Infection & chemotherapy最新文献

{"title":"Microbiologic Diagnosis of Pyogenic Spondylitis.","authors":"Nam Joong Kim","doi":"10.3947/ic.2021.0054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pyogenic spondylitis requires long-term antibiotics treatment and identification of the etiologic microorganism is essential. The first test in the microbiologic diagnosis of pyogenic spondylitis is a blood culture. Any microorganisms that grow in blood culture are highly likely to be the etiological microorganisms of pyogenic spondylitis. If the microbial etiology cannot be defined by the blood culture, a needle biopsy is performed on the inflamed tissues. Here, it is recommended that paraspinal tissues, rather than spinal tissues, are collected to increase the positive rate in tissue culture. If the microbial etiology cannot be defined by the first needle biopsy, another needle biopsy may be performed. The collected tissue sample is used in culture tests on bacteria and mycobacteria as well as pathological tests. If tuberculous spondylitis is suspected, polymerase chain reaction is carried out to detect <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>. In the case that the etiological microorganisms cannot be identified, the data of the patient regarding age, sex, vertebrae involved, history of spinal surgery or procedure, previous or concurrent urinary tract or intra-abdominal infection are analyzed. Based on this the most probable microbial etiology is determined to select the antibiotics to be used in the empiric treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"238-246"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/f4/49/ic-53-238.PMC8258299.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39145537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Interferon Beta in COVID-19 adult patients: Systematic Review.","authors":"Juan Pablo Sosa,&nbsp;Maria Mercedes Ferreira Caceres,&nbsp;Jennifer Ross Comptis,&nbsp;Jorge Quiros,&nbsp;Fortunato S Príncipe-Meneses,&nbsp;Adrian Riva-Moscoso,&nbsp;Marie Pierre Belizaire,&nbsp;Freda Q Malanyaon,&nbsp;Kuchalambal Agadi,&nbsp;Syeda Sheharbano Jaffery,&nbsp;Juhi Sahajwani,&nbsp;Asma Arshia,&nbsp;Andrelle Senatus,&nbsp;Graciela Verdecia,&nbsp;Lordstrong Akano,&nbsp;Aminah Abdul Razzack,&nbsp;Sanna Salam,&nbsp;Vinay Kumar Gadamidi,&nbsp;Sheeba Marian","doi":"10.3947/ic.2021.0028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The high rate of transmission and infection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of major epidemiological concern. No definitive treatments have been established, and vaccinations have only recently begun. We aim to review the efficacy and safety of Interferon Beta (IFN-β) in patients who have a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A search from PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane, and Clinicaltrials.gov databases were conducted from December 2019 to December 2020 to review the efficacy and safety of IFN-β in adult patients with COVID-19 confirmed. We included randomized controlled trials, case reports, and experimental studies. Correspondences, letters, editorials, reviews, commentaries, case control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies that did not include any new clinical data were excluded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 66 searched studies, 8 were included in our review. These studies demonstrated that although IFN-β did not reduce the time to clinical response, there was an increase in discharge rate at day 14 and a decrease in mortality at day 28. The time to negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was shown to be significantly shortened in patients receiving IFN-β, along with a lower nasopharyngeal viral load. Further, patients receiving IFN-β had a less significant rise in IL-6. IFN-β was shown to decrease intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate, the requirement of invasive ventilation in severe cases, and improve the survival rate compared to control groups. There were no severe adverse events reported. Our review found that patients who received early treatment with IFN-β experienced significantly reduced length of hospitalization, mortality, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation. A greater chance of clinical improvement and improved imaging studies was noted in patients who received IFN-β. There were no reported deaths associated with the addition of IFN-β. Further randomized trials involving more significant sample sizes are needed to better understand the effect of IFN-β on survival in COVID-19.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This review identified encouraging data and outcomes of incorporating IFN-β to treat COVID-19 patients. IFN-β has been shown to decrease hospital stay's overall length and decrease the severity of respiratory symptoms when added to the standard of care. Also, in some studies, it has been demonstrated to reduce the length of ICU stay, enhance survival rate, and decrease the need for invasive mechanical ventilation. There were minor side effects reported (neuropsychiatric symptoms and hypersensitivity reaction). However, randomized clinical trials with a large sample size are needed to assess IFN-β's benefit precisely.