Serum cholesterol as a predictor of mortality among the elderly patients with pneumonia in the emergency department

Lipid Profile as a Predictive Marker for Organ Dysfunction after Thoracoabdominal Surgery: A Cross-sectional Study

Background

Plasma total cholesterol is considered a negative acute phase reactant. In various pathological conditions, such as trauma, sepsis, burns, and liver dysfunction, as well as post-surgery, serum cholesterol level decreases. This study aimed to investigate the role of lipid profiles in determining the probability of organ dysfunction after surgery.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included patients who underwent thoracoabdominal surgery and were admitted to the intensive care unit of Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz, Iran, between October 2016 and September 2018. During the first two days of admission, blood samples were taken, and serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and albumin were measured. The relation between the changes in these laboratory markers and six organ functions including cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, central nervous system, hepatic, and hematologic, length of stay in the hospital and intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation duration, and vasopressor use were investigated. The independent t test was used to compare continuous variables. The association between different variables and organ dysfunction and mortality was evaluated by using logistic regression.

Results

The serum TC increased the risk of mortality (OR=1.09, 95%CI=1.06-1.11, P<0.001), renal dysfunction (OR=1.09, 95%CI=1.06-1.12; P<0.001), liver dysfunction (OR=1.07, 95%CI=1.03-1.10; P<0.001), respiratory dysfunction (OR=1.08, 95%CI=1.05-1.13; P<0.001). Moreover, LDL, HDL, and TG were found to be inversely related to mortality, organ dysfunction, length of stay in the hospital and intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation duration, and vasopressor use.

Conclusion

TC could be considered a risk factor for mortality, organ dysfunction, and clinical outcomes. On the other hand, LDL, HDL, and TG played a protective role in the patients' mortality, organ dysfunction, and clinical outcomes.

Sex differences in factors influencing hospital-acquired pneumonia in schizophrenia patients receiving modified electroconvulsive therapy

BACKGROUND

Sex differences may be presented in the clinical features or symptoms of schizophrenia patients but also affect the occurrence of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). Modified electroconvulsive therapy (mECT) is a common treatment method for schizophrenia, used in combination with antipsychotics. This retrospective research explores the sex difference in HAP affecting patients with schizophrenia who have received mECT treatment during hospitalization.

METHODS

We included schizophrenia inpatients treated with mECT and antipsychotics between January 2015 and April 2022. Blood-related and demographic data collected on admission were analyzed. Influencing factors of HAP in male and female groups were assessed separately.

RESULTS

A total of 951 schizophrenia patients treated with mECT were enrolled in the study, including 375 males and 576 females, of which 62 patients experienced HAP during hospitalization. The risk period of HAP in these patients was found to be the first day after each mECT treatment and the first three sessions of mECT treatment. Statistically significant differences in the incidence of HAP were identified in male vs. female groups, with an incidence in men about 2.3 times higher than that in women (P < 0.001). Lower total cholesterol (Z = -2.147, P = 0.032) and the use of anti-parkinsonian drugs (χ² = 17.973, P < 0.001) were found to be independent risk factors of HAP in male patients, while lower lymphocyte count (Z = -2.408, P = 0.016), hypertension (χ² = 9.096, P = 0.003), and use of sedative-hypnotic drugs (χ² = 13.636, P < 0.001) were identified in female patients.

CONCLUSION

Influencing factors of HAP in schizophrenia patients treated with mECT have gender differences. The first day after each mECT treatment and the first three sessions of mECT treatment were identified to have the greatest risk for HAP development. Therefore, it would be imperative to monitor clinical management and medications during this period according to these gender differences.

Role of cholesterol, lipoproteins, and neutrophilic-lymphocytic ratio in patients with pneumonia

Background

Lipids play numerous functions in lung biology and pathophysiology of infection, in addition to their role in lipid transport, lipoproteins share in innate immunity that is the most important way for the host to defend against microbes. The NLR (neutrophil-lymphocytic ratio) is a good indicator of systemic inflammation and infection.

Objective

To evaluate the role of cholesterol, lipoproteins, and neutrophilic-lymphocytic ratio in the assessment of patients with pneumonia.

