Caracterización de los pacientes con diagnóstico de Histoplasmosis en el Hospital Universitario de San Ignacio entre 2012 a 2016 / Characterization of patients with clinical diagnosis of Histoplasmosis in the "Hospital Universitario San Ignacio" between 2012-2016

Introducción: La histoplasmosis diseminada es una forma de presentación común en pacientes inmunosuprimidos. La introducción de nuevos métodos diagnós ticos y la mejoría de la sobrevida de los pacientes con VIH pueden hacer cambiar las características clínicas de los pacientes con esta enfermedad. El objetivo de este estudio es describir las características demográficas, clínicas y métodos diagnósticos para esta enfermedad utilizados en una institución de cuarto nivel de complejidad en Colombia durante los últimos cinco años. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional tipo serie de casos, incluyendo pacientes con diagnóstico de histoplasmosis manejados en el Hospital Universitario San Ignacio en Bogotá (Colombia) entre enero de 2012 y diciembre de 2016. Los casos fueron identificados utilizando una herramienta automatizada a partir de las historias clínicas electrónicas (DISEARCH). Resultados: 34 pacientes fueron incluidos, 73,5% con VIH. La enfermedad fue más sintomática en los pacientes con VIH. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron fiebre y tos (80%), seguidas por diarrea (47%) y manifestaciones cutáneas (35%). El estudio histopatológico fue el método de confirmación más frecuente. El antígeno urinario, fue positivo en el 92.8% de los pacientes a quienes se les realizó la prueba. Las enfermedades autoinmunes fueron la principal causa asociada en pacientes VIH negativos. Conclusiones: Las características clínicas de los pacientes con histoplasmosis son similares a las descritas en estudios previos en colombia, llamando la atención la alta prevalencia de diarrea y manifestaciones cutáneas. El antígeno urinario para histoplasma y las biopsias cutáneas son excelentes métodos diagnósticos, menos invasivos y con resultados rápidamente disponibles.

Introduction: Disseminated histoplasmosis is a common presentation in immunosuppressed patients. The introduction of new diagnostic methods and the impro vement of the survival of patients with HIV could have changed the clinical characteristics of patients with this disease. The objective of this study is to describe the demographic characteristics, clinical and methods for diagnosis of this disease in a high conplexity institution in Colombia during the last five years. Methods: A serie of cases was conducted, including patients diagnosed with histoplasmosis managed at the San Ignacio University Hospital in Bogotá (Colombia) between January 2012 and December 2016. The cases were selected using an automatic tool for searching in health electronic records (DISEARCH). Results: 34 patients were included, 73.5% with HIV. The disease was more symptomatic in patients with HIV. The most frequent symptoms were fever and cough (80%), followed by diarrhea (47%) and skin manifestations (35%). The histopathological study was the most frequent confirmation method. The urinary antigen was positive in 92.8% of the patients, in whom the test was performed. Autoimmune diseases were the main cause associated in HIV negative patients. Conclusions: The clinical characteristics of patients with histoplasmosis are similar to those described in previous studies in Colombia. It was remarkably the high prevalence of diarrhea and cutaneous manifestations. The urinary antigen for histoplasma and skin biopsies are excellent diagnostic methods, less invasive and with rapidly available results.

A Meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of Streptocuccus pneumoniae urinary antigen test for adult ;community acquired Streptocuccus pneumoniae pneumoniae / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Streptocuccus pneumoniae urinary antigen test (SpUAT) in patients with community acquired Streptocuccus pneumoniae pneumoniae (SPP). Methods The clinical studies relating SpUAT diagnostic accuracy for community acquired Streptocuccus pneumoniae infection were searched via computer and manual screening of Chinese databases including China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disc, China Technical Journal Full-text Database, and Wanfang Database as well as English databases such as PubMed, EBSCO, Elsevier Science, Ovid Technologies, and Springer. Data were extracted according to appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria and analyzed with Meta-disc 1.4 and Stata 12.0 software. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio as well as diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated, and summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) was plotted and area under SROC (AUC) was calculated to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of SpUAT for adult community acquired SPP. Results A total of 15 studies enrolling 6 866 patients were included, all of which with a quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) score not lower than 10, indicating a high study quality. Random effect model was applied owing to non-threshold effect associated heterogeneity. It was shown by Meta analysis that compared with routine pathogen diagnosis (hemoculture, sputum smears, sputum culture and trachea and bronchus attractive culture), the pooled sensitivity, pooled specificity, pooled positive likelihood ratio, and pooled negative likelihood ratio was 73% [95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 71%-76%,] 91% (95%CI = 90%-92%), 6.97 (95%CI = 4.13-11.77), and 0.30 (95%CI = 0.26-0.34), respectively, pooled DOR was 24.34 (95%CI = 13.14-45.11), and AUC of SROC was 0.8051±0.0362. It was indicated by heterogeneity test that experiment design (prospective or retrospective), sample sizes (lower than 200 or higher than or equal to 200), reference test (fewer than 3 or more than or equal to 3 test methods), or literature language (Hispanic or non-Hispanic) had no effect on study heterogeneity, indicating certain other unknown factors may be involved. Funnel plot suggested that 15 involved studies uniformly distributed along the two sides of regression line, indicating no publication bias. Conclusions The use of SpUAT for the diagnosis of adult community acquired SPP has a moderate sensitivity and high specificity. Although the overall accuracy of SpUAT diagnosis is relatively high, there is significant heterogeneity among the studies, so more high-quality studies are needed.

Investigation of Positive Streptococcus pneumoniae Urinary Antigen Test Results in a Korean University Hospital / 대한임상미생물학회지

BACKGROUND: The Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen test (SPUAT) (Binax Now, USA) was developed for detecting polysaccharide C in urine samples for rapid diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia, the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). To validate positive results of these tests, we retrospectively investigated all positive results obtained from the emergency room of a Korean university hospital among patients with suspected CAP. METHODS: One hundred twenty-three positive SPUAT results were abstracted and analyzed from the authors' laboratory information system among the SPUAT results performed from 1,143 pneumonic patients admitted from the emergency room of a university hospital between 2007 and 2008. Medical records, including conventional microbiologic analysis results, were reviewed in detail for all positive test results. RESULTS: Among 123 patients with the positive SPUAT results, 24 patients were excluded due to hospitalization history during the preceding month. Nine of 99 patients (9.1%) with suspected CAP had confirmed pneumococcal pneumonia upon conventional sputum or blood culture. Thirty-five positive results (35.4%) showed other microorganisms upon conventional methods, which might be due to possible cross-reactivity. Among those, 23 positive results were considered bacterial pneumonic agents, and 12 positive results were regarded as urinary tract infection strains or contaminating agents. Fifty-five positive SPUAT results (55.6%) showed negative conventional microbiologic growth, and some positive SPUAT results might be caused by true pneumococcal infection although without cultural evidence. CONCLUSION: Our retrospective study demonstrated that a positive SPUAT result typically does not agree well with conventional culture methods, suggesting that the value of a positive SPUAT result in etiology determination may be limited under practical conditions in a university hospital.

Diagnosis of Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is defined as an acute infection of pulmonary parenchyma in a patient who has contracted the infection in the community. Diagnostic process includes history taking, physical examination, chest radiograph, blood tests, and microbiologic tests. Common clinical features are cough, sputum, fever, pleuritic chest pain, and dyspnea. There are systemic symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and changes of mental status. The presence of an infiltrate on chest X-ray is the mainstay for the diagnosis of CAP, although exceptions are early CAP, dehydration, and neutropenia. Prevalent radiographic findings are lobar pneumonia, interstitial infiltrates, and cavitation. Performing diagnostic testing for the microbiologic etiology remains controversial particularly in outpatient settings. The tests are recommended only when pathogens that would not respond to usual empirical antibiotic regimens are suspected. However, for hospitalized patients, routine pursuit of etiologic agents should be done for all occasions. Apart from Gram stain and culture of sputum, blood culture, serologic tests, urine antigen tests, and polymerase chain reactions are being performed in hospitalized patients. Among these, the combination of a good sputum specimen for Gram stain and culture plus urinary antigen testing is most useful for the rapid diagnosis of CAP. The positivity rate of blood culture is relatively low, which makes the test less dependable. We should always consider Mycobacterium as an unpredicted cause of pulmonary infiltrates in Korea. We should also bear in mind unusual pathogens that have an epidemiologic significance or need different regimens from empirical antibiotics. These include Influenza, Legionella, communityacquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and agents of bioterrorism. In conclusion, any diagnostic tests should not delay the administration of proper antibiotics. Comprehensive knowledge regarding the relevant diagnostic tests is required for the appropriate implementation of diagnostic procedures and empirical antibiotics.

