Sequential organ failure assessment score is an excellent operationalization of disease severity of adult patients with hospitalized community acquired pneumonia - results from the prospective observational PROGRESS study.

BACKGROUND: CAP (Community acquired pneumonia) is frequent, with a high mortality rate and a high burden on health care systems. Development of predictive biomarkers, new therapeutic concepts, and epidemiologic research require a valid, reproducible, and quantitative measure describing CAP severity. METHODS: Using time series data of 1532 patients enrolled in the PROGRESS study, we compared putative measures of CAP severity for their utility as an operationalization. Comparison was based on ability to correctly identify patients with an objectively severe state of disease (death or need for intensive care with at least one of the following: substantial respiratory support, treatment with catecholamines, or dialysis). We considered IDSA/ATS minor criteria, CRB-65, CURB-65, Halm criteria, qSOFA, PSI, SCAP, SIRS-Score, SMART-COP, and SOFA. RESULTS: SOFA significantly outperformed other scores in correctly identifying a severe state of disease at the day of enrollment (AUC = 0.948), mainly caused by higher discriminative power at higher score values. Runners-up were the sum of IDSA/ATS minor criteria (AUC = 0.916) and SCAP (AUC = 0.868). SOFA performed similarly well on subsequent study days (all AUC > 0.9) and across age groups. In univariate and multivariate analysis, age, sex, and pack-years significantly contributed to higher SOFA values whereas antibiosis before hospitalization predicted lower SOFA. CONCLUSIONS: SOFA score can serve as an excellent operationalization of CAP severity and is proposed as endpoint for biomarker and therapeutic studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT02782013 , May 25, 2016, retrospectively registered.

Optimal strategies for the diagnosis of community-onset diarrhea in solid organ transplant recipients: Less is more.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea, a common complication after solid organ transplant (SOT), is associated with allograft failure and death. No evidence-based guidelines exist for the evaluation of diarrhea in SOT recipients. We performed a cost analysis to derive a testing algorithm for the diagnosis of community-onset diarrhea that minimizes costs without compromising diagnostic yields. DESIGN: A cost analysis was performed on a retrospective cohort of 422 SOT admissions for community-onset diarrhea over an 18-month period. A stepwise testing model was applied on a population level to assess test costs relative to diagnostic yields. RESULTS: Over an 18-month period, 1564 diagnostic tests were performed and 127 (8.1%) returned positive. Diagnostic testing accounted for $95 625 of hospital costs. The tests with the lowest cost per decrease in the false-omission rate (FOR) were stool Clostridium difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ($156), serum cytomegalovirus quantitative PCR ($1529), stool norovirus (NV) PCR ($4673), and stool culture ($6804). A time-to-event analysis found no significant difference in the length of hospital stay between patients with and without NV testing (P=.520). CONCLUSIONS: A stepwise testing strategy can reduce costs without compromising diagnostic yields. In the first-stage testing, we recommend assessment for C. difficile, cytomegalovirus, and food-borne bacterial pathogens. For persistent diarrheal episodes, second-stage evaluation should include stool NV PCR, Giardia/Cryptosporidium enzyme immunoassay, stool ova and parasite, reductions in immunosuppressive therapy, and possibly endoscopy. Although NV testing had a relatively low cost per FOR, we recommend NV testing during second-stage evaluation, as an NV diagnosis may not lead to changes in clinical management or further reductions in length of hospital stay.

Nutritional risk screening and clinical outcome assessment among patients with community-acquired infection: A multicenter study in Beijing teaching hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to implement nutritional risk screening in patients with community-acquired infection (CAI) and analyze its relationship with clinical outcomes. METHODS: We consecutively assessed 595 patients with CAI from two teaching hospitals for eligibility during this study. Their nutritional risk was evaluated using Nutritional Risk Screening-2002. The hospital length of stay (LOS), rate of readmission, and nutritional support were recorded. RESULTS: In all, 336 patients with CAI were recruited. Of these, 40.61% were at nutritional risk at admission. The prevalence of nutritional risk in those patients age ≥70 y was significantly higher than in younger patients (51.38% versus 37.29%; P = 0.017). There was significant increase in the prevalence of nutritional risk from admission to 2-wk post-admission in all patients (40.61% versus 48.93%; P = 0.036) and in elderly patients (51.38% versus 69.90%; P = 0.010). Of the at-risk patients, the LOS (19.6 ± 12.2 d versus 11.2 ± 5.3 d; P < 0.001) and the rate of readmission (8.8% versus 3.0%; P = 0.026) were significantly higher than those of the patients not at risk. Multivariate analysis showed nutritional support was a protective factor for longer LOS when adjusted for confounders (odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.68; P < 0.001). Only 55.9% of patients at risk received nutritional support and the average ratio of parenteral to enteral nutrition was 4.2:1. CONCLUSIONS: Many patients with CAI were at nutritional risk and tended to worsen during hospitalization, which has been associated with increased LOS and rate of readmission. Nutritional support might be beneficial to the patients by shortening LOS. Inappropriate use of nutritional support was observed in patients with CAI.

