ABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 infection can potentially necessitate intensive care management. An increasing number of case reports are found in the literature indicating patients admitted in an intensive care setting with COVID-19 pneumonitis being complicated with invasive fungal infections. In a retrospective assessment of a three-month period at the national hospital of Malta, examining patients who were suffering from SARS-CoV-2 acute respiratory distress syndrome, 6 out of 63 patients (9.5%) were found to have confirmation or high probability of invasive fungal infection. The consensus definition for invasive fungal disease developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium was utilised to aid in the identification of these patients. In total, 15 patients received treatment with an anti-fungal agent in this three-month period, the decision being led by both clinical suspicion and the use of fungal markers obtained from the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage. Although several risk factors are attributed for the development of invasive fungal disease, the main factors identified in our cohort of patients is the SARS-CoV-2 ARDS in itself, along with the use of high dose corticosteroids. The average period of time between admission in intensive care and diagnosis of invasive fungal infection was noted to be 10.5 days. This high incidence of invasive fungal disease in mechanically ventilated patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 ARDS, relatively early in their course of disease, should guide the clinician to investigate further with fungal biomarkers and cultures in those patients who are clinically deteriorating despite optimal medical treatment, as well as possibly considering empirical anti-fungal treatment if suspicion remains high.
ABSTRACT
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239389.].
ABSTRACT
We present a case of a young adult male who was treated successfully for renal AA-amyloidosis secondary to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection using highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). He presented with lobar pneumonia, acute kidney injury, nephrotic syndrome and newly diagnosed HIV infection and was initiated on HARRT and haemodialysis. Kidney biopsy was consistent with amyloid deposition of the AA-type. His clinical condition improved gradually and after 10 months of therapy, he regained sufficient excretory function to become dialysis independent. Two years later, he remained well, with a recovered CD4 count and a glomerular filtration rate of 63 mL/min/1.73 m2. Patients with renal AA-amyloidosis typically present with slowly progressive chronic kidney disease, often leading to end-stage kidney disease within months. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of biopsy proven renal AA-amyloidosis in a newly diagnosed HIV positive patient to present with acute kidney injury leading to dialysis dependence over a period of 2 weeks, which was successfully treated using HAART.
Subject(s)
Amyloidosis/etiology , Amyloidosis/pathology , Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active/methods , HIV Infections/complications , Acute Kidney Injury/diagnosis , Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Acute Kidney Injury/therapy , Adult , Amyloidosis/diagnosis , Amyloidosis/drug therapy , Biopsy , Glomerular Filtration Rate/physiology , HIV Infections/diagnosis , HIV Infections/drug therapy , Humans , Kidney/pathology , Kidney/physiopathology , Male , Nephrotic Syndrome/diagnosis , Nephrotic Syndrome/etiology , Pneumonia/diagnosis , Pneumonia/etiology , Renal Dialysis/methods , Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/pathology , Serum Amyloid A Protein , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Pacemaker lead-associated thrombosis is a possible complication of any cardiac implantable electronic device. We present a case of a middle-aged woman with a history of ischaemic left ventricular failure, who presented with fever and other non-specific symptoms 4â months after cardiac resynchronisation therapy. A transoesophageal echocardiogram confirmed a vegetation-like structure originating from the pacemaker lead in the right atrium. The patient was treated with intravenous antibiotics followed by open heart surgery in order to remove this mass as well as the pacing device, including all three pacing leads. Histology and culture of the retrieved mass confirmed a sterile thrombus with no features to suggest an infected mass (vegetation). The patient made an uncomplicated recovery and there were no long-term sequelae on follow-up during the 2â years after the event.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy/adverse effects , Fever/etiology , Heart Atria/physiopathology , Pacemaker, Artificial/adverse effects , Thrombosis/etiology , Defibrillators, Implantable/adverse effects , Echocardiography, Transesophageal , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Pacemaker, Artificial/microbiology , Thrombosis/microbiology , Thrombosis/surgery , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A 45-year-old woman, known case of seronegative arthritis and on immunosuppressive therapy, presented with a 2-week history of a macular lesion on the left calf that became papular and eventually ulcerated. The rest of the history was otherwise unremarkable and systemic examination did not reveal any abnormalities. The lesion was repeatedly biopsied but failed to reveal Leishmania donovani bodies. Concurrent Leishmania IgG was positive but IgM was negative. Leishmania IgG confirmatory testing by ELISA was negative. A biopsy from the lesion eventually tested positive for L. donovani through PCR. The patient was treated with sodium stibogluconate together with intravenous ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin to cover the secondary cutaneous bacterial infection. This led to complete resolution of the lesion.
