OBJECTIVE: The aim of the investigation was to evaluate variations in blood TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) levels between patients with viral and bacterial infections and the diagnostic performance of TRAIL for identifying viral and bacterial infections.
METHODS: The investigation included 169 adult (>18 years) patients presenting with medical signs of acute infections (inclusion criteria included a body temperature over 37.5 °C, an onset of symptoms no more than 12 days). Reference standard was based on a rigorous expert panel and the majority of the panel determined the infectious etiology. Finally, 104 patients with 78 bacterial and 26 viral reference standard outcomes were enrolled in this investigation (24 were eliminated depending on the exclusion criteria; 41 had indeterminate reference standard diagnosis). ELISA was employed to measure TRAIL levels in the group of 78 subjects with bacterial infections and 26 individuals with viral infections, and the diagnostic performance of TRAIL was identified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
RESULTS: The TRAIL level in individuals with bacterial infections was significantly lower than that in subjects with viral infections (16.59 (2.61-32.6) pg/mL vs. 97.39 (36.18-127.74) pg/mL, P < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of TRAIL was 0.86 (95 %CI:0.79 to 0.94) for identifying bacterial and viral infections. Combining TRAIL with C-reactive protein (CRP), the AUC was 0.94 (95 %CI:0.89 to 1.00).
CONCLUSIONS: TRAIL is diagnostic for discriminating between viral and bacterial infections. Combining TRAIL with CRP increases the AUC.

Trichomonas tenax, an oral commensal parasite commonly found in the human mouth, is associated with periodontitis and poor oral hygiene. However, it has also been identified in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of individuals with lung diseases. Notably, significant quantities of T. tenax have been isolated following bronchoscopy in cases of empyema and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Furthermore, research has demonstrated its ability to induce inflammation in pulmonary epithelial cells. To comprehend the potential role of T. tenax in pneumonia, it is crucial to elucidate the relationship between the parasite and the disease. We investigated the clinical factors associated with T. tenax infection in patients with pneumonia. Employing nested polymerase chain reactions, we amplified nucleic acids from BALF and analyzed the relationships between T. tenax and various clinical factors. Our data revealed a significant association between T. tenax and bacterial infections, high pneumonia severity index (PSI) scores, nasogastric tube feeding, and pulmonary complications. Logistic regression analyses also showed strong associations between T. tenax and these clinical factors in pneumonia patients. These findings suggest that T. tenax infection in pneumonia is accompanied by bacterial infection and severe clinical manifestations.

UNASSIGNED: To explore the prevalence and characteristics of secondary bacterial infections among patients suffering from mucormycosis following COVID-19 infection.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective analysis from March 2020 to April 2022 at Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex in Tehran. The study included patients with histopathologically confirmed mucormycosis and documented secondary bacterial infections. We extracted and analyzed data from hospital records using SPSS software, version 26.
UNASSIGNED: The study comprised 27 patients, with a predominance of females (70.4%) and an average age of 56 years. The majority of these patients (63%) had pre-existing diabetes mellitus. The severity of their COVID-19 infections varied. Treatment regimens included immunosuppressive drugs and antibiotics. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis was the most common form observed. The predominant secondary infections involved the urinary tract, respiratory system, bloodstream (bacteremia), and soft tissues, with resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae being the most frequently identified microorganisms. Notably, cases of bacteremia and pneumonia exhibited a higher mortality rate. Ultimately, 55.6% of patients were discharged, while 44.4% succumbed to their infections.
UNASSIGNED: Patients recovering from COVID-19 with mucormycosis are significantly susceptible to secondary bacterial infections, particularly those with diabetes mellitus or those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. Such infections compound the morbidity and mortality risks in this vulnerable patient cohort.

OBJECTIVE: A temporal reduction in the cardiovascular autonomic responses predisposes patients to cardiovascular instability after a viral infection and therefore increases the risk of associated complications. These findings have not been replicated in a bacterial infection. This pilot study will explore the prevalence of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction (CAD) in hospitalized patients with a bacterial infection.
METHODS: A longitudinal observational pilot study was conducted. Fifty participants were included: 13 and 37 participants in the infection group and healthy group, respectively. Recruitment and data collection were carried out during a two-year period. Participants were followed up for 6 weeks: all participants\' cardiovascular function was assessed at baseline (week 1) and reassessed subsequently at week 6 so that the progression of the autonomic function could be evaluated over that period of time. The collected data were thereafter analyzed using STATA/SE version 16.1 (StataCorp). The Fisher Exact test, McNemar exact test, Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon test were used for data analysis.
RESULTS: 32.4% of the participants in the healthy group were males (n = 12) and 67.6% were females (n = 25). Participants\' age ranged from 33 years old to 76 years old with the majority being 40-60 years of age (62.1%) (Mean age 52.4 SD = 11.4). Heart rate variability (HRV) in response to Valsalva Maneuver, metronome breathing, standing and sustained handgrip in the infection group was lower than in the healthy group throughout the weeks. Moreover, both the HRV in response to metronome breathing and standing up showed a statistically significant difference when the mean values were compared between both groups in week 1 (p = 0.03 and p = 0.013). The prevalence of CAD was significantly higher in the infection group compared to healthy volunteers, both at the beginning of the study (p = 0.018) and at the end of follow up (p = 0.057), when all patients had been discharged.
CONCLUSIONS: CAD, as assessed by the HRV, is a common finding during the recovery period of a bacterial infection, even after 6 weeks post-hospital admission. This may increase the risk of complications and cardiovascular instability. It may therefore be of value to conduct a wider scale study to further evaluate this aspect so recommendations can be made for the cardiovascular autonomic assessment of patients while they are recovering from a bacterial infectious process.

