Community-acquired pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring admission to the intensive care unit: risk factors for mortality

Association of Glasgow coma scale and endotracheal intubation in predicting mortality among patients admitted to the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

We assessed predictors of mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU) and investigated if Glasgow coma scale (GCS) is associated with mortality in patients undergoing endotracheal intubation (EI).

METHODS

From February 2020, we performed a 1-year study on 2,055 adult patients admitted to the ICU of two teaching hospitals. The outcome was mortality during ICU stay and the predictors were patients' demographic, clinical, and laboratory features.

RESULTS

EI was associated with a decreased risk for mortality compared with similar patients (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.32; P=0.030). This shows that EI had been performed correctly with proper indications. Increasing age (AOR, 1.04; P<0.001) or blood pressure (AOR, 1.01; P<0.001), respiratory problems (AOR, 3.24; P<0.001), nosocomial infection (AOR, 1.64; P=0.014), diabetes (AOR, 5.69; P<0.001), history of myocardial infarction (AOR, 2.52; P<0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AOR, 3.93; P<0.001), immunosuppression (AOR, 3.15; P<0.001), and the use of anesthetics/sedatives/hypnotics for reasons other than EI (AOR, 4.60; P<0.001) were directly; and GCS (AOR, 0.84; P<0.001) was inversely related to mortality. In patients with trauma surgeries (AOR, 0.62; P=0.014) or other surgical categories (AOR, 0.61; P=0.024) undergoing EI, GCS had an inverse relation with mortality (accuracy=82.6%, area under the receiver operator characteristic curve=0.81).

CONCLUSIONS

A variety of features affected the risk for mortality in patients admitted to the ICU. Considering GCS score for EI had the potential of affecting prognosis in subgroups of patients such as those with trauma surgeries or other surgical categories.

Epidemiology of pneumonia in hospitalized adults ≥18 years old in four districts of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 2015-2019

BACKGROUND

Community-acquired pneumonia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children and adults worldwide. Adult pneumonia surveillance remains limited in many low- and middle-income settings, resulting in the disease burden being largely unknown.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted by reviewing medical charts for respiratory admissions at four district hospitals in Ulaanbaatar during January 2015-February 2019. Characteristics of community-acquired pneumonia cases were summarized by disease severity and age. To explore factors associated with severe pneumonia, we ran univariable and age-adjusted logistic regression models. Incidence rates were calculated using population denominators.

RESULTS

In total, 4290 respiratory admissions met the case definition for clinical pneumonia, including 430 admissions of severe pneumonia. The highest proportion of severe pneumonia admissions occurred in adults >65 years (37.4%). After adjusting for age, there were increased odds of severe pneumonia in males (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-2.00) and those with ≥1 underlying medical condition (aOR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.14-1.87). The incidence of hospitalized pneumonia in adults ≥18 years increased from 13.49 (95% CI: 12.58-14.44) in 2015 to 17.65 (95% CI: 16.63-18.71) in 2018 per 10,000 population. The incidence of severe pneumonia was highest in adults >65 years, ranging from 9.29 (95% CI: 6.17-13.43) in 2015 to 12.69 (95% CI: 9.22-17.04) in 2018 per 10,000 population.

INTERPRETATIONS

Vaccination and other strategies to reduce the risk of pneumonia, particularly among older adults and those with underlying medical conditions, should be prioritized.

FUNDING

Pfizer clinical research collaboration agreement (contract number: WI236621).

A prediction model for hospital mortality in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background

No personalized prediction model or standardized algorithm exists to identify those at high risk of death among severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors and to develop a useful nomogram for prediction of mortality in those patients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective, observational, cohort study in the intensive care unit (ICU) of West China Hospital, Sichuan University with all consecutive SCAP patients with COPD between December 2011 and December 2018. The clinical data within 24 h of admission to ICU were collected. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. We divided the patients into training and testing cohorts (70% versus 30%) randomly. In the training cohort, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify independent risk factors applied to develop a nomogram. The prediction model was assessed in both training and testing cohorts.

