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McDermott J, Kao LS, Keeley JA, Grigorian A, Neville A, de Virgilio C. Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections: A Review. JAMA Surg 2024:2823528. [PMID: 39259555 DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2024.3365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Importance Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are severe life- and limb-threatening infections with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, there has been minimal improvement in outcomes over time. Observations NSTIs are characterized by their heterogeneity in microbiology, risk factors, and anatomical involvement. They often present with nonspecific symptoms, leading to a high rate of delayed diagnosis. Laboratory values and imaging help increase suspicion for NSTI, though ultimately, the diagnosis is clinical. Surgical exploration is warranted when there is high suspicion for NSTI, even if the diagnosis is uncertain. Thus, it is acceptable to have a certain rate of negative exploration. Immediate empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics, further tailored based on tissue culture results, are essential and should be continued at least until surgical debridement is complete and the patient shows signs of clinical improvement. Additional research is needed to determine optimal antibiotic duration. Early surgical debridement is crucial for improved outcomes and should be performed as soon as possible, ideally within 6 hours of presentation. Subsequent debridements should be performed every 12 to 24 hours until the patient is showing signs of clinical improvement and there is no additional necrotic tissue within the wound. There are insufficient data to support the routine use of adjunct treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy and intravenous immunoglobulin. However, clinicians should be aware of multiple ongoing efforts to develop more robust diagnostic and treatment strategies. Conclusions and Relevance Given the poor outcomes associated with NSTIs, a review of clinically relevant evidence and guidelines is warranted. This review discusses diagnostic and treatment approaches to NSTI while highlighting future directions and promising developments in NSTI management.
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Affiliation(s)
- James McDermott
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Lillian S Kao
- Department of Surgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Jessica A Keeley
- Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
| | - Areg Grigorian
- Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns, and Surgical Critical Care, University of California, Irvine
| | - Angela Neville
- Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
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Gundersen IM, Bruun T, Almeland SK, Skutlaberg DH, Nedrebø T, Rath E, Oppegaard O, Guttormsen AB, Norrby-Teglund A, Mosevoll KA, Skrede S. Necrotising soft tissue infections. TIDSSKRIFT FOR DEN NORSKE LEGEFORENING 2024; 144:23-0720. [PMID: 38415568 DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.23.0720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Necrotising soft tissue infections can affect the skin, subcutaneous tissue, superficial fascia, deep fascia and musculature. The infections are severe, they spread quickly and can result in extensive tissue loss. Although rare, morbidity and mortality rates are high. Early clinical identification is crucial for the outcome, and rapid infection control through surgery and targeted antibiotic treatment is needed to save lives. Few prospective clinical trials have been conducted for the treatment of this type of infection. Specific challenges include rapid identification of the condition and the uncertain efficacy of the various treatment options. In this clinical review article, we describe clinical characteristics, diagnostics and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingunn Margareetta Gundersen
- Seksjon for infeksjonssjukdommar, Medisinsk klinikk, Haukeland universitetssjukehus, og, Klinisk institutt 2, Det medisinske fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen
| | - Trond Bruun
- Seksjon for infeksjonssjukdommar, Medisinsk klinikk, Haukeland universitetssjukehus, og, Klinisk institutt 2, Det medisinske fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen
| | - Stian Kreken Almeland
- Avdeling for plastikk-, hand- og rekonstruktiv kirurgi, og, Brannskadeavdelinga, Haukeland universitetssjukehus, og, Klinisk institutt 1, Det medisinske fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen
| | | | - Torbjørn Nedrebø
- Seksjon for hyperbarmedisin, Yrkesmedisinsk avdeling, og, Kirurgisk serviceklinikk, Haukeland universitetssjukehus
| | - Eivind Rath
- Seksjon for infeksjonssjukdommar, Medisinsk klinikk, og, Mottaksklinikken, Haukeland universitetssjukehus
| | - Oddvar Oppegaard
- Seksjon for infeksjonssjukdommar, Medisinsk klinikk, Haukeland universitetssjukehus, og, Klinisk institutt 2, Det medisinske fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen
| | - Anne Berit Guttormsen
- Klinisk institutt 1, Det medisinske fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen, og, Kirurgisk serviceklinikk, Haukeland universitetssjukehus
| | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Center for infektionsmedicin, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset
| | - Knut Anders Mosevoll
- Seksjon for infeksjonssjukdommar, Medisinsk klinikk, Haukeland universitetssjukehus, og, Klinisk institutt 2, Det medisinske fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen
| | - Steinar Skrede
- Seksjon for infeksjonssjukdommar, Medisinsk klinikk, Haukeland universitetssjukehus, og, Klinisk institutt 2, Det medisinske fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen
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3
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Cen H, Jin R, Yin J, Wang X. Risk Factors for Predicting Mortality and Amputation of Patients with Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections: Retrospective Analysis of 111 Cases from a Single Medical Center. Emerg Med Int 2023; 2023:6316896. [PMID: 38029225 PMCID: PMC10657247 DOI: 10.1155/2023/6316896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Necrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) are rare clinical infections with surgical emergencies having a high mortality rate. This study aimed to investigate risk factors for mortality and amputation of patients with NSTI. Methods We retrospectively analyzed critical factors for outcomes of 111 patients with NSTI hospitalized in our department from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2018. NSTI diagnosis was based on the patient's clinical characteristics, laboratory risk indicator for necrotizing fasciitis (LRINEC) score, laboratory test data, and microbiological findings in blood and wound culture. The risk factors for mortality and amputation of NSTI were determined using univariate or multivariate logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristics (ROC), and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) at 90 days after admission. Results Diagnosis of 111 patients with NSTI was confirmed according to clinical features, LRINEC score, image data, laboratory findings, and microorganism culture in blood and wounds. The mortality rate was 9.91% (11/111) at day 90 follow-up. High white blood cell (WBC), low hematocrit (HCT), and multiple surgeries were identified to be critical risk factors for NSTI mortality in univariate and multivariate logistic analyses. AUCs, 95% confidence intervals (CI), and P values of risk factors were 0.699, 0.54-0.95, and P = 0.0117 for high WBC; 0.788, 0.63-0.97, and P = 0.0006 for low HCT; and 0.745, 0.59-0.90, and P = 0.0018 for multiple surgeries, respectively. These patients also had high LRINEC scores. Amputation occurred in 34.23% (38/111) of patients. Risk factors for amputation were higher age, low hemoglobin (Hb), and multiple wounds. AUCs, 95% confidence intervals (CI), and P values were 0.713, 0.11-0.32, and P < 0.0001 for higher age; 0.798, 0.08-0.29, and P=0.0007 for low Hb; and 0.757, 0.17-0.34, and P < 0.0001 for multiple lesion sites, respectively. Conclusions High LRINEC scores, high WBC, low HCT, and multiple surgeries were relevant to increased mortality. Higher age, low Hb, and multiple wounds were associated with amputation risk. These clinical features must be paid attention to when patients are diagnosed with NSTI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanghui Cen
