Validating the accuracy of deep learning for the diagnosis of pneumonia on chest x-ray against a robust multimodal reference diagnosis: a post hoc analysis of two prospective studies.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) seems promising in diagnosing pneumonia on chest x-rays (CXR), but deep learning (DL) algorithms have primarily been compared with radiologists, whose diagnosis can be not completely accurate. Therefore, we evaluated the accuracy of DL in diagnosing pneumonia on CXR using a more robust reference diagnosis. METHODS: We trained a DL convolutional neural network model to diagnose pneumonia and evaluated its accuracy in two prospective pneumonia cohorts including 430 patients, for whom the reference diagnosis was determined a posteriori by a multidisciplinary expert panel using multimodal data. The performance of the DL model was compared with that of senior radiologists and emergency physicians reviewing CXRs and that of radiologists reviewing computed tomography (CT) performed concomitantly. RESULTS: Radiologists and DL showed a similar accuracy on CXR for both cohorts (p ≥ 0.269): cohort 1, radiologist 1 75.5% (95% confidence interval 69.1-80.9), radiologist 2 71.0% (64.4-76.8), DL 71.0% (64.4-76.8); cohort 2, radiologist 70.9% (64.7-76.4), DL 72.6% (66.5-78.0). The accuracy of radiologists and DL was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.022) than that of emergency physicians (cohort 1 64.0% [57.1-70.3], cohort 2 63.0% [55.6-69.0]). Accuracy was significantly higher for CT (cohort 1 79.0% [72.8-84.1], cohort 2 89.6% [84.9-92.9]) than for CXR readers including radiologists, clinicians, and DL (all p-values < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When compared with a robust reference diagnosis, the performance of AI models to identify pneumonia on CXRs was inferior than previously reported but similar to that of radiologists and better than that of emergency physicians. RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The clinical relevance of AI models for pneumonia diagnosis may have been overestimated. AI models should be benchmarked against robust reference multimodal diagnosis to avoid overestimating its performance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02467192 , and NCT01574066 . KEY POINT: • We evaluated an openly-access convolutional neural network (CNN) model to diagnose pneumonia on CXRs. • CNN was validated against a strong multimodal reference diagnosis. • In our study, the CNN performance (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.74) was lower than that previously reported when validated against radiologists' diagnosis (0.99 in a recent meta-analysis). • The CNN performance was significantly higher than emergency physicians' (p ≤ 0.022) and comparable to that of board-certified radiologists (p ≥ 0.269).

[Diagnosis of asthma: new developments in general internal medicine]. / Diagnostic de l'asthme : nouveautés pour la médecine interne générale.

Asthma, a chronic inflammatory lung disease affecting about 10 % of the population, involves both the general internist and the pulmonologist. The risk of over and underdiagnosis generates significant health costs and evitable clinical consequences. Improved screening through dedicated anamneses and questionnaires, as well as use of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) may improve the diagnosis of asthma in general internal medicine.

L'asthme, maladie pulmonaire inflammatoire chronique affectant environ 10 % de la population, implique autant la médecine interne générale (MIG) que la pneumologie. Les risques de sous- et surdiagnostic engendrent d'importants coûts et conséquences cliniques évitables. Améliorer le dépistage lors de l'anamnèse avec l'utilisation de questionnaires dédiés et lors des examens fonctionnels par l'utilisation de la mesure de la fraction exhalée de l'oxyde nitrique pourrait être la clé d'un meilleur diagnostic de l'asthme en MIG.

Atypical Pathogens in Adult Community-Acquired Pneumonia and Implications for Empiric Antibiotic Treatment: A Narrative Review.

Atypical pathogens are intracellular bacteria causing community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in a significant minority of patients. Legionella spp., Chlamydia pneumoniae and psittaci, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Coxiella burnetii are commonly included in this category. M. pneumoniae is present in 5-8% of CAP, being the second most frequent pathogen after Streptococcus pneumoniae. Legionella pneumophila is found in 3-5% of inpatients. Chlamydia spp. and Coxiella burnetii are present in less than 1% of patients. Legionella longbeachae is relatively frequent in New Zealand and Australia and might also be present in other parts of the world. Uncertainty remains on the prevalence of atypical pathogens, due to limitations in diagnostic means and methodological issues in epidemiological studies. Despite differences between CAP caused by typical and atypical pathogens, the clinical presentation alone does not allow accurate discrimination. Hence, antibiotics active against atypical pathogens (macrolides, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones) should be included in the empiric antibiotic treatment of all patients with severe CAP. For patients with milder disease, evidence is lacking and recommendations differ between guidelines. Use of clinical prediction rules to identify patients most likely to be infected with atypical pathogens, and strategies of narrowing the antibiotic spectrum according to initial microbiologic investigations, should be the focus of future investigations.