Results

Finally, 873 SCAP patients with COPD were included, among which the hospital mortality was 41.4%. In training cohort, the independent risk factors for hospital mortality were increased age, diabetes, chronic renal diseases, decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP), and elevated fibrinogen, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The C index was 0.840 (95% CI 0.809–0.872) in training cohort and 0.830 (95% CI 0.781–0.878) in testing cohort. Furthermore, the time-dependent AUC, calibration plots, DCA and clinical impact curves indicated the model had good predictive performance. Significant association of risk stratification based on nomogram with mortality was also found (P for trend < 0.001). The restricted cubic splines suggested that estimated associations between these predictors and hospital mortality were all linear relationships.

Conclusion

We developed a prediction model including seven risk factors for hospital mortality in patients with SCAP and COPD. It can be used for early risk stratification in clinical practice after more external validation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12931-022-02181-9.

Eosinopenia Predicting Long-term Mortality in Hospitalized Acute Exacerbation of COPD Patients with Community-acquired Pneumonia-A Retrospective Analysis

Background

Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) could be triggered by community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Peripheral blood eosinopenia are strongly associated with increased mortality. In hospitalized AECOPD patients with CAP, eosinopenia may be used to identify patients with high risk of death on admission.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in 82 hospitalized AECOPD patients with CAP. Patients who had received systemic corticosteroids preadmission were excluded. The patients were identified by individual case file review. According to blood eosinophil count, patients were grouped as eosinopenia (<50/μL) and non-eosinopenia (≥50/μL). Association of eosinopenia with infection and 18-month survival were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.

Results

Baseline demographic, comorbidity, CURB65 and Pneumonia Severity Index scores were similar between two groups. The eosinopenia group had significantly higher pro-brain natriuretic peptide, D-dimer, neutrophil percentage, and lower lymphocyte count and lymphocyte percentage. The eosinopenia group had significantly higher C-reactive protein (median 77.30 vs 16.55, p=0.008) and procalcitonin (median 0.32 vs 0.12, p=0.001). Survival at 18 months after hospital discharge was significantly lower in the eosinopenia group vs non-eosinopenia group (log rank, p=0.002).

Conclusion

Eosinopenia (<50/μL) was a strong predictor of 18-month mortality and associated with more severe infection in hospitalized AECOPD patients with CAP. Eosinophil count at admission can be used as a prognosis marker of mortality in those population.

Clinical Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii Complex Isolates in Intensive Care Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Taiwan

Purpose

Little is known about the features and implications of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Acinetobacter baumannii complex (ABC) isolates discovered in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and admission to an intensive care unit. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibilities of PA and ABC isolates cultured from endotracheal aspirates (EAs) in such population.

Patients and Methods

In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, clinical data from medical records were reviewed and collected for analysis.

Results

Of the 262 participants, 17.2% (45/262), 11.5% (30/262), and 27.1% (71/262) had PA, ABC, and any of the two isolates discovered from EA cultures, respectively. Patients with PA isolates were associated with poorer lung function (the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) III+IV versus GOLD I+II, odds ratio (OR)=2.39, p= 0.022) and a lower body mass index (per increase of 1 kg/m2, OR= 0.93, p= 0.106) while the former was an independent predictor. Moreover, both subjects with ABC isolates and those with any of these two microorganisms were independently associated with a lower serum albumin level (per increase of 1 g/dL, OR= 0.44, p=0.009 and OR= 0.59, p=0.023, respectively). Participants with PA isolates were more likely to have failed weaning (62.2% versus 44.7%, p= 0.048) and death (28.9% versus 12.4%, p= 0.010) than those without PA isolates. The majority of the PA and ABC isolates were susceptible and resistant to all the tested antimicrobials, respectively, except that tigecycline had a reliable activity against ABC.

Conclusion

Our findings provide important information to help intensivists make better treatment decisions in critically ill patients with COPD and CAP.

Managing adult patients with infectious diseases in emergency departments: international ID-IRI study

We aimed to explore factors for optimizing antimicrobial treatment in emergency departments. A single-day point prevalence survey was conducted on January 18, 2020, in 53 referral/tertiary hospitals in 22 countries. 1957 (17%) of 11557 patients presenting to EDs had infections. The mean qSOFA score was 0.37 ± 0.74. Sepsis (qSOFA ≥ 2) was recorded in 218 (11.1%) patients. The mean qSOFA score was significantly higher in low-middle (1.48 ± 0.963) compared to upper-middle (0.17 ± 0.482) and high-income (0.36 ± 0.714) countries (P < 0.001). Eight (3.7%) patients with sepsis were treated as outpatients. The most common diagnoses were upper-respiratory (n = 877, 43.3%), lower-respiratory (n = 316, 16.1%), and lower-urinary (n = 201, 10.3%) infections. 1085 (55.4%) patients received antibiotics. The most-commonly used antibiotics were beta-lactam (BL) and BL inhibitors (n = 307, 15.7%), third-generation cephalosporins (n = 251, 12.8%), and quinolones (n = 204, 10.5%). Irrational antibiotic use and inappropriate hospitalization decisions seemed possible. Patients were more septic in countries with limited resources. Hence, a better organizational scheme is required.

Hypertension, the renin-angiotensin system, and the risk of lower respiratory tract infections and lung injury: implications for COVID-19

Systemic arterial hypertension (referred to as hypertension herein) is a major risk factor of mortality worldwide, and its importance is further emphasized in the context of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection referred to as COVID-19. Patients with severe COVID-19 infections commonly are older and have a history of hypertension. Almost 75% of patients who have died in the pandemic in Italy had hypertension. This raised multiple questions regarding a more severe course of COVID-19 in relation to hypertension itself as well as its treatment with renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blockers, e.g. angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). We provide a critical review on the relationship of hypertension, RAS, and risk of lung injury. We demonstrate lack of sound evidence that hypertension per se is an independent risk factor for COVID-19. Interestingly, ACEIs and ARBs may be associated with lower incidence and/or improved outcome in patients with lower respiratory tract infections. We also review in detail the molecular mechanisms linking the RAS to lung damage and the potential clinical impact of treatment with RAS blockers in patients with COVID-19 and a high cardiovascular and renal risk. This is related to the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells, and expression of ACE2 in the lung, cardiovascular system, kidney, and other tissues. In summary, a critical review of available evidence does not support a deleterious effect of RAS blockers in COVID-19 infections. Therefore, there is currently no reason to discontinue RAS blockers in stable patients facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pneumonic versus Nonpneumonic Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often suffer acute exacerbations (AECOPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), named nonpneumonic and pneumonic exacerbations of COPD, respectively. Abnormal host defense mechanisms may play a role in the specificity of the systemic inflammatory response. Given the association of this aspect to some biomarkers at admission (e.g., C-reactive protein), it can be used to help to discriminate AECOPD and CAP, especially in cases with doubtful infiltrates and advanced lung impairment. Fever, sputum purulence, chills, and pleuritic pain are typical clinical features of CAP in a patient with COPD, whereas isolated dyspnea at admission has been reported to predict AECOPD. Although CAP may have a worse outcome in terms of mortality (in hospital and short term), length of hospitalization, and early readmission rates, this has only been confirmed in a few prospective studies. There is a lack of methodologically sound research confirming the impact of severe AECOPD and COPD + CAP. Here, we review studies reporting head-to-head comparisons between AECOPD and CAP + COPD in hospitalized patients. We focus on the epidemiology, risk factors, systemic inflammatory response, clinical and microbiological characteristics, outcomes, and treatment approaches. Finally, we briefly discuss some proposals on how we should orient research in the future.

