Clinical response to ertapenem in severe community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective series in an elderly population.

To evaluate in routine hospital practice the clinical response to ertapenem in comparison with other parenteral antibiotics in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), clinical records from patients with severe CAP treated with ertapenem from July 2002 to June 2006 in seven Spanish hospitals were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified according to the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI). Each ertapenem-treated patient was matched with two patients in the same hospital treated with other antibiotics, according to age (difference 76 years). Comorbidities were present in 193 patients (95.5%). No differences were found in median hospital stay (7 days for ertapenem vs. 10 days for comparators, p 0.066). A slightly higher clinical response rate was obtained for ertapenem vs. comparators (88.7% vs. 77.1%; p 0.0465; OR 2.25; 95% CI 0.99-5.12), with significant differences in clinical response in patients coming from nursing homes (95.8% ertapenem vs. 63.8% comparators; p 0.0034) but not in non-institutionalized patients (85.4% ertapenem vs. 84.5% comparators; p 0.929). The higher clinical response to ertapenem vs. comparators in severe CAP was due to its significantly higher efficacy in healthcare-associated CAP in patients coming from nursing homes.

[Captopril in single doses in the treatment mild-moderated arterial hypertension]. / Captopril en dosis única en el tratamiento de la hipertensión arterial ligera-moderada.

The effect of single dose (50 mg) Captopril (C) used either alone or associated to diuretics (50 mg hydrochlorothiazide -HCTI) in the treatment of mild-moderate essential arterial hypertension was studied in a multicentric study. Eighty eight patients were chosen. After a minimum of 4 month follow-up period 53.4% responded (BDP less than 95 mm Hg) to single dose C (group 1:47 patients), 89.77% to 50 mg C in single dose together with 50 mg HTIT (group 2: 32 patients), 95.45% of two 50 mg doses of C and 50 mg HCIT (group 3: 5 patients), and 97.72% responded to 3 doses of C and 50 mg of HCTI (group 4: 2 patients). The decrease in blood pressure values was statistically significant (p, 000, Wilcoxon test) in groups 1 and 2, having a mean decrease in blood pressure (BP) of 14%. In group 1 (n = 42) the SBP which initially was 165.72 +/- 11.32, decreased to 148.28 +/- 11.5 and the DBP decreased from 101.55 +/- 5.68 to 87.28 +/- 6.59. In group 2 (n = 32) the SBP decreased from 173.50 +/- 14.08 to 152.44 +/- 20.8 and the DBP from 103.34 +/- 5.29 to 87.47 +/- 6.39. The response to monotherapy could not be statistically correlated either to early essential hypertension or to the patients age. Treatment was discontinued in three cases due to the secondary effects, cough, ageusia and nervousness, showing the remaining patients a good tolerance. No changes were observed in the analytical parameters. This study shows the usefulness and tolerance of single dose C as the initial treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension.