Bacterial Infections Associated with Immunosuppressive Agents Commonly Used in Patients with Interstitial Lung Diseases.

There are about 200 different types of interstitial lung disease (ILD), and a crucial initial step in the assessment of a patient with suspected ILD is achieving an appropriate diagnosis. Some ILDs respond to immunosuppressive agents, while immunosuppression can be detrimental in others, hence treatment is based on the most confident diagnosis with consideration of a patient's risk factors. Immunosuppressive medications have the potential to result in substantial, and perhaps life-threatening, bacterial infections to a patient. However, data on the risk of bacterial infections from immunosuppressive treatment specifically in patients with interstitial lung disease is lacking. We hereby review the immunosuppressive treatments used in ILD patients excluding sarcoidosis, highlight their risk of bacterial infections, and discuss the potential mechanisms that contribute to the increased risk of infections.

Bacterial Pathogens Causing Pneumonia Post Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: The Chronic GVHD Population.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a lifesaving treatment for many malignancies. Post-transplant patients may suffer from graft versus host disease in the acute and/or the chronic form(s). Post-transplantation immune deficiency due to a variety of factors is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, immunosuppression can lead to alterations in host factors that predisposes these patients to infections. Although patients who receive stem cell transplant are at an increased risk of opportunistic pathogens, which include fungi and viruses, bacterial infections remain the most common cause of morbidity. Here, we review bacterial pathogens that lead to pneumonias specifically in the chronic GVHD population.

A Retrospective Study Comparing the Effect of Conventional Coagulation Parameters Vs. Thromboelastography-Guided Blood Product Utilization in Patients With Major Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Background: The use of thromboelastography (TEG) has demonstrated decreased blood product utilization in patients with specific etiologies of major gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), such as variceal and non-variceal bleeding in cirrhosis patients; however, in a non-cirrhosis patient with GIB, there is far less evidence in the literature. Our retrospective study compares the effect of TEG-guided blood product utilization in patients with major GIB with all etiologies, including cirrhosis, admitted to medical intensive care unit (MICU). Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients admitted to the MICU of a tertiary academic medical center diagnosed with GIB using ICD-9/10 codes from 2014 to 2018. A total of 1,889 patients were identified, and validation criteria such as "GI or hepatology consult note", type and screen, pantoprazole, or octreotide drip" were used, which resulted in 997 patients, out of which 369 had a diagnosis of cirrhosis. Propensity score matching was done for baseline variables (age, sex, and race), ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, ventilator days, and vasopressor use. As a result, 88 patients were included in the final analysis, with 44 in TEG and 44 in non-TEG group. A sub-group analysis was done in 46 patients with cirrhosis, 23 in TEG group and 23 in non-TEG group after propensity score matching. Results: There was significantly higher total blood volume (4,207 mL vs. 2,568 mL, P = 0.04) in the TEG group as compared to the non-TEG group, including total volume of cryoprecipitate (80 mL vs. 55 mL, P = 0.03) and total volume of platelet (543 mL vs. 327 mL, P = 0.03). In the cirrhosis sub-group, there was no significant difference in the amount of blood products transfused between the two groups. Conclusion: This study revealed that TEG is not superior to conventional coagulation parameters in limiting the volume of blood product transfusion in major GIB patients in ICU settings.

Palliative Care for the Interstitial Lung Disease Patient a Must and Not Just a Need.

Patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) have many unmet palliative care needs. The majority of patients with chronic ILD have poor access to a specialist in palliative medicine and that is due to several barriers. The mortality for the ILD patient is high and reaches up to 80% if admitted to the ICU with respiratory failure. Palliative care addresses symptoms in diseases where cure is unlikely or impossible. Palliative care consultation also ensures communication among patients, caregivers and providers regarding treatments, prognosis, and end of life planning. Methods: We performed a literature review on palliative care and ILD, accessing articles published since 2002. We found 71 articles related to the topic. We chose 37 that were most relevant and with no redundancy of information to include in this review. Objectives: Summarize the palliative care needs of patients with ILD, discuss the barriers to receiving palliative care, and summarize clinical practice for providing palliative care to this patient population.

Serum Bicarbonate: Reconsidering the Importance of a Neglected Biomarker in Predicting Clinical Outcomes in Sepsis.

Background Despite being an important pathophysiological component, information on the predictive value of serum bicarbonate level in sepsis is limited. Study design and method This is a single-centered retrospective study involving 4176 patients admitted to the medical ICU (MICU) with a diagnosis of sepsis. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on admission: CKD and non-CKD, respectively. Each group was then divided into three sub-groups based on serum bicarbonate level at presentation (in mEq/l)- low (<22), normal (22-28), and high (>28). We compared the clinical outcomes between the sub-groups in each group, with in-hospital mortality as the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints included vasopressor-free days, ventilator-free days, ICU-free days, and hospital-free days. Result In both the CKD and non-CKD groups, low serum bicarbonate was associated with significantly increased in-hospital mortality. There was no difference in the mortality between the sub-groups with normal and high serum bicarbonate. When adjusted for other known predictors of mortality, the association of low serum bicarbonate with increased in-hospital mortality was statistically significant only in the patient group with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score of ≥9. Additionally, the SOFA score had a better predictive value for in-hospital mortality, ICU-free days, and ventilator-free days when the serum bicarbonate level was <22. Interpretation Serum bicarbonate is a good predictor of clinical outcomes in sepsis and can be used along with other markers of sepsis to predict clinical outcomes.

Initiation of sacubitril/valsartan in haemodynamically stabilised heart failure patients in hospital or early after discharge: primary results of the randomised TRANSITION study.

AIMS: To assess tolerability and optimal time point for initiation of sacubitril/valsartan in patients stabilised after acute heart failure (AHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: TRANSITION was a randomised, multicentre, open-label study comparing two treatment initiation modalities of sacubitril/valsartan. Patients aged ≥ 18 years, hospitalised for AHF were stratified according to pre-admission use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors and randomised (n = 1002) after stabilisation to initiate sacubitril/valsartan either ≥ 12-h pre-discharge or between Days 1-14 post-discharge. Starting dose (as per label) was 24/26 mg or 49/51 mg bid with up- or down-titration based on tolerability. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients attaining 97/103 mg bid target dose after 10 weeks. Median time of first dose of sacubitril/valsartan from the day of discharge was Day -1 and Day +1 in the pre-discharge group and the post-discharge group, respectively. Comparable proportions of patients in the pre- and post-discharge initiation groups met the primary endpoint [45.4% vs. 50.7%; risk ratio (RR) 0.90; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79-1.02]. The proportion of patients who achieved and maintained for ≥ 2 weeks leading to Week 10, either 49/51 or 97/103 mg bid was 62.1% vs. 68.5% (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.83-0.99); or any dose was 86.0% vs. 89.6% (RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.92-1.01). Discontinuation due to adverse events occurred in 7.3% vs. 4.9% of patients (RR 1.49; 95% CI 0.90-2.46). CONCLUSIONS: Initiation of sacubitril/valsartan in a wide range of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients stabilised after an AHF event, either in hospital or shortly after discharge, is feasible with about half of the patients achieving target dose within 10 weeks. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02661217.

Colon cancer metastasis to mediastinal lymph nodes without liver or lung involvement: A case report.

Colon cancer is the second most common type of cancer in females and the third in males, worldwide. The most common sites of colon cancer metastasis are the regional lymph nodes, liver, lung, bone and brain. In this study, an extremely rare case of colon adenocarcinoma with extensive metastasis to the mediastinal lymph nodes without any other organ involvement is presented. A 44-year-old Caucasian male presented with abdominal pain, a change in bowel habits, melena and weight loss. Colonoscopy revealed a large friable, ulcerated, circumferential mass in the ascending colon. Biopsies were consistent with the diagnosis of invasive moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Subsequently, right colon resection was performed, and pathological analysis revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the right colon with extensive regional lymph node involvement. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis were performed preoperatively as part of routine staging for colon cancer. No liver or lung pathology was identified; however, multiple pathologically enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes were observed. Endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration of the largest mediastinal lymph node, which measured 5.2×3.5 cm on CT scans, was performed. The pathology was again consistent with the diagnosis of metastatic colorectal primary adenocarcinoma. At present, no optimum treatment has been identified for metastatic colon cancer to the mediastinal lymph nodes. The patient in the current case received chemotherapy with folinic acid, fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), as well as with bevacizumab. Initial follow-up CT scans of the chest revealed a positive response to treatment. Physicians, in particular, radiologists, must consider the mediastinum during the first evaluation and further follow-up of patients with colorectal carcinoma even in the absence of metastasis.