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Background We investigated the possible role of the immune profile at ICU admission, among other well characterized clinical and laboratory predictors of unfavorable outcome in COVID-19 patients assisted in ICU. Methods Retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data collected for all consecutive patients admitted to the ICUs of the General Hospital of Pescara (Abruzzo, Italy), between 1 st March 2020 and 30 th April 2021, with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 respiratory failure. Logistic regressions were used to identify independent predictors of bacteremia and mortality. Results Out of 431 patients included in the study, bacteremia was present in N  = 191 (44.3%) and death occurred in N  = 210 (48.7%). After multivariate analysis, increased risk of bacteremia was found for viral reactivation (OR = 3.28; 95% CI:1.83–6.08), pronation (3.36; 2.12–5.37) and orotracheal intubation (2.51; 1.58–4.02). Increased mortality was found for bacteremia (2.05; 1.31–3.22), viral reactivation (2.29; 1.29–4.19) and lymphocytes < 0.6 × 10 3 c/µL (2.32; 1.49–3.64). Conclusions We found that viral reactivation, mostly due to Herpesviridae, was associated with increased risk of both bacteremia and mortality. In addition, pronation and intubation are strong predictors of bacteremia, which in turn together with severe lymphocytopenia due to SARS-CoV2 was associated with increased mortality. Most episodes of bacteremia, even due to Acinetobacter spp, were not predicted by microbiological evidence of colonization.

Background Undesired intrathecal injections represent an important subset of medical errors, albeit rare. Clinical effects depend on the type and concentration of drug(s) injected. Here we report on the case of a healthy woman with persistent low back pain, treated with a paravertebral injection of lidocaine, thiocolchicoside, and l -acetylcarnitine at an orthopedic practice. Case report A 42-year-old Caucasian woman, with no relevant past medical history, received a lumbar paravertebral injection of lidocaine, thiocolchicoside, and l -acetylcarnitine for persistent low back pain. Approximately 30 minutes after injection, she experienced quick neurological worsening. Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, she was comatose, with fixed bilateral mydriasis, trismus, and mixed acidosis; seizures ensued in the first hours; slow progressive amelioration was observed by day 6; retrograde amnesia was the only clinical relevant remaining symptom by 6 months. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of inadvertent intrathecal thiocolchicoside injection in an adult patient, as well as the first in the neurosurgical literature. Our experience suggests that injection therapy for low back pain should be administered in adequate settings, where possible complications may be promptly treated.