Multinational prospective study of incidence and risk factors for central-line-associated bloodstream infections in 728 intensive care units of 41 Asian, African, Eastern European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries over 24 years.

Objective: To identify central-line (CL)-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) incidence and risk factors in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Design: From July 1, 1998, to February 12, 2022, we conducted a multinational multicenter prospective cohort study using online standardized surveillance system and unified forms.

Setting: The study included 728 ICUs of 286 hospitals in 147 cities in 41 African, Asian, Eastern European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries.

Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Statement for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in the Critical Care Unit.

Unlabelled: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a preventable complication of critical illness, and this guideline aims to convey a pragmatic approach to the problem. Guidelines have multiplied over the last decade, and their utility has become increasingly conflicted as the reader interprets all suggestions or recommendations as something that must be followed. The nuances of grade of recommendation vs level of evidence are often ignored, and the difference between a "we suggest" vs a "we recommend" is overlooked.

An Unusual Case of Urothelial Carcinoma of Bladder with Metastasis to Brain and Skeletal Muscles Evaluated on 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography.

Urothelial or transitional cell carcinoma is the most prevalent variant of urinary bladder carcinoma worldwide occurring in both men and women. There are a very few cases described in the literature with metastasis to skeletal muscles and even fewer cases with metastatic site in the brain. We present a case of high-grade urothelial carcinoma with metastasis to the left temporal lobe as well as multiple inter- and intra-muscular deposits in the left thigh.

Mimicker of Osteoblastic Skeletal Metastasis on 18 F-FDG PET/CT Scan in a Case of Primary Mediastinal Germ Cell Tumor.

Primary mediastinal germ cell tumors are uncommon tumors, of which the nonseminomatous type is more likely to metastasize than the seminomatous type. Primary mediastinal germ cell tumors may also present with superior vena cava obstruction. Here, we present this case of primary mediastinal germ cell tumor with superior vena cava obstruction causing dilatation of collaterals in dorsal intravertebral venous plexus, which strongly mimics sclerotic skeletal lesions/metastasis on a Contrast-enhanced CT scan and also appears FDG avid on PET scan.

Achieving Molecular Profiling in Pleural Biopsies: A Multicenter, Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Pleural biopsy findings offer greater diagnostic sensitivity in malignant pleural effusions compared with pleural fluid. The adequacy of pleural biopsy techniques in achieving molecular marker status has not been studied, and such information (termed "actionable" histology) is critical in providing a rational, efficient, and evidence-based approach to diagnostic investigation.

Research Question: What is the adequacy of various pleural biopsy techniques at providing adequate molecular diagnostic information to guide treatment in malignant pleural effusions?

Study Design And Methods: This study analyzed anonymized data on 183 patients from four sites across three countries in whom pleural biopsy results had confirmed a malignant diagnosis and molecular profiling was relevant for the diagnosed cancer type.

Approach to Thromboprophylaxis for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in COVID-19: Global Updates and Clinical Insights from India.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) frequently occurs in patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and is associated with increased mortality. Several global guidelines recommended prophylactic-intensity anticoagulation rather than intermediate-intensity or therapeutic-intensity anticoagulation for patients with COVID-19-related acute or critical illness without suspected or confirmed VTE. Even though standard doses of thromboprophylaxis are received, many cases of thrombotic complications are reported; hence, appropriate and adequate thromboprophylaxis is critical for the prevention of VTE in COVID-19.

Risk factors for mortality over 18 years in 317 ICUs in 9 Asian countries: The impact of healthcare-associated infections.

Objective: To identify risk factors for mortality in intensive care units (ICUs) in Asia.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: The study included 317 ICUs of 96 hospitals in 44 cities in 9 countries of Asia: China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Case report of H-syndrome with a review from a rheumatological perspective.

A woman in her 20s, symptomatic since the age of 4 with short stature, hearing loss, skin hyperpigmentation and induration over the medial aspect of the thigh, hypertrichosis, histiocytes on biopsy, lymphadenopathy, dilated scleral vessels, pancreatic exocrine deficiency, pericardial thickening, swelling of the eyelids and resistant retroperitoneal fibrosis. Whole-genome sequencing showed a mutation in SLC29A3, confirming 'H'-syndrome. She is on steroids and methotrexate.

Melioidosis: Missed opportunities and opportunistic pathogens.

