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IntroductionCOVID-19 outbreaks have left us to deal with an aftermath on many fronts. In particular, disproportionate use of antibiotics, high ICU burden and longer in-hospital stays during the pandemic have been proposed to aggravate the emergency posed by carbapenem-resistant isolates (CRI), specially through carbapenemase production. However, there have been few reports worldwide regarding changes in CRI incidence and little latinamerican literature.ObjectiveWe set out to determine whether the incidence of CRI rose in a tertiary care center in Santa Fe, Argentina during the time period with active cases of COVID-19.MethodsAnalytic epidemiologic study retrospectively designed. Two time periods were defined: P1 (without active cases of COVID-19) from September, 2019 to August, 2020 and P2 (starting at the onset of the first wave of COVID-19 in this institution) from September, 2020 to June 2021. All clinically-relevant microbiological samples -those meant for diagnostic purposes-taken during the study period from patients in the Internal Medicine and Surgical wards as well as the Intensive Care Units were included. Incidence was calculated by dividing the number of CRI during each time frame by the count of patient-day during that same period, multiplied by a hundred.Results9,135 hospitalizations, 50,145 patient-days of analysis. A total of 7285 clinical samples were taken, with an overall positivity for CRI of 12.1% (n=883). Overall CRI incidence during P2 was 2.5 times higher than in P1 (2.52 vs 0.955/100 patient-days, p <0.001). ICU CRI incidence raised from 6.78 to 8.69/100 patient-days in P2 (p=0.006).ConclusionWe found alarming rates of CRI in our center, 2.5 times higher than previous to the first COVID-19 wave, similar to other reports worldwide. To our knowledge, this is one of the few Latin-American reports on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on CRI incidence.

Introduction: The pressure over health systems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic brought about the need to develop tools that would allow for the identification of those patients that require immediate attention. Our objective was to identify clinical and biochemical predictors of poor outcomes (PO) in a cohort of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in an Argentinean public hospital. Methods: Prospective cohort study conducted from March 3rd, 2020 to February 16th, 2021 in a tertiary care center in Santa Fe, Argentina. Clinical and biochemical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted consecutively were analyzed in order to identify predictors of a composite of poor outcomes (PO) -all-cause mortality and/or need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Results: 421 patients were included. The mean age was 56.13 ± 15.05 years. 57.0% were males. 79.7% presented at least one comorbidity. 27.7% (n=116) presented PO. In the multivariate analysis, a higher 4C-score and a higher LDH, as well as a lower SatO2/FiO2, were associated with a higher risk of PO. No variable reached an AUC of 0.800 in the ROC analysis. 4C-score presented a numerically higher AUC (0.766 IC 95% 0.715-0.817). Conclusions: Each point that the 4C-score increases, the risk of PO rises by 28%. Also, for every 100-units increase in LDH or 50-units decrease in SatO2/FiO2 at admission, there is a 20% increased risk of PO.

Introduction: During COVID-19 outbreaks, disproportionate use of antibiotics, high Intensive Care Units burden and longer in-hospital stays may have aggravated the emergency posed by carbapenem-resistant isolates. Therefore, we set out to determine whether the incidence of carbapenem-resistant isolates rose in a tertiary care center in Santa Fe, Argentina during the period with active cases of COVID-19. Material and methods: In this retrospectively designed analytic epidemiologic study, two periods were defined: Period 1 (without active cases of COVID-19) from September 2019 to August 2020 and Period 2 (starting at the onset of the first wave of COVID-19 in this Institution) from September 2020 to June 2021. All clinically relevant microbiological samples taken during these periods in the Internal Medicine, Surgical and Intensive Care Unit wards were included. The primary analysis of interest was the differential incidence between the two periods, overall and in the Intensive Care Units wards in particular. Results: 9,135 hospitalizations, 50,145 patient-days of analysis. 7,285 clinical samples were taken, with an overall positivity for carbapenem-resistant isolates of 12.1% (n=883). Overall carbapenem-resistant isolates incidence during Period 2 was 2.5 times higher than in Period 1 (2.52 vs 0.955/100 patient-days, p<0.001). Intensive Care Units’ carbapenem-resistant isolates incidence raised from 6.78 to 8.69/100 patient-days in Period 2 (p=0.006). Conclusions: We found alarming rates of carbapenem-resistant isolates in our center, 2.5 times higher in the period following the first wave of COVID-19. This rise was due to a higher amount of clinically relevant microbiological samples taken and to a higher carbapenem resistance among Enterobacteria and non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli. To our knowledge, this is one of the few Latin-American reports on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on carbapenem-resistant isolates incidence.

