Inhaled corticosteroids and systemic inflammatory response in community-acquired pneumonia: a prospective clinical study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The previous use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may reduce the inflammatory response and mortality in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: We measured serum levels of several inflammatory biomarkers, as well as mortality at various time-points, in 663 consecutive patients hospitalized for CAP; 128 (19%) were receiving chronic outpatient treatment with ICS. Patients on previous oral corticosteroids were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: On admission, patients treated with ICS were older; had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and pneumonia in the previous year more often; and had higher CAP severity risk classes and lower tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (P < 0.001) and interleukin (IL)-6 (P = 0.015) serum levels. After adjusting for potential confounders, this association persisted for TNF-alpha (P < 0.001), but not for IL-6. Mortality at 30 and 90 days tended to be lower in patients treated with ICS (P = 0.062 and 0.050, respectively), but mortality was similar after 1 year in both groups (16, 13% vs 81, 15% for patients treated and not treated with ICS, respectively). Hospital readmission rate after 1 year was higher in patients treated with ICS (49, 38% vs 109, 20%, P < 0.001). The association of ICS treatment with a previous diagnosis of pneumonia, lower levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 on admission and higher readmission rates during follow up persisted in the subpopulation of 210 patients with COPD. CONCLUSIONS: Previous use of ICS in patients hospitalized for CAP is associated with a reduced systemic inflammatory response without any impact on long-term mortality.

What is the best approach to the nonresponding patient with community-acquired pneumonia?

Treatment failure in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the failure to normalize the clinical features (eg, fever, cough, sputum production), or nonresolving image in chest radiograph, despite antimicrobial therapy. The incidence of treatment failure in CAP has not been clearly established; according to several studies it ranges between 6% and 15%. The rate of mortality increases significantly, especially in those patients with severe CAP. It is important to be able to identify what patients are at risk for progressive or treatment failure pneumonia that may make them candidates for a more careful monitoring.

Relation between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and antibiotics.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitutes a major health problem. Recurrent acute exacerbations are characteristic of the course of COPD (AECOPD) associated with significant healthcare costs and contribute to the progress of the disease. Given that almost half of AECOPD is caused by bacteria, administration of antibacterial agents is recommended for patients with severe exacerbations or severe underlying COPD. Optimal antibiotic selection for exacerbations has therefore incorporated quantifying the risk for a poor outcome of the exacerbation and choosing antibiotics differently for low risk and high risk patients. It is unclear whether antibiotics should be provided as prophylactic agents in COPD patients although ongoing trials are reexamining the question of whether the antiinflammatory action of antibiotics such as macrolides can be useful in preventing exacerbations. In addition, nowadays, the occurrence of pneumonia in COPD has received considerable recent attention as it appears to be increased by the use of inhaled corticosteroids.

Viral-Reactivated Pneumonia during Mechanical Ventilation: Is There Need for Antiviral Treatment?

Respiratory viruses are not a common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Herpesviridae [Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV)] are detected frequently in the lower respiratory tract of ventilated patients. HSV is detected between days 7 and 14 of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); presence of the virus does not necessarily imply pathogenicity, but the association with adverse clinical outcomes supports the hypothesis of a pathogenic role in a variable percentage of patients. Bronchopneumonitis associated with HSV should be considered in patients with prolonged IMV, reactivation with herpetic mucocutaneous lesions and those belonging to a risk population with burn injuries or acute lung injury. Reactivation of CMV is common in critically ill patients and usually occurs between days 14 and 21 in patients with defined risk factors. The potential pathogenic role of CMV seems clear in patients with acute lung injury and persistent respiratory failure in whom there is no isolation of bacterial agent as a cause of VAP. The best diagnostic test is not defined although lung biopsies should be considered in addition to the usual methods before starting specific treatment. The role of mimivirus is uncertain and is yet to be defined, but the serologic evidence of this new virus in the context of VAP appears to be associated with adverse clinical outcomes.

Estudio de la eficacia y seguridad de un tratamiento a largo plazo con acipimox en hiperlipogroteinemia / Efficacy and security of a long-term treatment with acipimox in hyperlipoproteinemia

Diseño experimental: Abierto, no controlado. Número de pacientes: 117 pacientes externos (64 varones, 53 mujeres) con hiperlipoproteinemia tipo 2a, (35), 2b (38) y 4 (44). Horario de tratamiento: Los pacientes fueron instruidos para que tomaran una cápsula de 250 mg. o 400 mg. t. i. d. por un período de 6 - 24 meses. Evaluación: Mensualmente los primeros dos meses y de allí en adelante bi-mensualmente: peso corporal, ritmo cardíaco, presión sanguínea sistólica y diastólica, lípidos plasmáticos, (colesterol) total y triglicéridos). Con el mismo horario mencionado para el primer año y luego por lo menos una vez cada seis meses hemograma y bioquímica sanguínea (glicemia, uricemia, BUN, creatinina, proteínas totales, bilirrubina total, SGOT, SGPT, fosfatasa alcalina, RBC, hemoglobina, hematocrito, WBC total y diferencial, trombocitos, tiempo de protrombina), urianálisis. La electroforesis lipoproteína se hizo sólo en el momento de admisión y en algunos controles durante el estudio. Resultados: 15 pacientes interrumpieron el tratamiento: 10 debido a motivos adversos, 1 debido a enfermedad intercurrente, 1 por mejoramiento definitivo, 1 debido a empeoramiento de enfermedad concomitante y 2 se perdieron en el seguimiento. De los pacientes restantes 45, 18 y 39 completaron 6, 12 y 24 meses de tratamiento, respectivamente. Durante la prueba el peso corporal de los pacientes no cambió significativamente. a) Eficacia. Los niveles medios de triglicéridos bajaron alrededor de 57% en pacientes hiperlipoproteinémicos del tipo 4 y casi 39% en pacientes del tipo 2b con diferencias muy significativas en comparación con los valores básicos. En los pacientes del tipo 2a. la trigliceridemia bajó alrededor de 13%. Los niveles medios de colesterol total bajaron 17% en pacientes de tipo 2a y 2b y 16% en pacientes de tipo 4 con diferencias muy significativas en comparación con los valores básicos...