The presented review and experimental work provides the data regarding the selective permeability of lipid and cell membranes for ions and organic compounds under the influence of channel-forming polyene compounds with a known molecule structure. It has been shown that the polyene antibiotic levorin А₂ with an aromatic structure affects a number of physicochemical parameters of lipid membranes. It was established that the permeability of lipid and cellular membranes for monovalent cations, as well as for monosugar and other neutral molecules increases under the influence of a levorin of А₂. The biological activity of levorin А₂ and the rate of delivery of molecules to the membranes depend on the surface tension and substrate environment of the membranes. It has been shown that in combination with levorin, dimethyl sulfoxide, and citral, the surface tension of the aqueous solutions surrounding the membrane decreases by half. Comparative data on levorin А₂ effects on lipid membranes and muscle cell membranes are presented. It is assumed that levorin А₂, being a channel-forming compound, can induce the formation of additional permeability channels in the membranes of muscle cells and, with intense muscle activity, enhance the transfer of cation and energy-dependent substrates through the membranes.

Effective antibiotic therapy requires reliable data on the dynamics of sensitivity changes in each region. The aim of the study was to determine the sensitivity to antibiotics and antilysozyme activity of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from the blood of patients with sepsis over the period from 2017 to 2019. An increase in the resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to ceftriaxone, cefixime vancomycin, azithromycin, and levofloxacin was noted. Given the high incidence of resistance, the use of these drugs should be limited. Ceftazidime, tigecycline, daptomycin, and linezolid can be considered drugs of choice in empiric therapy of septic diseases of staphylococcal etiology. Most of the isolated strains exhibited antilysozyme activity (ALA). Most commonly the cultures had medium to high ALA scores.

Aim. The study evaluates clinical effectiveness and safety of etiotropic antiviral medications with a direct mechanism of action (Riamilovir, Ribavirin, Umifenovir) for the treatment of moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults. Materials and methods. The study used the data from 59 health records of patients with moderate PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Control group included 29 patients treated with 1250 mg Riamilovir off-label per day for 5 days (250 mg 5 times a day), comparison group consisted of 30 patients, who received 800 mg Ribavirin and Umifenovir per day for 5 days. The effectiveness of the medications was assessed by the duration and severity of general infectious and respiratory syndromes, anosmia and ageusia, as well as the oxygen content in the blood, the timing of SARS-COV-2 virus elimination from the body according to the results of control studies of nasopharyngeal swabs using the PCR method and dynamics of blood tests results. Results. A statistically significant decrease in the duration of fever, cough, and anosmia and a more rapid elimination of the virus from the body were noted in the group of patients receiving Riamilovir. Decreased levels of non-specific inflammatory markers in blood serum, as well as normal values of liver enzymes were observed in control group during therapy, as opposed to the comparison group. No serious adverse events were noted when using the medication. Conclusion. Nucleoside analogue medication Riamilovir showed good effectiveness and safety profile in adult patients with moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The influence of various schemes of preoperative preparation for autodermoplasty on the rates of skin graft survival and the duration of hospitalization in patients with burns and wounds of various etiologies was analyzed. Patients were divided into groups and subgroups depending on the preparation scheme. Group I (22 patients) received negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) during the preoperative period for 5 days in combination with reamberin — intravenous drip at a rate of 40-60 drops/min, 500 ml, once a day for 5 days. Those patients were divided into subgroups: subgroup 1A (17 people) received complex treatment without antibiotic therapy, subgroup 1B (5 people) received antibiotic therapy. Group II consisted of 30 patients, who received vacuum therapy during the preparatory period. Group II patients were also divided into subgroups: 2A (16 people) received NPWT without antibiotics, 2B (14 people) — vacuum therapy together with antibiotic therapy. Group III (comparison, n=52) included patients who were treated using traditional methods, including antibiotic therapy and topical use of various dressings and ointments. Follow-up morphohistological study of wound biopsies was carried out in order to determine the area of fibroblasts, the area of fibroblast nucleus, and the number of vessels. After skin autografting, skin flap survival rate was determined, taking the time of hospitalization into account. Upon comparison of preoperative preparation schemes used for patients with burns and chronic ulcers of various etiologies with a surface area of 1–5% appropriate for skin autografting, the scheme that included NPWT and reamberin for 5 days proved to be the most effective: an improvement in fibroblastogenesis and blood flow to the wound was noted in this group of patients, which was accompanied by an improvement in the skin flap survival rate up to 90.0±9.9%, which, in turn, reduced the duration of patient’s hospital stay — the average duration of the preoperative period was 2.5 times shorter, postoperative — 1.9 times shorter than in the comparison group (p<0.05). The results obtained make it possible to recommend the use of this scheme in the preoperative preparation for skin autografting for patients with burns and chronic ulcers of various etiologies with the surface area of 1–5%.

