COVID-19–Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis in the Critical Care Setting

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-403
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Livermore
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
The United States ◽  
Critically Ill Patient ◽  
Pulmonary Aspergillosis ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Taste And Smell

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States was reported on January 20, 2020. Most infected individuals experience a mild illness with loss of taste and smell, body aches, fatigue, cough, and fever. However, about 5% of patients become critically ill and experience more serious symptoms such as respiratory distress, pulmonary emboli, or even multisystem organ failure. Those who become critically ill with COVID-19 are at high risk for superinfections, including pulmonary, bloodstream, and urinary tract infections. Invasive aspergillosis is emerging as a serious secondary pulmonary infection in patients with COVID-19 who experience respiratory distress syndrome. If these patients are not accurately diagnosed and subsequently treated, the infection can be fatal. This case study describes COVID-19–associated pulmonary aspergillosis in the critically ill patient.

scholarly journals Intravenous Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Extracorporeal Oxygenation Patients with Severe COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunjay Kaushal ◽  
Aisha Khan ◽  
Kristopher Deatrick ◽  
Derek K. Ng ◽  
Abigail Snyder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
Viral Clearance ◽  
Spike Protein ◽  
Critically Ill Patient ◽  
Control Group

BackgroundThere is an ongoing critical need to improve therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 pneumonia, particularly in the most severely affected patients. Adult mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) infusions have the potential to benefit critically ill patients with acute respiratory syndrome SARS-COV-2 infection, but clinical data supporting efficacy are lacking.MethodsWe conducted a case-control study of critically ill patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). To evaluate clinical responsiveness in the most critically ill patient we examined outcomes in a sub-group of those requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Patients (n=9) were administered with up to 3 infusions of intravenous (IV) MSCs and compared to a local ECMO control group (n=31). The primary outcome was safety, and the secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality (or rate of hospital discharge), cytokine levels, and viral clearance.FindingsMSC infusions (12 patients) were well tolerated and no side effects occurred. Of ECMO patients receiving MSC infusions, 2 out of 9 died (22.2%; 95%CI: 2.8%, 60.0%) compared with a mortality of 15 of 31 (48.4%; 95%CI: 30.2%, 66.9%; p = 0.25) in the ECMO control group. Isolated plasma exosomes containing the SARS-COV-2 Spike protein decreased after MSC infusions between day 14 or 21 after administration (p=0.003 and p=0.005, respectively) and was associated with a decrease in COVID-19 IgG Spike protein titer at same time points (p = 0.006 and p=0.007, respectively). Control ECMO patients receiving convalescent plasma did not clear COVID-19 IgG over the same time frame.InterpretationTogether these findings suggest that MSC IV infusion is well tolerated in patients with a broad range of severity including the most severe COVID-19 ARDS requiring ECMO. These data also raise the possibility that MSCs, in addition to exerting an immunomodulatory effect, contribute to viral clearance and strongly support the conduct of randomized placebo-controlled trial.

First reported case of Weissella confusa abundance in the lung microbiota of a critically ill trauma patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome - caution warranted in the use of the Weissella genus as a probiotic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
Joint Infection ◽  
Starter Cultures ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
Prosthetic Joint

Weissella strains are currently being used for biotechnological and probiotic purposes [1]. While, Weissella hellenica found in flounder intestine had probiotic effects [2], certain species from this genus are opportunistic pathogens in humans. Apart from being implicated in disease in farmed rainbow trout [3], Weissella has been found to cause the following disease in humans.1. endocarditis [4,5]2. bacteraemia [6]3. prosthetic joint infection [7]Whole genome sequences ‘find several virulence determinants such as collagen adhesins, aggregation sub- stances, mucus-binding proteins, and hemolysins in some species’, as well as antibiotic resistance-encoding genes [8]. Caution is warranted in selecting of Weissella strains as starter cultures or probiotics, if at all, since the other option, Lactobacillus, are rarely involved in human disease.Here, the analysis of the lung microbiota in critically ill trauma patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome [9] shows (Accid:ERR1992912) shows complete colonization of Weissella (Fig 1). While, the study mentions ‘significant enrichment of potential pathogens including Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Haemophilus and Treponema’, there is no reference to the Weissella genus. The percentages of Weissella strains are :confusa=81, soli=7 ,hellenica=5 ,diestrammenae=2. I believe this is the first reported case of Weissella causing ARDS in humans.

scholarly journals Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Time to Weaning Off the Invasive Mechanical Ventilator among Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 2935
Author(s):  
Jose Bordon ◽  
Ozan Akca ◽  
Stephen Furmanek ◽  
Rodrigo Silva Cavallazzi ◽  
Sally Suliman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Critical Illness ◽  
Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
Invasive Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Overall Mortality

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia is the main cause of the pandemic’s death toll. The assessment of ARDS and time on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) could enhance the characterization of outcomes and management of this condition. This is a city-wide retrospective study of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia from 5 March 2020 to 30 June 2020. Patients with critical illness were compared with those with non-critical illness. We examined the severity of ARDS and other factors associated with (i) weaning patients off IMV and (ii) mortality in a city-wide study in Louisville, KY. Of 522 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, 219 (41.9%) were critically ill. Among critically ill patients, the median age was 60 years; 53% were male, 55% were White and 32% were African American. Of all critically ill patients, 52% had ARDS, and 38% of these had severe ARDS. Of the 25% of patients who were weaned off IMV, those with severe ARDS were weaned within eleven days versus five days for those without severe ARDS, p = 0.023. The overall mortality for critically ill patients was 22% versus 1% for those not critically ill. Furthermore, the 14-day mortality was 31% for patients with severe ARDS and 12% for patients without severe ARDS, p = 0.019. Patients with severe ARDS versus non-severe ARDS needed twice as long to wean off IMV (eleven versus five days) and had double the 14-day mortality of patients without severe ARDS.

Epidemiology and Outcomes of Critically Ill Children at Risk for Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven L. Shein ◽  
Aline B. Maddux ◽  
Margaret J. Klein ◽  
Anoopindar Bhalla ◽  
George Briassoulis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Distress Syndrome ◽  
Critically Ill Children ◽  
Children At Risk
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