Pegylated interferon induced interstitial pneumonitis in a patient with hepatitis C infection.

Pegylated interferon and ribavirin is the treatment of choice in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. The most common side effects of interferon therapy are flu-like symptoms and psychiatric disorders. Pneumonitis is a less frequent complication associated with non-negligible mortality. We herein report a case of interferon associated pneumonitis in a patient with non-severe clinical symptoms and a normal chest radiography. Physicians should be aware of this entity during the differential diagnosis of respiratory symptoms in patients receiving treatment with interferon due to its high morbimortality and good resolution and outcome after drug withdrawal.

Neumonitis intersticial secundaria a tratamiento con interferón pegilado / Pegylated interferon induced interstitial pneumonitis in a patient with hepatitis C infection

El interferón pegilado asociado a ribavirina es el tratamiento de elección en los pacientes con infección por hepatitis C crónica. Los efectos secundarios más comunes son los síntomas gripales y las alteraciones psiquiátricas. La neumonitis es una complicación poco frecuente, pero se asocia con una mortalidad no despreciable. Presentamos el caso clínico de un paciente con neumonitis intersticial asociada a interferón que presentaba signos y síntomas clínicos sutiles y una radiografía de tórax sin alteraciones. Se debe de tener presente esta entidad en el diagnóstico diferencial de los síntomas respiratorios en pacientes que reciben tratamiento con interferón debido a su elevada morbi-mortalidad y a su evolución favorable tras la retirada del fármaco(AU)

Pegylated interferon and ribavirin is the treatment of choice in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. The most common side effects of interferon therapy are flu-like symptoms and psychiatric disorders. Pneumonitis is a less frequent complication associated with non-negligible mortality. We herein report a case of interferon associated pneumonitis in a patient with non-severe clinical symptoms and a normal chest radiography. Physicians should be aware of this entity during the differential diagnosis of respiratory symptoms in patients receiving treatment with interferon due to its high morbimortality and good resolution and outcome after drug withdrawal(AU)

[Appropriateness of empiric antibiotic therapy in urinary tract infection in emergency room]. / Adecuación del tratamiento empírico de la infección urinaria en urgencias.

INTRODUCTION: To describe characteristics of urinary tract infections attended in an Emergency Department. To assess antibiotic prescription and inappropriate treatment implications. METHODS: Adults patients attended in an Emergency Department during 2 months with UTI confirmed with urocultive were included. Appropriate antibiotic treatment was considered if the first antibiotic used was sensitive. We compared patients with appropriate and inappropriate antibiotic treatment. A logistic regression was performed to evaluate variables associated to inappropriate antibiotic treatment. RESULTS: A total of 151 patients were included (61% women, 67.1[22.3] years). Comorbidity was present in 63% of patients. Urinary sepsis was the most frequent diagnosis (32.5%). E coli was isolated in 65.6% of cases, and 10% presented bacteremia. Percentage of inappropriate antibiotic treatment was 20.5. It was associated (uncontrolled analysis) with male gender, elder patients, recent urinary simptoms, urologic manipulation more than 1 month ago, previous antibiotic use (especially ciprofloxacin or amoxicillin-clavulanate) and presentation with urinary sepsis. Logistic regression analysis showed association only with age (HR 0.978 per year, CI95% 0.957-1, p=0.029) and previous antibiotic use (HR 0.298, CI95% 0.098-0.901, p=0.05). Patients with inappropriate antibiotic treatment did not have higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate antibiotic treatment for UTI in Emergency Department is relatively frequent and it is associated to older age and previous antibiotic use.

Adecuación del tratamiento empírico de la infección urinaria en urgencias / Appropriateness of empiric antibiotic therapy in urinary tract infection in emergency room

IntroducciónSe diseñó este trabajo para describir las infecciones urinarias atendidas en un servicio de urgencias y valorar el grado de adecuación del antibiótico empírico.MétodosSe incluyeron todos los pacientes adultos atendidos en urgencias durante 2 meses con sospecha de infección urinaria con posterior urocultivo positivo. Se consideró tratamiento adecuado si el microorganismo fue sensible al primer antibiótico empleado. Se compararon los pacientes con y sin adecuación y se realizó un análisis de regresión logística para valorar variables asociadas con la inadecuación.ResultadosSe incluyeron 151 pacientes, el 61% eran mujeres y la edad media fue de 67,1 años (22,3). El 63% de los pacientes tenía comorbilidades. El diagnóstico más frecuente fue infección urinaria febril sin foco claro (32,5%). Se aisló Escherichia coli en el 65,6% de los pacientes y el 10% tuvo bacteriemia. La inadecuación del tratamiento empírico fue del 20,5%, y se asoció en el análisis univariado a ser varón, de más edad, con menor duración de los síntomas urinarios, con más tiempo transcurrido desde la manipulación urológica, con uso de antibiótico previo (especialmente ciprofloxacino o amoxicilina-clavulánico), y que se presentaban con infección urinaria febril sin foco claro. En el análisis controlado, la edad más avanzada (hazard ratio [HR]: 0,978 por año, IC95%: 0,957–0,999; p=0,029) y el uso de antibiótico previo (HR: 0,298, IC95%: 0,098–0,901; p=0,05) fueron las únicas variables asociadas a inadecuación. Los pacientes que recibieron tratamiento inadecuado no tuvieron mayor mortalidad.ConclusionesLa inadecuación del tratamiento empírico de la infección de la vía urinaria en urgencias es relativamente frecuente y se asocia a la edad avanzada y al uso de antibiótico previo(AU)

IntroductionTo describe characteristics of urinary tract infections attended in an Emergency Department. To assess antibiotic prescription and inappropriate treatment implications.MethodsAdults patients attended in an Emergency Department during 2 months with UTI confirmed with urocultive were included. Appropriate antibiotic treatment was considered if the first antibiotic used was sensitive. We compared patients with appropriate and inappropriate antibiotic treatment. A logistic regression was performed to evaluate variables associated to inappropriate antibiotic treatment.ResultsA total of 151 patients were included (61% women, 67.1[22.3] years). Comorbidity was present in 63% of patients. Urinary sepsis was the most frequent diagnosis (32.5%). E coli was isolated in 65.6% of cases, and 10% presented bacteremia. Percentage of inappropriate antibiotic treatment was 20.5. It was associated (uncontrolled analysis) with male gender, elder patients, recent urinary simptoms, urologic manipulation more than 1 month ago, previous antibiotic use (especially ciprofloxacin or amoxicillin-clavulanate) and presentation with urinary sepsis. Logistic regression analysis showed association only with age (HR 0.978 per year, CI95% 0.957–1, p=0.029) and previous antibiotic use (HR 0.298, CI95% 0.098–0.901, p=0.05). Patients with inappropriate antibiotic treatment did not have higher mortality.ConclusionsInappropriate antibiotic treatment for UTI in Emergency Department is relatively frequent and it is associated to older age and previous antibiotic use(AU)

Effect of different pharmacologic agents to reverse severe pulmonary hypertension among end-stage heart failure patients.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to analyze the hemodynamic responses during vasoreactivity tests among candidates for heart transplantation who displayed severe pulmonary hypertension seeking to identify risk markers of nonresponse to the test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this observational retrospective study we evaluated demographic, clinical, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic variables. The target hemodynamic goal in the vasoreactivity test was to achieve a transpulmonary gradient (TPG) <12 mm Hg and/or pulmonary vascular resistances (PVR) <2.5 Wood Units (WU). RESULTS: We analyzed medical records from 79 patients. Inotropes (dopamine or dobutamine) were used to treat 33 patients, nonselective vasodilators (nitroglycerin or sodium nitroprusside) were used in 22 patients, and prostacyclin (PC) was used in 24 patients. The study observed a significant decrease in pulmonary pressures, PVR, and TPG, with increased cardiac output (CO) compared with baseline hemodynamics in all groups. No significant differences were observed between agents except for an increase in CO, which was greater in the PC group. Also, 49.4% of patients were considered responders to the vasoreactivity test without significant differences between groups. Risk markers for absence of a response to the vasoreactivity test were a CO <2.5 L/min (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1; confidence interval [CI] 95%, 1.1-3.9; P = .035) and a PVR >6 WU (OR = 3.7; CI 95%, 1.8-7.6; P < .001) in the baseline hemodynamic study. CONCLUSIONS: Inotropes, nonselective vasodilators, and prostacyclin produced effective vasodilator responses in the pulmonary vascular bed during the vasoreactivity test. The presence of a baseline high PVR or a low CO were predictors of nonresponse to the test.