Invasive nosocomial aspergillosis associated with heart failure and complete heart block following recovery from dengue shock syndrome

Characterization of the Myocarditis during the worst outbreak of dengue infection in China

Myocarditis is a common complication of severe dengue infection. However, data about prevalence and characterization of myocarditis in dengue are still lacking. In 2014, the worst outbreak of dengue in the last two decades in China occurred. In this study, we described the clinical and laboratory diagnostic features of dengue with myocarditis. Totally, 1782 diagnosed dengue patients were admitted from August to October, 2014, all of whom were subjected to electrocardiogram, ultrasound cardiogram, and cardiac enzyme test. About 201 cases of dengue patients were diagnosed with myocarditis and the prevalence of myocarditis in hospitalized dengue was 11.28%. The prevalence of myocarditis in nonsevere dengue with warning signs and severe dengue [NSD(WS+)/SD] and nonsevere dengue without warning signs [NSD(WS-)] was 46.66% and 9.72%, respectively. The NSD(WS+)/SD patients with myocarditis presented with higher incidence of cardiac symptoms, supraventricular tachycardia (14.29% vs. 0%, P < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (25.71% vs. 10.24%, P = 0.019) and heart failure compared with NSD (WS-) patients with myocarditis. About 150 cases of dengue patients without myocarditis in the same period of time in department of Cardiology were recruited as control group. The proportion of NSD(WS+)/SD in dengue patients with and without myocarditis was 17.41% and 2.53%, respectively. Dengue patients with myocarditis experienced longer hospital stay than those without myocarditis (7.17 ± 4.64 vs. 5.98 ± 2.69, P = 0.008). There was no difference between patients with and without myocarditis in the proportion of symptoms, auxiliary methods abnormality, arrhythmia, and heart failure on the discharge day. Our study demonstrates the prevalence of myocarditis in worst outbreak of dengue in China was 11.28% and the incidence of myocarditis increased with the severity of dengue. The NSD(WS+)/SD patients with myocarditis presented with higher incidence of cardiac complication compared with NSD (WS-) patients with myocarditis. The prognosis of dengue patients with and without myocarditis had no significant difference even if myocarditis patients experienced longer hospital stay.

A case presentation of a fatal dengue myocarditis showing evidence for dengue virus-induced lesion

Dengue is a prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease in tropical and subtropical areas of the globe. Dengue clinical manifestations include asymptomatic infections; undifferentiated fever; dengue fever, which is characterized by fever, headache, retroorbital pain, myalgia, and arthralgia; and a severe form of the disease denominated dengue haemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome, characterized by haemoconcentration, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding tendency. However, atypical manifestations, such as liver, central nervous system, and cardiac involvement, have been increasingly reported. We report an atypical and rare presentation of dengue disease marked by a dramatic and fatal cardiogenic shock due to acute myocarditis. Histopathological analysis of heart tissue showed several multifocal areas of muscle necrosis and intense interstitial oedema associated with clusters of virus particles inside the cardiomyocytes and in the interstitial space, providing evidence of a possible direct action of dengue virus on myocardium.

Fatal Staphylococcal infection following classic Dengue fever

Dengue represents an important public health issue in many tropical areas, leading to high morbidity and the employment of substantial health resources. Even though the number of fatalities related to dengue is unknown, several reports warn about the potential occurrence of severe infections and even death. The clinical spectrum of dengue is highly variable, ranging from a mild flu-like syndrome to severe disease, with shock and hemorrhage. The occurrence of bacterial superinfection, or coinfection, in patients with dengue has been noted by some authors, but the available information comes from anecdotic reports. In this study, we show the clinical and anatomopathological data of a patient infected with dengue, who subsequently died of acute multi-organic failure related to Staphylococcus aureus infection. The autopsy revealed a severe disseminated staphylococcal disease and confirmed dengue infection.

Invasive aspergillosis in developing countries

To review invasive aspergillosis (IA) in developing countries, we included those countries, which are mentioned in the document of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), called the Emerging and Developing Economies List, 2009. A PubMed/Medline literature search was performed for studies concerning IA reported during 1970 through March 2010 from these countries. IA is an important cause of morbidity and mortality of hospitalized patients of developing countries, though the exact frequency of the disease is not known due to inadequate reporting and facilities to diagnose. Only a handful of centers from India, China, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, South Africa, Turkey, Hungary, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina had reported case series of IA. As sub-optimum hospital care practice, hospital renovation work in the vicinity of immunocompromised patients, overuse or misuse of steroids and broad-spectrum antibiotics, use of contaminated infusion sets/fluid, and increase in intravenous drug abusers have been reported from those countries, it is expected to find a high rate of IA among patients with high risk, though hard data is missing in most situations. Besides classical risk factors for IA, liver failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and tuberculosis are the newly recognized underlying diseases associated with IA. In Asia, Africa and Middle East sino-orbital or cerebral aspergillosis, and Aspergillus endophthalmitis are emerging diseases and Aspergillus flavus is the predominant species isolated from these infections. The high frequency of A. flavus isolation from these patients may be due to higher prevalence of the fungus in the environment. Cerebral aspergillosis cases are largely due to an extension of the lesion from invasive Aspergillus sinusitis. The majority of the centers rely on conventional techniques including direct microscopy, histopathology, and culture to diagnose IA. Galactomannan, β-D glucan test, and DNA detection in IA are available only in a few centers. Mortality of the patients with IA is very high due to delays in diagnosis and therapy. Antifungal use is largely restricted to amphotericin B deoxycholate and itraconazole, though other anti-Aspergillus antifungal agents are available in those countries. Clinicians are aware of good outcome after use of voriconazole/liposomal amphotericin B/caspofungin, but they are forced to use amphotericin B deoxycholate or itraconazole in public-sector hospitals due to economic reasons.

Outcome of dengue hemorrhagic fever-caused acute kidney injury in Thai children

OBJECTIVES

To examine the outcome of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), the cause(s) of AKI, and the risk of AKI and fatality.

STUDY DESIGN

The medical records of patients age <15 years during 1989 to 2007 were reviewed. DHF-caused AKI and patients with DHF with no AKI were matched 1:2 by age.

RESULTS

DHF-caused AKI was clinically estimated to be 0.9% (25/2893) of admissions, with a high mortality rate of 64.0%. Risk factors of AKI were DHF grade IV and obesity (odds ratio, 16.9; 95% CI, 4.2 to 68.5, and odds ratio, 6.3; 95% CI, 1.4 to 28.8, respectively). Respiratory failure, hepatic failure, and massive bleeding were complications found in 80.0%, 96.0%, and 84.0% of cases with AKI, respectively. Fatality was more likely in cases with DHF grade IV, oliguric AKI, respiratory failure, or prolongation of prothrombin or activated partial thromboplastin time more than twice that of reference specimens. Among the survivors, none had chronic kidney disease, and serum creatinine levels returned to normal in 32 (1 to 48) days.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with DHF and AKI had a high mortality rate, although those who survived had a full return to normal function within 1 month. DHF grade IV and obesity were the major risk factors of AKI.