Predictor Of Bacterial Infection Research Articles

Postoperative Serum Procalcitonin Level Can Be a Useful Marker of Bacterial Infection after Cardiac Surgery Utilizing Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Objectives. Procalcitonin level is generally undetectable from blood sample under normal physiological condition. However, its production can be greatly stimulated by the presence of various inflammatory responses, especially those caused by bacterial infection. We aimed to determine if postoperative procalcitonin level could be used to predict bacterial infection more promptly than bacterial culture results. Materials and Methods. We performed a retrospective case-control study by collecting postoperative procalcitonin as well as white blood cell level of patients undergoing cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass from electronic medical records of Ramathibodi Hospital between 1st January 2019 and 30th June 2023. Patients with pre-existing inflammatory syndromes or proven bacterial infection, who had been receiving preoperative treatment-dose antibiotics or steroids, who underwent non-elective surgery, and whose medical record data were lost or insufficiently recorded were excluded. Demographic data and operative details were also collected and reviewed. Results. From a total of 146 patients in our study, 42 patients developed proven postoperative bacterial infection. The level of procalcitonin with greatest association to postoperative bacterial infection from our study was 4.13 ng/dl on postoperative day 7. White blood cell level, however, was less predictive of bacterial infection. Conclusions. Procalcitonin level, when utilized alongside clinical presentation, proved to be useful as a predictor of bacterial infection during postoperative day 7. A larger, prospective trial of our continuing series would further strengthen our results.

Effect of Viral Illness on Procalcitonin as a Predictor of Bacterial Infection in Febrile Infants.

The impact of confirmed viral infections (CVI) on procalcitonin (PCT) levels in febrile infants aged 8-60 days with a bacterial illness (BI) is unknown. The objectives of the study were to (1) examine the association of CVI with PCT levels in patients with/without a concurrent BI, defined as bacteremia, meningitis, or urinary tract infection, and (2) assess PCT as a predictor of BI in infants with a concurrent CVI. In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, we examined febrile infants aged 8-60 days presenting between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020. PCT levels were compared between groups, according to results of bacterial cultures and viral tests, using the Wilcoxon rank test. The prediction ability of PCT to detect BI with/without concurrent CVI was assessed by using area under the curve from logistic regression. Patients included: 404 BI-/CVI+, 73 BI+/CVI-, 48 BI+/CVI+, and 138 BI-/CVI-. Median PCT level in the BI+/CVI+ group was significantly lower when compared to BI+/CVI- (0.36 ng/mL vs 0.89 ng/mL), but significantly higher than the BI-/CVI- group (0.36 ng/mL vs 0.1 ng/mL). The presence of a CVI reduced the sensitivity of PCT in BI detection (68% vs 44%), with minimal impact specificity (93% vs 96%). In previously healthy febrile infants 8-60 days old, the presence of a CVI reduces the sensitivity of PCT BI detection without impacting its specificity. The impact of a CVI on PCT levels in febrile infants has implications for how this marker of infection should be considered when assessing risk of BI in infants.

Antimicrobial resistance in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Frequent use of antibiotics in patients with COVID-19 threatens to exacerbate antimicrobial resistance. We aimed to establish the prevalence and predictors of bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance in patients with COVID-19. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of bacterial co-infections (identified within ≤48 h of presentation) and secondary infections (>48 h after presentation) in outpatients or hospitalised patients with COVID-19. We searched the WHO COVID-19 Research Database to identify cohort studies, case series, case-control trials, and randomised controlled trials with populations of at least 50 patients published in any language between Jan 1, 2019, and Dec 1, 2021. Reviews, editorials, letters, pre-prints, and conference proceedings were excluded, as were studies in which bacterial infection was not microbiologically confirmed (or confirmed via nasopharyngeal swab only). We screened titles and abstracts of papers identified by our search, and then assessed the full text of potentially relevant articles. We reported the pooled prevalence of bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance by doing a random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression. Our primary outcomes were the prevalence of bacterial co-infection and secondary infection, and the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens among patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and bacterial infections. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021297344). We included 148 studies of 362 976 patients, which were done between December, 2019, and May, 2021. The prevalence of bacterial co-infection was 5·3% (95% CI 3·8-7·4), whereas the prevalence of secondary bacterial infection was 18·4% (14·0-23·7). 42 (28%) studies included comprehensive data for the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among bacterial infections. Among people with bacterial infections, the proportion of infections that were resistant to antimicrobials was 60·8% (95% CI 38·6-79·3), and the proportion of isolates that were resistant was 37·5% (26·9-49·5). Heterogeneity in the reported prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in organisms was substantial (I2=95%). Although infrequently assessed, antimicrobial resistance is highly prevalent in patients with COVID-19 and bacterial infections. Future research and surveillance assessing the effect of COVID-19 on antimicrobial resistance at the patient and population level are urgently needed. WHO.

An Overview of the Impact of Bacterial Infections and the Associated Mortality Predictors in Patients with COVID-19 Admitted to a Tertiary Center from Eastern Europe.

Literature data on bacterial infections and their impact on the mortality rates of COVID-19 patients from Romania are scarce, while worldwide reports are contrasting. 2. We conducted a unicentric retrospective observational study that included 280 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, on whom we performed various microbiological determinations. Based on the administration or not of the antibiotic treatment, we divided the patients into two groups. First, we sought to investigate the rates and predictors of bacterial infections, the causative microbial strains, and the prescribed antibiotic treatment. Secondly, the study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with in-hospital death and evaluate the biomarkers' performance for predicting short-term mortality. 3. Bacterial co-infections or secondary infections were confirmed in 23 (8.2%) patients. Acinetobacter baumannii was the pathogen responsible for most of the confirmed bacterial infections. Almost three quarters of the patients (72.8%) received empiric antibiotic therapy. Multivariate logistic regression has shown leukocytosis and intensive care unit admission as risk factors for bacterial infections and C-reactive protein, together with the length of hospital stay, as mortality predictors. The ROC curves revealed an acceptable performance for the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (AUC: 0.781), and C-reactive protein (AUC: 0.797), but a poor performance for fibrinogen (AUC: 0.664) in predicting fatal events. 4. This study highlighted the somewhat paradoxical association of a low rate of confirmed infections with a high rate of empiric antibiotic therapy. A thorough assessment of the risk factors for bacterial infections, in addition to the acknowledgment of various mortality predictors, is crucial for identifying high-risk patients, thus allowing a timely therapeutic intervention, with a direct impact on improving patients' prognosis.

Evaluation of Procalcitonin's Utility to Predict Concomitant Bacterial Pneumonia in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

Background: Historically, procalcitonin(PCT) has been used as a predictor of bacterial infection and to guide antibiotic therapy in hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study was to determine PCT's diagnostic utility in predicting secondary bacterial pneumonia in critically ill patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in COVID-19 adults admitted to the ICU between March 2020, and March 2021. All included patients had a PCT level within 72 h of presentation and serum creatinine of <1.5mg/dL. A PCT threshold of 0.5ng/mL was used to compare patients with high( ≥ 0.5ng/mL) versus low(< 0.5ng/mL) PCT. Bacterial pneumonia was defined by positive respiratory culture. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was utilized to evaluate PCT as a diagnostic test for bacterial pneumonia, with an area under the curve(AUC) threshold of 0.7 to signify an accurate diagnostic test. A multivariable model was constructed to identify variables associated with in-hospital mortality. Results: There were 165 patients included: 127 low PCT versus 38 high PCT. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics, vital signs, severity of disease, or outcomes among low versus high PCT groups (all p > 0.05). While there was no difference in bacterial pneumonia in low versus high groups (34(26.8%) versus 12(31.6%), p = 0.562), more patients in the high PCT group had bacteremia (19(15%) versus 11(28.9%), p = 0.050). Sensitivity was 26.1% and specificity was 78.2% for PCT to predict bacterial pneumonia coinfection in ICU patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. ROC yielded an AUC 0.54 (p = 0.415). After adjusting for LDH>350U/L and creatinine in multivariable regression, PCT did not enhance performance of the regression model. Conclusions: PCT offers little to no predictive utility in diagnosing concomitant bacterial pneumonia in critically ill patients with COVID-19 nor in predicting increased severity of disease or worse outcomes including mortality.

Baseline Procalcitonin as a Predictor of Bacterial Infection and Clinical Outcomes in Covid-19

Objective: The purpose of our study is to determine either bacterial infection or poor outcomes among patients with Covid-19 caused by increased level of procalcitonin. Study Design: Retrospective/ observational study Place and Duration: THQ Hospital Khairpur Tamewali. Jan 2021-Jun 2021 Methods: In this research, there were a total of 190 patients of both sexes. Patients ranged in age from 20 to 85. Detailed demographics, including age, sex, BMI, residence, and literacy, were obtained from all patients. Association of comorbidities among cases was determined. All the patients diagnosed Covid-19 by nasopharyngeal PCR. Baseline level of procalcitonin was measured among all cases before hospitalization and patients were separated either had bacterial infection or not. Outcomes among all the patients were measured in terms of mortality and survivors. Complete data was examined using the SPSS 23.0 version for statistical purposes alone. Results: Among 190 cases, most of the patients were males 110 (57.9%) and 80 (42.1%) patients were females. Mean age of the patients were 52.13±13.44 years with mean BMI 26.14±11.54 kg/m2. 85 (44.7%) patients were from rural areas and 115 (55.3%) had urban residency. 100 (52.6%) patients were educated. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity found in 120 (63.2%), followed by diabetes 95 (50%), kidney disease found in 40 (21.1%) patients and asthma in 25 (13.2%) patients. Mean PCT among all cases was 1.4±6.13 ng/mL. Bacterial infection (positive blood culture) was found among 130 (68.4%) cases with procalcitonin. Severity of pneumonia was found among 123 cases of bacterial infection. Mortality among all cases were 102 (53.4%) with positive blood culture for bacterial infection. Mean PCT of died patients was 1.1±4.6 ng/mL significantly higher than that of survived patients 2.13±4.45. Blood urea nitrogen and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were also found a predictive value among died patients. Conclusion: According to our findings, procalcitonin was the only biomarker strongly associated with patient mortality and satisfaction in the intensive care unit. With increasing procalcitonin concentrations, death rates increased as quartiles of procalcitonin levels rose. This study shows that intensivists may use procalcitonin to guide the management of COVID-19 and the utilization of ICU resources.

Baseline procalcitonin as a predictor of bacterial infection and clinical outcomes in COVID-19: A case-control study.

PurposeCoronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms including acute respiratory failure. Biomarkers that can predict outcomes in patients with COVID-19 can assist with patient management. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether procalcitonin (PCT) can predict clinical outcome and bacterial superinfection in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).MethodsAdult patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 by nasopharyngeal PCR who were admitted to a tertiary care center in Boston, MA with SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 17 and April 30, 2020 with a baseline PCT value were studied. Patients who were presumed positive for SARS-CoV-2, who lacked PCT levels, or who had a positive urinalysis with negative cultures were excluded. Demographics, clinical and laboratory data were extracted from the electronic medical records.Results324 patient charts were reviewed and grouped by clinical and microbiologic outcomes by day 28. Baseline PCT levels were significantly higher for patients who were treated for true bacteremia (p = 0.0005) and bacterial pneumonia (p = 0.00077) compared with the non-bacterial infection group. Baseline PCT positively correlated with the NIAID ordinal scale and survival over time. When compared to other inflammatory biomarkers, PCT showed superiority in predicting bacteremia.ConclusionsBaseline PCT levels are associated with outcome and bacterial superinfection in patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2.

Prevalence and Predictors of Bacterial Infections in ACLF Patients and it’s Impact on Survival

Background & Aims: Acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is distinctive disorder associated with very high short-term mortality. Bacterial infections in ACLF are associated with even poorer outcomes. We aimed to study the prevalence of bacterial infections in ACLF patients and its impact on mortality.

