Analysis of the concordance of antibiotic treatment for patients with severe sepsis in emergencies     

                        
MARÍA ANTONIA PÉREZ-MORENO, BEATRIZ CALDERÓN-HERNANZ, BERNARDINO COMAS-DÍAZ, JORDI TARRADAS-TORRAS, MARCIO BORGES-SA              

Objectives. Antibiotic treatment is vital in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock. The objectives were to assess the degree of concordance between antibiotic prescribed in emergencies and post requirements; to relate it to health outcomes (mortality) and to analyze the reasons for disagreement.
Material and methods. Retrospective descriptive study of antibiotic treatment prescribed in emergencies and the subsequent treatment in patients with criteria of severe sepsis/septic shock in 2013. We collected patient demographic characteristics, infectious focus, antibiotic prescribed from emergencies and subsequent changes. It was considered concordant if there were no changes, if there were changes, but the initial antibiotic was right and suspensions for end of treatment. Mortality and evolution were analyzed.
Results. Six hundred patients were included. A 60% experienced changes respect to the antibiotic treatment initiated in emergencies (87.6% justified), with a degree of overall antibiotic concordance of 47.5% The mortality rate at end-point was 9.83%, with no statistically significant relationship with the degree of concordance (OR=0.864 (0.503-1.484)/χ²=0.28; p=0.597). Reasons for change of antibiotic:  clinical outcome (17.96%), change of spectrum (35.03%), de-escalation (41.32%), sequential therapy (8.68%). An 11% required ICU admission. Clinical outcomes: resolution of the disease (79.2%), readmission after 30 days (7.7%) and transfer to health centers (4.5%). The median hospital stay was 7 days.
Conclusions. The degree of concordance antibiotic was quite high, and the mortality rate was lower than that described in the literature, without relating to the discordance. The presence of concordance was associated with fewer readmissions and ICU admissions. The main reasons for disagreement were inadequate spectrum selection and change after microbiological crops.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2015;28(6):295-301 [pdf]

New methodological advances: algorithm proposal for management of Clostridium difficile infection                                 
 

MARÍA JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ-ABAD,  MERCEDES ALONSO-SANZ              

 

Introduction. Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is considered the most common cause of health care-associated diarrhea and also is an etiologic agent of community diarrhea. The aim of this study was to assess the potential benefit of a test that detects glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) antigen and C. difficile toxin A/B, simultaneously, followed by detection of C. difficile toxin B (tcdB) gene by PCR as confirmatory assay on discrepant samples, and to propose an algorithm more efficient.
Material and Methods. From June 2012 to January 2013 at Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, the stool samples were studied for the simultaneous detection of GDH and toxin A/B, and also for detection of toxin A/B alone. When results between GDH and toxin A/B were discordant, a single sample for patient was selected for detection of C. difficile toxin B (tcdB) gene.
Results. A total of 116 samples (52 patients) were tested. Four were positive and 75 negative for toxigenic C. difficile (Toxin A/B, alone or combined with GDH). C. difficile was detected in the remaining 37 samples but not toxin A/B, regardless of the method used, except one. Twenty of the 37 specimens were further tested for C. difficile toxin B (tcdB) gene and 7 were positive.
Discussion. The simultaneous detection of GDH and toxin A/B combined with PCR recovered undiagnosed cases of CDI. In accordance with our data, we propose a two-step algorithm: detection of GDH and PCR (in samples GDH positive). This algorithm could provide a superior cost-benefit ratio in our population.

