Urinary tract infections in hospitalized patients.

INTRODUCTION: Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are an important cause of morbidity in the community, constituting one of the main reasons for hospitalization, and the fourth cause of healthcare-associated infection. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of community-acquired UTI (CA-UTI) with need of hospitalization and healthcare-associated UTI (HA-UTI), their risk factors, etiologic agents and their antimicrobial susceptibility spectrum. METHODS: A prospective and analytic study was conducted, in which all admissions regarding CA-UTI with need of hospitalization and HA-UTI were evaluated during the period between 2016 and 2017 in two university hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 279 episodes of UTI in hospitalized patients were identified and, among those, 178 episodes corresponded to CA-UTI and 101 to HA-UTI. On average, patients were 60 years old in both groups. HA-UTI were more frequently associated with kidney transplant, recurrent UTI and chronic kidney disease compared with CA-UTI. The instrumentation of urinary tract within the previous month was more frequent in HA-UTI (75.2% vs 32.6%, p<0.001). Escherichia coli was the most frequent isolated microorganism (62.9% in CA-UTI and 56.4% in HA-UTI), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A total of 101 multidrug resistant microorganisms were isolated, of which 53.5% were CA-UTI, and were associated with male patients, use of antimicrobials within the previous three months, chronic kidney disease and recurrent UTI. CONCLUSION: It is of great importance for the institutions to identify the local antimicrobial susceptibility spectrum of UTI in order to stablish adequate empiric treatments.

[Epidemiological and microbiological characteristics of uncomplicated urinary infections]. / Características epidemiológicas y microbiológicas de las infecciones urinarias no complicadas.

Introduction: Uncomplicated urinary tract infections(UC-UTI) represent a frequent reason for consultation. Most cases are empirically treated, but the antimicrobial susceptibility of the causative microorganisms has changed over the past years. The objectives of this study where to determine UC-UTI causative microorganism and their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles in adult women. Methods: A prospective analytic study was conducted in two hospital in Córdoba, Argentina, between November/2016 and October/2017. From the identification of positive urine cultures, urinary tract infections (UTI) in women ≥18 years without risk factors for complicated UTIs were included, excluding asymptomatic bacteriurias. Results: A total of 610 UC-UTI were identified and 62.6% of them in patients younger than 50 years; 73.3% of cases were cystitis, being more frequent in older women. Escherichia coli was isolated in 89.2% of UTI and negative coagulase Staphylococcus in 4.2%. As regards Escherichia coli, its resistance against ciprofloxacin was 18.8%; 4.4% against ceftriaxone and 1.8% against nitrofurantoin. There was an elevated resistance against ampicillin, trimethoprim­sulfamethoxazole and ampicillin­sulbactam. Main conclusion: The most frequent isolated microorganism was Escherichia coli, consistent with global epidemiology. This microorganism showed less than 20% total resistance against ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone and nitrofurantoin.

Introducción: Las infecciones del tracto urinario no complicadas (ITU-NoC) representan un motivo frecuente de consulta ambulatorio, siendo la mayoría tratadas empíricamente. Han existido cambios en susceptibilidad antimicrobiana en los últimos años. Nuestros objetivos fueron determinar los microorganismos de las ITU-NoC y su perfil de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana en mujeres adultas. Métodos: Estudio analítico prospectivo en dos hospitales de Córdoba, Argentina, entre noviembre/2016 y octubre/2017. A partir de la identificación de urocultivos positivos, se incluyeron las infecciones urinarias(ITUs) en mujeres ≥18 años, sin factores de riesgo para ITUs complicada, excluyéndose las bacteriurias asintomáticas. Resultados: Se identificaron 610 episodios de ITU-NoC, 382(63%) en <50 años. El 73.3% de las ITU-noC correspondieron a cistitis, siendo más frecuentes en las mujeres mayores 50 años.  En el 89.2% de las ITUs se aisló Escherichia coli y 4.2% Staphylococcus coagulasa negativo. Respecto a E. coli, su resistencia a ciprofloxacina fue de 18.8%, ceftriaxona 4.4% y nitrofurantoína 1.8%. Se observó una resistencia elevada a ampicilina, trimetoprima-sulfametoxazol y ampicilina-sulbactam. Conclusiones: En conclusión, el microorganismo más frecuentemente aislado fue E. coli, concordando con la epidemiología global, presentando una resistencia menor al 20% a ciprofloxacina, ceftriaxona y nitrofurantoína.

An assessment of transesophageal echocardiography studies rated as rarely appropriate tests for infective endocarditis at an academic medical center.

PURPOSE: Endocardial involvement documented by echocardiography is a major criterion of the modified Duke criteria (MDC) for infective endocarditis (IE). Though transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is sensitive in the diagnosis of IE, it can be inappropriately used. METHODS: This retrospective study included all patients who underwent TEE due to bacteremia, fever, and/or endocarditis in a single, tertiary academic medical center in 2013. Data collected from electronic medical charts were as follows: demographics, history, physical examination, blood cultures, and transthoracic (TTE) and TEE findings. Cases were categorized based on appropriate use criteria (AUC) and MDC. An infectious disease (ID) specialist reviewed cases with rarely appropriate TEE use. RESULTS: In the 194 patients included, 147 (75.8%) were rated as appropriate, 36 (18.6%) rarely appropriate, and 11 (5.6%) uncertain. Of the 36 with rarely appropriate TEEs, using MDC 31 (86%) were rejected and 5 (14%) were possible for IE. Retrospective chart review by an ID specialist determined that 10 of these patients warranted TEE due to compelling issues, including immunosuppression or complicated infection. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective cohort, almost one fifth of cases were rated as rarely appropriate. However, a review of these cases showed that TEE was often pursued when the clinical situation involved immunosuppression or complex infectious process. There remains room for improvement to our screening process for TEE and a need to implement a nuanced educational plan to better precisely identify appropriate cases for TEE usage.

Decreased Rivaroxaban Levels in a Patient with Cerebral Vein Thrombosis Receiving Phenytoin.

Combined use of antiepileptic drugs and anticoagulants is common. We describe the first case documenting laboratory interaction between rivaroxaban and phenytoin. A 48-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to cerebral venous thrombosis, bilateral pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis. She came from a small town with difficult access to warfarin monitoring. She was receiving phenytoin 100 mg three times daily (t.i.d.) and started enoxaparin 60 mg twice daily (b.i.d.). An abdominal mass was diagnosed and removed by laparoscopy (gastrointestinal stromal tumor). On day 5, she was switched to rivaroxaban 15 mg b.i.d. First peak anti-Factor Xa was 70 ng/ml (reference value: 100-300 ng/ml). She was discharged on rivaroxaban 15 mg b.i.d. and phenytoin 100 mg t.i.d. A week later, anti-Xa levels were 90 ng/ml. Due to concerns about thrombosis progression, she was switched to dabigatran. During follow-up, she remained asymptomatic and thrombin time >180 s was measured several times along 3 months as surrogate for dabigatran activity. Phenytoin is a combined CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein inducer, which might reduce rivaroxaban levels. Dabigatran is substrate of P-glycoprotein, meaning potential malabsorption. Despite unavailability of plasmatic dabigatran essays, our patient improved her symptoms without further symptomatic thromboembolism. Facing these interactions, either monitoring serum levels of anticoagulants or other therapeutic options should be considered.

Disulfiram--alcohol reaction mimicking an acute coronary syndrome.

Disulfiram treatment for alcohol dependence is used with acceptable outcomes. By inhibiting the aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme, this treatment increases acetaldehyde concentration after the ingestion of alcohol causing an unpleasant disulfiram-alcohol reaction. Typical symptoms include flushing, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, vertigo, and lightheadedness. However, there have also been descriptions of more serious reactions including severe hypotension, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular collapse. We report a patient with a severe disulfiram-alcohol reaction marked by flushing, confusion, generalized malaise, epigastric pain, and hypotension. Cardiac biomarker and electrocardiographic changes were suggestive of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Left heart catheterization showed no angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease. Because of the frequency of alcohol dependence and its treatment with disulfiram, it is critical for physicians to be aware of these types of life-threatening complications.

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction: a review of three different presentations for a rare disease.

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (ILVNC) is a rare cardiomyopathy with a genetic background characterized by numerous prominent trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses. It occurs in the absence of any coexisting congenital lesion or hemodynamic abnormality and is rare in the adult population. Heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias, and embolic events are the three major clinical manifestations of ILVNC. Medical and surgical treatment is similar to other systolic dysfunction cardiomyopathies and depends on the presenting clinical manifestations. In this review, we present three patients with different clinical presentations of ILVNC leading to different treatment modalities ranging from medications alone to device implantation and transplantation. Pathologic findings from one of our patients are also presented.

[26 year-old male patient with bone marrow transplantation. Report of a partial autopsy]. / Paciente de 26 años trasplantado de médula ósea. Reporte de autopsia parcial.

26 year-old male patient with diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2006, who underwent chemotherapy and suffered a relapse and pulmonary aspergillosis as a complication. In 2009, he received bone marrow transplant. After it, he developed cutaneous and intestinal graft versus host disease (GVH). He was admitted for diarrhea. Then he presented grade IV dyspnea, patchy alveolar infiltrates on chest computed tomography and pancytopenia with impaired renal function as laboratory findings. He entered Intensive Care Unit, dying 7 days later. The oncologist who discussed the case defined this patient as a high risk case because of type of transplant received, relapse and complications. His diagnostic hypotheses were: CMV infection, pulmonary aspergillosis reactivation, chronic GVH, Pneumocystis jiroveci infection, mycobacteriosis and pseudomembranous colitis. Partial autopsy revealed diffuse intra-alveolar hemorrhage, diffuse alveolar damage, right pulmonary infarction with microthrombosis and bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia.

[Risk of hemorrhage in patients older than 85 years, anticoagulated due to atrial fibrillation]. / Riesgo de hemorragía en pacientes mayores de 85 años anticuagulados por fibrilación auricular.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac tachyarrhythmia and is an important independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. Its prevalence begins to increase in both sexes after 40 years of age as well as the risk of hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to compare the annual rate of hemorrhagic events between patients older and younger than 85 years, with diagnosis of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and anticoagulated with warfarin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed. We included 118 patients with diagnosis of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation monitorized by an informatized follow up system. RESULTS: The study follow-up was 28,2 ± 17,5 months and 24 patients (20,3%) were older than 85 years of age. The rate of major bleedings was 4,62%/year (older than 85 years) vs 0,95%/year (younger than 85 years) , p= 0,05, OR 6,57 (IC 95% 1,04-41,8) and minor bleeding was 4,62%/year (older than 85 years) vs 5,2%/year (younger than 85 years), p=0,99, OR 1,08 (IC 95% 0,28-4,21). There was no difference in the Time in Therapeutic Range between both groups (56.4 ± 16.3 % vs 60.5 ± 17.7 %, p 0,30). CONCLUSION: The age should not be considered a contraindication to anticoagulant therapy, however, special care and careful monitoring of patients older than 85 years should be considered due to they had high risk of bleeding.