Clinical significance of healthcare-associated infections in community-onset Escherichia coli bacteraemia

BACKGROUND: The increasing antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli infection is of great concern, even for community-onset infections. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with E. coli bacteraemia who visited the emergency department of the Samsung Medical Center from February 2002 to December 2005 to identify the risk factors for mortality and association between healthcare-associated (HCA) infection and mortality. We classified community-onset E. coli bacteraemia into community-acquired (CA) and HCA infections. RESULTS: A total of 508 patients with E. coli bacteraemia were enrolled (mean age, 61.8 +/- 14.3 years; male/female, 191:317). The HCA E. coli bacteraemia had significantly higher severity of illness and higher antimicrobial resistance rate than CA bacteraemia. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 13.6% (69/508) and the mortality of HCA infections was significantly higher than that of CA infections (26.4% versus 9.6%, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, high Charlson's co-morbidity index (OR 4.84, 95% CI 2.14-10.95, P < 0.001), high Pitt bacteraemia score (OR 32.03, 95% CI 13.08-74.43, P < 0.001), presentation with acute renal failure (OR 4.11, 95% CI 1.90-8.89, P < 0.001) and HCA bacteraemia (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.09-5.01, P = 0.030) were found to be the significant risk factors for 30-day mortality in E. coli bacteraemia. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of HCA E. coli bacteraemia was higher than twice that of CA bacteraemia and HCA bacteraemia was one of the significant risk factors for mortality, even after adjusting for a large number of potential confounders.     

Atypical spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) with nonorthostatic headache

BACKGROUND: Some patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) often do not demonstrate typical orthostatic headache, which is contrary to the typical SIH syndrome. They usually have an obscure and intermittent headache, regardless of their positional change. OBJECT: The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical course of atypical SIH that manifests with diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement, but no orthostatic headaches. METHODS: Between January 1997 and December 2005, we observed a total of 6 patients who revealed atypical presentations including nonpostural headaches and normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, despite the diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement seen on their MR images. For a comparison of the clinical features and the disease course, 13 other SIH patients with typical clinical manifestations were selected as a control group. RESULTS: Cerebrospinal fluid leakage sites were confirmed in only one patient through a variety of diagnostic tools; in contrast, definite focal CSF leakage sites were found in 12 of 13 patients with typical SIH. The 6 atypical SIH patients were treated with conservative treatment, including strict bed rest and intravenous hydration for 2 to 3 weeks. After a mean follow-up of 12 months, their headaches were gradually relieved after 2 to 3 weeks of conservative treatment only. CONCLUSIONS: All SIHs do not necessarily show the typical clinical manifestations. The atypical finding of SIH such as nonorthostatic headache or normal CSF pressure may be the result of a normal physiologic response to the typical SIH as a compensatory reaction. Therefore, when faced with patients showing findings compatible with SIH on the brain MR images, regardless of nonpostural headache, atypical SIH should be suspected.     

Robotic versus laparoscopic coloanal anastomosis with or without intersphincteric resection for rectal cancer

Robotic surgery is increasingly used in the field of rectal cancer surgery. This study aimed to compare the short- and long-term outcomes between robotic and laparoscopic ultralow anterior resection (uLAR) and coloanal anastomosis (CAA). Between January 2007 and December 2010, a retrospective chart review was performed for all patients with low rectal cancer who underwent curative uLAR and CAA with or without intersphincteric resection using either a robotic or a laparoscopic approach. The study excluded patients with tumors invading the levator ani or external sphincter, patients with T4 cancers invading the prostate or vagina, and patients for whom an open approach was used. Patients’ short- and long-term outcomes were evaluated. This study enrolled 84 consecutive patients (47 in the robotic group and 37 in the laparoscopic group). The patient characteristics and operative data did not differ significantly between the groups except for the rate of conversion to open surgery (robot, 2.1 % vs laparoscopy, 16.2 %; p = 0.02). The postoperative outcomes also were similar in the two groups, but the hospital stay was shorter in the robotic group than in the laparoscopic group (robot, 9 days vs laparoscopy, 11 days; p = 0.011). No postoperative mortality occurred. The median follow-up period was 31.5 months. No difference was shown in local recurrence, 3-year overall survival, or disease-free survival between the two groups. Robotic uLAR and CAA with or without ISR is a safe and feasible surgical approach with a lower conversion rate, a shorter hospital stay, and similar oncologic outcomes compared with a laparoscopic approach. Further prospective and case–control cohort studies with longer follow-up periods are required.     

The usefulness of the semiquantitative procalcitonin test kit as a guideline for starting antibiotic administration

Objectives

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign has recommended that antibiotic therapy should be started within the first hour of recognizing severe sepsis. Procalcitonin has recently been proposed as a biomarker of bacterial infection, although the quantitative procalcitonin assay is often time consuming, and it is not always available in many emergency departments (EDs). Our aim is to evaluate usefulness of the semiquantitative procalcitonin fast kit as a guideline for starting antibiotic administration for patients with severe sepsis or septic shock that requires prompt antibiotic therapy in the ED.