Background It has been described that Trypanosoma cruzi is capable of promoting metabolic disturbances currently considered as cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, it has been observed that the protozoa can remain in adipose tissue and alter its immune endocrine functions. The aim of this study was to characterize the thickness of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with chronic Chagas disease (CCD) concerning their cardiovascular metabolic risk profile compared with those without CCD. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed including T. cruzi seropositive individuals categorized according to a standard CCD classification and a matched seronegative control group. Complete clinical examination, metabolic laboratory tests and transthoracic echocardiography to assess cardiac function and to quantify EAT were performed. Results Fifty-five individuals aged 46.7±11.9 y, 34 with CCD and 21 in the control group, were included. The CCD group presented higher EAT thickness in relation to controls (4.54±1.28 vs 3.22±0.99 mm; p=0.001), which was significantly associated with the presence of insulin resistance (OR=3, 95% CI 1.58 to 5.73; p&lt;0.001). This group presented lower levels of plasmatic adiponectin than controls, especially in those patients with EAT ≥4.5 mm (p=0.005) who also presented with heart failure more frequently (p=0.01). Conclusion In patients with CCD, a higher EAT thickness is observed and is associated with an increased metabolic risk profile indicated mainly by insulin resistance.

Introducción: En las personas que viven con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (PVVIH) se han descripto desregulaciones metabólicas que podrían vincularse a un mayor riesgo cardiovascular. Objetivo: Evaluar el espesor del tejido adiposo epicárdico (ETAE) y la relación del mismo con parámetros clínicos y bioquímicos de riesgo cardiovascular en adultos que viven con VIH, comparados con controles seronegativos. Materiales y métodos: Observacional, inclusión prospectiva. Se incluyeron PVVIH >18 años y controles seronegativos para VIH, a los cuales se les midió el espesor de TAE en dos ejes por ecocardiograma transtorácico, así como el espesor de íntima media carotídea por ecografía doppler color. Resultados: 75 pacientes, 58,7% del sexo masculino, edad de 36 años (RIQ 22). 50,7% con VIH (CD4+: 512 cél/ mm3 RIQ 382; 80% indetectables). IMC de 25,2 kg/m2 (RIQ 5,3) y circunferencia de cintura de 88,5 cm (DS 12,4), sin diferencias. Las PVVIH tuvieron menor HDL, mayor proteína C reactiva, mayor dímero D y mayor glucemia en ayunas. El ETAE fue mayor en las PVVIH (4,05 vs. 3,49 mm p=0,021), y se correlacionó con la edad, glucemia en ayunas y dímero D. En las PVVIH, se correlacionó con insulinemia, índice HOMA2-IR, HDL-c y dímero D. El tratamiento con Efavirenz se asoció a un mayor ETAE. Conclusión: Las PVVIH presentaron mayor inflamación sistémica de bajo grado y un mayor espesor de TAE que los controles sanos, el cual se asoció en este grupo a insulinorresistencia.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the limited therapeutic arsenal available strain daily clinical practice. Guidelines have recently recommended routine anticoagulation of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, apart from the expert panels’ experience, the provenance of this recommendation is not clear, due to the scarce published evidence. We provide a narrative review with the objective of unraveling the rationale for this practice. First, we analyze the biochemical, histopathological and clinical evidence for a pro-thrombotic profile in COVID-19 patients. Then, we present the clinical data from previous studies and discuss to what extent they aid in clinical decision-making. We conclude that, in the absence of randomized controlled trials, which are of utmost importance, prophylactic-dose anticoagulation should be offered to critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia, particularly those with high d-dimer levels, since they are the population most likely to benefit from it.

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