Are short course corticosteroids as effective as longer course in determining days of oxygen requirement and hospital stay in patients with moderate COVID-19 disease?

Background: In past 2 years, COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health care system adversely. World statistics showed a huge rise in the incidence of this highly infectious disease. Abnormal and unregulated immune response was found to be the key deciding factor for the outcome of this disease. A lot of studies showed a promising role of corticosteroids as immunosuppressant agents. They reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 disease. However, steroid therapy comes with a huge concern in form of their adverse effects, especially on prolonged use. Optimum duration of steroid therapy is not standardized. Aim and Objectives: The present study was carried out to determine days of oxygen requirement and duration of hospital stay in patients receiving short course steroid vis-à-vis long course steroid therapy. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in tertiary care teaching hospital after prior permission of the Institutional Ethics Committee. All patients diagnosed as having moderate COVID-19 illness with age group of 18–80 years with minimum 03 days of 6 mg dexamethasone or other equivalent steroid administration were included in the study. Patients who were living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, hepatic and renal illness, ischemic and other valvular diseases, and chronic pulmonary diseases affecting oxygenation status were excluded from the study. A total of 203 study participants were enrolled during study period (68 in short course while 135 in long course steroid group). Data were enrolled in predesigned structured and validated case record form. Results: Short course steroid therapy was found more frequent in <60 years of age. Mean and SD of days of oxygen administration were (4.36 vs. 8.88) and (2.15 vs. 3.43) in short course and long course steroid therapy, respectively. Oxygen requirement for ?7 days was in (10, 7.41%) patients and (45, 66.18%) patients in short course steroid group and long course steroid group, respectively. Mean and standard deviation of duration of hospital stay were (6.64, 2.87) and (11.9, 4.03) in short course and long course steroid group, respectively. Hospital stay for more than 9 days was (20, 14.81%) and (47, 69.12%) in short course and long course steroid group, respectively. Conclusion: A positive association was found between duration of hospital stay and long course steroid therapy and was statistically significant. Similarly, a positive association between days of oxygen requirement and long course steroid therapy was found and again it was statistically significant. The study findings indicated that short course steroid therapy was found to be more effective in treatment outcome of COVID-19 illness as far as the duration of hospital stay and oxygen administration parameters are concerned.

Molecular epidemiology & therapeutic options of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria

Background & objectives: The growing incidence and the wide diversity of carbapenemase-producing bacterial strains is a major concern as only a few antimicrobial agents are active on carbapenem-resistant bacteria. This study was designed to study molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial (GNB) isolates from the community and hospital settings. Methods: In this study, non-duplicate GNB were isolated from clinical specimens, and phenotypic test such as modified Hodge test, metallo ?-lactamase E-strip test, etc. were performed on carbapenem-resistant bacteria. Multiplex PCR was performed to identify the presence of blaIMP, blaVIM, blaKPC, blaOXA48, blaOXA23, blaSPM, blaGIM, blaSIM and blaNDM. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of colistin, fosfomycin, minocycline, chloramphenicol and tigecycline was also determined. Results: Of the 3414 GNB studied, carbapenem resistance was 9.20 per cent and maximum resistance (11.2%) was present at tertiary care centre, followed by secondary care (4%) and primary centre (2.1%). Among the carbapenem-resistant bacteria, overall, the most common isolate was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (24%). On multiplex PCR 90.3 per cent carbapenem-resistant isolates were positive for carbapenemase gene. The blaNDM(63%) was the most prevalent gene followed by blaVIM(18.4%). MIC results showed that 88 per cent carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae were sensitive to fosfomycin, whereas 78 per cent of P. aeruginosa and 85 per cent Acinetobacter spp. were sensitive to colistin. Interpretation & conclusions: Carbapenem resistance in GNB isolates from the community and hospital settings was found to be on the rise and should be closely monitored. In the absence of new antibiotics in pipeline and limited therapeutic options, prudent use of antibiotics and strict infection control practices should be followed in hospital to limit the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Cultivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from pleural tissue and its histopathology in suspected cases of tuberculous pleural effusion.

The majority of idiopathic pleural effusion are considered to be of tuberculous etiology. The culture of bacilli provide most authentic evidence of disease process. This study was carried out on 21 cases of suspected tuberculous pleural effusion. The pleural fluid and tissue was subjected for smear examination, and cultivation of tubercle bacilli along with pleural biopsy. Overall the diagnosis could be made out of 8 (38.09%) cases. The cultivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from pleural tissue was more sensitive (33.33%) as compared to histopathology (19.05%). However, the triad of cultivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from pleural tissue, pleural histopathology and pleural fluid smear examination or culture should be done in each suspected case of tuberculous effusion.