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Abstract: Background: Aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and incidence of catheter-related infection, identify risk factors, and determine the relation of catheter-related infection with mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of central venous catheters (CVCs) in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Eligible CVC insertions required an indwelling time of at least 48 hours and were identified using a full-admission electronic health record database. Risk factors were identified using logistic regression. Differences in survival rates at day 28 of follow-up were assessed using a log-rank test and proportional hazard model. Results: In 538 patients, a total of 914 CVCs were included. Prevalence and incidence of suspected catheter-related infection were 7.9% and 9.4 infections per 1,000 catheter indwelling days, respectively. Prone ventilation for more than 5 days was associated with increased risk of suspected catheter-related infection; odds ratio, 5.05 (95% confidence interval 2.12-11.0). Risk of death was significantly higher in patients with suspected catheter-related infection (hazard ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-2.53). Conclusions: This study shows that in critically ill patients with COVID-19, prevalence and incidence of suspected catheter-related infection are high, prone ventilation is a risk factor, and mortality is higher in case of catheter-related infection., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by the Shock Society.)

Ultrasonography of the diaphragm in the zone of apposition has become increasingly popular to evaluate muscle thickness and thickening fraction. However, measurements in this anatomical location are frequently hindered by factors that constrain physical accessibility or that alter diaphragm position. Therefore, other anatomical positions at the chest wall for transducer placement are used, but the variability in diaphragm thickness across the dome has not been systematically studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate anatomical variation of diaphragm thickness in 46 healthy volunteers on three ventrodorsal lines and two craniocaudal positions on these three lines. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for diaphragm thickness in the craniocaudal direction on the mid-axillary line was significantly higher than those on the posterior axillary and midclavicular lines, suggesting it had the lowest variability (ICC midaxillary  = .89, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83-0.93, ICC posterior axillary  = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.62-0.85, ICC midclavicular  = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.43-0.47, p < 0.05). Average diaphragm thickness was comparable on the posterior axillary and midaxillary lines and substantially larger on the midclavicular line (1.24 mm [1.06-1.47], 1.27 mm [1.10-1.42] and 2.32 [1.97-2.70], p < 0.01). We conclude that the normal diaphragm has a large variability in thickness, especially in the ventrodorsal direction. Variability in craniocaudal position is the lowest at the midaxillary line, which therefore appears to be the preferred site for diaphragm thickness measurement., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The incidence of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in Europe is increasing. However, diagnosing LGV in a hospital setting is rare. We analysed the diagnostic process and clinical characteristics of patients with LGV in a hospital setting., Design and Setting: A retrospective observational study conducted in a teaching hospital in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. All adult patients with LGV between November 2010 and February 2019 were included. Clinical data were retrieved from electronic patient records., Results: 40 patients were included. 90% of patients were men who have sex with men (MSM) and 62,5% were HIV positive. The most common presenting symptoms were rectal bleeding (47,5%), anal symptoms (30%) and change in bowel habits (25%). The mean time from first consultation to diagnosis was 28 days (range: 0 to 332, median 16,5 days). Diagnostic delay was increased by clinical presentation (ie anogenital syndrome) and the number of specialists involved. Diagnostic procedures not leading to the diagnosis were performed in 98% of cases., Conclusion: To prevent late complications, unnecessary diagnostic procedures and further transmission, early testing for LGV should be incorporated in the work-up of every patient reporting MSM-activity presenting with anorectal symptoms or inguinal lymphadenopathy.

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is an invasive sexually transmitted infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis genotypes L1, L2 and L3. Until recently, LGV was rarely seen in developed countries. However, an outbreak of LGV infections in Europe amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) has been reported in the past decades. Diagnosing LGV can be challenging since there is no pathognomic clinical presentation. Most patients are diagnosed with LGV by Community Healthcare Services and general practitioners. Recent data show that a significant diagnostic delay can occur when patients present in a hospital with symptoms due to LGV infection. This can result in unnecessary additional diagnostic procedures and a subsequent diagnostic delay. In order to create more awareness, we describe 3 cases in our hospital with an initially unrecognized LGV infection. We also discuss the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic process and treatment of LGV infection.

Objective: to assess the utility of peripheral venous lactate (PVL) in Emergency Department patients., Methods: arteriovenous agreement was assessed in three subgroups: PVL <2 mmol/l, PVL ≥ 2 mmol/l to < 4 mmol/l and PVL ≥ 4 mmol/l. The predictive value of PVL to predict arterial lactate (AL) ≥2 mmol/l was assessed at different cut-off values., Results: 74 samples were analysed. The venous-arterial mean difference and 95% limits of agreement for the subgroups were 0.25 mmol/l (-0.18 to 0.68), 0.37 mmol/l (-0.57 to 1.32) and -0.89 mmol/l (-3.75 to 1.97). PVL ≥2 mmol/l predicts AL ≥2 mmol/l with 100% sensitivity., Conclusion: PVL <2 mmol/l rules out arterial hyperlactatemia. As agreement declines in higher levels, arterial sampling should be considered.

We report the case of a 79-year-old patient with pancytopenia and blue-purple cutaneous lesions on his legs, arms and in the oral cavity. These lesions had been present for several months. Based on a positive HIV test result we made a presumptive diagnosis of cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma.