Patients and methods

This prospective case–control study included 52 subjects; they were categorized into 2 groups. Group A included 42 patients with pneumonia admitted to the Chest Department,Menoufia University, and group B included 10 healthy people during the period from May 2019 to December 2019. History taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigation in the form of CBC and lipid profile, and radiological investigation in the form of CXR and CT chest if needed were done to all subjects of the study.

Results

The mean cholesterol level in group A was 149.76 ± 42.79 which was statistically significantly lower as compared with group B (165.90 ± 45.50) (p = 0.039). The mean HDL level in group A was 43.16 ± 6.32 which was statistically significantly lower as compared with group B (50.51 ± 9.60) (p = 0.026). No statistically significant difference was found in the triglyceride level, LDL level and VLDL between the subjects in the two studied groups (p = 0.479, 0.792, and 0.606), respectively, but all levels were still within normal levels. Mean NLR in group A was 7.04 ± 7.98 which was statistically significantly higher as compared with group B (3.04 ± 1.6) (p = 0.004). Roc curve of neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio shows that the cutoff point is 1.94 and the N/L ratio had area under curve of 78% with 79.6% sensitivity and 67.8% specificity.

Conclusion

Serum cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein levels significantly decreased in patients with pneumonia when compared to the control group but were still within normal range. Lipid profile is affected by different variables like smoking index, body mass index, and sex. The neutrophil–lymphocyte at cutoff point is 1.94, and N/L ratio had area under curve of 78% with 79.6% sensitivity and 67.8% specificity.

Trial registration

TCTR, TCTR20220524001. Registered on 24 May 2022, retrospectively registered.

Pneumonia Update for Emergency Clinicians

Purpose of Review

Many new concepts in diagnosis, management, and risk stratification of patients with pneumonia have been described recently. The COVID pandemic made importance of viruses as dangerous pathogens of pneumonia quite clear while several non-invasive measures for patients with respiratory failure gained a more wide-spread usage.

Recent Findings

Studies continue to examine feasibility of bedside ultrasound as a tool in accurate diagnosis of pneumonia in the emergency department, and several new antibiotics have been approved for treatment while others are in late-stage clinical trials. Additionally, the Infectious Diseases Society, American Thoracic Society, and their European counterparts published updated guidelines in recent years. For differences important to emergency medicine clinicians and new emphasis as compared to the prior guidelines, please see Table 1. Several new antibiotics have been approved recently but remain relatively unknown to emergency clinicians as their use is frequently restricted to infectious disease specialists.Table 1

Clinical profile analysis and nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality among elderly severe community-acquired pneumonia patients with comorbid cardiovascular disease: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Researchers have linked cardiovascular disease (CVD) with advancing age; however, how it drives disease progression in elderly severe community acquired pneumonia (SCAP) patients is still unclear. This study aims to identify leading risk predictors of in-hospital mortality in elderly SCAP patients with CVD, and construct a comprehensive nomogram for providing personalized prediction.

Patients and methods

The study retrospectively enrolled 2365 elderly patients identified SCAP. Among them, 413 patients were found to have CVD. The LASSO regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis were utilized to select potential predictors of in-hospital mortality in elderly SCAP patients with CVD. By incorporating these features, a nomogram was then developed and subjected to internal validations. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical use of the nomogram were assessed via C-index, calibration curve analysis, and decision plot.

Results

Compared with patients without CVD, elderly SCAP patients with CVD had a significant poor outcome. Further analysis of the CVD population identified 7 independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in elderly SCAP patients, including age, the use of vasopressor, numbers of primary symptoms, body temperature, monocyte, CRP and NLR. The nomogram model incorporated these 7 predictors showed sufficient predictive accuracy, with the C-index of 0.800 (95% CI 0.758–0.842). High C-index value of 0.781 was obtained in the internal validation via bootstrapping validation. Moreover, the calibration curve indicative a good consistency of risk prediction, and the decision curve manifested that the nomogram had good overall net benefits.

Conclusion

An integrated nomogram was developed to facilitate the personalized prediction of in-hospital mortality in elderly SCAP patients with CVD.