Treatment failure in community-acquired pneumonia

Comparison of Empiric Antibiotic Treatment Regimens for Hospitalized, Non-severe Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Retrospective, Multicenter Cohort Study

PURPOSE

Consensus guidelines for hospitalized, non-severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) recommend empiric macrolide + β-lactam or respiratory fluoroquinolone monotherapy in patients with no risk factors for resistant organisms. In patients with allergies or contraindications, doxycycline + β-lactam is a recommended alternative. The purpose of this study was to compare differences in outcomes among guideline-recommended regimens in this population.

METHODS

This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included patients ≥18 years of age with CAP who received respiratory fluoroquinolone monotherapy, empiric macrolide + β-lactam, or doxycycline + β-lactam. Major exclusion criteria included patients with immunocompromising conditions, requiring vasopressors or invasive mechanical ventilation within 48 hours of admission, and receiving less than 2 days of total antibiotic therapy. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included clinical failure, 14- and 30-day hospital readmission, and hospital length of stay. Safety outcomes included incidence of new Clostridioides difficile infection and aortic aneurysm ruptures.

FINDINGS

Of 4685 included patients, 1722 patients received empiric respiratory fluoroquinolone monotherapy, 159 received empiric doxycycline + β-lactam, and 2804 received empiric macrolide + β-lactam. Incidence of in-hospital mortality was not observed to be significantly different among empiric regimens (doxycycline + β-lactam group: 1.9% vs macrolide + β-lactam: 1.9% vs respiratory fluoroquinolone monotherapy: 1.5%, P = 0.588). No secondary outcomes were observed to differ significantly among groups.

IMPLICATIONS

We observed no differences in clinical or safety outcomes among three guideline-recommended empiric CAP regimens. Empiric doxycycline + β-lactam may be a safe empiric regimen for hospitalized CAP patients with non-severe CAP, although additional research is needed to corroborate these observations with larger samples.

Treatment Failure and Clinical Stability in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Treatment failure and clinical stability are important outcomes in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). It is essential to know the causes and risk factors for treatment failure and delay in reaching clinical stability in CAP. The study of both as well as the associated underlying mechanisms and host response are key to improving outcomes in pneumonia.

Clinical Efficacy of Sitafloxacin-Colistin-Meropenem and Colistin-Meropenem in Patients with Carbapenem-Resistant and Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP)/Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) in One Super-Tertiary Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP)/ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is now a therapeutic problem worldwide.

METHOD

An open-label, randomized, superiority, single-blind trial was conducted in Rajavithi Hospital, a super-tertiary care facility in Bangkok, Thailand. CRAB HAP/VAP patients were randomly assigned to receive either sitafloxacin-colistin-meropenem or colistin-meropenem. Outcomes in the two groups were then assessed with respect to mortality, clinical response, and adverse effects.

RESULT

Between April 2021 and April 2022, 77 patients were treated with combinations of either sitafloxacin plus colistin plus meropenem (n = 40) or colistin plus meropenem (n = 37). There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to all-cause mortality rates at 7 days and 14 days (respectively, 7.5% vs. 2.7%; p = 0.616, and 10% vs. 10%; p = 1). Patients who received sitafloxacin-colistin-meropenem showed improved clinical response compared with patients who received colistin-meropenem in terms of both intention-to-treat (87.5% vs. 62.2%; p = 0.016) and per-protocol analysis (87.2% vs. 67.7%; p = 0.049). There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Adding sitafloxacin as a third agent to meropenem plus colistin could improve clinical outcomes in CRAB HAP/VAP with little or no impact on adverse effects. In short, sitafloxacin-meropenem-colistin could be another therapeutic option for combatting CRAB HAP/VAP.

Antibiotic treatment failure in children aged 1 to 59 months with World Health Organization-defined severe pneumonia in Malawi: A CPAP IMPACT trial secondary analysis

BACKGROUND

Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality in children <5 years globally. Early identification of hospitalized children with pneumonia who may fail antibiotics could improve outcomes. We conducted a secondary analysis from the Malawi CPAP IMPACT trial evaluating risk factors for antibiotic failure among children hospitalized with pneumonia.

METHODS

Participants were 1-59 months old with World Health Organization-defined severe pneumonia and hypoxemia, severe malnutrition, and/or HIV exposure/infection. All participants received intravenous antibiotics per standard care. First-line antibiotics were benzylpenicillin and gentamicin for five days. Study staff assessed patients for first-line antibiotic failure daily between days 3-6. When identified, patients failing antibiotics were switched to second-line ceftriaxone. Analyses excluded children receiving ceftriaxone and/or deceased by hospital day two. We compared characteristics between patients with and without treatment failure and fit multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate associations between treatment failure and admission characteristics.

RESULTS

From June 2015-March 2018, 644 children were enrolled and 538 analyzed. Antibiotic failure was identified in 251 (46.7%) participants, and 19/251 (7.6%) died. Treatment failure occurred more frequently with severe malnutrition (50.2% (126/251) vs 28.2% (81/287), p<0.001) and amongst those dwelling ≥10km from a health facility (22.3% (56/251) vs 15.3% (44/287), p = 0.026). Severe malnutrition occurred more frequently among children living ≥10km from a health facility than those living <10km (49.0% (49/100) vs 35.7% (275/428), p = 0.014). Children with severe malnutrition (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.2 (95% CI 1.52, 3.24), p<0.001) and pre-hospital antibiotics ((aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.01, 2.14), p = 0.043) had an elevated aOR for antibiotic treatment failure.

CONCLUSION

Severe malnutrition and pre-hospital antibiotic use predicted antibiotic treatment failure in this high-risk severe pneumonia pediatric population in Malawi. Our findings suggest addressing complex sociomedical conditions like severe malnutrition and improving pneumonia etiology diagnostics will be key for better targeting interventions to improve childhood pneumonia outcomes.

Chest radiography in children aged 2-59 months enrolled in the Innovative Treatments in Pneumonia (ITIP) project in Lilongwe Malawi: a secondary analysis

BACKGROUND

Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death in children aged under 5 years in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). World Health Organization (WHO) pneumonia diagnosis guidelines rely on non-specific clinical features. We explore chest radiography (CXR) findings among select children in the Innovative Treatments in Pneumonia (ITIP) project in Malawi in relation to clinical outcomes.

METHODS

When clinically indicated, CXRs were obtained from ITIP-enrolled children aged 2 to 59 months with community-acquired pneumonia hospitalized with treatment failure or relapse. ITIP1 (fast-breathing pneumonia) and ITIP2 (chest-indrawing pneumonia) trials enrolled children with non-severe pneumonia while ITIP3 enrolled children excluded from ITIP1 and ITIP2 with severe pneumonia and/or selected comorbidities. A panel of trained pediatricians classified the CXRs using the standardized WHO CXR research methodology. We analyzed the relationship between CXR classifications, enrollee characteristics, and outcomes.