- Department of Burns and Wound Repair Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Ronghua Jin
- Department of Burns and Wound Repair Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Jun Yin
- Department of Burns and Wound Repair Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Xingang Wang
- Department of Burns and Wound Repair Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China
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4
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Vinkel J, Rib L, Buil A, Hedetoft M, Hyldegaard O. Key pathways and genes that are altered during treatment with hyperbaric oxygen in patients with sepsis due to necrotizing soft tissue infection (HBOmic study). Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:507. [PMID: 37946314 PMCID: PMC10636866 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01466-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For decades, the basic treatment strategies of necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) have remained unchanged, primarily relying on aggressive surgical removal of infected tissue, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and supportive intensive care. One treatment strategy that has been proposed as an adjunctive measure to improve patient outcomes is hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) treatment. HBO2 treatment has been linked to several immune modulatory effects; however, investigating these effects is complicated due to the disease's acute life-threatening nature, metabolic and cell homeostasis dependent variability in treatment effects, and heterogeneity with respect to both patient characteristics and involved pathogens. To embrace this complexity, we aimed to explore the underlying biological mechanisms of HBO2 treatment in patients with NSTI on the gene expression level. METHODS We conducted an observational cohort study on prospective collected data, including 85 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for NSTI. All patients were treated with one or two HBO2 treatments and had one blood sample taken before and after the intervention. Total RNAs from blood samples were extracted and mRNA purified with rRNA depletion, followed by whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing with a targeted sequencing depth of 20 million reads. A model for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was fitted, and the functional aspects of the obtained set of genes was predicted with GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and Genomes) enrichment analyses. All analyses were corrected for multiple testing with FDR. RESULTS After sequential steps of quality control, a final of 160 biological replicates were included in the present study. We found 394 protein coding genes that were significantly DEGs between the two conditions with FDR < 0.01, of which 205 were upregulated and 189 were downregulated. The enrichment analysis of these DEGs revealed 20 GO terms in biological processes and 12 KEGG pathways that were significantly overrepresented in the upregulated DEGs, of which the term; "adaptive immune response" (GO:0002250) (FDR = 9.88E-13) and "T cell receptor signaling pathway" (hsa04660) (FDR = 1.20E-07) were the most significant. Among the downregulated DEGs two biological processes were significantly enriched, of which the GO term "apoptotic process" (GO:0006915) was the most significant (FDR = 0.001), followed by "Positive regulation of T helper 1 cell cytokine production" (GO:2000556), and "NF-kappa B signaling pathway" (hsa04064) was the only KEGG pathway that was significantly overrepresented (FDR = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS When one or two sessions of HBO2 treatment were administered to patients with a dysregulated immune response and systemic inflammation due to NSTI, the important genes that were regulated during the intervention were involved in activation of T helper cells and downregulation of the disease-induced highly inflammatory pathway NF-κB, which was associated with a decrease in the mRNA level of pro-inflammatory factors. TRIAL REGISTRATION Biological material was collected during the INFECT study, registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01790698).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Vinkel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 6, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Leonor Rib
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alfonso Buil
- Institute for Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre Sct. Hans, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Morten Hedetoft
- Department of Anesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 6, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 6, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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5
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Rath E, Palma Medina LM, Jahagirdar S, Mosevoll KA, Damås JK, Madsen MB, Svensson M, Hyldegaard O, Martins Dos Santos VAP, Saccenti E, Norrby-Teglund A, Skrede S, Bruun T. Systemic immune activation profiles in streptococcal necrotizing soft tissue infections: A prospective multicenter study. Clin Immunol 2023; 249:109276. [PMID: 36871764 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2023.109276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Early stages with streptococcal necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are often difficult to discern from cellulitis. Increased insight into inflammatory responses in streptococcal disease may guide correct interventions and discovery of novel diagnostic targets. METHODS Plasma levels of 37 mediators, leucocytes and CRP from 102 patients with β-hemolytic streptococcal NSTI derived from a prospective Scandinavian multicentre study were compared to those of 23 cases of streptococcal cellulitis. Hierarchical cluster analyses were also performed. RESULTS Differences in mediator levels between NSTI and cellulitis cases were revealed, in particular for IL-1β, TNFα and CXCL8 (AUC >0.90). Across streptococcal NSTI etiologies, eight biomarkers separated cases with septic shock from those without, and four mediators predicted a severe outcome. CONCLUSION Several inflammatory mediators and wider profiles were identified as potential biomarkers of NSTI. Associations of biomarker levels to type of infection and outcomes may be utilized to improve patient care and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eivind Rath
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Laura M Palma Medina
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Sanjeevan Jahagirdar
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Knut A Mosevoll
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Jan K Damås
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Centre of Molecular Inflammation Research, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Martin B Madsen
- Department of Intensive Care, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
| | - Mattias Svensson
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesia- and Surgery, Head and Orthopaedic centre, Hyperbaric Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vitor A P Martins Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; LifeGlimmer GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edoardo Saccenti
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Steinar Skrede
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Trond Bruun
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway
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6
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Egerod I, Knudsen VE, Andersson AE, Fagerdahl A. Patient and family experience 2 years after necrotizing soft‐tissue infection: A longitudinal qualitative investigation. J Adv Nurs 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jan.15535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Egerod
- Department of Intensive Care Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet Copenhagen Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Vibeke E. Knudsen
- Department of Intensive Care Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Annette E. Andersson
- Institute of Health Care Sciences Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- Department of Orthopedics Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Mölndal Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Ann‐Mari Fagerdahl
- Department of Clinical Science and Education Wound Centre, Södersjukhuset Stockholm Sweden
- Karolinska Institute Stockholm Sweden
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7
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Vinkel J, Rib L, Buil A, Hedetoft M, Hyldegaard O. Investigating the Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment in Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection With Transcriptomics and Machine Learning (the HBOmic Study): Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study With Data Validation. JMIR Res Protoc 2022; 11:e39252. [PMID: 36427229 PMCID: PMC9736759 DOI: 10.2196/39252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are complex multifactorial diseases characterized by rapid bacterial proliferation and progressive tissue death. Treatment is multidisciplinary, including surgery, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and intensive care; adjunctive treatment with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) may also be applied. Recent advances in molecular technology and biological computation have given rise to new approaches to infectious diseases based on identifying target groups defined by activated pathophysiological mechanisms. OBJECTIVE We aim to capture NSTI disease signatures and mechanisms and responses to treatment in patients that receive the highest standard of care; therefore, we set out to investigate genome-wide transcriptional responses to HBO2 treatment during NSTI in the host and bacteria. METHODS The Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Studied with Omics (HBOmic) study is a prospective cohort study including 95 patients admitted for NSTI at the intensive care unit of Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Denmark, between January 2013 and June 2017. All participants were treated according to a local protocol for management of NSTI, and biological samples were obtained and stored according to a standard operational procedure. In the proposed study, we will generate genome-wide expression profiles of whole-blood samples and samples of infected tissue taken before and after HBO2 treatment administered during the initial acute phase of infection, and we will analyze the profiles with unsupervised hierarchical clustering and machine learning. Differential gene expression will be compared in samples taken before and after HBO2 treatment (N=85), and integration of profiles from blood and tissue samples will be performed. Furthermore, findings will be compared to NSTI patients who did not receive HBO2 treatment (N=10). Transcriptomic data will be integrated with clinical data to investigate associations and predictors. RESULTS The first participant was enrolled on July 27, 2021, and data analysis is expected to begin during autumn 2022, with publication of results immediately thereafter. CONCLUSIONS The HBOmic study will provide new insights into personalized patient management in NSTIs. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01790698; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01790698. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/39252.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Vinkel
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Leonor Rib
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alfonso Buil
- Institute for Biological Psychiatry, Center of Psychiatry Sankt Hans, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Morten Hedetoft
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Decision support system and outcome prediction in a cohort of patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infections. Int J Med Inform 2022; 167:104878. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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9
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Jahagirdar S, Morris L, Benis N, Oppegaard O, Svenson M, Hyldegaard O, Skrede S, Norrby-Teglund A, Martins Dos Santos VAP, Saccenti E. Analysis of host-pathogen gene association networks reveals patient-specific response to streptococcal and polymicrobial necrotising soft tissue infections. BMC Med 2022; 20:173. [PMID: 35505341 PMCID: PMC9066942 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02355-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Necrotising soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are rapidly progressing bacterial infections usually caused by either several pathogens in unison (polymicrobial infections) or Streptococcus pyogenes (mono-microbial infection). These infections are rare and are associated with high mortality rates. However, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms in this heterogeneous group remain elusive. METHODS In this study, we built interactomes at both the population and individual levels consisting of host-pathogen interactions inferred from dual RNA-Seq gene transcriptomic profiles of the biopsies from NSTI patients. RESULTS NSTI type-specific responses in the host were uncovered. The S. pyogenes mono-microbial subnetwork was enriched with host genes annotated with involved in cytokine production and regulation of response to stress. The polymicrobial network consisted of several significant associations between different species (S. pyogenes, Porphyromonas asaccharolytica and Escherichia coli) and host genes. The host genes associated with S. pyogenes in this subnetwork were characterised by cellular response to cytokines. We further found several virulence factors including hyaluronan synthase, Sic1, Isp, SagF, SagG, ScfAB-operon, Fba and genes upstream and downstream of EndoS along with bacterial housekeeping genes interacting with the human stress and immune response in various subnetworks between host and pathogen. CONCLUSIONS At the population level, we found aetiology-dependent responses showing the potential modes of entry and immune evasion strategies employed by S. pyogenes, congruent with general cellular processes such as differentiation and proliferation. After stratifying the patients based on the subject-specific networks to study the patient-specific response, we observed different patient groups with different collagens, cytoskeleton and actin monomers in association with virulence factors, immunogenic proteins and housekeeping genes which we utilised to postulate differing modes of entry and immune evasion for different bacteria in relationship to the patients' phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeevan Jahagirdar
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708, WE, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lorna Morris
- Lifeglimmer GmbH, Markelstraße 38, 12163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nirupama Benis
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708, WE, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Present affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Oddvar Oppegaard
- Department of Medicine, Division for infectious diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Mattias Svenson
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steinar Skrede
- Department of Medicine, Division for infectious diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | | | - Vitor A P Martins Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708, WE, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Lifeglimmer GmbH, Markelstraße 38, 12163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edoardo Saccenti
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708, WE, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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10
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Skutlaberg DH, Wiker HG, Mylvaganam H, Norrby-Teglund A, Skrede S. Consistent Biofilm Formation by Streptococcus pyogenes emm 1 Isolated From Patients With Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:822243. [PMID: 35250938 PMCID: PMC8895234 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.822243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectivesBiofilm formation has been demonstrated in muscle and soft tissue samples from patients with necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, but the clinical importance of this observation is not clear. Although M-protein has been shown to be important for in vitro biofilm formation in S. pyogenes, the evidence for an association between emm type and biofilm forming capacity is conflicting. Here we characterize the biofilm forming capacity in a collection of S. pyogenes isolates causing NSTI, and relate this to emm type of the isolates and clinical characteristics of the patients.MethodsBacterial isolates and clinical data were obtained from NSTI patients enrolled in a multicenter prospective observational study. Biofilm forming capacity was determined using a microtiter plate assay.ResultsAmong 57 cases, the three most frequently encountered emm types were emm1 (n = 22), emm3 (n = 13), and emm28 (n = 7). The distribution of biofilm forming capacity in emm1 was qualitatively (narrow-ranged normal distribution) and quantitatively (21/22 isolates in the intermediate range) different from other emm types (wide ranged, multimodal distribution with 5/35 isolates in the same range as emm1). There were no significant associations between biofilm forming capacity and clinical characteristics of the patients.ConclusionsThe biofilm forming capacity of emm1 isolates was uniform and differed significantly from other emm types. The impact of biofilm formation in NSTI caused by S. pyogenes on clinical outcomes remains uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dag Harald Skutlaberg
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- *Correspondence: Dag Harald Skutlaberg,
| | - Harald G. Wiker
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Haima Mylvaganam
- Department of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Steinar Skrede
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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Hedetoft M, Hansen MB, Madsen MB, Johansen JS, Hyldegaard O. Associations between YKL-40 and markers of disease severity and death in patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infection. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:1046. [PMID: 34627195 PMCID: PMC8502346 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06760-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Necrotizing soft-tissue infection (NSTI) is a severe and fast-progressing bacterial infection. Prognostic biomarkers may provide valuable information in treatment guidance and decision-making, but none have provided sufficient robustness to have a clinical impact. YKL-40 may reflect the ongoing pathological inflammatory processes more accurately than traditional biomarkers as it is secreted by the activated immune cells, but its prognostic yields in NSTI remains unknown. For this purpose, we investigated the association between plasma YKL-40 and 30-day mortality in patients with NSTI, and assessed its value as a marker of disease severity. Methods We determined plasma YKL-40 levels in patients with NSTI (n = 161) and age-sex matched controls (n = 65) upon admission and at day 1, 2 and 3. Results Baseline plasma YKL-40 was 1191 ng/mL in patients with NSTI compared with 40 ng/mL in controls (p < 0.001). YKL-40 was found to be significantly higher in patients with septic shock (1942 vs. 720 ng/mL, p < 0.001), and in patients receiving renal-replacement therapy (2382 vs. 1041 ng/mL, p < 0.001). YKL-40 correlated with Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (Rho 0.33, p < 0.001). Baseline YKL-40 above 1840 ng/mL was associated with increased risk of 30-day mortality in age-sex-comorbidity adjusted analysis (OR 3.77, 95% CI; 1.59–9.24, p = 0.003), but after further adjustment for Simplified Acute Physiology Score II no association was found between YKL-40 and early mortality. Conclusion High plasma YKL-40 to be associated with disease severity, renal-replacement therapy and risk of death in patients with NSTI. However, YKL-40 is not an independent predictor of 30-day mortality. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-021-06760-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Hedetoft
- Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Marco Bo Hansen
- Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Konduto ApS, Sani nudge, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Bruun Madsen
- Department of Intensive Care 4131, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julia Sidenius Johansen
- Department of Medicine, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Oncology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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12
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Palma Medina LM, Rath E, Jahagirdar S, Bruun T, Madsen MB, Strålin K, Unge C, Hansen MB, Arnell P, Nekludov M, Hyldegaard O, Lourda M, dos Santos VAM, Saccenti E, Skrede S, Svensson M, Norrby-Teglund A. Discriminatory plasma biomarkers predict specific clinical phenotypes of necrotizing soft-tissue infections. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:149523. [PMID: 34263738 PMCID: PMC8279592 DOI: 10.1172/jci149523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDNecrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) are rapidly progressing infections frequently complicated by septic shock and associated with high mortality. Early diagnosis is critical for patient outcome, but challenging due to vague initial symptoms. Here, we identified predictive biomarkers for NSTI clinical phenotypes and outcomes using a prospective multicenter NSTI patient cohort.METHODSLuminex multiplex assays were used to assess 36 soluble factors in plasma from NSTI patients with positive microbiological cultures (n = 251 and n = 60 in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively). Control groups for comparative analyses included surgical controls (n = 20), non-NSTI controls (i.e., suspected NSTI with no necrosis detected upon exploratory surgery, n = 20), and sepsis patients (n = 24).RESULTSThrombomodulin was identified as a unique biomarker for detection of NSTI (AUC, 0.95). A distinct profile discriminating mono- (type II) versus polymicrobial (type I) NSTI types was identified based on differential expression of IL-2, IL-10, IL-22, CXCL10, Fas-ligand, and MMP9 (AUC >0.7). While each NSTI type displayed a distinct array of biomarkers predicting septic shock, granulocyte CSF (G-CSF), S100A8, and IL-6 were shared by both types (AUC >0.78). Finally, differential connectivity analysis revealed distinctive networks associated with specific clinical phenotypes.CONCLUSIONSThis study identifies predictive biomarkers for NSTI clinical phenotypes of potential value for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic approaches in NSTIs.TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov NCT01790698.FUNDINGCenter for Innovative Medicine (CIMED); Region Stockholm; Swedish Research Council; European Union; Vinnova; Innovation Fund Denmark; Research Council of Norway; Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development; DLR Federal Ministry of Education and Research; and Swedish Children's Cancer Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Palma Medina
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eivind Rath
- Department of Medicine, Division for Infectious Diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sanjeevan Jahagirdar
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Trond Bruun
- Department of Medicine, Division for Infectious Diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Martin B. Madsen
- Department of Intensive Care, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristoffer Strålin
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases and
| | - Christian Unge
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Functional Area of Emergency Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marco Bo Hansen
- Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Per Arnell
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Michael Nekludov
- Department of Anaesthesia, Surgical Services and Intensive Care, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Intensive Care, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Magda Lourda
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vitor A.P. Martins dos Santos
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- LifeGlimmer GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edoardo Saccenti
