[Imaging in infective endocarditis: Not all is ultrasonography]. / Imágenes en endocarditis infecciosa: No todo es ecocardiografía.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an entity characterized by endocardial infection and frequent multiorgan complications, resulting in high mortality. It requires a rapid and accurate diagnosis, and a medical or surgical aggressive treatment. Currently, IE diagnosis rests on bacterial, clinical and ultrasonographic criteria. The objective of this article is to update the imaging study in patients with IE, with special emphasis on those non-echocardiographic examinations available in our environment. Last years, advanced imaging had achieved a growing role in IE diagnosis, especially cardiac multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), which have been recommended in recent clinical guidelines to be included as part of diagnostic criteria. Cardiac MSCT provides detailed anatomic information of cardiac valves and perivalve tissue, allowing identification of pseudoaneurysm, abscess and valve dehiscence. F18-FDG PET/CT increases sensitivity for IE detection and shows high accuracy in searching for extracranial systemic embolic events. Both MSCT and PET/CT have particular utility in cases of prosthetic valve endocarditis, where cardiac ultrasonography shows lower performance. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best imaging method for evaluating ischemic/embolic events of central nervous system.

Imágenes en endocarditis infecciosa: no todo es ecocardiografía / Imaging in infective endocarditis: not all is ultrasonography

Resumen La endocarditis infecciosa (EI) es una enfermedad de alta mortalidad, caracterizada por una infección endocárdica y frecuentes complicaciones multiorgánicas, que requiere un diagnóstico rápido y preciso, y un manejo agresivo, ya sea médico o quirúrgico. Su diagnóstico se realiza tomando en cuenta criterios bacteriológicos, clínicos y ecocardiográficos. Es objetivo de este artículo realizar una actualización del estudio imagenológico en paciente con EI, con especial énfasis en aquellos exámenes no ecocardiográficos disponibles en nuestro medio. En los últimos años, estudios de imagen avanzados han adquirido un rol creciente en su estudio inicial, particularmente la tomografía computada multicorte (TCMC) cardiaca y el positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), y han sido recomendados como criterios diagnósticos en las guías recientes para el manejo de esta entidad. La TCMC cardiaca proporciona información anatómica detallada de las válvulas cardiacas y tejido perivalvular, identificando pseudoaneurismas, abscesos y dehiscencias valvulares. El PET/CT con F18-fluorodeoxiglucosa (F18-FDG) permite aumentar la sensibilidad en la detección de EI, y pesquisar con alta eficiencia fenómenos embólicos sistémicos, de elevada frecuencia en esta población. Ambos métodos prestan particular utilidad en EI de válvula protésica, donde la ecocardiografía presenta menor rendimiento diagnóstico. La resonancia magnética (RM) cerebral es el mejor método de imagen para descartar eventos isquémicos/embólicos del sistema nervioso central.

Abstract Infective endocarditis (IE) is an entity characterized by endocardial infection and frequent multiorgan complications, resulting in high mortality. It requires a rapid and accurate diagnosis, and a medical or surgical aggressive treatment. Currently, IE diagnosis rests on bacterial, clinical and ultrasonographic criteria. The objective of this article is to update the imaging study in patients with IE, with special emphasis on those non-echocardiographic examinations available in our environment. Last years, advanced imaging had achieved a growing role in IE diagnosis, especially cardiac multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), which have been recommended in recent clinical guidelines to be included as part of diagnostic criteria. Cardiac MSCT provides detailed anatomic information of cardiac valves and perivalve tissue, allowing identification of pseudoaneurysm, abscess and valve dehiscence. F18-FDG PET/CT increases sensitivity for IE detection and shows high accuracy in searching for extracranial systemic embolic events. Both MSCT and PET/CT have particular utility in cases of prosthetic valve endocarditis, where cardiac ultrasonography shows lower performance. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best imaging method for evaluating ischemic/embolic events of central nervous system.

Predictores clínicos de eventos adversos serios en el adulto inmunocompetente hospitalizado por neumonía adquirida en la comunidad / Clinical predictors of serious adverse events in immunocompetent adult patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia

Introducción: La neumonía adquirida en la comunidad (NAC) ocasiona morbilidad y mortalidad significativa en la población adulta. Objetivos: Examinar las variables clínicas y de laboratorio medidas en la admisión al hospital que permiten predecir los eventos adversos clínicamente relevantes en pacientes adultos hospitalizados por neumonía comunitaria. Métodos: Evaluamos las variables clínicas y de laboratorio asociadas a eventos adversos serios en una cohorte de adultos hospitalizados por NAC. Los eventos adversos examinados fueron la admisión a UCI, necesidad de ventilación mecánica, shock séptico, complicaciones cardiovasculares y generales y estadía prolongada en el hospital y mortalidad a 30 días. Las variables predictoras fueron sometidas a análisis univariado y multivariado en un modelo de regresión logística. Resultados: Se evaluaron 659 pacientes, edad: 67 ± 18 años, 52% varones, 77% tenía comorbilidad, 23% fueron admitidos a la UCI, 12% requirieron ventilación mecánica, 31% presentaron complicaciones en el hospital, la estadía media en el hospital fue 9 días y 9,9% fallecieron en el seguimiento a 30 días. Las comorbilidades, inestabilidad hemodinámica y disfunción renal se asociaron con la admisión a UCI, riesgo de complicaciones y estadía prolongada en el hospital. El uso de ventilación mecánica y shock séptico fue más frecuente en pacientes con inestabilidad hemodinámica y disfunción renal. La edad avanzada, enfermedades cardiovasculares y respiratorias crónicas, sospecha de aspiración, taquipnea y disfunción renal se asociaron al riesgo de eventos cardiovasculares en el hospital. Conclusión: Las variables clínicas y de laboratorio medidas en la admisión al hospital permiten predecir el riesgo de eventos adversos serios en el adulto hospitalizado por neumonía.

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) causes significant morbidity and mortality in adult population. Objectives: To assess clinical and laboratory variables measured at hospital admission associated to clinically relevant adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia. Methods: We prospectively assessed clinical and laboratory variables associated to serious adverse events in a cohort of CAP hospitalized adult patients. Major adverse outcomes were admission to ICU, need for mechanical ventilation, septic shock, prolonged hospital stay, cardiovascular and in-hospital complications and 30-day mortality. The clinical and laboratory variables measured at hospital admission associated to serious adverse events were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis using logistic regression models. Results: 659 CAP hospitalized immunocompetent adult patients were assessed, mean age: 67 years, 52% were male, 77% had comorbidities, 23% were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), 12% needed mechanical ventilation, 31% had hospital complication, mean hospital length of stay was 9 days and 9.9% died at 30-days follow up. Comorbidities, hemodynamic instability and renal dysfunction were associated with ICU admission, risk of complications, and prolonged hospital stay. Mechanical ventilation requirement and septic shock were more frequent in patients with hemodynamic instability and renal dysfunction. Advanced age, chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, aspiration pneumonia, tachypnea, and renal dysfunction were associated with high risk of cardiovascular events in the hospital. Conclusion: The clinical and laboratory variables measured at hospital admission allow us to predict the risk of serious adverse events in CAP hospitalized adult patients.