Identification rate of Legionella species in non-purulent sputum culture is comparable to that in purulent sputum culture in Legionella pneumonia.

Many Legionella pneumonia patients do not produce sputum, and it is unknown whether purulent sputum is required for the identification of Legionella species. This study aimed to evaluate the identification rate of Legionella species based on sputum quality and the factors predictive of Legionella infection. This study included Legionella pneumonia patients at Kurashiki Central Hospital from November 2000 to December 2022. Sputum quality, based on gram staining, was classified as the following: Geckler 1/2, 3/6 and 4/5. Geckler 4/5 was defined as purulent sputum. The sputa of 104 of 124 Legionella pneumonia patients were cultured. Fifty-four patients (51.9%) were identified with Legionella species, most of which were Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (81.5%). The identification rates of Legionella species according to sputum quality were 57.1% (16/28) in Geckler 1/2 sputum, 50.0% (34/68) in Geckler 3/6 sputum, and 50.0% (4/8) in Geckler 4/5 sputum, which were not significantly different (P = 0.86). On multivariate analysis, pre-culture treatment with anti-Legionella antimicrobials (odds ratio [OR] 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06-0.91), Pneumonia Severity Index class ≥IV (OR 2.57 [95% CI 1.02-6.71]), and intensive care unit admission (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.06-10.09) correlated with the ability to identify Legionella species, but sputum quality did not (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.17-4.41). The identification rate of Legionella species in non-purulent sputum was similar to that in purulent sputum. For the diagnosis of Legionella pneumonia, sputum should be collected before administering anti-Legionella antibiotics and cultured regardless of sputum quality.

Kristen rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) G12F-positive non-small cell lung cancer mimicking KRAS G12C positivity: A case report.

Searching for driver gene alteration is a prerequisite for chemotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer. Due to its high sensitivity and concordance rate, the Amoy Dx Pan Lung Cancer PCR panel has been approved and is widely used in Japan. In this report, we describe a case in which a positive result for Kristen rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) exon2 p.G12F, a rare KRAS mutation, may have led to a false-positive result for KRAS exon2 p.G12C on AMOY. Genetic analysis in this case was performed by LC-SCRUM-Asia.

Pegfilgrastim-Induced Aortitis in a Patient with Small-Cell Lung Cancer Who Received Immunotherapy Combined with Chemotherapy.

Introduction: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), including pegfilgrastim, increases the peripheral blood leukocyte count and is widely used in clinical practice in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy. The most frequent side effects of G-CSF are pain and fever; aortitis, in contrast, is a rare and serious side effect. Case Presentation: A 73-year-old man with small-cell lung cancer was treated with a full dose of a combination of carboplatin/etoposide/durvalumab and pegfilgrastim. The patient developed fever and right ear pain 12 days after pegfilgrastim administration and was diagnosed with aortitis by contrast-enhanced computed tomography 5 days later. Because the patient had already been administered the immune checkpoint inhibitor and had a history of hepatitis B, the patient was followed up without corticosteroid administration, and the patient's symptoms resolved spontaneously. Conclusion: In situations where immunosuppression should be avoided, we believe that follow-up without corticosteroids for G-CSF-induced aortitis is a promising option.

Successful Rechallenge with Osimertinib following Osimertinib-Induced Ventricular Tachycardia: A Case Report.

Osimertinib, a third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is the first-line treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with sensitizing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. It is known to cause drug-induced cardiotoxicity, including QT prolongation syndrome, heart failure, and ventricular arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden death. Once severe arrhythmias occur, it is difficult to continue osimertinib treatment. We report a case of a 66-year-old woman with recurrent NSCLC after concurrent chemoradiotherapy who experienced osimertinib-induced ventricular arrhythmia-causing syncope. The patient was initially treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and genetic testing revealed EGFR exon 19 deletion. Three years following treatment initiation, the primary tumor progressed, and new bone metastases developed. The patient was diagnosed with recurrent NSCLC and was treated with targeted therapy with osimertinib. On the 10th day of osimertinib administration, syncope occurred. Electrocardiography showed polymorphic non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, which was believed to be the cause of syncope. The patient was switched to erlotinib. Two and a half years later, disease progression in the primary lesion was observed. A liquid biopsy revealed an EGFR T790M resistance mutation. Therefore, osimertinib (40 mg) was administered every alternate day. After confirming the absence of palpitations and arrhythmias on electrocardiogram, the osimertinib dosing was increased to 40 mg daily. Thereafter, no further events occurred, and tumor shrinkage was observed. Low-dose osimertinib rechallenge after induced ventricular arrhythmia may be considered an option under close monitoring; however, osimertinib rechallenge must be carefully selected based on the risk-benefit analysis.

Safety and Efficacy of Flexible Bronchoscopy in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

Background: Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is a common method used for diagnostic sampling of the thorax. Although the safety and efficacy of FB in the general population are well-established, data on the elderly population are limited. This study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of FB in elderly people aged ≥80 years. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied elderly patients aged ≥80 years who underwent FB at our hospital between April 2021 and March 2022. Outcomes, such as indications, sampling methods, diagnostic results, and complications, were compared with those of a control group of patients aged 18-79 years. Results: In total, 247 patients (154 men) were included in the study, with 65 and 182 patients in the elderly and non-elderly groups, respectively. The most frequent indication for FB was the presence of a mass or nodule, with transbronchial lung biopsy, transbronchial biopsy, and endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration performed in 162 (65.6%), 29 (11.7%), and 36 (15.6%) patients, respectively. FB led to a diagnosis in 36 (57.1%) and 103 (56%) patients in the elderly and non-elderly groups, respectively, with no significant difference observed. There were no patient deaths or significant differences in the incidence of hemorrhage, hypoxia, pneumothorax, fever, or pneumonia between the two groups. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that FB can be performed effectively and safely in elderly patients aged ≥80 years, similar to non-elderly patients.

Antecedentes: La broncoscopia flexible (FB) es un método común utilizado para el muestreo diagnóstico del tórax. Aunque la seguridad y eficacia de la FB en la población general están bien establecidas, los datos sobre la población anciana son limitados. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la seguridad y eficacia de la FB en ancianos ≥80 años. Materiales y métodos: Se estudiaron retrospectivamente los pacientes ancianos de ≥80 años sometidos a FB en nuestro hospital entre abril de 2021 y marzo de 2022. Los resultados, como las indicaciones, los métodos de muestreo, los resultados diagnósticos y las complicaciones, se compararon con los de un grupo control de pacientes de 18-79 años. Resultados: En total, 247 pacientes (154 hombres) fueron incluidos en el estudio, con 65 y 182 pacientes en los grupos de ancianos y no ancianos, respectivamente. La indicación más frecuente fue la presencia de una masa o nódulo, realizándose biopsia pulmonar transbronquial, biopsia transbronquial y aspiración transbronquial con aguja guiada por ecografía endobronquial en 162 (65,6%), 29 (11,7%) y 36 (15,6%) pacientes, respectivamente. Conclusiones: Los resultados de este estudio indican que la FB se puede Los resultados de este estudio indican que la FB puede realizarse de forma eficaz y segura en pacientes de edad ≥80 años, de forma similar a los pacientes no ancianos.

Re-immunotherapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients previously treated with anti-programmed death-1 and/or anti-programmed death ligand-1 antibodies.

BACKGROUND: The role of re-immunotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. No studies have evaluated the re-immunotherapy regimen including anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 antibody for lung cancer treatment. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of re-immunotherapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients with advanced NSCLC previously treated with anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) and/or anti-programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibodies. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced or recurrent NSCLC who received immunotherapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab (without concomitant cytotoxic chemotherapy) between November 2020 and November 2022 at the National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center, Kyoto, Japan. Data were extracted from patients who had previously received immunotherapies with anti-PD-1 and/or anti-PD-L1 antibodies. Treatment responses and adverse events were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 67 patients who received immunotherapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab, 23 were included in final analysis. The objective response rate was 17%, and the disease control rate was 48% for nivolumab plus ipilimumab therapy. The highest grade of immune-related adverse events was grade 3, occurring in 11% of cases. CONCLUSION: Re-immunotherapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab after anti-PD-1 and/or anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy may be feasible and provide clinical benefit in selected patients. Further prospective studies are warranted to identify the patient population that may benefit from re-immunotherapy.