Clinical Relevance of Positive NOW(TM) Legionella Urinary Antigen Test in a Tertiary-Care Hospital in Korea / 대한진단검사의학회지

BACKGROUND: The morbidity and mortality of Legionnaires' disease are not established in Korea, because patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have rarely been investigated for Legionella. An assay for Legionella antigen in urine has been approved as one of the diagnostic criteria of Legionnaires' disease. Binax Now(TM) Legionella Urinary Antigen Test (LUA) was introduced in Asan Medical Center in July 2002. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of positive LUA. METHODS: During the 39-month period from July 2002 to September 2005, the medical records of LUA-positive patients were reviewed for demographic findings, laboratory findings, clinical diagnosis, antimicrobial treatment, outcome, and acquisition of infections. Diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease was based on National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) criteria for defining nosocomial pneumonia. RESULTS: Seven (0.3%) of the 2443 patients tested for LUA were positive. All 7 patients were consistent with the diagnostic criteria of Legionnaires' disease; six patients were diagnosed with CAP and one patient was admitted due to nosocomial pneumonia. Six patients were treated with azithromycin or ciprofloxacin but one patient was not treated for Legionella infection. With the report of LUApositive results, a Legionella-targeted treatment was started in two patients and an inappropriate empirical therapy was ceased in one patient. All patients treated with Legionella-targeted treatment improved clinically except one who died of adult respiratory distress syndrome at the first hospital day. CONCLUSIONS: Positive LUA is useful in diagnosing Legionnaire's disease at an early stage and in helping to initiate appropriate treatments in a tertiary-care hospital in Korea.

Evaluation of Urinary Antigen Test for Rapid Diagnosis of Community-Acquired Pneumococcal Pneumonia / 대한임상미생물학회지

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common pathogens of communityacquired pneumonia (CAP) which needs rapid diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic approaches. We evaluated a new rapid urinary antigen test kit, NOW S. pneumoniae antigen test (Binax Inc., Maine, USA), for the detection of the S. pneumoniae antigen in the urine of patients who were suspected of CAP. METHODS: A total of 115 urine samples were tested during April to July, 2004. Patients were divided into 2 groups: the first was the patients who were suspected of CAP and the second was the patients with other disorders. Urinary antigen test was performed done by immunochromatographic methods and results were read within 15 minutes. All the urine samples were random and unconcentrated. The patients were reviewed clinically, together with the results of sputum and blood cultures, urinalysis and other laboratory tests. RESULTS: Overall mean age was 62-years old and male proportion was 59%: Group 1 had mean age of 63-years old and male 54% whereas group 2 had 60-years old and 76%. S. pneumoniae antigen was detected in the urine from 14 (12.2%) of 115 patients. Of the 14 patients with positive urinary antigen tests, 12 were from 90 patients with CAP with fever, leukocytosis and appropriate radiological findings, giving the sensitivity of 13.3%; the remaining 2 patients were from 25 patients with other disorders. Only 2 of the 12 patients showed S. pneumoniae in sputum or blood cultures, respectively. Urinary antigen was not detected in 23 of the 25 patients with other disorders, giving the specificity of 92%. CONCLUSIONS: Since this simple and rapid urinary antigen test showed low sensitivity in this study, the clinical symptoms and signs and radiological findings of patients should be reviewed together with the results of the urine test for early and accurate diagnosis and treatment, consistent clinical symptoms and signs with radiological studies are inevitable. Thus further studies would be necessary. The urinary antigen test showed high specificity and therefore should be a useful adjunct to cultures to be in aid of the diagnosis of CAP.