Background: Monocyte Distribution Width (MDW), a simple cellular marker of innate monocyte activation, can be used for the early recognition of sepsis. We performed an observational prospective monocentric study to assess the predictive role of MDW in detecting sepsis in a sample of consecutive patients presenting at the Emergency Department.Methods: Prospective observational study using demographic and clinical characteristics, past medical history and other laboratory measurements to predict confirmed sepsis using multivariate logistic regression.Results: A total of 2724 patients were included in the study, of which 272 (10%) had sepsis or septic shock. After adjusting for known and potential risk factors, logistic regression found the following independent predictors of sepsis: SIRS equal to 1 (OR: 2.32, 1.16–4.89) and 2 or more (OR: 27.8, 14.8–56.4), MDW > 22 (OR: 3.73, 2.46–5.70), smoking (OR: 3.0, 1.22–7.31), end stage renal function (OR: 2.3, 1.25–4.22), neurodegenerative disease (OR: 2.2, 1.31–3.68), Neutrophils ≥ 8.9 × 10³/µL (OR: 2.73, 1.82–4.11), Lymphocytes < 1.3 × 10³/µL (OR: 1.72, 1.17–2.53) and CRP ≥ 19.1 mg/L (OR: 2.57, 1.63–4.08). A risk score derived from predictive models achieved high accuracy by using an optimal threshold (AUC: 95%; 93–97%).Conclusions: The study suggests that incorporating MDW in the clinical decision process may improve the early identification of sepsis, with minimal additional effort on the standard procedures adopted during emergency care.

Background: Several results support the hypothesis that a group of pathologies falling within the Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD) diagnostic criteria may coexist with Connective Tissue Diseases (CTD) in patients with a high susceptibility to autoimmune conditions. However, the relationship between NMOSD and rheumatologic diseases deserves further investigations to clarify all clinical aspects of this coexistence. We designed a systematic review and a proportional meta-analysis to estimate the association between CTD and MNOSD, with the aim of helping to plan the best strategy to achieve the most significant public health benefit for these conditions. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature published until February 2023, searching in four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, EmBase, and OVID. Then, we conducted a random-effects proportional meta-analysis and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Results: The literature search yielded an overall result of 3176 publications (272 from PubMed, 880 from Web of Science, 634 from EmBase and 1390 from OVID). Of these, 29 were included in this systematic review. Analyzing studies that recruited unselected patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Sjogren Syndrome (SjS), the pooled percentages of NMOSD overlapping were 0.6% (95% Confidence Interval [95% CI]: 0.1%–1.4%,) and 6.5% (95% CI: 4.7–8.6), respectively. Studies enrolling rheumatologic patients with nervous system symptoms involvement reported higher percentage of NMOSD (i.e., among SjS patients, a pooled percentage of 26.5%, 95% CI: 5.5–54.6%, was found). Similarly, recruiting patients with NMOSD, we found pooled percentages of SjS or SLE respectively of 7.0% and 3.5%. Conclusions: Our research found that the coexistence of these two disorders was more frequent in female rheumatologic patients with a SjS diagnosis with neurological manifestations and in neurologic patients for whom a SjS diagnosis was suspected. Similarly, NMOSD are less frequently found in SLE and very rarely incident in Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) patients. These considerations should be taken into account in clinical experience of rheumatologists and neurologists, since early diagnosis of both conditions may influence the timing of immunosuppressive therapy and the prevention of systemic disabilities.

We planned a systemic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Monocyte Distribution Width (MDW) in aiding the diagnosis of sepsis in the Emergency Department (ED) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and OVID to retrieve studies published up to 29 January 2024. We examined results using mean difference and conducted a diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) meta-analysis using a bivariate random effects model. Pooled results showed that MDW was significantly higher in sepsis patients admitted to the ED (MD = 5.59, 95%CI: 4.14–7.05) or to the ICU (MD = 8.30, 95%CI: 2.98–13.62). Nine studies conducted in the ED were included in the DTA review. The overall sensitivity was 0.80 (95%CI: 0.75–0.85), the specificity was 0.76 (95%CI: 0.66–0.83), and the false-positive rate (FPR) was 0.24 (95%CI: 0.17–0.34). Three studies were conducted in the ICU, but only two were included in the DTA meta-analysis. Of the 662 patients admitted to the ICU, 175 developed sepsis, showing higher MDW values than non-septic patients. However, significant heterogeneity was noted among the studies. MDW is a helpful biomarker for sepsis in adult patients admitted to the ED and ICU. In the ED, MDW could aid clinicians in ruling out sepsis.

