The Severity of the Co-infection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in COVID-19 Patients.

Background and objective The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, with symptoms ranging from mild upper respiratory illness to multisystem organ failure, and even death. Since its discovery in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to a global pandemic, rapidly spreading to countries around the world, with millions of reported deaths to date. As researchers around the world continue to analyze and interpret the data gathered regarding the novel virus, it is evident that its co-infection with various bacterial pathogens is associated with a worse overall prognosis. One such bacterial pathogen, Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae), has been associated with an increase in inpatient mortality, length of hospital stay, and need for mechanical ventilation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 and M. pneumoniae. We sought to determine if this co-infection led to increased incidence of ventilatory support, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and mortality. Materials and Methods A multi-center retrospective study was conducted involving patients aged 18 years and older. We compared the incidence of in-hospital mortality, ICU stay, and mechanical ventilation support between COVID-19-positive patients with and without M. pneumoniae co-infection. Based on the collected data, a binary logistic regression model was implemented to assess the correlation between mortality and ventilatory support, while linear regression was used to study the length of stay (LOS) independent variable. Results A total of 1,208 patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test were identified. Among them, 604 (50%) had an M. pneumoniae co-infection. LOS (95% CI for the coefficient estimate [0.86, 1.05], p<0.001), need for mechanical ventilation (95% CI for the odds ratio [2.60, 6.02], p<0.001), and inpatient mortality (95% CI for the odds ratio [1.43, 2.97], p<0.001) among those co-infected were significantly higher compared to COVID-19 patients without concomitant M. pneumoniae infection. Conclusion COVID-19 with a concomitant M. pneumoniae infection was found to have worse outcomes and overall prognosis when compared to individuals with independent disease states. Based on retrospective data gathered from a large multicenter database, the rates of mortality, ventilatory support, and length of hospital stay were significantly worse in patients with a co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and M. pneumoniae.

Management of borderline personality disorder.

This article gives an overview of personality disorders, with a focus on borderline personality disorder. It also describes the setting up of a trust-wide service to treat people with BPD, led by mental health workers and using guided formulation. The role of guided formulation in the management of BPD is explored. It is suggested that this form of treatment can greatly improve outcomes for patients.

Poor physical health and mortality in patients with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia, its treatment and the lifestyle of patients contribute to high rates of mortality. Patients often have poorer diets, lower rates of physical activity and smoke more than the general population. Such lifestyle choices predispose them to physical health problems and disease. This article explores the impact of poor physical health on mortality in patients with schizophrenia. Suggestions are made for patient education and promotion of a healthy lifestyle to improve the quality of life for patients with the illness.

Empowering families to care for people with schizophrenia.

This article examines how community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) can assist the relatives and carers of patients with schizophrenia to increase their knowledge of the condition as well as widening their coping abilities. The practicalities of how CPNs can help families to gain the necessary knowledge and skills are considered, as well as factors that contribute to deterioration in the health of the family and how CPNs can help to prevent this.