Meta-analysis of proton pump inhibitors induced risk of community-acquired pneumonia

Purpose

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), one of the most widely used medications, are commonly used to suppress several acid-related upper gastrointestinal disorders. Acid-suppressing medication use could be associated with increased risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), although the results of clinical studies have been conflicting.

Data sources

A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane library and Database of Systematic Reviews from the earliest available online year of indexing up to October 2018.

Study selection

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to evaluate the risk of PPI use on CAP outcomes.

Data extraction

Included study location, design, population, the prevalence of CAP, comparison group and other confounders. We calculated pooled odds ratio (OR) using a random-effects meta-analysis.

Results of data synthesis

Of the 2577 studies screening, 11 papers were included in the systematic review and 7 studies with 65 590 CAP cases were included in the random-effects meta-analysis. In current PPI users, pooled OR for CAP was 1.86 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.30–2.66), and in the case of recent users, OR for CAP was 1.66 (95% CI, 1.22–2.25). In the subgroup analysis of CAP, significance association is also observed in both high-dose and low-dose PPI therapy. When stratified by duration of exposure, 3–6 months PPIs users group was associated with increased risk of developing CAP (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.22–3.45). There was a statistically significant association between the PPI users and the rate of hospitalization (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.83–3.66).

Conclusion

We found possible evidence linking PPI use to an increased risk of CAP. More randomized controlled studies are warranted to clarify an understanding of the association between PPI use and risk of CAP because observational studies cannot clarify whether the observed epidemiologic association is a causal effect or a result of unmeasured/residual confounding.

[Features of central hemodynamics in patients with community - acquired pneumonia depending on the course of the disease and cardiovascular comorbidity]

AIM

The study of intracardiac hemodynamics and blood flow in the pulmonary circuit in patients with community - acquired pneumonia, depending on the presence of concomitant pathology of the cardiovascular system and the severity of the pathological process.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 43 patients with community - acquired pneumonia (22 men, 21 women, mean age 67±17 years), the functional state of pulmonary - cardiac hemodynamics was assessed by echodoplerography. All subjects were divided into 2 groups: 1st group - 25 patients with community - acquired pneumonia (mean age 49±18 years) without concomitant pathology of the cardiovascular system and 2nd group - 18 patients with community - acquired pneumonia (mean age 70.1±11 years) with concomitant cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS

The main ultrasound parameters did not differ from the normal values in patients from the 1st group. In patients from the 2nd group there was a significant deterioration of several pulmonary - cardiac hemodynamics parameters, decrease of left ventricular ejection fraction, significant myocardial hypertrophy of the left ventricle and left atrium size increase. Regarding the right heart chambers it was revealed dilatation of the right ventricle, increasing of the estimated systolic pressure in the right ventricle, deterioration of right ventricle myocardial diastolic function, increase of the: RV/LV size ratio, LV eccentricity index, RV myocardium thickness, diameter of the pulmonary artery, velocity of pulmonary regurgitation and the area right atrium size. In addition, the amplitude of systolic displacement of the tricuspid valve ring and the intensity of inspiratory collapse of the inferior vena cava decreased. Correlation analysis of clinical and laboratory parameters, which are markers of endogenous intoxication, oxygen saturation of arterial blood (SpO2), separately for two groups of patients with community - acquired pneumonia, showed a reliable correlation with a number of informative and used in the practice echocardiography parameters of pulmonary cardiac hemodynamics, characterizing systolic (systolic movement amplitude of the tricuspid valve ring - TAPSE), as well as diastolic function (E/A of the right ventricle) of the heart.

CONCLUSION

The relationship between the severity of pulmonary - cardiac hemodynamics disturbances in patients with community - acquired pneumonia, having comorbid pathology, contributing to the deterioration of pulmonary - cardiac hemodynamics and more severe course of the disease with markers of the inflammatory process and oxygen saturation of arterial blood decrease is revealed.

Clinical features, bacteriology of endotracheal aspirates and treatment outcomes of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and community-acquired pneumonia in an intensive care unit in Taiwan with an emphasis on eosinophilia versus non-eosinophilia: a retrospective case-control study

OBJECTIVES

The clinical implications of blood eosinophil level in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission are still unknown. Thus, this study aimed to compare the features of such patients with and without blood eosinophilia.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective case-control study.

SETTING

An ICU of a medical centre in central Taiwan.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 262 patients with COPD and CAP requiring IMV and ICU admission.

RESULTS

Of all participants (n=262), 32 (12.2%) had an eosinophil percentage (EP) >2% and 169 (64.5%) had an absolute eosinophil count (AEC) >300 cells/µL. Regardless of whether 2% or 300 cells/µL was used as a cut-off value, the eosinophilia group were slightly older (years) (82.9±5.4 vs 78.1±9.1, p=0.000 and 79.2±8.4 vs 77.6±9.6, p=0.246, respectively), and had a higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (%) (56.0±8.0 vs 51.3±11.6, p=0.005 and 53.1±11.2 vs 49.5±11.2, p=0.013, respectively), less severe spirometric classification (p=0.008 and p=0.001, respectively), and lower white cell count 109/L (8.8±3.2 vs 11.1±4.9, p=0.009 and 10.3±4.4 vs 11.8±5.3, p=0.017, respectively) than the non-eosinophilia group. The bacteriology of endotracheal aspirates showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other gram-negative bacilli were the most common organisms in all study groups. Participants with an EP >2% had a shorter ICU length of stay (OR=12.13, p=0.001) than those with an EP ≤2%, while an AEC >300 cells/µL was not associated with any in-ICUoutcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study have significant clinical implications and should be considered when making treatment decisions for the management of patients with COPD and CAP requiring IMV and ICU admission.

Acute care for the three leading causes of mortality in lower-middle-income countries: A systematic review

According to the World Health Organization, the three leading causes of mortality in lower-middle-income countries (LMIC) are ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, and lower respiratory infections (LRIs), causing 111.8, 68.8, and 51.5 annual deaths per 100,000, respectively. Due to barriers to healthcare, patients frequently present in critical stages of these diseases. Measured implementations in critical care in LMIC have been published; however, the literature has not been formally reviewed. We performed a systematic review of the literature indexed in PubMed as of October 2017. Abstracts were limited to human studies in English, French, and Spanish, conducted in LMIC, and containing quantitative data on acute care of IHD, stroke, and LRI. The search resulted in 4994 unique abstracts. Through multiple rounds of screening using criteria determined a priori, 161 manuscripts were identified: 38 for IHD, 20 for stroke, 26 for adult LRI, and 78 for pediatric LRI. These studies, predominantly from Asia, demonstrate successful diagnostic and treatment measures used in providing acute care for patients in LMIC. Given that, only four manuscripts originated in Central or South America, original research from these areas is lacking. IHD, stroke, and LRIs are significant causes of mortality, especially in LMIC. Diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for IHD (monitoring, medications, thrombolytics, percutaneous intervention, coronary artery bypass graft), stroke (therapeutic hypothermia, medications, and thrombolytics), and LRI (oxygen saturation measurement, diagnostic ultrasound, administration of oxygen, appropriate antibiotics, and other medications) have been studied in LMIC and published.

Current Status of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

OBJECTIVE

Worldwide, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common infection that occurs in older adults, who may have pulmonary comorbidities, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although there have been clinical studies on the coexistence of CAP with COPD, there remain some controversial findings. This review presents the current status of COPD in CAP patients, including the disease burden, clinical characteristics, risk factors, microbial etiology, and antibiotic treatment.

DATA SOURCES

A literature review included full peer-reviewed publications up to January 2018 derived from the PubMed database, using the keywords "community-acquired pneumonia" and "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease".

STUDY SELECTION

Papers in English were reviewed, with no restriction on study design.