RESULTS

Between March 2016 and June 2018, of 114 CXRs obtained, 83 met analysis criteria with 62.7% (52/83) classified as having significant pathology per WHO standardized interpretation. ITIP3 (92.3%; 12/13) children had a higher proportion of CXRs with significant pathology compared to ITIP1 (57.1%, 12/21) and ITIP2 (57.1%, 28/49) (p-value = 0.008). The predominant pathological CXR reading was "other infiltrates only" in ITIP1 (83.3%, 10/12) and ITIP2 (71.4%, 20/28), while in ITIP3 it was "primary endpoint pneumonia"(66.7%, 8/12,; p-value = 0.008). The percent of CXRs with significant pathology among children clinically cured (60.6%, 40/66) vs those not clinically cured (70.6%, 12/17) at Day 14 was not significantly different (p-value = 0.58).

CONCLUSIONS

In this secondary analysis we observed that ITIP3 children with severe pneumonia and/or selected comorbidities had a higher frequency of CXRs with significant pathology, although these radiographic findings had limited relationship to Day 14 outcomes. The proportion of CXRs with "primary endpoint pneumonia" was low. These findings add to existing data that additional diagnostics and prognostics are important for improving the care of children with pneumonia in LMICs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ITIP1, ITIP2, and ITIP3 were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02760420 , NCT02678195 , and NCT02960919 , respectively).

[Management of infectious complications associated with coronavirus infection in severe patients admitted to ICU]

Infections have become one of the main complications of patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia admitted in ICU. Poor immune status, frequent development of organic failure requiring invasive supportive treatments, and prolonged ICU length of stay in saturated structural areas of patients are risk factors for infection development. The Working Group on Infectious Diseases and Sepsis GTEIS of the Spanish Society of Intensive Medicine and Coronary Units SEMICYUC emphasizes the importance of infection prevention measures related to health care, the detection and early treatment of major infections in the patient with SARS-CoV-2 infections. Bacterial co-infection, respiratory infections related to mechanical ventilation, catheter-related bacteremia, device-associated urinary tract infection and opportunistic infections are review in the document.

Use of antibiotics and factors associated with treatment failure among 152,245 patients with pneumonia treated in the community - a retrospective cohort study

This study aims to evaluate risk factors associated with treatment failure and the antibiotics prescribed by primary care physicians in a large patient cohort treated for pneumonia in the community. A retrospective cohort study based on the databases of Maccabi Healthcare Services that provide healthcare to a quarter of the Israeli population. Included patients were > 12 years and diagnosed with pneumonia in the outpatient setting. Cohort 1 included patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), whereas cohort 2 included patients with a documented pneumonia diagnosis following hospital discharge. Treatment failure (TF) was defined as either the use of a second line antibiotic OR hospital admission within 3-14 days OR death within 30 days of diagnosis. Risk factors for TF in the study cohorts were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. During the study period, 148,376 patients were included in cohort 1 and 3,869 patients in cohort 2, with mean ages of 46.5 ± 20.3 and 63.8 ± 19.5 years, respectively. The most commonly used antibiotics were cephalosporins (36%) and macrolides (35.5%). TF occurred in 12% of cohort 1 and was associated with older age, comorbid conditions, use of non-respiratory fluoroquinolones, and penicillin. Atypical coverage (either macrolides or tetracyclines) was associated with a lower risk of failure. Among cohort 2, TF was higher (16.4%, p < 0.001) and was associated with older age, prior cancer, and congestive heart failure. Treatment failure was associated with comorbid conditions and increasing age. Among young patients with CAP and no comorbid conditions, macrolides or tetracyclines may suffice.

Management of infectious complications associated with coronavirus infection in severe patients admitted to ICU

Infections have become one of the main complications of patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia admitted in ICU. Poor immune status, frequent development of organic failure requiring invasive supportive treatments, and prolonged ICU length of stay in saturated structural areas of patients are risk factors for infection development. The Working Group on Infectious Diseases and Sepsis GTEIS of the Spanish Society of Intensive Medicine and Coronary Units SEMICYUC emphasizes the importance of infection prevention measures related to health care, the detection and early treatment of major infections in the patient with SARS-CoV-2 infections. Bacterial co-infection, respiratory infections related to mechanical ventilation, catheter-related bacteremia, device-associated urinary tract infection and opportunistic infections are review in the document.

Detection of Viruses by Multiplex Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Patients with Nonresponding Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Background

Nonresponding pneumonia is responsible for the most mortality of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, thus far, it is not clear whether viral infection plays an important role in the etiology of nonresponding CAP and whether there is a significant difference in the clinical characteristics between viral and nonviral nonresponding CAP.

Methods

From 2016 to 2019, nonresponding CAP patients were retrospectively enrolled in our study. All patients received bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and virus detection in BAL fluid by multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and clinical, laboratory, and radiographic data were collected.

Results

A total of 43 patients were included. The median age was 62 years, and 65.1% of patients were male. Overall, 20 patients (46.5%) were identified with viral infection. Of these viruses, influenza virus (n = 8) and adenovirus (n = 7) were more frequently detected, and others included herpes simplex virus, human enterovirus, cytomegalovirus, human coronavirus 229E, rhinovirus, and parainfluenza virus. Compared with nonviral nonresponding CAP, only ground-glass opacity combined with consolidation was a more common imaging manifestation in viral nonresponding CAP. However, no obvious differences were found in clinical and laboratory findings between the presence and the absence of viral infections.

Conclusions

Viral infections were particularly frequent in adults with nonresponding CAP. The ground-glass opacity combined with consolidation was a specific imaging manifestation for viral nonresponding CAP, while the clinical and laboratory data showed no obvious differences between viral and nonviral nonresponding CAP.

[Guidelines for the Management of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Children and Adolescents (Pediatric Community Acquired Pneumonia, pCAP) - Issued under the Responsibility of the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI) and the German Society for Pediatric Pulmonology (GPP)]

The present guideline aims to improve the evidence-based management of children and adolescents with pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (pCAP). Despite a prevalence of approx. 300 cases per 100 000 children per year in Central Europe, mortality is very low. Prevention includes infection control measures and comprehensive immunization. The diagnosis can and should be established clinically by history, physical examination and pulse oximetry, with fever and tachypnea as cardinal features. Additional signs or symptoms such as severely compromised general condition, poor feeding, dehydration, altered consciousness or seizures discriminate subjects with severe pCAP from those with non-severe pCAP. Within an age-dependent spectrum of infectious agents, bacterial etiology cannot be reliably differentiated from viral or mixed infections by currently available biomarkers. Most children and adolescents with non-severe pCAP and oxygen saturation > 92 % can be managed as outpatients without laboratory/microbiology workup or imaging. Anti-infective agents are not generally indicated and can be safely withheld especially in children of young age, with wheeze or other indices suggesting a viral origin. For calculated antibiotic therapy, aminopenicillins are the preferred drug class with comparable efficacy of oral (amoxicillin) and intravenous administration (ampicillin). Follow-up evaluation after 48 - 72 hours is mandatory for the assessment of clinical course, treatment success and potential complications such as parapneumonic pleural effusion or empyema, which may necessitate alternative or add-on therapy.

Antibiotic Use and Outcomes in Children in the Emergency Department With Suspected Pneumonia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Antibiotic therapy is often prescribed for suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children despite a lack of knowledge of causative pathogen. Our objective in this study was to investigate the association between antibiotic prescription and treatment failure in children with suspected CAP who are discharged from the hospital emergency department (ED).

METHODS

We performed a prospective cohort study of children (ages 3 months-18 years) who were discharged from the ED with suspected CAP. The primary exposure was antibiotic receipt or prescription. The primary outcome was treatment failure (ie, hospitalization after being discharged from the ED, return visit with antibiotic initiation or change, or antibiotic change within 7-15 days from the ED visit). The secondary outcomes included parent-reported quality-of-life measures. Propensity score matching was used to limit potential bias attributable to treatment selection between children who did and did not receive an antibiotic prescription.

RESULTS

Of 337 eligible children, 294 were matched on the basis of propensity score. There was no statistical difference in treatment failure between children who received antibiotics and those who did not (odds ratio 1.0; 95% confidence interval 0.45-2.2). There was no difference in the proportion of children with return visits with hospitalization (3.4% with antibiotics versus 3.4% without), initiation and/or change of antibiotics (4.8% vs 6.1%), or parent-reported quality-of-life measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Among children with suspected CAP, the outcomes were not statistically different between those who did and did not receive an antibiotic prescription.

Schistosoma egg antigens suppress LPS-induced inflammation in human IMR-90 cells by modulation of JAK/STAT1 signaling

BACKGROUND

The regulation of the balance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory events during the treatment of pulmonary infection is very important. Soluble Schistosoma egg antigens (SEA) can effectively inhibit the expression of cytokines during hepatic acute inflammation. However, the mechanisms by which these proteins suppress the inflammatory responses in lung cells remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of SEA to inhibit pulmonary inflammation.

METHODS

The effects of SEA were investigated in LPS-treated lung IMR-90 cells. The involvement of the JAK/STAT-1 signaling pathway in these effects was evaluated by employing CBA assays, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting experiments.

RESULTS

Pretreatment of IMR-90 cells with appropriate concentrations of SEA protected cells against the cytotoxic effects of LPS-induced inflammation in a time-dependent manner. SEA pretreatment significantly attenuated the LPS-induced activation of the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway, including the upregulation of JAK1/2 and STAT1, as well as the production of inflammatory cytokines. The level of phosphorylated STAT1 gradually declined in response to increasing concentrations of SEA. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that SEA-induced anti-inflammatory effects initiate with the downregulation of the IFN-γ-JAK-STAT1 signaling pathway, resulting in the attenuation of LPS-induced inflammation in IMR-90 cells.

CONCLUSION

Our study is the first to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory activity of SEA in an in vitro model of pulmonary inflammation, involving the modulation of JAK/STAT1 signaling. We propose SEA as potential therapeutic or preventive agents for the selective suppression of STAT1 and the control of inflammatory response in lung IMR-90 cells.

Severe community-acquired pneumonia in general medical wards: outcomes and impact of initial antibiotic selection

Background

Most international guidelines recommend empirical therapy for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to be based on site of care. Some patients with severe CAP are managed in general wards because of limited intensive care unit (ICU) bed or because of unrecognition of the pneumonia severity. Appropriate initial antibiotic treatment for severe CAP outside ICU has not yet been established. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and the impact of initial antibiotic selection on the outcomes of patients with severe CAP who were admitted and managing in general wards.

Methods

This prospective observational study included consecutive patients hospitalized for presumed CAP in general wards over a 1-year period. Severe CAP was identified using the 2007 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)/American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria. Initial antibiotic treatment in the first 24 h were collected. The primary outcome was the rate of unfavorable outcome (composite outcome of treatment failure and in-hospital death). The secondary outcome was the number of hospital-free days assessed 30 days after enrollment into the study.

Results

There were 94 patients hospitalized with CAP of which 50 (53.2%) patients were compatible with severe CAP. An etiologic diagnosis was found in 43 (45.8%) patients. The most common pathogens identified in patients with severe CAP were Staphylococcus aureus (28.6%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (28.6%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.9%). Patients with severe CAP had significantly more positive blood culture than patients with non-severe CAP (24% VS 4.5%; p = .008). Initial antibiotic treatment were discordant with the IDSA/ATS guidelines in 42% of all patients hospitalized with CAP, and 52% of patients with severe CAP. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.01–1.1) and initial antibiotic treatment discordant to guidelines for severe CAP in ICU (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.3–17.1) were independent risk factors of the unfavorable outcome of patients with severe CAP. Patients with unfavorable outcome had lower number of hospital-free days than patients with favorable outcome (5.2 ± 8 days VS 18 ± 7.1 days; p < .001).

Conclusions

Patients with severe CAP outside ICU should be recognized for appropriate initial antibiotic selection to improve outcomes.

Early prediction of treatment failure in severe community-acquired pneumonia: The PRoFeSs score

PURPOSE

To identify a single/panel of biomarkers and to provide a point score that, after 48 h of treatment, could early predict treatment failure at fifth day of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay in severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Single-center, prospective cohort study of 107 ICU patients with SCAP. Primary outcome included death or absence of improvement in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score by ≥2 points within 5 days of treatment. Biomarkers were evaluated within 12 h of first antibiotic dose (D1) and 48 h after the first assessment (D3).

RESULTS

A model based on Charlson's score and a panel of biomarkers (procalcitonin on D1 and D3, B-natriuretic peptide on D1, D-dimer and lactate on D3) had good discrimination for primary outcome in both derivation (AUC 0.82) and validation (AUC 0.76) samples and was well calibrated (X² = 0.98; df = 1; p = .32). A point score system (PRoFeSs score) built on the estimates of regression coefficients presented good discrimination (AUC 0.81; 95% Confidence Interval 0.72-0.89) for primary outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

In SCAP, a combination of biomarkers measured at admission and 48 h later may early predict treatment failure. PRoFeSs score may recognize patients with poor short-term prognosis.

Etiology and Risk Factors Determining Poor Outcome of Severe Pneumonia in Under-Five Children

OBJECTIVES

To determine the etiology of severe pneumonia (pneumonia with chest indrawing) in under-five children, and to study the risk factors for poor outcomes viz., 'treatment failure', 'need for change in antibiotics', 'prolonged hospital stay', 'need for mechanical ventilation' and 'mortality.'

METHODS

Children (age 2 mo to 5 y) with pneumonia and chest drawing were enrolled prospectively from October 2012 through September 2013. Clinical history was recorded, and examination, anthropometry and investigations (including chest X-ray, blood culture and nasopharyngeal swab culture) were performed. Children were managed as per standard guidelines, and recovery outcomes were recorded in form of 'treatment failure' (defined as persistence of features of severe pneumonia after 72 h or worsening of clinical condition before 72 h), need for change of antibiotics and prolonged (>5 d) hospital stay. The associations between the clinical, anthropometric and diagnostic risk factors and the recovery outcomes were evaluated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Out of 120 children enrolled in the study, 36 (42%) were culture positive (nasopharyngeal/blood); most common bacteria isolated were Streptococcal pneumoniae and Staphylococcal aureus, respectively. Treatment failure was seen in 15 (12.5%), 34 (28.3%) needed change of antibiotics, and 50 (41.6%) children required prolonged hospitalization. Low birth weight, overcrowding, general danger signs (lethargy/unable to drink), clinical rickets, crepitation, leukocytosis and positive blood culture were significant risk factors for treatment failure, prolonged hospital stay and antibiotics change. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, respiratory rate of >70/min (OR 19.94, 95%CI 1.42-280.29), lethargy/unconsciousness (OR 114.2, 95%CI 3.14-4147.92), and positive blood culture (OR 15.24, 95%CI 2.53-91.67) had more chances of treatment failure. Duration of hospital stay was prolonged in those who had inability to drink (OR 3.89, CI 1.37-10.99) or abnormal chest X-ray (OR 8.45, CI 3.56-20.04). Children with rickets (OR 3.69, CI 1.14-11.96), and those with abnormal chest X-ray (OR 9.66, CI 2.62-35.53) had a higher odds of change in antibiotics. Presence of wheeze was a protective factor for treatment failure (OR 0.03, CI 0.00-0.37) and change of antibiotics (OR 0.24, CI 0.07-0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the predominant organisms causing severe pneumonia in our setting. Children with risk factors such as respiratory rate >70/min, rickets, lethargy/unconsciousness, not able to drink, abnormal chest X-ray or positive blood culture are likely to have a delayed recovery or need of change of antibiotics, whereas those with wheeze are likely to recover faster with less chances of treatment failure.

Predictors of treatment failure and clinical stability in patients with community acquired pneumonia

Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading infectious cause of mortality worldwide with approximately 10% of patients hospitalized requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The ability to predict clinical stability (CS) and treatment failure (TF) enables the clinician to alter antibiotics appropriately, facilitate a timely ICU admission, or arrange a suitable discharge. The detection of CS and TF can be difficult and changes in clinical signs may be subtle or delayed. Thus clinical scores and biomarkers are routinely used to identify severity and monitor clinical progression. The evidence, however, is vast and the definitive role of these systems is at times difficult to elucidate. The aim of this review is to analyse the current literature and to provide a rational and clinically focused view of the predictive utility of various systems used to identify CS and TF in CAP.

Diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in adults: 2016 clinical practice guidelines by the Chinese Thoracic Society, Chinese Medical Association

Community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults is an infectious disease with high morbidity in China and the rest of the world. With the changing pattern in the etiological profile of CAP and advances in medical techniques in diagnosis and treatment over time, Chinese Thoracic Society of Chinese Medical Association updated its CAP guideline in 2016 to address the standard management of CAP in Chinese adults. Extensive and comprehensive literature search was made to collect the data and evidence for experts to review and evaluate the level of evidence. Corresponding recommendations are provided appropriately based on the level of evidence. This updated guideline covers comprehensive topics on CAP, including aetiology, antimicrobial resistance profile, diagnosis, empirical and targeted treatments, adjunctive and supportive therapies, as well as prophylaxis. The recommendations may help clinicians manage CAP patients more effectively and efficiently. CAP in pediatric patients and immunocompromised adults is beyond the scope of this guideline. This guideline is only applicable for the immunocompetent CAP patients aged 18 years and older. The recommendations on selection of antimicrobial agents and the dosing regimens are not mandatory. The clinicians are recommended to prescribe and adjust antimicrobial therapies primarily based on their local etiological profile and results of susceptibility testing, with reference to this guideline.

Impact of COPD on outcomes in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia: Analysis of the Spanish national hospital discharge database (2004-2013)

AIM

To examine trends in incidence and outcomes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) hospitalizations among patients with or without COPD in Spain (2004-2013).

METHODS

We used national hospital discharge data to select all hospital admissions for CAP. Incidence was calculated overall and according to the presence or absence of COPD.

RESULTS

We identified 901,136 hospital admissions for CAP (32.25% with COPD). Incidence of hospitalizations of CAP increased significantly over time among patients with and without COPD, but it was higher among people with COPD for all years analyzed. S. pneumoniae decreased over time for both groups. Time trend analyses showed significant decreases in mortality during admission for CAP for patients with and without COPD. Factor independently associated with higher mortality in both groups included: male sex, older age, higher comorbidity, isolation of S. aureus or P. aeruginosa, use of mechanical ventilation, and readmission. The presence of COPD was associated with a lower in-hospital mortality (IHM) (OR: 0.58, 95%CI 0.57-0.59).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of hospitalizations for CAP increased over time in patients with and without COPD, being higher in the COPD population for all years analyzed. IHM decreased over time in both groups. There were no differences in mortality between COPD and non-COPD patients.

Association Between the Order of Macrolide and Cephalosporin Treatment and Outcomes of Pneumonia

Background

Many patients hospitalized with pneumonia are treated with combination macrolide/cephalosporin therapy. Macrolides have immunomodulatory effects and do not directly cause bacterial lysis. These effects suggest the possibility that initial treatment with a macrolide before a cephalosporin could improve patient outcomes by preventing the inflammatory response to rapid bacterial lysis that can be caused by cephalosporin treatment. This study explores whether initial treatment for pneumonia with a macrolide before a cephalosporin is associated with better patient outcomes than treatment with a cephalosporin before a macrolide.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study using a clinically rich database derived from electronic health records of 71 hospitals. We compared outcomes for pneumonia patients who received intravenous treatment with a macrolide at least 1 hour before a cephalosporin, versus patients who received a cephalosporin at least 1 hour before a macrolide. Propensity matching was performed for 527 patients in each group.

Results

Among the propensity-matched cohorts, for the macrolide first group, in-hospital mortality was 4.2% vs 5.5% for the cephalosporin first group (P = .31), combined in-hospital mortality/hospice discharge was 6.3% vs 9.3% (P = .06), median hospital length of stay was 101.5 hours vs 109.5 hours (P = .09), and 30-day readmission was 12.9% vs 10.6% (P = .27).

Conclusions

Treatment of pneumonia with a macrolide before a cephalosporin was not associated with significantly improved outcomes when compared with treatment with a cephalosporin first; however, the lower rate of mortality/discharge to hospice and the large confidence intervals allow for the possibility of a clinically significant benefit.

Tools for outcome prediction in patients with community acquired pneumonia

INTRODUCTION

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most common causes of mortality world-wide. The mortality rate of patients with CAP is influenced by the severity of the disease, treatment failure and the requirement for hospitalization and/or intensive care unit (ICU) management, all of which may be predicted by biomarkers and clinical scoring systems. Areas covered: We review the recent literature examining the efficacy of established and newly-developed clinical scores, biological and inflammatory markers such as C-Reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), whether used alone or in conjunction with clinical severity scores to assess the severity of CAP, predict treatment failure, guide acute in-hospital or ICU admission and predict mortality. Expert commentary: The early prediction of treatment failure using clinical scores and biomarkers plays a developing role in improving survival of patients with CAP by identifying high-risk patients requiring hospitalization or ICU admission; and may enable more efficient allocation of resources. However, it is likely that combinations of scoring systems and biomarkers will be of greater use than individual markers. Further larger studies are needed to corroborate the additive value of these markers to clinical prediction scores to provide a safer and more effective assessment tool for clinicians.

Factors affecting treatment success in community-acquired pneumonia

BACKGROUND/AIM

Treatment failure in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia is a major cause of mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting treatment success in community-acquired pneumonia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 537 patients (mean age: 66.1 ± 15.8 years, 365 males) registered to the Turkish Thoracic Society Pneumonia Database were analyzed. Of these, clinical improvement or cure, defined as treatment success, was achieved in 477, whereas 60 patients had treatment failure and/or died.

RESULTS

Lower numbers of neutrophils (5989.9 ± 6237.3 vs. 8495.6 ± 7279.5/mm³), higher blood urea levels (66.1 ± 42.1 vs. 51.2 ± 38.2 mg/dL), higher Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) scores (123.3 ± 42.6 vs. 96.3 ± 32.9), higher CURB-65 scores (2.7 ± 1.2 vs. 2.2 ± 0.9), lower PaO₂/FiO₂ ratios (216.3 ± 86.8 vs. 269.9 ± 65.6), and the presence of multilobar (33.3% vs. 16.4%) and bilateral (41.7% vs. 18.9%) radiologic infiltrates were related to treatment failure. The PSI score and PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio were independent parameters affecting treatment results in multivariate linear regression analysis (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The risk of treatment failure is high in patients with severe pneumonia and with respiratory failure. Effective treatment and close monitoring are required for these cases.

Predictors and Implications of Early Clinical Stability in Patients Hospitalized for Moderately Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Background

Assessment of early response to treatment is crucial for the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Objective

To describe the predictors and the outcomes of early clinical stability

Methods

We did a secondary analysis of a multicentre randomized controlled trial on CAP treatment in which 580 patients hospitalized for moderately severe CAP were included. The association between demographic, clinical and biological variables available at inclusion and early clinical stability (stabilization of vital signs within 72 hours with predetermined cut-offs) was assessed by multivariate logistic regression. The association between early clinical stability and mortality, severe adverse events, and length of stay was also tested.

Results

Younger age (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–0.99), lower platelet count (OR per 10 G/L increment 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.98), lower respiratory rate (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.90–0.97), absence of hypoxemia (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.40–0.85), lower numbers of co-morbid conditions (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69–0.98) and signs or symptoms (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68–0.90) were significantly associated with early clinical stability. Patients with early clinical stability had lower 90-days mortality (3.4% vs. 11.9%, p<0.001), fewer admissions to the intensive care unit (2.7% vs. 8.0%, p = 0.005) and a shorter length of stay (6.0 days, IQR 4.0–10.0 vs. 10.0 days, IQR 7.0–15.0, p<0.001).

Conclusions

Patients with younger age, less co-morbidity, fewer signs or symptoms, less respiratory compromise, and a lower platelet count are more likely to reach early clinical stability. Patients without early clinical stability have a worse prognosis and warrant close scrutiny.

Transcriptome analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae treated with the designed antimicrobial peptides, DM3

In our previous studies, we generated a short 13 amino acid antimicrobial peptide (AMP), DM3, showing potent antipneumococcal activity in vitro and in vivo. Here we analyse the underlying mechanisms of action using Next-Generation transcriptome sequencing of penicillin (PEN)-resistant and PEN-susceptible pneumococci treated with DM3, PEN, and combination of DM3 and PEN (DM3PEN). DM3 induced differential expression in cell wall and cell membrane structural and transmembrane processes. Notably, DM3 altered the expression of competence-induction pathways by upregulating CelA, CelB, and CglA while downregulating Ccs16, ComF, and Ccs4 proteins. Capsular polysaccharide subunits were downregulated in DM3-treated cells, however, it was upregulated in PEN- and DM3PEN-treated groups. Additionally, DM3 altered the amino acids biosynthesis pathways, particularly targeting ribosomal rRNA subunits. Downregulation of cationic AMPs resistance pathway suggests that DM3 treatment could autoenhance pneumococci susceptibility to DM3. Gene enrichment analysis showed that unlike PEN and DM3PEN, DM3 treatment exerted no effect on DNA-binding RNA polymerase activity but observed downregulation of RpoD and RNA polymerase sigma factor. In contrast to DM3, DM3PEN altered the regulation of multiple purine/pyrimidine biosynthesis and metabolic pathways. Future studies based on in vitro experiments are proposed to investigate the key pathways leading to pneumococcal cell death caused by DM3.

In vivo efficacy and molecular docking of designed peptide that exhibits potent antipneumococcal activity and synergises in combination with penicillin

We have previously designed a series of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and in the current study, the in vivo therapeutic efficacy and toxicity were investigated. Among all the peptides, DM3 conferred protection to a substantial proportion of the lethally infected mice caused by a strain of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. Synergism was reported and therapeutic efficacy was significantly enhanced when DM3 was formulated in combination with penicillin (PEN). No toxicity was observed in mice receiving these treatments. The in silico molecular docking study results showed that, DM3 has a strong affinity towards three protein targets; autolysin and pneumococcal surface protein A (pspA). Thus AMPs could serve as supporting therapeutics in combination with conventional antibiotics to enhance treatment outcome.

Causes of non-adherence to therapeutic guidelines in severe community-acquired pneumonia

OBJECTIVE

To assess the adherence to Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines and the causes of lack of adherence during empirical antibiotic prescription in severe pneumonia in Latin America.

METHODS

A clinical questionnaire was submitted to 36 physicians from Latin America; they were asked to indicate the empirical treatment in two fictitious cases of severe respiratory infection: community-acquired pneumonia and nosocomial pneumonia.

RESULTS

In the case of community acquired pneumonia, 11 prescriptions of 36 (30.6%) were compliant with international guidelines. The causes for non-compliant treatment were monotherapy (16.0%), the unnecessary prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics (40.0%) and the use of non-recommended antibiotics (44.0%). In the case of nosocomial pneumonia, the rate of adherence to the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines was 2.8% (1 patient of 36). The reasons for lack of compliance were monotherapy (14.3%) and a lack of dual antibiotic coverage against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (85.7%). If monotherapy with an antipseudomonal antibiotic was considered adequate, the antibiotic treatment would be adequate in 100% of the total prescriptions.

CONCLUSION

The compliance rate with the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines in the community-acquired pneumonia scenario was 30.6%; the most frequent cause of lack of compliance was the indication of monotherapy. In the case of nosocomial pneumonia, the compliance rate with the guidelines was 2.8%, and the most important cause of non-adherence was lack of combined antipseudomonal therapy. If the use of monotherapy with an antipseudomonal antibiotic was considered the correct option, the treatment would be adequate in 100% of the prescriptions.

