Background: Evidence about the impact of the pandemic of COVID-19 on the incidence rates of blood cultures contaminations and bloodstream infections in intensive care units (ICUs) remains scant. The objective of this study was to investigate the nationwide epidemiology of positive blood cultures drawn in ICUs during the first two pandemic waves of COVID-19 in Switzerland.
Methods: We analyzed data on positive blood cultures among ICU patients, prospectively collected through a nationwide surveillance system (ANRESIS), from March 30, 2020, to May 31, 2021, a 14-month timeframe that included a first wave of COVID-19, which affected the French and Italian-speaking regions, an interim period (summer 2020) and a second wave that affected the entire country. We used the number of ICU patient-days provided by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health as denominator to calculate incidence rates of blood culture contaminations and bloodstream infections (ICU-BSI). Incidence rate ratios comparing the interim period with the second wave were determined by segmented Poisson regression models.
Results: A total of 1099 blood culture contaminations and 1616 ICU-BSIs were identified in 52 ICUs during the study. Overall, more episodes of blood culture contaminations and ICU-BSI were observed during the pandemic waves, compared to the interim period. The proportions of blood culture contaminations and ICU-BSI were positively associated with the ICU occupancy rate, which was higher during the COVID-19 waves. During the more representative second wave (versus interim period), we observed an increased incidence of blood culture contaminations (IRR 1.57, 95% CI 1.16-2.12) and ICU-BSI (IRR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03-1.39).
Conclusions: An increase in blood culture contaminations and ICU-BSIs was observed during the second COVID-19 pandemic wave, especially in months when the ICU burden of COVID-19 patients was high.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13054-021-03814-z | DOI Listing |
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease damaging the central nervous system. Diminished inflammatory disease activity (DA) as people with MS (pwMS) age motivated randomized clinical trials assessing disease-modifying therapy (DMT) discontinuation in older pwMS given the concern for risks outweighing benefits. This study aims to examine whether peripheral production of Myelin Basic Protein (MBP)-driven cytokine responses mediate the aging-associated decline in MS inflammatory DA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Esp Urol
December 2024
Infectious Disease Department, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, 266000 Qingdao, Shandong, China.
Purpose: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in neonates pose notable challenges in diagnosis and management because of non-specific clinical manifestations and unique physiological characteristics. Understanding the clinical features and pathogen characteristics of UTIs in this population is crucial for tailored diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to investigate varying clinical features and pathogen characteristics of UTIs, thereby offering a holistic perspective on the multifaceted aspects of UTIs in neonates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Pediatr
January 2025
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
Background: Pediatric CNS infections have been identified as a global health problem, associated with an increased death rate and fatal consequences. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an acute-phase mediator that increases in body fluids and plasma throughout inflammation. Our study was designed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PTX3 levels in pediatric patients with different central nervous system (CNS) infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGene
January 2025
Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brasil. Electronic address:
Introduction: Overweight and obesity are chronic and multifactorial diseases with a strong genetic component contributing to weight gain across all age groups. This study aimed to conduct a Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) on a cohort of 1,004 Brazilian children (5-11 years old) to identify specific DNA regions associated with susceptibility to overweight.
Methods: The GWAS was performed on children participating in the SCAALA (Asthma and Allergy Social Changes in Latin America) program, with participants classified as either overweight or non-overweight.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
January 2025
Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali.
Plasmodium malariae is the third most prevalent human malaria parasite species and contributes significantly to morbidity. Nevertheless, our comprehension of this parasite's biology remains limited, primarily due to its frequent co-infections with other species and the lack of a continuous in vitro culture system. To effectively combat and eliminate this overlooked parasite, it is imperative to acquire a better understanding of this species.
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