The Biofire® Filmarray® Pneumonia Plus panel for management of lower respiratory tract infection in mechanically-ventilated patients in the COVID-19 era: a diagnostic and cost-benefit evaluation.

We assessed the diagnostic performance of the Biofire® Filmarray® Pneumonia Plus panel (FA-PP) compared to standard culture in Intensive Care Unit patients with suspected ventilator-associated lower respiratory tract infection in the COVID-19 era. We determined whether its implementation in routine diagnostic algorithms would be cost-beneficial from a hospital perspective. Of 163 specimens, 96 (59%) returned negative results with FA-PP and conventional culture, and 29 specimens (17.

SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ-producing CD4 and CD8 T cells in blood do not correlate with clinical severity in unvaccinated critically ill COVID-19 patients.

We examined the relationship between peripheral blood levels of SARS-CoV-2 S (Spike protein)1/M (Membrane protein)-reactive IFN-γ-producing CD4 and CD8 T cells, serum levels of biomarkers of clinical severity, and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The potential association between SARS-CoV-2-S-Receptor Binding Domain (RBD)-specific IgG levels in sera and mortality was also investigated. SARS-CoV-2 T cells and anti-RBD IgG levels were monitored in 71 non-consecutive patients (49 male and 22 female; median age, 65 years) by whole-blood flow cytometry and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively (326 specimens).

"CAPA in Progress": A New Real-Life Approach for the Management of Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

(1) Background: COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) has worsened the prognosis of patients with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The lack of specific diagnosis criteria is an obstacle to the timely initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy. Tracheal aspirate (TA) has been employed under special pandemic conditions.

Monitoring of Torque Teno virus DNAemia in critically ill COVID-19 patients: May it help to predict clinical outcomes?

Background: Torque teno virus (TTV) DNA load in plasma directly associates with the net state of immunosuppression and inflammation in different clinical settings, including transplantation and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Objectives: We investigated whether plasma TTV DNA load may predict the occurrence of certain infectious events and overall mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Patients And Methods: 50 patients (median age, 65.

Adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in recovered severe COVID-19 patients.

Background: There is an imperative need to determine the durability of adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2. We enumerated SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4 and CD8 T cells targeting S1 and M proteins and measured RBD-specific serum IgG over a period of 2-6 months after symptoms onset in a cohort of subjects who had recovered from severe clinical forms of COVID-19.

Patients And Methods: We recruited 58 patients (38 males and 20 females; median age, 62.

[Decisiones de no ingreso en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos como medida de limitación de los tratamientos de soporte vital: variabilidad geográfica en España].

From a post hoc analysis of the ADENI-UCI study (multicenter, observational, cohort, prospective study, with a follow-up period of 13 months, in 62 Intensive Medicine Services in Spain. geographical differences in the reason for denial of income in UCI as a LTSV measure are analyzed. A total of 2284 with an average age of 75.

Limiting ICU admission from emergency services and wards.

Introduction: Decisions not to admit a patient to intensive care units (ICU) as a way of limiting life support treatment (LLST) is a practice that can affect the operation of the emergency services and the way in which patients die.

Methods: Post hoc analysis of the ADENI-UCI study. The main variable analysed was the reason for refusal of admission to the ICU as a measure of LLST.

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, serum inflammatory biomarkers and clinical severity of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Background: The involvement of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in mediating immunopathogenetic events in COVID-19 patients has been suggested. By using several experimental approaches, we investigated the potential association between SARS-CoV-2 IgGs recognizing the spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD), neutralizing antibodies (NtAb) targeting S, and COVID-19 severity.

Patients And Methods: This unicenter, retrospective, observational study included 51 hospitalized patients (24 at the intensive care unit; ICU).

SARS-CoV-2-reactive interferon-γ-producing CD8+ T cells in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019.

There is limited information on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) T-cell immune responses in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells may be instrumental in resolution of and protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we tested 25 hospitalized patients either with microbiologically documented COVID-19 (n = 19) or highly suspected of having the disease (n = 6) for presence of SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD69+ expressing interferon-γ (IFN-γ) producing CD8+ T cells using flow-cytometry for intracellular cytokine staining assay.

Urinary Klotho measured by ELISA as an early biomarker of acute kidney injury in patients after cardiac surgery or coronary angiography.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions which markedly worsens prognosis. In recent years, new early biomarkers of AKI have been identified, but many important aspects still remain to be solved. Klotho is a pleiotropic protein that acts as a paracrine and endocrine factor in multiple organs.

Urinary KIM-1, NGAL and L-FABP for the diagnosis of AKI in patients with acute coronary syndrome or heart failure undergoing coronary angiography.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after coronary angiography. Early biomarkers of this disease are needed since increase in serum creatinine levels is a late marker. To assess the usefulness of urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (uKIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) and liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (uL-FABP) for early detection of AKI in these patients, comparing their performance with another group of cardiac surgery patients.

Early biomarkers of acute kidney failure after heart angiography or heart surgery in patients with acute coronary syndrome or acute heart failure.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in cardiac surgery and coronary angiography, which worsens patients' prognosis. The diagnosis is based on the increase in serum creatinine, which is delayed. It is necessary to identify and validate new biomarkers that allow for early and effective interventions.

Assessment of analysis of urinary pneumococcal antigen by immunochromatography for etiologic diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in adults.

The limitations of conventional microbiologic methods (CMM) for etiologic diagnosis of community pneumococcal pneumonia have made faster diagnostic techniques necessary. Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of the immunochromatography (ICT) technique for detecting urinary Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen in the etiologic diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonias (CAP). This was a prospective study on in-patients with CAP in a tertiary hospital conducted from October 2000 to March 2004.