Functional status and quality of life after community-acquired bacteraemia: a matched cohort study.

Severe bacterial infections may have a prolonged negative effect on subsequent functional status and health-related quality of life. We studied hospitalized patients for changes in functional status and quality of life within 1 year of community-acquired bacteraemia in comparison to blood-culture-negative controls. In a prospectively conducted matched cohort study at Aalborg University Hospital, north Denmark, during 2011-2014, we included 71 medical inpatients with first-time community-acquired bacteraemia. For each bacteraemia patient, we matched one blood-culture-negative inpatient control on age and gender. Functional status and quality of life before and after hospitalization were assessed by Barthel-20 and EuroQol-5D questionnaires. We computed the 3-month and 1-year risk for any deterioration in Barthel-20 score and EuroQol-5D index score, and for a deterioration of ≥10 points in EuroQol-5D visual analogue scale score, and used regression analyses to assess adjusted risk ratios (RR) with 95% CIs. Compared with controls, bacteraemia was associated with an increased 3-month risk for deterioration in functional status as assessed by Barthel-20 score (14% versus 3% with deterioration, adjusted RR 5.1; 95% CI 1.2-22.3). The difference was less after 1 year (11% versus 7% with deterioration, adjusted RR 1.6; 95% CI 0.5-4.5). After 3 months, quality of life had become worse in 37% of bacteraemia patients and 28% of controls by EuroQol-5D index score (adjusted RR 1.3; 95% CI 0.8-2.1), with similar findings after 1 year and by visual analogue scale. In conclusion, community-acquired bacteraemia is associated with increased risk for subsequent deterioration in functional status compared with blood-culture-negative controls, and with a high risk for deterioration in quality of life.

Diabetes mellitus and infection: an evaluation of hospital utilization and management costs in the United States.

AIMS: The objective of this study is to evaluate the number of diabetics that seek medical treatment in emergency departments or require hospitalization for infection management in the United States. This study also assesses the socioeconomic impact of inpatient infection management among diabetics. METHODS: We accessed the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database to perform a retrospective analysis on diabetics presenting to the emergency department or hospitalized for infection management from 2006 to 2011. RESULTS: Emergency Department: Since 2006, nearly 10 million diabetics were annually evaluated in the emergency department. Infection was the primary reason for presentation in 10% of these visits. Among those visits, urinary tract infection was the most common infection, accounting for over 30% of emergency department encounters for infections. Other common infections included sepsis, skin and soft tissue infections, and pneumonia. Diabetics were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized for infection management than patients without diabetes. Hospitalization: Since 2006, nearly 6 million diabetics were annually hospitalized. 8-12% of these patients were hospitalized for infection management. In 2011, the inpatient care provided to patients with DM, and infection was responsible for over $48 billion dollars in aggregate hospital charges. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetics commonly present to the emergency department and require hospitalization for infection management. The care provided to diabetics for infection management has a large economic impact on the United States healthcare system. More efforts are needed to develop cost-effective strategies for the prevention of infection in patients with diabetes.

Evaluation of the modified MEDS, MEWS score and Charlson comorbidity index in patients with community acquired sepsis in the emergency department.

