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Background and Objectives: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the second most common nosocomial infection in pediatric intensive care units. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of multiplex PCR in the diagnosis of VAP and its impact on the clinical and prognostic outcome of children in the ICU. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective observational study from March to November 2021, including bronchial samples collected from 38 intubated children hospitalized in ICU. The detection of respiratory pathogens was performed by the FilmArray® Pneumonia Panel plus (FAPP). Results: Multiplex PCR (mPCR) detected exclusively 46 potentially pathogenic bacteria, giving a sensitivity of 93%, spec- ificity of 90%, negative predictive value of 100%, and positive predictive value of 23%. Overall, the sensitivity of mPCR was higher for Gram-negative bacteria (100%) than Gram-positive (92%). Bacterial etiology was the most frequent (69.3%), represented mainly by Moraxella catarrhalis (11.4%), followed by viral etiology (30.7%), with Rhinovirus/Enterovirus as the most prevalent virus. FAPP enabled a change in antibiotic therapy in 39.5% of the patients, with a 73.3% survival rate. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of mPCR in diagnosing VAP and improving antimicrobial therapy.

Introduction The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a considerable impact, causing millions of deaths worldwide, including many healthcare workers (HCWs). The pharmaceutical industry has been working diligently since the start of the pandemic to develop various vaccines to fight the spread of the virus and protect the population. Objective To study the seroprevalence of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in vaccinated HCWs at the Mohamed VI University Hospital in Marrakech and to determine the parameters that can influence immune response. Methods A cross-sectional study of 138 HCWs was performed between October and December 2021 by measuring IgG antibodies directed against the spike antigen of SARS-CoV-2 using an Abbott Architect® SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay. Results The mean age was 31.42 years, the sex ratio was 2.94 women to each man, and the overall prevalence was 97%. We found 39.5% of the participants had experienced COVID-19 infections pre-vaccination, which decreased to 26.8% after vaccination. Neutralizing antibody titers were dependent on the type of vaccine: they were higher with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the number of doses ( p < .001), and post-vaccine COVID-19 form. The post-vaccine COVID-19 infection rates were lower with the Sinopharm vaccine. Conclusion Heterologous vaccination with non-mRNA and mRNA vaccines and the consideration of post-vaccination COVID-19 infection as a booster could help optimize vaccine results while reducing potential side effects.

Introduction The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution and limits of BioFire® FilmArray® meningitis/encephalitis panel (FA MEP) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (bioMérieux, Marcy-l'Étoile, France) (product references: LLC RFIT-ASY-0118) coupled with bacterial and fungal culture in the diagnosis of central nervous system infections (CNSIs). Methods This was a retrospective observational study including all patients (adults and children) hospitalized in the intensive care units (ICUs) of a Moroccan university hospital, who benefited from multiplex PCR on a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample. Results A total of 112 PCRs were performed, with a positivity rate of 18%. Bacterial etiology was the most frequent (70%), represented mainly by Streptococcus pneumoniae (45%), followed by viruses (25%), with four isolates of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 . On 94 samples, there was an agreement between the culture and PCR results. Their discordance was found in 18 cases, including 16 suspected CNSIs recovered only by PCR and two diagnoses confirmed only by bacterial culture. Conclusion This study revealed the significant impact of multiplex PCR on the early and targeted diagnostic and therapeutic management of infectious meningitis and meningoencephalitis in intensive care unit patients.