Comparison of albicans vs. non-albicans candidemia in French intensive care units.

Crit Care. 2010 May 27;14(3):R98

Authors: Leroy O, Mira JP, Montravers P, Gangneux JP, Lortholary O

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Candidemia raises numerous therapeutic issues for intensive care physicians. Epidemiological data that could guide the choice of initial therapy are still required. This analysis sought to compare the characteristics of intensive care unit (ICU) patients with candidemia due to non-albicans Candida species with those of ICU patients with candidemia due to Candida albicans. METHODS: Prospective, observational, multicenter, French study (October 2005 to May 2006). Patients exhibiting candidemia developed during ICU stay and exclusively due either to one or more non-albicans C. species or to C. albicans were selected. The data collected included patients characteristics on ICU admission and at the onset of candidemia. RESULTS: Among the 136 patients analyzed, 78 (57.4%) had candidemia caused by C. albicans. These patients had earlier onset of infection (11.1 +/- 14.2 days after ICU admission vs. 17.4 +/- 17.7, P=0.02), higher severity scores on ICU admission (SOFA: 10.4 +/- 4.7 vs. 8.6 +/- 4.6, P=0.03; SAPS II: 57.4 +/- 22.8 vs. 48.7 +/- 15.5, p = 0.015), and were less often neutropenic (2.6% vs. 12%, P=0.04) than patients with candidemia due to non-albicans C. species. CONCLUSIONS: Although patients infected with Candida albicans differed from patients infected with non-albicans Candida species for a few characteristics, no clinical factor appeared pertinent enough to guide the choice of empirical antifungal therapy in ICU.

PMID: 20507569 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Impact of the Pneumococcal Vaccine on Long-Term Morbidity and Mortality of Adults at High Risk for Pneumonia.

Clin Infect Dis. 2010 May 26;

Authors: Johnstone J, Eurich DT, Minhas JK, Marrie TJ, Majumdar SR

Background. There is debate surrounding the effectiveness of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV). We determined whether PPV was associated with reduced mortality or additional hospitalization for vaccine-preventable infections in patients previously hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods. From 2000 through 2002, adults with CAP admitted to the hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, were enrolled in a population-based cohort. Postdischarge outcomes during 5 years were ascertained using administrative databases. The primary outcome was the composite of all-cause mortality or additional hospitalization for vaccine-preventable infections. Proportional hazards analysis was used to determine the association between PPV use and outcomes. Results. A total of 2950 patients were followed up for a median of 3.8 years. The mean patient age was 68 years; 52% were male. One-third (n = 956) received PPV: 667 (70%) before and 289 (30%) during hospitalization. After discharge, 1404 patients (48%) died, 504 (17%) were admitted with vaccine-preventable infections, and 1626 (55%) reached the composite outcome of death or infection. PPV was not associated with reduced risk of the composite outcome (589 [62%] vs 1037 [52%] for those unvaccinated; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-1.04). Results were not altered in sensitivity analyses using propensity scores (adjusted HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.79-1.04), restricting the sample to patients 65 years or older (adjusted HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.77-1.04), or considering only those who received PPV at discharge (adjusted HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71-1.00). Conclusions. One-half of patients discharged from the hospital after pneumonia die or are subsequently hospitalized with a vaccine-preventable infection within 5 years. PPV was not associated with a reduced risk of death or hospitalization. Better pneumococcal vaccination strategies are urgently needed.

PMID: 20504233 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Primary Care Specialty Choices of United States Medical Graduates, 1997-2006.

Acad Med. 2010 Jun;85(6):947-958

Authors: Jeffe DB, Whelan AJ, Andriole DA

PURPOSE: To describe trends in specialty choice and to identify predictors of primary care specialty choices among graduates of U.S. MD-granting medical schools. METHOD: A longitudinal study evaluated 1997-2006 medical school graduates who completed the Association of American Medical Colleges' Matriculating Student Questionnaire and Graduation Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression identified significant predictors of graduates' choice of primary care specialty (general internal medicine, general pediatrics, internal medicine subspecialties, pediatrics subspecialties, family medicine, and obstetrics-gynecology) or "no-board-certification specialty," compared with all other specialties (reference). RESULTS: The sample included 102,673 graduates (64.9% of all 1997-2006 graduates). General internal medicine, family medicine, general pediatrics, and obstetrics-gynecology choice decreased, whereas internal medicine subspecialties, pediatrics subspecialties, and no-board-certification specialty choice increased over time (each: P < .001). Female graduates and those who planned to practice in underserved communities, espoused more-altruistic beliefs about health care, and ascribed greater importance to social responsibility in their choice of medicine at matriculation were more likely to choose general internal medicine, general pediatrics, family medicine, or obstetrics-gynecology, whereas graduates who had a physician parent and who planned full-time academic medicine careers were less likely to do so (each: P < .01). Graduates with higher debt were less likely to choose internal medicine and pediatrics specialties (each: P < .001) and more likely to choose obstetrics-gynecology (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Generalist-primary care specialty choices declined since 1997, whereas primary care subspecialty and no-board-certification specialty choices increased. Associations between primary care specialty choices and demographic, attitudinal, and career intention variables can inform the design of interventions to address expected primary care workforce shortages.

PMID: 20505392 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Carotid-Artery Stenting in Stroke Prevention.

N Engl J Med. 2010 May 26;

Authors: Davis SM, Donnan GA

PMID: 20505174 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Ultrasound-guided femoral dialysis access placement: a single-center randomized trial.

Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010 Feb;5(2):235-9

Authors: Prabhu MV, Juneja D, Gopal PB, Sathyanarayanan M, Subhramanyam S, Gandhe S, Nayak KS

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Insertion of dialysis catheters (DCs) is a prerequisite for successful initiation of hemodialysis. We attempted to determine if ultrasonography-guided (USG) insertion was superior and safer than the anatomical landmark-guided technique (ALT) for the femoral vein (FV). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This was a randomized prospective study on 110 patients requiring FV DCs in a tertiary care hospital. Patients were randomized into two groups: USG and ALT. Data were collected on demography, operator experience, and side of insertion. The USG group had their catheters inserted under USG guidance, whereas the ALT group had their DC inserted by ALT. Outcome measures included successful insertion of DC, number of attempts, and complications. RESULTS: Both groups were comparable regarding age and gender of patients, operator experience, and the side of catheterization. The overall success rate was 89.1%, with 80% using ALT and 98.2% under USG guidance (P = 0.002). First attempt success rate was 54.5% in the ALT group as compared with 85.5% in the USG group (P = 0.000). The complication rate was 18.2% in the ALT group and 5.5% in the USG group (P = 0.039). The odds ratio (OR) for complications with two or more attempts was 10.73 with a relative risk (RR) of 3.2. The OR for successful insertion using USG was 13.5 (95% CI: 1.7 to 108.7). CONCLUSIONS: USG significantly improves success rate, reduces number of attempts, and decreases the incidence of complications related to FV DC insertion.

PMID: 19965532 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Complications associated with pulmonary artery catheters: a comprehensive clinical review.

Scand J Surg. 2009;98(4):199-208

Authors: Evans DC, Doraiswamy VA, Prosciak MP, Silviera M, Seamon MJ, Rodriguez Funes V, Cipolla J, Wang CF, Kavuturu S, Torigian DA, Cook CH, Lindsey DE, Steinberg SM, Stawicki SP

Care for the critically ill patient requires maintenance of adequate tissue perfusion/oxygenation. Continuous hemodynamic monitoring is frequently utilized to achieve these objectives. Pulmonary artery catheters (PAC) allow measurement of hemodynamic variables that cannot be measured reliably or continuously by less invasive means. Inherent to every medical intervention are risks associated with that intervention. This review categorizes complications associated with the PAC into four broad groups–complications of central venous access; complications related to PAC insertion and manipulation; complications associated with short- or long-term presence of the PAC in the cardiovascular system; and errors resulting from incorrect interpretation/use of PAC-derived data. We will discuss each of these four broad categories, followed by in-depth descriptions of the most common and most serious individual complications.

PMID: 20218415 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Clevidipine: a new intravenous option for the management of acute hypertension.

Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2010 Mar 1;67(5):351-60

Authors: Ndefo UA, Erowele GI, Ebiasah R, Green W

PURPOSE: The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, dosage and administration, and place in therapy of clevidipine are reviewed. SUMMARY: Clevidipine is a new lipophilic, short-acting, third-generation dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (CCB) approved for use in the management of acute hypertension when oral agents are not feasible. It exerts its hemodynamic effects through selective arterial vasodilation without effects on the venous circulation. Clevidipine has a half-life of approximately two minutes after i.v. administration, resulting in very rapid onset and offset of antihypertensive action. Unlike many current i.v. antihypertensive agents that are metabolized by the kidneys or liver, clevidipine is metabolized in the blood and tissues and does not accumulate in the body. Clevidipine does not appear to inhibit or induce cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes. Several Phase III clinical trials have reported the clinical efficacy and safety of clevidipine in patients with severe hypertension and in cardiac surgical patients with perioperative hypertension. The most frequent adverse events reported in clinical trials of clevidipine were headache, nausea, and vomiting. Risk of rebound hypertension, especially in patients not transitioned from clevidipine to oral antihypertensive therapy after prolonged infusions, should be monitored for at least eight hours after the drug is discontinued. CONCLUSION: Clevidipine, a novel third-generation dihydropyridine CCB, has demonstrated efficacy and safety in patients with acute hypertension and preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative hypertension. While its short duration of action and short half-life are appropriate for use in acute settings, more information on its safety is needed to assess its appropriate use in therapy.

PMID: 20172984 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Impact of a computerized physician order entry system on compliance with prescription accuracy requirements.

Pharm World Sci. 2009 Oct;31(5):596-602

Authors: Mir C, Gadri A, Zelger GL, Pichon R, Pannatier A

OBJECTIVE: To assess the change in non-compliant items in prescription orders following the implementation of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system named PreDiMed. SETTING: The department of internal medicine (39 and 38 beds) in two regional hospitals in Canton Vaud, Switzerland. METHOD: The prescription lines in 100 pre- and 100 post-implementation patients' files were classified according to three modes of administration (medicines for oral or other non-parenteral uses; medicines administered parenterally or via nasogastric tube; pro re nata (PRN), as needed) and analyzed for a number of relevant variables constitutive of medical prescriptions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The monitored variables depended on the pharmaceutical category and included mainly name of medicine, pharmaceutical form, posology and route of administration, diluting solution, flow rate and identification of prescriber. RESULTS: In 2,099 prescription lines, the total number of non-compliant items was 2,265 before CPOE implementation, or 1.079 non-compliant items per line. Two-thirds of these were due to missing information, and the remaining third to incomplete information. In 2,074 prescription lines post-CPOE implementation, the number of non-compliant items had decreased to 221, or 0.107 non-compliant item per line, a dramatic 10-fold decrease (chi(2) = 4615; P < 10(-6)). Limitations of the computerized system were the risk for erroneous items in some non-prefilled fields and ambiguity due to a field with doses shown on commercial products. CONCLUSION: The deployment of PreDiMed in two departments of internal medicine has led to a major improvement in formal aspects of physicians' prescriptions. Some limitations of the first version of PreDiMed were unveiled and are being corrected.

PMID: 19554471 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection is associated with a small increased risk of death in elderly inpatients.

J Hosp Infect. 2010 Apr;74(4):401-3

Authors: Tangiisuran B, Davies JG, Cheek L, Rajkumar C, Llewelyn M

PMID: 20061064 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Improving venous thromboembolism performance: a comprehensive guide for physicians and hospitalists.