LOw-dose CT Or Lung UltraSonography versus standard of care based-strategies for the diagnosis of pneumonia in the elderly: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial (OCTOPLUS).

INTRODUCTION: Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality and a common indication for antibiotic in elderly patients. However, its diagnosis is often inaccurate. We aim to compare the diagnostic accuracy, the clinical and cost outcomes and the use of antibiotics associated with three imaging strategies in patients >65 years old with suspected pneumonia in the emergency room (ER): chest X-ray (CXR, standard of care), low-dose CT scan (LDCT) or lung ultrasonography (LUS). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a multicentre randomised superiority clinical trial with three parallel arms. Patients will be allocated in the ER to a diagnostic strategy based on either CXR, LDCT or LUS. All three imaging modalities will be performed but the results of two of them will be masked during 5 days to the patients, the physicians in charge of the patients and the investigators according to random allocation. The primary objective is to compare the accuracy of LDCT versus CXR-based strategies. As secondary objectives, antibiotics prescription, clinical and cost outcomes will be compared, and the same analyses repeated to compare the LUS and CXR strategies. The reference diagnosis will be established a posteriori by a panel of experts. Based on a previous study, we expect an improvement of 16% of the accuracy of pneumonia diagnosis using LDCT instead of CXR. Under this assumption, and accounting for 10% of drop-out, the enrolment of 495 patients is needed to prove the superiority of LDCT over CRX (alpha error=0.05, beta error=0.10). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval: CER Geneva 2019-01288. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04978116.

Kinetics of inflammatory biomarkers to predict one-year mortality in older patients hospitalized for pneumonia: a multivariable analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term mortality is increased in older patients with pneumonia. We aimed to test whether residual inflammation is predictive of one-year mortality after pneumonia. METHODS: Inflammation biomarkers (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, serum amyloid A, neopterin, myeloperoxidase, anti-apolipoprotein A-1, and anti-phosphorylcholine IgM) were measured at admission and discharge in older patients hospitalized for pneumonia in a prospective study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using absolute level at discharge and relative and absolute differences between admission and discharge for all biomarkers, along with usual prognostic factors. RESULTS: In the 133 included patients (median age, 83 years [interquartile range: 78-89]), one-year mortality was 26%. In univariate analysis, the relative difference of CRP levels had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60-0.80). A decrease of CRP levels of more than 67% between admission and discharge had 68% sensitivity and 68% specificity to predict survival. In multivariate analysis, lower body mass index (hazard ratio=0.87 [CI 95% 0.79-0.96], P-value=0.01), higher IL-8 (hazard ratio=1.02 [CI 95% 1.00-1.04], P-value=0.02), and higher CRP (1.01 [95% CI 1.00-1.02], P=0.01) at discharge were independently associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: Higher IL-8 and CRP levels at discharge were independently associated with one-year mortality. The relative CRP difference during hospitalization was the best individual biomarker for predicting one-year mortality.

Accuracy of a score predicting the presence of an atypical pathogen in hospitalized patients with moderately severe community-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Atypical pathogens (AP), present in some patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), are intrinsically resistant to betalactam drugs, the mainstay of empirical antibiotic treatment. Adding antibiotic coverage for AP increases the risk of adverse effects and antimicrobial selection pressure, while withholding such coverage may worsen the prognosis if an AP is causative. A clinical model predicting the presence of AP would allow targeting atypical coverage for patients most likely to benefit. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a multicentric randomized controlled trial that included 580 adults patients hospitalized for CAP. A predictive score was built using independent predictive factors for AP identified through multivariate analysis. Accuracy of the score was assessed using area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC), sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: Prevalence of AP was 5.3%. Age < 75 years (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2-6.2), heart failure (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1-6.1), absence of chest pain (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.1-8.2), natremia < 135 mmol/L (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.4-6.6) and contracting the disease in autumn (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.9) were independently associated with AP. A predictive score using these factors had an AUROC of 0.78 (95% CI 0.71-0.85). A score of 0 or 1 (present in 33% of patients) had 100% sensitivity and 35% specificity. CONCLUSION: Use of a score built on easily obtained clinical and laboratory data would allow safe withholding of atypical antibiotic coverage in a significant number of patients, with an expected positive impact on bacterial resistance and drug adverse effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00818610.

