Impact and pattern of gram-negative bacteraemia during 6 y at a large university hospital.

In order to characterize the impact and pattern of Gram-negative bacteraemia (GNB) at a Swiss University hospital and to assess the effect of multi-resistance on mortality, we conducted a 6-y retrospective cohort study using linear regression and multivariate Cox-proportional hazard analysis. 1766 patients had 1835 episodes of GNB; 61% were community-acquired. The incidence of GNB increased linearly (r2 = 0.90, p = 0.014) from 7.07 episodes to 8.32 episodes per 1000 admissions, but this trend was no longer significant after adjustment for the number of blood cultures drawn/y. The in-hospital mortality for patients with GNB decreased from 20% in 1989 to 16% in 1994 (r2 = 0.94, p = 0.005). The risk ratio for death remained unchanged over the study period and was 7-fold higher for patients with GNB than for patients without GNB. Factors independently associated with an increased hazard of death after GNB were: severity of illness as measured by exposure to intensive care (hazard ratio [HR], 1.5); age = 66-79 y (HR 1.8); GNB due to Klebsiella spp. (HR 1.7) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (HR 1.6); and polymicrobial infection (HR 1.6). Multi-resistance was not associated with an increased risk of death (HR 1.0). Although the crude mortality of GNB decreased, the population-attributable risk ratio for death remained significant. These data suggest the absence of a major impact of multi-resistant GNB on patient mortality.     

Factors influencing the early mortality in haematological malignancy patients with nosocomial Gram negative bacilli bacteraemia: a retrospective analysis of 154 cases

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to assess the factors influencing the early mortality (7-day after index blood culture) in haematological malignancy patients with Gram negative bacilli (GNB) bacteraemia.MethodsInfection control committee records were reviewed to identify the cases between March 2006 and June 2011. Only one bacteraemic episode per patient was included in the study.ResultsA total of 154 patients with GNB bacteraemia were identified. The early mortality rate was 19.5% (30 out of 154). Blood cultures revealed Enterobacteriacea in 120 patients (Escherichia coli; 86, Klebsiella spp.; 28, Enterobacter cloacea; 6) and glucose non-fermenting GNB in 34 patients (Pseudomonas aeruginosa; 15, Acinetobacter baumannii; 11, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia; 7, Burkholderia cepacia; 1). Forty (33.3%) out of 120 Enterobacteriaceae were extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers and 18 (52.9%) out of 34 glucose non-fermenting GNB were multidrug resistant. Carbapenems were administered as first line therapy in 139 out of 154 patients. In univariate analysis Pitt's bacteraemia score, presence of aplastic anaemia, bacteraemia caused by glucose non-fermentating GNB, inappropriate empirical antibacterial treatment, presence of severe sepsis or septic shock, unable to achieve microbiological cure, and intensive care unit (ICU) acquired bacteraemia were associated with mortality. Multivariate analysis showed ICU acquired bacteraemia (OR, 12.55; 95% CI, 2.34–67.38, p = 0.003) as an independent factor associated with early mortality.ConclusionHaematological malignancy patients who require ICU care are at high risk for early mortality related to GNB bacteraemia. Based on the local findings pointing out high rate of multidrug resistance, carbapenems combined with colistin seems to be a reasonable approach as empirical treatment of these patients. However, increasing carbapenem resistance rate is of concern.     

Gram-negative bacteraemia (GNB) after 428 unrelated donor bone marrow transplants (UD-BMT): risk factors, prophylaxis, therapy and outcome

Gram-negative infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality after unrelated donor-bone marrow transplantation (UD-BMT). We performed a retrospective case-control study to examine the risk factors, prophylaxis, therapy and outcome of Gram-negative bacteraemia (GNB) in 428 patients undergoing UD-BMT. The incidence of GNB was 3.6% in children and 19% in adults. Of the adults, 11% developed GNB >60 days post UD-BMT. Predisposing risk factors for GNB included 'high-risk' disease status, chronic graft-versus-host disease and use of systemic steroids. Fever, a raised C-reactive protein (CRP) and hypotension were common findings at presentation. Patients were routinely given prophylactic ciprofloxacin: resistance to this antibiotic was seen in 33% of isolates. We identified an age-matched control group undergoing UD-BMT over the same time period as the study group. Gram-positive bacteraemia was significantly more common in cases than controls. Mortality from GNB was 17% in children and 24% in adults. We conclude that GNB is a common complication of UD-BMT with a high associated mortality. Patients should be educated further to present rapidly with symptoms suggestive of infection.     