</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"247-260"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/70/f9/ic-53-247.PMC8258298.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39145538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nanoemulsions with Chloroaluminium Phthalocyanine and Paromomycin for Combined Photodynamic and Antibiotic Therapy for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.","authors":"Sandra Milena Leal Pinto,&nbsp;Luis Alexandre Muehlmann,&nbsp;Lucía Liliana Mantilla Ojeda,&nbsp;Angélica María Vera Arias,&nbsp;Martha Viviana Roa Cordero,&nbsp;María de Fátima Menezes Almeida Santos,&nbsp;Ricardo Bentes Azevedo,&nbsp;Patricia Escobar Rivero","doi":"10.3947/ic.2021.0010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using chloroaluminium phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) and paromomycin sulfate (PM) can be effective against New World <i>Leishmania</i> species involved in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). The aim of this study is to assay the skin permeation and the antileishmanial effects of a nanoemulsion (NE) containing both ClAlPc and PM in experimental CL by <i>Leishmania</i> (<i>Viannia</i>) <i>braziliensis</i>.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Cremophor ELP/castor oil-based NEs were prepared by a low-energy method and characterized for their physicochemical parameters. The NEs were used to deliver both ClAlPc and PM to leishmania cells. The <i>in vitro</i> toxicity of NEs were tested <i>in vitro</i> against <i>L.</i> (<i>V.</i>) <i>braziliensis</i> and THP-1 cells. The <i>in vivo</i> toxicity was assessed in non-infected BALB/c mice. <i>Ex-vivo</i> permeation and retention studies using healthy mice skin were also conducted. Finally, the <i>in vivo</i> activity of NE-PM+ClAlPc after PDT was tested in BALB/c mice infected with parasites.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>NEs are colloidally stable with average droplet diameter of 30 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) below 0.2, and zeta potential near zero. Both promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes treated with NE-PM, NE-ClAlPc and NE-PM+ClAlPc were inhibited at >50%, >95%, >88%, respectively, after PDT with a phototoxic index (PI) >1.2. No skin ClAlPc permeation was observed. In contrast, PM skin permeation was 80-fold higher using PM-loaded NE formulation in comparison to aqueous PM solution. Topical treatment with NE formulations showed no signs of local toxicity or genotoxicity. In addition, concentrations of PM between 27.3 - 292.5 μM/25 mg of tissue were detected in different organs. <i>In vivo</i>, the NE-PM+ClAlPc treatment did not reduce skin lesions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The Cremophor ELP/castor oil NE formulation increases the permeation of PM through the skin and can be used to co-deliver PM plus ClAlPc for combined PDT protocols. However, the lack of efficacy in the <i>in vivo</i> model evidences that the therapeutical scheme has to be improved.</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"342-354"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/30/1f/ic-53-342.PMC8258284.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39145075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical and Microbiologic Efficacy and Safety of Imipenem/Cilastatin/Relebactam in Complicated Infections: A Meta-analysis.","authors":"Syeda Sahra,&nbsp;Abdullah Jahangir,&nbsp;Rachelle Hamadi,&nbsp;Ahmad Jahangir,&nbsp;Allison Glaser","doi":"10.3947/ic.2021.0051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise. The use of redundant and inappropriate antibiotics is contributing to recurrent infections and resistance. Newer antibiotics with more robust coverage for Gram-negative bacteria are in great demand for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs), hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia (HABP), and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (VABP).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of a new antibiotic, Imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam, compared to other broad-spectrum antibiotics for complicated infections. We conducted a systemic review search on PubMed, Embase, and Central Cochrane Registry. We included randomized clinical trials-with the standard of care as comparator arm with Imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam as intervention arm. For continuous variables, the mean difference was used. For discrete variables, we used the odds ratio. For effect sizes, we used a confidence interval of 95%. A <i>P</i>-value of less than 0.05 was used for statistical significance. Analysis was done using a random-effects model irrespective of heterogeneity. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I² statistic.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The authors observed similar efficacy at clinical and microbiologic response levels on early follow-up and late follow-up compared to the established standard of care. The incidence of drug-related adverse events, serious adverse events, and drug discontinuation due to adverse events were comparable across both groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam has a non-inferior safety and efficacy profile compared to peer antibiotics to treat severe bacterial infections (cUTIs, cIAIs, HABP, VABP).