A 31-year Indian homemaker, known to have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis, was admitted previously in another medical care unit with fever, hemoptysis, arthralgia, and joint swelling. She had been treated with antibiotics and corticosteroids for probable diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) with clinical and radiological resolution. She was readmitted one month later for similar complaints.

Secondary osteonecrosis of the knee as a part of long COVID-19 syndrome: a case series.

COVID-19 infection affects different organ systems with long-term sequelae, which has been termed as long COVID-19 syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, osteonecrosis of the knee as a part of long COVID-19 syndrome has not been documented. Corticosteroids are being used extensively in moderate and severe cases of COVID-19.

Incidental Detection of Mandibular Metastasis in Renal Cell Carcinoma on 99mTc-MIBI Scan.

MIBI scintigraphy is the most widely used modality to identify parathyroid adenomas preoperatively. However, MIBI is also known to accumulate in multiple benign and malignant lesions. In renal cell carcinoma, 30% of the patients present with distant metastasis, commonly lungs and bone; however, jaw bone metastases are extremely rare (<1% of oral malignancies).

Skull Base Chordoma: Long-Term Observation and Evaluation of Prognostic Factors after Surgical Resection.

Background: Skull base chordoma (SBC) is relatively rare and data on its clinical outcome after surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy are still limited.

Objective: Analyzing the clinical postoperative outcome of SBC patients and defining prognostic factors regarding current treatment modalities.

Methods And Material: In this study, 41 SBC patients from 2001 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed in this single-center study.

Profile of Children With Tuberculosis in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Mumbai.

Objective: This study was done to analyze the profile of confirmed pediatric TB patients seen in an intensive care setting.

Methods: Data of all children admitted in our PICU with bacteriologically proven tuberculosis (smear, culture, poly-merase chain reaction, genotypic testing or Pyrosequencing) between January, 2007 and December, 2019 were retrieved. Drug resistance was classified as per World Health Organization definitions.

Infection control in the intensive care unit: expert consensus statements for SARS-CoV-2 using a Delphi method.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, health-care workers and uninfected patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are at risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 as a result of transmission from infected patients and health-care workers. In the absence of high-quality evidence on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, clinical practice of infection control and prevention in ICUs varies widely. Using a Delphi process, international experts in intensive care, infectious diseases, and infection control developed consensus statements on infection control for SARS-CoV-2 in an ICU.

An Unusual Case of Bilateral Ureteric Metastasis on PSMA PET-CT Scan in Carcinoma Prostate.

The most common locations for metastasis in adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland are lymph nodes, bone, lung, and liver. The involvement of the ureter as a site of metastasis in prostate carcinoma is quite rare in literature. Here we present a case involving bilateral ureters along with bilateral vesicoureteric junctions in a known case of prostate adenocarcinoma.

Expert Opinion on Usage of Pidotimod in Adult Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Indian Perspective.

India has a disproportionately high burden of acute and chronic pulmonary diseases. In India, 65 million suffer from non-communicable respiratory diseases. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had worsened the situation.

Malaria in the Intensive Care Unit.

Most cases of severe malaria are caused by . Severe malaria is characterized by severe organ dysfunction. Both peripheral smear examination and rapid diagnostic test have a role in the diagnosis.

Antibiotic Stewardship: Easy to Preach, Difficult to Practice.

Hegde A. Antibiotic Stewardship: Easy to Preach, Difficult to Practice. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(6):608-609.

Avascular necrosis as a part of 'long COVID-19'.

'Long COVID-19' can affect different body systems. At present, avascular necrosis (AVN) as a sequalae of 'long COVID-19' has yet not been documented. By large-scale use of life-saving corticosteroids in COVID-19 cases, we anticipate that there will be a resurgence of AVN cases.

Tale of compounding oddities.

We present a case of a 59-year-old man, who on being evaluated for abdominal pain and headache, was found to have a pancreatic head mass and inflammatory hypophysitis. Xpert MTB/Rif of the pancreatic mass biopsy showed the presence of tuberculosis (TB) with a very low load, and rifampicin resistance was detected with absence of probes A and B. Pyrosequencing (a novel genotypic test for TB) of the Xpert MTB/Rif isolate detected a single, rare, high-confidence mutation (S512T) in the rpoB region (rifampicin resistance determining region in the MTB genome).