Combination of High-Dose Daptomycin and Ceftriaxone for Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Infections: A 10-Year Experience.

Purpose: Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections are increasingly common. Gram-positive bacteria such as coagulase negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus are the most commonly involved pathogens. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcome of patients with CIED infections who underwent device removal and were empirically treated with high dose (8-12 mg/kg daily) daptomycin (DAP) in combination with ceftriaxone (CRO).

A 12-month longitudinal naturalistic follow-up of cariprazine in schizophrenia.

Background: Cariprazine, a third-generation antipsychotic (TGAs), has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of schizophrenia with good tolerability profile. Actual real-world literature data are lacking, particularly when exploring its efficacy in the long term. The present study examined the effects of cariprazine treatment on specific psychopathological domains with a particular focus on outcomes and side effects in real-life experience, after a long-term treatment.

High-dose anakinra in addition to standard of care including corticosteroids in patients with severe COVID-19 treated with non-invasive ventilation.

Management of COVID-19 patients experiencing persisting respiratory failure despite corticosteroids remains challenging. Data on high-dose intravenous anakinra (HD-ANK) in this context are lacking. We aimed to investigate the impact of HD-ANK on mortality in COVID-19 patients progressing to non-invasive ventilation (NIV) while receiving corticosteroids.

Outcome of BCG Vaccination in ADA-SCID Patients: A 12-Patient Series.

Vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) can be harmful to patients with combined primary immunodeficiencies. We report the outcome of BCG vaccination in a series of twelve patients affected by adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA-SCID). BCG vaccination resulted in a very high incidence of complications due to uncontrolled replication of the mycobacterium.

Antibiotic appropriateness for Gram-negative bloodstream infections: impact of infectious disease consultation.

Background: We investigated the role of infectious disease consultation (IDC) on therapeutic appropriateness in Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GNBSIs) in a setting with a high proportion of antibiotic resistance. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and the impact of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs).

Methods: Retrospective study on hospitalised patients with GNBSIs.

Levofloxacin prophylaxis vs no prophylaxis in patients with neutropenia within an endemic country for carbapenem-resistant GNB.

Fluoroquinolone prophylaxis's (FQ-P) usefulness in patients with neutropenia is controversial. In recent decades, Italian epidemiological data has shown worrisome rates of FQ resistance. A single-center cohort study on 136 autologous stem cell transplantations (ASCTs) and 223 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (allo-HSCTs) was performed from January 2018 to December 2020.

High Risk of Secondary Infections Following Thrombotic Complications in Patients With COVID-19.

Background: This study's primary aim was to evaluate the impact of thrombotic complications on the development of secondary infections. The secondary aim was to compare the etiology of secondary infections in patients with and without thrombotic complications.

Methods: This was a cohort study (NCT04318366) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients hospitalized at IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital between February 25 and June 30, 2020.

Frailty as a predictor of mortality in COVID-19 patients receiving CPAP for respiratory insufficiency.

Objective: Exploring the association between frailty and mortality in a cohort of patients with COVID-19 respiratory insufficiency treated with continuous positive airway pressure.

Methods: Frailty was measured using a Frailty Index (FI) created by using the baseline assessment data on comorbidities and body mass index and baseline blood test results (including pH, lactate dehydrogenase, renal and liver function, inflammatory indexes and anemia). FI > 0.

Detection of NDM-1/5 and OXA-48 co-producing extensively drug-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in Northern Italy.

Objectives: Using a hybrid long-read sequencing approach, we aimed to fully characterise four extensively-drug resistant (XDR) hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, one of which represented the first strain isolated in Italy co-expressing NDM-1/5 and OXA-48 carbapenemases.

Methods: Whole-genome sequencing was performed using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technology platforms. An assembly pipeline was used to recover the structures both of the chromosome and plasmids.

Myocardial injury in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia: Pivotal role of inflammation in COVID-19.

Aims: Infection by SARS-CoV-2 may result in a systemic disease and a proportion of patients ranging 15%-44% experienced cardiac injury (CI) diagnosed by abnormal troponin levels. The aim of the present study was to analyse the clinical characteristics of a large series of hospitalized patients for COVID-19 in order to identify predisposing and/or protective factors of CI and the outcome.