RESULTS

COPD patients who are treated with inhaled corticosteroids are at an increased risk of CAP and have a worse prognosis, but data regarding the increased mortality remains unclear. Although Streptococcus pneumoniae is still regarded as the most common bacteria isolated from patients with CAP and COPD, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also important, and physicians should pay close attention to the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance, particularly in these two organisms.

CONCLUSIONS

COPD is a common and important predisposing comorbidity in patients who develop CAP. COPD often aggravates the clinical symptoms of patients with CAP, complicating treatment, but generally does not appear to affect prognosis.

Intensive Care Unit Admission and Survival among Older Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Heart Failure, or Myocardial Infarction

RATIONALE

Admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) may be beneficial to patients with pneumonia with uncertain ICU needs; however, evidence regarding the association between ICU admission and mortality for other common conditions is largely unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the relationship between ICU admission and outcomes for hospitalized patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exacerbation of heart failure (HF), or acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of all acute care hospitalizations from 2010 to 2012 for U.S. fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older admitted with COPD exacerbation, HF exacerbation, or AMI. We used multivariable adjustment and instrumental variable analysis to assess each condition separately. The instrumental variable analysis used differential distance to a high ICU use hospital (defined separately for each condition) as an instrument for ICU admission to examine marginal patients whose likelihood of ICU admission depended on the hospital to which they were admitted. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital costs.

RESULTS

Among 1,555,798 Medicare beneficiaries with COPD exacerbation, HF exacerbation, or AMI, 486,272 (31%) were admitted to an ICU. The instrumental variable analysis found that ICU admission was not associated with significant differences in 30-day mortality for any condition. ICU admission was associated with significantly greater hospital costs for HF ($11,793 vs. $9,185, P < 0.001; absolute increase, $2,608 [95% confidence interval, $1,377-$3,840]) and AMI ($19,513 vs. $14,590, P < 0.001; absolute increase, $4,922 [95% confidence interval, $2,665-$7,180]), but not for COPD.

CONCLUSIONS

ICU admission did not confer a survival benefit for patients with uncertain ICU needs hospitalized with COPD exacerbation, HF exacerbation, or AMI. These findings suggest that the ICU may be overused for some patients with these conditions. Identifying patients most likely to benefit from ICU admission may improve health care efficiency while reducing costs.

The mortality risk factor of community acquired pneumonia patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common comorbidities in community acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients. We aimed to investigate the characteristics and mortality risk factors of COPD patients hospitalized with CAP.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital and Shanghai Dahua Hospital. Clinical and demographic data in patients diagnosed with CAP were collected between January 2015 and June 2016. Logistic regression analysis was performed to screen mortality risk factors of COPD patients hospitalized with CAP.

Results

Of the total 520 CAP patients, 230 (44.2%) patients had been diagnosed comorbid with COPD (COPD-CAP). CAP patients comorbid with COPD patients had higher rate of need for ICU admission (18.3% vs 13.1%) and need for NIMV (26.1% vs 1.4%) than without COPD (nCOPD-CAP). The PSI, CURB-65 and APACHE-II scores in COPD-CAP patients were higher than that in nCOPD-CAP patients (95 vs 79, P < 0.001; 1 vs 1, P < 0.001; 13 vs 8, P < 0.001, respectively). Logistic regression analysis indicated that aspiration, D-dimer > 2.0 μg/mL and CURB-65 ≥ 3 were risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality ((odd ratio) OR = 5.678, OR = 4.268, OR = 20.764, respectively) in COPD-CAP patients. The risk factors associated with 60-day mortality in COPD-CAP patients were comorbid with coronary heart disease, aspiration, need for NIMV (non-invasive mechanical ventilation) and CURB-65 ≥ 3 (OR = 5.206, OR = 7.921, OR = 3.974, OR = 18.002, respectively).

Conclusions

COPD patients hospitalized with CAP had higher rate of need for NIMV, need for ICU admission and severity scores than those without COPD. Aspiration, D-dimer > 2.0 μg/mL, comorbid with coronary heart disease, need for NIMV and CURB-65 ≥ 3 were mortality risk factors in CAP patients comorbid with COPD.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12890-018-0587-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Adjuvant steroid therapy in community-acquired pneumonia

Despite medical advances, pneumonia is a leading cause of death worldwide. Because inflammation is a key defense mechanism, adjuvant corticosteroid therapy has long been considered but never widely recommended to treat pneumonia. New research is exploring potential benefits of this therapy, including reduced time to clinical stability, reduced hospital stay, reduced rates of treatment failure, and prevention of complications.

Trends in hospitalizations for community-acquired pneumonia in Spain: 2004 to 2013

AIM

To describe trends in the incidence and outcomes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) hospitalizations in Spain (2004-2013).

METHODS

We used national hospital discharge data to select all hospital admissions for CAP as primary diagnosis. We analyzed incidence, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, pathogens, length of hospital stay (LOHS), in-hospital mortality (IHM) and readmission.

RESULTS

We identified 959,465 admissions for CAP. Incidence rates of CAP increased significantly over time (from 142.4 in 2004 to 163.87 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013). Time trend analyses showed significant increases in the number of comorbidities and the use of CAT of thorax, red cell transfusion, non-invasive mechanical ventilation and readmissions (all p values<0.05). S. pneumoniae was the most frequent causative agent, but its isolation decreased over time. Overall median of LOHS was 7days and it did not change significantly during the study period. Time trend analyses also showed significant decreases in mortality during admission for CAP. Factor associated with higher IHM included: older age, higher CCI, S. aureus isolated, use of red cell transfusion or mechanical ventilation and readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence and mortality of CAP have changed in Spain from 2004 to 2013. Although there was an increased incidence of hospitalization for this disease over time, we saw a significant reduction in IHM.

Community-acquired pneumonia and survival of critically ill acute exacerbation of COPD patients in respiratory intensive care units

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to appraise the effect of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) on inhospital mortality in critically ill acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) patients admitted to a respiratory intensive care unit.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective observational study was performed. Consecutive critically ill AECOPD patients receiving treatment in a respiratory intensive care unit were reviewed from September 1, 2012, to August 31, 2015. Categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square tests, and continuous variables were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U-test. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess the association of CAP with survival of critically ill AECOPD patients for univariate analysis. Cox's proportional hazards regression model was performed to identify risk factors for multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 80 consecutive eligible individuals were reviewed. These included 38 patients with CAP and 42 patients without CAP. Patients with CAP had a higher inhospital rate of mortality than patients without CAP (42% vs 33.3%, P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with CAP had a worse survival rate than patients without CAP (P<0.05). Clinical characteristics, including Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, C-reactive protein, and CAP, were found to be closely associated with survival of AECOPD individuals. Further multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that CAP and APACHE II were independent risk factors for inhospital mortality in critically ill AECOPD patients (CAP: hazard ratio, 5.29; 95% CI, 1.50-18.47, P<0.01 and APACHE II: hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.06-1.37, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

CAP may be an independent risk factor for higher inhospital mortality in critically ill AECOPD patients.

Infections in travellers returning to Turkey from the Arabian peninsula: a retrospective cross-sectional multicenter study

