Which patients with lower respiratory tract infections need inpatient treatment? Perceptions of physicians, nurses, patients and relatives

Despite recommendations for outpatient management, low risk patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are often hospitalized. This survey analyzed perceptions of physicians, nurses, patients and relatives about feasibility of outpatient management and required duration of hospital stay

Guidance of antibiotic therapy with procalcitonin in lower respiratory tract infections: insights into the ProHOSP study

In the recently published ProHOSP trial, we investigated the safety and external validity of procalcitonin (PCT) guidance for antibiotic therapy in patients with different severities of lower respiratory tract infections, mainly pneumonia. In this addendum, we aim to extend the initial report by reinforcing the rational of the PCT algorithm and by presenting more detailed data on antibiotic therapy in different severities of infection. In milder, mostly viral respiratory infections (i.e. acute or chronic bronchitis) initial prescription of antibiotics was markedly reduced by PCT guidance because PCT remained low in most patients. In pneumonia, PCT showed a severity-dependent increase and highest levels in patients with positive blood cultures. Thus, the main effect in pneumonia was a severity- and bacteremia-adapted reduction of the duration of antibiotic courses. In lower respiratory tract infections, PCT guidance had a differential effect on antibiotic exposure depending on the underlying type and severity of respiratory tract infection

Procalcitonin levels predict bacteremia in patients with community-acquired pneumonia : a prospective cohort trial

Guidelines recommend blood culture sampling from hospitalized patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the yield of true-positive results is low. We investigated the benefit of procalcitonin (PCT) on hospital admission to predict blood culture positivity in CAP

The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) for outcome prediction in emergency department patients with community-acquired pneumonia: results from a 6-year prospective cohort study

To investigate the accuracy of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) to predict mortality and adverse clinical outcomes for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) compared to standard risk scores such as the pneumonia severity index (PSI) and CURB-65.; Secondary analysis of patients included in a previous randomised-controlled trial with a median follow-up of 6.1 years.; Patients with CAP included on admission to the emergency departments (ED) of 6 tertiary care hospitals in Switzerland.; A total of 925 patients with confirmed CAP were included. NEWS, PSI and CURB-65 scores were calculated on admission to the ED based on admission data.; Our primary outcome was all-cause mortality within 6 years of follow-up. Secondary outcomes were adverse clinical outcome defined as intensive care unit (ICU) admission, empyema and unplanned hospital readmission all occurring within 30 days after admission. We used regression models to study associations of baseline risk scores and outcomes with the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) as a measure of discrimination.; 6-year overall mortality was 45.1% (n=417) with a stepwise increase with higher NEWS categories. For 30 day and 6-year mortality prediction, NEWS showed only low discrimination (AUC 0.65 and 0.60) inferior compared to PSI and CURB-65. For prediction of ICU admission, NEWS showed moderate discrimination (AUC 0.73) and improved the prognostic accuracy of a regression model, including PSI (AUC from 0.66 to 0.74, p=0.001) and CURB-65 (AUC from 0.64 to 0.73, p=0.015). NEWS was also superior to PSI and CURB-65 for prediction of empyema, but did not well predict rehospitalisation.; NEWS provides additional prognostic information with regard to risk of ICU admission and complications and thereby improves traditional clinical-risk scores in the management of patients with CAP in the ED setting.; ISRCTN95122877; Post-results

Time-dependent association of glucocorticoids with adverse outcome in community-acquired pneumonia: a 6-year prospective cohort study

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis plays a crucial role in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), with high cortisol being associated with disease severity and corticosteroid treatment resulting in earlier time to recovery. Our aim in the present study was to compare different glucocorticoid hormones, including cortisol, 11-deoxycortisol, cortisone, and corticosterone, regarding their association with short- and long-term adverse outcomes in a well-defined CAP cohort.; We prospectively followed 285 patients with CAP from a previous Swiss multicenter trial for a median of 6.1 years and measured different admission glucocorticoid serum levels by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We used adjusted Cox regression models to investigate associations between admission hormone levels and all-cause mortality at different time points.; Mortality was 5.3% after 30 days and increased to 47.3% after 6 years. High admission cortisol was associated with adverse outcome after 30 days (adjusted OR 3.85, 95% CI 1.10-13.49, p = 0.035). In the long term (i.e.,), however, high admission cortisol was associated with better survival (adjusted HR after 3 years 0.53, 95% CI 0.32-0.89, p = 0.017; adjusted HR after 6 years 0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.90, p = 0.015). Compared with 11-deoxycortisol, cortisone, and corticosterone, cortisol showed the highest association with mortality.; Among different glucocorticoid hormones, cortisol showed the highest association with mortality in CAP. Whereas a more pronounced glucocorticoid stress response on hospital admission was associated with higher short-term adverse outcome, long-term outcome was favorable in these patients. These data should support the correct interpretation of glucocorticoid blood data

Dihydrotestosterone is a predictor for mortality in males with community-acquired pneumonia: results of a 6-year follow-up study

