[Risk factors for pneumonia in patients with cardiovascular diseases]. / Risikofaktoren für Pneumonien bei Patienten mit kardiovaskulären Grunderkrankungen.

A case-control-study was performed to identify patients at particularly high risk of community-acquired pneumonia and nosocomial pneumonia with a special focus on cardiovascular diseases as potential risk factors. Thirty-six consecutive hospitalized patients with cardiovascular diseases and pneumonia were matched with 36 controls also suffering from cardiovascular diseases but without pneumonia. From all cardiovascular diseases only heart failure proved to be an independent risk factor for pneumonia (OR 5.69, 95 % KI 1.69 - 19.04, p = 0.0048). Both chronic (p = 0.009) and acute heart failure (p = 0.028) were associated with an increased risk of pneumonia. The risk of pneumonia was closely related to the degree of ventricular function impairment. Coronary heart disease, valvular disease, arrythmia, myocarditis, endocarditis and cardiomyopathy did not increase the risk for pneumonia unless accompanied by heart failure. Pulmonary (OR 9.24, 95 % KI 1.48 - 57.74, p = 0.00174) and renal diseases (OR 7.49, 95 % KI 1.38 - 40.76, p = 0.0197) were validated as additional independent risk factors. A history of smoking was also associated with an increased risk of pneumonia (p = 0,023). This study supports the hypothesis that heart failure resulting from cardiovascular disease and not cardiovascular disease itself mounts the risk for pneumonia.

[Noncompaction of the left ventricular myocardium. Case report and review of the literature]. / Noncompaction des linksventrikulären Myokards. Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht.

Left ventricular non-compaction is an unclassified cardiomyopathy characterized by an excessively prominent trabecular meshwork due to an arrest in myocardial morphogenesis. We report on a 51-year-old female patient with abnormal myocardial trabeculations associated with a congenital mitral valve stenosis post commissurotomy at the age of 14. In the present case report, clinical manifestation of the disorder included impaired left ventricular systolic function and atrial fibrillation. Noncompaction was diagnosed by echocardiography and levocardiography. In addition, a review of the literature on this rare disorder is presented.

Incidence of left atrial thrombi in patients in sinus rhythm and with a recent neurologic deficit.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the incidence of left atrial (LA) thrombi in patients in sinus rhythm (SR) and with a recent neurologic deficit and to analyze the relation between LA thrombi and LA chamber and appendage function in patients in SR. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 869 consecutive patients. The study group consisted of 583 patients in SR (67%). The remaining 286 patients had atrial fibrillation (AF) and served as controls (33%). RESULTS: The incidence of LA thrombi was significantly higher in patients with AF (n = 39 [14%]) compared with patients in SR (n = 6 [1%]; P <.001). Three of 6 patients with thrombi in SR had mitral stenosis, 1 patient had aortic stenosis, 1 patient had coronary artery disease, and another patient had a cardiomyopathy. Of the patients with detected thrombi, those in SR did not receive anticoagulation, whereas those with AF did in 18 cases. Patients with thrombi in SR and with AF did not significantly differ in LA diameter (5.1 +/- 0.8 cm vs 4.8 +/- 0.7 cm; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.78 to 0.45), left ventricular ejection fraction (46% +/- 13% vs 42% +/- 15%; 95% CI, -18.7 to 7.4), LA appendage area (5.8 +/- 2.7 cm(2) vs 6.7 +/- 3.2 cm(2); 95% CI, -1.9 to 3.6), peak emptying velocity of the LA appendage (0.19 +/- 0.08 m/s vs 0.17 +/- 0.07 m/s; 95% CI, -0.08 to 0.04), or LA spontaneous echo contrast (3. 5 +/- 0.6 vs 3.9 +/- 0.5; 95% CI, -0.06 to 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: LA appendage thrombi are an infrequent cause of thromboembolism in patients in SR and are associated either with mitral valve disease or LA chamber and appendage dysfunction. Routine transesophageal echocardiography for the exclusion of LA thrombi is not recommended in patients in SR without underlying heart disease and normal LA function as assessed by transthoracic echocardiography.

