The Clinical and Prognostic Importance of Positive Blood Cultures in Adults.

Am J Med. 2010 Sep;123(9):819-828

Authors: Pien BC, Sundaram P, Raoof N, Costa SF, Mirrett S, Woods CW, Reller LB, Weinstein MP

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in adults. Bloodstream infections should be reassessed periodically because of increased antibiotic resistance, more patients receiving immunomodulatory therapy, improved antiretroviral therapy, and acquisition of infection in health care settings other than hospitals. METHODS: We conducted retrospective assessment by infectious disease physicians of hospitalized adults with positive blood cultures at 3 academic medical centers. RESULTS: Two thousand two hundred seventy positive blood culture episodes occurred in 1706 patients. Of 2669 isolates, 51% represented true infection, 41% contamination, and 8% unknown clinical significance. Although coagulase-negative staphylococci were most common, only 10% were clinically significant. Among 1225 true bloodstream infections, the most frequent isolates were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Enterobacter cloacae, and Serratia marcescens. Intravenous catheters were the most common primary source of bloodstream infection (23% of episodes). Most (81%) bloodstream infections were acquired in the hospital or other health care settings. Crude and attributable in-hospital case-fatality ratios were 20% and 12%, respectively, lower than in previous studies. Increasing age, hypotension, absence of fever, hospital acquisition, extreme white blood cell count values, and the presence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, malignancy, or renal disease were significantly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital attributable death in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of bloodstream infections due to intravenous catheters is continuing to increase. Most episodes were acquired in the hospital or other health care setting. In-hospital case-fatality ratios have decreased compared with previous studies. Several previously identified factors associated with an increased mortality remain statistically significant.

PMID: 20800151 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Management and Outcomes of Renal Disease and Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Am J Med. 2010 Sep;123(9):847-855

Authors: Santolucito PA, Tighe DA, McManus DD, Yarzebski J, Lessard D, Gore JM, Goldberg RJ

BACKGROUND: Contemporary trends in the management and outcomes of chronic kidney disease patients who develop an acute myocardial infarction have not been adequately described, particularly from the more generalizable perspective of a population-based investigation. METHODS: The study population consisted of 6219 residents of the Worcester, Massachusetts, metropolitan area who were hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction in 6 annual periods between 1995 and 2005. Patients were categorized as having preserved kidney function (n=3154), mild to moderate chronic kidney disease (n=2313), or severe chronic kidney disease (n=752) at the time of hospital admission. RESULTS: Patients with chronic kidney disease were more likely to be older, to have a greater prevalence of comorbidities, and to experience significant in-hospital complications or die during hospitalization in comparison with patients with preserved kidney function. Although patients with chronic kidney disease were less likely to receive effective cardiac medications or undergo coronary interventional procedures than patients without kidney disease, we observed a marked increase in the use of effective cardiac medications and coronary interventional procedures in patients with chronic kidney disease during the period under study. In-hospital death rates declined over time among patients with chronic kidney disease, whereas these death rates remained unchanged among persons with normal kidney function. CONCLUSION: The results of this study in residents of a large New England metropolitan area provide insights into changing trends in the treatment and impact of chronic kidney disease in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction.

PMID: 20800154 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Agreement between Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and C-Reactive Protein in Hospital Practice.

Am J Med. 2010 Sep;123(9):863.e7-863.e13

Authors: Colombet I, Pouchot J, Kronz V, Hanras X, Capron L, Durieux P, Wyplosz B