Detection of pneumonia associated pathogens using a prototype multiplexed pneumonia test in hospitalized patients with severe pneumonia

Severe pneumonia remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been shown to be more sensitive than current standard microbiological methods – particularly in patients with prior antibiotic treatment – and therefore, may improve the accuracy of microbiological diagnosis for hospitalized patients with pneumonia. Conventional detection techniques and multiplex PCR for 14 typical bacterial pneumonia-associated pathogens were performed on respiratory samples collected from adult hospitalized patients enrolled in a prospective multi-center study. Patients were enrolled from March until September 2012. A total of 739 fresh, native samples were eligible for analysis, of which 75 were sputa, 421 aspirates, and 234 bronchial lavages. 276 pathogens were detected by microbiology for which a valid PCR result was generated (positive or negative detection result by Curetis prototype system). Among these, 120 were identified by the prototype assay, 50 pathogens were not detected. Overall performance of the prototype for pathogen identification was 70.6% sensitivity (95% confidence interval (CI) lower bound: 63.3%, upper bound: 76.9%) and 95.2% specificity (95% CI lower bound: 94.6%, upper bound: 95.7%). Based on the study results, device cut-off settings were adjusted for future series production. The overall performance with the settings of the CE series production devices was 78.7% sensitivity (95% CI lower bound: 72.1%) and 96.6% specificity (95% CI lower bound: 96.1%). Time to result was 5.2 hours (median) for the prototype test and 43.5 h for standard-of-care. The Pneumonia Application provides a rapid and moderately sensitive assay for the detection of pneumonia-causing pathogens with minimal hands-on time.

Trial Registration

Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (DRKS) DRKS00005684

Community-acquired pneumonia: identification and evaluation of nonresponders

Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a relevant public health problem, constituting an important cause of morbidity and mortality. It accounts for a significant number of adult hospital admissions and a large number of those patients ultimately die, especially the population who needed mechanical ventilation or vasopressor support. Thus, early identification of CAP patients and its rapid and appropriate treatment are important features with impact on hospital resource consumption and overall mortality. Although CAP diagnosis may sometimes be straightforward, the diagnostic criteria commonly used are highly sensitive but largely unspecific. Biomarkers and microbiological documentation may be useful but have important limitations. Evaluation of clinical response is also critical especially to identify patients who fail to respond to initial treatment since these patients have a high risk of in-hospital death. However, the criteria of definition of non-response in CAP are largely empirical and frequently markedly diverse between different studies. In this review, we aim to identify criteria defining nonresponse in CAP and the pitfalls associated with this diagnosis. We also aim to overview the main causes of treatment failure especially in severe CAP and the possible strategies to identify and reassess non-responders trying to change the dismal prognosis associated with this condition.

Prevalence, treatment, and outcomes associated with OSA among patients hospitalized with pneumonia

BACKGROUND

OSA is associated with increased risks of respiratory complications following surgery. However, its relationship to the outcomes of hospitalized medical patients is unknown.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective cohort study of patients with pneumonia at 347 US hospitals. We compared the characteristics, treatment, and risk of complications and mortality among patients with and without a diagnosis of OSA while adjusting for other patient and hospital factors.

RESULTS

Of the 250,907 patients studied, 15,569 (6.2%) had a diagnosis of OSA. Patients with OSA were younger (63 years vs 72 years), more likely to be men (53% vs 46%), more likely to be married (46% vs 38%), and had a higher prevalence of obesity (38% vs 6%), chronic pulmonary disease (68% vs 47%), and heart failure (28% vs 19%). Patients with OSA were more likely to receive invasive (18.1% vs 9.3%) and noninvasive (28.8% vs 6.8%) forms of ventilation upon hospital admission. After multivariable adjustment, OSA was associated with an increased risk of transfer to intensive care (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.42-1.68) and intubation (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.55-1.81) on or after the third hospital day, longer hospital stays (risk ratio [RR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.13-1.15), and higher costs (RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.23) among survivors, but lower mortality (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.84-0.98).

CONCLUSION

Among patients hospitalized for pneumonia, OSA is associated with higher initial rates of mechanical ventilation, increased risk of clinical deterioration, and higher resource use, yet a modestly lower risk of inpatient mortality.

Immunophenotype expressions and cytokine profiles of influenza A H1N1 virus infection in pediatric patients in 2009

Background. A novel swine-origin influenza A H1N1 virus (S-OIV) caused human infection and acute respiratory illness in 2009, resulting in an influenza pandemic. Objectives. This study characterized the immune responses of S-OIV infection in pediatric patients at risk of pulmonary complications. Methods. All enrolled pediatric patients were confirmed virologically for S-OIV infection in 2009-2010, prospectively. Changes in cellular immunophenotypes were analyzed using flow cytometry. Plasma cytokine levels associated with S-OIV infection by pulmonary and without pulmonary complications were measured using cytokine cytometric bead assay kits. Results. A total of 85 patients with a mean age of 10.3 years were recruited. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP) was high in patients exhibiting pulmonary complications. The percentage of cellular immunophenotypes did not change between patients with and without pulmonary complications. The absolute numbers of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), CD3, CD8, and CD16CD56 decreased with acute S-OIV pulmonary complications. Acute influenza infection with pulmonary complications was associated with high plasma concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, and IFN-γ. Conclusion. Immunophenotype studies have reported variability in immune response to the severity of S-OIV infections. Acute phase cytokine profiles of the 2009 S-OIV infection might have contributed to the pathogenesis of the pulmonary complications.

Early versus later response to treatment in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: analysis of the REACH study

Background

Key goals in the treatment of CAP include early response to treatment and achievement of clinical stability. The US FDA recommends early response endpoints (72 hours after initiation of treatment) in clinical trials for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. REACH (REtrospective Study to Assess the Clinical Management of Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections [cSSTI] or CAP in the Hospital Setting) was a retrospective observational study, providing current data on the clinical management and resource burden of CAP in real-life settings in European hospitals. This analysis reviews the characteristics and outcomes of patients showing early positive response to treatment (time to clinical stability [TCS] ≤4 days, as assessed by Halm’s criteria) compared with patients with later positive response (TCS >4 days).

Methods

Patients were adults, hospitalized with CAP (2010–2011) and requiring in-hospital treatment with intravenous antibiotics.

Results

Of the 2039 patients included in REACH, 585 (28.7%) had TCS assessed by Halm’s criteria: 332 (56.8%) showed early response (median 3.0 days), and 253 (43.2%) showed later response to treatment (median 7.0 days). Use of Halm’s criteria varied across participating countries, ranging from 0% (Belgium) to 49.1% (UK). Patient characteristics and relevant medical history were similar between the two groups. There were no notable differences in initial antibiotic therapy between groups, except that more early responders had been treated with amoxicillin–clavulanate and amoxicillin monotherapy (22.6%; 7.5%, respectively) than later responders (5.9%; 1.2%, respectively). Initial treatment modification and re-infection or recurrences were less frequent in early responders compared with later responders (14.2% and 3.3% vs. 34.8% and 5.9%, respectively). Early responders had a shorter duration of hospitalization (mean 9.4 ± SD 7.0; median 8.0 days vs. mean 15.6 ± SD 10.5; median 12.0 days, respectively), lower rate of ICU admission (3.3% vs. 21.3%) and shorter duration of ICU stay (mean 6.2 ± SD 5.7; median 4.0 days vs. mean 10.4 ± SD 10.1; median 8.0 days, respectively) compared with later responders. Mortality was low in both groups.

Conclusions

Achieving early clinical stabilization in CAP (≤4 days) is associated with improved outcomes, lower requirement for initial treatment modification or readmission and lower resource use, compared with a later response.

Trial registration

NCT01293435

Pneumococcal pneumonia - Are the new severity scores more accurate in predicting adverse outcomes?