OBJECTIVE: Infections are common complications in patients following liver transplantation (LTX). The early diagnosis and prognosis of these infections is an unmet medical need even when using routine biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT). Therefore, new approaches are necessary.
METHODS: In a prospective, observational pilot study, we monitored 30 consecutive patients daily between days 0 and 13 following LTX using the 29-mRNA host classifier IMX-BVN-3b that determine the likelihood of bacterial infections and viral infections. True infection status was determined using clinical adjudication. Results were compared to the accuracy of CRP and PCT for patients with and without bacterial infection due to clinical adjudication.
RESULTS: Clinical adjudication confirmed bacterial infections in 10 and fungal infections in 2 patients. 20 patients stayed non-infected until day 13 post-LTX. IMX-BVN-3b bacterial scores were increased directly following LTX and decreased until day four in all patients. Bacterial IMX-BVN-3b scores detected bacterial infections in 9 out of 10 patients. PCT concentrations did not differ between patients with or without bacterial, whereas CRP was elevated in all patients with significantly higher levels in patients with bacterial infections.
CONCLUSIONS: The 29-mRNA host classifier IMX-BVN-3b identified bacterial infections in post-LTX patients and did so earlier than routine biomarkers. While our pilot study holds promise future studies will determine whether these classifiers may help to identify post-LTX infections earlier and improve patient management.
UNASSIGNED: German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00023236, Registered 07 October 2020, https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00023236.

UNASSIGNED: Urinary tract infection (UTI) stands out as the third-most common infection following gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections. Over the past decade, the biomarker procalcitonin (PCT) has gained prominence to facilitate the detection of bacterial infections and reduce excessive antibiotic exposure.
UNASSIGNED: The objective of this study was to mitigate the overuse of antibiotics, by promoting the noninitiation or early discontinuation of empirical antibiotics, which would significantly help minimize the proliferation of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
UNASSIGNED: A prospective observational study was carried out at the tertiary care center in the Department of General Medicine of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, involving 200 patients with symptoms of lower UTI such as increased frequency, urgency, burning micturition, retention, and suprapubic tenderness with or without positive urinalysis. Detailed demographic profiles along with symptoms at the time of admission were recorded in a pretested structured format. To determine a positive diagnosis of UTI, signs and symptoms of UTI with or without urinary cultures were tested. The PCT level was estimated using enhanced chemiluminescence technique. Other routine tests such as complete blood count, renal function test, liver function test, urine routine microscopy, culture, chest X-ray, and ultrasonography abdomen pelvis were done and recorded. All patients, who had an initial serum PCT level of < 0.5 ng/mL, were kept under observation with only conservative and symptomatic treatments. Patients were further reviewed for improvement in symptoms and repeat urine microscopy. All patients, who had an initial serum PCT level of > 0.5 ng/mL, were initiated with antibiotics as per the culture and sensitivity reports. Patients were followed up for improvement in symptoms with reports of repeated urinalysis.
UNASSIGNED: Our study reported the fact that 9.5% of the patients with initial serum PCT ≥ 0.5 ng/mL showed no improvement in symptoms despite starting antibiotics while significantly higher number of symptomatic patients (60%) with initial serum PCT < 0.5 ng/ml showed improvement in symptoms with conservative treatment without antibiotics.
UNASSIGNED: A lower PCT level rules out bacterial invasion and thus can be used as a novel marker in antibiotic stewardship.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyse the bacterial composition, distribution, drug sensitivity, and clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who develop bacterial co-infections.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 184 patients with COVID-19 admitted between December 2022 and January 2023. Data on gender, age, length of hospital stay, pneumonia classification, underlying diseases, invasive surgery, hormone therapy, inflammation indicators, and other relevant information were collected. Samples of sputum, bronchoscopy sputum, alveolar lavage fluid, middle urine, puncture fluid, wound secretions, and blood were collected for pathogen isolation, identification, and drug sensitivity testing.
RESULTS: The majority of patients with COVID-19 with bacterial co-infection were elderly and had underlying diseases. Invasive surgery and hormone therapy were identified as risk factors for co-infections. Laboratory analysis showed reduced lymphocyte counts and elevated levels of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. The most common pathogens in co-infections were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The detection rate of drug-resistant strains, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus, carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii, carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant E. coli, increased with the severity of pneumonia.
CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory tract infections were the most common site of bacterial co-infection in patients with COVID-19. Severe cases were more susceptible to multidrug-resistant pathogens, leading to a higher mortality rate. Timely control and prevention of co-infection are crucial for improving the prognosis of patients with COVID-19.

