Abstract

Mucormycosis Secondary to Coronavirus Disease A Case Series from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Maharashtra

Background: As the pandemic of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) progresses, health care remains a new challenge. The recent rise in second wave possess a different challenge of opportunistic infections especially mucormycosis in COVID-19 recovered patients. It is complicating their future outcomes and making quality of life more morbid. Mucormycosis was well known to infect patients with immunocompromised conditions, as the treatment of COVID-19 largely rests on systemic steroids and other immunosuppressant’s the risk of invasive fungal infection has increased.

Methodology: Here, we present a case series of 07 patients with individual clinical characteristics along with the demography and treatment details studied during 3 months June 2021 to August 2021. The data was collected in a single center that caters to a large population of COVID-19 patients with varying severity in taluka places of Maharashtra.

Results: Seven patients were presented with COVID-19 associated rhino cerebral mucormycosis. The median age was higher in non-survivors (59.5 years), with a higher odds ratio of death (23.8) in those with severe COVID, having overall mortality of 57%. Moreover, diabetes mellitus was present in 70% of patients with a mortality of 57%. All patients had received prior steroids for COVID-19 management. The incidence of hyperglycemia at admission was equal among both survivors and non-survivors.

Conclusion: The prevalence of mucormycosis seems to be more among COVID-19 patients which may be due to with increased use of systemic steroids and immunocompromised state because by SARS-CoV-2 or conditions such as diabetes mellitus. As the mortality of mucormycosis is remarkably high and apart from preventive practices and rational use of immunomodulators, a high index of suspicion with early diagnosis is needed.

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