 

Rev Esp Quimioter 2015:28(3):157-159 [pdf]

Use of antibiotics at a University Clinic Hospital: effect of protocolized antibiotic treatment in the evolution of hospital patients with infections     

                        
JOAQUÍN GÓMEZ-GÓMEZ, ELISA GARCÍA-VÁZQUEZ, CRISTINA BONILLO, ALICIA HERNÁNDEZ-TORRES, MANUEL CANTERAS-JORDANA              

Objectives. To analyse factors associated to “failure” in patients under antibiotic (AB) treatment at a third level hospital.
Patients and methods. All patients receiving an AB treatment along April 2012 were prospectively observed and factors associated to failure were analyzed. Failure was defined as clinical or microbiological failure, relapse or death. Statistically significance was established as p<0.05.
Results. 602 of 1,265 admitted patients during the study month included an AB in their medical prescriptions, being 178 considered as prophylactic AB prescriptions, 342 empirical treatments and 82 directed treatments as empiric treatments. Ceftriaxone and levofloxacin were the most used AB; choice of empirical and directed treatments were in line with protocols in 71% (242 of 342 cases) and 67% (55 of 82), respectively. Of all the patients receiving antibiotics for therapy (n=424), 402 had infection criteria (in 22 cases antibiotic treatment was deemed unnecessary since the patient showed no infectious process). Of these, 292 (72%) showed a good evolution, while the others were considered as failed therapies, either because of microbiological persistence in 49 (12.8%), relapse in 31 (7.71%) and death in en 30 (7.46%). Factors associated to “failure” were Charlson score ≥3 (OR 3.35; 95%CI 1.602-7.009); empirical and/or directed treatment not in keeping with the protocol (OR 5.68; 95%CI 2.898-11.217); and infection by ESBL and/or ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli (OR 4.43; 95%CI 1.492-13.184).
Conclusions. A high rate of AB prescriptions in admitted patients correspond to empirical infection treatment,  being ceftriaxone and levofloxacin the most used AB. Inadequate empirical and/or directed treatment is associated to clinical or microbiological failure and death.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2015;28(6):302-309 [pdf]

Clinical usefulness of triazole derivatives in the management of fungal infections                                 
 

ALFONSO JAVIER CARRILLO-MUÑOZ, GUSTAVO GIUSIANO, ALICIA ARECHAVALA, CRISTINA TUR-TUR, ELENA ERASO, NEREA JAUREGIZAR, GUILLERMO QUINDÓS, RICARDO NEGRONI              

Current therapy for mycoses is limited to the use of a relative reduced number of antifungal drugs. Although amphotericin B still remains considered as the “gold standard” for treatment, acute and chronic toxicity, such as impairment of renal function, limits its use and enhances the investigation and clinical use other chemical families of antifungal drugs. One of these chemical class of active drugs are azole derivatives, discovered in 70s and introduced in clinical practice in 80s. Being the most prolific antifungal class, investigation about more molecules, with a safer and better pharmacological profile, active against a wide spectrum of fungi, with a wide range of administration routes gives us some azole representatives.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2015:28(4):169-182 [pdf]

Clinical features and outcomes of aspiration pneumonia and non-aspiration pneumonia in octogenarians and nonagenarians admitted in a General Internal Medicine Unit     

                        
HÉCTOR PINARGOTE, JOSE MANUEL RAMOS, ALINA ZURITA, JOAQUÍN PORTILLA              

Introduction. Pneumonia is a common infectious disease and causes significant morbidity and mortality especially in elderly people. Aspiration as a cause of pneumonia is common in this population. The aim of our study was to describe the clinical features and outcomes of very old patients with aspiration pneumonia (AP) and comparing them with patients with non-AP. 
Material and methods. In this prospective cohort study, we analyzed old patients (≥80 years-old) with pneumonia admitted 2014 in the Department of General Internal Medicine.
Results. Seventy-six old patients with pneumonia were included in the study, and 46 (60.5%) met criteria of AP. Increasing levels of urea, creatinine and sodium and low estimated glomerular filtrate rate were more common among AP patients. In addition, severity of pneumonia scored by pneumonia severity index and CURB-65 score were significantly greater in AP than in non-AP patients. The 30-days mortality in AP was (44%) quite higher than in non-AP (32%). The only predictor of mortality was high level of sodium (odds ratio: 1.09; 95% confidence intervals: 1.00-1.18).
Conclusions. AP in octogenarian and nonagenarians showed higher levels of sodium and low estimated glomerular filtrate rate and higher severity of pneumonia and slightly higher mortality than non-AP.

Rev Esp Quimioter 2015;28(6):310-313 [pdf]