[Community-acquired pneumonia requiring inpatient treatment: outcome and prognostic rule]. / Stationär behandlungspflichtige ambulant erworbene Pneumonien: Ausgang und prognostische Regel.

OBJECTIVE: Mortality in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) may be reduced by early identification of patients requiring intensive care treatment. The purpose of the study was to determine prognostic factors of outcome in patients with CAP in order to establish a clinically applicable discriminant rule. METHODS: 93 episodes of 92 patients with CAP were reviewed with regard to epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and microbiologic data. The prognostic analysis included a univariate as well as a multivariate approach in order to identify parameters correlated with death using the Cox regression hazard function in a backward stepwise selection model. The three parameters found to contribute most to the significance of the model were used in a discriminant rule for classification of outcome. RESULTS: The parameters found to be significantly different between survivors and non-survivors were heart rate, systolic, diastolic as well as mean blood pressures, leucocyte count, percentage of laymphocytes, and LDH values. The multivariate analysis revealed that heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, and LDH serum levels were associated best with lethal outcome (overall significance of the model p < 0.005). A prognostic rule composed of the variables heart rate > or = 90 beats/min, systolic arterial blood pressure < or = 80 mmHg and LDH > or = 260 U/l achieved a sensitivity of 77%, a specificity of 75% and positive and negative predictive values of 42% and 93%, respectively. It was associated with a 6-fold increased risk of lethal outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and LDH values were associated best with death in a multivariate analysis. A discriminant rule consisting of these three variables achieved favourable classification results. The rule qualifies for further prospective validation and may prove useful in the management of hospital treated CAP.

Value of routine microbial investigation in community-acquired pneumonia treated in a tertiary care center.

The study was conducted at a tertiary care and teaching hospital with about 200 beds for internal medicine. The objective was to determine the diagnostic yield and value in directing antibiotic therapy of a routine microbial approach in patients with community-acquired pneumonia referred to a tertiary care center. We studied 93 episodes in a retrospective study. 69/93 (74%) cases were treated with at least one empirical antibiotic therapy prior to admission. Microbial investigation was performed in 83/93 cases (89%). An etiological agent was established in 19/83 (23%) cases including 7/50 (14%) by blood culture and 12/52 (23%) by serology. Bronchoscopy with 18 protected specimen brush and 20 bronchoalveolar lavage examinations was definitely diagnostic in only 1/25 (4%) cases, and this case was also identified by blood culture. 5/25 (20%) were probably diagnostic. Three pathogens, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila, accounted for 15/19 (79%) of the identified agents. The diagnostic results directed a change in antibiotic therapy in 6/19 (32%) of cases with definitely proven pathogens. 4/19 (21%) of cases would have been treated with an inappropriate regimen without diagnostic results. The diagnostic yield of routine microbial investigation in pretreated patients is low. The routine approach reveals its limited value especially in patients with severe courses. The role of bronchoscopy remains to be defined for patients with severe (and pretreated) community-acquired pneumonia.

Prognostic analysis and predictive rule for outcome of hospital-treated community-acquired pneumonia.

In community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) mortality may be reduced by early identification of patients requiring intensive care treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine prognostic factors of outcome in patients with CAP in order to establish a clinically applicable discriminant rule. Ninety three episodes of CAP in 92 patients were retrospectively reviewed with regard to epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and microbiological data. The prognostic analysis included a univariate as well as a multivariate approach, in order to identify parameters associated with death using the Cox regression hazard function in a backward stepwise selection model. The three parameters found to contribute most to the significance of the model were used in a discriminant rule for classification of outcome. The parameters found to be significantly different between survivors and non-survivors were heart rate, systolic and diastolic as well as mean blood pressures, leucocyte count, percentage of lymphocytes, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) values. The multivariate analysis revealed that heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, and LDH serum levels were most closely associated with fatal outcome. A prognostic rule composed of the variables heart rate > or = 90 beats.min-1, systolic arterial blood pressure < or = 80 mmHg, and LDH > or = 260 U.l-1 achieved a sensitivity of 77%, a specificity of 75%, and positive and negative predictive values of 42 and 93%, respectively. It was associated with a six fold increased risk of fatal outcome. In conclusion, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and LDH values were most closely associated with death in a multivariate analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)