Abstract Background Adrenal hormone metabolite levels are altered in acute illnesses such as community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Our aim was to investigate associations of sex and mineralocorticoid hormone metabolites with short- and long-term mortality and severity of CAP in male and female patients. Methods We prospectively followed 285 patients (60.4% male, mean age 71 years) with CAP from a previous multicenter trial. At baseline, levels of different metabolites of sex hormones and mineralocorticoids were measured by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. We calculated Cox regression models adjusted for age and comorbidities. Results All-cause mortality was 5.3% after 30 days and increased to 47.4% after 6 years. In males, high levels of dihydrotestosterone were associated with higher 6-year mortality (adjusted HR 2.84, 95%CI 1.15–6.99, p = 0.023), whereas high levels of 17-OH-progesterone were associated with lower 6-year mortality (adjusted HR 0.72, 95%CI 0.54–0.97, p = 0.029). Testosterone levels in males correlated inversely with inflammatory markers (CRP rho = − 0.39, p < 0.001; PCT rho = − 0.34, p < 0.001) and disease severity as assessed by the Pneumonia severity index (PSI) (rho = − 0.23, p = 0.003). No similar association was found for female patients. Conclusion Whereas in males with CAP, sex and mineralocorticoid hormone metabolite levels correlated with inflammation, disease severity and long-term survival, no similar association was found for females. Further study of sex and mineralocorticoid hormones in acute illness could generate predictive signatures with implementation in clinical practice

Dihydrotestosterone is a predictor for mortality in males with community-acquired pneumonia: Results of a 6-year follow-up study

Background Adrenal hormone metabolite levels are altered in acute illnesses such as community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Our aim was to investigate associations of sex and mineralocorticoid hormone metabolites with short- and long-term mortality and severity of CAP in male and female patients. Methods We prospectively followed 285 patients (60.4% male, mean age 71 years) with CAP from a previous multicenter trial. At baseline, levels of different metabolites of sex hormones and mineralocorticoids were measured by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. We calculated Cox regression models adjusted for age and comorbidities. Results All-cause mortality was 5.3% after 30 days and increased to 47.4% after 6 years. In males, high levels of dihydrotestosterone were associated with higher 6-year mortality (adjusted HR 2.84, 95%CI 1.15–6.99, p = 0.023), whereas high levels of 17-OH-progesterone were associated with lower 6-year mortality (adjusted HR 0.72, 95%CI 0.54–0.97, p = 0.029). Testosterone levels in males correlated inversely with inflammatory markers (CRP rho = − 0.39, p < 0.001; PCT rho = − 0.34, p < 0.001) and disease severity as assessed by the Pneumonia severity index (PSI) (rho = − 0.23, p = 0.003). No similar association was found for female patients. Conclusion Whereas in males with CAP, sex and mineralocorticoid hormone metabolite levels correlated with inflammation, disease severity and long-term survival, no similar association was found for females. Further study of sex and mineralocorticoid hormones in acute illness could generate predictive signatures with implementation in clinical practice.ISSN:1465-993XISSN:1465-992

Effect of procalcitonin-based guidelines vs standard guidelines on antibiotic use in lower respiratory tract infections: the ProHOSP randomized controlled trial

CONTEXT: In previous smaller trials, a procalcitonin (PCT) algorithm reduced antibiotic use in patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). OBJECTIVE: To examine whether a PCT algorithm can reduce antibiotic exposure without increasing the risk for serious adverse outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: A multicenter, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial in emergency departments of 6 tertiary care hospitals in Switzerland with an open intervention of 1359 patients with mostly severe LRTIs randomized between October 2006 and March 2008. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to administration of antibiotics based on a PCT algorithm with predefined cutoff ranges for initiating or stopping antibiotics (PCT group) or according to standard guidelines (control group). Serum PCT was measured locally in each hospital and instructions were Web-based. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Noninferiority of the composite adverse outcomes of death, intensive care unit admission, disease-specific complications, or recurrent infection requiring antibiotic treatment within 30 days, with a predefined noninferiority boundary of 7.5%; and antibiotic exposure and adverse effects from antibiotics. RESULTS: The rate of overall adverse outcomes was similar in the PCT and control groups (15.4% [n = 103] vs 18.9% [n = 130]; difference, -3.5%; 95% CI, -7.6% to 0.4%). The mean duration of antibiotics exposure in the PCT vs control groups was lower in all patients (5.7 vs 8.7 days; relative change, -34.8%; 95% CI, -40.3% to -28.7%) and in the subgroups of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (n = 925, 7.2 vs 10.7 days; -32.4%; 95% CI, -37.6% to -26.9%), exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 228, 2.5 vs 5.1 days; -50.4%; 95% CI, -64.0% to -34.0%), and acute bronchitis (n = 151, 1.0 vs 2.8 days; -65.0%; 95% CI, -84.7% to -37.5%). Antibiotic-associated adverse effects were less frequent in the PCT group (19.8% [n = 133] vs 28.1% [n = 193]; difference, -8.2 95% CI, -12.7% to -3.7%). CONCLUSION: In patients with LRTIs, a strategy of PCT guidance compared with standard guidelines resulted in similar rates of adverse outcomes, as well as lower rates of antibiotic exposure and antibiotic-associated adverse effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN95122877

Prohormones for prediction of adverse medical outcome in community-acquired pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections

Measurement of prohormones representing different pathophysiological pathways could enhance risk stratification in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and other lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI)