ABSTRACT
We aimed to determine the clinical features, predisposing factors, and outcome of left-sided Pseudomonas aeruginosa endocarditis in persons with no history of injection drug use. We performed a retrospective review of patient medical records from Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN; Scottsdale, AZ; and Jacksonville, FL) for all cases of left-sided P. aeruginosa endocarditis. We identified 4 cases. We present these cases, as well as a review of the English-language medical literature. Data gathered included the year the case was reported; the valve involved; treatment, including valve replacement surgery; and outcome, if known. Left-sided P. aeruginosa endocarditis in persons without injection drug use is a rare but serious infection, with a history of instrumentation as a common predisposing condition. Valvular surgery is indicated, when possible, for the best chance of survival, along with extended therapy with combination antibiotics for complete recovery.
Subject(s)
Endocarditis, Bacterial/diagnostic imaging , Endocarditis, Bacterial/mortality , Pseudomonas Infections/diagnostic imaging , Pseudomonas Infections/mortality , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/isolation & purification , Aged , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Cardiac Surgical Procedures/methods , Databases, Factual , Disease Progression , Echocardiography, Transesophageal/methods , Endocarditis, Bacterial/pathology , Endocarditis, Bacterial/therapy , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pseudomonas Infections/pathology , Pseudomonas Infections/therapy , Recurrence , Retrospective Studies , Risk Assessment , Sampling Studies , Severity of Illness Index , Substance Abuse, Intravenous , Survival RateABSTRACT
This investigation evaluated the efficacy of expressive writing as a treatment adjunct to a brief office smoking cessation intervention plus nicotine patch therapy in young adults. Participants aged 18-24 years were randomized to a brief office intervention (n=99) or to an expressive writing plus brief office intervention (n=97). Both conditions received four individual visits plus 6 weeks of nicotine patch therapy, which began on the quit date following the week 2 visit. Participants in the expressive writing plus brief intervention condition wrote for 2 consecutive days before and 3 consecutive days after the quit date. The brief office intervention group completed a control writing assignment. At end of treatment (week 8), biochemically confirmed 7-day point-prevalence abstinence for the expressive writing plus brief office intervention condition was significantly greater than for the brief office condition (33% vs. 20%, p=.043, OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.0-3.7, from a logistic regression adjusting for gender). At 24 and 52 weeks, abstinence rates were similar for the brief office intervention versus expressive writing plus brief office intervention (12% vs. 11% at 24 weeks; 11% vs. 11% at 52 weeks). The results suggest that expressive writing has promise as a smoking cessation treatment adjunct for young adults. Lengthier interventions or the use of boosters should be tested to extend treatment effects. However, participants reported a low level of enthusiasm for the expressive writing, which may be a barrier to implementing it over a longer time frame. Therefore, other modes of delivering expressive writing to young adult cigarette smokers should be explored.