INTRODUCTION

The site-of-care decision is one of the most important factors in the management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The severity scores are validated prognostic tools for community-acquired pneumonia mortality and treatment site decision. The aim of this paper was to compare the discriminatory power of four scores - the classic PSI and CURB65 ant the most recent SCAP and SMART-COP - in predicting major adverse events: death, ICU admission, need for invasive mechanical ventilation or vasopressor support in patients admitted with pneumococcal pneumonia.

METHODS

A five year retrospective study of patients admitted for pneumococcal pneumonia. Patients were stratified based on admission data and assigned to low-, intermediate-, and high-risk classes for each score. Results were obtained comparing low versus non-low risk classes.

RESULTS

We studied 142 episodes of hospitalization with 2 deaths and 10 patients needing mechanical ventilation and vasopressor support. The majority of patients were classified as low risk by all scores - we found high negative predictive values for all adverse events studied, the most negative value corresponding to the SCAP score. The more recent scores showed better accuracy for predicting ICU admission and need for ventilation or vasopressor support (mostly for the SCAP score with higher AUC values for all adverse events).

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of all adverse outcomes increased directly with increasing risk class in all scores. The new gravity scores appear to have a higher discriminatory power in all adverse events in our study, particularly, the SCAP score.

What is the best approach to the nonresponding patient with community-acquired pneumonia?

Treatment failure in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the failure to normalize the clinical features (eg, fever, cough, sputum production), or nonresolving image in chest radiograph, despite antimicrobial therapy. The incidence of treatment failure in CAP has not been clearly established; according to several studies it ranges between 6% and 15%. The rate of mortality increases significantly, especially in those patients with severe CAP. It is important to be able to identify what patients are at risk for progressive or treatment failure pneumonia that may make them candidates for a more careful monitoring.

[Multidisciplinary guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia]

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an infectious respiratory disease with an incidence that ranges from 3 to 8 cases per 1,000 inhabitants per year. This incidence increases with age and comorbidities. Forty per cent of CAP patients require hospitalization and around 10% of these patients are admitted in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Several studies have suggested that the implementation of clinical guidelines has a positive impact in the outcome of patients including mortality and length of stay. The more recent and used guidelines are those from Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society, published in 2007, the 2009 from the British Thoracic Society, and that from the European Respiratory Society/European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, published in 2010. In Spain, the most recently released guideline is the Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica-2011 guideline. The present guidelines GNAC are designed to be used by the majority of health-care professionals that can participate in the care of CAP patients including diagnosis, decision of hospital and ICU admission, treatment and prevention. The Centro Cochrane Iberoamericano (CCIB) has participated in summarizing the previous guidelines and in the bibliography search. For each one of the following sections the panel of experts has developed a table with recommendations classified according to its evidence, strength and practical applicability using the Grading of Recommendations of Assessment Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system: 1. Epidemiology, microbiological etiology and antibiotic resistances.2. Clinical and microbiological diagnosis.3. Prognostic scales and decision of hospital admission.4. ICU admission criteria. 5. Empirical and definitive antibiotic treatment.6. Treatment failure. 7. Prevention.

'Non-resolving' pneumonia

A 47-year-old man presented with symptoms of fever and productive cough secondary to a left upper lobe pneumonia. He had received more than three courses of antibiotics over a 2-year period. Review of serial radiographic exams including chest x-ray and CT scans revealed consolidation of the left upper lobe. Lack of response to antibiotics prompted invasive testing with bronchoscopy which revealed a growth in the left main bronchus. Histopathology revealed squamous cell carcinoma.

Minor criteria of Infectious Disease Society Of America/American Thoracic Society for severe community-acquired pneumonia can predict delayed treatment response

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical aspects of patients satisfying the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) minor severity criteria, focusing on their treatment response to empirical antibiotics. In total, 381 community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients who did not require mechanical ventilation or vasopressors at admission were enrolled, and 50 (13.1%) satisfied the minor severity criteria (i.e. , minor severe CAP [minor-SCAP]). The rates of new complication events and clinical treatment failure were significantly higher in the minor-SCAP group than in the control group (30.0% vs 2.1%, P < 0.001, and 42.0% vs 10.6%, P < 0.001, respectively), and the time to reach clinical stability was longer in the minor-SCAP group (8 days vs 3 days, P < 0.001). In a multivariate model, minor severity criteria (≥ 3) were significantly associated with treatment failure (odds ratio, 2.838; 95% confidence interval, 1.216 to 6.626), and for predicting treatment failure the value of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for minor criteria was 0.731, similar to other established scoring methods. The IDSA/ATS minor severity criteria can predict delayed treatment response and clinical treatment failure.

Interleukin 6, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and interleukin 10 in the prediction of risk and etiologic patterns in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: results from the German competence network CAPNETZ

Background

The aim of our study was to investigate the predictive value of the biomarkers interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) compared with clinical CRB and CRB-65 severity scores in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods

Samples and data were obtained from patients enrolled into the German CAPNETZ study group. Samples (blood, sputum and urine) were collected within 24 h of first presentation and inclusion in the CAPNETZ study, and CRB and CRB-65 scores were determined for all patients at the time of enrollment. The combined end point representative of a severe course of CAP was defined as mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit treatment and/or death within 30 days. Overall, a total of 1,000 patients were enrolled in the study. A severe course of CAP was observed in 105 (10.5%) patients.

Results

The highest IL-6, IL-10 and LBP concentrations were found in patients with CRB-65 scores of 3-4 or CRB scores of 2-3. IL-6 and LBP levels on enrollment in the study were significantly higher for patients with a severe course of CAP than for those who did not have severe CAP. In receiver operating characteristic analyses, the area under the curve values for of IL-6 (0.689), IL-10 (0.665) and LPB (0.624) in a severe course of CAP were lower than that of CRB-65 (0.764) and similar to that of CRB (0.69). The accuracy of both CRB and CRB-65 was increased significantly by including IL-6 measurements. In addition, higher cytokine concentrations were found in patients with typical bacterial infections compared with patients with atypical or viral infections and those with infection of unknown etiology. LBP showed the highest discriminatory power with respect to the etiology of infection.

Conclusions

IL-6, IL-10 and LBP concentrations were increased in patients with a CRB-65 score of 3-4 and a severe course of CAP. The concentrations of IL-6 and IL-10 reflected the severity of disease in patients with CAP. The predictive power of IL-6, IL-10 and LBP for a severe course of pneumonia was lower than that of CRB-65. Typical bacterial pathogens induced the highest LBP, IL-6 and IL-10 concentrations.

The management of community-acquired pneumonia in infants and children older than 3 months of age: clinical practice guidelines by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America

Evidenced-based guidelines for management of infants and children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were prepared by an expert panel comprising clinicians and investigators representing community pediatrics, public health, and the pediatric specialties of critical care, emergency medicine, hospital medicine, infectious diseases, pulmonology, and surgery. These guidelines are intended for use by primary care and subspecialty providers responsible for the management of otherwise healthy infants and children with CAP in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Site-of-care management, diagnosis, antimicrobial and adjunctive surgical therapy, and prevention are discussed. Areas that warrant future investigations are also highlighted.