Background: In the Emergency Department, lactate measurement is a useful tool to risk-stratify critically ill patients. However, it is unclear whether arterial or peripheral venous lactate levels can be used interchangeably for this purpose. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of studies investigating the agreement between arterial and peripheral venous lactate levels in the Emergency Department., Methods: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials/Wiley, Web of Science/Clarivate Analytics, and references of selected articles were assessed for all studies comparing arterial and peripheral venous lactate levels in adult patients in the emergency department. Two reviewers independently screened all potentially relevant titles and abstracts for eligibility using a standardized data-worksheet., Results: Nine studies were included. Peripheral venous lactate levels tend to be higher than arterial lactate levels with mean differences ranging from 0.18 mmol/l to 1.06 mmol/l. Importantly, poorer agreement occurs in hyperlactatemia. At a cut-of level of 1.6 mmol/l, peripheral venous lactate can rule out arterial hyperlactatemia with a sensitivity between 94% and 100%. At a cut off value of 2 mmol/l, sensitivities of 97% and 100% were found., Conclusion: Agreement between arterial and peripheral venous lactate is poor in hyperlactatemia, making peripheral venous lactate an unreliable parameter to use interchangeably in the ED. In clinical practice, peripheral venous lactate can be used as a screening tool to rule out arterial hyperlactatemia at a cut-off value of 2 mmol/l. However, hyperlactatemia should be confirmed using arterial sampling in case of a peripheral venous lactate level > 2 mmol/l., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the majority of hospitalised patients with hyponatraemia, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is the primary cause. Before considering SIADH, adrenal, thyroid and pituitary insufficiency should be ruled out. However, the evaluation of these contains potential pitfalls which could lead to incorrect diagnosing of SIADH. Here we present two cases in which a suspected SIADH turned out to be caused by hypopituitarism, emphasising the importance of correctly excluding adrenal, thyroid and pituitary insufficiency.

Splenic abscess is a rare and potentially lethal clinical condition. The most common symptoms of a splenic abscess - abdominal pain, nausea and fever - are non-specific. As a result, a splenic abscess is often not considered in the initial work-up. This might lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment. In this case series we successively describe a 41-year-old female with a splenic abscess after Streptococcus milleri bacteraemia, a 78-year-old male with a splenic abscess caused by a colon carcinoma and a 52-year-old male with a splenic abscess resulting from a colosplenic fistula after bariatric surgery. By emphasizing the different aetiologies, the different clinical presentations and the different therapeutic options of a splenic abscess, we aim to create greater awareness of this rare clinical phenomenon.

Background: Acute deterioration in critical ill patients is often preceded by changes in physiological parameters, such as pulse, blood pressure, temperature and respiratory rate. If these changes in the patient's vital parameters are recognized early, excess mortality and serious adverse events (SAEs) such as cardiac arrest may be prevented. The Early Warning Score (EWS) is a scoring system which assists with the detection of physiological changes and may help identify patients at risk of further deterioration., Objectives: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the impact of the use of the Early Warning Score (EWS) on particular patient outcomes, such as in-hospital mortality, patterns of intensive care unit admission and usage, length of hospital stay, cardiac arrests and other serious adverse events of adult patients on general wards and in medical admission units., Design and Setting: Systematic review of studies identified from the bibliographic databases of PubMed, EMBASE.com and The Cochrane Library., Selection Criteria: All controlled studies which measured in-hospital mortality, ICU mortality, serious adverse events (SAEs), cardiopulmonary arrest, length of stay and documentation of physiological parameters which used a EWS on the ward or the emergency department to identify patients at risk were included in the review., Data Collection and Analysis: Three reviewers (NA, AT and EH) independently screened all potentially relevant titles and abstracts for eligibility, by using a standardized data-worksheet. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity., Main Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The results of our included studies were mixed, with a positive trend towards better clinical outcomes following the introduction of the EWS chart, sometimes coupled with an outreach service. Six of the seven included studies used mortality as an endpoint: two of these studies reported no significant difference in in-hospital mortality rate; two found a significant reduction of in-hospital mortality; two other studies described a trend towards improved survival. Although, both ICU mortality and serious adverse events were not significantly improved, there was a trend towards reduction of these endpoints after introduction of the EWS. However only two studies looked respectively at each endpoint. There were conflicting results concerning cardiopulmonary arrests. One study found a reduction in the incidence of cardiac arrest calls as well as in the mortality of patients who underwent CPR, while another one found an increased incidence of cardio-pulmonary arrests. Neither study met all methodological quality criteria., Conclusion: The EWS itself is a simple and easy to use tool at the bedside, which may be of help in recognizing patients with potential for acute deterioration. Coupled with an outreach service, it may be used to timely initiate adequate treatment upon recognition, which may influence the clinical outcomes positively. However, the use of adapted forms of the EWS together with different thresholds, poor or inadequate methodology makes it difficult in drawing comparisons. A general conclusion can thus not be generated from the lack of use of a single standardized score and the use of different populations. In future large multi-centre trials using one standardized score are needed also in order to facilitate comparison., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)