Benzodiazepines increase the likelihood of both infectious and thrombotic complications.

INTRODUCTION: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) modulate peripheral γ-amino-butyric acid type A on macrophages causing immunomodulation. They inhibit proinflammatory cytokines increasing infections. Prior studies have also shown that infections can increase thrombotic complications. We sought to examine this relationship in trauma patients. We hypothesized that the presence of BZDs on admission urine drug screen (UDS) would increase rates of both complications. METHODS: All patients submitted to the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study database from 2003 to 2018 were queried. Those with a positive UDS for BZDs were analyzed. Infectious complications were defined as pneumonia, urinary tract infection, sepsis, wound, and soft tissue infection, and thrombotic complications were defined as presence of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. Logistic regressions controlling for demographic and injury covariates assessed the adjusted impact of BZDs on infectious and thrombotic complications. RESULTS: A total of 3,393 patients (2.08%) had infectious complications, and 3,048 (1.87%) had thrombotic complications. Furthermore, 33,260 patients (20.4%) had a positive UDS for BZDs on admission. Univariate analysis showed that those positive for BZDs had higher rates of infectious (3.33% vs. 1.76%, p < 0.001) and thrombotic (2.84% vs. 1.62%, p < 0.001) complications. Multivariate analysis revealed that BZDs significantly increased the odds of infectious and thrombotic complications. Patients who tested positive for BZDs and subsequently developed infection had increased odds (adjusted odds ratio, 1.65; p < 0.001) of developing thrombotic complications. CONCLUSION: Trauma patients with a positive UDS for BZDs had higher odds of both infectious and thrombotic complications. Moreover, odds of thrombotic complications were higher in those with infections. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Epidemiological, level III.

Tecnologia educacional para a prevenção da infecção urinária na gravidez: estudo descritivo / Educational technology for the prevention of urinary tract infections during pregnancy: a descriptive study

Problema: a infecção do trato urinário é uma das principais afecções ocorridas no período gravídico, sendo causadora de importantes complicações materno-fetais que podem levar à morte. Objetivos: aplicar uma cartilha educativa sobre a prevenção da infecção urinária em um grupo de gestantes e analisar os problemas de enfermagem relacionados à ocorrência desse agravo. Método: estudo descritivo, qualitativo, realizado com 15 gestantes em uma unidade de Saúde da Família de Petrópolis/RJ, em abril de 2015. Os dados foram coletados por entrevistas ­ individual e grupal ­ e analisados por meio da técnica de triangulação dos dados. Resultado: a aplicação da cartilha evidenciou problemas de enfermagem relacionados à higiene, à alimentação, à ingestão hídrica, à eliminação intestinal e urinária, e ao coito. Conclusão: o uso da tecnologia impressa é uma importante ferramenta de discussão e aprendizado no processo de educação em saúde, e qualifica a prática assistencial do enfermeiro. (AU)

Problem: urinary tract infections are one of the main conditions that occur in the pregnancy period, causing important maternal-fetal complications that can lead to death. Aims: to implement an educational booklet on the prevention of urinary tract infections in a group of pregnant women and analyze the nursing problems related to the occurrence of this disease. Method: a descriptive, qualitative study with fifteen pregnant women at a Family Health Unit in Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil in April, 2015. Data was collected through interviews - individual and group - and was analyzed using the data triangulation technique. Results: the application of the booklet revealed nursing problems related to hygiene, food, water intake, intestinal and urinary elimination and coitus. Conclusion: the use of printed technology is an important tool for discussion and learning in the health education process, and it can be used to qualify the nurses' care practice. (AU)

Impact of sepsis on the urinary level of interleukin-18 and cystatin C in critically ill neonates.

BACKGROUND: Urinary interleukin-18 (uIL-18) and cystatin C (uCysC) are biomarkers of acute kidney injury (AKI). We hypothesized that in non-AKI neonates, the level of uIL-18 and uCysC would be higher in those with sepsis compared to those without sepsis. The aims of this study were to determine the association between urinary biomarkers and sepsis in non-AKI critically ill neonates, and to evaluate whether uIL-18 and uCysC could serve as predictors of sepsis in this population. METHODS: The study included 111 non-AKI critically ill neonates with acute clinical deterioration suggestive of sepsis: 26 with infection, 57 without infection, and 28 were assigned to the unclassified group. Urinary samples were collected and a full sepsis screen was performed at the time of enrollment. RESULTS: The level of uIL-18, but not uCysC, was significantly elevated in non-AKI septic neonates. Urinary IL-18 was an independent factor associated with sepsis assessed by multivariate analysis, had odds ratio of 1.73 (95 % CI 1.15 to 2.58, p = 0.008), and achieved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.74 for predicting the presence of sepsis in non-AKI critically ill neonates. CONCLUSIONS: Sepsis has an impact on the level of uIL-18, but not on the uCysC in non-AKI neonates, suggesting systemic infection might influence the diagnostic value of uIL-18 to detect AKI in the general population.

Distribuição clonal de escherichia coli isoladas em infecções do trato urinário adquiridas na comunidade no período de 2001 a 2009 na cidade de Salvador-Bahia / Clonal distribution of Escherichia coli isolated from urinary tract infections acquired in the community during the period 2001-2009 in the city of Salvador, Bahia

Estimar a prevalência de resistência a antimicrobianos em isolados de Escheríchía colí e avaliar o desempenho dos testes laboratoriais rápidos para diagnóstico das infecções não complicadas do trato urinário adquiridas na comunidade. Este trabalho foi dividido em dois estudos, no primeiro para avaliar o perfil de susceptibilidade a antimicrobianos, foi avaliada uma amostra consecutiva de 411 isolados de E. colí procedentes de pacientes com Infecção do Trato Urinário (ITU) atendidos numa unidade de emergência de hospital privado no período de julho de 2008 a julho 2009. A identificação e os testes de susceptibilidade a antimicrobianos utilizou o sistema automatizado WalkAway - Microscan@ (Siemens - Califórnia). No segundo estudo, para avaliar o desempenho dos testes rápidos para diagnóstico de ITU, além dos casos de ITU do primeiro estudo, foram incluídos 411 pacientes sem ITU atendidos no mesmo local e período. Os testes rápidos estudados, microscopia direta (Gram), teste de piúria e teste do nitrito, foram realizados conforme respectivos protocolos, realizando os controle de qualidade de todas as etapas. A amostra de casos de ITU era formada por 342 (83%) adultos e 69 (17%) crianças. A distribuição por sexo entre adultos e crianças, mostrou predominância dos episódios no sexo feminino (85%). Dos 22 antibióticos testados, a maior prevalência de resistência foi encontrada para ampicilina sulbactam (41%), ampicilina (49%), cefalotina (33%) e sulfametoxazol-trimetoprim (36%), além disso, observamos uma inusitada taxa de resistência à clprofloxacma (9%). Quarenta e dois por cento dos isolados de E. colí apresentaram resistência a três ou mais drogas. Houve um aumento na taxa de resistência à cefalotina, em comparação com estudo realizado na mesma cidade em 2001-2002. Não foram observadas variações significativas nas taxas de resistência para a maioria dos demais antimicrobianos. Dentre os testes rápidos avaliados a detecção de piúria apresentou a maior sensibilidade (95%; IC95%: 92-97%) e a menor especificidade (66%; IC95%: 61-70%). O teste de nitrito apresentou a maior especificidade (99%; IC95%: 98-100%) e a menor sensibilidade (45%; IC95%: 40-50%). No geral, o teste com maior acurácia foi a microscopia direta (84%; IC95%: 79-88%), seguido da detecção de piúria (80%; IC95%: 77-83%). O teste de nitrito teve o maior valor preditivo positivo (VPP) e o teste de piúria o maior valor preditivo negativo (VPN). Os testes rápidos apresentaram concordância modesta e a combinação de resultados positivos com maior VPP foi obtida com os testes de nitrito e microscopia direta (Gram). Enquanto a combinação de microscopia direta (Gram) e piúria negativos tiveram o maior VPN. Os isolados de E. colí apresentaram elevadas taxas de resistência a: ampicilina, ampicilina-sulbactam, sulfametoxazol-trimetoprim e cefalotina, limitando a indicação desses antibióticos para tratamento empírico das ITUs adquiridas na comunidade. Apesar da variação nos valores de sensibilidade e especificidade dos testes rápidos avaliados, o teste de nitrito positivo e o teste de piúria negativo apresentaram a melhor taxa de acerto para confirmar ou afastar o diagnóstico de ITU, respectivamente. Embora, os testes rápidos possam ser considerados úteis no diagnóstico das ITU-AC, a urocultura ainda é o teste laboratorial definitivo para diagnóstico de ITU.

