Project description:IntroductionCommunity-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) are common complications in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients, and are frequently associated with unfavorable outcome as well as prolonged antibiotic therapy. In this study, we intended to clarify whether clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) and multiple serum biomarkers are valuable in predicting unfavorable outcomes and prolonged antibiotic therapy in adult IIM patients complicated with CAP or HAP.MethodsData of IIM patients with CAP or HAP who were admitted to three tertiary centers from December 2010 to November 2019 were retrospectively collected. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were adopted to identify risk factors for unfavorable outcomes and prolonged antibiotic therapy in these patients. The predictive values of potential predictors were assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis.ResultsThe mortality rate was 60.6% in 109 IIM patients complicated with CAP or HAP. Myositis Disease Activity Assessment Visual Analogue Scales (MYOACT) score, CPIS and timely adjustment to antibiotics based on drug susceptibility test (DST-based antibiotic) were significantly associated with long-term outcome in these patients. With an optimal cutoff value of 6.5 and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.813, CPIS was a more satisfying predictor compared with MYOACT score. The peak C-reactive protein (CRP) level, DST-based antibiotics, and complication of interstitial lung disease (ILD) were also significantly correlated with prolonged antibiotic therapy.ConclusionsIIM patients complicated with CAP or HAP frequently suffer from unfavorable outcomes. Compared with IIM disease activity, CPIS worked as a better predictor of outcome in these patients. Also, the peak CRP level during hospitalization might be valuable in predicting prolonged antibiotic therapy. The existence of ILD might impede early discontinuation of antibiotics. Timely adjustment to antibiotics based on drug susceptibility testing would decrease the mortality rate and reduce the incidence of prolonged antibiotic therapy.
Project description:BackgroundHealthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) lies in the intersection of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). Although HCAP is excluded from the revised HAP guideline, reassessment for HCAP is needed considering its heterogeneous characteristics.MethodsThe microbiological distribution, antibiotic resistance, and clinical outcomes in CAP, HCAP, and HAP were studied retrospectively. The susceptibility to standard CAP regimens (β-lactams plus macrolide or fluoroquinolone monotherapy) and rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) infections were evaluated in the CAP group and HCAP subgroups.ResultsIn total, 933 cases were included (CAP, n = 557; HCAP, n = 264; HAP, n = 112). In the CAP and HCAP cases, Streptococcus pneumoniae (7.4% vs. 5.7%) and P. aeruginosa (9.2% vs. 18.6%) were the most common gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens. Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-resistant, 2.7%; methicillin-susceptible, 2.4%) and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (20.5%) were the most common Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens in the HAP group, respectively. Higher susceptibility to levofloxacin was observed in CAP and HCAP isolates than that to β-lactam agents. However, levofloxacin non-susceptibility was significantly higher in long-term care facility (LTCF)-onset HCAP compared to community-onset HCAP (43.6% vs. 22.7%, P = 0.014).ConclusionHCAP showed higher rates of P. aeruginosa and MRSA infections than CAP. Empirical antipseudomonal therapy should be considered in the treatment of HCAP. Prior isolation of P. aeruginosa was the most important risk factor for P. aeruginosa infection.
Project description:Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) represents the most common cause of infection-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Appropriate treatment of CAP is challenging and sometimes limited by the availability to obtain rapid and timely identification of the etiologic agent in order to initiate or deescalate the correct antimicrobial therapy. As a consequence, prescribers frequently select empiric antimicrobial therapy using clinical judgment, local patterns of antimicrobial resistance, and, sometimes, individual patient expectations. These issues may contribute to prolonged courses of inappropriate therapy. In this review, we discuss the evidence and recommendations from international guidelines for the management of CAP and the clinical trials that specifically addressed duration of antimicrobial therapy for CAP in adults. In randomized controlled trials comparing the clinical efficacy of a short-course antimicrobial regimen versus an extended-course regimen, no differences in terms of clinical success, bacterial eradication, adverse events, and mortality were observed. The use of biomarkers, such as procalcitonin, to guide the initiation and duration of antimicrobial therapy may reduce total antibiotic exposure and treatment duration, healthcare costs, and the risk of developing antimicrobial resistance. In clinical practice, antimicrobial stewardship interventions may improve the management of CAP and may help in reducing treatment duration. Sometimes "less is more" in CAP.
Project description:To assess the adherence to Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines and the causes of lack of adherence during empirical antibiotic prescription in severe pneumonia in Latin America.A clinical questionnaire was submitted to 36 physicians from Latin America; they were asked to indicate the empirical treatment in two fictitious cases of severe respiratory infection: community-acquired pneumonia and nosocomial pneumonia.In the case of community acquired pneumonia, 11 prescriptions of 36 (30.6%) were compliant with international guidelines. The causes for non-compliant treatment were monotherapy (16.0%), the unnecessary prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics (40.0%) and the use of non-recommended antibiotics (44.0%). In the case of nosocomial pneumonia, the rate of adherence to the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines was 2.8% (1 patient of 36). The reasons for lack of compliance were monotherapy (14.3%) and a lack of dual antibiotic coverage against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (85.7%). If monotherapy with an antipseudomonal antibiotic was considered adequate, the antibiotic treatment would be adequate in 100% of the total prescriptions.The compliance rate with the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines in the community-acquired pneumonia scenario was 30.6%; the most frequent cause of lack of compliance was the indication of monotherapy. In the case of nosocomial pneumonia, the compliance rate with the guidelines was 2.8%, and the most important cause of non-adherence was lack of combined antipseudomonal therapy. If the use of monotherapy with an antipseudomonal antibiotic was considered the correct option, the treatment would be adequate in 100% of the prescriptions.
Project description:To develop and validate a model to predict resistance to community-acquired pneumonia antibiotics (CAP-resistance) among patients with healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP), and to compare the model's predictive performance to a model including only guideline-defined criteria for HCAP.Retrospective cohort study.Six Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in the northwestern United States.Culture-positive inpatients with HCAP.Patients were identified based upon guideline-defined criteria for HCAP. Relevant cultures obtained within 48 hours of admission were assessed to determine bacteriology and antibiotic susceptibility. Medical records for the year preceding admission were assessed to develop predictive models of CAP-resistance with logistic regression. The predictive performance of cohort-developed and guideline-defined models was compared.CAP-resistant organisms were identified in 118 of 375 culture-positive patients. Of guideline-defined criteria, CAP-resistance was associated (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)]) with: admission from nursing home (2.6 [1.6-4.4]); recent antibiotic exposure (1.7 [1.0-2.8]); and prior hospitalization (1.6 [1.0-2.6]). In the cohort-developed model, CAP-resistance was associated with: admission from nursing home or recent nursing home discharge (2.3 [1.4-3.8]); positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) history within 90 days of admission (6.4 [2.6-17.8]) or 91-365 days (2.3 [0.9-5.9]); cephalosporin exposure (1.8 [1.1-2.9]); recent infusion therapy (1.9 [1.0-3.5]); diabetes (1.7 [1.0-2.8]); and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (1.6 [1.0-2.6]). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (aROC [95% CI]) for the cohort-developed model (0.71 [0.65-0.77]) was significantly higher than for the guideline-defined model (0.63 [0.57-0.69]) (P = 0.01).Select guideline-defined criteria predicted CAP-resistance. A cohort-developed model based primarily on prior MRSA history, nursing home residence, and specific antibiotic exposures provided improved prediction of CAP-resistant organisms in HCAP.
Project description:BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:Few studies have analysed a large number of patients with necrotizing pneumonia (NP) diagnosed based on computed tomography (CT) scans. The aim of the present study was to document the incidence and clinical features of NP in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS:This retrospective study was conducted on CAP patients who had been admitted to a tertiary referral centre and who had available enhanced CT scan images. Patients were allocated into NP and non-NP groups, and they were compared with respect to various clinical variables. RESULTS:Of the 830 patients included in the present study, necrotizing change was observed in 103 patients (12%). Patients with NP experienced more symptoms of pneumonia, had higher blood levels of inflammatory markers and more often required pleural drainage compared to patients with non-NP. Although the use of mechanical ventilation, vasopressor infusion, 30-day mortality, in-hospital mortality and clinical deterioration did not differ between the NP and non-NP groups, the median length of hospital stay (LOS) was significantly longer in the NP group. Multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards model showed that necrotizing change independently predicted LOS in patients with CAP. CONCLUSION:NP affects approximately one-tenth of hospitalized CAP patients. It may be associated with more severe clinical manifestations and may increase the need for pleural drainage. NP was found to be an independent predictor of LOS, but not of mortality in CAP patients.
Project description:BackgroundNational guidelines for pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) contain recommendations regarding diagnostic testing including chest radiographs (CXRs), complete blood counts (CBCs), and blood cultures. Local data indicated that our institution was not delivering care at standards outlined by these guidelines. This project aimed to decrease CXRs for children with CAP discharged from the emergency department (ED) by 10% and decrease CBCs and blood cultures for patients hospitalized with uncomplicated CAP by 20% within 1 year.MethodsThis single-site quality improvement initiative targeted otherwise healthy children 3 months to 18 years who presented to the ED with uncomplicated CAP at a free-standing academic children's hospital. A quality improvement team performed a series of interventions including guideline implementation, data sharing, and annual education. Process measures included CXR, CBC, and blood culture rates. Balancing measures included the number of patients diagnosed with CAP, the frequency of antibiotic use, length of stay, and ED and hospital return rates. The team used statistical process control charts to plot measures.ResultsThere was special cause improvement with a desirable downward shift in testing that correlated with the project's interventions. The percentage of CXRs for discharged patients decreased from 79% to 57%. CBCs and blood cultures for hospitalized patients decreased from 30% to 19% and 24% to 14%, respectively. Balancing measures remained unchanged.ConclusionsWe used elements of quality improvement methodology to reduce testing for uncomplicated CAP without impacting the number of patients diagnosed with CAP, the frequency of antibiotic use, length of stay, and reutilization rates.