Background: Little is known about the incidence and risk of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired bloodstream infections (BSI) in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Materials and methods: This retrospective, single-centre study was conducted in Northern Italy. The primary study objectives were as follows: (a) to assess the incidence rate of ICU-acquired BSI and (b) to assess the cumulative risk of developing ICU-acquired BSI. Results: Overall, 78 critically ill patients with COVID-19 were included in the study. Forty-five episodes of ICU-acquired BSI were registered in 31 patients, with an incidence rate of 47 episodes (95% confidence interval [CI] 35-63) per 1000 patient-days at risk. The estimated cumulative risk of developing at least one BSI episode was of almost 25% after 15 days at risk and possibly surpassing 50% after 30 days at risk. In multivariable analysis, anti-inflammatory treatment was independently associated with the development of BSI (cause-specific hazard ratio [csHR] 1.07 with 95% CI 0.38-3.04 for tocilizumab, csHR 3.95 with 95% CI 1.20-13.03 for methylprednisolone and csHR 10.69 with 95% CI 2.71-42.17 for methylprednisolone plus tocilizumab, with no anti-inflammatory treatment as the reference group; overall P for the dummy variable = 0.003). Conclusions: The incidence rate of BSI was high, and the cumulative risk of developing BSI increased with ICU stay. Further study will clarify if the increased risk of BSI we detected in COVID-19 patients treated with anti-inflammatory drugs is outweighed by the benefits of reducing any possible pro-inflammatory dysregulation induced by SARS-CoV-2.

The two major autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATDs) include Graves' disease (GD) and autoimmune thyroiditis (AT); both of which are characterized by infiltration of the thyroid by T and B cells reactive to thyroid antigens, by the production of thyroid autoantibodies and by abnormal thyroid function (hyperthyroidism in GD and hypothyroidism in AT). While the exact etiology of thyroid autoimmunity is not known, it is believed to develop when a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental encounters leads to breakdown of tolerance. It is important to recognize thyroid dysfunction at an early stage by maintaining an appropriate index of suspicion.

The possible negative impact of severe adult respiratory distress caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (COVID-19) on antimicrobial stewardship and infection control has been postulated, but few real-life data are available. The aim of this study was to report our experience with colonization/infection of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) and Candida auris among critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). All COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICUs at San Martino Policlinico Hospital–IRCCS in Genoa, Italy, were screened from 28 February to 31 May 2020. One-hundred and eighteen patients admitted to COVID-19 ICUs were included in the study. Among them, 12 (10.2%) became colonized/infected with CRPA, 6 (5.1%) with C. auris and 2 (1.6%) with CR-Kp. All patients with CRPA received prior treatment with meropenem, and in 11 (91.7%) infection was not preceded by colonization. Four patients (66.7%) developed C. auris candidemia. A significant spread of resistant pathogens was observed among critically ill COVID-19 patients. Dedicated strategies are warranted to prevent horizontal spread and maintain effective antimicrobial stewardship programs in the setting of COVID-19 care.

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