The Validation of Drug Resistance in Pneumonia (DRIP) Score in Predicting Infections due to Drug-Resistant Pathogens in Community-acquired Pneumonia at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens (DRP) in recent years possibly contributes to the common problems associated with community-acquired pneumonia. However, to predict the risk of the ailment, the DRIP score is mainly applied, although no validation study has been reported in Indonesia. Therefore, the score prediction accuracy in the population, patient characteristics and germ patterns appears indefinite, particularly for Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. The purpose of this study is to determine the DRIP performance as an instrument in predicting infections due to drug-resistant pathogens (DRP) in community-acquired pneumonia at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. METHODS: This research employed a cross-sectional design, where the subjects were community-acquired pneumonia patients treated between January 2019 and June 2020. In addition, adequate medical records of the participants were obtained. The condition is defined as DRP when the sputum culture results show resistance to non-pseudomonal ß-lactam antibiotics, macrolides, and respiratory fluoroquinolones. Furthermore, the score performance was analyzed by determining the calibration and discrimination values, using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and AUROC, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 254 subjects were known to have satisfied the selection criteria. These participants were categorized into DRP and non-DRP groups, with 103 (40.6%) and 151 (59.4%) patients, correspondingly. The DRIP calibration analysis using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test obtained p-value = 0.001 (p <0.05), while an AUC value of 0.759 (CI 95%, 0.702-0.810) was derived from the ROC curve. However, at a score of ≥ 4, the DRIP showed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 70.9, 92.7, 86.9, and 82.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The DRIP score demonstrated a significant performance in predicting infections due to DRP in community-acquired pneumonia.

Tocilizumab as a Treatment for 'Cytokine Storm Syndrome' in COVID-19: A Case Report.

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) which is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a problem worldwide, particularly due to the high rate of transmission and wide range of clinical manifestations. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiorgan failure are the most common events observed in severe cases and can be fatal. Cytokine storm syndrome emerges as one of the possibilities for the development of ARDS and multiorgan failure in severe cases of COVID-19. This case report describes a case of a 53-year-old male patient who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Further evaluation in this patient showed that there was a marked increase in IL-6 level in blood accompanied with hyperferritinemia, which was in accordance with the characteristic of cytokine storm syndrome. Patient was treated with tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody and is an antagonist to IL-6 receptor. The binding between tocilizumab and IL-6 receptors effectively inhibit and manage cytokine storm syndrome. Although this case report reported the efficacy of tocilizumab in managing cytokine storm syndrome, tocilizumab has several adverse effects requiring close monitoring. Further clinical randomized control trial is required to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab administration in participants with various clinical characteristics and greater number of subjects.

Comparison of Specific Immunoglobulin E with the Skin Prick Test in the Diagnosis of House Dust Mites and Cockroach Sensitization in Patients with Asthma and/or Allergic Rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: nowadays, specific IgE measurement has been conducted in Indonesia, however there is still lack of data regarding diagnostic test to detect inhalant allergen in patients with respiratory allergies.This study aimed to determine the accuracy of specific IgE test in diagnosing specific sensitization of inhalant allergen in patients with respiratory allergies. METHODS: this was a cross sectional study in patients with respiratory allergies and part of epidemiology study regarding to specific IgE sensitization in Allergy-Immunollogy Division, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta within November-December 2016. Measurement of specific IgE sensitization using Immunoblot method (Euroline®, Euroimmun AG, Germany). The tested allergen is house dust mites [Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p), Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f), Blomia tropicalis (Blo t)] and cockroach  [Blatella germanica (Bla g)]. The result is compared with gold standard, skin prick test. The diagnostic result includes sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and negative likelihood ratio (LR-). RESULTS: a total of 101 patients were enrolled; 77 (76.2%) were women. Patients mean age was 38.8 years old. Based on SPT, sensitization was highest for Blo t (76.2%), followed by Der p (70.3%), Der f (69.3%), and Bla g (41.6%). Specific IgE-sensitization was highest for Der f (52.9%), followed by Der p (38.2%), Blo t (33.3%) and Bla g (10.8%). Der p allergen had 50.7% sentivity, 90% specificity, 92.3% PPV, 43.5% NPV, 5.1 LR+ and 0.1LR-. Der f showed 71.4% sensitivity, 87.1% specificity, 82.6% PPV, 57.4% NPV, 5.5 LR+ and 0.3 LR-. Blo t allergen had 41.6% sensitivity, 91.7% specificity, 94.1% PPV, 32.8% NPV, 5.0 LR+, and 0.6 LR-. Bla g allergen had 23.8% sensitivity, 98.3% specificity, 90.9% PPV, 64.4% NPV, 14.5 LR+ and 0.8 LR-. CONCLUSION: serum specific IgE testing to common inhalant allergen in patients with respiratory allergy showed only low-to-moderate sensitivity, but high specificity and PPV. This new assay can be used to diagnose allergen sensitization in the population with high prevalence of TDR and cockroach.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio for Screening Complex Coronary Lesion in Different Age Group of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: with the increasing number of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with complex coronary lesion and the increasing needs of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures, there is an increasing need for a tool to perform early stratification in high-risk patients, which can be used in daily clinical practice, even at first-line health care facilities setting in Indonesia. It is expected that early stratification of high-risk patients can reduce morbidity and mortality rate in patients with ACS. This study aimed to identify diagnostic accuracy of platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the optimum cut-off point of PLR as a screening tool for identifying a complex coronary lesion in patients ≤45 and >45 years old. METHODS: this was a retrospective cross-sectional study, conducted at the ICCU of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Data was obtained from medical records of adult patients with ACS who underwent coronary angiography between January 2012 - July 2015. The inclusion criteria were adult ACS patients (aged ≥18 years old), diagnosed with ACS and underwent coronary angiography during hospitalization. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and negative likelihood ratio (LR-). The cut-off point was determined using ROC curve. RESULTS: the proportion of ACS patients with complex coronary lesion in our study was 47.2%. The optimum cut-off point in patients aged ≤45 years was 111.06 with sensitivity, specificity, LR+ and LR of 91.3%, 91.9%, 11.27 and 0.09, respectively. The optimum cut-off points in patients aged >45 years was 104.78 with sensitivity, specificity, LR+ and LR of 91.7%, 58.6%, 2.21 and 0.14, respectively. CONCLUSION: the optimum cut-off point for PLR in patients aged ≤ 45 years is 111.06 and for patients with age >45 years is 104.78 with diagnostic accuracy, represented by AUC of 93.9% (p<0.001) and 77.3% (p<0.001), respectively for both age groups.

Fixed-dose combination antituberculosis therapy as a risk factor for tuberculosis recurrence: an evidence-based case report.

BACKGROUND: a patient with a history of tuberculosis (TB) has a risk up to 27% to develop recurrence within 2 years after being cured. Indonesia itself has more than 7,500 recurrent cases annually, regardless of reinfection or relapse. This is an important problem, as recurrent TB is associated with lower cure rates with the anti-TB therapy and higher risk of developing drug resistance. Some risk factors for this recurrence are smoking, poor treatment adherence, low economic status, and weak immune status. This study is aimed to identify whether the use of fixed-dose combination (FDC) anti-tuberculosis therapy increases the risk for tuberculosis recurrence compared with using separate drug formulation. METHODS: the search was conducted on MEDLINE, ProQuest, EBSCO, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane according to clinical question. The studies were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and led to five useful articles. The selected studies were critically appraised for their validity, importance, and applicability. RESULTS: five cohort studies were found with comparable validity. Only 1 study has accurate relative risk (RR) with 3.97 (1.14 - 13.80) and number needed to harm of 18. Other four studies fulfilled the applicability criteria for our case. CONCLUSION: the use of FDC anti-tuberculosis therapy increases the risk for tuberculosis recurrence compared with using separate drug formulation.

The Differences in Serum Quantitative Specific IgE Levels Induced by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae and Blomia tropicalis Sensitization in Intermittent and Persistent Allergic Asthma.

