Ventriculitis due to multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli associated with external ventricular drain: evolution, treatment, and outcomes.

Introduction: Nosocomial infectious ventriculitis caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli associated with external ventricular drainage (EVD) placement poses a significant mortality burden and hospital costs. Objectives: This study aims to analyze the characteristics, ventriculitis evolution, treatment, and outcomes of patients with ventriculitis due to MDR Gram-negative bacilli associated with EVD placement. Methods: A retrospective cohort study focusing on patients with nosocomial infection caused by MDR Gram-negative bacilli while on EVD was conducted from 2019 to 2022. Medical, laboratory, and microbiological records were collected. The antibiotic resistance of the Gram-negative bacilli isolated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients was analyzed. The risk factors were identified using univariate risk models and were analyzed using survival curves (Cox regression). An adjusted Cox proportional hazards model was also constructed. Results: Among 530 patients with suspected EVD-associated ventriculitis, 64 patients with isolation of Gram-negative bacilli in CSF were included. The estimated mortality was 78.12%. Hemorrhages (intracranial, subarachnoid, and intraventricular) were observed in 69.8% of patients. Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most frequently isolated bacilli. In the univariate analysis, significant risk factors for mortality included arterial hypertension, a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of ≤ 8, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) upon hospital admission and during hospitalization, septic shock, and ineffective treatment. The adjusted Cox proportional hazards model revealed that septic shock (HR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.5-7.2; p = 0.003) and ineffective treatment (HR = 3.2, 1.6-6.5, 0.001) were significant predictors. A high resistance to carbapenems was found for A. baumannii (91.3%) and P. aeruginosa (80.0%). Low resistance to colistin was found for A. baumannii (4.8%) and P. aeruginosa (12.5%). Conclusion: Ineffective treatment was an independent hazard factor for death in patients with ventriculitis caused by MDR Gram-negative bacilli associated with EVD.

Intraspinal and Intracranial Neurotuberculosis, Clinical and Imaging Characteristics and Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients: A Cohort Study (2000-2022).

Neurotuberculosis (neuroTB) is a devastating disease, and is difficult to diagnose. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and imaging characteristics, and outcomes of a retrospective cohort (2000-2022) of hospitalized patients diagnosed with intraspinal and intracranial neuroTB. This work was designed through clinical, laboratory and imaging findings. Variables included: demographic data, history of tuberculosis, neurological complications, comorbidities and outcomes. Morbi-mortality risk factors were identified by univariate analysis. The cohort included: 103 patients with intraspinal and 82 with intracranial neuroTB. During the study period, in-hospital mortality of 3% for intraspinal and 29.6% for intracranial neuroTB was estimated. Motor deficit was found in all patients with intraspinal neuroTB. Risk factors for the unfavorable outcome of patients with intraspinal neuroTB were: age ≥ 40 years, diabetes mellitus (DM), diagnostic delay, kyphosis and spondylodiscitis ≥ 3 levels of involvement. Among the patients with intracranial neuroTB, 79/82 (96.3%) had meningitis and 22 patients had HIV infection (10 of them died). Risk factors for mortality from intracranial neuroTB were: HIV infection, hydrocephalus, stroke, lymphopenia and disseminated and gastrointestinal TB. Patients with intraspinal neuroTB had a significant number of destroyed vertebrae that determined their neurological deficit status. The mortality burden in intracranial neuroTB was conditioned by HIV infection and renal transplantation patients.

Neurological Manifestations and Complications of the Central Nervous System as Risk Factors and Predictors of Mortality in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19: A Cohort Study.

The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors and predictors of mortality in a retrospective cohort of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) who presented central nervous system (CNS) manifestations and complications when admitted to hospital. Patients hospitalized from 2020 to 2022 were selected. Demographic variables; history of neurological, cardiological and pulmonary manifestations; comorbidities; prognostic severity scales; and laboratory tests were included. Univariate and adjusted analyses were performed to determine risk factors and predictors of mortality. A forest plot diagram was used to show the strength of the associated risk factors. The cohort included 991 patients; at admission, 463 patients presented CNS damage and of these, 96 hospitalized patients presented de novo CNS manifestations and complications. We estimate a general mortality of 43.7% (433/991) and 77.1% (74/96), for hospitalized patients with de novo CNS manifestations and complications, respectively. The following were identified as risks for the development of hospital CNS manifestations and complications when in hospital: an age of ≥64 years, a history of neurological disease, de novo deep vein thrombosis, D-dimer ≥ 1000 ng/dL, a SOFA ≥ 5, and a CORADS 6. In a multivariable analysis, the mortality predictors were an age of ≥64 years, a SOFA ≥ 5, D-dimer ≥ 1000 ng/mL and hospital CNS manifestations and complications when admitted to hospital. Old age, being hospitalized in critical condition, and having CNS manifestations and complications in hospital are predictors of mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Prevalence of successful aging in the elderly in Western Mexico.

Objectives. The aim of this paper is to estimate the prevalence of successful aging in the elderly in Western Mexico and to analyze its variability by age, sex, education, marital status, and pension. Methods. This study employs data from the Health, Wellbeing, and Aging Study (SABE) in Jalisco and Colima, Mexico. Successful aging was operationalized in accordance with no important disease, no disability, physical functioning, cognitive functioning, and being actively. There were a total of 3116 elderly. Results. 12.6% of older adults were "successful" aging. The old-old is a lower proportion of successful aging people; it ranges from 18.9% among people aged 60-69 years to 3.9% in the 80-89 years and up to 1% in people 90 and older. There were also differences according to sex (P = .000), with a higher proportion of successful aging men (18.4% compared with 9.2% of women). There were differences in educational level (P = .000); those higher with education were found to be more successful aging, and also there were differences in marital status for married people (P = .000). Discussion. A small number of older adults meet the criteria definition of successful aging, suggesting the need to analyze in depth the concept and the indicators.