BACKGROUND: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are frequently prescribed jointly. The usefulness of this practice is uncertain. METHODS: All patients with ESR and CRP measured at the same time in an academic tertiary hospital during a 1-year period were included. Concomitant measures of serum creatinine, hematocrit, and anti-Xa activity were recorded to study noninflammatory cause of increased ESR. Level of agreement between ESR and CRP was assessed with kappa coefficient, and their accuracy was determined in a medical chart review of 99 randomly selected patients with disagreement between both markers. RESULTS: Among 5777 patients, 35% and 58% had an elevated CRP and ESR, respectively. ESR and CRP were in agreement in 67% of patients (both elevated in 30%, both normal in 37%). A disagreement was observed in 33% (elevated ESR/normal CRP in 28%, normal ESR/elevated CRP in 5%). The kappa coefficient showed poor agreement (k=0.38) between both markers. Review of medical chart showed that 25 patients with elevated CRP and normal ESR had an active inflammatory disease (false-negative ESR). Conversely, 74 patients had elevated ESR and normal CRP-32% had resolving inflammatory disorders, 28% disclosed a variable interfering with the ESR measure (false-positive ESR), 32% had unexplained discrepancies, and 8% had an active inflammatory disease (false-negative CRP). CONCLUSION: In hospital practice, joint measurement of ESR and CRP is unwarranted. Because of slow variation and frequent confounding, ESR is frequently misleading in unselected patients. When an inflammatory disorder is suspected, priority should be given to CRP.

PMID: 20800157 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Does Warfarin for Stroke Thromboprophylaxis Protect Against MI in Atrial Fibrillation Patients?

Am J Med. 2010 Jul 21;

Authors: Lip GY, Lane DA

The Randomized Evaluation of Long-term anticoagulation therapY (RE-LY) study demonstrated a significant increase in myocardial infarction events with dabigatran compared with warfarin, provoking renewed interest in whether vitamin K antagonists are useful drugs for the prevention of myocardial infarction in high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation. Present analyses examined whether there was an increased risk of myocardial infarction associated with non-warfarin anticoagulants (Stroke Prevention with the ORal direct Thrombin Inhibitor ximelagatran compared with warfarin in patients with non-valvular atrial Fibrillation III and IV, RE-LY, Amadeus) or “anticoagulant equivalents” (Atrial fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for the prevention of Vascular Events) in patients with atrial fibrillation who are prescribed anticoagulation for stroke thromboprophylaxis. The overall annual event rate for those receiving warfarin was 0.98% compared with 1.32% for those receiving comparators. Warfarin was associated with a significant reduction in myocardial infarction (relative risk 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63-0.95), an effect largely driven by the RE-LY trial. Sensitivity analyses, excluding RE-LY, revealed a nonsignificant reduction in myocardial infarctions (relative risk 0.83; 95% CI, 0.62-1.10); an analogous analysis excluding the Atrial fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for the prevention of Vascular Events demonstrated a significant reduction in myocardial infarctions (relative risk 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-1.00). Warfarin might provide a protective effect against myocardial infarction compared with non-warfarin anticoagulants or “anticoagulation equivalents” in patients with atrial fibrillation who are prescribed anticoagulation for stroke thromboprophylaxis.

PMID: 20655037 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Underuse of Oral Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review.

Am J Med. 2010 Jul;123(7):638-645.e4

Authors: Ogilvie IM, Newton N, Welner SA, Cowell W, Lip GY

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity from stroke and thromboembolism. Despite an efficacious oral anticoagulation therapy (warfarin), atrial fibrillation patients at high risk for stroke are often under-treated. This systematic review compares current treatment practices for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation with published guidelines. METHODS: Literature searches (1997-2008) identified 98 studies concerning current treatment practices for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. The percentage of patients eligible for oral anticoagulation due to elevated stroke risk was compared with the percentage treated. Under-treatment was defined as treatment of <70% of high-risk patients. RESULTS: Of 54 studies that reported stroke risk levels and the percentage of patients treated, most showed underuse of oral anticoagulants for high-risk patients. From 29 studies of patients with prior stroke/transient ischemic attack who should all receive oral anticoagulation according to published guidelines, 25 studies reported under-treatment, with 21 of 29 studies reporting oral anticoagulation treatment levels below 60% (range 19%-81.3%). Subjects with a CHADS(2) (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age >75 years, diabetes mellitus, and prior stroke or transient ischemic attack) score >/=2 also were suboptimally treated, with 7 of 9 studies reporting treatment levels below 70% (range 39%-92.3%). Studies (21 of 54) using other stroke risk stratification schemes differ in the criteria they use to designate patients as "high risk," such that direct comparison is not possible. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review demonstrates the underuse of oral anticoagulation therapy for real-world atrial fibrillation patients with an elevated risk of stroke, highlighting the need for improved therapies for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.