Methods

We include those patients who were admitted to the ED and who were suspected of having infection. The procalcitonin concentration was determined by semiquantitative PCT-Q strips, and the points of the severity scoring system were calculated. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the diagnostic value of the PCT-Q strips to predict severe sepsis or septic shock.

Results

Of the 80 recruited patients, 33 patients were categorized as having severe sepsis or septic shock according to the definition. At a procalcitonin cutoff level of 2 ng/mL or greater, the sensitivity of the PCT-Q for detecting severe sepsis or septic shock was 93.94% and the specificity was 87.23. The receiver operating characteristic curve for PCT-Q to predict severe sepsis or septic shock had an area under the curve of 0.916.

Conclusion

PCT-Q is probably a fast, useful method for detecting severe sepsis in the ED, and it can be used as a guideline for antibiotic treatment.     

Analgesic effectiveness of nerve block in shoulder arthroscopy: comparison between interscalene, suprascapular and axillary nerve blocks

Purpose

Postoperative pain in arthroscopic shoulder surgery cannot be easily controlled with analgesics and nerve blocks. This study shows the analgesic effect of interscalene block (ISB) and suprascapular nerve block and axillary nerve block (SSNB + ANB) in patients under patient controlled analgesia (PCA).

Methods

Sixty-one patients (26 men and 35 women) who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were selected and allocated non-randomly to one of three groups: PCA only-group, PCA with ISB-group and PCA with SSNB + ANB-group. Visual analogue scale (VAS) score, degree of satisfaction, PCA usage and incidence of nausea and vomiting were evaluated at the recovery room, 8, 16 and 24 postoperative hours.

Results

The VAS score of the PCA only-group was highest at the recovery room. The VAS score of the PCA with ISB-group was the lowest, however, with large fluctuations over time. Although the VAS score of the PCA with SSNB + ANB-group was higher than that of the PCA with ISB-group, it was steadily lower than the PCA-only group, without any fluctuations. The degree of satisfaction of the PCA with ISB-group was highest at the recovery room. The number of times the PCA was used at the 8-h postoperative evaluation was largest in the PCA only-group.

Conclusions

The initial 24 h after surgery plays a key role in controlling pain after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. PCA with SSNB + ANB is a better anaesthetic choice than PCA with ISB or PCA only during the initial 24 h of the postoperative period.

Level of evidence

Clinical study, Level II.     

Incidence and clinical significance of myocardial bridging with ECG-gated 16-row MDCT coronary angiography

Aims The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence and the clinical significance of myocardial bridging in 401 patients with chest pain examined with 16-row Multidetector CT (MDCT) coronary angiography. Material and methods Four hundred nine consecutive patients who had chest pain or symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease were involved in this study. Patients with heart rates ≥65 beats/min received 25–50 mg of atenolol orally 1 h before the scan. CT coronary angiography was performed with a 16-row MDCT scanner. CT coronary angiographic images were evaluated by consensus of two radiologists, who were blinded to clinical information. Clinical correlation was made between the presence and type of myocardial bridging on MDCT and the clinical results based on history, examination, and any subsequent clinical workup at the 2-month follow-up by a consensus of two physicians. Results Among the 401 patients, 23 (5.7%) cases of myocardial bridging were detected. Twenty-one (5.2%) cases of myocardial bridging were located at the middle third of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), one (0.25%) case was at the proximal third of the LAD, and one (0.25%) case was at the distal third of the LAD. Superficial bridging was identified in 15 patients and deep bridging in 8. The length of tunneled artery was between 5 and 27 mm, with a mean of 15.7 mm, and the depth of tunneled artery was between 1.0 and 7.0 mm, with a mean of 3.2 mm. Out of four patients whose chest pain was assumed to be associated with myocardial bridging, three patients had deep bridging. In the other 19 patients with bridging, alternative causes of chest pain were present. Conclusions We found the incidence of myocardial bridging in this patient group to be 5.7%. Larger multicenter studies are required to evaluate the incidence of myocardial bridging and to determine a link between myocardial bridging and chest pain.     

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy that affects approximately 6% to 48% of patients with psoriasis. Arthritis is not correlated with the extent of skin disease. Classic radiographic findings of the involved joint include erosion, ankylosis, and fluffy periostitis. Site-specific characteristic deformities such as pencil-in-cup deformity of the phalanges also may be present. The disease typically follows a moderate course, but up to 47% of cases develop into destructive arthritis in which the inflammatory process leads to bony erosion and loss of joint architecture. The mainstay of treatment is biologic therapy (eg, tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors) in conjunction with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Patients with end-stage joint destruction may require surgery to alleviate pain and restore function. Orthopaedic surgeons should be cognizant of the risk factors (eg, increased risk of cardiovascular disease) and potential complications (eg, poor wound healing and increased risk of infection) associated with psoriatic arthritis.     

Impact of Combined Prophylactic Unilateral Central Neck Dissection and Hemithyroidectomy in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma

Background  

Lymph node metastases occur frequently in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), and the central compartment of the neck is the most frequently involved site. Some authors advocate prophylactic central neck dissection (CND) during total thyroidectomy. However, little is known about the effects of prophylactic unilateral CND in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) patients who undergo hemithyroidectomy. This study was designed to investigate the impact of prophylactic unilateral CND in this population.