BACKGROUND: house dust mites (HDM) are an important inhalant allergen in allergic asthma. However, molecular diagnostic study of specific IgE to HDM allergens has not been done in Indonesia. In addition, the association of quantitative specific IgE measurement with asthma severity has not been investigatedd. This study aimed to investigate the difference of serum quantitative specific IgE levels induced by Dermatophagoides (D.) pteronyssinus, D. farinae and Blomia tropicalis sensitization in intermittent and persistent allergic asthma. METHODS: this was a cross-sectional study on adult allergic asthma patients who were invited for serum specific IgE testing. This study was a part of a larger study within the Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Asthma severity was defined based on Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA) 2015 criteria and were grouped as intermittent or persistent. Quantitative specific IgE testing was done on blood serum using a multiple allergosorbent test (Polycheck Allergy, Biocheck GmbH, Munster, Germany). The HDM allergens tested were D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae, and Blomia tropicalis. Difference between two groups were analyze using Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: a total of 87 subjects were enrolled in this study; 69 (79.3%) were women. Mean patients' age was 40, 2 years. Sixty-three (72.4%) subjects had asthma and allergic rhinitis. Fifty-eight (66.7%) subjects were classified as persistent asthma. The prevalence of sensitization was 62.1% for D. farinae, 51.7% for D. pteronyssinus, and 48.3% for Blomia tropicalis. The median of specific IgE levels were significantly higher in persistent asthma compares to intermittent asthma induced by D. farinae (median 1.30 vs. 0.0 kU/L; p=0.024) and B. tropicalis (median 0.57 vs. 0.0 kU/L; p=0.015) sensitization. Level of Specific IgE  D. pteronyssinus was also to be higher in persistent asthma than the level measured in intermittent asthma (0.67 vs. 0.00 kU/L; p=0.066). CONCLUSION: Sensitization of HDM allergens was shown to be highest for D. farinae 62.1%, followed by D. pteronyssinus 51.7% and Blomia tropicalis 48.3%. Specific IgE level induced by D. farinae and Blomia tropicalis sensitization were significantly higher in patients with persistent asthma compared to intermittent asthma, whereas specific IgE level induced by D. pteronyssinus sensitization was higher in persistent asthma although not statistically significant.

The Differences Between Interleukin-6 and C-reactive Protein Levels Among Adult Patients of Dengue Infection with and without Plasma Leakage.

AIM: to determine the differences in IL-6 and CRP levels among groups of dengue infection patients with and without plasma leakage. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was conducted in adult patients with dengue infection who were treated at Cipto Mangunkusumo and Persahabatan Hospital between 1 March 2014 and 1 April 2015. The study analyzed differences in IL-6 and CRP levels on the 3rd and 5th day of fever in both groups, as well as differences in each group. Interleukin-6 and CRP levels in both groups, was analyzed using unpaired t-test or Mann-Whitney and in each group, the data was subsequently analyzed using paired t-test or Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: the samples of study consisted of 24 subjects with plasma leakage and 20 subjects without plasma leakage. The level of IL-6 for groups with and without plasma leakage for the 3rd and the 5th day of fever were 8.56 (1.85-96.15) vs. 3.80 (1.94-81.93) pg/mL (p=0.069) and 4.30 (1.60-70.28) vs. 2.76 (1.26-11.67) pg/mL (p=0.025), respectively; while for CRP level, there were 10.1 (4.3-36.5) vs 6.8 (3.0-21.6) mg/L (p=0.014) and 5.0 (2.0-20.1) vs 2.9 (0.1-9.9) mg/L (p=0.048). The level of IL-6 on the 3rd and the 5th day of fever in the group with and without plasma leakage were 8.56 (1.85-96.15) vs. 4.30 (1.60-70.28) pg/mL (p=0.037) and 3.80 (1.94-81.93) vs. 2.76 (1.26-11.67) pg/mL (p=0.005). The level of CRP on the 3rd and 5th day of fever in the group with and without plasma leakage were 10.1 (4.3-36.5) vs. 5.0 (2.0-20.1) mg/L (p=0.0001) and 6.8 (0.3-21.6) vs. 2.9 (0.1-9.9) mg/L (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: there was no difference in IL-6 level on the 3rd day of fever between the two groups; while on the 5th day of fever, the IL-6 level was higher in the group with plasma leakage. The level of CRP on the 3rd and the 5th day of fever were higher in the group with plasma leakage. The levels of IL-6 and CRP on the 3rd day of fever were higher than the levels on the 5th day of fever in both groups.

The Role of Incentive Spirometry in Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax.

Pneumothorax is the presence of air in the pleural space. Its management consists of noninvasive and invasive therapies and it is determined based on clinical manifestations, type and size of pneumothorax. We present a case of a patient with diagnosis of primary spontaneous pneumothorax treated with incentive spirometry (noninvasive therapy). A 20 year old man came to respirology clinic with chief complaint of shortness of breath. He was recently diagnosed with left pneumothorax based on previous chest X-ray in another health care facilities and was advised to undergo tube thoracostomy but he refused the procedure. On physical examination, vital signs were normal. Chest X-ray showed 33% of pneumothorax or 1.2 cm. He was asked to perform incentive spirometry therapy at home. During 12 days of therapy, shortness of breath slowly disappeared and on repeated chest X-ray, it showed minimal pneumothorax in the left upper hemithorax. Noninvasive treatment such as incentive spirometry can be considered in patient with minimal symptoms and no signs of life-threatening respiratory distress.

The Proportion of Orthostatic Hypotension and Its Relationship with HbA1c Levels in Elderly Patients with Diabetes.

AIM: to obtain information on the proportion of orthostatic hypotension in elderly patients with diabetes and its relationship with HbA1c levels. METHODS: this is a cross-sectional study on 350 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) aged 60 years old who sought treatment at outpatient clinic of Geriatry and Diabetes Division at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital between January and March 2016. Orthostatic hypotension was defined as a decrease in systolic blood pressure 20 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure 10 mmHg within 3 minutes after changing position from lying to standing. HbA1c levels was measured using Nycocard from Axis Shield. Chi square test was used for bivariate analysis and logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis against confounding variables. RESULTS: the proportion of orthostatic hypotension in elderly subjects with DM was 27.4%. Median of HbA1c levels was higher in subjects with than without orthostatic hypotension (7.6% vs. 7.1%; p<0.05). There was an association between HbA1c levels of 7.35% and the incidence of orthostatic hypotension (OR 1.987, 95% CI 1.2-3.2). The duration of having DM was a confounding variable. CONCLUSION: orthostatic hypotension is more common in elderly subjects with DM. There is an association between the incidence of orthostatic hypotension and increased HbA1c levels in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus.

Seroprevalence and Socio-demographic Factors of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Patients with Dyspepsia in Kalibaru Primary Health Care North Jakarta.

AIM: to identify the seroprevalence and its association with socio-demographic factors of Helicobacter pylori infection. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was performed in 111 patients with dyspepsia (according to ROME III) who got treatment at Kalibaru Primary Health Care, North Jakarta from January to February 2015. Patients aged over 18 years and no history of gastrectomy were interviewed and 3 cc venous blood was drawn. Bioramps Laboratories's Immunochromatography Diagnostic Test (Bio M Pylori) was used to diagnose patient with Helicobacter pylori infection. Chi Square were used to analyzed socio-demographic and T test were used to analyze age. Variables with p<0.25 were analyzed by logistic regression. RESULTS: seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori of 111 dyspepsia patients who got treatment in Kalibaru Primary Health Care in this study was 22.5% (95% CI 14.8%-30.2%). There is no relation between age and Helicobacter pylori infection (p=0.270). Higher socio-economic class was related to lower risk Helicobacter pylori infection (OR 0.2; 95% CI 0.02-1.71). Higher crowding index was related to higher risk Helicobacter pylori infection (OR 1.2; 95% CI 0.37-4.49). Lower clean water index was related to higher risk Helicobacter pylori infection (OR 1.5; 95% CI 0.57-4.04). Lower sanitation status was related to higher risk Helicobacter pylori infection (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.01-6.19). CONCLUSION: seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patient with dyspepsia in Kalibaru village was 22.5%. There is an association between sanitation and Helicobacter pylori infection.

Role of combined procalcitonin and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein as prognostic markers of mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia.

AIM: to investigate the role of combined Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP) and Procalcitonin (PCT) ) as prognostic marker of mortality in patients with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP). METHODS: this prospective cohort study was held in ICU/HCU of Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital between 2006 to 2007 by taking the subjects consecutively. Thirty five patients with VAP were studied. For analysing the data, chi-square or its alternative Fisher exact test were used. Based on a previous study for evaluation, we used cut off pants of 5 ng/ml and 0.5 ng/ml for PCT and 30 µg/ml and 25 µg/ml for LBP after three-day and seven-day treatment respectively. Receiver operating curve was made to determine the sensitivity and specificity of PCT and LBP as infection markers. RESULTS: 35 patients participated in this study. After three days of therapy, if the level of PCT >5 ng/mL and LBP >30 µg/mL the prognosis would be bad (p<0.05) with a sensitivity of 88.5%, specificity of 53.2% and AUC value 0.69. Poor prognosis was also found if after seven day therapy PCT level was >0.5 ng/mL and LBP level >25 µg/mL (p<0.05) with sensitivity of 96.3%, specificity of 66.7% and AUC value 0.81. CONCLUSION: examination of combined PCT and LBP can be taken as a good prognostic markers to predict mortality in patients with VAP.

Update on the role of intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy in the management of complicated parapneumonic effusions and empyema.

A parapneumonic effusion is the collection of exudative fluid in the pleural space associated with a concurrent pulmonary infection. Parapneumonic effusions account for approximately one-third of all effusions, and about 40% of patients with pneumonia develop a concomitant effusion. Patients with pneumonia who develop an effusion have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Some of the excess mortality is due to mismanagement of the parapneumonic effusion. Bacterial and white cell metabolism can rapidly turn a simple exudative parapneumonic effusion into a multiloculated purulent empyema with low pH and high lactate dehydrogenase levels. The optimal approach to treating parapneumonic effusions and pleural empyemas remains controversial. Accepted management consists of systemic antibiotics and drainage of the pleural cavity, which is achieved by either medical chest tube drainage or surgery. Several investigators have studied the efficacy and safety of intrapleural fibrinolytics in the treatment of pleural effusion and empyema. Intrapleural instillation of fibrinolytic agents is undertaken to dissolve fibrinous clots and membranes, to prevent fluid sequestration, and hence to improve drainage. Recombinant deoxyribonuclease has been reported to improve drainage in a single patient who did not respond to fibrinolytic therapy.

A novel diagnosis scoring model to predict invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES: To improve the quality of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) management for intensive care unit (ICU) patients using a practical diagnostic scoring model. METHODS: This nested case-control study aimed to determine the incidence of IPA in 405 ICU patients, between July 2012 and June 2014, at 6 hospitals in Jakarta, Indonesia. Phenotypic identifications and galactomannan (GM) tests of sera and lung excreta were performed in mycology laboratory, Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia. RESULTS: The incidence of IPA in the ICUs was 7.7% (31 of 405 patients). A scoring model used for IPA diagnosis showed 4 variables as the most potential risk factors: lung excreta GM index (score 2), solid organ malignancy (score 2), pulmonary tuberculosis (score 2), and systemic corticosteroids (score 1). Patients were included in a high-risk group if their score was greater than 2, and in a low-risk group if their score was less than 2. CONCLUSION: This study provides a novel diagnosis scoring model to predict IPA in ICU patients. Using this model, a more rapid diagnosis and treatment of IPA may be possible. The application of the diagnosis scoring should be preceded by specified pre-requisites.