Tirupathi, Raghavendra

Background: Enterococci are the third most common cause of healthcare-associated infections in the United States, affecting 10-12% of all transplant recipients worldwide. Approximately 46% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were found to be colonized with Enterococcus [1]. The risk of infection and its complications increases in patients treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Given the high rates of Enterococcus colonization, we aimed to study the impact of Enterococcus infection in AML patients treated with HSCT. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using the National Inpatient Sample Database (2018-2021). Adults over the age of 18 who were treated with HSCT for AML and had Enterococcus infections were identified using ICD-10 codes [2]. We performed the analysis using descriptive statistics and multivariate regression, with a p-value of less than 0.05 considered significant. Results: Of 40,462 HSCT patients, 1.3% (n=531) were admitted with Enterococcus infection. Among the HSCT recipients, Enterococcus infection was seen in 344 (1.4%) of 23,930 patients with all forms of Leukemia and in 134 (2.4%) of 5,693 patients with AML. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic factors such as age over 60 years, gender, or race between those with and without Enterococcus infection in the AML population (p>0.5). The AML-Enterococcus cohort had longer hospital stays (20.8 vs. 9.5 days, p<0.001) and higher total costs as compared to the AML-non-Enterococcus cohort ($373,619 vs. $147,075, p<0.001). Additionally, the AML-Enterococcus cohort had a higher prevalence of urinary tract infections (28.4% vs. 5.2%, p<0.001), fungal infections (13.4% vs. 8.6%, p<0.05), and acute respiratory failure (26.1% vs. 15.5%, p<0.001). Enterococcus infection was more common among patients with bone marrow dysfunction such as neutropenia (33.6% vs. 20.9%, p<0.001), anemia (79.9% vs. 57.6%, p<0.001), and pancytopenia (61.9% vs. 42.7%, p<0.001). Enterococcus infection also was associated with higher rates of severe sepsis (22.4% vs. 9.4%, p<0.001) and vasopressor usage (6.7% vs. 3%, p<0.05). Crude analysis indicated a higher mortality rate in the AML-Enterococcus cohort compared to the AML-non-Enterococcus cohort (16.1% vs. 8.8%, p<0.05). However, after adjusting for confounders, the mortality risk between the two cohorts was not significantly different (adjusted odds ratio 0.9, 95% CI 0.4-1.7, p>0.05). Similarly, the utilization of palliative care services did not differ between the two cohorts (12.7% vs. 9.8%, p>0.05). Conclusion: Enterococcus infection in the AML population who undergo HSCT poses a significant healthcare burden, resulting in longer hospital stays and higher healthcare costs. Patients with bone marrow dysfunction are at increased risk of Enterococcus infection and other opportunistic infections. For AML patients who have previously undergone transplantation and are hospitalized for sepsis, urinary tract infection, or respiratory failure, aggressive treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics for Enterococcus is necessary. Due to the high crude mortality rate, it is essential to provide multidisciplinary care to reduce hemodynamic compromise and the potential need for vasopressor usage in these patients. It is important to consider Enterococcus as a differential diagnosis for any AML patient with HSCT presenting with a urinary tract infection or respiratory failure. Early recognition and treatment of Enterococcus infection could prevent lengthy hospital stays and reduce costs. References: Scheich S, Lindner S, Koenig R, et al.: Clinical impact of colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms on outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer. 2018, 124:286-96. 10.1002/cncr.31045 2021 ICD-10-CM. Accessed: July 14, 2024. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes/2021-icd-10-cm.

Abstract Background Although visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in various parts of India, management is still a challenge due to multiple drug resistance. Here we describe a case of a 50 years old female who was diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis at a tertiary care hospital in northern parts of India and was managed with a repeated trial of liposomal Amphotericin B. Methods Case Discussion: The patient presented in the outpatient department with recurrent fever, mild intermittent abdominal discomfort associated with generalized weakness for the past one month. On per abdomen examination the patient had splenomegaly with spleen palpable 8 cm below the left costal margin. Blood investigations were suggestive of pancytopenia (leukocyte of 1800/cumm, Hemoglobin 7 g/dl, Platelet count: 80,000/cumm) along with severe neutropenia (Absolute neutrophil count: 400/cumm) . The CT abdomen showed massive splenomegaly (23 cm) with mild hepatomegaly . Leishmania Immunoglobulin G was positive. Bone marrow biopsy revealed hyperproliferative marrow with plasmacytosis (12-15%). Bone marrow Leishman-Donovan bodies were negative. Serum immunofixation was negative for M spike and serum light chain assay was also negative. She was managed with liposomal Amphotericin B (3mg/kg) for 7 days and was subsequently discharged. After 3 months, the patient again presented with continuous fever, lethargy, running nose, palpitations. Her blood work-up revealed severe pancytopenia again. She was tested for Leishmania anti- rk39 antibody, which was positive. She was given a repeat trial of Liposomal Amphotericin B with a different regimen-3 mg/kg dose on Day 1 to 5, followed by 6th dose on Day 14, followed by 7th dose on Day 21, as per the FDA approved regimen. Patient recovered well. The most recent total leukocyte counts eventually improved to 4800 with normal differential count. Platelets increased to 180,000, Hemoglobin was around 10.8g/dl and spleen was non palpable on physical examination. Results Treatment of leishmania can become complicated due to resistance to various drugs especially when a single agent is being given. Conclusion But in resource limited countries different regimens of liposomal amphotericin B can be tried which might be helpful due to speedy clinical recovery and cost effectiveness. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Real-time RT-PCR is considered the gold standard confirmatory test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, many scientists disagree, and it is essential to understand that several factors and variables can cause a false-negative test. In this context, cycle threshold (Ct) values are being utilized to diagnose or predict SARS-CoV-2 infection. This practice has a significant clinical utility as Ct values can be correlated with the viral load. In addition, Ct values have a strong correlation with multiple haematological and biochemical markers. However, it is essential to consider that Ct values might be affected by pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytical variables such as collection technique, specimen type, sampling time, viral kinetics, transport and storage conditions, nucleic acid extraction, viral RNA load, primer designing, real-time PCR efficiency, and Ct value determination method. Therefore, understanding the interpretation of Ct values and other influential factors could play a crucial role in interpreting viral load and disease severity. In several clinical studies consisting of small or large sample sizes, several discrepancies exist regarding a significant positive correlation between the Ct value and disease severity in COVID-19. In this context, a revised review of the literature has been conducted to fill the knowledge gaps regarding the correlations between Ct values and severity/fatality rates of patients with COVID-19. Various databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched up to April 2021 by using keywords including “RT-PCR or viral load”, “SARS-CoV-2 and RT-PCR”, “Ct value and viral load”, “Ct value or COVID-19”. Research articles were extracted and selected independently by the authors and included in the present review based on their relevance to the study. The current narrative review explores the correlation of Ct values with mortality, disease progression, severity, and infectivity. We also discuss the factors that can affect these values, such as collection technique, type of swab, sampling method, etc.