Simultaneous regression of non-small cell lung cancer and orbital extranodal marginal zone lymphoma with chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer.

This report describes the case of a 79-year-old Japanese man diagnosed with orbital extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (EMZL) and stage IIIA lung cancer. The patient received concurrent chemoradiation for lung cancer with carboplatin/paclitaxel treatment, resulting in regression of both the lymphoma and lung cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of concurrent orbital EMZL and lung cancer. In this case, a treatment strategy that prioritized lung cancer treatment was deemed appropriate. This case suggests that chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel may serve as an effective treatment for both lung cancer and lymphoma.

De Novo SCLC Transformation From KRAS G12C-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma With Excellent Response to Sotorasib: A Case Report.

The transformation to SCLC is a known mechanism of resistance against molecularly targeted therapies. This study reports a patient with untreated lung adenocarcinoma, characterized by a KRAS G12C mutation, which transformed into SCLC before treatment. Both the adenocarcinoma and SCLC components were responsive to sotorasib.

A 92-year-old patient with thoracic empyema successfully treated by CT-guided insertion of a pigtail catheter.

We present a case report of a 92-year-old patient with thoracic empyema, who was successfully treated via CT-guided insertion of a pigtail catheter. The advanced age of the patient often poses challenges in managing pyothorax due to limited physical activity and cognitive decline stemming from decreased activities of daily living. In instances where thoracic drainage is not feasible, the course of treatment is protracted and the prognosis is poor. Our case report exemplifies the successful treatment of pyothorax in a geriatric patient via CT-guided insertion of a pigtail catheter. We believe that this educational case serves as a testament to the fact that even the most aged patients can be successfully treated with resourcefulness.

Addition of Baricitinib to COVID-19 Treatment Does Not Increase Bacterial Infection Compared to Standard Therapy: A Single-center Retrospective Study.

Objective The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the world, and the utility of many drugs for treatment has been suggested. However, few studies have examined the efficacy and safety of treatment with baricitinib, remdesivir, and dexamethasone. Methods A retrospective, cohort study of patients who were admitted to Kurashiki Central Hospital in Japan between April 6 and June 29, 2021, was conducted. Differences in patients' background characteristics, clinical outcomes, and safety were investigated in the groups with and without baricitinib treatment. The primary outcome was the bacterial infection rate, and the secondary outcome was the 28-day mortality rate. An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis, including 12 covariates, was used as a propensity score analysis to reduce biases. Results In total, there were 96 patients, including 43 in the baricitinib-containing therapy (BCT) group and 53 in the non-baricitinib-containing therapy (non-BCT) group. In the BCT group, the ordinal scale on admission was 2.3% with 4, 51.1% with 5, 23.3% with 6, and 23.3% with 7. In the non-BCT group, the ordinal scale was 1.9% with 3, 18.9% with 4, 58.5% with 5, 13.2% with 6, and 7.5% with 7. After adjusting by the IPTW analysis, the BCT group did not have an increased bacterial infection rate [odds ratio (OR), 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.36-3.38; p=0.87] or 28-day mortality rate (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.07-1.3; p=0.11) compared with the non-BCT group. Conclusion BCT can be administered without increasing the infection risk compared with non-BCT.

Development and validation of a new scoring system for prognostic prediction of community-acquired pneumonia in older adults.

The discriminative power of CURB-65 for mortality in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is suspected to decrease with age. However, a useful prognostic prediction model for older patients with CAP has not been established. This study aimed to develop and validate a new scoring system for predicting mortality in older patients with CAP. We recruited two prospective cohorts including patients aged ≥ 65 years and hospitalized with CAP. In the derivation (n = 872) and validation cohorts (n = 1,158), the average age was 82.0 and 80.6 years and the 30-day mortality rate was 7.6% (n = 66) and 7.4% (n = 86), respectively. A new scoring system was developed based on factors associated with 30-day mortality, identified by multivariate analysis in the derivation cohort. This scoring system named CHUBA comprised five variables: confusion, hypoxemia (SpO2 ≤ 90% or PaO2 ≤ 60 mmHg), blood urea nitrogen ≥ 30 mg/dL, bedridden state, and serum albumin level ≤ 3.0 g/dL. With regard to 30-day mortality, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for CURB-65 and CHUBA was 0.672 (95% confidence interval, 0.607-0.732) and 0.809 (95% confidence interval, 0.751-0.856; P < 0.001), respectively. The effectiveness of CHUBA was statistically confirmed in the external validation cohort. In conclusion, a simpler novel scoring system, CHUBA, was established for predicting mortality in older patients with CAP.