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Steinar Skrede
- Department of Medicine, Division for Infectious Diseases, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Mattias Svensson
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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Hedetoft M, Jensen PØ, Moser C, Vinkel J, Hyldegaard O. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment impacts oxidative stress markers in patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infection. J Investig Med 2021; 69:1330-1338. [PMID: 34006573 PMCID: PMC8485130 DOI: 10.1136/jim-2021-001837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Necrotizing soft-tissue infection (NSTI) is a rare, severe, and fast-progressing bacterial infection associated with a high risk of developing sepsis or septic shock. Increasing evidence indicates that oxidative stress is crucial in the development and progression of sepsis, but its role in NSTI specifically has not been investigated. Some patients with NSTI receive hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) treatment as the restoration of oxidative stress balance is considered an important mechanism of action, which HBO2 facilitates. However, a gap in knowledge exists regarding the effect of HBO2 treatment on oxidative stress in patients with NSTI. In the present observational study, we aimed to investigate HBO2 treatment effects on known markers of oxidative stress in patients with NSTI. We measured plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nitrite+nitrate in 80 patients with NSTI immediately before and after their first HBO2 treatment, and on the following day. We found that HBO2 treatment was associated with a significant increase in MPO and SOD by a median of 3.4 and 8.8 ng/mL, respectively. Moreover, we observed an HBO2 treatment-associated increase in HO-1 in patients presenting with septic shock (n=39) by a median of 301.3 pg/mL. All markers were significantly higher in patients presenting with septic shock compared to patients without shock, and all markers correlated with disease severity. High baseline SOD was associated with 90-day mortality. In conclusion, HBO2 treatment was associated with an increase in MPO and SOD in patients with NSTI, and oxidative stress was more pronounced in patients with septic shock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Hedetoft
- Department of Anaesthesia, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Østrup Jensen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Costerton Biofilm Center, Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Moser
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julie Vinkel
- Department of Anaesthesia, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesia, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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14
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Hedetoft M, Garred P, Madsen MB, Hyldegaard O. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is associated with a decrease in cytokine levels in patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infection. Physiol Rep 2021; 9:e14757. [PMID: 33719215 PMCID: PMC7957267 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pathophysiological understanding of the inflammatory response in necrotizing soft-tissue infection (NSTI) and its impact on clinical progression and outcomes are not resolved. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2 ) treatment serves as an adjunctive treatment; however, its immunomodulatory effects in the treatment of NSTI remains unknown. Accordingly, we evaluated fluctuations in inflammatory markers during courses of HBO2 treatment and assessed the overall inflammatory response during the first 3 days after admission. METHODS In 242 patients with NSTI, we measured plasma TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) upon admission and daily for three days, and before/after HBO2 in the 209 patients recieving HBO2 . We assessed the severity of disease by Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II, SOFA score, and blood lactate. RESULTS In paired analyses, HBO2 treatment was associated with a decrease in IL-6 in patients with Group A-Streptococcus NSTI (first HBO2 treatment, median difference -29.5 pg/ml; second HBO2 treatment, median difference -7.6 pg/ml), and overall a decrease in G-CSF (first HBO2 treatment, median difference -22.5 pg/ml; 2- HBO2 treatment, median difference -20.4 pg/ml). Patients presenting with shock had significantly higher baseline cytokines values compared to non-shock patients (TNF-α: 51.9 vs. 23.6, IL-1β: 1.39 vs 0.61, IL-6: 542.9 vs. 57.5, IL-10: 21.7 vs. 3.3 and G-CSF: 246.3 vs. 11.8 pg/ml; all p < 0.001). Longitudinal analyses demonstrated higher concentrations in septic shock patients and those receiving renal-replacement therapy. All cytokines were significantly correlated to SAPS II, SOFA score, and blood lactate. In adjusted analysis, high baseline G-CSF was associated with 30-day mortality (OR 2.83, 95% CI: 1.01-8.00, p = 0.047). CONCLUSION In patients with NSTI, HBO2 treatment may induce immunomodulatory effects by decreasing plasma G-CSF and IL-6. High levels of inflammatory markers were associated with disease severity, whereas high baseline G-CSF was associated with increased 30-day mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Hedetoft
- Department of Anaesthesia, Hyperbaric Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Garred
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Immunology Section 7631, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Bruun Madsen
- Department of Intensive Care, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesia, Hyperbaric Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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15
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Hedetoft M, Moser C, Jensen PØ, Vinkel J, Hyldegaard O. Soluble ICAM-1 is modulated by hyperbaric oxygen treatment and correlates with disease severity and mortality in patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infection. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2021; 130:729-736. [DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00844.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
HBO2 treatment may be a promising immunomodulatory agent by increasing sICAM-1, thereby lowering risk of collateral damage, especially in the most critically ill patients. sICAM-1 is associated with disease severity in NSTI as emphasized by significant correlations with SAPS II. Low sICAM-1 levels are an independent risk factor of 90-day mortality and appeared to give a good level of diagnostic accuracy, suggesting that sICAM-1 can be used as a prognostic biomarker for NSTI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Hedetoft
- Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Moser
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Østrup Jensen
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Costerton Biofilm Center, Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julie Vinkel
- Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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16
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Systems Biology and Biomarkers in Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1294:167-186. [PMID: 33079369 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57616-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
In necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) there is a need to identify biomarker sets that can be used for diagnosis and disease management. The INFECT study was designed to obtain such insights through the integration of patient data and results from different clinically relevant experimental models by use of systems biology approaches. This chapter describes the current state of biomarkers in NSTI and how biomarkers are categorized. We introduce the fundamentals of top-down systems biology approaches including analysis tools and we review the use of current methods and systems biology approaches to biomarker discover. Further, we discuss how different "omics" signatures (gene expression, protein, and metabolites) from NSTI patient samples can be used to identify key host and pathogen factors involved in the onset and development of infection, as well as exploring associations to disease outcomes.