The aim of the study was to identify the role of cytokine storm in COVID-19, that emerged at the end of 2019, based on the analysis of 80 publications, including 17.4% Russian and 82.6% foreign publications for 2014–2020 with an average impact factor of 11.94 and a maximum of 74.699. This review includes an in-depth discussion of the possible causes and pathogenetic factors of cytokine storm syndrome development caused by COVID-19. The results of research on the use of various principles of cytokine storm correction are provided. It has been established that lung damage and the development of a fatal outcome are caused not by the virus itself, but by the hyperreaction of the body's immune system. The leading role in this process belongs to the cytokine storm, including the action of IL-6.

Enterococci are currently becoming one of the major causative agents of various infectious diseases. Enterococcus faecalis and E.faecium are the most common species causing enterococcal infections. Both species exhibit natural low-level resistance to aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, quinolones, clindamycin, and co-trimoxazole. In addition, the peculiarities of their genome make it easy to acquire resistance to other antibiotics widely used in clinical practice, through mutations or by horizontal gene transfer. The review represents current knowledge about the mechanisms of enterococcal resistance to the most commonly used antibiotics.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cefepime/sulbactam in patients with intra-abdominal infection, nosocomial pneumonia (NP) or ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in actual clinical practice. Material and methods. The study was conducted in 14 Russian Clinics from October 2019 to March 2020. Study design: an open-label, prospective, non-comparative, multicenter, observational study. The study included patients who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and signed a written informed consent. The studied antibiotic: cefepime/sulbactam (Maxictam®-AF). The primary parameter for effectiveness evaluation was the clinical effect after the conclusion of cefepime/sulbactam therapy — recovery/improvement or no effect. Results. The study included 140 patients (average age — 60.8 years) who received at least one dose of cefepime/sulbactam; 37 of them had intraabdominal infection, 72 — NP, and 31 — VAP. Most of the included patients were in the ICU department (82.1%) and their condition was severe: the average APACHE II score was 15.5 points, SOFA — 5.4 points, the Mannheim peritonitis index value in patients with intra-abdominal infection was from 14 to 35 points, with an average of 24.3 points. The majority of patients treated with cefepime/sulbactam (68.6%) had one or more risk factors for multi-resistant pathogens upon hospital or ICU admission. Cefepime/sulbactam was prescribed as the 1st or 2nd line of empirical therapy at a daily dose of 4 g (in 68.3%), 6 g (2.9%) or 8 g (28.8%); most patients were prescribed cefepime/sulbactam in monotherapy (72.3%). The average duration of therapy with cefepime/sulbactam was 9.6±3.5 days. The final assessment of treatment effectiveness was carried out in 132 patients: recovery or improvement was noted in 80.6% of patients with intra-abdominal infection, the effectiveness in NP and VAP was slightly higher — 95.6 and 89.3%. The effect was absent in 5.3% of patients, relapse or superinfection was noted in 3.0 and 1.5%. The majority of patients (81.3%) treated with cefepime/sulbactam were discharged from the hospital. No serious side effects were observed. In patients with a positive effect, age and values of APACHE II were significantly lower (59.58 years and 14.79 points) compared to those with no effect (67.95 years and 18.39 points). A multivariate analysis found that the probability of recovery of patients treated with cefepime/sulbactam did not depend on the diagnosis of infection, ICU admission, the presence of sepsis or septic shock. Conclusion. The multicenter study has established a high clinical efficacy of cefepime/sulbactam in real clinical practice in the treatment of patients with severe intraabdominal infection, nosocomial pneumonia or ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Enterococci are currently becoming one of the major causative agents of a various infection diseases. Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium are the most common species, causing enterococcal infections. Both species exhibit natural low-level resistance to aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, quinolones, clindamycin and co-trimoxazole. In addition, enterococci due to features of their genome can easily acquire resistance genes to widely-used antibiotics through mutations or by horizontal gene transfer. The review represents actual knowledge about the mechanisms of enterococcal resistance to the most commonly used antibiotics.