Oscillococcinum® for upper respiratory tract infections and exacerbations in COPD: an observational, prospective study (OXITUNIS).

BACKGROUND: Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are a major cause of exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed the effectiveness of Oscillococcinum® in the protection from URTIs in patients with COPD who had been vaccinated against influenza infection over the 2018-2019 winter season. METHODS: Patients (n=106; mean ± standard deviation age: 66.0 ± 10.3 years; 89.6% men) were randomized into two groups: group V received influenza vaccination only and group OV received influenza vaccination plus Oscillococcinum® (one oral dose per week from inclusion in the study until the end of follow-up, with a maximum of 6 months follow-up over the winter season). The primary endpoint was the incidence rate of URTIs (number of URTIs/1000 patient-treatment exposure days) during follow-up compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in any of the demographic characteristics, baseline COPD, or clinical data between the two treatment groups (OV and V). The URTI incidence rate was significantly higher in group V than in group OV (2.9 versus 1.2 episodes/1000 treatment days, difference OV-V = -1.7; p=0.0312). There was a significant delay in occurrence of an URTI episode in the OV group versus the V group (mean ± standard error: 48.7 ± 3.0 versus 67.0 ± 2.8 days, respectively; p=0.0158). Limitations to this study include its small population size and the self-recording by patients of the number and duration of URTIs and exacerbations. CONCLUSION: Oscillococcinum may decrease the incidence rate and delay the appearance of URTIs in patients with COPD.

Antifungal use influences Candida species distribution and susceptibility in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES: Antifungal prescription practices have changed over the last decade, and the impact of these changes is unclear. Our objective here was to evaluate the effect of antifungal drug use on the distribution and drug susceptibility of Candida spp. in a French intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Antifungal drug use was measured as the number of defined daily doses per 1000 hospital days (DDDs/1000HD). The distribution of Candida spp. over a 6 year period (2004-09) and the MICs of antifungal drugs over 2007-09 were determined. Statistical analyses were performed to assess relationships between antifungal drug use, Candida spp. distribution and MIC changes over time. RESULTS: Of 26,450 samples from 3391 patients, 1511 were positive for Candida spp. Candida albicans predominated (52.5%), followed by Candida glabrata (16.6%) and Candida parapsilosis (7.5%). C. parapsilosis increased significantly, from 5.7% in 2004 to 12.5% in 2009 (P = 0.0005). Caspofungin use increased significantly between 2004 (17.9 DDDs/1000HD) and 2009 (69.9 DDDs/1000HD) (P < 0.0001). Between 2007 and 2009, the increase in caspofungin use correlated significantly with the increase in caspofungin MICs displayed by C. parapsilosis (P < 0.0001) and C. glabrata (P = 0.03). Amphotericin B consumption changed over time and correlated with an increase in amphotericin B MICs for C. albicans (P = 0.0002) and C. glabrata (P = 0.0005). Significant declines occurred in both fluconazole use (P < 0.0001) and fluconazole MICs of C. albicans (P < 0.001) CONCLUSIONS: Antifungal drug use in the ICU is associated with major changes in the distribution and drug susceptibility of Candida spp.

Outcomes in severe sepsis and patients with septic shock: pathogen species and infection sites are not associated with mortality.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the respective influence of the causative pathogen and infection site on hospital mortality from severe sepsis related to community-, hospital-, and intensive care unit-acquired infections. DESIGN: We used a prospective observational cohort 10-yr database. We built a subdistribution hazards model with corrections for competing risks and adjustment for potential confounders including early appropriate antimicrobial therapy. SETTING: Twelve intensive care units. PATIENTS: We included 4,006 first episodes of acquisition-site-specific severe sepsis in 3,588 patients. INTEVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We included 1562 community-acquired, 1432 hospital-acquired, and 1012 intensive care unit-acquired episodes of severe sepsis. After adjustment, we found no independent associations of the causative organism, multidrug resistance of the causative organism, infection site, or presence of bacteremia with mortality. Early appropriate antimicrobial therapy was consistently associated with better survival in the community-acquired (0.64 [0.51-0.8], p = .0001), hospital-acquired (0.72 [0.58-0.88], p = .0011), and intensive care unit-acquired (0.79 [0.64-0.97], p = .0272) groups. CONCLUSION: The infectious process may not exert as strong a prognostic effect when severity, organ dysfunction and, above all, appropriateness of early antimicrobials are taken into account. Our findings emphasize the importance of developing valid recommendations for early antimicrobial therapy.