmed that melioidosis disease exists in Sonora, Mexico. The presence of B. pseudomallei in the environment may suggest endemicity of the pathogen in the region. This study highlights the importance of strengthening laboratory capacity to prevent and control future melioidosis cases.

Immunotherapy-related pneumonitis and bacterial pneumonia after the successful treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma with pembrolizumab: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Pembrolizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), is approved as a therapy for unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Immunotherapy-associated pneumonitis is an uncommon event. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 73-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a history of melanoma on the left side of the face (resected in December 2012) and metastasis to the left lung upper lobe (resected in November 2016). Recurrence of metastasis to the bilateral lungs and left pleura was detected in April 2018. A complete response was achieved following treatment with pembrolizumab, with lower limb rashes the only adverse events occurring during therapy. The patient was readmitted in March 2019 with a productive cough, shortness of breath, and mild fever, and sputum culture identified Escherichia coli. DIAGNOSIS: A diagnosis of pneumonia was made, and although cough and shortness of breath responded to ceftazidime and levofloxacin, but fever and poor appetite persisted. Computed tomography showed no improvement in the bilateral lower lobe lesions. Prednisone was initiated based on a clinical diagnosis of immunotherapy-related pneumonitis. The response to prednisone confirmed the diagnosis. INTERVENTIONS: The patient first received ceftazidime and levofloxacin, but the symptoms persisted. Prednisone was initiated based on a clinical diagnosis of immunotherapy-related pneumonitis. OUTCOME: Complete resolution of the bilateral lung lesions occurred after 45 days of prednisone therapy. CONCLUSION: This case report highlights that both pneumonitis and bacterial pneumonia can occur as complications of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

Legionnaire's disease presenting as bilateral central scotomata: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Legionnaire's disease is one of the major causes of community-acquired pneumonia and is occasionally complicated by neurological symptoms. However, reports of ocular lesions due to Legionnaire's disease are limited. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a patient with Legionnaire's disease presenting as bilateral central scotomata due to retinal lesions. The patient consulted due to fever and bilateral central scotomata, as well as other extrapulmonary symptoms. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed bilateral accumulations of fluid under the retina, and the patient was diagnosed with bilateral exudative retinal detachment. Later, Legionnaire's disease was confirmed by pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging and positive urinary antigen for Legionella pneumophila. After administration of antibiotics, the bilateral central scotomata and bilateral subretinal fluid accumulations completely resolved, as did the other extrapulmonary symptoms and the pulmonary infiltrates. Thus, the bilateral central scotomata due to exudative retinal detachment were thought to be caused by Legionnaire's disease. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates that Legionnaire's disease can present as bilateral central scotomata. We may consider the possibility of extrapulmonary involvement complicating Legionnaire's disease when we encounter bilateral ocular lesions in patients with fever and pneumonia.

Incidence and risk factors for respiratory tract bacterial colonization and infection in lung transplant recipients.

To evaluate incidence of and risk factors for respiratory bacterial colonization and infections within 30 days from lung transplantation (LT). We retrospectively analyzed microbiological and clinical data from 94 patients transplanted for indications other than cystic fibrosis, focusing on the occurrence of bacterial respiratory colonization or infection during 1 month of follow-up after LT. Thirty-three percent of patients developed lower respiratory bacterial colonization. Bilateral LT and chronic heart diseases were independently associated to a higher risk of overall bacterial colonization. Peptic diseases conferred a higher risk of multi-drug resistant (MDR) colonization, while longer duration of aerosol prophylaxis was associated with a lower risk. Overall, 35% of lung recipients developed bacterial pneumonia. COPD (when compared to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, IPF) and higher BMI were associated to a lower risk of bacterial infection. A higher risk of MDR infection was observed in IPF and in patients with pre-transplant colonization and infections. The risk of post-LT respiratory infections could be stratified by considering several factors (indication for LT, type of LT, presence of certain comorbidities, and microbiologic assessment before LT). A wider use of early nebulized therapies could be useful to prevent MDR colonization, thus potentially lowering infectious risk.

Risk Factor Evaluation for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The 2019 community-acquired pneumonia guidelines recommend using recent respiratory cultures and locally validated epidemiology plus risk factor assessment to determine empirical coverage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. OBJECTIVE: To develop a methodology for evaluating local epidemiology and validating local risk factors for P aeruginosa and MRSA. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective cohort evaluated adult patients admitted for pneumonia. Risk factors for MRSA and P aeruginosa were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression and reported as adjusted odds ratios (aORs). RESULTS: There were 10 723 cases evaluated. Lung abscess/empyema had the highest odds associated with MRSA (aOR = 4.24; P < 0.0001), followed by influenza (aOR = 2.34; P = 0.01), end-stage renal disease (ESRD; aOR = 2.09; P = 0.006), illicit substance use (aOR = 1.7; P = 0.007), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; aOR = 1.26; P = 0.04). For P aeruginosa, the highest odds were in bronchiectasis (aOR = 6.13; P < 0.0001), lung abscess/empyema (aOR = 3.36; P = 0.005), and COPD (aOR = 1.84; P < 0.0001). Isolated COPD without other risk factors did not pose an increased risk of either organism. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Influenza, ESRD, lung abscess/empyema, and illicit substance use were local risk factors for MRSA. Bronchiectasis and lung abscess/empyema were risk factors for Pseudomonas. COPD was associated with MRSA and Pseudomonas. However, isolated COPD had similar rates of MRSA and Pseudomonas pneumonia compared with the total population. This study established a feasible methodology for evaluating local risk factors.