Invasive Candidiasis in Adult Patients with COVID-19: Results of a Multicenter Study in St. Petersburg, Russia

We studied the risk factors, etiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcomes of COVID-19-associated invasive candidiasis (COVID-IC) in adult patients admitted to six medical facilities in St. Petersburg. (November 2020–December 2022). In this retrospective study, we included 72 patients with COVID-IC with a median age of 61 years (range 29–96), 51% of whom were women. The predisposing factors for COVID-IC were a central venous catheter (CVC) for more than 10 days (the odds ratio (OR) = 70 [15–309]), abdominal surgical treatment performed in the previous 2 weeks (OR = 8.8 [1.9–40.3]), bacteremia (OR = 10.6 [4.8–23.3]), pulmonary ventilation (OR = 12.9 [5.9–28.4]), and hemodialysis (OR = 11.5 [2.5–50.8]). The signs and symptoms of COVID-IC were non-specific: fever (59%), renal failure (33%), liver failure (23%), and cardiovascular failure (10%). Candida albicans (41%) predominated among the pathogens of the candidemia. The multidrug-resistant Candida species C. auris (23%) and C. glabrata (5%) were also identified. Empirical therapy was used in 21% of COVID-IC patients: azole-93%, echinocandin–7%. The majority of COVID-IC patients (79%) received, after laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis of IC, fluconazole (47%), voriconazole (25%), echinocandin (26%), and amphotericin B (2)%. The 30 days overall survival rate was 45%. The prognosis worsened concomitant bacteremia, hemodialysis, and long-term therapy by systemic glucocorticosteroids (SGCs), bronchial colonization with Candida spp. The survival prognosis was improved by the early change/replacement of CVC (within 24 h), the initiation of empirical therapy, and the use of echinocandin. Conclusions: We highlighted the risk factors that predispose COVID-19 patients to candidiasis and worsen the survival prognosis. Their individual effects in patients with COVID-19 must be well understood to prevent the development of opportunistic co-infections that drastically lower chances of survival

COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Russia

We studied the risk factors, etiology, clinical features and the effectiveness of therapy of COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) in adult patients. In this retrospective study, we included 45 patients with proven (7%) and probable (93%) CAPA. The ECMM/ISHAM, 2020 criteria were used to diagnose CAPA. A case-control study was conducted to study the risk factors of CAPA; the control group included 90 adult COVID-19 patients without IA. In CAPA patients, the main underlying diseases were diabetes mellitus (33%), and hematological and oncological diseases (31%). The probability of CAPA developing significantly increased with lymphocytopenia >10 days (OR = 8.156 (3.056–21.771), p = 0.001), decompensated diabetes mellitus (29% vs. 7%, (OR = 5.688 (1.991–16.246), p = 0.001)), use of glucocorticosteroids (GCS) in prednisolone-equivalent dose > 60 mg/day (OR = 4.493 (1.896–10.647), p = 0.001) and monoclonal antibodies to IL-1ß and IL-6 (OR = 2.880 (1.272–6.518), p = 0.01). The main area of localization of CAPA was the lungs (100%). The clinical features of CAPA were fever (98% vs. 85%, p = 0.007), cough (89% vs. 72%, p = 0.002) and hemoptysis (36% vs. 3%, p = 0.0001). Overall, 71% of patients were in intensive care units (ICU) (median—15.5 (5–60) days), mechanical ventilation was used in 52% of cases, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurred at a rate of 31%. The lung CT scan features of CAPA were bilateral (93%) lung tissue consolidation (89% vs. 59%, p = 0.004) and destruction (47% vs. 1%, p = 0.00001), and hydrothorax (26% vs. 11%, p = 0.03). The main pathogens were A. fumigatus (44%) and A. niger (31%). The overall survival rate after 12 weeks was 47.2%

Современные подходы к ведению пациентов с крапивницей

The Union of Pediatricians of Russia together with the Russian Association of Allergologists and Clinical Immunologists and the Russian Society of Dermatovenerologists and Cosmetologists have developed new clinical guidelines for the urticaria in adults and children. Urticaria is a common disease; its various clinical variants are diagnosed in 15–25% of people in the global population, and a quarter of all cases belongs to chronic urticaria. The prevalence of acute urticaria is 20%, and 2.1–6.7% in child population, whereas acute urticaria is more common in children than in adults. The prevalence of chronic urticaria in adults in the general population is 0.7 and 1.4%, and 1.1% in children under 15 years of age, according to the systematic review and meta-analysis, respectively. This article covers features of epidemiology, etiology, and pathogenesis of the disease with particular focus on differential diagnostic search. Guidelines on treatment and step-by-step therapy scheme (both based on principles of evidencebased medicine) for pediatric patients were presented. Clarification on the analysis of the therapy efficacy and the degree of disease activity was given.Союзом педиатров России совместно с Российской ассоциацией аллергологов и иммунологов и Российским обществом дерматовенерологов и косметологов (РОДВК) разработаны новые клинические рекомендации для диагноза «крапивница» для взрослых и детей. Крапивница является распространенным заболеванием: различные ее клинические варианты диагностируются у 15–25% людей в популяции, при этом четверть случаев приходится на хроническую крапивницу. Распространенность острой крапивницы составляет 20%, среди детского населения — 2,1–6,7%, при этом острая крапивница у детей встречается чаще, чем у взрослых. По данным систематического обзора и мета-анализа, хроническая крапивница у взрослых в общей популяции составляет 0,7 и 1,4% соответственно, у детей до 15 лет — до 1,1%. В статье рассматриваются особенности эпидемиологии, этиологии и патогенеза заболевания, особое внимание уделено вопросам дифференциально-диагностического поиска. Для пациентов детского возраста приведены рекомендации по лечению согласно принципам доказательной медицины и предложена ступенчатая схема терапии. Дано четкое разъяснение к проведению анализа эффективности терапии и оценки степени активности заболевания