Outcome of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia treated with aqueous penicillin G

OBJECTIVE

To describe the evolution and outcome of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia receiving penicillin.

METHODS

A search was carried out for all hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia cases in a 37-month period. Inclusion criteria comprised age >2 months, intravenous penicillin G use at 200,000 IU/kg/day for >48 h and chest x-ray results. Confounders leading to exclusion included underlying debilitating or chronic pulmonary illnesses, nosocomial pneumonia or transference to another hospital. Pneumonia was confirmed if a pulmonary infiltrate or pleural effusion was described by an independent radiologist blind to the clinical information. Data on admission and evolution were entered on a standardized form.

RESULTS

Of 154 studied cases, 123 (80%) and 40 (26%) had pulmonary infiltrate or pleural effusion, respectively. Penicilli was substituted by other antibiotics in 28 (18%) patients, in whom the sole significant decrease was in the frequency of tachypnea from the first to the second day of treatment (86% vs. 50%, p = 0.008). Among patients treated exclusively with penicillin G, fever (46% vs. 26%, p = 0.002), tachypnea (74% vs. 59%, p = 0.003), chest indrawing (29% vs. 13%, p<0.001) and nasal flaring (10% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.001) frequencies significantly decreased from admission to the first day of treatment. Patients treated with other antimicrobial agents stayed longer in the hospital than those treated solely with penicillin G (16 ± 6 vs. 8 ± 4 days, p<0.001, mean difference (95% confidence interval) 8 (6-10)). None of the studied patients died.

CONCLUSION

Penicillin G successfully treated 82% (126/154) of the study group and improvement was marked on the first day of treatment.

Pneumonia in older people

The incidence of pneumonia is higher in older than younger people, due to both an increase in factors facilitating entry of infectious agents into the lungs, and attenuated functioning of the immune system. Classic features of presentation of pneumonia may be absent. The most common signs of pneumonia in old age are tachypnoea and tachycardia. Aetiology is established in only 50% of older patients. The empirical treatment of community-aquired pneumonia (CAP) should be aimed at its most common cause,Streptococcus pneumoniae. The empirical treatment of health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP) should be targeted at Gram-negative agents. Choice of antibiotic must include consideration of potential drug interactions.

Comparative antibiotic failure rates in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia: Results from a claims analysis

INTRODUCTION

Antibiotic treatment failure contributes to the economic and humanistic burdens of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by increasing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This study compared treatment failure rates of levofloxacin with those of other antibiotics in a large US sample.

METHODS

Medical and pharmacy claims in the nationally representative SDI database were used to identify adults with a new outpatient diagnosis of CAP receiving a study antibiotic (levofloxacin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, azithromycin, moxifloxacin) between September 1, 2005 and March 31, 2008. Treatment failure was defined as ≥1 of the following events ≤30 days after index date: a refill for the index antibiotic after completed days of therapy, a different antibiotic dispensed >1 day after the index prescription, or hospitalization with a pneumonia diagnosis or emergency department visit >3 days postindex. Cohorts were propensity score matched for demographic and clinical characteristics. Treatment failure rates were compared between pairs of cohorts for the full sample and for high-risk patients (age ≥65 and/or on Medicaid).

RESULTS

Among the 3994 study patients, the numbers of dispensed index prescriptions were 268 for amoxicillin/clavulanate, 1609 for azithromycin, 1460 for levofloxacin, and 657 for moxifloxacin. Unadjusted treatment failure rates for the sample were 20.8% for levofloxacin, 23.9% for amoxicillin/clavulanate, 23.9% for azithromycin, and 19.9% for moxifloxacin. For high-risk patients, unadjusted treatment failure rates were 19.1% for levofloxacin, 26.1% for amoxicillin/clavulanate, 26.3% for azithromycin, and 24.3% for moxifloxacin. Propensity score-matched treatment failure rates were significantly lower with levofloxacin than azithromycin (19.8% vs. 24.5%, odds ratio [OR] comparator vs. levofloxacin 1.38; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.67), a difference amplified in high-risk patients (19.0% vs. 26.4%, OR 1.61; 95% CI: 1.22, 2.13). No significant differences were observed for other paired comparisons.

CONCLUSION

In a large US sample, treatment failure in CAP appeared to be less likely with quinolones (such as levofloxacin) than azithromycin, an effect particularly marked in high-risk patients (age ≥65 and/or on Medicaid).

Burden of community-acquired pneumonia in North American adults

To determine the burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) affecting adults in North America, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine the incidence, morbidity and mortality, etiology, antibiotic resistance, and economic impact of CAP in this population. In the United States, there were approximately 4.2 million ambulatory care visits for pneumonia in 2006. Pneumonia and influenza continue to be a common cause of death in the United States (ranked eighth) and Canada (ranked seventh). In 2005, there were >60,000 deaths due to pneumonia in persons aged>or=15 years in the United States alone. The hospitalization rate for all infectious diseases increased from 1525 hospitalizations per 100 000 persons in 1998 to 1667 per 100 000 persons in 2005. Admission to an intensive care unit was required in 10% to 20% of patients hospitalized with pneumonia. The mean length of stay for pneumonia was >or=5 days and the 30-day rehospitalization rate was as high as 20%. Mortality was highest for CAP patients who were hospitalized; the 30-day mortality rate was as high as 23%. All-cause mortality for CAP patients was as high as 28% within 1 year. Streptococcus pneumoniae continues to be the most frequently identified pathogen associated with CAP, and pneumococcal resistance to antimicrobials may make treatment more difficult. The economic burden associated with CAP remains substantial at >$17 billion annually in the United States. Despite the availability and widespread adherence to recommended treatment guidelines, CAP continues to present a significant burden in adults. Furthermore, given the aging population in North America, clinicians can expect to encounter an increasing number of adult patients with CAP. Given the significance of the disease burden, the potential benefit of pneumococcal vaccination in adults is substantial.

Brazilian guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia in immunocompetent adults - 2009

Community-acquired pneumonia continues to be the acute infectious disease that has the greatest medical and social impact regarding morbidity and treatment costs. Children and the elderly are more susceptible to severe complications, thereby justifying the fact that the prevention measures adopted have focused on these age brackets. Despite the advances in the knowledge of etiology and physiopathology, as well as the improvement in preliminary clinical and therapeutic methods, various questions merit further investigation. This is due to the clinical, social, demographical and structural diversity, which cannot be fully predicted. Consequently, guidelines are published in order to compile the most recent knowledge in a systematic way and to promote the rational use of that knowledge in medical practice. Therefore, guidelines are not a rigid set of rules that must be followed, but first and foremost a tool to be used in a critical way, bearing in mind the variability of biological and human responses within their individual and social contexts. This document represents the conclusion of a detailed discussion among the members of the Scientific Board and Respiratory Infection Committee of the Brazilian Thoracic Association. The objective of the work group was to present relevant topics in order to update the previous guidelines. We attempted to avoid the repetition of consensual concepts. The principal objective of creating this document was to present a compilation of the recent advances published in the literature and, consequently, to contribute to improving the quality of the medical care provided to immunocompetent adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia.