Jose Bordon

In Vitro Antimicrobial Resistance of Urinary Escherichia coli Isolates among U.S. Outpatients from 2000 to 2010

ABSTRACT This study examines in vitro antimicrobial resistance data from Escherichia coli isolates obtained from urine samples of U.S. outpatients between 2000 and 2010 using The Surveillance Network (TSN). Antimicrobial susceptibility results (n = 12,253,679) showed the greatest increases in E. coli resistance from 2000 to 2010 for ciprofloxacin (3% to 17.1%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) (17.9% to 24.2%), whereas nitrofurantoin (0.8% to 1.6%) and ceftriaxone (0.2% to 2.3%) showed minimal change. From 2000 to 2010, the antimicrobial resistance of urinary E. coli isolates to ciprofloxacin and TMP-SMX among outpatients increased substantially.

Acute Myocardial Infarction in Hospitalized Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

BACKGROUND An epidemiological link between respiratory infection and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been suggested, and recent data indicate that there is an association between AMI and pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in hospitalized patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of AMI with the severity of pneumonia at hospitalization and clinical failure during hospitalization among patients with CAP. METHODS An observational, retrospective study involving consecutive patients hospitalized with CAP was performed at the Veterans Hospital of Louisville, Kentucky. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit were defined as having severe CAP. Clinical failure was defined as the development of respiratory failure or shock. AMI was diagnosed on the basis of abnormal troponin levels and electrocardiogram findings. Propensity-adjusted models that controlled for clinical and nonclinical factors were used to investigate the association between AMI and pneumonia severity index and between AMI and clinical failure. RESULTS Data for a total of 500 patients were studied. At hospital admission, AMI was present in 13 (15%) of 86 patients with severe CAP. During hospitalization, AMI was present in 13 (20%) of 65 patients who experienced clinical failure. Following risk adjustment, significant associations were discovered between AMI and the pneumonia severity index score (modeled with a restricted cubic spline) (P = .05) and between AMI and clinical failure (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS A combined diagnosis of CAP and AMI is common among hospitalized patients with severe CAP. In cases in which the clinical course of a hospitalized patient with CAP is complicated by clinical failure, AMI should be considered as a possible etiology.

Incidence, Etiology, Timing, and Risk Factors for Clinical Failure in Hospitalized Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

BACKGROUND The etiology of clinical failure in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) may be related or unrelated to pulmonary infection. The objective of this study was to define the incidence, etiology, timing, and risk factors associated with clinical failures related to CAP vs those unrelated to CAP. METHODS Observational retrospective study of consecutive CAP patients. All patients who experienced clinical failure were identified. Cases were presented to a review committee that defined, by consensus, etiology, timing, and risk factors for clinical failures related to CAP. RESULTS Among 500 patients who were enrolled in the study, clinical failure was identified in 67 (13%). Clinical failure was related to CAP in 54 patients (81%). The most common etiologies for clinical failure related to CAP were severe sepsis (33%), acute myocardial infarction (28%), and progressive pneumonia (19%). All cases of severe sepsis occurred in the first 72 h of hospitalization. The most common etiology for clinical failure unrelated to CAP was the development of hospital-acquired pneumonia (45%). At the time of hospital admission, factors associated with clinical failure related to CAP were advanced age, congestive heart failure, hypotension, abnormal gas exchange, acidosis, hypothermia, thrombocytopenia, and pleural effusion. CONCLUSIONS The development of severe sepsis early during hospitalization is the primary etiology for clinical failure related to CAP. To achieve early treatment intervention, physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for severe sepsis in hospitalized patients with CAP. To decrease the number of clinical failures unrelated to CAP, interventions need to be developed at the local level to improve the processes of care for patients with pneumonia.

Thrombocytopenia and Thrombocytosis at Time of Hospitalization Predict Mortality in Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

BACKGROUND Platelets are inflammatory cells with an important role in antimicrobial host defenses. We speculate that an abnormal platelet count may be a marker of severity in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The objectives of this study were to evaluate if abnormal platelet count in hospitalized patients with CAP was associated with 30-day mortality and to compare platelet count and leukocyte count as predictors of 30-day mortality. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of 500 consecutive patients hospitalized with CAP at the Veterans Hospital of Louisville, Kentucky, between June 2001 and March 2006 to investigate the association of platelet count and leukocyte count with 30-day mortality. Predictor variables were platelet count and leukocyte count. Abnormal platelet count was < 100,000/L (thrombocytopenia) and > 400,000/L (thrombocytosis). The outcome variable was 30-day mortality. To control for potential confounding, a propensity score that incorporated 33 variables was used. RESULTS Platelet count was strongly associated (P = .0009) with 30-day mortality, whereas no association was observed for leukocyte count (P = .5114). High platelet counts resulted in a significantly increased risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS Thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis are associated with mortality in patients hospitalized with CAP. When evaluating an initial CBC test in patients with CAP, an abnormal platelet count is a better predictor of outcome than an abnormal leukocyte count.

The Presence of Pneumococcal Bacteremia Does Not Influence Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Results From the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization (CAPO) International Cohort Study

BACKGROUND It remains unknown whether pneumococcal bacteremia increases the risk of poor outcomes in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The objective of this study was to investigate whether the presence of pneumococcal bacteremia influences the clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with CAP. METHODS We performed secondary analyses of the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization database of hospitalized patients with CAP and pneumococcal bacteremia, and patients with CAP and negative blood culture findings. To identify the effect of pneumococcal bacteremia on patient outcomes, we modeled all-cause mortality and CAP-related mortality using logistic regression analysis, and time to clinical stability and length of hospital stay using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS We studied 125 subjects with pneumococcal bacteremic CAP and 1,847 subjects with nonbacteremic CAP. The multivariable regression analysis revealed a lack of association of pneumococcal bacteremic CAP and time to clinical stability (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7 to 1.1; p = 0.25), length of hospital stay (hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.43; p = 0.25), all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.36 to 1.3; p = 0.25), and CAP-related mortality (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.35 to 2.06; p = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS Pneumococcal bacteremia does not increase the risk of poor outcomes in patients with CAP. Factors related to severity of disease are confounders of the association between pneumococcal bacteremia and poor outcomes. This study indicates that the presence of pneumococcal bacteremia by itself should not be a contraindication for deescalation of therapy in clinically stable hospitalized patients with CAP.

Decrease in Long-term Survival for Hospitalized Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

BACKGROUND The association of hospitalization because of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and long-term survival has not been fully examined. We measured the long-term survival of hospitalized patients with CAP adjusted for the effects of comorbidities. METHODS A cohort of adult patients admitted to the medical services of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Louisville, Kentucky, was retrospectively examined. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was constructed to assess the effect of CAP admission status on patient survival. A Cox proportional hazards regression model included comorbidities as predictors and time to death as the outcome in the construction of a modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (mCCI). The mCCI was internally validated to evaluate the predictability of patient survival. The mCCI and age > 65 years were included as potential confounders in a final Cox proportional hazards regression model with CAP admission status as the main predictor and time to death as the outcome. RESULTS CAP was identified in 624 (9%) out of 6,971 patients. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed a significantly shorter survival among patients with CAP than those without CAP (P < .0001). The internal validation of the mCCI showed that patients were more likely to die as the mCCI increased (P < .0001). The Cox proportional hazards regression modeling the association between time to death and CAP admission after adjusting for elderly age and the mCCI showed that hospitalization due to CAP was a statistically significant predictor of decreased survival (hazard ratio, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5; P < .0001). CONCLUSION There is a decreased long-term survival among hospitalized patients with CAP after adjusting for comorbidities and aging. Future research to understand the pathophysiology of the long-term CAP outcomes is necessary to develop treatment strategies.