Sepsis is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in patients presenting to the emergency department. SIRS criteria that define sepsis are not specific and do not reflect the severity of infection. We aimed to evaluate the ability of the modified mortality in emergency department sepsis (MEDS) score, the modified early warning score (MEWS) and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) to predict prognosis in patients who are diagnosed in sepsis. We prospectively investigated the value of the CCI, MEWS and modified MEDS Score in the prediction of 28-day mortality in patients presenting to the emergency department who were diagnosed with sepsis. 230 patients were enrolled in the study. In these patients, the 5-day mortality was 17 % (n = 40) and the 28-day mortality was 32.2 % (n = 74). A significant difference was found between surviving patients and those who died in terms of their modified MEDS, MEWS and Charlson scores for both 5-day mortality (p < 0.001, p = 0.013 and p = 0.006, respectively) and 28-day mortality (p < 0.001, p = 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively). The area under the curve (AUC) for the modified MEDS score in terms of 28-day mortality was 0.77. The MEDS score had a greater prognostic value compared to the MEWS and CCI scores. The performance of modified MEDS score was better than that of other scoring systems, in our study. Therefore, we believe that the modified MEDS score can be reliably used for the prediction of mortality in sepsis.

[Epidemiology and prophylaxis of ENT diseases in the cadets of the Nakhimov Naval School].

The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of otorhinolaryngological morbidity among the cadets of the Nakhimov Naval School and propose the effective measures for its reduction and prevention. A total of 335 children at the age from 11 to 17 years were available for the examination. The analysis of otorhinolaryngological morbidity during September and October 2011 revealed the high frequency of acute respiratory diseases (46 cases) and maxillary sinus symptoms (12 cases). The newly recruited children accounted for 40% of the affected patients. The results of the screening carried out in the military educational institution suggest the necessity of improvement of the quality of primary medical screening, timely diagnostics and correction of pathological conditions. They can be used to formulate the long-range objectives for the improvement of individual recommendations for the medical observation of the cadets presenting with chronic ENT diseases.

Infectious complications of acute and chronic liver disease.

Acute and chronic liver diseases are frequently complicated by infections, which result in increased morbidity and mortality and place an economic burden on health care systems. This review discusses the epidemiology and the impact on prognosis of infections in liver cirrhosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, acute liver failure, and post-liver transplantation. Possible mechanisms for this increased susceptibility are innate immune dysfunction (Kupffer cells, neutrophils, monocytes), genetic predisposition, and intrinsic cellular defects. The causes for innate immune dysfunction may lie in increased gut permeability, the occurrence of endotoxemia, albumin and lipoprotein dysfunction, or toll-like receptor expression. From a clinical viewpoint this article discusses problems in diagnosing infection. Established (vaccination, antibiotic prophylaxis, antiviral prophylaxis, and nutrition) and experimental (probiotic) prophylactic strategies as well as established (antibiotics) and experimental (liver support, albumin, toll-like receptor antagonists) strategies are also reviewed.

Virus-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome: epidemiology, management and outcome.

The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can be induced by viral diseases, with two virus types being responsible: respiratory viruses that cause community-acquired viral pneumonia and Herpesviridae that cause nosocomial viral pneumonia. Among the respiratory viruses that can affect the lung and cause ARDS, pandemic viruses head the list, with influenza viruses H5N1 and H1N1 2009 being the most recently identified. However, other viruses can cause severe ARDS. Notably, a novel coronavirus was responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2003. Apart from these pandemic viruses, respiratory viruses are rarely responsible for viral pneumonia and ARDS. Other than antiviral drug (mainly oseltamivir) administration and avoidance of corticosteroids, management of ARDS due to these viruses does not differ from that for ARDS caused by other diseases. Among Herpesviridae, herpes simplex virus (HSV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) are the two viruses causing nosocomial viral pneumonia that can evolve into ARDS. HSV is frequently recovered in the respiratory tract of mechanically ventilated patients and can sometimes be responsible for HSV bronchopneumonitis. Although not evaluated for this indication, acyclovir can be a therapeutic option for patients with HSV bronchopneumonitis and ARDS. CMV pneumonia can also occur in mechanically ventilated patients, but is difficult to diagnose because virus recovery does not necessarily mean viral disease. Ganciclovir can be considered for patients with ARDS and histology- or cytology-proven CMV pneumonia.

Empyema associated with community-acquired pneumonia: a Pediatric Investigator's Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) study.

BACKGROUND: Although the incidence of serious morbidity with childhood pneumonia has decreased over time, empyema as a complication of community-acquired pneumonia continues to be an important clinical problem. We reviewed the epidemiology and clinical management of empyema at 8 pediatric hospitals in a period before the widespread implementation of universal infant heptavalent pneumococcal vaccine programs in Canada. METHODS: Health records for children<18 years admitted from 1/1/00-31/12/03 were searched for ICD-9 code 510 or ICD-10 code J869 (Empyema). Empyema was defined as at least one of: thoracentesis with microbial growth from pleural fluid, or no pleural fluid growth but compatible chemistry or cell count, or radiologist diagnosis, or diagnosis at surgery. Patients with empyemas secondary to chest trauma, thoracic surgery or esophageal rupture were excluded. Data was retrieved using a standard form with a data dictionary. RESULTS: 251 children met inclusion criteria; 51.4% were male. Most children were previously healthy and those

Computerized definitions showed high positive predictive values for identifying hospitalizations for congestive heart failure and selected infections in Medicaid enrollees with rheumatoid arthritis.

PURPOSE: Computerized definitions are used to identify serious infections and congestive heart failure leading to hospitalizations in studies of medication safety. However, information on their accuracy is limited. We evaluated the ability of computerized definitions to identify these conditions as the reason for admission among patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Medical charts were randomly selected from a systematic sample of hospitalizations for selected conditions in a cohort of Medicaid patients with RA. We calculated positive predictive values (PPVs) for computerized definitions for community-acquired pneumonia, invasive pneumococcal disease, sepsis, opportunistic mycoses, and congestive heart failure using charts reviews as gold standard and computed inter-reviewer agreement statistics. RESULTS: From 2667 hospitalizations, 336 (13%) records were selected for review. A total of 277 charts (82%) were available. Based on any discharge diagnosis, PPVs for hospitalizations due to community-acquired pneumonia, invasive pneumococcal disease, sepsis, and opportunistic mycoses were 84, 100, 80, and 62%, respectively. Restricting definitions to principal diagnoses yielded higher PPVs, 95% for pneumonia and 100% for other diagnoses. The PPV of a principal diagnosis for congestive heart failure was 100%. Inter-reviewer agreement was at least 77% for all outcomes. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that computerized definitions can identify congestive heart failure and selected infections leading to hospitalization in Medicaid patients with RA.

Clinical outcome and costs of nosocomial and community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection in haemodialysis patients.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome and costs of nosocomial and community-acquired methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) or methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infection (BSI) in patients undergoing haemodialysis. A multicentre retrospective study was conducted that included 109 patients with end-stage renal disease and S. aureus BSI who were hospitalised in three German centres between 1999 and 2005. Nosocomial and community-acquired infections were analysed separately with regard to costs and outcome. Forty-nine (45%) patients had nosocomial infection. Compared to patients with community-acquired infection, these patients were more likely to have had BSI caused by MRSA (40.8% vs. 13.3%, p <0.05). BSI was the initial reason for admission for 33 (55%) patients who had community-acquired infection. The mean length of hospitalisation was 24 days for patients with community-acquired infection and 51 days for patients with nosocomial infection (p <0.05). Costs per treatment episode were 20,024 Euros for nosocomial infection vs. 9554 Euros for community-acquired infection (p <0.05). The average treatment costs for patients with MSSA BSI were <50% of those for patients with MRSA BSI (10,573 vs. 24,931 Euros, p <0.05). S. aureus BSI is an underlying cause of substantial health risk and high morbidity among the haemodialysis-dependent population, who are already at high-risk for other reasons. This study also highlighted differences according to the source of BSI, including costs arising from hospitalisation and treatment.

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections: a review of epidemiology, clinical features, management, and prevention.

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CAMRSA) infection is a global problem of epidemic proportions. Many of the patients who develop CAMRSA skin lesions do not have infection-associated risk factors. Abscess, abscess with accompanying cellulitis, and cellulitis are the most common presentations of cutaneous CAMRSA infection; occasionally, these CARMSA-related lesions are misinterpreted as spider or insect bites. Other manifestations of cutaneous CAMRSA infection include impetigo, folliculitis, and acute paronychia. The management of CAMRSA skin infection includes incision and drainage, systemic antimicrobial therapy, and adjuvant topical antibacterial treatment. In addition, at the initial visit, bacterial culture of the lesion should be considered. Direct skin-to-skin contact, damage to the skin surface, sharing of personal items, and a humid environment are potential mechanisms for the acquisition and transmission of cutaneous CAMRSA infection. Measures that strive to eliminate these causes are useful for preventing the spread of CAMRSA skin infection.

[Assessment, triage, and follow-up of a patient with: acute CAP COPD]. / Comment évaluer, orienter et suivre un patient ayant une pneumonie aiguë communautaire? Une exacerbation de bronchopneumopathie chronique obstructive? Evaluation des facteurs de risque d'acquisition, d'évolution compliquée et/ou de mortalité, des signes de gravité. Choix du lieu de la prise en charge et orientation du suivi.

The purpose of this review was to analyze the literature concerning community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) published in the last five years. CAP and AECOPD are frequent diseases that are to this day still associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Patient management, especially the choice of the management environment, outpatient or intensive care, depends on the knowledge and recognition of predictors of complications, mortality risk factors, and severity signs to the extent that predictive algorithms have been established. However, research and publications concerning discharge criteria and follow-up of CAP and AECOPD patients is more sparse.

Hospital at home: feasibility and outcomes of a program to provide hospital-level care at home for acutely ill older patients.

BACKGROUND: Acutely ill older persons often experience adverse events when cared for in the acute care hospital. OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical feasibility and efficacy of providing acute hospital-level care in a patient's home in a hospital at home. DESIGN: Prospective quasi-experiment. SETTING: 3 Medicare-managed care (Medicare + Choice) health systems at 2 sites and a Veterans Administration medical center. PARTICIPANTS: 455 community-dwelling elderly patients who required admission to an acute care hospital for community-acquired pneumonia, exacerbation of chronic heart failure, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cellulitis. INTERVENTION: Treatment in a hospital-at-home model of care that substitutes for treatment in an acute care hospital. MEASUREMENTS: Clinical process measures, standards of care, clinical complications, satisfaction with care, functional status, and costs of care. RESULTS: Hospital-at-home care was feasible and efficacious in delivering hospital-level care to patients at home. In 2 of 3 sites studied, 69% of patients who were offered hospital-at-home care chose it over acute hospital care; in the third site, 29% of patients chose hospital-at-home care. Although less procedurally oriented than acute hospital care, hospital-at-home care met quality standards at rates similar to those of acute hospital care. On an intention-to-treat basis, patients treated in hospital-at-home had a shorter length of stay (3.2 vs. 4.9 days) (P = 0.004), and there was some evidence that they also had fewer complications. The mean cost was lower for hospital-at-home care than for acute hospital care (5081 dollars vs. 7480 dollars) (P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: Possible selection bias because of the quasi-experimental design and missing data, modest sample size, and study site differences. CONCLUSIONS: The hospital-at-home care model is feasible, safe, and efficacious for certain older patients with selected acute medical illnesses who require acute hospital-level care.

Burden of community-onset Escherichia coli bacteremia in seniors.

BACKGROUND: Although Escherichia coli is a well-recognized cause of urinary tract infection in seniors, little is known about the burden of invasive E. coli infection in this population. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of 46,238 noninstitutionalized Group Health Cooperative members>or=65 years of age to ascertain incidences of community-onset E. coli bacteremia and, for comparison, pneumococcal bacteremia, and we then performed a case-control study to identify risk factors for community-onset E. coli bacteremia. RESULTS: The overall rate of community-onset E. coli bacteremia in the study cohort was 150 cases/100,000 person-years, which was approximately 3 times higher than the rate of pneumococcal bacteremia. In the case-control study, urinary catheterization and urinary incontinence were the only factors associated with an increased risk of E. coli bacteremia in men (62 cases), whereas cancer, renal failure, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and urinary incontinence were associated with an increased risk of E. coli bacteremia in women (119 cases). CONCLUSIONS: E. coli appears to be the leading cause of community-onset bacteremia in seniors, and, on the basis of these rates, we estimate that 53,476 cases occur in noninstitutionalized seniors each year in the United States. Community-onset E. coli bacteremia in seniors is, therefore, an infection of public health importance.

Administrative data versus corrected administrative data.

The purpose of this research was to provide insight into the use of existing administrative data and to identify changes that could be made to improve broad-based use of administrative data. Data were collected on patients hospitalized with pneumonia at a 715 bed hospital in North Carolina in 1996-1997. Patients were selected from administrative databases via diagnosis and charge codes. Outcome variables were length of stay and total hospital charges. Explanatory variables were age, sex, race, insurance type, season of year, admission source (emergency department or other), comorbidity score, care path designation, physician specialty and teaching appointment. These data were collected from administrative data and then from a limited chart review to correct the administrative data. We found no significant differences in economic outcomes between the administrative data and the corrected administrative data. Administrative data appear to be a reliable and cost-effective data source for quality assessment.