[Nosocomial infection/colonization of the respiratory tract caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in an Internal Medicine ward]. / Infección/colonización nosocomial de las vías respiratorias por Acinetobacter baumannii en una planta de Medicina Interna.

BACKGROUND: To present the epidemiology of the outbreak and the description of patients with infection or colonization of the respiratory tract caused by A. baumannii in an Internal Medicine ward. METHODS: 20 consecutively patients hospitalized in the Internal Medicine ward were studied during 18 months with isolation of multiresistant A. baumanni in respiratory tract specimens with or without clinical signs of infection. RESULTS: Starting on an index case, that was a patient coming from other hospital with diagnosis of nosocomial Acinetobacter pneumonia, we detected 20 patients. The age of the patients ranged from 48 to 95 years, with a mean of 71.4 years. Eighty percent were males. The clinical features were similar: advanced age, with chronic diseases (35 percent diabetics, 45 percent with chronic lung diseases), and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics agents, fundamentally third generation cephalosporin (70 percent), clarithromycin (55 percent) and quinolones (30 percent). 75 percent of patients were in the same ward. Eight (40 percent) of the patients with chronic lung diseases were subjects with COPD, two with asthma and chronic glucocorticoids treatment, and one with a sleep apnea. In four cases the isolation was considered a colonization. The mean stay was 26.15 days, and the mortality 40 percent. CONCLUSIONS: The nosocomial infection caused by Acinetobacter baumannii is responsible of a high morbi-mortality between the patients hospitalized in an Internal Medicine ward, and produce an increase in length of stay. It is necessary a combination of control measures to prevent the transmission in the hospital and the outbreak of new multiresistant strains.

Infección/colonización nosocomial de las vías respiratorias por Acinetobacter baumannii en una planta de Medicina Interna / Nosocomial Infection/Colonization of the respiratory tract caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in an Internal Medicine Ward

Fundamento: Presentar la epidemiología del brote y la descripción de los pacientes con infección o colonización de las vías respiratorias por Acinetobacter baumannii en el área de hospitalización de Medicina Interna. Métodos: Estudio de 20 pacientes consecutivos ingresados en la planta de hospitalización de Medicina Interna durante 18 meses, en los que se aisló en esputo A. baumannii multirresistente, acompañado o no de signos clínicos de infección. Resultados: A raíz de un caso índice, que fue un paciente trasladado de otro centro hospitalario con el diagnóstico de neumonía nosocomial por A. baumannii, se han detectado 20 pacientes, cuya edad media es de 71.4 años (48-95). El perfil de los pacientes fue similar: edad avanzada, con patología crónica de base (35% diabéticos, 45% con enfermedad respiratoria crónica), con ingresos previos en Medicina Interna (35%), y con antecedente de consumo en el mes previo de antibióticos, fundamentalmente cefalosporinas de tercera generación (70% de los casos), claritromicina (55%) y quinolonas (30%). El 75% de los casos aconteció en el mismo área de hospitalización. De los pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar crónica, 8 (40%) cumplían criterios de EPOC, 2 eran asmáticos corticodependientes y 1 paciente estaba diagnosticado de SAOS. En 4 casos el aislamiento se consideró colonización. La estancia media fue de 26.15 días, con un porcentaje de exitus del 40%. Conclusiones: La infección nosocomial por Acinetobacter baumannii es responsable de una elevada morbimortalidad entre los pacientes ingresados en la planta de Medicina Interna. Es fundamental la adopción de medidas para el control de su transmisión intrahospitalaria y evitar la aparición de nuevas cepas multirresistentes (AU)

Background: To present the epidemiology of the outbreak and the description of patients with infection or colonization of the respiratory tract caused by A. baumannii in an Internal Medicine ward. Methods: 20 consecutively patients hospitalized in the Internal Medicine ward were studied during 18 months with isolation of multiresistant A. baumanni in respiratory tract specimens with or without clinical signs of infection. Results: starting on an index case, that was a patient coming from other hospital with diagnosis of nosocomial Acinetobacter pneumonia, we detected 20 patients. The age of the patients ranged from 48 to 95 years, with a mean of 71.4 years. Eighty percent were males. The clinical features were similar: advanced age, with chronic diseases (35 percent diabetics, 45 percent with chronic lung diseases), and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics agents, fundamentally third generation cephalosporin (70 percent), clarithromycin (55 percent) and quinolones (30 percent). 75 percent of patients were in the same ward. Eight (40 percent) of the patients with chronic lung diseases were subjects with COPD, two with asthma and chronic glucocorticoids treatment, and one with a sleep apnea. In four cases the isolation was considered a colonization. The mean stay was 26.15 days, and the mortality 40 percent. Conclusions: The nosocomial infection caused by Acinetobacter baumannii is responsible of a high morbi-mortality between the patients hospitalized in an Internal Medicine ward, and produce an increase in length of stay. It is necessary a combination of control measures to prevent the transmission in the hospital and the outbreak of new multiresistant strains (AU)

[Endobronchial metastasis. Clinical aspects, diagnosis and course in a series of 27 cases]. / Metástasis endobronquiales. Clínica, diagnóstico y evolución en una serie de 27 casos.

Our 10-year experience is reviewed of 27 cases of endobronchial metastasis diagnosed by bronchoscopy. Primary tumors were breast (15 cases), kidney, bladder, rectum and melanoma (two cases each), and stomach, gingiva, amygdala and penis (one case each). Their presentation was prior to primary neoplasm in two patients, simultaneously in three, and posterior in the remaining patients (mean 64 +/- 52 months). Half of patients also had extrathoracic metastasis. In cases of breast cancer systemic chemotherapy was administered and the median survival rate was 24 months, significantly longer than in the remaining group (3 months); in the later, symptomatic therapy predominated due to the common involvement of lung parenchyma and functional deterioration of patients.