Mass gatherings pooling people from different parts of the world—the largest of which is to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for Hajj—may impose risks for acquisition and dissemination of infectious diseases. A substantial number of pilgrims to Hajj and Umrah are Turkish citizens (456,000 in 2014) but data are lacking on scale of the problem. We did a retrospective cross-sectional multicenter study in Turkey to explore the range of infections among inpatients who had recently returned from the Arabian Peninsula. Our inclusion criteria were patients who had acquired an infection during their trip to an Arabian Peninsula country, or who became symptomatic within 1 week of their return. The data were collected retrospectively for January 1, 2013 and March 1, 2015. 185 Turkish patients were recruited to the study across 15 referral centers with travel associated infectious diseases after returning from Arabian Peninsula countries (predominantly Saudi Arabia 163 [88.1 %] for religious purposes 162 [87.5 %]). Seventy four (40.0 %) of them were ≥ 65 years old with numerous comorbidities including diabetes (24.3 %) and COPD (14.1 %). The most common clinical diagnosis was respiratory tract infections (169 [91.5 %]), followed by diarrheal diseases (13 [7 %]), and there was one case of MERS-CoV. Patients spent a median of 5 (3–7) days as hospital inpatients and overall mortality was 1.1 %. Returning travellers from the Arabian Peninsula present as inpatients with a broad range of infectious diseases similar to common community acquired infections frequently seen in daily medical practices in Turkey.

How do COPD comorbidities affect ICU outcomes?

Background and aim

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) frequently require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for application of mechanical ventilation (MV). We aimed to determine whether comorbidities and clinical variables present at ICU admission are predictive of ICU mortality.

Methods

A retrospective, observational cohort study was performed in a tertiary teaching hospital’s respiratory ICU using data collected between January 2008 and December 2012. Previously diagnosed COPD patients who were admitted to the ICU with ARF were included. Patients’ demographics, comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), ICU admission data, application of noninvasive and invasive MV (NIV and IMV, respectively), cause of ARF, length of ICU and hospital stay, and mortality were recorded from their files. Patients were grouped according to mortality (survival versus non-survival), and all the variables were compared between the two groups.

Results

During the study period, a total of 1,013 COPD patients (749 male) with a mean age (standard deviation) of 70±10 years met the inclusion criteria. Comorbidities of the non-survival group (female/male, 40/131) were significantly higher compared with the survival group (female/male, 224/618): arrhythmia (24% vs 11%), hypertension (42% vs 34%), coronary artery disease (28% vs 11%), and depression (7% vs 3%) (P<0.001, P<0.035, P<0.001, and P<0.007, respectively). Logistic regression revealed the following mortality risk factors: need of IMV, BMI <20 kg/m², pneumonia, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, hypertension, chronic hypoxia, and higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) scores. The respective odds ratios, confidence intervals, and P-values for each of these were as follows: 27.7, 15.7–49.0, P<0.001; 6.6, 3.5–412.7, P<0.001; 5.1, 2.9–8.8, P<0.001; 2.9, 1.5–5.6, P<0.001; 2.7, 1.4–5.2, P<0.003; 2.6, 1.5–4.4, P<0.001; 2.2, 1.2–3.9, P<0.008; and 1.1, 1.03–1.11, P<0.001.

Conclusion

Patients with severe COPD and cardiac comorbidities and cachexia should be closely monitored in ICU due to their high risk of ICU mortality.

[Which samples to obtain in the emergency department for the microbiological diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in the immunocompetent patient?]

Current diagnostic methods allow microbial identification in 50% of patients admitted with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Guidelines derived from epidemiological data help physicians to start empirical antimicrobial therapy. Definitive microbial diagnosis is useful to guide further pathogen-directed therapy. Blood cultures, cultures of respiratory specimens and urine antigen tests are recommended to determine the causative bacterial pathogen. Positive blood cultures range from 15 to 25% of CAP patients according to severity. Whether sputum specimens represent or not lower respiratory secretions determines its accuracy in CAP microbial diagnosis. In intubated patients, endotracheal aspirates are often of interest. Detection of positive pneumococcal or legionella urinary antigen is often associated with CAP severity. The sensitivity of this test is not decreased in patients who have received antibiotics prior to sampling. Viral pneumonia account for 10 to 40% of severe CAP. Nasal swabs are recommended for influenza identification using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in order to deliver oseltamivir treatment. In the emergency department, atypical pneumonia serology is less useful than respiratory specimens obtained using fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Serum PCR to diagnose bacterial CAP is not superior to the other usual methods.