Infectious Diseases
Mahsa Abdorahimi; Alireza Abdollahi; Sadegh Khodavaisy; Haleh Sarrafnia
Abstract
Background & Objective: Fungal co-infections increase the incidence and mortality of viral respiratory tract infections. This study systematically reviews and conducts a meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 patients with fungal coinfections. The aim is to provide a concise overview ...
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Background & Objective: Fungal co-infections increase the incidence and mortality of viral respiratory tract infections. This study systematically reviews and conducts a meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 patients with fungal coinfections. The aim is to provide a concise overview of the impact of these infections on patient outcomes especially association with risk of mortality, informing future research and optimizing patient management strategies.Methods: To identify relevant studies on COVID-19 patients, we conducted a systematic search of databases from the beginning of the year until July 2023, including fungal co-infections, mortality, and sequelae. Eligibility criteria were developed using the PICO framework, and data extraction was carried out separately by two authors using standard techniques. Statistical analysis was performed using the correlation model and differences between studies were evaluated using the I2 test. R and RStudio were used for statistical analysis and visualization.Results: We initially identified 6,764 studies, and after checking for equivalence and consistency, 41 studies were included in the final analysis. The overall COVID-19 odds ratio for people who died from fungal infections was 2.65, indicating that patients infected with both COVID-19 and fungal infections had a higher risk of death compared to patients with COVID-19 alone. Specifically, COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) has a higher odds ratio of 3.36, while COVID-19-associated candidiasis (CAC) has an odds ratio of 1.84, and both are much more associated with death. However, coinfection of the fungus with other fungal species did not show a significant difference in the risk of mortality.Conclusion: This study identified CAPA and CAC as the most common infections acquired in healthcare settings. Fungal coinfections may be associated with an increased risk of death in COVID-19 patients.
Microbiology
Arezoo Salami; Mahsa Falahatinejad; Mahsa Abdorahimi; Mohammadreza Salehi; Farzad Aala; Alireza Abdollahi; Hana Saffar; Sadegh Khodavaisy
Abstract
There has been a rise in COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) cases, particularly in low-income countries. We describe a case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis after recovering from COVID-19 in a kidney transplant recipient who had a known case of diabetes mellitus. The patient developed cutaneous ...
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There has been a rise in COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) cases, particularly in low-income countries. We describe a case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis after recovering from COVID-19 in a kidney transplant recipient who had a known case of diabetes mellitus. The patient developed cutaneous ulcers due to Rhizopus oryzae in the right hand. She did not recall any trauma or injury at the affected site. Based on the appearance of the wound we suspected that healthcare-associated mucormycosis could be the causative agent. Due to the initial misdiagnosis as a bacterial infection, the appropriate treatment was delayed, and the lesions progressed rapidly to necrotic ulcers with jagged margins that deteriorated during hospitalization. She underwent consecutive surgical interventions and received broad-spectrum antifungal therapy. Finally, the patient deceased after 32 days of hospital stay. We reviewed the previous case reports of cutaneous mucormycosis occurring in COVID-19 patients and described patient characteristics, predisposing factors, location of ulcers, clinical presentation, management, and outcome. This report and existing published literature indicate a poor outcome for cutaneous mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients and the importance of early diagnosis, aggressive multidisciplinary management, and regular follow-up as a life-saving measure, especially in immunocompromised patients.