Time Trend of the Sensitivity of the Pneumococcal Urinary Antigen Test for Diagnosing Pneumococcal Community-Acquired Pneumonia: An Analysis of 15-Year, Prospective Cohort Data.

INTRODUCTION: Whether the sensitivity of the BinaxNOW Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen test kit (BinaxNOW), adjusted by some variables including vital signs, laboratory examinations and pneumonia severity, has been decreasing is unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether BinaxNOW sensitivity has decreased recently and to identify the predictors of the BinaxNOW result, including the time trend. METHODS: This prospective cohort study enrolled consecutive patients with pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia who were hospitalised at Kurashiki Central Hospital from January 2001 to December 2015. Pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia was defined as positive blood or pleural effusion or sputum culture results. To evaluate the effect of the time trend for the sensitivity of BinaxNOW, time series regression analysis was performed. In addition, predictors of the BinaxNOW result were examined by multivariable analysis using variables such as sex, vital signs, blood tests such as C-reactive protein, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, white blood cell count, haematocrit and platelets, antibiotic pre-treatment, bacteraemia, and pneumonia severity, in addition to time trend and seasonality. RESULTS: A total of 446 patients were included. BinaxNOW sensitivity showed a significant, gradual decrease from 2001 (81.3%) to 2015 (48.7%). On multivariable analysis [odds ratio (95% confidence interval)], bacteraemia [2.516 (1.387-4.561), P = 0.002] was a predictor of a positive BinaxNOW result, whereas male sex [0.467 (0.296-0.736), P = 0.001], white blood cell count [0.959 (0.930-0.989), P = 0.008] and the time trend per year [0.900 (0.859-0.943), P < 0.001] were predictors of a negative BinaxNOW result. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity of BinaxNOW decreased over a 15-year period. We should be careful when interpreting BinaxNOW results in daily clinical practice, and the development of a new kit with good sensitivity is anticipated. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN000004353.

Predictors and usefulness of targeted therapy for pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia diagnosed by the urinary antigen test: a prospective, observational cohort study.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictors of targeted therapy (TT) for pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (PCAP) with a positive urinary antigen test (UAT) and compare the outcomes with those of nontargeted therapy. This prospective cohort study enrolled consecutive PCAP patients with a positive UAT who were hospitalized at Kurashiki Central Hospital from October 2010 to November 2019. A total of 286 patients were included. Of them, 56 patients (19.6%) were included in the TT group. On multivariate analysis, identification of Gram-positive diplococci by Gram stain (OR [95% CI]: 2.46 [1.32-4.63]) was a positive predictor, whereas aspiration pneumonia (0.17 [0.03-0.59]) and CURB-65 score (0.59 [0.42-0.81]) were negative predictors of TT. Initial treatment failure and 30-day mortality were not significantly different. The UAT is not used enough for TT, and TT for PCAP did not have worse outcomes.

Usefulness of ß-lactam and macrolide combination therapy for treating community-acquired pneumonia patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit: Propensity score analysis of a prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Whether ß-lactam and macrolide combination therapy reduces mortality in severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) is controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of ß-lactam and macrolide combination therapy for SCAP patients hospitalized in the ICU. METHODS: A prospective, observational, cohort study of hospitalized pneumonia patients was performed. Hospitalized SCAP patients admitted to the ICU within 24 h between October 2010 and October 2017 were included for analysis. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality, and secondary outcomes were 14-day mortality and ICU mortality. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis as a propensity score analysis was used to reduce biases, including six covariates: age, sex, C-reactive protein, albumin, Pneumonia Severity Index score, and APACHE II score. RESULTS: A total of 78 patients were included, with 48 patients in the non-macrolide-containing ß-lactam therapy group and 30 patients in the macrolide combination therapy group. ß-lactam and macrolide combination therapy significantly decreased 30-day mortality (16.7% vs. 43.8%; P = 0.015) and 14-day mortality (6.7% vs. 31.3%; P = 0.020), but not ICU mortality (10% vs 27.1%, P = 0.08) compared with non-macrolide-containing ß-lactam therapy. After adjusting by IPTW, macrolide combination therapy also decreased 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.29; 95%CI, 0.09-0.96; P = 0.04) and 14-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.19; 95%CI, 0.04-0.92; P = 0.04), but not ICU mortality (odds ratio, 0.34; 95%CI, 0.08-1.36; P = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy with ß-lactam and macrolides significantly improved the prognosis of SCAP patients hospitalized in the ICU compared with a non-macrolide-containing ß-lactam regimen.

Increased risk of Legionella pneumonia as community-acquired pneumonia after heavy rainfall in 2018 in west Japan.

INTRODUCTION: Japan experienced a heavy rainfall event from June 28 to July 8, 2018, and many casualties were caused by both heavy rainfall and flooding. Few studies have investigated patients' characteristics and the causative pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia before and after heavy rainfall events. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the causative pathogens and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia before and after the heavy rainfall event using prospective cohort data. METHODS: The study was divided into two periods: July to November 2013-2017 (before heavy rainfall) and July to November 2018 (after heavy rainfall). The patients' clinical characteristics and causative pathogens before and after the heavy rainfall were investigated. Regarding the causative pathogens, adjustments were made for precipitation and seasonal patterns. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the number and clinical characteristics of patients before and after heavy rainfall. However, the frequency of Legionella pneumonia was significantly higher after than before the heavy rainfall event (8.9% vs 3.0%, P = 0.02) and remained significant after adjusting for precipitation and season. Three of 7 Legionella pneumonia patients engaged in reconstruction work and 2 Legionella pneumonia patients had soil exposure. CONCLUSIONS: An increased risk of Legionella pneumonia after not only rainfall and serious flooding, but also following recovery work or soil exposure should be considered.

Impact of bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytosis on the effects of anti-inflammatory therapy in idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia, idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis, and unclassifiable idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia (iNSIP), idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (iPPFE), and unclassifiable idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) are IIPs with chronic fibrotic phenotypes, and unlike idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, they have often been treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, including corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. However, the impact of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) lymphocytosis on the effects of anti-inflammatory therapy has never been evaluated. This study aimed to elucidate whether BAL lymphocytosis can be used to predict the efficacy of anti-inflammatory drugs for iNSIP, iPPFE, and unclassifiable IIP. METHODS: Japanese patients diagnosed with iNSIP, iPPFE, and unclassifiable IIP by multidisciplinary discussion were identified using the nationwide registry. Eligible patients were stratified into four groups with and without BAL lymphocytosis and anti-inflammatory therapy to compare overall survival (OS) and changes in lung function. BAL lymphocytosis was defined as a lymphocyte differential count > 15%, and the cut-off was corroborated by survival classification and regression tree analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 186 patients (37 iNSIP, 16 iPPFE, and 133 unclassifiable IIP) were analyzed. Limited to patients treated with anti-inflammatory drugs (n = 123), patients with BAL lymphocytosis had a better prognosis [hazard ratio (HR), 0.26; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.11-0.63; P = 0.003], higher slope of forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted for 2 years, and longer OS (log-rank test, P = 0.012) than those without BAL lymphocytosis. On multivariate analysis, BAL lymphocytosis (HR 0.31; 95% CI 0.13-0.75; P = 0.009) was a prognostic factor for OS, along with age and FVC % predicted. Conversely, for patients managed without anti-inflammatory therapy (n = 63), the presence or absence of BAL lymphocytosis had no prognostic value. CONCLUSIONS: BAL lymphocytosis is associated with good outcomes in patients treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, but has no prognostic value when anti-inflammatory drugs are not used. BAL lymphocytosis may provide a predictive biomarker for identifying patients with iNSIP, iPPFE and unclassifiable IIP who are likely to benefit from anti-inflammatory drugs.

Is antipseudomonal antibiotic treatment needed for all nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia patients at risk for antimicrobial resistance?

OBJECTIVES: Nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP) was proposed by the Japanese Respiratory Society to refer to healthcare-associated pneumonia. This study aimed to investigate whether antipseudomonal antibiotic therapy improved the prognosis of NHCAP patients at high risk for antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. METHODS: Consecutive hospitalised NHCAP patients in Kurashiki Central Hospital between October 2010 and December 2016 were prospectively enrolled. NHCAP patients who were at high risk for antimicrobial resistance were defined as those who received antimicrobials in the preceding 90 days and/or were on tube feeding. The patients who received antipseudomonal antibiotics were defined as the guideline-concordant (GC) therapy group, and the others were defined as the guideline-discordant (GD) therapy group. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis was used to reduce biases. RESULTS: There were 277 patients with NHCAP; a majority (78.0%) were discharged from a hospital in the preceding 90 days. There were 52 patients in the GC group and 225 patients in the GD group. The 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the GC group than in the GD group (17.3%, 9/52 vs. 7.1%, 16/225; P = 0.03). After IPTW analysis, the GC therapy, compared with GD therapy, did not improve the 30-day mortality (OR 1.71, 95% CI 0.65-4.47; P = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: Not all NHCAP patients, even those at high risk for antimicrobial resistance, need antipseudomonal antimicrobial treatment. The treatment strategy for NHCAP patients should be individualised, according to the pneumonia severity, risk for antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, and antibiogram in each hospital.

Azithromycin combination therapy for community-acquired pneumonia: propensity score analysis.

Whether macrolide combination therapy reduces the mortality of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) hospitalized in the non-intensive care unit (ICU) remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of adding azithromycin to ß-lactam antibiotics for such patients. This prospective cohort study enrolled consecutive patients with CAP hospitalized in the non-ICU between October 2010 and November 2016. The 30-day mortality between ß-lactam and azithromycin combination therapy and ß-lactam monotherapy was compared in patients classified as mild to moderate and severe according to the CURB-65, Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)/American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis was used to reduce biases. Based on the CURB-65 and PSI, combination therapy did not significantly reduce the 30-day mortality in either group (179 patients in the combination group, 952 in the monotherapy group). However, based on the IDSA/ATS criteria, combination therapy significantly reduced the 30-day mortality in patients with severe (odds ratio [OR] 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.007-0.57), but not non-severe pneumonia (OR 1.85, 95% CI 0.51-5.40); these results were similar after IPTW analysis. Azithromycin combination therapy significantly reduced the mortality of patients with severe CAP who met the IDSA/ATS criteria.

Utility of procalcitonin for differentiating cryptogenic organising pneumonia from community-acquired pneumonia.

Background This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of inflammatory biomarkers such as white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) for differentiating cryptogenic organising pneumonia (COP) from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods COP patients hospitalised in Kurashiki Central Hospital between January 2010 and December 2017 whose WBC counts and CRP and PCT levels were measured were investigated retrospectively, and their results were compared with those of hospitalised CAP patients who were prospectively enrolled between October 2010 and November 2017. Definite COP was defined by specific histopathological findings, and possible COP was defined as a consolidation shadow on chest computed tomography and lymphocyte dominance in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the absence of specific histopathological findings or lung specimens. The discriminatory abilities of WBC counts, CRP and PCT were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results There were 56 patients in the entire COP group, 35 (61.4%) with definite COP, and 914 CAP patients. All three biomarkers were significantly lower in COP than in CAP. The AUC value of PCT in all COP patients was 0.79, significantly higher than of both CRP (AUC 0.59, p < 0.001) and WBC (AUC 0.69, p = 0.048). In definite COP patients, the AUC value of PCT was 0.79, which was also significantly higher than of both WBC (AUC 0.64, p = 0.006) and CRP (AUC 0.64, p = 0.001). Conclusions PCT is a more useful biomarker for differentiating COP from CAP than WBC count or CRP. However, PCT should be used as an adjunct to clinical presentation and radiological findings.