ABSTRACT
This article presents the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in Portugal during a four-year period (2014-2017). Data were retrieved from the 100 Portuguese hospital diagnosis discharge database for adult patients and included gender, age, chronic comorbidities, mortality and hospital length of stay. There were 28,632 episodes of HAP, an incidence of 0.95 per 100 admissions. HAP patients had both a prolonged hospital length of stay (mean 26.4 days) and high mortality (33.6%). Most episodes occurred in patients aged ≥65 years and in males (76.1% and 61.7%, respectively). Invasive ventilation was required in 18.8%.
Subject(s)
Hospitals , Pneumonia , Adult , Humans , Incidence , Male , Pneumonia/epidemiology , Portugal/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is an increasingly recognised problem in critically ill patients. Little is known about how intensivists react to an Aspergillus-positive respiratory sample or the efficacy of antifungal therapy (AFT). This study aimed to identify drivers of AFT prescription and diagnostic workup in patients with Aspergillus isolation in respiratory specimens as well as the impact of AFT in these patients. ICU patients with an Aspergillus-positive respiratory sample from the database of a previous observational, multicentre study were analysed. Cases were classified as proven/putative IPA or Aspergillus colonisation. Demographic, microbiological, diagnostic and therapeutic data were collected. Outcome was recorded 12 weeks after Aspergillus isolation. Patients with putative/proven IPA were more likely to receive AFT than colonised patients (78.7% vs. 25.5%; P <0.001). Patients with host factors for invasive fungal disease were more likely to receive AFT (72.5% vs. 37.4%) as were those with multiorgan failure (SOFA score >7) (68.4% vs. 36.9%) (both P <0.001). Once adjusted for disease severity, initiation of AFT did not alter the odds of survival (HR = 1.40, 95% CI 0.89-2.21). Likewise, treatment within 48 h following diagnosis did not change the clinical outcome (75.7% vs. 61.4%; P = 0.63). Treatment decisions appear to be based on diagnostic criteria and underlying disease severity at the time of Aspergillus isolation. IPA in this population has a dire prognosis and AFT is not associated with reduced mortality. This may be explained by delayed diagnosis and an often inevitable death due to advanced multiorgan failure.
Subject(s)
Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Delayed Diagnosis/mortality , Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis/diagnosis , Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis/drug therapy , Aged , Amphotericin B/therapeutic use , Aspergillus/drug effects , Aspergillus/isolation & purification , Clinical Decision-Making , Critical Illness , Drug Therapy, Combination , Echinocandins/therapeutic use , Female , Fungal Proteins/therapeutic use , Humans , Intensive Care Units , Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis/microbiology , Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis/mortality , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Respiratory System/microbiology , Treatment Outcome , Voriconazole/therapeutic useABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mid-regional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is a novel biomarker with potential prognostic utility in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). PURPOSE: To evaluate the value of MR-proADM levels at ICU admission for further severity stratification and outcome prediction, and its kinetics as an early predictor of response in severe CAP (SCAP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective, single-center, cohort study of 19 SCAP patients admitted to the ICU within 12h after the first antibiotic dose. RESULTS: At ICU admission median MR-proADM was 3.58nmol/l (IQR: 2.83-10.00). No significant association was found between its serum levels at admission and severity assessed by SAPS II (Spearman's correlation=0.24, p=0.31) or SOFA score (SOFA<10: <3.45nmol/l vs. SOFA≥10: 3.90nmol/l, p=0.74). Hospital and one-year mortality were 26% and 32%, respectively. No significant difference in median MR-proADM serum levels was found between survivors and non-survivors and its accuracy to predict hospital mortality was bad (aROC 0.53). After 48h of antibiotic therapy, MR-proADM decreased in all but 5 patients (median -20%; IQR -56% to +0.1%). Its kinetics measured by the percent change from baseline was a good predictor of clinical response (aROC 0.80). The best discrimination was achieved by classifying patients according to whether MR-proADM decreased or not within 48h. No decrease in MR-proADM serum levels significantly increased the chances of dying independently of general severity (SAPS II-adjusted OR 174; 95% CI 2-15,422; p=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: In SCAP patients, a decrease in MR-proADM serum levels in the first 48h after ICU admission was a good predictor of clinical response and better outcome.
