Morvan’s syndrome treated successfully with rituximab and lacosamide

We describe a woman with both central and peripheral nervous system symptoms consistent with Morvan’s syndrome who was successfully treated with immunosuppression including rituximab and the new antiepileptic drug lacosamide against peripheral nerve hyperexcitability. Despite being over 8 months in hospital and 4 months in an intensive care unit she recovered fully. It is also the first case where cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament-light (NfL) levels were followed during the disease course. The clinical course resembled that of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, where patients often recover surprisingly well despite severe symptoms and an extensive time in intensive care. A possible explanation is the comparatively low levels of NfL, indicating disease processes that are not characterised by extensive neuroaxonal degeneration.

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Leptospirosis patient with AIDS the first case reported

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical ◽

10.1590/s0037-86821994000100008 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 39-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Elizabeth de Souza Neves ◽

Martha Maria Pereira ◽

Maria Clara Gutierrez Galhardo ◽

Adriana Caroli ◽

Jarbas Andrade ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Course ◽

Blood Cultures ◽

Agglutination Test ◽

Leptospira Interrogans ◽

First Case ◽

Positive Urine ◽

Maximum Titer ◽

Acquired Immunodeficiency ◽

Low Levels ◽

Immunodeficiency Syndrome

A case of renal icterohaemorrhagic leptospirosis involving a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is reported. Despite the low levels of CD4+ Tlymphocytes, the clinical course of leptospirosis was similar to that observed in non-immunodepressed patients, and no worsening of AIDS occurred due to the infebtion by the spirochete. Serologic conversion was observed in the microscopic agglutination test, with maximum titer of1:3,200. The patient had positive urine cultures for Leptospira interrogans for two months, whereas blood cultures were negative.

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Association of Autonomic Storming with Urinary Catheter Removal in NMDA Receptor Encephalitis: A Case Report

The Neurohospitalist ◽

10.1177/1941874420932457 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 45-48

Author(s):

Natalie Neale ◽

Cody Nathan ◽

Sok Lee ◽

Atul Kalanuria

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Case Report ◽

Nmda Receptor ◽

Urinary Retention ◽

Urinary Catheter ◽

Altered Mental Status ◽

Catheter Removal ◽

Nmda Receptor Encephalitis ◽

First Case

We present a case of a 47-year-old female who presented with altered mental status and was found to have severe anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. Her intensive care unit course was complicated by paroxysmal sympathetic storming. She also had urinary retention for which a catheter was placed early in her admission, but attempts at removal were associated with worsening storming. Her average Clinical Features Scale score was 5.9 when the catheter was not in place compared to 3.6 with the catheter in place. This is the first case report to our knowledge demonstrating an association between urinary catheter removal and autonomic storming in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

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Anesthesia in Carvajal syndrome; the first case report

Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care ◽

10.35975/apic.v24i1.1233 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 105-107

Author(s):

Sedighe Shahhosseini ◽

Reza Aminnejad ◽

Amir Shafa ◽

Mehrdad Memarzade

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Case Report ◽

Surgical Resection ◽

Genetic Disorder ◽

Anesthetic Technique ◽

Close Monitoring ◽

Anesthesia Management ◽

Rare Genetic Disorder ◽

First Case ◽

Anesthetic Considerations

Carvajal syndrome is a rare genetic disorder. Patients reporting for surgery pose some difficulties in anesthesia management. In this case report we present the case of a 12-year-old boy, who was a known case of Carvajal syndrome, referred for surgical resection of perianal condyloma. Close monitoring of hemodynamic status is the mainstay of anesthetic considerations in such patients. As in any other challenging scenario, it should be kept in mind that ‘there is no safest anesthetic agent, nor the safest anesthetic technique; there is only the safest anesthesiologist’. Citation: Shahhosseini S, Aminnejad R, Shafa A, Memarzadeh M. Anesthesia in Carvajal syndrome; the first case report. Anaesth pain intensive care 2020;24(1):___ DOI: https://doi.org/10.35975/apic.v24i1.

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A Timely Call to Arms: COVID-19, the Circadian Clock, and Critical Care

Journal of Biological Rhythms ◽

10.1177/0748730421992587 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 55-70

Author(s):

Jeffrey Haspel ◽

Minjee Kim ◽

Phyllis Zee ◽

Tanja Schwarzmeier ◽

Sara Montagnese ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Human Physiology ◽

Critical Care ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Circadian Clock ◽

Clinical Course ◽

Disease Expression ◽

Severe Manifestation ◽

Novel Coronavirus

We currently find ourselves in the midst of a global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the highly infectious novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we discuss aspects of SARS-CoV-2 biology and pathology and how these might interact with the circadian clock of the host. We further focus on the severe manifestation of the illness, leading to hospitalization in an intensive care unit. The most common severe complications of COVID-19 relate to clock-regulated human physiology. We speculate on how the pandemic might be used to gain insights on the circadian clock but, more importantly, on how knowledge of the circadian clock might be used to mitigate the disease expression and the clinical course of COVID-19.

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Treatment of a Critically Ill COVID-19 Patient with the Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity Filter

TH Open ◽

10.1055/s-0041-1727121 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 05 (02) ◽

pp. e134-e138

Author(s):

Anke Pape ◽

Jan T. Kielstein ◽

Tillman Krüger ◽

Thomas Fühner ◽

Reinhard Brunkhorst

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Critically Ill ◽

Critically Ill Patients ◽

Randomized Trials ◽

Clinical Course ◽

Pharmacological Therapy ◽

The European Union ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Special Patient

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has a serious impact on health and economics worldwide. Even though the majority of patients present with moderate and mild symptoms, yet a considerable portion of patients need to be treated in the intensive care unit. Aside from dexamethasone, there is no established pharmacological therapy. Moreover, some of the currently tested drugs are contraindicated for special patient populations like remdesivir for patients with severely impaired renal function. On this background, several extracorporeal treatments are currently explored concerning their potential to improve the clinical course and outcome of critically ill patients with COVID-19. Here, we report the use of the Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity filter, which is licensed in the European Union for the removal of pathogens. Authorization for emergency use in patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit with confirmed or imminent respiratory failure was granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on April 17, 2020.A 53-year-old Caucasian male with a severe COVID-19 infection was treated with a Seraph Microbind Affinity filter hemoperfusion after clinical deterioration and commencement of mechanical ventilation. The 70-minute treatment at a blood flow of 200 mL/minute was well tolerated, and the patient was hemodynamically stable. The hemoperfusion reduced D-dimers dramatically.This case report suggests that the use of Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity filter hemoperfusion might have positive effects on the clinical course of critically ill patients with COVID-19. However, future prospective collection of data ideally in randomized trials will have to confirm whether the use of Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity filter hemoperfusion is an option of the treatment for COVID-19.

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Evaluation of a Continuous Decontamination Technology in an Intensive Care Unit

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2020.1201 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. s519-s519

Author(s):

Tami Inman BSN ◽

David Chansolme

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Urban Hospital ◽

Patient Room ◽

Colony Forming Units ◽

Prevention Interventions ◽

Continuous Application ◽

Low Levels ◽

Healthcare Associated ◽

Cleaning And Disinfection

Background: The scientific literature increasingly indicates the need for the development of continuous disinfection to address the persistent contamination and recontamination that occurs in the patient rooms despite routine cleaning and disinfection. Methods: To determine a baseline microbial burden level on patient room surfaces in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a large urban hospital, 50 locations were swabbed for total colony-forming units (CFU) and the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Once the baseline in ICU patient rooms was established, 5 novel decontamination devices were installed in the HVAC ducts near these patient rooms. The devices provide a continuous low-level application of oxidizing molecules, predominately hydrogen peroxide. These molecules exit the duct and circulate in the patient room through normal convection, landing on all surfaces. After activation, environmental sampling was conducted every 4 weeks for 4 months. The effect from continuous low levels of oxidizing molecules on the intrinsic microbial burden and the prevalence of MRSA were analyzed. In addition to external laboratory reports, the facility tracked healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the unit. HAI data were averaged by month and were compared to the preactivation average in the same unit. Results: The preactivation average microbial burden found on the 50 locations were 179,000 CFU per 100 in2. The prevalence of MRSA was 71% with an average of 81 CFU per 100 in2. After activation of the devices, levels of microbial burden, prevalence of MRSA, and average monthly HAI rates were all significantly lower on average: 95% reduction in average microbial burden (8,206 CFU per 100 in2); 81% reduction in the prevalence of MRSA (13% vs 71%); 54% reduction in the average of healthcare-onset HAIs. All data were obtained from the averages of sampling data for 4 weeks during the 4-month trial period. Conclusions: The continuous application of low levels of oxidizing molecules throughout the patient rooms of an ICU demonstrated 3 outcomes: reduced overall surface microbial burden, lowered the incidence of MRSA, and significantly decreased the monthly average HAI rate. Please note, the ICU ran other infection prevention interventions at this time, including standard cleaning, as well as and their standard disinfecting techniques.Funding: This study was supported by the CASPR Group.Disclosures: None

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Lung ultrasound predicts clinical course but not outcome in COVID-19 ICU patients: a retrospective single-center analysis

BMC Anesthesiology ◽

10.1186/s12871-021-01396-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Stephanie-Susanne Stecher ◽

Sofia Anton ◽

Alessia Fraccaroli ◽

Jeremias Götschke ◽

Hans Joachim Stemmler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Lung Ultrasound ◽

Clinical Course ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Clinical Deterioration ◽

Normal Lung ◽

Icu Patients ◽

Standardized Protocol ◽

Ultrasound Score

Abstract Background Point-of-care lung ultrasound (LU) is an established tool in the first assessment of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of lung ultrasound in COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients in predicting clinical course and outcome. Methods We analyzed lung ultrasound score (LUS) of all COVID-19 patients admitted from March 2020 to December 2020 to the Internal Intensive Care Unit, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) of Munich. LU was performed according to a standardized protocol at ICU admission and in case of clinical deterioration with the need for intubation. A normal lung scores 0 points, the worst LUS has 24 points. Patients were stratified in a low (0–12 points) and a high (13–24 points) lung ultrasound score group. Results The study included 42 patients, 69% of them male. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (81%) and obesity (57%). The values of pH (7.42 ± 0.09 vs 7.35 ± 0.1; p = 0.047) and paO2 (107 [80–130] vs 80 [66–93] mmHg; p = 0.034) were significantly reduced in patients of the high LUS group. Furthermore, the duration of ventilation (12.5 [8.3–25] vs 36.5 [9.8–70] days; p = 0.029) was significantly prolonged in this group. Patchy subpleural thickening (n = 38; 90.5%) and subpleural consolidations (n = 23; 54.8%) were present in most patients. Pleural effusion was rare (n = 4; 9.5%). The median total LUS was 11.9 ± 3.9 points. In case of clinical deterioration with the need for intubation, LUS worsened significantly compared to baseline LU. Twelve patients died during the ICU stay (29%). There was no difference in survival in both LUS groups (75% vs 66.7%, p = 0.559). Conclusions LU can be a useful monitoring tool to predict clinical course but not outcome of COVID-19 ICU patients and can early recognize possible deteriorations.

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Serum neurofilament light chain levels in the intensive care unit: comparison between severely ill patients with and without COVID ‐19

Annals of Neurology ◽

10.1002/ana.26004 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Raoul Sutter ◽

Lisa Hert ◽

Gian Marco De Marchis ◽

Raphael Twerenbold ◽

Ludwig Kappos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Light Chain ◽

Neurofilament Light Chain ◽

Neurofilament Light

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Emergence of Candida auris in Brazil in a COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof7030220 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 220

Author(s):

João N. de Almeida ◽

Elaine C. Francisco ◽

Ferry Hagen ◽

Igor Brandão ◽

Felicidade M. Pereira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Antifungal Susceptibility ◽

Candida Auris ◽

Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations ◽

First Case ◽

Asian Clade ◽

Travel Restrictions ◽

Clade C ◽

The City

In December 2020, Candida auris emerged in Brazil in the city of Salvador. The first two C. auris colonized patients were in the same COVID-19 intensive care unit. Antifungal susceptibility testing showed low minimal inhibitory concentrations of 1 µg/mL, 2 µg/mL, 0.03 µg/L, and 0.06 µg/mL for amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole, and anidulafungin, respectively. Microsatellite typing revealed that the strains are clonal and belong to the South Asian clade C. auris. The travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and the absence of travel history among the colonized patients lead to the hypothesis that this species was introduced several months before the recognition of the first case and/or emerged locally in the coastline Salvador area.

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