Diagnosing external ventricular drain-related ventriculitis by means of local inflammatory response: soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1.

INTRODUCTION: External ventricular drainage (EVD)-related ventriculitis is one of the most severe complications associated with the use of EVDs. Establishing an early and certain diagnosis can be difficult in critically ill patients. We performed this prospective study to evaluate the usefulness of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) determination in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the diagnosis of ventriculitis. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted of 73 consecutive patients with EVD. Samples of CSF for culture, cytobiochemical analysis and sTREM-1 determination were extracted three times a week. Ventriculitis diagnosis required a combination of microbiological, cytobiochemical and clinical criteria. RESULTS: Seventy-three consecutive patients were included. EVD-related ventriculitis was diagnosed in six patients and EVD-colonization in ten patients. Patients without clinical or microbiological findings were considered controls. The median CSF sTREM-1 was 4,320 pg/ml (interquartile range (IQR): 2,987 to 4,886) versus 266 pg/ml (118 to 689); P <0.001. There were no differences when comparing colonized-patients and controls. The best cut-off sTREM-1 value for the diagnosis of ventriculitis was 2,388.79 pg/ml (sensitivity 100%, specificity 98.5%, positive predictive value 85.71%, negative predictive value 100%). CSF proteins, glucose and the ratio CSF/serum glucose were also significantly different (P = 0.001). Serum biomarkers were not useful to diagnose EVD-related infection. These results were confirmed by a case-control study with ventriculitis patients (cases) and non-ventriculitis (control subjects) matched by age, comorbidities, severity scales and EVD duration (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: CSF sTREM-1 was useful in the diagnosis of ventriculitis, in a similar measure to classical CSF parameters. Furthermore, CSF sTREM-1 could prove the diagnosis in uncertain cases and discriminate between EVD-colonization and infection.

In-Home Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Automatic Video Analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a non-invasive technology based on image processing for the identification of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its severity at patients' home. METHODS: Observational, prospective, diagnostic accuracy study to evaluate the degree of measure agreement between Sleepwise (SW), in-laboratory attended polysomnography (PSG) and a home sleep apnea test (HSAT). 38 consecutive subjects with suspected OSA referred as outpatients to the sleep unit were recruited from September 2016 to September 2017. All patients underwent in-laboratory attended PSG and image processing with SW simultaneously overnight. Subsequently, a HSAT and image processing with SW were performed simultaneously overnight at patients' home, and the 2 nights after, patients underwent only image processing with SW consecutively. RESULTS: In-laboratory polysomnography and SW had a Lin's concordance correlation coefficient of 0.933 and a κ of 0.930. Between HSAT and SW the Lin's concordance correlation coefficient was 0.842 and a κ of 0.571. Agreement between two consecutive nights with SW recording showed a Lin's concordance correlation coefficient of 0.923 and a κ of 0. 837. CONCLUSIONS: SW was highly accurate for non-invasive and automatic diagnosis of OSA in outpatients compared to standard methods for OSA diagnosis either in-laboratory attended PSG or HSAT. SW proved to be a technique with repeatable and concordant results on different nights for the same patient. We conclude SW is a non-invasive, easy-to-use, portable, effective and highly accurate system for the in-home diagnosis of OSA.

In-Home Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Automatic Video Analysis / Diagnóstico domiciliario de apnea obstructiva del sueño utilizando el análisis automático de vídeo

Study objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a non-invasive technology based on image processing for the identification of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its severity at patients' home. METHODS: Observational, prospective, diagnostic accuracy study to evaluate the degree of measure agreement between Sleepwise (SW), in-laboratory attended polysomnography (PSG) and a home sleep apnea test (HSAT). 38 consecutive subjects with suspected OSA referred as outpatients to the sleep unit were recruited from September 2016 to September 2017. All patients underwent in-laboratory attended PSG and image processing with SW simultaneously overnight. Subsequently, a HSAT and image processing with SW were performed simultaneously overnight at patients' home, and the 2 nights after, patients underwent only image processing with SW consecutively. RESULTS: In-laboratory polysomnography and SW had a Lin's concordance correlation coefficient of 0.933 and a Kappa of 0.930. Between HSAT and SW the Lin's concordance correlation coefficient was 0.842 and a Kappa of 0.571. Agreement between two consecutive nights with SW recording showed a Lin's concordance correlation coefficient of 0.923 and a Kappa of 0. 837. CONCLUSIONS: SW was highly accurate for non-invasive and automatic diagnosis of OSA in outpatients compared to standard methods for OSA diagnosis either in-laboratory attended PSG or HSAT. SW proved to be a technique with repeatable and concordant results on different nights for the same patient. We conclude SW is a non-invasive, easy-to-use, portable, effective and highly accurate system for the in-home diagnosis of OSA

OBJETIVOS: Evaluar la precisión diagnóstica de una tecnología no invasiva basada en el procesamiento de imágenes para la identificación de la apnea obstructiva del sueño (AOS) y su gravedad en el domicilio de los pacientes. MÉTODOS: Estudio observacional, prospectivo y de precisión diagnóstica para evaluar el grado de concordancia entre las mediciones de Sleepwise (SW), polisomnografía (PSG) asistida en el laboratorio y poligrafía respiratoria domiciliaria (PRD). Se reclutaron 38 sujetos consecutivos con sospecha de AOS, referidos como pacientes ambulatorios a la unidad de sueño entre septiembre de 2016 y septiembre de 2017. Se les realizó a todos una PSG y procesamiento de imagen con SW durante la noche en el laboratorio. Posteriormente, se realizó una PRD y procesamiento de imágenes con SW de forma simultánea durante la noche en su domicilio, y las 2 noches siguientes los pacientes se sometieron solo a procesamiento de imágenes con SW. RESULTADOS: La polisomnografía en el laboratorio y el SW mostraron un coeficiente de correlación de concordancia de Lin de 0,933 y un Kappa de 0,930. Entre la PRD y el SW el coeficiente de correlación de concordancia de Lin fue de 0,842 y un Kappa de 0,571. La concordancia entre las 2 noches consecutivas de grabación con el SW mostró un coeficiente de correlación de concordancia de Lin de 0,923 y un Kappa de 0,837. CONCLUSIONES: El SW mostró alta precisión para el diagnóstico no invasivo y automatizado de la AOS en pacientes ambulatorios en comparación con los métodos estándar para el diagnóstico de la AOS, ya sean la PSG asistida en el laboratorio o la PRD. El SW demostró ser una técnica con resultados reproducibles y concordantes en diferentes noches para el mismo paciente. Concluimos que la SW es un sistema no invasivo, fácil de usar, portátil, eficaz y altamente preciso para el diagnóstico domiciliario de la AOS