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17
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Siemens N, Snäll J, Svensson M, Norrby-Teglund A. Pathogenic Mechanisms of Streptococcal Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1294:127-150. [PMID: 33079367 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57616-5_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Necrotizing skin and soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are severe life-threatening and rapidly progressing infections. Beta-hemolytic streptococci, particularly S. pyogenes (group A streptococci (GAS)) but also S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE, most group G and C streptococcus), are the main causative agents of monomicrobial NSTIs and certain types, such as emm1 and emm3, are over-represented in NSTI cases. An arsenal of bacterial virulence factors contribute to disease pathogenesis, which is a complex and multifactorial process. In this chapter, we summarize data that have provided mechanistic and immuno-pathologic insight into host-pathogens interactions that contribute to tissue pathology in streptococcal NSTIs. The role of streptococcal surface associated and secreted factors contributing to the hyper-inflammatory state and immune evasion, bacterial load in the tissue and persistence strategies, including intracellular survival and biofilm formation, as well as strategies to mimic NSTIs in vitro are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai Siemens
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Johanna Snäll
- Department of Medicine, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Mattias Svensson
- Department of Medicine, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Department of Medicine, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
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18
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Al-Qurayshi Z, Nichols RL, Killackey MT, Kandil E. Mortality Risk in Necrotizing Fasciitis: National Prevalence, Trend, and Burden. Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2020; 21:840-852. [PMID: 32196411 DOI: 10.1089/sur.2019.277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a fulminant, life-threating infection of fascia and subcutaneous tissue. Because of the low incidence, previous studies were statistically underpowered to assess factors associated with the risk of mortality. The aim of this study is to identify the risk factors associated with mortality in this select group of patients. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed utilizing the Nationwide Readmissions Database, 2010-2014. The database captures 56.6% of all U.S. annual hospitalizations. Study population included inpatients admitted emergently with NF. Results: A total of 4,178 cases were included, of which 2,061(48.9%) patients had a history of diabetes mellitus (DM). The most common presentation was septicemia (39.5%) and 9.2% were admitted initially as cellulitis/abscess. Overall mortality risk was 12.6% with no substantial change in the annual trend. Mortality in patients with diabetes was substantially lower (8.5% vs. 16.5%, odds ratio [OR]: 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.34, 0.56], p < 0.001). Factors associated with a higher mortality risk included: older age, chronic liver diseases, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, septic shock, pulmonary complications, acute renal failure, and not undergoing surgical intervention (p < 0.05 each). Patients who did not undergo surgical debridement were more likely to be ≥65 years of age and have multiple comorbidities. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and intravenous immunoglobulin were used in 1.3% and 0.3% of the sample, respectively, with no reported use among patients who died. Conclusions: This study provides a new and updated perspective on the prevalence, trend, and outcomes of NF in the United States. Necrotizing fasciitis is associated with septicemia and lack of surgical intervention is associated with a higher mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaid Al-Qurayshi
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Ronald L Nichols
- Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Mary T Killackey
- Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Emad Kandil
- Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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19
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Afzal M, Saccenti E, Madsen MB, Hansen MB, Hyldegaard O, Skrede S, Martins Dos Santos VAP, Norrby-Teglund A, Svensson M. Integrated Univariate, Multivariate, and Correlation-Based Network Analyses Reveal Metabolite-Specific Effects on Bacterial Growth and Biofilm Formation in Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:688-698. [PMID: 31833369 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Necrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) have multiple causes, risk factors, anatomical locations, and pathogenic mechanisms. In patients with NSTI, circulating metabolites may serve as a substrate having impact on bacterial adaptation at the site of infection. Metabolic signatures associated with NSTI may reveal the potential to be useful as diagnostic and prognostic markers and novel targets for therapy. This study used untargeted metabolomics analyses of plasma from NSTI patients (n = 34) and healthy (noninfected) controls (n = 24) to identify the metabolic signatures and connectivity patterns among metabolites associated with NSTI. Metabolite-metabolite association networks were employed to compare the metabolic profiles of NSTI patients and noninfected surgical controls. Out of 97 metabolites detected, the abundance of 33 was significantly altered in NSTI patients. Analysis of metabolite-metabolite association networks showed a more densely connected network: specifically, 20 metabolites differentially connected between NSTI and controls. A selected set of significantly altered metabolites was tested in vitro to investigate potential influence on NSTI group A streptococcal strain growth and biofilm formation. Using chemically defined media supplemented with the selected metabolites, ornithine, ribose, urea, and glucuronic acid, revealed metabolite-specific effects on both bacterial growth and biofilm formation. This study identifies for the first time an NSTI-specific metabolic signature with implications for optimized diagnostics and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Afzal
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine, ANA Futura, Karolinska Institutet , Karolinska University Hospital , Alfred Nobels Allé 8 , 141 52 Huddinge , Sweden
| | - Edoardo Saccenti
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology , Wageningen University & Research , Stippeneng 4 , Wageningen 6708 WE , The Netherlands
| | - Martin Bruun Madsen
- Department of Intensive Care , Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet , Copenhagen 2100 , Denmark
| | - Marco Bo Hansen
- Hyperbaric Unit, Department of Anesthesia, Center of Head and Orthopedics , Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen , Blegdamsvej 9 , Copenhagen DK-2100 , Denmark
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Intensive Care , Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet , Copenhagen 2100 , Denmark
| | - Steinar Skrede
- Department of Medicine , Haukeland University Hospital , Bergen N-5021 , Norway.,Department of Clinical Science , University of Bergen , Bergen N-5020 , Norway
| | - Vitor A P Martins Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology , Wageningen University & Research , Stippeneng 4 , Wageningen 6708 WE , The Netherlands
| | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine, ANA Futura, Karolinska Institutet , Karolinska University Hospital , Alfred Nobels Allé 8 , 141 52 Huddinge , Sweden
| | - Mattias Svensson
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine, ANA Futura, Karolinska Institutet , Karolinska University Hospital , Alfred Nobels Allé 8 , 141 52 Huddinge , Sweden
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20
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Systems and Precision Medicine in Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1294:187-207. [PMID: 33079370 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57616-5_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) are multifactorial and characterized by dysfunctional, time dependent, highly varying hyper- to hypo-inflammatory host responses contributing to disease severity. Furthermore, host-pathogen interactions are diverse and difficult to identify and characterize, due to the many different disease endotypes. There is a need for both refined bedside diagnostics as well as novel targeted treatment options to improve outcome in NSTI. In order to achieve clinically relevant results and to guide preclinical and clinical research the vast amount of fragmented clinical and experimental datasets, which often include omics data at different levels (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.), need to be organized, harmonized, integrated, and analyzed taking into account the Big Data nature of these datasets. In this chapter, we address these matters from a systems perspective and yet personalized approach. The chapter provides an overview on the increasingly more frequent use of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to aggregate and generate knowledge from burgeoning clinical and biochemical information, addresses the challenges to manage this information, and summarizes current efforts to develop robust computer-aided clinical decision support systems so to tackle the serious challenges in NSTI diagnosis, stratification, and optimized tailored therapy.
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21
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Thänert R, Itzek A, Hoßmann J, Hamisch D, Madsen MB, Hyldegaard O, Skrede S, Bruun T, Norrby-Teglund A, Medina E, Pieper DH. Molecular profiling of tissue biopsies reveals unique signatures associated with streptococcal necrotizing soft tissue infections. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3846. [PMID: 31451691 PMCID: PMC6710258 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11722-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are devastating infections caused by either a single pathogen, predominantly Streptococcus pyogenes, or by multiple bacterial species. A better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying these different NSTI types could facilitate faster diagnostic and more effective therapeutic strategies. Here, we integrate microbial community profiling with host and pathogen(s) transcriptional analysis in patient biopsies to dissect the pathophysiology of streptococcal and polymicrobial NSTIs. We observe that the pathogenicity of polymicrobial communities is mediated by synergistic interactions between community members, fueling a cycle of bacterial colonization and inflammatory tissue destruction. In S. pyogenes NSTIs, expression of specialized virulence factors underlies infection pathophysiology. Furthermore, we identify a strong interferon-related response specific to S. pyogenes NSTIs that could be exploited as a potential diagnostic biomarker. Our study provides insights into the pathophysiology of mono- and polymicrobial NSTIs and highlights the potential of host-derived signatures for microbial diagnosis of NSTIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Thänert
- Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Andreas Itzek
- Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörn Hoßmann
- Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Domenica Hamisch
- Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martin Bruun Madsen
- Department of Intensive Care, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steinar Skrede
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Trond Bruun
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Anna Norrby-Teglund
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | | | - Eva Medina
- Infection Immunity Research Group, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dietmar H Pieper
- Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.
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22
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Madsen MB, Skrede S, Perner A, Arnell P, Nekludov M, Bruun T, Karlsson Y, Hansen MB, Polzik P, Hedetoft M, Rosén A, Saccenti E, Bergey F, Martins dos Santos VAP, Norrby-Teglund A, Hyldegaard O. Patient’s characteristics and outcomes in necrotising soft-tissue infections: results from a Scandinavian, multicentre, prospective cohort study. Intensive Care Med 2019; 45:1241-1251. [DOI: 10.1007/s00134-019-05730-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Peetermans M, de Prost N, Eckmann C, Norrby-Teglund A, Skrede S, De Waele JJ. Necrotizing skin and soft-tissue infections in the intensive care unit. Clin Microbiol Infect 2019; 26:8-17. [PMID: 31284035 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Necrotizing skin and soft-tissue infections (NSTI) are rare but potentially life-threatening and disabling infections that often require intensive care unit admission. OBJECTIVES To review all aspects of care for a critically ill individual with NSTI. SOURCES Literature search using Medline and Cochrane library, multidisciplinary panel of experts. CONTENT The initial presentation of a patient with NSTI can be misleading, as features of severe systemic toxicity can obscure sometimes less impressive skin findings. The infection can spread rapidly, and delayed surgery worsens prognosis, hence there is a limited role for additional imaging in the critically ill patient. Also, the utility of clinical scores is contested. Prompt surgery with aggressive debridement of necrotic tissue is required for source control and allows for microbiological sampling. Also, prompt administration of broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy is warranted, with the addition of clindamycin for its effect on toxin production, both in empirical therapy, and in targeted therapy for monomicrobial group A streptococcal and clostridial NSTI. The role of immunoglobulins and hyperbaric oxygen therapy remains controversial. IMPLICATIONS Close collaboration between intensive care, surgery, microbiology and infectious diseases, and centralization of care is fundamental in the approach to the severely ill patient with NSTI. As many aspects of management of these rare infections are supported by low-quality data only, multicentre trials are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Peetermans
- Department of Critical Care, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - N de Prost
- Service de Réanimation Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor-Albert Chenevier, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Créteil, France; Groupe de Recherche Clinique CARMAS, Université Paris-Est Créteil, IMRB, Créteil, France
| | - C Eckmann
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, Klinikum Peine, Academic Hospital of Medical University Hannover, Germany
| | - A Norrby-Teglund
- Centre for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - S Skrede
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - J J De Waele
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
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Faunø Thrane J, Ovesen T. Scarce evidence of efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in necrotizing soft tissue infection: a systematic review. Infect Dis (Lond) 2019; 51:485-492. [PMID: 30985236 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2019.1597983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease. Rapid surgical intervention, antibiotics and intensive care are the mainstay of treatment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is used as adjuvant therapy in some centres but there is a lack of research-based evidence of efficacy. Methods: Following the PRISMA guideline we conducted a systematic review on the efficacy of HBOT on NSTI with mortality as primary outcome. Through January 2019 major databases were searched and relevant literature assessed. The criteria for study inclusion were research of any design and any period of time comparing HBOT vs. non-HBOT in a population of NSTI-patients. Studies were analysed using the modified Delphi method and risk of bias in non-randomized studies - of interventions tool. Relative risk (RR) on mortality was calculated for each study individually. Results: A number of 1733 studies were identified through database search. Ultimately, 21 studies were included of which 19 were case series with a control group. The majority of the studies performed poor in quality assessment and all featured a high to critical risk of bias. The association of HBOT on mortality was generally reported as positive, however, the results should be considered with great scepticism. Conclusions: The evidence of HBOT in NSTI is poor and biased. There is a strong need for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to shed light on a potential life-saving treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Faunø Thrane
- a Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery , Aarhus University Hospital , Aarhus , Denmark.,b Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery , Aalborg University Hospital , Aalborg , Denmark
| | - Therese Ovesen
- c Department of Clinical Medicine , Aarhus University , Aarhus , Denmark.,d Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery , Region Hospital Holstebro , Holstebro , Denmark
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25
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Patient experience of necrotising soft-tissue infection from diagnosis to six months after intensive care unit stay: A qualitative content analysis. Aust Crit Care 2019; 33:187-192. [PMID: 30871854 DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is a severe, life-threatening condition requiring immediate diagnosis and treatment to avoid widespread tissue destruction and death. Current research seeks to explain the complex interaction between patient and disease agent, whereas only few studies have addressed the patient perspective. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to describe the patient experience of NSTI in the first six months after diagnosis. METHODS The study had a qualitative design with patient involvement. We interviewed 27 NSTI survivors at six months after diagnosis and applied content analysis to capture their experiences. Patients were recruited from two referral centers in Sweden and one in Denmark. FINDINGS We identified three categories representing chronological stages of the illness trajectory depicting pivotal patient experiences: regaining awareness in the intensive care unit, transitioning to the ward, and returning home to normal life. Fear of infection or reinfection permeated all stages of the trajectory. Each stage was characterized by ambivalence: at first the relief of being alive and distress of serious illness, then the relief of independence and distress of abandonment, and finally the relief of being home and distress of still being dependent on others. CONCLUSION Fear of infection and reinfection during and after hospitalization characterized lives of NSTI survivors and their family. This fear was potentially debilitating in daily life, working life and social life. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of these modifiable factors to help alleviate the concerns of patient and family throughout the illness trajectory.
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26
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Rosén A, Arnell P, Madsen MB, Nedrebø BG, Norrby-Teglund A, Hyldegaard O, Dos Santos VM, Bergey F, Saccenti E, Skrede S. Diabetes and necrotizing soft tissue infections-A prospective observational cohort study: Statistical analysis plan. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2018; 62:1171-1177. [PMID: 29671865 DOI: 10.1111/aas.13130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are rare but carry a high morbidity and mortality. The multicenter INFECT project aims to improve the understanding of the pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and prognosis of NSTIs. This article describes the study outline and statistical analyses that will be used. METHODS Within the framework of INFECT project, patients with NSTI at 5 Scandinavian hospitals are enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study. The goal is to evaluate outcome and characteristics for patients with NSTI and diabetes compared to patients with NSTI without diabetes. The primary outcome is mortality at 90 days after inclusion. Secondary outcomes include days alive and out of ICU and hospital, SAPS II, SOFA score, infectious etiology, amputation, affected body area, and renal replacement therapy. Comparison in mortality between patients with diabetes type 1 and 2 as well as between insulin-treated and non-insulin-treated diabetes patients will be made. Clinical data for diabetic patients with NSTI will be reported. CONCLUSION The study will provide important data on patients with NSTI and diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rosén
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Ostra, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - P Arnell
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Ostra, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - M B Madsen
- Department of Intensive Care, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - B G Nedrebø
- Department of Medicine, Haugesund County Hospital, Haugesund, Norway
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - A Norrby-Teglund
- Centre for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - O Hyldegaard
- Department of Anaesthesia, Center of Head and Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - V M Dos Santos
- LifeGlimmer GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - F Bergey
- LifeGlimmer GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - E Saccenti
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - S Skrede
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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27
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Erichsen Andersson A, Egerod I, Knudsen VE, Fagerdahl AM. Signs, symptoms and diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis experienced by survivors and family: a qualitative Nordic multi-center study. BMC Infect Dis 2018; 18:429. [PMID: 30153808 PMCID: PMC6114743 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-018-3355-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Necrotizing soft tissue infection is the most serious of all soft tissue infections. The patient’s life is dependent on prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment. Diagnostic delays are related to increased morbidity and mortality, and the risk of under- or missed diagnosis is high due to the rarity of the condition. There is a paucity of knowledge regarding early indications of disease. The aim of the study has thus been to explore patients’ and families’ experiences of early signs and symptoms and to describe their initial contact with the healthcare system. Methods A qualitative explorative design was used to gain more knowledge about the experience of early signs and symptoms. Fifty-three participants from three study sites were interviewed. The framework method was used for data analysis. Results Most of the participants experienced treatment delay and contacted healthcare several times before receiving correct treatment. The experience of illness varied among the participants depending on the duration of antecedent signs and symptoms. Other important findings included the description of three stages of early disease progression with increase in symptom intensity. Pain experienced in necrotizing soft tissue infections is particularly excruciating and unresponsive to pain medication. Other common symptoms were dyspnea, shivering, muscle weakness, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, and fear. Conclusion Our study adds to the understanding of the lived experience of NSTI by providing in-depth description of antecedent signs and symptoms precipitating NSTI-diagnosis. We have described diagnostic delay as patient-related, primary care related, or hospital related and recommend that patient and family narratives should be considered when diagnosing NSTI to decrease diagnostic delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Erichsen Andersson
- Institute of Health Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 457, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden. .,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Mölndal, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Ingrid Egerod
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Intensive care unit 4131, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vibeke E Knudsen
- Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Intensive care unit 4131, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ann-Mari Fagerdahl
- Wound Centre, Södersjukhuset, Department of Clinical Science and Education, 118 83 Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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28
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Henry SM, Davis KA, Morrison JJ, Scalea TM. Can necrotizing soft tissue infection be reliably diagnosed in the emergency department? Trauma Surg Acute Care Open 2018; 3:e000157. [PMID: 29766136 PMCID: PMC5887823 DOI: 10.1136/tsaco-2017-000157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are associated with a high mortality and require prompt recognition and treatment, consisting of aggressive surgical debridement and critical care support. Diagnosis is a key step, which is generally made in the operating room (OR), but the decision to debride requires guidance. This is frequently made on clinical grounds, but NSTI can be occult in presentation and several other infective processes can mimic NSTI. It is unknown whether the various scoring systems described in the literature can enable clinicians to reliably diagnose NSTI in the emergency department, rather than the OR. The topic was debated at the 36thAnnual Point/Counterpoint Acute Care Surgery Conference and the following article summarizes the discussants points of view along with a summary of the evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon M Henry
- R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kimberly A Davis
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Thomas M Scalea
- R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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