Hosp Pract (Minneap). 2010 Jun;38(3):7-16

Authors: Merli G

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major potentially preventable cause of hospital deaths and is associated with a substantial clinical and economic burden in the United States. Despite the availability of effective thromboprophylactic agents and evidence-based management guidelines, VTE prophylaxis is commonly underused and inappropriately prescribed in real-world practice. Several US organizations have developed quality improvement initiatives to close the gap between guideline recommendations and clinical practice, and thus reduce VTE-associated morbidity and mortality. The Surgical Care Improvement Project and the National Quality Forum, in collaboration with The Joint Commission, have developed performance measures to allow assessment of the quality and appropriateness of VTE prevention practices. A number of potential barriers to optimal VTE performance exist, including underestimation of the risks posed by VTE, overestimation of the risk of bleeding complications, and a lack of familiarity with clinical guidelines. Hospitals are urged to develop an institution-wide policy to improve VTE prevention and employ several quality-improvement initiatives to overcome barriers and optimize prescribing practices. In particular, multiple integrated, active strategies are required to raise awareness of the need for appropriate VTE prophylaxis. Hospital-wide education, risk-assessment tools, electronic alerts, computerized decision-support systems, together with audit and feedback mechanisms, are valuable tools that can be used to promote the use of performance measures to drive improvement of VTE prophylaxis and clinical outcomes.

PMID: 20499768 [PubMed - in process]

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Antibiotic therapy and treatment failure in patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

JAMA. 2010 May 26;303(20):2035-42

Authors: Rothberg MB, Pekow PS, Lahti M, Brody O, Skiest DJ, Lindenauer PK

CONTEXT: Guidelines recommend antibiotic therapy for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the evidence is based on small, heterogeneous trials, few of which include hospitalized patients. OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcomes of patients treated with antibiotics in the first 2 hospital days with those treated later or not at all. Design, Setting, and PATIENTS: Retrospective cohort of patients aged 40 years or older who were hospitalized from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2007, for acute exacerbations of COPD at 413 acute care facilities throughout the United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A composite measure of treatment failure, defined as the initiation of mechanical ventilation after the second hospital day, inpatient mortality, or readmission for acute exacerbations of COPD within 30 days of discharge; length of stay, and hospital costs. RESULTS: Of 84 621 patients, 79% received at least 2 consecutive days of antibiotic treatment. Treated patients were less likely than nontreated patients to receive mechanical ventilation after the second hospital day (1.07%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06%-1.08% vs 1.80%; 95% CI, 1.78%-1.82%), had lower rates of inpatient mortality (1.04%; 95% CI, 1.03%-1.05% vs 1.59%; 95% CI, 1.57%-1.61%), and had lower rates of readmission for acute exacerbations of COPD (7.91%; 95% CI, 7.89%-7.94% vs 8.79%; 95% CI, 8.74%-8.83%). Patients treated with antibiotic agents had a higher rate of readmissions for Clostridium difficile (0.19%; 95% CI, 0.187%-0.193%) than those who were not treated (0.09%; 95% CI, 0.086%-0.094%). After multivariable adjustment, including the propensity for antibiotic treatment, the risk of treatment failure was lower in antibiotic-treated patients (odds ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82-0.92). A grouped treatment approach and hierarchical modeling to account for potential confounding of hospital effects yielded similar results. Analysis stratified by risk of treatment failure found similar magnitudes of benefit across all subgroups. CONCLUSION: Early antibiotic administration was associated with improved outcomes among patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of COPD regardless of the risk of treatment failure.

PMID: 20501925 [PubMed - in process]

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Increased Clostridium difficile Virulence Demands New Treatment Approach.

JAMA. 2010 May 26;303(20):2017-9

Authors: Voelker R

PMID: 20501917 [PubMed - in process]

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High-dose vs low-dose proton pump inhibitors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A meta-analysis.

World J Gastroenterol. 2010 May 28;16(20):2558-65

Authors: Wu LC, Cao YF, Huang JH, Liao C, Gao F

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of high-dose proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) vs low-dose PPIs for patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Eligible trials were RCTs that compared high-dose PPI with low-dose PPI following endoscopic hemostasis. The primary endpoint was rebleeding; secondary endpoints were patient numbers that needed surgery, and mortality. The meta-analysis was performed with a fixed effects model or random effects model. RESULTS: Nine eligible RCTs including 1342 patients were retrieved. The results showed that high-dose intravenous PPI was not superior to low-dose intravenous PPI in reducing rebleeding [odds ratio (OR) = 1.091, 95% confidential interval (CI): 0.777-1.532], need for surgery (OR = 1.522, 95% CI: 0.643-3.605) and mortality (OR = 1.022, 95% CI: 0.476-2.196). Subgroup analysis according to different region revealed no difference in rebleeding rate between Asian patients (OR = 0.831, 95% CI, 0.467-1.480) and European patients (OR = 1.263, 95% CI: 0.827-1.929). CONCLUSION: Low-dose intravenous PPI can achieve the same efficacy as high-dose PPI following endoscopic hemostasis.

PMID: 20503458 [PubMed - in process]

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Influenza and bacterial pneumonia – constant companions.

Crit Care. 2010 May 13;14(3):150

Authors: Wunderink RG

ABSTRACT: Sequential or concomitant influenza and bacterial pneumonia are two common syndromes seen in community-acquired pneumonia. Inadequacies of diagnostic testing make separating simple pneumonia with either bacteria or influenza from concomitant or sequential influenza with both microorganisms difficult, although the novel 2009 H1N1 epidemic may improve the availability of molecular testing for viruses. Given the frequency of viral pneumonia and diagnostic limitations, empirical antivirals may be underutilized in community-acquired pneumonia. Thankfully, increasingly effective vaccines appear to disrupt this synergistic relationship.

PMID: 20500906 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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PREFABL: predictors of failure of antibiotic locks for the treatment of catheter-related bacteraemia.

Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2010 May 25;

Authors: Onder AM, Billings A, Chandar J, Francoeur D, Simon N, Abitbol C, Zilleruelo G

Background. Antibiotic lock (ABL) solutions can effectively treat catheter-related bacteraemia (CRB) without the need for catheter exchange. This approach does not increase secondary infectious complications. We evaluated the risk factors that contribute to failure when CRB is treated with ABLs and systemic antibiotics in paediatric haemodialysis patients. Methods. A retrospective chart review of 72 children on haemodialysis between January 2004 and June 2006 was performed. We evaluated risk factors for ABL treatment using patients' characteristics, CRB/catheter characteristics and patients' biochemical profiles. The first CRB of each catheter was included in the statistical analysis. Our end points were outcome at 2 weeks of treatment and at 6 weeks following treatment. Compound symmetry covariance structure was employed for statistical analysis. Results. We treated 149 CRB in 50 patients. The incidence was 3.4 CRB/1000 catheter days. Thirty CRB failed to be cleared with the use of ABL and systemic antibiotics at 2 weeks of treatment (30/149, 20 vs 80%, P < 0.001). Twenty-four of these catheters required exchange. Thirty-nine of the treated catheters got re-infected within the next 6 weeks (39/125, 31 vs 69%, P < 0.001). CRB aetiology was the only statistically significant independent variable for 2-week outcome (P = 0.033). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus CRB had higher odds of being cleared at 2 weeks compared with other CRB aetiologies. For the 6-week outcome, the statistically significant independent variables in the final model included age (P = 0.048) and serum phosphorous level (P < 0.001). Younger age and higher serum phosphorous levels were independent risk factors for failure at 6 weeks with re-infection. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the model of the 2-week outcome was 0.736 with the percentage of correct predictions at 81.2%. Area under the ROC curve for the model of the 6-week outcome was 0.689 with the percentage of correct predictions at 75.5%. Conclusions. CRB can effectively be treated with ABLs and systemic antibiotics. CRB aetiology is the only independent variable of early treatment failure. Younger age and higher serum phosphorous levels are independent risk factors for re-infection at 6 weeks.

PMID: 20501464 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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