Bacterial infections in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

Bacterial infections may complicate the course of COVID-19 patients. The rate and predictors of bacterial infections were examined in patients consecutively admitted with COVID-19 at one tertiary hospital in Madrid between March 1st and April 30th, 2020. Among 1594 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, 135 (8.5%) experienced bacterial infectious events, distributed as follows: urinary tract infections (32.6%), bacteremia (31.9%), pneumonia (31.8%), intra-abdominal infections (6.7%) and skin and soft tissue infections (6.7%). Independent predictors of bacterial infections were older age, neurological disease, prior immunosuppression and ICU admission (p < 0.05). Patients with bacterial infections who more frequently received steroids and tocilizumab, progressed to lower Sap02/FiO2 ratios, and experienced more severe ARDS (p < 0.001). The mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with bacterial infections as compared to the rest (25% vs 6.7%, respectively; p < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, older age, prior neurological or kidney disease, immunosuppression and ARDS severity were associated with an increased mortality (p < 0.05) while bacterial infections were not. Conversely, the use of steroids or steroids plus tocilizumab did not confer a higher risk of bacterial infections and improved survival rates. Bacterial infections occurred in 8.5% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. They were not independently associated with increased mortality rates. Baseline COVID-19 severity rather than the incidence of bacterial infections seems to contribute to mortality. When indicated, the use of steroids or steroids plus tocilizumab might improve survival in this population.

The role of prophylactic antibiotics in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure patients at risk of bacterial infection: a retrospective study

BackgroundAcute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is characterized by an excessive systemic inflammatory response and organ failure and has high mortality. Bacterial infections (BIs) worsen the clinical course of ACLF and carry a poor prognosis in ACLF patients. The efficacy of third-generation cephalosporins has been challenged in recent years. The aim of this study was to characterize the difference between ACLF patients with and without BIs and to provide a reference for medical intervention.MethodsA total of 140 patients with hepatitis B virus-related ACLF (HBV-ACLF) hospitalized at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University (Shanghai, China) between May 2013 and January 2020 were enrolled. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the baseline characteristics of HBV-ACLF patients with and without BIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to find predictors of BIs. The characteristics of BIs and the role of prophylactic antibiotics were profiled.ResultsA total of 97 episodes of BIs occurred in patients during the course of HBV-ACLF. Patients with and without BIs differed in clinical characteristics. The incidence of BIs showed a positive correlation with the ACLF grade (P = 0.003) and the clinical course (P = 0.003). The 90-day transplant-free survival of patients with BIs was lower than those without BIs (P < 0.0001). Patients administered prophylactic antibiotics showed a lower incidence of BIs and had a higher transplant-free survival probability than those who did not (P = 0.046). No statistical differences in antibiotic efficacy between third-generation and other antibiotics were observed (P = 0.108).ConclusionsBIs affected the clinical course and prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF. Prophylactic antibiotics were of potential clinical importance in the prevention of BIs and improving the clinical course and prognosis in HBV-ACLF patients. Third-generation cephalosporins were qualified for use in antibiotic prophylaxis.

Incidence and predictors of bacterial infections in febrile children with sickle cell disease.

IntroductionSickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder. The incidence of bacterial infection in children with SCD globally is 16% compared 3–14% in general children. Bacterial infection in children is a severe problem and is considered to be a life-threatening condition. To reduce antibiotic overuse, the following factors might be associated with bacterial infection could help: age, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBCs) count, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and genotype. Therefore, this study is designed to evaluate the CRP, ANC, WBCs, and platelet count levels as predictors for bacterial infection in febrile children with sickle cell anemia over a six-year period in a tertiary center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis study was a retrospective record review that included all SCD patients below the age of 18 years who presented with a febrile episode at any hospital’s department from 2017 to 2019. Data were extracted from patient files that included culture result and the causative organism, CRP level, WBCs, ANC, and platelet count.ResultsThe study included 62 children diagnosed with SCD who presented with 89 febrile episodes. There was no statistically significant difference in the median of CRP and ANC between the bacterial and nonbacterial febrile episodes (P = .314, .735, respectively). However, the level of WBC> 20 K/μL was statistically significant at P = .025.ConclusionWBCs significantly associated with a bacterial infection in SCD febrile children along with clinical assessments. This parameter can guide the physicians to determine the children at high risk of bacterial infection.