ORIGINAL RESEARCHPNEUMONIAThe Presence of Pneumococcal Bacteremia Does Not Influence Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Results From the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization (CAPO) International Cohort Study

BACKGROUND It remains unknown whether pneumococcal bacteremia increases the risk of poor outcomes in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The objective of this study was to investigate whether the presence of pneumococcal bacteremia influences the clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with CAP. METHODS We performed secondary analyses of the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization database of hospitalized patients with CAP and pneumococcal bacteremia, and patients with CAP and negative blood culture findings. To identify the effect of pneumococcal bacteremia on patient outcomes, we modeled all-cause mortality and CAP-related mortality using logistic regression analysis, and time to clinical stability and length of hospital stay using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS We studied 125 subjects with pneumococcal bacteremic CAP and 1,847 subjects with nonbacteremic CAP. The multivariable regression analysis revealed a lack of association of pneumococcal bacteremic CAP and time to clinical stability (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7 to 1.1; p = 0.25), length of hospital stay (hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.43; p = 0.25), all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.36 to 1.3; p = 0.25), and CAP-related mortality (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.35 to 2.06; p = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS Pneumococcal bacteremia does not increase the risk of poor outcomes in patients with CAP. Factors related to severity of disease are confounders of the association between pneumococcal bacteremia and poor outcomes. This study indicates that the presence of pneumococcal bacteremia by itself should not be a contraindication for deescalation of therapy in clinically stable hospitalized patients with CAP.

Understanding the roles of cytokines and neutrophil activity and neutrophil apoptosis in the protective versus deleterious inflammatory response in pneumonia

Inflammation is a double-edged sword in the outcome of pneumonia. On the one hand, an effective and timely inflammatory response is required to eliminate the invading respiratory pathogen. On the other, a toxic and prolonged inflammatory response may result in lung injury and poor outcomes, even in those receiving advanced medical care. This review focuses on recent understanding of the dynamics of the cytokine response, neutrophil activity, and responsiveness to cytokines and neutrophil lifespan as major elements of lung inflammation resulting in favorable or poor outcomes in lung infection primarily due to pneumococcus and influenza virus. Although some progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the pneumonia inflammation axis composed of cytokines modulating neutrophil activation and neutrophil apoptosis, important questions remain to be answered. The degree of neutrophil activation, generation of reactive oxygen species, and the release of granule antimicrobial peptides play a key role in microbial pathogen clearance; however, prolonged neutrophil activation may contribute to lung injury and poor outcomes in pneumonia. Molecular markers of the mechanisms regulating neutrophil survival and apoptosis may help in the identification of novel therapeutic targets to modulate inflammation by inducing timely neutrophil apoptosis. A major task is to identify the mechanisms of dysregulation in inflammation leading to toxic responses, thereby targeting a biomarker and enabling timely therapies to modulate inflammation.

Klebsiella pneumoniae antimicrobial drug resistance, United States, 1998-2010.

We studied antimicrobial-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae for 1998–2010 by using data from The Surveillance Network. Susceptibility results (n = 3,132,354) demonstrated significant increases in resistance to all antimicrobial drugs studied, except tetracycline. Cross-resistance among carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae was lower for tetracycline and amikacin.

Predicting mortality in hospitalized patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza pneumonia.

BACKGROUND Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) severity scores can identify patients at low risk for mortality who may be suitable for ambulatory care. Here, we follow the clinical course of hospitalized patients with CAP due to 2009 H1N1 influenza. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of CAP severity scores as predictors of mortality. METHODS This was a secondary data analysis of patients hospitalized with CAP due to 2009 H1N1 influenza confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction enrolled in the CAPO (Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization) international cohort study. CAP severity scores PSI (Pneumonia Severity Index), CURB-65 (confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age ≥ 65 years) and CRB-65 (confusion, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age ≥ 65 years) were calculated. Actual and predicted mortality rates were compared. A total of 37 predictor variables were evaluated to define those associated with mortality. RESULTS Data from 250 patients with CAP due to 2009 H1N1 influenza were analyzed. Patients with low predicted mortality rates (0-1.5%) had actual mortality rates ranging from 2.6% to 17.5%. Obesity and wheezing were the only novel variables associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS The decision to hospitalize a patient with CAP due to 2009 H1N1 influenza should not be based on current CAP severity scores, as they underestimate mortality rates in a significant number of patients. Patients with obesity or wheezing should be considered at an increased risk for mortality.