</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"271-283"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/34/e9/ic-53-271.PMC8258290.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39145539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is Obesity a Potential Risk factor for Poor Prognosis of COVID-19?","authors":"Meltem Agca,&nbsp;Eylem Tuncay,&nbsp;Elif Yıldırım,&nbsp;Reyhan Yıldız,&nbsp;Tülin Sevim,&nbsp;Dilek Ernam,&nbsp;Nermin Ozer Yılmaz,&nbsp;Nazlı Huma Teke,&nbsp;Simge Yavuz,&nbsp;Zuhal Karakurt,&nbsp;Ipek Ozmen","doi":"10.3947/ic.2021.0026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to cause major mortality and morbidity worldwide even after a year of its emergence. In its early days, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases were noted as poor prognostic factors, while obesity gained attention at a later stage. In the present study, unfavorable clinical outcomes (transfer to the intensive care unit, invasive mechanical ventilation, and mortality) were investigated in obese patients with COVID-19.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>In this retrospective study we analyzed patients with positive polymerase chain reaction test in tertiary care hospital between March-May 2020. They were divided into 3 groups according to body mass index (BMI) as normal, overweight, and obese (BMI: 18.5 - 24.99 kg/m², 25 - 29.99 kg/m², and ≥ 30 kg/m², respectively). We compared clinical features and laboratory findings of these groups and recorded adverse clinical outcomes. Multivariate logistic analysis was performed for unfavorable outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 99 patients (35%), 116 (41%), and 69 patients (24%) in the normal-weight, overweight, and obese group, respectively. Among all patients, 52 (18%) patients were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU), 30 (11%) patients received invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and 22 patients (8%) died. Obese patients had minimum 1 more comorbidity than normal BMI patients (73% <i>vs.</i> 50%, <i>P</i> = 0.002), and a longer median (interquartile range [IQR]) duration of hospitalization (8 [5 - 12] <i>vs.</i> 6 [5 - 9]) days, <i>P</i> = 0.006). Obese participants had higher concentrations of serum C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, ferritin than non-obese patients (<i>P</i> <0.05 in all). In a multivariate analysis, obesity was associated with ICU admission (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.99, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26 - 7.04, <i>P</i> = 0.012). Moreover, IMV requirement was associated with obesity (aOR: 8.73, 95% CI: 2.44 - 31.20, <i>P</i> = 0.001). Mortality occurred in 16%, 9%, and 1% of the obese group, overweight group, and normal-weight group, respectively (Chi-square trend analysis, <i>P</i> = 0.002).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Obesity is a risk factor for adverse outcomes and caused increased mortality, hence requiring close follow-up.</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"319-331"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/f3/4a/ic-53-319.PMC8258288.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39145073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knowledge and Attitudes of School Teachers on Vaccination in Greece.","authors":"Despoina Gkentzi,&nbsp;Eleni Benetatou,&nbsp;Ageliki Karatza,&nbsp;Markos Marangos,&nbsp;Anastasia Varvarigou,&nbsp;Gabriel Dimitriou","doi":"10.3947/ic.2020.0153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2020.0153","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Few studies have assessed attitudes and beliefs of school teachers on vaccination. Our cross-sectional questionnaire-based prospective survey aims to explore vaccination coverage and relevant knowledge of school teachers in Greece. Out of the 217 respondents, 93% believe that vaccines offer protection but only 69.7% were completely vaccinated as per adults' National Immunization Schedule. In multivariate analysis, female gender, being a parent, beliefs that vaccination should be mandatory and imposing penalties to vaccine refusals are the main factors that account for teachers' \"behavioral\" variability towards vaccination. Strengthening the training of school teachers in health promotion should become a priority in the era of the highly anticipated vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"364-367"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/e8/58/ic-53-364.PMC8258291.