Healthcare-Associated Bloodstream Infections Due to Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Healthcare-associated infections are an emerging cause of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide, especially those caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. The objectives of this study were to assess the incidence of bloodstream infections (BSIs) among critically ill COVID-19 patients and to analyze the characteristics of healthcare-associated BSIs due to MDR Acinetobacter baumannii in an COVID-19 ICU. A single-center retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital during a 5-month period. The detection of carbapenemase genes was performed by PCR and genetic relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus-sequence typing. A total of 193 episodes were registered in 176 COVID-19 ICU patients, with an incidence of 25/1000 patient-days at risk. A. baumannii was the most common etiological agent (40.3%), with a resistance to carbapenems of 100%. The blaOXA-23 gene was detected in ST2 isolates while the blaOXA-24 was ST636-specific. PFGE revealed a homogeneous genetic background of the isolates. The clonal spread of OXA-23-positive A. baumannii is responsible for the high prevalence of MDR A. baumannii BSIs in our COVID-19 ICU. Further surveillance of resistance trends and mechanisms is needed along with changes in behavior to improve the implementation of infection control and the rational use of antibiotics.

Short-term outcomes of patients with chronic liver disease hospitalised with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) might have an aggravated course after acquisition of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). AIMS: To analyse the outcomes of patients with CLD who were hospitalised due to COVID-19. METHODS: The medical records of 4014 patients hospitalised because of COVID-19 in a regional referral hospital over a 12-month period were analysed. Patients with CLD were identified based on discharge diagnoses according to the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision. Patients were followed for 30 days from admission and their outcomes (intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation (MV) or death) were analysed. RESULTS: Of the 4014 patients, 110 (2.7%) had CLD and 49 (1.2%) had cirrhosis. The median age of CLD patients was 67.5 years, 79 (71.8%) were males, 224 (23.5%) were obese, 56 (50.9%) reported alcohol abuse, 24 (21.8%) had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 11 (10%) had viral hepatitis and 98 (89.1%) had pneumonia. The median length of hospitalisation was 12 days; 32 (29.1%) patients required ICU admission and 23 (20.9%) patients required MV, while 43 (39.1%) died. In univariate analysis, patients with cirrhosis (45% vs 73%, hazard ratio (HR) = 2.95; P < 0.001), but not those with non-cirrhotic CLD (74% vs 73%; P > 0.05), experienced worse 30-day survival when compared with age, sex and COVID-19 duration-matched cohorts. In a logistic regression analysis conducted on the overall and matched cohorts, liver cirrhosis, but not CLD, predicted inferior survival independently of age, comorbidities and severity of COVID-19, with a fourfold higher adjusted risk of 30-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Cirrhosis is independently associated with higher 30-day mortality of hospitalised patients with COVID-19.

Distribution of Pathogens and Predictive Values of Biomarkers of Inflammatory Response at ICU Admission on Outcomes of Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients with Bacterial Superinfections-Observations from National COVID-19 Hospital in Croatia.

BACKGROUND: Superinfections contribute to mortality and length of stay in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and pathogen distribution of bacterial and fungal superinfections of the lower respiratory tract (LRTI), urinary tract (UTI) and bloodstream (BSI) and to determine the predictive value of biomarkers of inflammatory response on their ICU survival rates. METHODS: A retrospective observational study that included critically ill COVID-19 patients treated during an 11-month period in a Croatian national COVID-19 hospital was performed. Clinical and diagnostic data were analyzed according to the origin of superinfection, and multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the predictive values of biomarkers of inflammation on their survival rates. RESULTS: 55.3% critically ill COVID-19 patients developed bacterial or fungal superinfections, and LRTI were most common, followed by BSI and UTI. Multidrug-resistant pathogens were the most common causes of LRTI and BSI, while Enterococcus faecalis was the most common pathogen causing UTI. Serum ferritin and neutrophil count were associated with decreased chances of survival in patients with LRTI, and patients with multidrug-resistant isolates had significantly higher mortality rates, coupled with longer ICU stays. CONCLUSION: The incidence of superinfections in critically ill COVID-19 patients was 55.3%, and multidrug-resistant pathogens were dominant. Elevated ferritin levels and neutrophilia at ICU admission were associated with increased ICU mortality in patients with positive LRTI.

Tracheomegaly as a Potential Predictor of Severe Tracheal Damage in COVID-19 Patients on Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation

Tracheomegaly (TM) is a rare appearance that is radiologically defined as an excessive enlargement of the tracheal diameter. We present a comprehensive analysis of tracheal diameter measurements and TM incidence in patients admitted and treated due to COVID-19 pneumonitis and its association with possible respiratory complications. In this retrospective study, we included 1015 patients divided into three groups: 383 patients treated using mechanical ventilation (MV), 132 patients treated using high-flow ventilation (HFV), and 500 randomly selected patients using nasal catheter (NC) oxygenation. The tracheal lumen diameter was measured continuously using a chest X-ray, and the cuff/trachea (C/T) diameter ratio was calculated. We detected TM in 71 patients (18.54%). Regression analysis showed statistical significance in MV patients for the trachea diameter at the level of the cuff, maximal trachea diameter and C/T diameter ratio, and days on MV. Respiratory complications showed a significant association with the C/T diameter ratio. The C/T diameter ratio was shown to be a reliable potential predictor of the occurrence of respiratory complications. The results of the study highlight the importance of the early detection and prevention of TM in COVID-19 patients on MV using a chest X-ray and measurement of the C/T diameter ratio.

Clinical and laboratory predictors at ICU admission affecting course of illness and mortality rates in a tertiary COVID-19 center.

BACKGROUND: Survival rates of critically ill COVID-19 patients are affected by various clinical features and laboratory parameters at ICU admission. Some of these predictors are universal but others may be population specific. OBJECTIVE: To determine utility of baseline clinical and laboratory parameters in a multivariate regression model to predict outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients in a tertiary hospital in Croatia. METHODS: 692 critically ill COVID-19 patients treated during a 10-month period were included in this retrospective observational trial to assess the risk factors determining mortality rates. Various anthropometric features, comorbidities, laboratory parameters, clinical features and therapeutic interventions were included in the analysis. ICU mortality rates and length of ICU stay were primary endpoints analyzed in this study. RESULTS: After multivariate adjustment, only the SOFA score, PaO2/FiO2 and history of arterial hypertension had an effect on ICU mortality, as well as the need to initiate invasive mechanical ventilation. Increase in PaO2/FiO2 over the first 7 days was present in survivors, while reverse applied to SOFA. Length of ICU stay was 9 (4-14) days. Factors affecting survival times were admission from wards, congestive heart failure, invasive mechanical ventilation, bacterial superinfections, age > 75 years, SOFA score, and serum ferritin, CRP and IL-6 values at ICU admission. CONCLUSION: Elevated inflammatory biomarkers and SOFA score at ICU admission were detected as significant predictors of ICU mortality in this cohort, while initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation is the most relevant interventional mortality risk factor in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Prevalence and Prognostic Impact of Deranged Liver Blood Tests in COVID-19: Experience from the Regional COVID-19 Center over the Cohort of 3812 Hospitalized Patients.

BACKGROUND: Derangement of liver blood tests (LBT) is frequent in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate (a) the prevalence of deranged LBT as well as their association with (b) clinical severity at admission and (c) 30-day outcomes among the hospitalized patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Consecutive patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the regional referral center over the 12-month period were included. Clinical severity of COVID-19 at hospital admission and 30-day outcomes (need for intensive care, mechanical ventilation, or death) were analyzed. RESULTS: Derangement of LBT occurred in 2854/3812 (74.9%) of patients, most frequently due to elevation of AST (61.6%), GGT (46.1%) and ALT (33.4%). Elevated AST, ALT, GGT and low albumin were associated with more severe disease at admission. However, in multivariate Cox regression analysis, when adjusted for age, sex, obesity and presence of chronic liver disease, only AST remained associated with the risk of dying (HR 1.5081 and 2.1315, for elevations 1-3 × ULN and >3 × ULN, respectively) independently of comorbidity burden and COVID-19 severity at admission. Patients with more severe liver injury more frequently experienced defined adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Deranged LBTs are common among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and might be used as predictors of adverse clinical outcomes.

Effects of Environmental Factors on Severity and Mortality of COVID-19.

Background: Most respiratory viruses show pronounced seasonality, but for SARS-CoV-2, this still needs to be documented. Methods: We examined the disease progression of COVID-19 in 6,914 patients admitted to hospitals in Europe and China. In addition, we evaluated progress of disease symptoms in 37,187 individuals reporting symptoms into the COVID Symptom Study application. Findings: Meta-analysis of the mortality risk in seven European hospitals estimated odds ratios per 1-day increase in the admission date to be 0.981 (0.973-0.988, p < 0.001) and per increase in ambient temperature of 1°C to be 0.854 (0.773-0.944, p = 0.007). Statistically significant decreases of comparable magnitude in median hospital stay, probability of transfer to the intensive care unit, and need for mechanical ventilation were also observed in most, but not all hospitals. The analysis of individually reported symptoms of 37,187 individuals in the UK also showed the decrease in symptom duration and disease severity with time. Interpretation: Severity of COVID-19 in Europe decreased significantly between March and May and the seasonality of COVID-19 is the most likely explanation.