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Background & objective: Cytokine storms play a significant role in conditions leading to multi-organ failure in patients with severe corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The eradication of pro-inflammatory cytokines through hemoperfusion has been suggested to be a possible strategy to improve outcomes in these patients. We evaluated the impact of adjunctive HA330 hemoperfusion on outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients. Methodology: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted from December 2021 to December 2022. We included severe COVID-19 patients with elevated pro-inflammatory markers, who received three consecutive sessions of HA330 hemoperfusion in addition to the standard treatment protocol. Clinical data, including demographic information, baseline characteristics, and treatment outcomes, were analyzed. Results: We evaluated 24 severe COVID-19 patients. We observed a significant reduction in levels of CRP (P < 0.001) and IL-6 (P = 0.042), as well as a significant increase in arterial partial pressure of oxygen (P = 0.041). Importantly, no patient experienced cytotoxicity after the HA330 hemoperfusion sessions, confirming the biocompatibility of the treatment. Conclusion: Three consecutive sessions of HA330 hemoperfusion, used as an adjunctive therapy to standard care in severe COVID-19 patients, effectively reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and improved oxygenation. However, large multicenter trials are required to validate these clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to perform a cost‐utility analysis of separated continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) compared with intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods: Cost and clinical data were gathered from adult patients with AKI who received separated CRRT or IHD at a tertiary hospital in Thailand. We applied a Markov model in this study. Our primary outcome was the incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER). We performed sensitivity analysis to assess the influence of parameter uncertainty. Results: We enrolled 199 critically ill patients with AKI. Of these patients, 129 underwent separated CRRT, and the rest underwent IHD. The mortality rate and dialysis dependence status were not significantly different between the groups. The total costs of separated CRRT were lower than IHD ($73 042.20 vs. $89 244.37). We estimated that separated CRRT increased quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) by 0.21 compared with IHD. The ICER of −74 035.16 USD/QALY gained in the case‐based analysis indicated that separated CRRT is superior to IHD due to the lower cost and more cumulative QALYs. After performing sensitivity analysis by varying parameter ranges, separated CRRT remained a cost‐saving approach. Conclusions: Separated CRRT is a cost‐saving modality compared with IHD in critically ill patients with AKI. This approach can be applied in resource‐limited settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilateral renal abscess is a rare infectious disease. Most patients have some risk factors for comorbidities, such as diabetes or an abnormal urinary tract, causing abscess formation. The incidence of the disease is infrequent in young healthy adults. Here, we report a case of a previously healthy non-diabetic young man who presented with abdominal pain with a high-grade fever. With clinically persistent abdominal pain, computerized tomography of the whole abdomen was done. The result showed bilateral renal abscess. The culture from the abscess reported Staphylococcus aureus. The patient's clinical abdominal pain and fever resolved after receiving antibiotics for 4 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted from October 2020 to March 2022 in a province in southern Thailand. The inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and more than 18 years old were enrolled. Of the 1511 inpatients with CAP, COVID-19 was the leading cause, accounting for 27%. Among the patients with COVID-19 CAP, mortalities, mechanical ventilators, ICU admissions, ICU stay, and hospital costs were significantly higher than of those with non-COVID-19 CAP. Household and workplace contact with COVID-19, co-morbidities, lymphocytopenia and peripheral infiltration in chest imaging were associated with CAP due to COVID-19. The delta variant yielded the most unfavorable clinical and non-clinical outcomes. While COVID-19 CAP due to B.1.113, Alpha and Omicron variants had relatively similar outcomes. Among those with CAP, COVID-19 infection as well as obesity, a higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and APACHE II score were associated with in-hospital mortality. Among those with COVID-19 CAP, obesity, infection due to the Delta variant, a higher CCI and higher APACHE II score were associated with in-hospital mortality. COVID-19 had a great impact on the epidemiology and outcomes of CAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]