Procalcitonin in myocarditis patients: role in aetiology identification and risk stratification

Abstract Background Procalcitonin (PCT) is an established predictor of bacterial infections and sepsis. However, PCT involvement in cardiovascular diseases has been scarcely investigated so far. In particular, no studies at all ever addressed the role of PCT in myocarditis patients. We aimed at evaluating PCT in myocarditis patients, as a potential biomarker of: a) aetiologic diagnosis; b) prognosis. Methods A cohort of 130 consecutive patients with a novel diagnosis of myocarditis confirmed by both endomyocardial biopsy and cardiac magnetic resonance were included in the study. Patients with known bacterial infections or bacterial myocarditis were excluded (n=5). PCT concentration was measured on admission in all patients. Prospective follow-up (FU) was performed every 6 months up to 5 years. Results Of 125 patients analyzed (mean age 45±15 years, males 62%, mean LVEF 48±15%), 22 (18%) had fulminant myocarditis (FM). The remaining 103 cases had non-fulminant myocarditis (NFM), including infarct-like presentation and non-malignant arrhythmias. Aetiology was viral or virus-negative in 23 and 102 patients, respectively. The mean PCT value was 0.44±0.18 mcg/ml, with no significant differences between viral and virus-negative myocarditis (0.43±0.19 vs. 0.44±0.18 mcg/ml, p=0.90). Baseline PCT concentration was significantly higher in FM patients (0.69±0.21 vs. 0.39±0.16 mcg/ml, p=0.07). Consistently, PCT was higher in patients with LVEF &amp;lt;60% (0.51±0.20 vs. 0.30±0.14 mcg/ml, p=0.03) and in those with elevated (&amp;gt;400 pg/mL) NT-proBNP (0.55±0.19 vs. 0.36±0.17 mcg/ml, p=0.03). As for inflammatory biomarkers, patients with high ESR (&amp;gt;20 mm/h) had also higher PCT values (0.56±0.20 vs. 0.37±0.16 mcg/ml, p=0.03). By converse, no association was found between PCT and CRP abnormal values (p&amp;gt;0.05). At univariate analysis, high PCT (≥0.20 mcg/ml) was predictive of heart failure recurrence (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.18–6.48, p=0.02) or arrhythmic cardiac arrest (OR 3.22, 95% CI 1.19–8.71, p=0.02) by discharge, with overall hospitalization prolonged by 10±4 days (p&amp;lt;0.05). Furthermore, patients with high PCT were more prone to myocarditis recurrences (13/80 vs. 4/45, p=0.03) by 5-year FU. Conclusions In myocarditis patients, elevated PCT values at presentation are not associated with myocarditis aetiology. Nonetheless, PCT suggests a worse short-term clinical outcome, and also a higher risk of myocarditis recurrences at long-term FU. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Diagnostic Accuracy of Procalcitonin, Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, and C-Reactive Protein in Detection of Bacterial Infections and Prediction of Outcome in Nonneutropenic Febrile Patients with Lung Malignancy.

Background Procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have emerged as important markers of inflammation, and these markers, especially PCT and CRP, have been studied in patients with neutropenia. This study was designed to evaluate their value in differentiating infectious fever from tumor fever (TF) and to investigate their role in assessing outcomes in nonneutropenic lung cancer patients (NNLCPs). Methods This retrospective clinical study included 588 febrile NNLCPs between January 2019 and December 2019. The levels of PCT, CRP, and conventional inflammatory markers, including white blood cells (WBC) and neutrophils (NEU), were measured. NLR was defined as the ratio of the absolute neutrophil count to the absolute lymphocyte count. Patients' clinical and bacteriological data were recorded. Results This study included 311 NNLCPs with bacterial infections and 277 with TF. Inflammatory markers such as PCT, CRP, WBC, and NEU levels and NLR were significantly higher in patients with bacterial infections than in those with TF (p < 0.0001). However, PCT level was the best predictor of bacterial infections, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.874, followed by CRP level (AUC = 0.855) and NLR (AUC = 0.792) (p < 0.0001). Additionally, PCT level was significantly elevated in patients with bacterial infections with progressive disease after radiotherapy and chemotherapy (p < 0.01). Conclusions The present study demonstrated the superiority of PCT over CRP and NLR in the diagnosis of febrile patients with bacterial infections. Additionally, PCT can be used to assess the clinical outcomes and cancer progression in NNLCPs.

Secondary bacterial infection in dengue fever and associated risk factors – An observational study in children

Background: Dengue fever remains one of the leading causes of hospitalization among children in endemic areas. Clinical manifestations of dengue fever are highly variable. There are only a few pediatric dengue fever cases reported with secondary bacterial infection. Knowledge of prevalence, risk factors, and predictors of bacterial infection among children with dengue fever is essential to initiate antibiotics. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of bacterial infection, analysis of risk factors, and predictors of bacterial infection among dengue fever patients with prolonged or recurrent fever after critical phase of illness. Design: This was a retrospective observational study. Setting: This study was conducted in the pediatric department of a tertiary hospital. Patients: Children with dengue fever who present with persistent or prolonged fever even after critical phase were included in the study. Results: Eighty-three children with dengue fever who had persistent fever for more than 5 days or recurrent fever were included in our study. Twenty-nine patients (34.9%) had definite secondary bacterial infection confirmed by positive culture and seven patients had probable secondary bacterial infection. The risk of secondary bacterial infection was higher in infants (P = 0.054), children who had fever >5 days on admission (P = 0.020), and children who had severe dengue (P = 0.016). The duration of hospital stay increased significantly in those with secondary bacterial infection (P = 0.041). No mortality was reported in culture-positive group. Conclusion: Our study highlights the increased risk of multidrug-resistant secondary bacterial infection among infants and in children who presented with fever >5 days and severe dengue fever. Hence, a low threshold to work up for secondary bacterial infections and early initiation of empirical antibiotics is warranted in these patients.

Profile of C-reactive protein, leucocyte and neutrophil populations as predictors of bacterial infections in febrile children

Objective: C-reactive protein, total White Blood Cell count and Absolute Neutrophil counts are important inflammatory markers. These tests are highly significant as predictor of bacterial infection in febrile children. Materials and Methods: We have collected data of 149 samples from pediatric indoor and outdoor patients. Samples were collected in both plain and EDTA vacuette. From plain vacuette CRP test was done and from EDTA vacuette total WBC count and absolute neutrophil count were done. Results: In present study we have collected data of 149 pediatric patient. Total number of patient having bacterial infection were 101. Out of which CRP positive samples were 91(90%), 56(55.4%) samples show leucocytosis and 36(35.6%) samples show neutrophilia. Conclusion: CRP test along with total WBC count and Absolute Neutrophil Count will be helpful for early prediction of bacterial infection and this test will guide clinician for better outcome of febrile children. Keywords: C-reactive protein, Total WBC count, Absolute Neutrophil count, Bacterial infection, Children.

Neutrophil-derived miR-223 as local biomarker of bacterial peritonitis

Infection remains a major cause of morbidity, mortality and technique failure in patients with end stage kidney failure who receive peritoneal dialysis (PD). Recent research suggests that the early inflammatory response at the site of infection carries diagnostically relevant information, suggesting that organ and pathogen-specific “immune fingerprints” may guide targeted treatment decisions and allow patient stratification and risk prediction at the point of care. Here, we recorded microRNA profiles in the PD effluent of patients presenting with symptoms of acute peritonitis and show that elevated peritoneal miR-223 and reduced miR-31 levels were useful predictors of bacterial infection. Cell culture experiments indicated that miR-223 was predominantly produced by infiltrating immune cells (neutrophils, monocytes), while miR-31 was mainly derived from the local tissue (mesothelial cells, fibroblasts). miR-223 was found to be functionally stabilised in PD effluent from peritonitis patients, with a proportion likely to be incorporated into neutrophil-derived exosomes. Our study demonstrates that microRNAs are useful biomarkers of bacterial infection in PD-related peritonitis and have the potential to contribute to disease-specific immune fingerprints. Exosome-encapsulated microRNAs may have a functional role in intercellular communication between immune cells responding to the infection and the local tissue, to help clear the infection, resolve the inflammation and restore homeostasis.