Risks and benefits of urinary catheterisation during inpatient diuretic therapy for acute heart failure: a retrospective, non-inferiority, cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with acute congestive heart failure (HF) regularly undergo urinary catheterisation (UC) at hospital admission. We hypothesised that UC has no clinical benefits with regard to weight loss during inpatient diuretic therapy for acute congestive HF and increases the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). DESIGN: Retrospective, non-inferiority study. SETTING: Geneva University Hospitals' Department of Medicine, a tertiary centre. PARTICIPANTS: In a cohort of HF patients, those catheterised within 24 hours of diuretic therapy (n=113) were compared with non-catheterised patients (n=346). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was weight loss 48 hours after starting diuretic therapy. Secondary endpoints were time needed to reach target weight, discontinuation of intravenous diuretics and resolution of respiratory failure. Complications included the time to a first UTI, first hospital readmission and death. RESULTS: A total of 48-hour weight loss was not statistically different between groups and the adjusted difference was below the non-inferiority boundary of 1 kg (0.43 kg (95% CI: -0.03 to 0.88) in favour of UC, p<0.01 for non-inferiority). UC was not associated with time to reaching target weight (adjusted HR 1.0; 95% CI: 0.7 to 1.5), discontinuation of intravenous diuretics (aHR 0.9; 95% CI: 0.7 to 1.2) or resolution of respiratory failure (aHR 1.1; 95% CI: 0.5 to 2.4). UC increased the risk of UTI (aHR 2.5; 95% CI: 1.5 to 4.2) but was not associated with hospital readmission (aHR 1.1; 95% CI: 0.8 to 1.4) or 1-year mortality (aHR 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0 to 2.1). CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study, with no obvious hourly diuresis-based diuretic adjustment strategy, weight loss without UC was not inferior to weight loss after UC within 24 hours of initiating diuretic treatment. UC had no impact on clinical improvement and increased the risk of UTI. This evidence, therefore, argues against the systematic use of UC during a diuretic therapy for HF.

How Do Geriatric Scores Predict 1-Year Mortality in Elderly Patients with Suspected Pneumonia?

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia has an impact on long-term mortality in elderly patients. The risk factors associated with poor long-term outcomes are understated. We aimed to assess the ability of scores that evaluate patients' comorbidities (cumulative illness rating scale-geriatric, CIRS-G), malnutrition (mini nutritional assessment, MNA) and functionality (functional independence measure, FIM) to predict 1-year mortality in a cohort of older patients having a suspicion of pneumonia. METHODS: Our prospective study included consecutive patients over 65 years old and hospitalized with a suspicion of pneumonia enrolled in a monocentric cohort from May 2015 to April 2016. Each score was analysed in univariate and multivariate models and logistic regressions were used to identify contributors to 1-year mortality. RESULTS: 200 patients were included (51% male, mean age 83.8 ± 7.7). Their 1-year mortality rate was 30%. FIM (p < 0.01), CIRS-G (p < 0.001) and MNA (p < 0.001) were strongly associated with poorer long-term outcomes in univariate analysis. CIRS-G (p < 0.05) and MNA (p < 0.05) were significant predictors of 1-year mortality in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Long-term prognosis of patients hospitalized for pneumonia was poor and we identified that scores assessing comorbidities and malnutrition seem to be important predictors of 1-year mortality. This should be taken into account for evaluating elderly patients' prognosis, levels and goals of care.

Prognosis of Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Acute Heart Failure.

Concomitant respiratory viral infections may influence clinical outcomes of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) but this association is based on indirect observation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and impact of laboratory-confirmed influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection on outcomes in patients hospitalised for ADHF. Prospective cohort of patients hospitalised for ADHF with systematic influenza and RSV screening using real-time PCR on nasopharyngeal swabs. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality or readmission at 90 days. Among 803 patients with ADHF, 196 (24.5%) patients had concomitant flu-like symptoms of influenza. PCR was positive in 45 patients (27 for influenza, 19 for RSV). At 90 days, PCR positive patients had lower rates of all-cause mortality or readmission as compared to patients without flu-like symptoms (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.18-0.91, p = 0.03), and non-significantly less all-cause mortality (HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.04-2.20, p = 0.24), or HF-related death or readmission (HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.13-0.99, p = 0.05). The prevalence of influenza or RSV infection in patients admitted for ADHF was low and associated with less all-cause mortality and readmission. Concomitant viral infection with ADHF may not in itself be a predictor of poor outcomes. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02444416).

[Chronic meningitis: etiologies and diagnostic work-up]. / Méningite chronique : étiologies et approche diagnostique.

We describe the case of a 62-year-old woman who presented with insidious onset and slowly progressive neurological complaints. This case illustrates the diagnostic challenges clinicians face because the lack of specific symptomatology and numerous complementary exams. The broad differential diagnosis of this disease requires a diagnostic strategy to be developed. Clinical reasoning is based on clinical, biological and radiological information and highlights the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to patient care.

Nous décrivons le cas clinique d'une patiente de 62 ans se présentant avec des symptômes neurologiques d'apparition progressive et lentement évolutifs. Ce cas illustre un défi diagnostique étant donné l'absence de spécificité des symptômes et des divers examens complémentaires à disposition. Le large diagnostic différentiel de cette affection requiert une stratégie diagnostique élaborée. Le raisonnement clinique se fonde sur des informations cliniques, biologiques et radiologiques et nécessite une approche multidisciplinaire pour finalement accéder au diagnostic.

[Diagnostic and therapeutic management of medium and long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection]. / Prise en charge diagnostique et thérapeutique des séquelles à moyen et long termes liées à l'infection à SARS-CoV-2.

Somatic or psychological sequelae after a SARS-CoV-2 infection are common. Specific organ damage should be investigated to explain persistent symptomatology and propose a treatment. A specialized consultation for the follow-up of patients after a SARS-CoV-2 infection is useful to clinically assess the patient, organized further investigations, offer treatment options and refer the patient to other specialists or to a rehabilitation program. Such a consultation is also intended to reduce the public health burden of long Covid and to collect data that can improve our management in the future.

Les séquelles somatiques ou psychologiques après une infection à SARS-CoV-2 sont fréquentes. Des atteintes d'organes spécifiques doivent être recherchées pour expliquer une symptomatologie persistante et proposer un traitement. Une consultation spécialisée pour le suivi des patients après une infection à SARS-CoV-2 est utile pour évaluer cliniquement le patient, organiser les examens complémentaires, offrir des options de traitements et orienter le patient vers d'autres spécialistes ou un programme de réhabilitation. Une telle consultation a également pour objectif de diminuer le fardeau du Covid long sur la santé publique et de collecter les données qui pourront améliorer notre prise en charge dans le futur.

Role of Clinical Characteristics and Biomarkers at Admission to Predict One-Year Mortality in Elderly Patients with Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: A hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia results in a decrease in long-term survival in elderly patients. We assessed biomarkers at admission to predict one-year mortality in a cohort of elderly patients with pneumonia. METHODS: A prospective observational study included patients >65 years hospitalized with pneumonia. Assessment of PSI, CURB-65, and biomarkers (C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), NT-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), interleukin (IL)-6 and -8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), serum amyloid A (SAA), neopterin (NP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), anti-apolipoprotein A-1 IgG (anti-apoA-1), and anti-phosphorylcholine IgM (anti-PC IgM)) was used to calculate prognostic values for one-year mortality using ROC curve analyses. Post hoc optimal cutoffs with corresponding sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP) were determined using the Youden index. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients were included (median age 83 years [IQR: 78-89]). Age, dementia, BMI, NT-proBNP (AUROC 0.65 (95% CI: 0.55-0.77)), and IL-8 (AUROC 0.66 (95% CI: 0.56-0.75)) were significantly associated with mortality, with NT-proBNP (HR 1.01 (95% CI 1.00-1.02) and BMI (HR 0.92 (95% CI 0.85-1.000) being independent of age, gender, comorbidities, and PSI with Cox regression. At the cutoff value of 2200 ng/L, NT-proBNP had 67% sensitivity and 70% specificity. PSI and CURB-65 were not associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP levels upon admission and BMI displayed the highest prognostic accuracy for one-year mortality and may help clinicians to identify patients with poor long-term prognosis.

Accuracy of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, serum amyloid A and neopterin for low-dose CT-scan confirmed pneumonia in elderly patients: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The diagnosis of pneumonia based on semiology and chest X-rays is frequently inaccurate, particularly in elderly patients. Older (C-reactive protein (CRP); procalcitonin (PCT)) or newer (Serum amyloid A (SAA); neopterin (NP)) biomarkers may increase the accuracy of pneumonia diagnosis, but data are scarce and conflicting. We assessed the accuracy of CRP, PCT, SAA, NP and the ratios CRP/NP and SAA/NP in a prospective observational cohort of elderly patients with suspected pneumonia. METHODS: We included consecutive patients more than 65 years old, with at least one respiratory symptom and one symptom or laboratory finding suggestive of infection, and a working diagnosis of pneumonia. Low-dose CT scan and comprehensive microbiological testing were done in all patients. The index tests, CRP, PCT, SAA and NP, were obtained within 24 hours. The reference diagnosis was assessed a posteriori by a panel of experts considering all available data, including patients' outcome. We used area under the curve (AUROC) and Youden index to assess the accuracy and obtain optimal cut-off of the index tests. RESULTS: 200 patients (median age 84 years) were included; 133 (67%) had pneumonia. AUROCs for the diagnosis of pneumonia was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.56-0.72) for CRP; 0.59 (95% CI: 0.51-0.68) for PCT; 0.60 (95% CI: 0.52-0.69) for SAA; 0.41 (95% CI: 0.32-0.49) for NP; 0.63 (95% CI: 0.55-0.71) for CRP/NP; and 0.61 (95% CI: 0.53-0.70) for SAA/NP. No cut-off resulted in satisfactory sensitivity or specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Accuracy of traditional (CRP, PCT) and newly proposed biomarkers (SAA, NP) and ratios of CRP/NP and SAA/NP was too low to help diagnosing pneumonia in the elderly. CRP had the highest AUROC. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02467092.

Prognosis of patients eligible for dapagliflozin in acute heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, was shown in the DAPA-HF study to reduce the risk of worsening heart failure or death in symptomatic patients with left ejection fraction <40%, irrespective of diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate eligibility status for dapagliflozin in non-selected patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), as well as prognostic implications of this status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analysis of 815 patients recruited in a prospective cohort of acute heart failure at the University Hospitals of Geneva, consisting of consecutive patients admitted with ADHF. Eligibility for dapagliflozin was determined using criteria described DAPA-HF. RESULTS: Of 815 patients, 220 (27%) were eligible for dapagliflozin treatment. In survival analysis, patients who were eligible for dapagliflozin had better clinical outcomes with respect to all-cause mortality and rehospitalization as compared to those who were not eligible. In multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality or readmission in patients eligible for dapagliflozin was 0.82 (95% CI 0.68-0.999, P = .049) as compared to the non-eligible. CONCLUSIONS: Using DAPA-HF criteria, only 27% of non-selected patients admitted for ADHF are theoretically eligible for dapagliflozin. This eligibility for dapagliflozin is associated with better outcomes. Further evaluation of the benefits of dapagliflozin in selected HF patients may be of interest. This may have implications for selection criteria in future randomized effectiveness studies.

Eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

AIMS: Large-scale clinical trials have demonstrated clinical benefits of sacubitril-valsartan in symptomatic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients (PARADIGM-HF), with potential benefits in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) (PIONEER-HF) and fewer benefits in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PARAGON-HF). The aim of this study was to evaluate eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan using criteria described in PIONNER-HF in non-selected patients hospitalized for ADHF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between November 2014 and May 2019, 799 patients were recruited in a prospective registry of acute heart failure at the University Hospitals of Geneva (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02444416). The cohort consists of consecutive patients admitted to the Department of Medicine with ADHF. Eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan was determined using criteria described in PIONEER-HF, including left ventricular ejection fraction, clinical parameters, and co-morbidities. Of 799 patients, 123 (15.39%) were eligible for sacubitril-valsartan treatment. Clinical outcomes including all-cause mortality and readmission were similar in eligible and non-eligible groups, hazard ratio 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.81-1.29, P = 083). CONCLUSIONS: Using current criteria from randomized controlled trials, only 15% of non-selected patients admitted for ADHF are theoretically eligible for sacubitril-valsartan. Eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan using published criteria is not associated with worse outcome, suggesting that further evaluation of benefits of sacubitril-valsartan in heart failure patients based on parameters other than left ventricular ejection fraction may be of interest.

Prognostic Value of the Echocardiographic Probability of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

The prognostic value of pulmonary hypertension (PH) estimated by echocardiography in unselected patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is poorly studied. Between November 2014 and September 2018, 657 patients were recruited in a prospective registry of ADHF (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02444416). The probability of pulmonary hypertension was based on European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for echocardiographic evaluation. The median survival without all-cause mortality or readmission was 7 months. During the median follow-up period of 15 months, there were 450 events including 185 deaths. In multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality or readmission for patients with a high probability of PH was 1.67 (95% CI 1.29-2.17, p < 0.001) as compared to patients with a low or intermediate probability. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and right ventricular function (RVF) were not associated with the primary outcome-HR 1.02 (95% CI 0.81-1.29; p = 0.84) and 0.96 (95% CI 0.76-1.23; p = 0.77) respectively. In patients admitted for ADHF, a high probability of PH as evaluated by echocardiography provided the highest independent prognostic value for mortality and readmission, whereas LVEF and RVF were not associated with prognosis. The identification of patients at high risk of PH by non-invasive measurement conveys important prognostic information and may guide management.

Iron Deficiency in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

The aim of this study was to characterize iron deficiency (ID) in acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF) and identify whether ID is associated with dyspnea class, length of stay (LOS), biomarker levels, and echocardiographic indices of diastolic function in patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Consecutive patients admitted with ADHF at a single tertiary center were included. Demographic information, pathology investigations, and metrics regarding hospital stay and readmission were recorded. Patients were classified as having 'absolute' ID if they had a ferritin level <100 ng/mL; or 'functional' ID if they had a ferritin 100-200 ng/mL and a transferrin saturation <20%. Of 503 patients that were recruited, 270 (55%) had HFpEF, 160 (33%) had HFREF, and 57 (12%) had heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction. ID was present in 54% of patients with HFrEF and 56% of patients with HFpEF. In the HFpEF group, ID was associated with a LOS of 11 ± 7.7 vs. 9 ± 6 days in iron replete patients, p = 0.036, and remained an independent predictor of increased LOS in a multivariate linear regression incorporating comorbidities, age, and ID status. This study corroborates a high prevalence of ID in both HFrEF and HFpEF, and further shows that in patients with HFpEF there is a prolongation of LOS not seen in HFrEF which may indicate a more prominent role for ID in HFpEF.

Rational Use of CT-Scan for the Diagnosis of Pneumonia: Comparative Accuracy of Different Strategies.

Diagnosing pneumonia in emergency departments is challenging because the accuracy of symptoms, signs and laboratory tests is limited. As a confirmation test, chest X-ray has significant limitations and is outperformed by CT-scan. However, obtaining a CT-scan in all cases of suspected pneumonia has significant drawbacks. We used a cohort of 200 consecutive elderly patients admitted to the hospital for suspected pneumonia to build a simple prediction score, which was used to determine indication for performing a CT-scan. The reference diagnosis was adjudicated by experts considering all available data, including evolution until discharge and CT scan in all patients. Results were externally validated in a second cohort of 319 patients. Pneumonia was confirmed in 133 patients (67%). Area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) of physician evaluation was 0.55 (0.46-0.64). The score incorporated four variables independently predicting confirmed pneumonia: male gender, acute cough, C-reactive protein >70 mg/L, and urea <7 mmol/L. AUROC of the score was 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60-0.76). When a CT-scan was obtained for patients at low or intermediate predicted risk (108 patients, 54% of the cohort), AUROC was 0.71 (0.63-0.80) and 0.69 (0.64-0.74) in the derivation and validation cohort, respectively. A simple prediction score for pneumonia had moderate accuracy and could guide the performance of a CT-scan.