Background: Dalbavancin is a long-acting lipoglycopeptide, approved for treatment of skin and skin structure infections. Its PK/PD profile and safety allow for short hospital stays even in the case of difficult-to-treat infections requiring long courses of therapy, e.g., osteomyelitis, cardiovascular, and prosthetic infections. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of dalbavancin in real life settings for both in-label and off-label indications. Methods: retrospective evaluation of all consecutive patients treated with dalbavancin at our site between May 2017 and September 2021. Results: A total of 100 patients treated with dalbavancin and followed up for 6 months after treatment (58% male; median age 63.5 years, median Charlson Comorbidity Index CCI = 2.7, 28% inpatients) were included with the following indications: acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (22%), bone and prosthetic infections (57%), and cardiovascular infections (19%). Infections were caused by MSSA (30%), MRSA (5%), MR-CoNS (20%), and Streptococcus spp. (8%). In 32 cases, no isolate was obtained. The average number of infusions was 5 (s.d. = 3). Neither ensuing alteration of renal function nor neutropenia or thrombocytopenia were observed during treatment and follow-up. Two self-limiting skin rashes occurred. The overall clinical success rate was 84%—91% for registered and 82% for unregistered indications. The prescription of higher loading doses was the only predictor independently associated with better outcomes in multivariate models (OR: 5.2, 95%CI: 1.5–17.9, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Dalbavancin proved to be effective for skin and skin structure infections, as well as for difficult-to-treat infections in highly comorbid patients. Regarding tolerability, our results support the use of dalbavancin for long-lasting treatments of deep-seated infections.

Background: Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infections are a serious problem in critical care. This study aims to develop an early prognostic score for immune paralysis, using practical and cost-effective parameters, to predict ICU mortality in patients with CRAB infections being treated with Cefiderocol. Methods: We carried out an observational pilot study on consecutive patients hospitalized in the ICU with ensuing septic Acinetobacter baumannii infections treated with Cefiderocol monotherapy or Cefiderocol including combinations. We investigated the predictive power of lymphocyte counts, lymphocyte subpopulations, serum cholinesterase levels, and reactivation of herpes viruses. Results: Overall, 36 of 39 patients entered in our analysis: 20 survivors and 16 deceased. A total of 12 patients developed bacteremia, 19 patients had HAP/VAP, and 5 patients had a soft tissue infection. Univariate analyses of factors associated with unfavorable outcome revealed a significant association for age (OR: 1.5, CI: 1.11–2.02), SAPS II (OR: 1.05, CI: 1.01–1.1), SOFA score (OR: 1.37, CI: 1.06–1.76), lymphocytopenia (OR: 32.5, CI: 3.45–306.4), viral reactivation (OR: 9.75, CI: 1.72–55.4), and cholinesterase drop <1600 U/L (OR: 39.7, CI: 5.8–271.6). At variance, monotherapy or associations with Cefiderocol were not associated. In the final multivariable model, the only independent predictors of death were age (OR: 1.42, CI: 0.98–2.05), lymphocytopenia (OR: 18.2, CI: 0.87–371), and cholinesterase drop to below 1600 U/L (OR: 9.7, CI: 0.77–123.7). Conclusions: Age, lymphocytopenia, and serum cholinesterase drops, which were nearly significantly associated with an unfavorable outcome, may help pinpoint patients with acute immune paralysis during sepsis. Knowledge of such an immune state may in turn directly influence patients’ care.

Background: The anti-SOX-1 antibodies have been mainly associated with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LETMS) and Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). In this report, we describe the interesting case of a patient with serum anti-SOX-1 antibodies and Crohn’s Disease (CD) with ensuing neurological symptoms. Case presentation: A Caucasian 67-year-old female was admitted to the Emergency Department with seizures, vertigo, emesis, nausea, postural instability and recurrent falls, over a period of 10 days. She had been affected by Crohn’s Disease since 1991. A CT scan failed to detect any ischemic or haemorrhagic lesion. A brain MRI revealed signs of leukoencephalopathy. Western blot analysis of her serum revealed a high titre of the onconeural antibody anti-SOX1, consistent with a neurological, cerebellar type, paraneoplastic syndrome. In spite of multiple efforts to unmask a possible underlying malignancy, no neoplastic lesion cropped up during hospitalization. Her clinical conditions progressively deteriorated, up to respiratory failure; a few days later she died, due to ensuing septic shock and Multiple Organ Failure. Conclusions: Our experience may usher and reveal a new role of anti-neural antibodies, so far reckoned an early indicator of associated malignancy, suggesting that neurological syndromes associated with such antibodies may complicate also chronic Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. As of now, testing for anti-neuronal antibodies appeared unnecessary within the diagnostic assessment of gastroenterological disorders, which may lead to overlooking incident neurologic autoimmune diseases. Further exploration of such research hypothesis in clinical grounds appears intriguing.