We present the clinical cases of two patients who were admitted to the HIGA San Martín de La Plata emergency ward with a clinical picture compatible with leptospirosis, who evolved with respiratory failure and alveolar hemorrhage. In both, glucocorticoids were administered with good evolution. A bibliographic search of articles published since 2005 in Spanish and English and a review of the topic was carried out. Based on the current evidence, no clear recommendation can be made for the use of corticosteroids in severe leptospirosis. The published bibliography is scarce and of low quality. There would appear to be a benefit in the use of corticosteroids in cases of pulmonary involvement due to severe leptospirosis. High-quality studies are needed to make recommendations with scientific evidence, to verify the adequate dose of corticosteroids, time of initiation, duration of treatment and the cases in which this therapy should be administered.
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J Infect
January 2025
Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Excellence Center for Critical Care Nephrology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand; Tropical Medicine Cluster, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand; Center for Critical Care Nephrology, The CRISMA Center, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Academy of Science, Royal Society of Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address:
Background: Severe pulmonary hemorrhagic syndrome (SPHS) remains a fatal complication of leptospirosis with poorly understood mechanisms and an urgent need for effective biomarkers.
Methods: A nested case-control analysis was conducted using blood specimens from two previous Thai leptospirosis cohorts. Candidate microRNAs were initially discovered through a global profiling of 798 serum microRNAs in five SPHS and seven non-SPHS patients, and then validated using real-time polymerase chain reactions in 168 patients.
Appl Environ Microbiol
January 2025
Postgraduate Program in Animal Science in the Tropics - Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by bacteria, affecting humans and a broad range of wild and domestic animals in diverse epidemiological settings (rural, urban, and wild). The disease's pathogenesis and epidemiology are complex networks not fully elucidated. Epidemiology reflects the One Health integrated approach of environment-animal-human interaction, causing severe illness in humans and animals, with consequent public health burdens.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrials
January 2025
Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial infection occurring worldwide. It is of particular public health concern due to its global distribution, epidemic potential and high mortality without appropriate treatment. The method for the management of leptospirosis, particularly in severe disease, is clouded by methodological inconsistency and a lack of standardized outcome measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Nephrol
December 2024
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
Cureus
November 2024
Internal Medicine, Corewell Health, Royal Oak, USA.
Leptospirosis, an infection caused by the spirochete Leptospira and commonly attributed to the underdeveloped world, is frequently under-diagnosed in the United States. This report discusses the case of a 79-year-old male with no significant medical history who presented to the ED with recurrent falls. Initial laboratory results demonstrated severe acute kidney injury, hyperbilirubinemia, and thrombocytopenia.
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