Lung abscess as a secondary infection of COVID-19: A case report and literature review

Multiple lung abscesses and cold agglutinin syndrome following coronavirus disease 2019: a case report

BACKGROUND

Cold agglutination syndrome is a subtype of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The condition is referred to as "cold" because the antibodies become active and induce hemolysis at cold temperatures, typically 3-4 °C, which is not always the case in other kinds of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Whereas primary cold agglutination syndrome may occur in the absence of underlying conditions, secondary cold agglutination syndrome is associated with the presence of underlying infections, including coronavirus disease 2019.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report the case of a 69-year-old Japanese woman with periodontitis who was referred to our hospital with complaints of brown-colored urine and chest pain. Her hemoglobin level was 6.1 g/dL. Computed tomography revealed multiple lung abscesses. Her direct antibody test results were positive (2+) for anti-complement direct antiglobulin and negative for immunoglobulin G, and her cold agglutinin titer was elevated at 1:4096. Workup for anemia revealed a positive result for cold agglutination syndrome. The patient had received the fourth dose of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination. Nasopharyngeal swab test for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 using a real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction gave a cycle threshold value of 42.3, and the level of virus-specific immunoglobulin G was elevated at 7.71 S/C (normal range -1.4 S/C).

CONCLUSION

A decrease in hemoglobin in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 may be associated with secondary cold agglutination syndrome. The patient was hypothesized to have developed multiple lung abscesses with secondary cold agglutination syndrome following coronavirus disease 2019. Thus, following coronavirus disease 2019, patients can develop secondary cold agglutination syndrome, which could worsen owing to associated bloodstream bacterial infections.

Lung abscess: an update on the current knowledge and call for future investigations

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Lung abscess is a severe and complex respiratory infection. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent publications on lung abscess, covering topics such as epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment and prevention.

RECENT FINDINGS

Risk factors associated with lung abscess include structural lung disease, poor dental hygiene, and ventilator-associated pneumonia, while concerns are now raised regarding the potential of electronic cigarettes use as a risk factor. The complexity of lung abscess is reflected by the relative high number of case reports describing rare and complex cases. Early transthoracic drainage could improve in-hospital outcomes, while next-generation sequencing could become an important tool in diagnostics and future clinical studies.

SUMMARY

High-quality evidence and guidelines to support treatment of lung abscess are lacking. Despite advancements, we call for prospective studies to evaluate the use of invasive procedures and antibiotic treatment regimens.

Dying at home during the SARS-CoV-2 endemic: The importance of defining the exact mechanism of death

INTRODUCTION

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become endemic in Europe thanks to the presence of less deadly and more infectious variants and to the existence of a significant portion of unvaccinated people among the general population. SARS-Cov-2 related deaths are probably going to fade in the next years, but Covid-19 should still be considered a potential cause of death in the out-of-hospital setting in the next future.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Three (3) cases of unexpected death at home are here presented. Each case has been investigated with the same methodological approach: death scene investigation (DSI), complete autopsy with histology, immunohistochemistry, RNA in situ hybridization for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in lung tissue, toxicology and microbiology.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

All three cases had a COVID + post-mortem nasopharyngeal swab. Histology and immunohistochemistry revealed a SARS-CoV-2 lung involvement in only two of the cases (Cases 2 and 3), while a septic bacterial pneumonia was found in Case 1, where RNA-in situ hybridization for viral spike protein showed no reactivity in pneumocytes. The integration of all postmortem evidence allowed to attribute a different role of SARS-Cov-2 in the determinism of the death.

CONCLUSION

In the current post-pandemic context, SARS-CoV-2 remains a possible cause of death when investigating out-of-hospital unexpected deaths. Since a positive post-mortem swab does not automatically imply a COVID-19-related death, histology and immunohistochemistry are helpful for identifying SARS-CoV-2 lung involvement and, therefore, its potential active role in the determinism of death.

Lung abscess following ventilator-associated pneumonia during COVID-19: a retrospective multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) for COVID-19 exhibit an increased risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The occurrence of lung abscesses following VAP in these patients has been poorly studied. We aimed to describe the incidence, characteristics, risk factors and prognosis of lung abscesses complicating VAP after COVID-19.

METHODS

We conducted an observational, retrospective study in three French intensive care units. Patients admitted for acute respiratory failure with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 PCR and requiring MV for more than 48 h were included.

RESULTS

Among the 507 patients included, 326 (64%) had a documented VAP. Of these, 23 (7%) developed a lung abscess. Enterobacterales (15/23, 65%) were the main documentation, followed by non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (10/23, 43%) and Gram-positive cocci (8/23, 35%). Lung abscesses were mainly plurimicrobial (15/23, 65%). In multivariate analysis, a plurimicrobial 1st VAP episode (OR (95% CI) 2.93 (1.16-7.51); p = 0.02) and the use of hydrocortisone (OR (95% CI) 4.86 (1.95-12.1); p = 0.001) were associated with lung abscess development. Intensive care unit (ICU) mortality of patients with lung abscesses reached 52%, but was not significantly higher than for patients with VAP but no lung abscess. Patients with lung abscesses had reduced ventilator-free days at day 60, a longer duration of MV and ICU stay than patients with VAP but no lung abscess (respectively, 0 (0-3) vs. 16 (0-42) days; p < 0.001, 49 (32-73) vs. 25 (11-41) days; p < 0.001, 52 (36-77) vs. 28 (16-47) days; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Lung abscessing pneumonia is not uncommon among COVID-19 patients developing VAP. A plurimicrobial first VAP episode and the use of hydrocortisone are independently associated with this complication. In COVID-19 patients with persistent VAP, a chest CT scan investigating the evolution toward lung abscess should be considered.

Intraparenchymal Lung Abscess Complicating a Primary COVID-19 Infection in a Patient with Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia: A Case Report

Intraparenchymal lung abscess development associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a rare complication, with only half a dozen primary cases having been reported in the literature. We present the case of a patient with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia who developed a lung abscess subsequent to a primary SARS-CoV-2 infection. We present a 63-year-old male patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection and a history of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia who developed a cavitating intraparenchymal lung abscess with an air-fluid level in his right lower lobe two weeks following admission to hospital. The patient became septic and developed acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation and intensive care. He was managed with broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and aspiration drainage, but unfortunately due to his severe clinical condition died 20 days after his initial admission. The development of a lung abscess in patients with COVID-19, although rare, can be quite compromising and even prove fatal, especially in immunocompromised patients. Clinicians should be aware of this potential complication.