Efficiency of a self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (s-opat) for infective endocarditis within the context of a shortened hospital admission based on hospital at home program.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of treatment of infectious endocarditis (IE) via Self-administered Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (S-OPAT) supported by a shortening hospital admission program in a hospitalization-at-home unit (HAH), including a short review of the literature. METHODS: Ambispective cohort study of 57 episodes of IE in 54 patients treated in an HAH unit between 1988 and 2014 who receive S-OPAT after prior intra-hospital clinical stabilization. Characteristics of each episode of IE, safety and efficiency of the care model, were analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-three (76%) patients were males with a median age of 61 years (SD = 16.5). A total of 37 (65%) episodes affected the native valve (42% the aortic valve). In 75%, a micro-organism was isolated, of which 88% were Gram-positive bacteria. No deaths occurred during HAH program, clinical complications appeared in 30% of episodes, only 6 patients were re-admitted to hospital although no patient died. In the 12 months' follow-up 3 cases had a recurrence. The average cost of a day stay in HAH was €174 while in traditional cardiology hospitalization was €1100. The total average cost of treatment of each episode of IE managed entirely in hospital was calculated as €54,723. Application of the S-OPAT model based on HAH meant a cost reduction of 32.72%. CONCLUSIONS: In suitably selected patients, treatment of IE based on S-OPAT supported by a shortening hospital admission care program by means of referral to a HAH unit is a safe and efficient care model which entails a significant cost saving for the public healthcare system.

Self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (S-OPAT) for infective endocarditis: a safe and effective model.

The safety and efficacy of treatment of infectious endocarditis (IE) was evaluated within a program of hospital-in-home (HIH) based on self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (S-OPAT). IE episodes (n=48 in 45 patients; 71% middle-aged males) were recruited into the HIH program between 1998 and 2012. Following treatment stabilization at the hospital they returned home for HIH in which a physician and/or a nurse supervised the S-OPAT. Safety and efficacy were evaluated as mortality, re-occurrence, and unexpected re-admission to hospital. Of the episodes of IE, 83.3% had comorbidities with a mean score of 2.3 on the Charlson index and 1.5 on the Profund index; 60.4% had pre-existing valve disease (58.6% having had surgical intervention); 8.3% of patients had suffered a previous IE episode; 62.5% of all episodes affected a native valve; 45.8% being mitral; 70.8% of infection derived from the community. In 75% of the episodes there was micro-organism growth, of which 83.3% were Gram positive. Overall duration of antibiotic treatment was 4.8 weeks; 60.4% of this time corresponding to HIH. Re-admission occurred in 12.5% of episodes of which 33.3% returned to HIH to complete the S-OPAT. No deaths occurred during HIH. One year after discharge, 2 patients had recurrence and 5 patients died, in 2 of whom previous IE as cause-of-death could not be excluded. In conclusion, the S-OPAT schedule of hospital-in-home is safe and efficacious in selected patients with IE.

Endothelial dysfunction, measured by reactive hyperaemia using strain-gauge plethysmography, is an independent predictor of adverse outcome in heart failure.

AIMS: In congestive heart failure (CHF), arterial response is regulated by endothelial molecules. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether endothelial dysfunction (ED) was a predictor of outcome in a cohort of patients with heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Endothelial function was assessed in 242 patients with CHF by forearm reactive hyperaemia measured with intermittent venous occlusion plethysmography using a mercury strain gauge. The main endpoints were: 'total events' (death, heart attack, angina, stroke, NYHA class IV, or hospitalization due to heart failure) analysed using Cox regression for repeated events and 'death'. Patients were followed-up for 5 years. Post-hyperaemia forearm blood flow (PHFABF) was an independent predictor of total events [P = 0.01; hazard ratio [Exp(B)] 0.665, standard error (SE) 0.182]. Risk stratification by basal forearm blood flow (BFABF) showed that patients with basal blood flow above the median (3.03 mL min(-1) 100 mL(-1)) benefited from an increase in PHFABF, whereas in patients with a BFABF below the median, the increase in PHFABF did not diminish the risk of events. There was no relation between variations in PHFABF and death. CONCLUSION: Post-hyperaemia forearm blood flow, as a measure of ED, is an independent predictor of major events in patients with CHF. A BFABF below the median is more predictive of an increased risk of complications.

Vasodilatory action of loop diuretics: a plethysmography study of endothelial function in forearm arteries and dorsal hand veins in hypertensive patients and controls.

INTRODUCTION: Intravenous administration of loop diuretics induces venodilation before the diuretic response. We investigated whether furosemide and torasemide exert a dilatory effect on arteries and veins mediated by endothelial release of nitric oxide. METHODS: We performed intermittent venous occlusion plethysmography to study forearm blood flow and dorsal hand-vein distension in response to furosemide and torasemide infusion in hypertensive patients and healthy controls. RESULTS: Furosemide increased venodilation from 0.56 +/- 0.09 to 0.88 +/- 0.06 (P=0.000) in control subjects and from 0.49 +/- 0.10 to 0.75 +/- 0.12 (P=0.000) in hypertensive patients. Torasemide increased venodilation from 0.46 +/- 0.06 to 0.70 +/- 0.11 (P=0.007) in control subjects and from 0.48 +/- 0.09 to 0.67 +/- 0.12 (P = 0.03) in hypertensive patients. Co-infusion of the Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor (L-NMMA)-blocked this venodilation, and the action was reversed with L-arginine. There were no significant changes in the arterial bed. CONCLUSIONS: Furosemide and torasemide induce a similar dose-response curve venodilation, but they have no effect on the arterial bed. Hypertensive patients show a smaller venous endothelium-dependent response than healthy controls. The venodilation induced by both diuretics requires release of nitric oxide.

[Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis in a patient with a biventricular pacemaker]. / Endocarditis por Aspergillus fumigatus en un marcapasos bicameral.

Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis is one of the rarest and severest complications in cardiological patients. We describe a patient with an intracardial pacemaker who was diagnosed as having Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis. Postmortem examination showed a large, Aspergillus-infected thrombus encased in the right ventricle, pulmonary trunk and main pulmonary branches.

Effect of transdermal nitroglycerin on inflammatory mediators in patients with peripheral atherosclerotic vascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that nitroglycerin improves biological markers of arterial inflammation in patients with peripheral vascular disease. BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which there is an increase in active inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein and other factors released by endothelial cells. Nitroglycerin acts by a chemical liberation of nitric oxide. We have previously published the results from several controlled clinical trials confirming an anti-inflammatory action of nitroglycerin. METHODS: Forty patients with peripheral vascular disease entered a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study for 6 weeks. Twenty-one patients were treated with continuous application of a transdermal nitroglycerin patch (15 mg/24 hours) on the anterior face of the thigh. Venous blood samples were obtained before treatment and 2 and 6 weeks after. We measured plasma levels of C-reactive protein, cGMP (also intraplatelet cGMP), E-selectin, ICAM, VCAM-1, IL-6, and nitrites/nitrates. RESULTS: No biological parameter was modified in the placebo group. On the contrary, nitroglycerin significantly reduced plasma levels of C-reactive protein and sE-selectin and increased the levels of intraplatelet cGMP. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this preliminary study show that nitroglycerin has an anti-inflammatory action in patients with peripheral vascular disease. This may provide a new therapeutic approach to understanding the efficacy of nitrovasodilators in the improvement of atherosclerotic syndromes.