PMID: 20609686 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Handoffs in teaching hospitals: situation, background, assessment, and recommendation.

Am J Med. 2010 Jun;123(6):563-7

Authors: Logio LS, Djuricich AM

PMID: 20569767 [PubMed - in process]

[Read more →]

Non-adherence to Recommendations for Further Testing after Outpatient CT and MRI.

Am J Med. 2010 Jun;123(6):557.e1-557.e8

Authors: You JJ, Laupacis A, Newman A, Bell CM

BACKGROUND: Nearly 1 in every 5 outpatient visits ends with a request for a diagnostic imaging test, and imaging reports often contain recommendations for further testing. Little is known about adherence to recommendations for further testing after outpatient computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study linking provincial administrative data to a cross-sectional audit of 23,691 outpatient CT and MRI scans performed in 2005 in Ontario, Canada. After excluding patients who died (n=1031), were hospitalized (n=3030), or visited an emergency department (n=3660) within 180 days of the index CT/MRI scan, 15,970 CT/MRI scans were included. The primary outcome was adherence to recommendations for further testing within 180 days of an index CT/MRI scan. RESULTS: Further testing was recommended in 2027 of 15,970 (12.7%) index CT/MRI scan reports and was recommended most frequently after CT chest scans (593 of 2276 [26.1%]). From the 2027 scans in which further testing was recommended, we identified 2102 individual recommendations for a specific type of follow-up test and found that just over one third (37.6%) of these recommendations were followed at 180 days. Adherence was lower (32.3%) when patients had a visit to the referring physician within 180 days of the index CT/MRI scan, compared with when they had no such visit (50.5%; P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Radiologists commonly recommend further testing after outpatient CT and MRI scanning. However, nearly two thirds of these recommendations are not followed. This suggests that substantial opportunities exist to improve the exchange of information between clinicians and radiologists and to advance the quality of outpatient care.

PMID: 20569765 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Admission Hypoglycemia and Increased Mortality in Patients Hospitalized with Pneumonia.

Am J Med. 2010 Jun;123(6):556.e11-556.e16

Authors: Gamble JM, Eurich DT, Marrie TJ, Majumdar SR

BACKGROUND: The relationship between spontaneous admission hypoglycemia and mortality in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia is unclear. METHODS: From 2000 to 2002, clinical data were prospectively collected on all patients with community-acquired pneumonia who were admitted to all 6 hospitals in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Patients with admission glucose greater than 6.1 mmol/L (n=1996) were excluded; the remaining patients were categorized as having admission hypoglycemia (<4.0 mmol/L [n=54]) or normoglycemia (4.0 to</=6.1 mmol/L [n=902]). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the relationship between hypoglycemia and all-cause mortality in-hospital, at 30 days, and at 1 year. RESULTS: The mean age was 65 (standard deviation=20) years, 48% were female, 8% had diabetes, and 56% had severe pneumonia. Overall, admission hypoglycemia was present in 2% (54/2990) of the entire cohort and 6% of those with glucose of 6.1 mmol/L or less. Total deaths were 89 (9%) in-hospital, 96 (10%) at 30 days, and 247 (26%) at 1 year. In-hospital mortality was higher among patients with admission hypoglycemia (11 [20%] deaths) compared with those with normoglycemia (78 [9%]; adjusted hazards ratio [aHR] 2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39-6.31; P=.005). An increased risk of mortality was observed at 30 days (11 [20%] vs 85 [10%]; aHR 2.89; 95% CI, 1.32-6.29) and remained elevated at 1 year (19 [35%] vs 228 [25%]; aHR1.80; 95% CI, 1.02-3.17). These results were not influenced by treatment for diabetes (P>.4 for interaction). CONCLUSION: In a population-based sample of patients with community-acquired pneumonia, spontaneous admission hypoglycemia was independently associated with increased mortality during hospitalization that persisted to 1 year. Patients with hypoglycemia are an easily identified group that may warrant more intensive inpatient and postdischarge follow-up.

PMID: 20569764 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Adherence to Pharmacological Thromboprophylaxis Orders in Hospitalized Patients.

Am J Med. 2010 Jun;123(6):536-541

Authors: Fanikos J, Stevens LA, Labreche M, Piazza G, Catapane E, Novack L, Goldhaber SZ

OBJECTIVE: We compared adherence to unfractionated heparin (UFH) 2 or 3 times daily prophylaxis orders versus low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) once daily orders. Our goals were to determine which strategy demonstrated the best adherence in terms of timing and frequency of dose administration, and to determine reasons for ordered heparin not being administered. METHODS: We queried our electronic medication administration record where nurses document reasons for delayed administration or omitted doses. We identified 250 consecutive patients who were prescribed prophylaxis with UFH 2 or 3 times daily or LMWH once daily. We followed patients for their hospitalization to determine adherence to physicians' prophylaxis orders. RESULTS: Adherence, defined as the ratio of prophylaxis doses given to doses ordered, was greater with LMWH (94.9%) than UFH 3 times daily (87.8%) or UFH twice daily (86.8%) regimens (P <.001). Patients receiving LMWH more often received all of their scheduled prophylaxis doses (77%) versus UFH 3 times daily (54%) or UFH twice daily (45%) (P <.001). There were no differences between regimens regarding reasons for omitted doses. The most common reason for late or omitted doses was patient refusal, which explained 44% of the UFH and 39% of the LMWH orders that were not administered. CONCLUSIONS: LMWH once a day had better adherence than UFH 2 or 3 times daily. For both LMWH and UFH, patient refusal was the most common reason for not administering prophylaxis as prescribed. These findings require consideration when evaluating pharmacological prophylaxis strategies. Educational programs, explaining the rationale, may motivate patients to improve adherence during hospitalization.

PMID: 20569760 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Review: treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease in the elderly.

Am J Med. 2010 Jun;123(6):496-501

Authors: Poh CH, Navarro-Rodriguez T, Fass R

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) increases with age; older patients are more likely to develop severe disease. Common symptoms of GERD in the elderly include dysphagia, vomiting, and respiratory problems. Older patients are more likely to require aggressive therapy, and usually their management is compounded by the presence of comorbidities and consumption of various medications. Proton pump inhibitors are the mainstay of GERD treatment in the elderly because of their profound and consistent acid suppressive effect. Overall, proton pump inhibitors seem to be safe for both short- and long-term therapy in elderly patients with GERD. Antireflux surgery may be safe and effective in a subset of elderly patients with GERD.

PMID: 20569750 [PubMed - in process]

[Read more →]

Improving Stroke Risk Stratification in Atrial Fibrillation.

Am J Med. 2010 Jun;123(6):484-488

Authors: Lip GY, Halperin JL

Risk factors for stroke and thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation used in current risk stratification schema are derived largely from analyses of clinical trial cohorts, and the available data depend on the comprehensiveness of trial reports and whether specific risk factors were sought. The most commonly used schema is the Cardiac failure, Hypertension, Age, Diabetes, Stroke [Doubled] (CHADS(2)) score. Although simple and well validated, some limitations of CHADS(2) this schema are apparent. A more recent approach to risk stratification of patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation defines "major (definitive)" risk factors (eg, previous stroke/transient ischemic attack and age>/=75 years) and "clinically relevant non-major" risk factors (eg, heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, female gender, age 65-75 years, and atherosclerotic vascular disease). This scheme can be expressed as an acronym, CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc, denoting Cardiac failure or dysfunction, Hypertension, Age>/=75 [Doubled], Diabetes, Stroke [Doubled]-Vascular disease, Age 65-74, and Sex category [Female]), whereby 2 points are assigned for a history of stroke or age 75 years or more and 1 point each is assigned for age 65 to 74 years, a history of hypertension, diabetes, cardiac failure, and vascular disease. Patients with 1 definitive risk factor or a patient with a CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score of 1 or more could be considered for oral anticoagulation, but a patient with a CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score of 0 is truly low risk and could be managed with no antithrombotic therapy. This would simplify our approach to thromboprophylaxis in patients with atrial fibrillation.

PMID: 20569748 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Silent pulmonary embolism in patients with deep venous thrombosis: a systematic review.

Am J Med. 2010 May;123(5):426-31

Authors: Stein PD, Matta F, Musani MH, Diaczok B

PURPOSE: To determine, by systematic review of the literature, the prevalence of silent pulmonary embolism in patients with deep venous thrombosis. METHODS: Twenty-eight included published investigations were identified through PubMed. Studies were selected if methods of diagnosis of pulmonary embolism were described; if pulmonary embolism was stated to be asymptomatic; and if raw data were presented. Studies were stratified according to whether silent pulmonary embolism was diagnosed by a high-probability ventilation-perfusion lung scan using criteria from the Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis, computed tomography pulmonary angiography, or conventional pulmonary angiography (Tier 1), or by lung scans based on non-Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis criteria (Tier 2). RESULTS: Silent pulmonary embolism was diagnosed in 1665 of 5233 patients (32%) with deep venous thrombosis. This is a conservative estimate because many of the investigations used stringent criteria for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. The incidence of silent pulmonary embolism was higher with proximal deep venous thrombosis than with distal deep venous thrombosis. Silent pulmonary embolism seemed to increase the risk of recurrent pulmonary embolism: 25 of 488 (5.1%) with silent pulmonary embolism versus 7 of 1093 (0.6%) without silent pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSION: Silent pulmonary embolism sometimes involved central pulmonary arteries. Because approximately one third of patients with deep venous thrombosis have silent pulmonary embolism, routine screening for pulmonary embolism may be advantageous.

PMID: 20399319 [PubMed - in process]

[Read more →]

Related Articles

Case studies of lower respiratory tract infections: community-acquired pneumonia.

Am J Med. 2010 Apr;123(4 Suppl):S4-15

Authors: File TM

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common and potentially serious illness with significant human and economic costs to society. The recent collaborative statement from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) represents the most up-to-date evidence-based guidelines from North America, incorporating important advances in the management of patients with CAP. The cases presented in this review highlight many of the recent recommendations from the IDSA/ATS guidelines.

PMID: 20350635 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Read more →]

Safety and tolerability of commonly prescribed oral antibiotics for the treatment of respiratory tract infections.

Am J Med. 2010 Apr;123(4 Suppl):S26-38

Authors: Lode H

Recent data suggest that adverse events (AEs) associated with the use of antimicrobial drugs are a major safety concern, with antibiotics implicated in a significant proportion (approximately 20%) of all drug-related emergency department visits in the United States. Although most of these visits are attributable to allergic reactions (79%), certain commonly prescribed antibiotics are notable contributors to conditions that range in nature from gastrointestinal to neurologic and/or psychiatric–particularly after ED visits are adjusted per outpatient prescription visits. This article reviews medically significant AEs of agents included in the major antimicrobial classes–AEs that may be underappreciated by general practitioners. Considerable attention is devoted to the fluoroquinolone agents. Also discussed are the assessment procedures of regulatory agencies in Europe and the United States that are in place to evaluate antimicrobial safety more accurately. Offsetting potential risks and benefits associated with currently available antimicrobials in a climate in which new agents are desperately needed to combat continually evolving multiresistant pathogens remains an interesting dilemma in antimicrobial therapy.

PMID: 20350633 [PubMed - in process]

[Read more →]

Health economics of use fluoroquinolones to treat patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Am J Med. 2010 Apr;123(4 Suppl):S39-46

Authors: Restrepo MI, Frei CR

Respiratory diseases account for approximately 10% of all hospital admissions in the United States. Pneumonia constitutes 35% of these cases, with an average length of stay (LOS) of 5.1 days. It is estimated that $8.4 billion to $10 billion of all annual US hospital expenditures are attributable to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). As such, medical decisions, including empiric antibiotic choice, potentially exert an impact on hospital LOS and associated costs. In this review, we focus on the empiric antibiotic choices and associated costs of treatment for hospitalized patients with CAP, focusing on the use of fluoroquinolone therapy as recommended by the CAP guidelines.

PMID: 20350634 [PubMed - in process]

[Read more →]