Candida dubliniensis fungemia in a patient with severe COVID-19: A case report

Candida dubliniensis phenotypically mimics Candida albicans in its microbiological features; thus, its clinical characteristics have yet to be fully elucidated. Here we report the case of a 68-year-old Japanese man who developed C. dubliniensis fungemia during treatment for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The patient was intubated and received a combination of immunosuppressants, including high-dose methylprednisolone and two doses of tocilizumab, as well as remdesivir, intravenous heparin, and ceftriaxone. A blood culture on admission day 11 revealed Candida species, which was confirmed as C. dubliniensis by mass spectrometry. An additional sequencing analysis of the 26S rDNA and ITS regions confirmed that the organism was 100% identical to the reference strain of C. dubliniensis (ATCC MYA-646). Considering the simultaneous isolation of C. dubliniensis from a sputum sample, the lower respiratory tract could be an entry point for candidemia. Although treatment with micafungin successfully eradicated the C. dubliniensis fungemia, the patient died of COVID-19 progression. In this case, aggressive immunosuppressive therapy could have caused the C. dubliniensis fungemia. Due to insufficient clinical reports on C. dubliniensis infection based on definitive diagnosis, the whole picture of the cryptic organism is still unknown. Further accumulation of clinical and microbiological data of the pathogen is needed to elucidate their clinical significance.

The Impact of Medical Students Teaching Basic Life Support to Laypersons

Basic life support (BLS) courses for laypersons, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, is known to improve outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac events. We asked medical students to provide BLS training for laypersons as a part of their emergency medicine education and evaluated the effects of training on the BLS skills of laypersons. We also used a questionnaire to determine whether the medical students who provided the BLS training were themselves more confident and motivated to perform BLS compared to students who did not provide BLS training. The proportions of laypersons who reported confidence in checking for a response, performing chest compressions, and automated external defibrillator (AED) use were significantly increased after the BLS training. The proportions of medical students who reported increased confidence/motivation in terms of understanding BLS, checking for a response, chest compression, use of AED, and willingness to perform BLS were significantly greater among medical students who provided BLS instructions compared to those who did not. BLS instruction by medical students was associated with an improvement in laypersons' CPR accuracy and confidence in responding to cardiac arrest. The results indicate that medical students could gain understanding, confidence, and motivation in regard to their BLS skills by teaching BLS to laypersons.

Higher enhanced computed tomography attenuation value of the aorta is a predictor of massive transfusion in blunt trauma patients

Objective

Several scoring systems have been developed to identify patients who require massive transfusion (MT) after major trauma to improve survival. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the usefulness of enhanced computed tomography attenuation values (CTAVs) of major vessels to determine the need for MT in patients with major blunt trauma.

Methods

This single-center retrospective cohort study evaluated patients aged 16 years or older who underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the torso after major blunt trauma. The CTAVs of six major vessel points in both the arterial and portal venous phases at initial computed tomography examination were assessed and compared between the MT and the no MT group. The capability of enhanced CTAVs to predict the necessity for MT was estimated based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results

Of the 254 eligible patients, 36 (14%) were in the MT group. Patients in the MT group had significantly higher CTAVs at all sites except the inferior vena cava in both the arterial and portal venous phases than that in the no MT group. The descending aorta in the arterial phase had the highest accuracy for predicting MT, with an AUROC of 0.901 (95% confidence interval, 0.855 to 0.947; P<0.001).

Conclusion

Initial elevation of enhanced CTAV of the aorta is a predictor for the need for MT. A higher CTAV of the aorta should alert the trauma surgeon or emergency physician to activate their MT protocol.

Huge abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst following ventriculoperitoneal shunt: a case report

Introduction

Abdominal pseudocysts comprising cerebrospinal fluid are an uncommon but significant complication in patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunt. We present a successfully treated 12-year-old boy with a history of ventriculoperitoneal shunting and a huge abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst.

Case presentation

A12-year-old Japanese boy presented with a deteriorated consciousness and a palpable and elastic large lower abdominal mass. Computed tomography of his abdomen demonstrated a collection of homogenous low-density fluid near the catheter tip of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Cerebral computed tomography revealed an increased ventricular size. Based on the clinical diagnosis of abdominal pseudocyst, the peritoneal shunt catheter was secured and divided into two parts by cutting it on the chest; then, the proximal side of the peritoneal shunt catheter was externalized for extraventricular drainage. The cyst was percutaneously aspirated with ultrasound guidance, and the distal side of the peritoneal shunt catheter was removed. The distal side of the peritoneal shunt catheter was reinserted in another position into his abdomen after 3-week extraventricular drainage management.

Conclusion

Emergency physicians should know about this potential complication as an important differential diagnosis resulting from acute abdominal complaints in patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunts.

Penetrating thoracic ice pick injury extending into pulmonary artery: Report of a case

INTRODUCTION

Penetrating thoracic traumas have a wide spectrum, ranging from mild traumas to life-threatening injuries.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

This paper illustrates a 40-year-old male with a penetrating pulmonary artery injury that was successfully treated with emergency surgery. The patient visited local hospital by foot complaining of moving object on his chest and was found that an ice pick was penetrating the man's left chest. An ambulance took the patient to our emergency department. Computed tomography of the chest showed linear metallic density in the pulmonary trunk and a small amount of pericardial fluid. Emergency surgery for removal of the object and repair of the pulmonary artery was performed. The ice pick had been stuck in the main pulmonary artery through the pericardium without any injury to the left lung or internal thoracic artery. Postoperative course was uneventful.

DISCUSSION

A multidisciplinary team designed our treatment strategy, enabling us to select the optimal treatment, including diagnostic techniques and surgical approach. A successful trauma management depends on whether a life-threatening conditionexists. Major vascular injury should be rapidly assessed in these cases. Psychiatric aspects of the case are also discussed.

CONCLUSION

Early removal of the foreign body is recommended to prevent further damage to the heart.

Raoultella planticola bacteremia-induced fatal septic shock following burn injury

BACKGROUND

Raoultella planticola, a Gram-negative, aerobic bacillus commonly isolated from soil and water, rarely causes invasive infections in humans. Septic shock from R. planticola after burn injury has not been previously reported.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 79-year-old male was admitted to the emergency intensive care unit after extensive flame burn injury. He accidently caught fire while burning trash and plunged into a nearby tank filled with contaminated rainwater to extinguish the fire. The patient developed septic shock on day 10. The blood culture detected R. planticola, which was identified using the VITEK-2 biochemical identification system. Although appropriate antibiotic treatment was continued, the patient died on day 12.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians should be aware of fatal infections in patients with burn injury complicated by exposure to contaminated water.

Hyperammonemic encephalopathy in a patient receiving fluorouracil/oxaliplatin chemotherapy

Hyperammonemia is a rare adverse effect of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) therapy, but can be very serious, even fatal. Physicians must be aware that hyperammonemic encephalopathy sometimes develops as an adverse event after 5‐FU therapy.