Introduction: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is considered the second most common infection in humans. It is estimated that there are about 150 million cases of UTIs per year worldwide. Increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance among uropathogens challenges UTI treatments. Objective: To determine the distribution of clonal strains of E. coli isolated from patients with community-acquired UTI according to the profile of antimicrobial susceptibility; and to evaluate the role of clonal groups in the spread and persistence of resistance in these infections. Methods: Eight hundred seventy four strains of E. coli were isolated from patients with UTI, coming from outpatient clinics in three hospitals in the city of Salvador - Bahia, from 2001 to 2009. The susceptibility profile was determined by broth microdilution method (Siemens - Microscan ®). The samples selected for genotyping (n = 275) were identified for clonal groups by comparing the patterns of PFGE, using the criteria of Tenover (1995). All study stages were quality control by strain E. coli ATCC 25922. Results: Among the antibiotics tested, the highest prevalence of resistance was for ampicillin (AMP) (49%) followed by trimethoprim - sulfamethoxazole (SXT) (36-42%) and for cephalothin (12-33%). The rate of resistance to ciprofloxacin (CIP) ranged between 9-14 %. In the Clonal Analysis distribution, performed according to antimicrobial resistance phenotypes, we found a higher prevalence of a clonal group CgA (63%) among multidrug resistant strains. This result differs from samples with some degree of resistance or multi-sensitive in which we observed clonal diversity. Conclusion: The high prevalence of resistance to SXT, AMP, and cephalothin contraindicate the use of these antibiotics in the empirical treatment of community-acquired UTI. The relatively high rate of resistance to CIP, raises attention to the increase and spread of antimicrobial resistance in this community and potentially complicate and encumber the treatment of these infections. We observe the emergence of a clonal group (CgA) in the final period of the study (2008-2009) associated with multidrug resistant strains. This finding suggests that the expansion of particular clones may have an important role in the spread of bacterial resistance in community-acquired UTI.

Candiduria nosocomial: etiología y prevalencia de sus agentes causales en el Hospital Paroissien / Nosocomial candiduria: Etiology and prevalence of its causal agents in Paroissien Hospital

Se evaluó retrospectivamente la etiología y evolución de la frecuencia de los agentes causales de candiduria, en 300 episodios ocurridos en pacientes internados en el Hospital Paroissien, entre el 21 de enero de 2000 y el 30 de diciembre de 2009. Fueron diagnosticados 33 (11,0%) episodios en 2000, 26 (8,7%) en 2001, 34 (11,3%) en 2002, 20 (6,7%) en 2003, 30 (10,0%) en 2004, 25 (8,3%) en 2005, 47 (15,7%) en 2006, 27 (9,0%) en 2007, 33 (11,0%) en 2008 y 25 (8,3%) en 2009. Candida tropicalis, C. albicans, C. glabrata y C. parapsilosis prevalecieron en orden descendente de frecuencia y C. guillermondii, C. krusei y C. lusitaniae se aislaron excepcionalmente. C. tropicalis prevaleció entre 2000-2002, 2004-2006 y en 2008, seguida por C. albicans, que fue la más prevalente en 2003, 2007 y 2009. C. glabrata ocupó el segundo lugar en 2000, 2004 y 2006 y el tercero en los demás años, salvo en 2001, 2008 y 2009, cuando fue desplazada por C. parapsilosis, que en 2009 ocupó el primer lugar junto con C. albicans. Los resultados obtenidos confirman el predominio de las especies de Candida no- albicans como agentes causales de candiduria en la población estudiada, particularmente C. tropicalis, desde 2003, que podría mantenerse actualmente. La ausencia de datos previos impidió discernir si los patrones hallados son recientes o se mantuvieron a través del tiempo.

The present study carried out a retrospective evaluation of the etiology and evolution of the frequency of the causal agents of 300 candiduria events diagnosed in patients assisted at the Paroissien Hospital from 2 January 2000 to 30 December 2009. A total of 33 (11.0%) episodes were dioagnosed in 2000, 26 (8.7%) in 2001, 34 (11.3%) in 2002, 20 (6.7%) in 2003, 30 (10.0%) in 2004, 25 (8.3%) in 2005, 47 (15.7%) in 2006, 27 (9.0%) in 2007, 33 (11.0%) in 2008 and 25 ( 8.3%) in 2009. C. tropicalis, C. albicans, C. glabrata y C. parapsilosis were, in descendent order, the most frequent species involved, with C. guillermondii, C. krusei and C. lusitaniae only exceptionally isolated. C. tropicalis was the most prevalent between 2000-2002, 2004-2006 and in 2008, followed by C. albicans, which was the most prevalent in 2003, 2007 and 2009. C. glabrata was the second species in 2000, 2004 y 2006 and the third in the remaining years studied, except for 2001, 2008 and 2009 when it was displaced by C. Parapsilosis, which held the first place in 2009, along with C. albicans. The results obtained confirm the predominance of the Candida no - albicans species as etiological agents of candiduria in the popularion under study, particularly C. tropicalis, from 2003 onwards, possibly until nowadays. However, due to the lack of previous studies on the subject, it was impossible to determine if the patterns observed are only recent or if they have remained unaltered for longer periods of time.

A radiation-induced adaptive response prolongs the survival of prion-infected mice.

Previously, it has been demonstrated that an "adaptive response" that includes the prevention, repair, and removal of oxidative damage can be evoked by radiation at dose rates substantially lower than those at which risks have been observed. The exact pathogenic mechanism of prion diseases is unknown, but circumstantial evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a central role. Exposure of prion-infected mice to four 500 mGy/fraction doses of (60)Co γ-radiation administered every other day at a low dose rate (0.5 mGy/min) starting at 2 days before infection, 7 days postinfection (dpi), or 50 dpi significantly prolonged the survival of infected mice. The 500-mGy radiation treatments started at 50 dpi also significantly prolonged the symptom-free period of the disease and caused a significant delay in the rise of the 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine concentration observed in the urine of nonirradiated infected mice at 98 dpi. The duration of the reduction in oxidative stress achieved by the radiation treatments was similar in length to the prolonged survival of the irradiated mice. This suggests that the adaptive response induced by low-dose whole-body radiation treatments prolongs the survival of prion-infected mice by reducing oxidative stress.

Prevalência de infecções do trato urinário e bacteriuria em gestantes da clínica ginecológica do ambulatório materno infantil de Tubarão – SC no ano de 2005 / Prevalence of urinary infection and asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant in a clinics in south Brazil

Introdução: A prevalência de bacteriúria assintomática é de 10 % na gravidez. A Escherichia coli corresponde a 80-90% das infecções. A cultura de urina deveser usada como um procedimento de rotina na primeira visita pré-natal. O tratamento da bacteriúria assintomáticaprevine complicações na gestação como pielonefrite aguda. Objetivos: Determinar a prevalência de infecção dotrato urinário em gestantes da clínica ginecológica do Ambulatório Materno Infantil de Tubarão-SC no período de 2005. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo observacional, descritivo sobre registros secundários de todas as gestantes(17 - 40 anos) do Ambulatório Materno Infantil de Tubarão no período 01/01/2005 a 31/12/2005. Resultados: Das 192 gestantes, 70 (36,46%) pacientes foram incluídas com alterações clínicas e/ou laboratoriais de infecção do trato urinário. A solicitação de urocultura foi realizada em 28 (40%) pacientes. Destas, 11 (39,29%) apresentaram urocultura positiva, sendo a Escherichia coli mais prevalente em 45,45%. Prevalência de tratamento medicamentoso nas gestantes queapresentaram alterações clínicas e/ou laboratoriais foi de 45,71%. Conclusões: Urocultura continua sendo o melhor método diagnóstico para infecção do trato urinário. Solicitá-la precocemente na primeira visita pré-natal para diagnosticar e tratar os casos de bacteriúria assintomática torna-se imprescindível para prevenir uma futuracomplicação.

Introduction: The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria is 10% during pregnancy. The Escherichia coli bacterium is responsible for 80-90% of the infections. The urine culture should be used as a routine procedure in the first pre-natal visit. The treatment of asymptomatic bacterium prevents complications during pregnancy such as acute pyelonephritis. Objectives: To determinate the prevalence of urinarytract infection in pregnant women at the Ambulatório Materno Infantil – Tubarão– SC during the period of 2005. Methodology: A descriptive Observational study was realized using secondary records of all pregnant woman (17-40 years old) of the Ambulatório Materno Infantil ofTubarão in the period from January 1st 2005 through December 31st 2005. The information was typed in a file created by the “Epi-data Program” and analyzed in the “Epi-Info Program”. The averages were compared by Kruskal-Wallis test, the proportions by qui-square testor Fisher exact test, when correspondent. Results: Of the 192 pregnant woman, 70 (36,46%)patients were included with clinical and/or laboratorial alterations of urinary tract infection. The uroculture request was realized in 28 (40%) patients. Among them, 11 (39,29%) presented positive uroculture, Escherichia coli being the most prevalent bacteria (45,45%). Theprevalence of the women that presented clinical and/or laboratorial alterations that were treated was 45,71%.Conclusions: Uroculture continues to be the best diagnostics methods for infection of urinary tract. Its earlyrequest in the fist pre-natal visit to diagnose and treat the asymptomatic bacteriuria becomes indispensable inpreventing future complications.

Leucocituria y tinción de Gram para el diagnostico de infección urinaria / Gram stain and pyuria for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection

Disponer de métodos microscópicos rápidos para el diagnóstico y demostrar la validez y efectividad de estas pruebas para certificar una infección urinaria.

Actividad in vitro de fluoroquinolonas en bacilos gramnegativos aislados deurocultivos de pacientes ambulatorios / In vitro activity of fluoroquinolones in gramnegative rods isolated from ambulatory patients urocultures

Las fluoroquinolonas constituyen un grupo de antibióticos, ampliamente utilizado en infeccionesdel tracto urinario (ITU), por su excelente actividad frente a las enterobacterias y por su vía deeliminación. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la resistencia a las fluoroquinolonas:ciprofloxacina, levofloxacina y gatifloxacina en bacilos gramnegativos aislados de ITU. Se incluyeronen el estudio todos los bacilos gramnegativos, aislados de pacientes adultos con ITU, queconcurrieron en forma consecutiva al laboratorio San Roque, desde junio de 2005 a marzo de 2006.Para determinar la resistencia, se utilizó el método de difusión en agar siguiendo normasestandarizadas del NCCLS. De las 380 cepas aisladas el 81,7% correspondió a Escherichia coli,11,6% Klebsiella pneumoniae, 3,4% Proteus mirabilis, 1% Enterobacter aerógenes, 0,8%Enterobacter cloacae, 0,5% Citrobacter koseri, 0,5% Citrobacter freundii y 0,5% Klebsiella oxytoca.El 17,6% de todos los aislamientos, fue resistente a todas las fluoroquinolonas ensayadas (58cepas de E. coli, 7 cepas de K. pneumoniae y 2 de E. cloacae). La resistencia de E. coli a las tresfluoroquinolonas fue del 18,7%, y de K. pneumoniae 15,9%. Una cepa de E. coli, sensible agatifloxacina, presentó sensibilidad intermedia a ciprofloxacina y levofloxacina. Las tresfluoroquinolonas testadas presentaron igual actividad frente a bacilos gramnegativos, aislados deITU. Esta resistencia es relativamente alta, debido a que la resistencia a un antibiótico a serutilizado en forma empírica, no debe superar el 20%

Evaluation of the association between microalbuminuria and the urine albumin-creatinine ratio and systemic disease in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate semiquantitative and quantitative assays for microalbuminuria and determination of the urine albumin-creatinine (UAC) ratio in detection of systemic disease in dogs without overt proteinuria. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 408 dogs. PROCEDURES: Urine samples that had been obtained from dogs for which a complete medical record was available and in which results of a dipstick test for urine protein were negative were evaluated. Urine protein-creatinine ratios (cutoff values, 0.5 and 0.1), semiquantitative and quantitative microalbuminuria values (cutoff value, 1 mg/dL), and UAC ratios (cutoff values, 100 and 200 mg/g) were determined. Clinical diagnoses rendered within 3 months of enrollment in the study were recorded. Sensitivity and specificity were determined with disease status serving as the standard. Associations with clinical diagnosis, sex, age, BUN and serum creatinine concentrations, blood pressure, results of bacterial culture of urine, temperature, pyuria, hematuria, and bacteriuria were evaluated by use of logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: 48 dogs were healthy, and 360 had at least 1 disease. Significant associations were detected between age, presence of disease, presence of neoplastic disease, BUN and serum creatinine concentrations, and hematuria and results of 1 or both of the microalbuminuria assays. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Microalbuminuria was associated with underlying disease. The sensitivity and specificity of the semiquantitative microalbuminuria test for detection of systemic disease were superior to those of other tests. Microalbuminuria testing in conjunction with other screening procedures may increase diagnosis of subclinical disease, but a prospective study in which the predictive values of screening tests are evaluated, with and without microalbuminuria determination, is needed.

Hepcidin, a putative mediator of anemia of inflammation, is a type II acute-phase protein.

Hepcidin is a liver-made peptide proposed to be a central regulator of intestinal iron absorption and iron recycling by macrophages. In animal models, hepcidin is induced by inflammation and iron loading, but its regulation in humans has not been studied. We report that urinary excretion of hepcidin was greatly increased in patients with iron overload, infections, or inflammatory diseases. Hepcidin excretion correlated well with serum ferritin levels, which are regulated by similar pathologic stimuli. In vitro iron loading of primary human hepatocytes, however, unexpectedly down-regulated hepcidin mRNA, suggesting that in vivo regulation of hepcidin expression by iron stores involves complex indirect effects. Hepcidin mRNA was dramatically induced by interleukin-6 (IL-6) in vitro, but not by IL-1 or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), demonstrating that human hepcidin is a type II acute-phase reactant. The linkage of hepcidin induction to inflammation in humans supports its proposed role as a key mediator of anemia of inflammation.

Infecciones urinarias del niño / Urinary infections of the child

Teniendo en cuenta las investigaciones y los estudios realizados por los biólogos moleculares en esta última década, los médicos de hoy tienen mayor conocimiento sobre las infeccioens de las vias uriarias: la etiología, factores de virulencia de los diferentes microoorganismos causantes de esta patología, manifestaciones clínicas, epidemiología y frecuencia, patogenia, factores que predisponen, metodología diagnóstica inicial, diagnóstico presuntivo, la imagenología, el tratamiento, control y prevención.

Organ failure, infection, and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome are associated with elevated levels of urinary intestinal fatty acid binding protein: study of 100 consecutive patients in a surgical intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal mucosal ischemia and subsequent barrier dysfunction have been related to the development of organ dysfunction and death in the critically ill. We hypothesized that urine concentrations of intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP), a sensitive marker of intestinal ischemia, might predict the development of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and organ dysfunction. METHODS: One hundred consecutive critically ill patients were prospectively studied for the development of infectious complications, organ dysfunction, and SIRS. Urine was collected daily for measurement of IFABP. RESULTS: A total of 58 males and 42 females (mean age, 56 years; range,16-85 years) were studied. Of these 100 patients, 40 patients developed complications and 5 patients developed SIRS. IFABP was significantly elevated in all patients with SIRS, and IFABP levels peaked an average of 1.4 days (range, 0-7 days) before the diagnosis of SIRS. CONCLUSION: Elevated concentrations of urine IFABP correlated with the clinical development of SIRS. Studies to assess the utility of IFABP as a predictor of organ dysfunction and SIRS in the critically ill are warranted.

Plasma-amino acid profiles in sepsis and stress.

Sepsis has been associated with specific plasma amino acid patterns. Sixty-five patients were prospectively investigated as to whether these patterns are indeed sepsis specific, or specific for metabolic stress without concomitant sepsis, or associated with the presence of organ failure. Virtually all aminoacid levels were decreased by 10-30% (p less than 0.05), whereas cystine and phenylalanine were significantly elevated. These changes were more pronounced in severe sepsis. Organ failure was not associated with significantly altered amino acid profiles. No differences were found between sepsis and stress without signs of sepsis. In addition, imminent death was not associated with aberrant amino acid profiles. We conclude that sepsis and metabolic stress are associated with changes in plasma amino acid profiles, but that such changes are aspecific and therefore poor indicators of disease severity.

Both inflammatory and endocrine mediators stimulate host responses to sepsis.

Host responses to sepsis and trauma are complex and their mediators are not well understood. To examine the roles of "endocrine" and "inflammatory" mediators, we studied healthy volunteers in four experimental groups: continuous 72-hour infusion of normal saline; continuous 72-hour infusion of hydrocortisone, glucagon, and epinephrine; daily intramuscular injection of the inflammatory agent etiocholanolone; and combined etiocholanolone injection--hormone infusion. In this model hypermetabolism, hyperglycemia, hyper-insulinemia, insulin resistance, negative nitrogen balance, and accelerated protein flux were mediated predominantly by infusion of the counterregulatory hormones. Etiocholanolone injection resulted in fever, acute-phase--protein synthesis, and hypoferremia. Leukocyte, temperature, and C-reactive--protein responses reflected major interactions between these stimuli. Both inflammatory and endocrine mediators are necessary for the complete manifestation of host responses to critical illness.

A simple technique to estimate severity of stress.

A simple procedure to estimate stress has been developed based upon 24 hour urine urea nitrogen excretion. This catabolic index partitions total urea excretion into that resulting from dietary protein intake and obligatory urea excretion and that due to an increase in endogenous protein catabolism: catabolic index equals 24 hour urine urea nitrogen excretion - (0.5 dietary nitrogen intake + 3 grams) where an index of less than zero represents no significant stress; an index of zero to 5, moderate stress, and an index greater than 5, severe stress. In 111 persons, significant differences were noted in the catabolic index, reflecting varying degrees of stress, nutrient intake and nutritional status. The catabolic index may have useful diagnostic and treatment applications.

Cellular elements in the urine in health and in acute infectious diseases, especially with respect to the presence of haematuria. A study with application of millipore procedure and Papanicolaou staining.

The excretion of cellular per litre of urine amounted in healthy persons to, in round figures, one million epithelial cells (2.5 cells per visual field) in both sexes, one million leukocytes in males, one million erythrocytes in females and 0.5 million in males. The maximal excretion was calculated to be 5-6 million per litre. In acute infections the number of epithelial cells and leukocytes in the urine rose to more than the double. Pathological microscopic haematuria, judged by exceeding of the maximal value for normal excretion during the acute phase (24 or more erythrocytes per visual field), occurred in no case of mycoplasma infection, in about 4% of measles, mononucleosis, serous meningitis and hepatitis cases, in about 8% of mumps and streptococcal infections, and in more than 20% of influenza A2 cases. Statistical significance or probable significant existed between influenza and other diseases. The haematuria was unrelated either to the general degenerative or to the specific inclusion-provocative reaction within the renal and urinary tract epithelium. The cause is sought in an involvement of glomeruli with increased diapedesis. The special position of influenza may be explained by the marked haemorrhagic reactions produced by this infection. In one case persistent haematuria combined with increased content of inclusion-bearing cells occurred after influenza. Immunoglobulin deposition in glomerular mesangium may perhaps be one explanation of this haematuria.