Risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes complicated by community-acquired Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Patients with diabetes are at a high risk of infection-related morbidity and mortality. Klebsiella pneumoniae bacilli are prevalent among diabetic patients, especially in Asian populations. The present study aimed to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality among diabetic patients complicated by community-acquired K. pneumoniae bacteremia. METHODS: We evaluated the clinical characteristics of 341 Taiwanese type 2 diabetic patients who were treated for community-acquired K. pneumoniae bacteremia. We then analyzed outcome predictors, and in particular comorbidities and the site of infection. RESULTS: The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 14.1%. Comorbid cancer was the leading factor, accounting for 32.1% of all cases of mortality. Pulmonary infection, primary bacteremia, afebrile or shock presentation and low serum albumin level were risk factors for in-hospital mortality. Regardless of comorbidities, pulmonary infection [odds ratio (OR) 10.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.02-57.09] and albumin level (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.76) were the main risk predictors. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that a serum albumin level lower than 2.4 g/dL (71.1% sensitivity and 77.4% specificity) suggested a poor prognosis in the diabetic patients with K. pneumoniae bacteremia. In patients with pulmonary infection, the capsular serotypes of K. pneumoniae were not related to poor outcomes, and an initial presentation of blunted fever or shock were independent factors for mortality. CONCLUSION: Cancer, pulmonary infection, and low serum albumin levels were independent indicators of in-hospital mortality in the diabetic patients complicated by K. pneumoniae bacteremia. The sites of infection and host characteristics should always elicit medical attention when treating these patients.

Effects of a novel short-term continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion program evaluated by continuous glucose monitoring on young adult type 1 diabetic patients in Taiwan.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of blood sugar control by a short-course reinforcement program, consisting of using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for young adult type 1 diabetic patients. Twenty-six pump-naïve type 1 diabetic patients were successively enrolled in two years. The mean disease duration was 13 years and the mean HbA1c was 8.8 %. Initially, a 3-day course of CGM was used to evaluate the baseline glycemic status of the subjects, followed by 6-day intensive insulin adjustment by CSII therapy. Thereafter, a second course of CGM was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of our outcomes in comparison to the initial measurements. All participants received necessary education and instruction as required throughout the course of the program. The glucose variability as measured by standard deviation of plasma glucose and mean amplitude of glucose excursion decreased significantly (67.8 ± 2.7 to 52.0 ± 1.8 mg/dL and 140.4 ± 6.5 to 105.5 ± 5.3 mg/dL, p < 0.001). The hypoglycemic events noted per patient were reduced by 46.4% (p = 0.003) and occurred significantly less often during nocturnal periods (-63.2%, p = 0.002). Following the adjustment, the mean daily insulin requirement was reduced by 28.05% (from 0.82 to 0.59 IU/kg) and the new proportion of 40% as basal insulin was found. The short-term CSII program provided significant improvement in blood sugar control for type 1 diabetic patients, by reducing hypoglycemic events, glucose excursion, and insulin dosage in our examined subjects.

Amino acids and wound healing in people with limb-threatening diabetic foot ulcers.

BACKGROUND: Amino acids are associated with wound healing in traumatic wounds and burns, although their effects on healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are limited. This study aimed to evaluate and identify specific amino acids associated with healing outcomes of patients with DFUs. METHODS: Sixty-two out of 85 patients who completed the in-hospital treatment for limb-threatening DFUs were enrolled. All ulcers had epithelialization without clinical evidence of infection at discharge. The patients and their families were instructed on foot-care techniques and committed to regular follow-up for 1 year. Baseline characteristics, PEDIS wound classification, laboratory data and serum amino acid levels were used to analyze their predictive power. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients completed the study in which 38 had healed and 19 had unhealed ulcers. The unhealed group had higher incidence of coronary artery disease and larger wound size. Most patients received endovascular therapy (81.6% healed group; 78.9% unhealed group) before enrollment. Following adjustments for clinical factors, the serum levels of arginine (326.4 µmol/L vs. 245.0 µmol/L, P = 0.045), isoleucine (166.7 µmol/L vs. 130.1 µmol/L, P = 0.019), leucine (325.8 µmol/L vs. 248.9 µmol/L, P = 0.039), and threonine (186.7 µmol/L vs. 152.0 µmol/L, P = 0.019) were significantly higher in the healed group. CONCLUSIONS: The amino acids associated with wound healing in DFUs differ from those reported for traditional traumatic wounds. These findings affirm the necessity for future large-scaled studies for the application of these amino acids in DFU healing, either as prognostic predictors or supplemented regimens.

Effect of limb preservation status and body mass index on the survival of patients with limb-threatening diabetic foot ulcers.

AIMS: To evaluate the effect of limb preservation status and body mass index (BMI) on the survival of patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). METHODS: A total of 1346 patients treated for limb-threatening DFUs at a major diabetic foot center in Taiwan from 2002 to 2009 were tracked until December 2012. The patients were classified into three groups: limb-preserved (n=858), minor lower-extremity amputation (LEA) (n=249), and major LEA (n=239). Clinical data during treatment were used for survival analysis. RESULTS: With 729 deaths, the median survival time (MST) was 6.14 (95% CI 5.63-6.65) years. Major LEA and BMI were two independent factors associated with mortality after adjusting for age, diabetic duration, HbA1c level, comorbidities and peripheral artery diseases. The mortality hazard ratios for the minor and major LEA groups were 0.92 (95% CI 0.74-1.16) and 1.34 (95% CI 1.07-1.68), respectively, to the reference group (limb-preserved). After stratifying BMI into four categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity, according to the Taiwanese definition), the MSTs for each category were 2.57, 5.24, 7.47 and 7.85years, respectively (P for trend <0.01). This "obesity paradox" was not observed in the major LEA group (P for trend 0.25). For patients with LEA, the obesity patients had lower MST than those in overweight category (7.97 and 8.84 in minor and 3.25 and 5.42 in major LEA, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: For the patients treated for DFUs, major - but not minor - LEA was associated with poor survival compared with the limb-preserved group. The MST had positive correlation with BMI levels for patients with limb-preserved and minor LEA, but not for those with major LEA.

Glucose Variability and ß- Cell Response by GLP-1 Analogue added-on CSII for Patients with Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes.

The effects of twice-daily GLP-1 analogue injections added on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (T2DM) were unknown. After optimization of blood glucose in the first 3 days by CSII during hospitalization, patients with poorly controlled T2DM were randomized to receive CSII combined with injections of exenatide or placebo for another 3 days. A total of 51 patients (30 in exenatide and 21 in placebo groups) with mean A1C 11% were studied. There was no difference in mean glucose but a significant higher standard deviation of plasma glucose (SDPG) was found in the exenatide group (50.51 ± 2.43 vs. 41.49 ± 3.00 mg/dl, p = 0.027). The improvement of incremental area under the curve (AUC) of glucose and insulinogenic index (Insulin 0-peak/ Glucose 0-peak) in 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was prominent in the exenatide group (p < 0.01). The adiponectin level was significantly increased with exenatide added on (0.39 ± 0.32 vs. -1.62 ± 0.97 µg/mL, in exenatide and placebo groups, respectively, p = 0.045). In conclusion, the add-on of GLP-1 analogue to CSII increased glucose variability and the ß - cell response in patients with poorly controlled T2DM.

Evaluation of infectious complications of the implantable venous access system in a general oncologic population.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate the infectious morbidity associated with 2 common types of implantable port systems used in a cancer center in Taiwan. METHODS: This study is retrospective and descriptive. Five hundred seventy-two patients who received implantable ports at the cancer center between January 1994 and December 1998 were included. The following 4 types of catheter-related infections were defined in this study: bloodstream, pocket, exit-site, and tunnel. Semiquantitative methods (rolling plate) were used for cultures of removed catheters. RESULTS: The average duration for ports after placement in patients was 358 days (range, 1-1742 days), and the median duration was 242 days. The port-related infection rate was 5.6% in 586 ports and 0.15 per 1000 device-days. Our data indicate that when a port is in use, more frequent dressing changes of the needle exit site (every 3 days vs every 7 days) appear to have no significant impact on the catheter-related infection rate (5.2% vs 7.3%, P =.3). Our observation also indicates that if the catheter is used for total parenteral nutrition (TPN), the patient has a significantly increased chance of developing an infection from the Candida species (71% vs 8%, P =.005). Furthermore, the catheters associated with infections caused by the Candida species had a shorter catheter life (median, 44 days). CONCLUSIONS: Infection is the most common complication of venous port system use among cancer patients. According to our data, it is safe and cost-effective to change exit-site needles and transparent dressings every 7 days. It is clearly demonstrated by our study that patients with ports used for the administration of TPN had a significantly greater chance of developing infection from the Candida species. Further investigation is needed to compare the relative advantages of using ports versus other devices for the administration of TPN in cancer patients.

Risk factors for lower extremity amputation in diabetic foot disease categorized by Wagner classification.

AIMS: To elucidate the risk factors for lower extremity amputation (LEA) in patients of diabetic foot disease with different Wagner gradings. METHODS: This study was conducted in a multidisciplinary diabetic foot care center. Demographic characteristics, laboratory data, disease history, ankle brachial pressure index (ABI) and Wagner classification were considered as independent variables to predict the therapeutic outcome (major LEA, minor LEA, and non-amputation). Risk factors for LEA in different Wagner grades were further analyzed. Multivariate stepwise ordinal logistic regression was performed. RESULTS: Of 789 study subjects, 19.9% received major LEA and 22.9% received minor LEA. Higher Wagner grade, lower ABI, serum albumin and hemoglobin, and elevated white blood cell (WBC) count were significantly associated with an increased risk of LEA. When stratified by Wagner classification, most of the above predictors and estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) were detected only in grade 3. While in grades 2 and 4, WBC count was identified as primary predictor positively associated with an increased risk of LEA. CONCLUSIONS: Wagner classification remarkably influenced the potential risk factors for LEA, showing different predictors in different grades. The traditionally recognized predictors for diabetic foot amputation such as lower ABI, albumin or eGFR were almost exclusively found in patients with Wagner grade 3.

Primary pituitary lymphoma presenting as hypophysitis.

A 47-year-old man had suffered from prolonged fever for two months without clinical evidence of infection. Blood biochemistry and endocrine dysfunction indicated that he had pituitary insufficiency. Thorough whole body imaging studies merely identified a 22 x 14 mm mass lesion in the sella turcica. Tumor pathology and special cell marker study revealed the infiltration of atypical T-lymphoid cells and concomitant presence of some B-lymphoid cells. The fever subsided gradually following subtotal tumor resection and steroid supplementation. However, the mass lesion had invaded the cavernous sinus and optic chiasma shortly after surgery. Six months after his initial visit, metastasis lesions in the liver, the left adrenal gland, and retroperitoneal lymph nodes were discovered. In contrast to cells in the pituitary, the pathological investigation of the liver mass confirmed it to be exclusively of T-cell origin. Therefore, it is plausible that the pituitary dysfunction was related to an inflammatory process, namely hypophysitis, as well as the T-cell lymphoma. This case exemplifies the rarely noted condition of primary pituitary lymphoma with concomitant hypophysitis. Clinical diagnosis is indiscernible until the occurrence of systemic tumor metastasis.