Inferior vena cava filters do not increase the risk of blood stream infections in patients with newly diagnosed VTE.

BACKGROUND: The association between inferior vena cava (IVC) filter presence and subsequent bloodstream infection (BSI) is unknown. We hypothesized among patients with a new diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE), incidence of BSI after 1 year would be higher in patients who had presence of an IVC filter. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with newly diagnosed VTE but no IVC filter (N = 4,053) and patients with IVC filter (N = 635) admitted to a metropolitan hospital system from 2006 to 2009 comparing incidence of BSI within 1 year of inclusion. Multivariable regression modeling was used to evaluate the association of IVC filter placement with BSI 1 year after placement. RESULTS: Patients with an IVC filter placed were more likely to be older with higher Charlson co-morbidity score (median 4 vs 1; P < .001). The incidence of BSI was not different between the group with IVC filter and the group without (10.7% vs 8.8%; P = .12). There was no association with IVC filter placement and BSI before or after multivariable adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: In patients newly diagnosed with VTE, we found no association between IVC filter placement and increased incidence of BSI after 1 year.

Conglomerate mediastinal mass of a different etiology.

Streptococcus intermedius is a Gram-positive commensal of the oral cavity with tendency to cause brain and liver abscesses. Mediastinal involvement from S. intermedius is very rare. We present a case of 22-year-old male with newly detected mediastinal conglomerate nodal mass. On his way for bronchoscopy, he developed seizures and was found to have three brain lesions. The aspirate from brain biopsy grew S. intermedius whereas the aspirate from mediastinum showed only acute inflammation. Follow up imaging after antibiotic treatment showed interval resolution of brain abscesses and the mediastinal mass. We believe that the patient had aspiration pneumonia from S. intermedius which then metastasized to mediastinum and brain. Our aim is to make physicians aware of this unusual presentation of S. intermedius infection as a mediastinal mass. A strong effort should be made to isolate the organism from the involved body sites and fluid cavities to confirm the diagnosis.