New-Onset Atrial Arrhythmias Are Independently Associated With In-Hospital Mortality in Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore if atrial arrhythmias are associated with in-hospital mortality in veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) patients. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Quaternary care academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with respiratory failure requiring VV-ECMO for >24 hours between January 1, 2016, and January 1, 2019. INTERVENTIONS: None, observational study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Two hundred nineteen VV-ECMO patients were included. Patients were stratified by absence or presence of clinically significant atrial arrhythmias during the VV-ECMO run. Atrial arrhythmias were defined as either atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter that occurred during VV-ECMO and required pharmacologic or electrical intervention. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included a composite of thrombotic events, which included ischemic stroke and on-pump arterial thrombosis. Other objectives of this analysis included characterization of atrial arrhythmia incidence, risk factors, and management. A total of 67 patients (30.5%) experienced new-onset atrial arrhythmias post-ECMO cannulation. Age, male sex, and norepinephrine use were independently associated with atrial arrhythmia development. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the atrial arrhythmia group (38.8% v 19.1%; p = 0.003). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, atrial arrhythmias during VV-ECMO were independently associated with increased odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-4.55; p = 0.03), after controlling for Respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Survival Prediction score, acute renal failure, total norepinephrine dose, and total cannulation time. CONCLUSIONS: New-onset atrial arrhythmias are a frequent complication during VV-ECMO and are independently associated with excessive in-hospital mortality. Thus, their presence may serve as an important prognostic tool in this patient population.

Antistaphylococcal Efficacy of Cefepime, Meropenem, and Piperacillin-Tazobactam in Patients with Polymicrobial Infection with MSSA Bacteremia or Pneumonia.

There is a paucity of literature describing de-escalation techniques in patients with polymicrobial infections with one offending organism being methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) being treated with ß-lactam therapy. The purpose of this study is to determine treatment outcomes for patients with polymicrobial infections with MSSA bacteremia or pneumonia who are treated with cefepime (FEP), meropenem (MEM), or piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP). This trial design represents a retrospective observational three-group comparison study of patients at a community teaching hospital system. Patients reviewed included those who had a MSSA bacteremia or pneumonia in addition to a confirmed polymicrobial infection or presence of a coinfection and received definitive therapy with FEP, MEM, or TZP. The primary outcome is defined as the resolution of fever of ≥100.4°F, hypothermia (≤95°F), leukocytosis (WBC °>° 12,000 cells/mm3), and leukopenia with WBC °<° 4,000 cells/mm3. Secondary outcomes included duration of definite therapy, in-hospital mortality, hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission rates for a presumed infection, and hospital-acquired Clostridioides difficile infection (HCDI). From August 1, 2016, to August 30, 2019, 45 patients met eligibility criteria. There were no observed differences in primary endpoint (p = 0.65) or secondary endpoints, i.e., in-hospital mortality (p = 0.10), hospital LOS (p = 0.75), ICU LOS (p = 0.53), 30-day readmission rates for presumed infection (p = 0.07), or HCDI (p = 0.34). There was no difference in treatment success with FEP, MEM, or TZP for polymicrobial infections with one offending organism being MSSA. Due to the lack of evidence in this unique patient population and observed results of our study, randomized studies are warranted to determine appropriate therapy in this complex patient population.

Pectic Oligosaccharides from Cranberry Prevent Quiescence and Persistence in the Uropathogenic Escherichia coli CFT073.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by Escherichia coli create a large burden on healthcare and frequently lead to recurrent infections. Part of the success of E. coli as an uropathogenic bacterium can be attributed to its ability to form quiescent intracellular reservoirs in bladder cells and its persistence after antibiotic treatment. Cranberry juice and related products have been used for the prevention of UTIs with varying degrees of success. In this study, a group of cranberry pectic oligosaccharides (cPOS) were found to both inhibit quiescence and reduce the population of persister cells formed by the uropathogenic strain, CFT073. This is the first report detailing constituents of cranberry with the ability to modulate these important physiological aspects of uropathogenic E. coli. Further studies investigating cranberry should be keen to include oligosaccharides as part of the 'active' cocktail of chemical compounds.