ABSTRACT
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.
ABSTRACT
We developed a score, with easily accessible data (age, sex, body mass index, dyspnea, inflammatory parameters), to predict the risk of rapid progression to severe coronavirus disease 2019. Using a cutoff of >6 points, the negative predictive value was 87%.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of early systematic chest computed tomography (CT) with quantification of lung lesions in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. METHODS: We studied 572 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (confirmed using polymerase chain reaction) for whom a chest CT was performed at hospital admission. Visual quantification was used to classify patients as per the percentage of lung parenchyma affected by COVID-19 lesions: normal CT, 0-10%, 11-25%, 26-50%, 51-75% and >75%. The primary endpoint was severe disease, defined by death or admission to the intensive care unit in the 7 days following first admission. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 66.0 ± 16.0 years, and 343/572 (60.0%) were men. The primary endpoint occurred in 206/572 patients (36.0%). The extent of lesions on initial CT was independently associated with prognosis (odds ratio = 2.35, 95% confidence interval 1.24-4.46; p < 0.01). Most patients with lung involvement >50% (66/95, 69.5%) developed severe disease compared to patients with lung involvement of 26-50% (70/171, 40.9%) and ≤25% (70/306, 22.9%) (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). None of the patients with normal CT (0/14) had severe disease. CONCLUSION: Chest CT findings at admission are associated with outcome in COVID-19 patients.