Acquired Factor V Deficiency After Carbapenem Administration: A Case Report

Factor V (FV) deficiency is a coagulation disorder (congenital or acquired). Unlike congenital FV deficiency, mixing tests for prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time are not corrected in acquired FV cases. A 79-year-old male was admitted to the intensive care unit after an emergency operation due to gastric ulcer perforation. While receiving antibiotic treatment for septic shock, the coagulation profile began to show prolongation of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. FV deficiency (< 1%) following meropenem administration was diagnosed . The patient did not show spontaneous bleeding or bleeding tendency. With fresh frozen plasma transfusion, steroid administration, and discontinuation of meropenem, the blood coagulation profile test result was normalized 20 days after diagnosis. His follow-up FV level increased to 78.7%. Although abnormalities in coagulation profiles are common in sepsis patients, in our patient, timely recognition and hematological consultation allowed early diagnosis and proper management of FV deficiency.

Optimal Antithrombotic Therapy Beyond 1-Year After Coronary Revascularization in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Background@#Currently, non-vitamin K-antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) monotherapy has been suggested as the optimal antithrombotic therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) beyond one year after coronary revascularization. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes between NOAC monotherapy and NOAC plus antiplatelet combination therapy using realworld data. @*Methods@#Between 2015 and 2020, patients with AF who had received NOACs beyond one year after coronary revascularization were enrolled from Korean national insurance data. We emulated a pragmatic sequence of trials between the NOAC monotherapy and the antiplatelet combination therapy followed by propensity score matching. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. @*Results@#Among 206,407 person-trials from 4,465 individuals, we compared 3,275 pairs of the monotherapy and the matched combination therapy. During a median follow-up of 1.24 years, the incidence rate of MACCE was 19.4% and 20.0% per patient-year in the monotherapy group and the antiplatelet combination group, respectively (hazard ratio [HR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88–1.05; P = 0.422). Compared with the antiplatelet combination group, the monotherapy group had a significantly lower incidence rate of major bleeding, defined as intracranial bleeding or gastrointestinal bleeding requiring hospitalization (2.8% vs. 3.6% per patient-year; HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62–0.97; P = 0.024). @*Conclusion@#As an antithrombotic therapy for AF beyond one year after coronary revascularization, NOAC monotherapy was associated with a similar risk of MACCE and a lower risk of major bleeding compared to NOAC plus antiplatelet combination therapy.

Validation of prediction model for successful discontinuation of continuous renal replacement therapy: a multicenter cohort study

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has become the standard modality of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients. However, consensus is lacking regarding the criteria for discontinuing CRRT. Here we validated the usefulness of the prediction model for successful discontinuation of CRRT in a multicenter retrospective cohort. Methods: One temporal cohort and four external cohorts included 1,517 patients with acute kidney injury who underwent CRRT for >2 days from 2018 to 2020. The model was composed of four variables: urine output, blood urea nitrogen, serum potassium, and mean arterial pressure. Successful discontinuation of CRRT was defined as the absence of an RRT requirement for 7 days thereafter. Results: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.71–0.76). The probabilities of successful discontinuation were approximately 17%, 35%, and 70% in the low-score, intermediate-score, and highscore groups, respectively. The model performance was good in four cohorts (AUROC, 0.73–0.75) but poor in one cohort (AUROC, 0.56). In one cohort with poor performance, attending physicians primarily controlled CRRT prescription and discontinuation, while in the other four cohorts, nephrologists determined all important steps in CRRT operation, including screening for CRRT discontinuation. Conclusion: The overall performance of our prediction model using four simple variables for successful discontinuation of CRRT was good, except for one cohort where nephrologists did not actively engage in CRRT operation. These results suggest the need for active engagement of nephrologists and protocolized management for CRRT discontinuation.

Comparison Between Fimasartan Versus Other Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in Patients With Heart Failure After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background@#s: Fimasartan is the most recently developed, potent, and long-acting angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). However, data are limited regarding treatment effects of fimasartan in patients with heart failure. @*Methods@#Between 2010 and 2016, patients who underwent coronary revascularization for myocardial infarction (MI) with heart failure and prescription of ARB at hospital discharge were enrolled from the Korean nationwide medical insurance data. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients receiving fimasartan and those receiving other ARBs (candesartan, valsartan, losartan, telmisartan, olmesartan, and irbesartan). The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death, recurrent MI, hospitalization for heart failure, and stroke. @*Results@#Of 2,802 eligible patients, fimasartan was prescribed to 124 patients (4.4%). During a median follow-up of 2.2 years (interquartile range, 1.0–3.9), 613 events of the primary outcome occurred. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome between patients receiving fimasartan and those receiving other ARBs (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46–1.45). Compared with patients receiving other ARBs, those receiving fimasartan had comparable incidence of all-cause death (adjusted HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.30–1.63), recurrent MI (adjusted HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.49–3.34), hospitalization for heart failure (adjusted HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.27–1.84), and stroke (adjusted HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.18–1.96). @*Conclusion@#In this nationwide cohort, fimasartan, compared with other ARBs, had comparable treatment effects for a composite of all-cause death, recurrent MI, hospitalization for heart failure, and stroke in patients with heart failure after MI.

Post-traumatic Infrapatellar Bursitis due to Mycobacterium fortuitum in an Immunocompetent Patient / 감염과화학요법

Mycobacterium fortuitum is a rare pathogen, frequently found in water, soil, animals and plant materials. It can cause infections involving skin, soft tissue and skeletal system after direct inoculation of the pathogen through surgical traumas, punctures and injections. We report a case of infrapatellar bursitis caused by M. fortuitum in an immunocompetent, 42-year-old female, which occurred after bicycle trauma. She experienced marked improvement after surgical excision and debridement of the wound site and antimicrobial therapy.

Post-traumatic Infrapatellar Bursitis due to Mycobacterium fortuitum in an Immunocompetent Patient / 감염과화학요법

Mycobacterium fortuitum is a rare pathogen, frequently found in water, soil, animals and plant materials. It can cause infections involving skin, soft tissue and skeletal system after direct inoculation of the pathogen through surgical traumas, punctures and injections. We report a case of infrapatellar bursitis caused by M. fortuitum in an immunocompetent, 42-year-old female, which occurred after bicycle trauma. She experienced marked improvement after surgical excision and debridement of the wound site and antimicrobial therapy.