Clinical value of procalcitonin for suspected nosocomial bloodstream infection

BACKGROUND/AIMS@#Procalcitonin (PCT) may prove to be a useful marker to exclude or predict bloodstream infection (BSI). However, the ability of PCT levels to differentiate BSI from non-BSI episodes has not been evaluated in nosocomial BSI.@*METHODS@#We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients ≥ 18 years of age with suspected BSI that developed more than 48 hours after admission.@*RESULTS@#Of the 785 included patients, 105 (13.4%) had BSI episodes and 680 (86.6%) had non-BSI episodes. The median serum PCT level was elevated in patients with BSI as compared with those without BSI (0.65 ng/mL vs. 0.22 ng/mL, p = 0.001). The optimal PCT cut-off value of BSI was 0.27 ng/mL, with a corresponding sensitivity of 74.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.4% to 81.7%) and a specificity of 56.5% (95% CI, 52.7% to 60.2%). The area under curve of PCT (0.692) was significantly larger than that of C-reactive protein (CRP; 0.526) or white blood cell (WBC) count (0.518). However, at the optimal cut-off value, PCT failed to predict BSI in 28 of 105 cases (26.7%). The PCT level was significantly higher in patients with an eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² than in those with an eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m² (0.68 vs. 0.17, p = 0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#PCT was more useful for predicting nosocomial BSI than CRP or WBC count. However, the diagnostic accuracy of predicting BSI remains inadequate. Thus, PCT is not recommended as a single diagnostic tool to avoid taking blood cultures in the nosocomial setting.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Clinical Outcomes in Nursing Home-Acquired Pneumonia, Compared to Community-Acquired Pneumonia

PURPOSE: Patients with nursing home-acquired pneumonia (NHAP) should be treated as hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) according to guidelines published in 2005. However, controversy still exists on whether the high mortality of NHAP results from multidrug resistant pathogens or underlying disease. We aimed to outline differences and factors contributing to mortality between NHAP and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated patients aged 65 years or older with either CAP or NHAP from 2008 to 2014. Patients with healthcare-associated pneumonia other than NHAP or HAP were excluded. RESULTS: Among 317 patients, 212 patients had CAP and 105 had NHAP. Patients with NHAP had higher mortality, more frequently used a ventilator, and had disease of higher severity than CAP. The incidences of aspiration, tube feeding, and poor functional status were higher in NHAP. Twenty three out of 54 NHAP patients and three out of 62 CAP patients had multidrug resistant pathogens (p<0.001). Eleven patients with NHAP died at discharge, compared to 7 patients with CAP (p=0.009). However, there was no association between mortality rate and presence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. The number of involved lobes on chest X-ray [odds ratio (OR)=1.708; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.120 to 2.605] and use of mechanical ventilation (OR=9.537; 95% CI, 1.635 to 55.632) were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Patients with NHAP had higher mortality than patients with CAP. The excess mortality among patients with NHAP and CAP was related to disease severity but not to the presence of multidrug resistant pathogens.

Sinus Node Dysfunction with Pulmonary Edema Associated with Hyponatremia / 대한내과학회지

Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients and often presents no symptoms. The association between sinus node dysfunction and hyponatremia has rarely been reported. We describe a 77-year-old woman who developed reversible sinus node dysfunction accompanied by pulmonary edema that was associated with hyponatremia.

Primary Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Metachronously Involving Esophagus and Stomach / 대한소화기학회지

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is found in various organs as extranodal B cell lymphoma. The gastrointestinal tract is the most commonly involved extranodal site in MALT lymphoma. However, primary esophageal MALT lymphoma is very rare. In addition, few cases with metachronous gastric involvement have been reported. A 55-year-old man was diagnosed with MALT lymphoma by surveillance esophagogastroduodenoscopy. A 5 cm esophageal submucosal tumor-like lesion was incidentally revealed by screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy two years prior. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a cylindrically elongated submucosal mass with normal overlying mucosa in the mid esophagus. He underwent surgery to confirm the diagnosis. The pathologic diagnosis was esophageal MALT lymphoma. He was treated with radiation, which achieved complete remission. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and chest computed tomography were performed every three to six months, with no evidence of recurrence for 18 months. After 21 months, several elevated gastric erosions were found on the great curvature and posterior sides of the midbody and confirmed as MALT lymphoma pathologically. Here we report a case with MALT lymphoma metachronously involving the esophagus and stomach.

Intravascular Large B-cell Lymphoma within Duodenal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor / 대한췌담도학회지

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare disease of intravascular growth of malignant lymphocytes without an obvious extravascular tumor mass or existence in peripheral blood. It has poor prognosis due to its aggressive behavior and rapid systemic dissemination. But there is no pathognomonic finding, diagnosis of IVLBCL is still challenging. Here we report a case of IVLBCL found within a resected specimen of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Intravascular Large B-cell Lymphoma within Duodenal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor / 대한췌담도학회지

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare disease of intravascular growth of malignant lymphocytes without an obvious extravascular tumor mass or existence in peripheral blood. It has poor prognosis due to its aggressive behavior and rapid systemic dissemination. But there is no pathognomonic finding, diagnosis of IVLBCL is still challenging. Here we report a case of IVLBCL found within a resected specimen of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor.