Troponina elevada en pacientes sin síndrome coronario agudo / Troponin Elevation in patients without acute coronary syndrome

Introducción y objetivos: Las troponinas son biomarcadores específicos de daño miocárdico y tienen implicación en el diagnóstico y el pronóstico de pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo. El objetivo es determinar las características clínicas y el pronóstico en pacientes con elevación de troponina no diagnosticados de síndrome coronario agudo. Métodos: Se estudió retrospectivamente a 1.032 pacientes con determinación de troponinas en un servicio de urgencias, que quedaron distribuidos en tres grupos: 681 pacientes sin elevación de troponina y sin síndrome coronario agudo, 139 con síndrome coronario agudo y 212 con troponina elevada sin diagnóstico de síndrome coronario agudo. Se compararon las características clínicas de estos tres grupos y su mortalidad hospitalaria y a los 12 meses de seguimiento. Conclusiones: La troponina elevada es un importante predictor de mortalidad, independientemente del diagnóstico definitivo del paciente (AU)

Introduction and objectives: Troponins are specific biomarkers of myocardial injury and are implicated in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome. Our purpose was to determine the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with troponin elevation who are not diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: A total of 1032 patients with an emergency room troponin measurement were studied retrospectively, dividing them into 3 groups: 681 patients with no troponin elevation and without acute coronary syndrome, 139 with acute coronary syndrome, and 212 with troponin elevation and not diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. The clinical characteristics and in-hospital and 12-month mortality of these 3 groups were compared. Results: Patients with troponin elevation not diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome were older and had greater comorbidity than patients with acute coronary syndrome or no troponin elevation. The 12-month mortality was 30.2%, compared with 15.1% and 4.7% in the other groups (log rank test, P < .001). In the Cox logistic regression model adjusted for confounding variables, patients with troponin elevation and no diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome had higher mortality compared with patients with negative troponin without acute coronary syndrome (hazard ratio = 3.99; 95% confidence interval, 2.36-6.75; P < .001) and similar prognosis as patients with acute coronary syndrome. Conclusions: Troponin elevation is an important predictor of mortality, regardless of the patient's final diagnosis (AU)

Troponin elevation in patients without acute coronary syndrome.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Troponins are specific biomarkers of myocardial injury and are implicated in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome. Our purpose was to determine the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with troponin elevation who are not diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: A total of 1032 patients with an emergency room troponin measurement were studied retrospectively, dividing them into 3 groups: 681 patients with no troponin elevation and without acute coronary syndrome, 139 with acute coronary syndrome, and 212 with troponin elevation and not diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. The clinical characteristics and in-hospital and 12-month mortality of these 3 groups were compared. RESULTS: Patients with troponin elevation not diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome were older and had greater comorbidity than patients with acute coronary syndrome or no troponin elevation. The 12-month mortality was 30.2%, compared with 15.1% and 4.7% in the other groups (log rank test, P<.001). In the Cox logistic regression model adjusted for confounding variables, patients with troponin elevation and no diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome had higher mortality compared with patients with negative troponin without acute coronary syndrome (hazard ratio=3.99; 95% confidence interval, 2.36-6.75; P<.001) and similar prognosis as patients with acute coronary syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Troponin elevation is an important predictor of mortality, regardless of the patient's final diagnosis.

De-escalation therapy in ventilator-associated pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate de-escalation of antibiotic therapy in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. DESIGN: Prospective observational study during a 43-month period. SETTING: Medical-surgical intensive care unit. PATIENTS: One hundred and fifteen patients admitted to the intensive care unit with clinical diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia. All the episodes of ventilator-associated pneumonia received initial broad-spectrum coverage followed by reevaluation according to clinical response and microbiology. Quantitative cultures obtained by bronchoscopic examination or tracheal aspirates were used to modify therapy. INTERVENTIONS: : None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-one episodes of ventilator-associated pneumonia were diagnosed. Change of therapy was documented in 56.2%, including de-escalation (the most frequent cause) in 31.4% (increasing to 38% if isolates were sensitive). Overall intensive care unit mortality rate was 32.2%. Inappropriate antibiotic therapy was identified in 9% of cases and was associated with 14.4% excess intensive care unit mortality. Quantitative tracheal aspirates and bronchoscopic samples (58 protected specimen brush and three bronchoalveolar lavage) were associated with 32.7% and 29.5% intensive care unit mortality and 29.3% and 34.4% de-escalation rate. De-escalation was lower (p < .05) in the presence of nonfermenting Gram-negative bacillus (2.7% vs. 49.3%) and in the presence of late-onset pneumonia (12.5% vs. 40.7%). When the pathogen remained unknown, half of the patients died and de-escalation was not performed. CONCLUSION: De-escalation was the most important cause of antibiotic modification, being more feasible in early-onset pneumonia and less frequent in the presence of nonfermenting Gram-negative bacillus. The impact of quantitative tracheal aspirates or bronchoscopic techniques was comparable in terms of mortality.

Incidence, etiology, and outcome of nosocomial pneumonia in ICU patients requiring percutaneous tracheotomy for mechanical ventilation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiology of pneumonia in patients with tracheotomy receiving short-term mechanical ventilation. DESIGN: Observational prospective study. SETTING: A 14-bed medical-surgical ICU. SUBJECTS: Ninety-nine critically ill acute patients requiring percutaneous dilatational tracheotomy for mechanical ventilation. INTERVENTIONS: Tracheal aspirate obtained 48 h before tracheotomy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Eighteen patients (18.1%) acquired pneumonia (median of 7 days after tracheotomy). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequently identified pathogen, found in eight of the episodes (four not documented by prior tracheal colonization), followed by other Gram-negative bacilli. The development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) was not anticipated by any clinical variable. A positive tracheal aspirate (TA) culture result obtained before tracheotomy was associated with a risk of acquiring pneumonia of 19.7%, whereas sterile TA cultures were associated with a risk of 14.3% (p > 0.20). VAP prolonged ICU stay or the ventilation period for a median of 19 days and 15 days, respectively. Overall mortality was 34.3%, but the presence of VAP did not increase the mortality rate. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous tracheotomy in patients receiving short-term mechanical ventilation predisposes to pneumonia. Pneumonia was associated with prolonged ventilation and ICU stay, but was not associated with increased mortality. Pseudomonas is a common pathogen after tracheotomy, and this observation should be considered in selecting an antibiotic regimen, because TA obtained prior to the tracheotomy often failed to identify this pathogen.