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39145077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Blastocystis</i> species and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Peruvian Adults Attended in a Public Hospital.","authors":"Mayra Ximena Robles-Cabrera,&nbsp;Jorge L Maguiña,&nbsp;Luis Gonzales-Huerta,&nbsp;Vicky Panduro-Correa,&nbsp;Bernardo Dámaso-Mata,&nbsp;Samuel Pecho-Silva,&nbsp;Ana Claudia Navarro-Solsol,&nbsp;Ali A Rabaan,&nbsp;Alfonso J Rodríguez-Morales,&nbsp;Kovy Arteaga-Livias","doi":"10.3947/ic.2021.0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in gastrointestinal symptoms reported by adult patients in a Peruvian hospital. A case-control 3:1 study was performed at the outpatient clinic. Direct stool examinations were done. One hundred sixty patients were included, 40 cases and 120 controls. Positivity to <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. was associated with dyspepsia (<i>P</i> <0.001), bloating (<i>P</i> <0.001) and abdominal pain (<i>P</i> = 0.03) in patients attending our hospital outpatient clinic.</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"374-380"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/4f/2d/ic-53-374.PMC8258296.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39064764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Range of Varicella Zoster Co-Infections with COVID-19, Singapore.","authors":"Jerold Loh,&nbsp;Sai Meng Tham,&nbsp;Paul Anantharajah Tambyah,&nbsp;Gabriel Yan,&nbsp;Chun Kiat Lee,&nbsp;Louis Yi Ann Chai","doi":"10.3947/ic.2020.0154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2020.0154","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There have been recent descriptions of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presenting as 'varicella-like exanthem'. We report three cases of patients with Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) and COVID-19 co-infections, presenting in three varied ways. These cases highlight the need for heightened alertness to how such co-infections can present, to pick up overlapping 'dual pathologies' during this current pandemic given that infection control measures including airborne precautions are crucial for both COVID-19 and VZV.</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"391-394"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/22/f7/ic-53-391.PMC8258286.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39064766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk of <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> Endogenous Endophthalmitis during Bacteremia: Implications for Screening.","authors":"Riyaz Bhikoo,&nbsp;Paul Robert Ingram,&nbsp;William Cunningham,&nbsp;Pavindran Gounder,&nbsp;Benjamin Host,&nbsp;Fred K Chen","doi":"10.3947/ic.2021.0023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0023","url":null,"abstract":"Endogenous endophthalmitis is caused by bacteremic spread of pathogens to the posterior segment of the eye. Klebsiella pneumoniae is the most frequent bacterial cause of endogenous endophthalmitis [1]. In keeping with animal models in which rapid destruction of retinal photoreceptors occurs as early as 24 48 hours after inoculation, K. pneumoniae endogenous endophthalmitis (KLEE) ocular outcomes are poor, particularly if diagnosis and treatment are delayed [2, 3]. In this regard, the role of ocular screening of asymptomatic patients with K. pneumoniae bacteremia is debated [4].","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"381-383"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/40/b9/ic-53-381.PMC8258283.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39064765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of Early Favipiravir Use with Reduced COVID-19 Fatality among Hospitalized Patients.","authors":"Ercan Karatas,&nbsp;Lacin Aksoy,&nbsp;Ersin Ozaslan","doi":"10.3947/ic.2020.0149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2020.0149","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The antiviral agent favipiravir is an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitor.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We examined patients with a clinical, laboratory, and radiological diagnosis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. We investigated the effect of administering enteral favipiravir at a 2 × 1,600 mg loading dose and 2 × 600 mg maintenance dose for 5 days in addition to the standard COVID-19 treatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 180 patients, who were hospitalized at the Istanbul Tuzla State Hospital and received favipiravir treatment between March 20, 2020 and May 30, 2020, were examined. Of these, 47 patients died. Thirty-three of the patients who died were aged over 65 years (70%), indicating that fatality was higher in elderly patients. Most of those who died had at least one comorbidity. Of the 101 patients who initiated favipiravir within ≤3 days of hospitalization, 17 died (17%). Of the 79 patients who initiated favipiravir after >3 days of hospitalization, 30 died (38%) (<i>P</i> = 0.002).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We found that initiation of favipiravir within the first 72 h after the onset of disease symptoms reduced fatality in patients with COVID-19.</p>","PeriodicalId":520645,"journal":{"name":"Infection & chemotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"300-307"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/20/e4/ic-53-300.PMC8258292.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39145071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}