Calprotectin and Imbalances between Acute-Phase Mediators Are Associated with Critical Illness in COVID-19.

The trajectory from moderate and severe COVID-19 into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) necessitating mechanical ventilation (MV) is a field of active research. We determined serum levels within 24 h of presentation of 20 different sets of mediators (calprotectin, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, interferons) of patients with COVID-19 at different stages of severity (asymptomatic, moderate, severe and ARDS/MV). The primary endpoint was to define associations with critical illness, and the secondary endpoint was to identify the pathways associated with mortality.

Community-acquired spp Meningitis/Invasive Infection in Filipino-descent Patients Living in Greece: A Case Series.

Unlabelled: spp community-acquired meningitis caused by hypervirulent strains is well described as part of a distinct syndrome consisting of liver abscess and multiple septic metastatic lesions ( invasive syndrome) occurring usually in diabetic, alcoholic, elderly or cancer patients, in Taiwan and other South-East Asian countries. In Western countries, these infections are very rare in natives and usually occur in patients of Asian origin. We report three cases of Filipino-origin patients, residents of Greece, with community-acquired invasive Klebsiella meningitis, who were treated in our ICU over a 10-year period.

De-escalation of antimicrobial therapy in ICU settings with high prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria: a multicentre prospective observational cohort study in patients with sepsis or septic shock.

Background: De-escalation of empirical antimicrobial therapy, a key component of antibiotic stewardship, is considered difficult in ICUs with high rates of antimicrobial resistance.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and the impact of antimicrobial de-escalation in ICUs with high rates of antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: Multicentre, prospective, observational study in septic patients with documented infections.