Factors related to mortality of patients with COVID-19 who are admitted to the ICU: Prognostic mortality factors of COVID-19 patients.

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic, hospital resources, particularly critical care units, were overburdened and this had a significant impact on both the therapies and the prognosis of these patients. This study aimed to identify factors and therapies that may improve prognosis and other factors associated with increased mortality. A secondary objective was to evaluate the impact that obesity had on these patients. An observational study was conducted on 482 patients aged 18 years or older who were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and admitted to the Intensive Care Units of 3 national hospitals registered in the CIBERESUCICOVID database between September 2020 and March 2021. After identifying the sample profile, risk factors were analyzed, the predictive model was constructed, and crude odd ratios were calculated for each factor. Additionally, logistic regression was used to build the multivariate model adjusting for potential confounders. The final model included only the variables selected using the Backward method. A sample of 335 men (69.5%) and 145 women (30.08%) aged 61.94 ±â€…12.75 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 28.05 (25.7; 31.2) was obtained. A total of 113 patients received noninvasive mechanical ventilation. The most common comorbidities were: high blood pressure (51.04%), obesity (28%), diabetes mellitus (23.44%), other metabolic diseases (21.16%), chronic heart failure (18.05%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (11.62%), and chronic kidney disease (10.16%). In-hospital, 3-month and 6-month post-discharge mortality in patients with BMI > 30 (n = 135) versus BMI ≤ 30 (n = 347) was significantly different (P = .06). Noninvasive mechanical ventilation failed in 42.4% of patients with BMI > 30 compared to 55% of patients with BMI ≤ 30. This study identified the factors associated with failure of mechanical ventilation. The most common comorbidities were congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, severe liver disease, diabetes mellitus, and solid organ transplantation. In terms of ventilatory support, patients who received high-flow nasal oxygen therapy on admission had lower mortality rates. The use of renal replacement therapy was also significantly associated with higher mortality.

Effect of viral storm in patients admitted to intensive care units with severe COVID-19 in Spain: a multicentre, prospective, cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of the virus to the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 is still unclear. We aimed to evaluate associations between viral RNA load in plasma and host response, complications, and deaths in critically ill patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We did a prospective cohort study across 23 hospitals in Spain. We included patients aged 18 years or older with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted to an intensive care unit between March 16, 2020, and Feb 27, 2021. RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid region 1 (N1) was quantified in plasma samples collected from patients in the first 48 h following admission, using digital PCR. Patients were grouped on the basis of N1 quantity: VIR-N1-Zero (<1 N1 copies per mL), VIR-N1-Low (1-2747 N1 copies per mL), and VIR-N1-Storm (>2747 N1 copies per mL). The primary outcome was all-cause death within 90 days after admission. We evaluated odds ratios (ORs) for the primary outcome between groups using a logistic regression analysis. FINDINGS: 1068 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 117 had insufficient plasma samples and 115 had key information missing. 836 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 403 (48%) were in the VIR-N1-Low group, 283 (34%) were in the VIR-N1-Storm group, and 150 (18%) were in the VIR-N1-Zero group. Overall, patients in the VIR-N1-Storm group had the most severe disease: 266 (94%) of 283 patients received invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), 116 (41%) developed acute kidney injury, 180 (65%) had secondary infections, and 148 (52%) died within 90 days. Patients in the VIR-N1-Zero group had the least severe disease: 81 (54%) of 150 received IMV, 34 (23%) developed acute kidney injury, 47 (32%) had secondary infections, and 26 (17%) died within 90 days (OR for death 0·30, 95% CI 0·16-0·55; p<0·0001, compared with the VIR-N1-Storm group). 106 (26%) of 403 patients in the VIR-N1-Low group died within 90 days (OR for death 0·39, 95% CI 0·26-0·57; p<0·0001, compared with the VIR-N1-Storm group). INTERPRETATION: The presence of a so-called viral storm is associated with increased all-cause death in patients admitted to the intensive care unit with severe COVID-19. Preventing this viral storm could help to reduce poor outcomes. Viral storm could be an enrichment marker for treatment with antivirals or purification devices to remove viral components from the blood. FUNDING: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Li Ka-Shing Foundation, Research Nova Scotia, and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. TRANSLATION: For the Spanish translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Candida albicans Germ-Tube Antibody: Evaluation of a New Automatic Assay for Diagnosing Invasive Candidiasis in ICU Patients.

Testing for Candida albicans germ-tube antibody IFA IgG assay (CAGTA) is used to detect invasive candidiasis infection. However, most suitable assays lack automation and rapid single-sample testing. The CAGTA assay was adapted in an automatic monotest system (invasive candidiasis [CAGTA] VirClia® IgG monotest (VirClia®), a chemiluminescence assay with ready-to-use reagents that provides a rapid objective result. CAGTA assay was compared with the monotest automatic VirClia® assay in order to establish the diagnostic reliability, accuracy, and usefulness of this method. A prospective study with 361 samples from 179 non-neutropenic critically ill adults patients was conducted, including 21 patients with candidemia, 18 with intra-abdominal candidiasis, 84 with Candida spp. colonization, and 56 with culture-negative samples, as well as samples from ten healthy subjects. Overall agreement between the two assays (CAGTA and VirCLIA) was 85.3%. These assays were compared with the gold-standard method to determine the sensitivity, specificity as well as positive and negative predictive values. In patients with candidemia, values for CAGTA and VirCLIA assays were 76.2 versus 85.7%, 80.3 versus 75.8%, 55.2 versus 52.9%, and 91.4 versus 94.3%, respectively. The corresponding values in patients with intra-abdominal candidiasis were 61.1 versus 66.7%, 80.3 versus 75.8%, 45.8 versus 42.9%, and 88.3 versus 89.3%, respectively. No differences were found according to the species of Candida isolated in culture, except for Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis, for which VirClia® was better than CAGTA. According to these results, the automated VirClia® assay was a reliable, rapid, and very easy to perform technique as tool for the diagnosis invasive candidiasis.

Severe community-acquired pneumonia caused by Rothia mucilaginosa in an immunocompetent patient / Neumonía comunitaria grave por Rothia mucilaginosa en un paciente inmunocompetente

No disponible

Efficacy and safety of caspofungin in critically ill patients. ProCAS Study

Introducción. Caspofungina es una equinocandina con eficacia probada en candidiasis invasiva (CI) y aspergilosis invasiva (AI). ProCAS es un estudio patrocinado por el Grupo de Trabajo de Enfermedades Infecciosas de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Intensiva Critica Y Unidades Coronarias (Semicyuc), que trata de analizar su efectividad y seguridad en condiciones de práctica clínica habitual en el paciente grave ingresado en UCI. Material y métodos. Estudio observacional, prospectivo y multicéntrico que tiene como objetivo estimar la efectividad clínica y la seguridad del acetato de caspofungina en el tratamiento de CI y de AI en pacientes críticos refractarios o intolerantes al tratamiento antifúngico convencional. La valoración de la efectividad tanto clínica como la microbiológica se realizó al final del tratamiento con caspofungina. Resultados. Se incluyeron 98 pacientes; 62 CI probadas, 25 CI probables y 11 AI probables, procedentes de 24 centros, durante los años 2005 y 2006. El tratamiento con caspofungina se realizó en monoterapia en el 89.8% de los casos y como primera línea en el 54.1%. La respuesta clínica favorable obtenida para CI, CI probable y AI probable fue de 91,9%, 84% y 81.8%, respectivamente. La respuesta microbiológica fue favorable en el 74,6%, 68% y 54.6%, para los casos de CI probada, CI probable y AI probable, respectivamente. No se objetivaron efectos adversos graves. Conclusiones. En condiciones de práctica clínica habitual, caspofungina es eficaz y segura para el tratamiento de infecciones fúngicas invasoras (CI/AI). El perfil de eficacia y seguridad fue similar al observado en los ensayos clínicos publicados(AU)

Introduction. Caspofungin is an echinocandin with proven efficacy in invasive candidiasis (IC) and invasive aspergillosis (IA). ProCAS is a study sponsored by the Working Group of the Infectious Diseases of the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine, which analyzes the effectiveness and safety of caspofungin in routine clinical practice conditions in the critically ill. Methods. A prospective, multicenter, observational study designed to estimate the clinical effectiveness and safety of caspofungin acetate in the treatment of IC and IA in patients refractory to or intolerant of conventional antifungal therapy. The assessment of effectiveness both clinic and the microbiological was carried out at the end of the treatment with caspofungin. Results. We included 98 patients, 62 IC proven, 25 probable and 11 IA probable, from 24 centers during 2005 and 2006. Treatment with caspofungin monotherapy was performed in 89.8% of cases and as first line therapy in 54.1%. The favorable clinical response obtained for IC, probable IC, and probable IA was 91.9, 84, and 81.8%, respectively. The microbiological response was favorable in 74.6, 68, and 54.6% for proven cases of IC, probable IC, and probable IA, respectively. No serious adverse effects were observed. Conclusions. In routine clinical practice conditions, caspofungin is effective and safe for the treatment of invasive fungal infections (IC/IA). The efficacy and safety profile was similar to that observed in published clinical trials(AU)

Efficacy and safety of caspofungin in critically ill patients. ProCAS Study.

INTRODUCTION: Caspofungin is an echinocandin with proven efficacy in invasive candidiasis (IC) and invasive aspergillosis (IA). ProCAS is a study sponsored by the Working Group of the Infectious Diseases of the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine, which analyzes the effectiveness and safety of caspofungin in routine clinical practice conditions in the critically ill. METHODS: A prospective, multicenter, observational study designed to estimate the clinical effectiveness and safety of caspofungin acetate in the treatment of IC and IA in patients refractory to or intolerant of conventional antifungal therapy. The assessment of effectiveness both clinic and the microbiological was carried out at the end of the treatment with caspofungin. RESULTS: We included 98 patients, 62 IC proven, 25 probable and 11 IA probable, from 24 centers during 2005 and 2006. Treatment with caspofungin monotherapy was performed in 89.8% of cases and as first line therapy in 54.1%. The favorable clinical response obtained for IC, probable IC, and probable IA was 91.9, 84, and 81.8%, respectively. The microbiological response was favorable in 74.6, 68, and 54.6% for proven cases of IC, probable IC, and probable IA, respectively. No serious adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In routine clinical practice conditions, caspofungin is effective and safe for the treatment of invasive fungal infections (IC/IA). The efficacy and safety profile was similar to that observed in published clinical trials.