Methods And Results: This is an observational, retrospective study on patients hospitalized in two Italian centres (San Raffaele Hospital and Cremona Hospital) for COVID-19 and at least one high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTnt) measurement during hospitalization.

Subclinical myocardial dysfunction in patients recovered from COVID-19.

Background: Myocardial injury (MI) can be detected during the acute phase of Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and is associated with a dismal prognosis. Recent imaging studies described the persistence of cardiac abnormalities after the recovery. The aim of the study was to investigate the spectrum of cardiac abnormalities at mid-term follow-up in patients recovered from COVID-19 using clinical assessment, laboratory tests, and imaging evaluation with comprehensive echocardiography.

Invasive fungal infections in patients with COVID-19: a review on pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes.

COVID-19 is frequently associated with the onset of secondary infections, especially in severe cases treated in the intensive care unit. While bacterial pathogens are the most frequently encountered causative agents, several factors put SARS-CoV-2 infected patients at a heightened risk of invasive fungal infections, which have been recognized as a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. Moreover, the frequent occurrence of these complications in severely ill subjects and the absence of pathognomonic features, together with the emergence of fungal species with reduced susceptibility to first-line treatments and the difficult to manage safety profile of several antifungal drugs, demand an additional focus on these rare but challenging complications.

Quantitative assessment of lung involvement on chest CT at admission: Impact on hypoxia and outcome in COVID-19 patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to quantify COVID-19 pneumonia features using CT performed at time of admission to emergency department in order to predict patients' hypoxia during the hospitalization and outcome.

Methods: Consecutive chest CT performed in the emergency department between March 1st and April 7th 2020 for COVID-19 pneumonia were analyzed. The three features of pneumonia (GGO, semi-consolidation and consolidation) and the percentage of well-aerated lung were quantified using a HU threshold based software.

Outcomes of noninvasive ventilation as the ceiling of treatment in patients with COVID-19.

Background: Non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) is effective for symptom relief and respiratory support in patients with respiratory insufficiency, severe comorbidities and no indication to intubation. Experience with NIV as the ceiling of treatment in severely compromised novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients is lacking.

Methods: We evaluated 159 patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS), 38 of whom with NIV as the ceiling of treatment, admitted to an ordinary ward and treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and respiratory physiotherapy.

The place of ceftazidime/avibactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam for therapy of haematological patients with febrile neutropenia.

Objectives: To evaluate ceftazidime/avibactam (C/A) and ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) use in haematological patients with febrile neutropenia receiving high-dose chemotherapy and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to assess C/A and C/T efficacy through infection-related mortality (IRM) and bacteraemia clearance for carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB) pre-engraftment blood-stream infections (PE-BSIs) between January-December 2018.

Results: Seventy patients underwent allogeneic HSCT: C/A and C/T were dispensed in 13% and 3%, respectively.

Interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 inhibition compared with standard management in patients with COVID-19 and hyperinflammation: a cohort study.

Background: Patients with severe COVID-19 develop a life-threatening hyperinflammatory response to the virus. Interleukin (IL)-1 or IL-6 inhibitors have been used to treat this patient population, but the comparative effectiveness of these different strategies remains undetermined. We aimed to compare IL-1 and IL-6 inhibition in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, respiratory insufficiency, and hyperinflammation.

Pulmonary Vascular Thrombosis in COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Objectives: During severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, dramatic endothelial cell damage with pulmonary microvascular thrombosis have been was hypothesized to occur. The aim was to assess whether pulmonary vascular thrombosis (PVT) is due to recurrent thromboembolism from peripheral deep vein thrombosis or to local inflammatory endothelial damage, with a superimposed thrombotic late complication.

Design: Observational study.

Impact of surgical timing on survival in patients with infective endocarditis: a time-dependent analysis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of surgical timing on survival in patients with left-sided infective endocarditis (IE). This was a retrospective study including 313 patients with left-sided IE between 2009 and 2017. Surgery was defined as urgent (US) or early (ES) if performed within 7 or 28 days, respectively.