BACKGROUND: Specific toxic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their metabolites, may affect the inhalation injury (INHI) grade, patients' status, and prognosis for recovery. This pilot prospective study aimed to: i) evaluate the suitability of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for determination of PAHs in the LRT and of urine for determination of hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PAHs) in patients with INHI, ii) describe the dynamic changes in the levels of these toxic compounds, and iii) correlate these findings with clinical variables of the patients with INHI. METHODS: The BAL and urine samples from 10 patients with INHI were obtained on Days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 of hospitalization, if possible, and PAHs (BAL) and OH-PAHs (urine) were analyzed using chromatographic methods (GC-MS and HPLC). RESULTS: Concentrations of analyzed PAHs were in most cases and time points below the limit of quantification in BAL samples. Nine OH-PAHs were detected in the urine samples; however, their concentrations sharply decreased within the first three days of the hospitalization. On Day 14, the total amount of OH-PAHs in urine was higher in surviving patients with High-grade INHI (≥3) than in those with Low-grade INHI (<3, p = 0.032). Finally, a significant correlation between certain OH-PAHs and clinical variables (AST/ALT, TBSA, ABSI) from Day 1 of the hospitalization was observed (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BAL samples are not suitable for the analysis of PAHs. However, the OH-PAHs levels in urine can be measured reliably and were correlated with several clinical variables. Moreover, High-grade INHI was associated with higher total concentrations of OH-PAHs in urine.

• MeSH
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid * chemistry   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Hospitalization * MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Pilot Projects MeSH
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons * urine   analysis   MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons * MeSH

Patients with burn injury and inhalation injury are highly susceptible to infectious complications, including opportunistic pathogens, due to the loss of skin cover and mucosal damage of respiratory tract as well as the disruption of homeostasis. This case report, a 34-year-old man suffered critical burns, provides the first literature description of triple-impact immunoparalysis (critical burns, inhalation injury, and SARS-CoV-2 infection), leading to a lethal multifocal infection caused by several fungi including very rare environmental representatives Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Wickerhamomyces anomalus. The co-infection by these common environmental yeasts in a human is unique and has not yet been described in the literature. Importantly, our patient developed refractory septic shock and died despite targeted antifungal therapy including the most potent current antifungal agent-isavuconazole. It can be assumed that besides immunoparalysis, effectiveness of therapy by isavuconazole was impaired by the large distribution volume in this case. As this is a common situation in intensive care patients, routine monitoring of plasmatic concentration of isavuconazole can be helpful in personalization of the treatment and dose optimization. Whatmore, many fungal species often remain underdiagnosed during infectious complications, which could be prevented by implementation of new methods, such as next-generation sequencing, into clinical practice.

• Keywords
• COVID-19, Inhalation injury, Isavuconazole, Mycobiome,
• MeSH
• Antifungal Agents * therapeutic use   MeSH
• COVID-19 * immunology   complications   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Fatal Outcome MeSH
• Coinfection microbiology   drug therapy   immunology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mycoses drug therapy   microbiology   immunology   diagnosis   MeSH
• Nitriles therapeutic use   MeSH
• Burns complications   microbiology   MeSH
• Pyridines therapeutic use   MeSH
• Saccharomycetales genetics   drug effects   immunology   MeSH
• Sepsis drug therapy   microbiology   immunology   MeSH
• Triazoles therapeutic use   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Case Reports MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Antifungal Agents * MeSH
• isavuconazole MeSH Browser
• Nitriles MeSH
• Pyridines MeSH
• Triazoles MeSH