Validity of c-reactive protein and procalcitonin in the prediction of bacterial infection in patients with liver cirrhosis

Validity of c-reactive protein and procalcitonin in the prediction of bacterial infection in patients with liver cirrhosis

Assessment of the utility of Yale observation scale as a predictor of bacteremia in children aged 3 months to 36 months

Background: The Yale observation scale (YOS) is an illness severity helps to diagnose bacteremia based on simple noninvasive clinical signs and symptoms. The aim of the present study was to assess the utility of YOS as a predictor of bacterial infection in febrile children aged 3 to 36 months.Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted on 200 children aged 3 to 36 months presenting with fever, at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children during the period from April 2016 to September 2016. Rectal temperature was taken for all children. Clinical examination was done as required based on the YOS and scores were given accordingly at the time of initial presentation of the child before invasive investigations. All the observation was assessed statistically and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was performed to analyze the sensitivity of the YOS.Results: Highly significant correlation (p=0.0001) was found to exist between the age of the child, duration of the fever, higher body temperature &gt;104, WBC count, ANC and improved condition of patient with higher YOS. ROC curves showed that the sensitivity and specificity of YOS at the best cut off value of 14.5 was found to be 97% and 79.6% respectively.Conclusions: YOS is very good tool for predicting bacteremia in young febrile children based on simple non-invasive clinical signs and symptoms. The findings ruled out by YOS aids in the immediate and early management of bacterial infections before the arrival of the results of the biochemical diagnostic tests.

Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein as biomarkers for neonatal bacterial infection.

Neonates are predisposed to bacterial infection which are an important cause of early childhood morbidity and mortality globally. It has been proposed that procalcitonin has significant utility as a diagnostic marker for bacterial infection in febrile neonates when compared to C-reactive protein (CRP). The aim of this study is to conduct a literature search to find the best available evidence to answer the clinical question of the utility of procalcitonin when compared to CRP as a predictor of bacterial infection in febrile neonates. Medline/PubMed was searched using the terms 'procalcitonin', 'C-reactive protein', 'bacterial infection' and 'neonatal sepsis'. Three systematic reviews relevant to the clinical question were identified and the key article selected for critical appraisal was the systematic review by Yu et al. (2010). The appraised literature concludes that procalcitonin has moderate accuracy in diagnosing neonatal sepsis, but suggests it should be considered only within the context of other clinical parameters and other relevant investigations. The studies included in the systematic review were of variable quality, showed considerable heterogeneity in their methods and evidence of possible publication bias. Further research is required before definitive recommendations can be made about the utility of procalcitonin compared with CRP as a diagnostic marker for neonatal sepsis and bacterial infection in clinical practice.

Bacterial Profile, Antibacterial Resistance Pattern, and Associated Factors from Women Attending Postnatal Health Service at University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Introduction Surgical site infection is a vital cause of maternal mortality and morbidity, especially in resource-limited countries. The rise of antibiotic resistance bacterial infection poses a big threat to this vulnerable population. However, there is lack of studies around the study area. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify bacterial profile, antibacterial resistance pattern, and associated factors among mothers attending postnatal care health service. Methods Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted on 107 study participants at University of Gondar Teaching Hospital from 1 January 2016 to 30 May 2016. Wound swab, aspirate, and biopsy were collected and performed for culture and drug resistance testing. Data were entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to determine the associated factors for bacterial infection. Odds ratio (95% CI) was calculated to determine the strength of statistically significant associated factors. Result Bacterial growth was confirmed in 90 (84.1%) of 107 study participants suspected to have surgical site infection. The predominant bacterial isolates were S. aureus (41.6%), E. coli (19.8%), K. pneumoniae (13.9%), coagulase negative Staphylococcus (12.9%), and Enterobacter spp. (4%). The majority of isolates were resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin, and tetracycline but susceptible to ceftriaxone and amikacin. Multidrug-resistant bacteria species were isolated. Using a procedure such as cesarean section and episiotomy for delivery and premature rapture of membrane had strong association with bacterial infection. Conclusion The high prevalence of bacterial profile and isolation of multidrug-resistant bacteria pose a big threat to postnatal mothers and their children. Factors such as cesarean section, episiotomy for delivery, and premature rapture of membrane were predictors for bacterial infection. Therefore, there should be done a continuous surveillance as well as rational use of antibiotics and a longitudinal study using phenotypic and genotypic methods will be done.