UNASSIGNED: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of a rapid host-protein test for differentiating bacterial from viral infections in patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) or urgent care center (UCC).
UNASSIGNED: This was a prospective multicenter, blinded study. MeMed BV (MMBV), a test based on tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), interferon gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), and C-reactive protein (CRP), was measured using a rapid measurement platform. Patients were enrolled from 9 EDs and 3 UCCs in the United States and Israel. Patients >3 months of age presenting with fever and clinical suspicion of acute infection were considered eligible. MMBV results were not provided to the treating clinician. MMBV results (bacterial/viral/equivocal) were compared against a reference standard method for classification of infection etiology determined by expert panel adjudication. Experts were blinded to MMBV results. They were provided with comprehensive patient data, including laboratory, microbiological, radiological and follow-up.
UNASSIGNED: Of 563 adults and children enrolled, 476 comprised the study population (314 adults, 162 children). The predominant clinical syndrome was respiratory tract infection (60.5% upper, 11.3% lower). MMBV demonstrated sensitivity of 90.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 80.3-99.7), specificity of 92.8% (90.0%-95.5%), and negative predictive value of 98.8% (96.8%-99.6%) for bacterial infections. Only 7.2% of cases yielded equivocal MMBV scores. Area under the curve for MMBV was 0.95 (0.90-0.99).
UNASSIGNED: MMBV had a high sensitivity and specificity relative to reference standard for differentiating bacterial from viral infections. Future implementation of MMBV for patients with suspected acute infections could potentially aid with appropriate antibiotic decision-making.

Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women are among the most common bacterial infections in primary care. Given the health threats related to the overuse of antibiotics, alternative options are of increasing importance. Patient-reported outcome measures are valuable tools for including the patients\' perspective when evaluating the efficacy of these strategies. Aiming to identify a suitable instrument to measure the severity and bothersomeness of UTI symptoms in women, we performed a systematic review of the literature and identified the Holm and Cordoba Urinary Tract Infection Score (HCUTI), which measures the severity, bothersomeness, and impact of uncomplicated UTIs on daily activities. This instrument showed sufficient content validity but needs translation and further validation before it can be used in German research.
For use in the German setting, we aim (1) to perform translation and linguistic validation of the HCUTI and (2) to evaluate content validity and psychometric properties of the German version of the HCUTI in a population of women with uncomplicated UTIs.
The HCUTI will be translated and linguistically validated using the dual-panel method. This process involves a bilingual translation panel and a lay panel to check the comprehensibility of the translation. Content validity of the translated questionnaire will be assessed using cognitive interviews according to the criteria for good content validity as recommended by the COSMIN (Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments) group involving women with uncomplicated UTIs and health care professionals. Subsequent psychometric validation of the German version of the HCUTI in a population of women with uncomplicated UTIs will include the assessment of structural validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, responsiveness, and interpretability.
Results of the translation and linguistic validation process and the results of the content validity study were obtained in September 2023 and will be published separately. Data on the psychometric properties of the German version of the HCUTI are anticipated in mid-2024.
We expect that data from the content validity study will provide important suggestions for potential modifications of the HCUTI for use in the German setting. The final version of the questionnaire will be used for the assessment of its psychometric properties in a large population of women with uncomplicated UTIs.
PRR1-10.2196/49903.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is a type of tuberculosis that is resistant to at least the first-line antituberculosis drugs namely, rifampicin and isoniazid. However, most of these studies were limited only to a single hospital. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the determinants of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among adults undergoing treatment for tuberculosis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
METHODS: Hospital-based unmatched case-control study was conducted from 1 April 2019 to 30 June 2019. A simple random sampling method was used to select the required sample size. Variables at a p value less than 0.25 in bivariate analysis were entered into a multivariable analysis to identify the determinant factors of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Finally, the level of significance was declared at p<0.05.
RESULTS: Rural residence (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.54; 95% CI 1.34 to 4.83), HIV (AOR 4.5; 95% CI 1.4 to 14.2), relapse (AOR 3.86; 95% CI 1.98 to 7.5), return after lost follow-up (AOR 6.29; 95% CI 1.64 to 24.2), treatment failure (AOR 5.87; 95% CI 1.39 to 24.8) were among the determinants of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
CONCLUSIONS: Rural residence, HIV, relapses, return after lost follow-up and treatment failure were the identified determinant factors of multidrug-resistance tuberculosis.