Hospice as Experienced by LTC Nurses and Their Perception of Resident Experiences

Objectives: This study utilized qualitative methods to better understand long-term care (LTC) nursing staff’s experience with hospice services and their perceptions of resident choice to utilize hospice services, as well as understand differences LTC nurses have experienced in regards to resident deaths. Methods: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized to extract themes and subthemes from 10 interviews that occurred with LTC nursing staff. Content analysis was also utilized to extract one noteworthy concept, which was a comparison of two resident deaths, with and without the utilization of hospice services.Results: Three main themes were extracted from the data: LTC nursing participant’s positive view of hospice, their perception that residents view hospice very negatively, and why residents choose to utilize hospice services. Participants also identified aspects of a “bad” or “good” death, with clear relationships noted when using hospice services. Conclusions: Findings identified a difference between the LTC nursing staff’s positive view of hospice and their belief that their residents view hospice services very negatively. According to these nurses’ experiences, to most residents, hospice meant something rather negative and feared. Clinical Implications: An intervention providing information about hospice services for LTC resident population may increase the percentage of older adults who utilize hospice services.     

Indwelling device use and antibiotic resistance in nursing homes: identifying a high-risk group

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the relationship between indwelling devices (urinary catheters, feeding tubes, and peripherally inserted central catheters) and carriage of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in nursing home residents.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional.
SETTING: Community nursing home in Southeast Michigan.
PARTICIPANTS: Residents with indwelling devices (n=100) and randomly selected control residents (n=100) in 14 nursing homes.
MEASUREMENTS: Data on age, functional status, and Charlson comorbidity score were collected. Samples were obtained from nares, oropharynx, groin, wounds, perianal area, and enteral feeding tube site. Standard microbiological methods were used to identify methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and ceftazidime-resistant (CTZ-R) gram-negative bacteria (GNB).
RESULTS: Use of indwelling devices was associated with colonization with MRSA at any site (odds ratio (OR)=2.0, P =.04), groin (OR=4.8, P =.006), and perianal area (OR=3.6, P =.01) and CTZ-R GNB at any site (OR=5.6, P =.003). Use of enteral feeding tubes was associated with MRSA colonization in the oropharynx (OR=3.3, P =.02).
CONCLUSION: Use of indwelling devices is associated with greater colonization with antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. This study serves as an initial step in defining a high-risk group that merits intensive infection control efforts.     

The Influence of Long-Term Care Insurance on the Likelihood of Nursing Home Admission

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of long-term care (LTC) insurance on nursing home use.
DESIGN: Longitudinal analysis, 1998 to 2006 waves of the Health Retirement Study.
SETTING: Community-dwelling nationally representative sample.
PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen thousand one hundred seventy adults aged 50 and older, 1998 wave.
METHODS: Two groups of respondents were created at baseline: those with and without an LTC insurance policy. Respondents admitted to the nursing home from 1998 to 2006 were identified. Propensity scores were used to control for known predictors of LTC insurance possession. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare the probability of nursing home admission over 8 years of follow-up for respondents possessing LTC insurance and those without a policy.
RESULTS: Of the 19,170 respondents aged 50 and older in 1998, 1,767 (9.2%) possessed LTC insurance. A total of 1,778 (8.5%) were admitted to a nursing home during the 8-year period: 149 (8.7%) of those with LTC insurance and 1,629 (8.4%) of those without LTC insurance. The hazard ratio, adjusted for propensity score, for those with LTC insurance entering a nursing home compared with those without was 1.07 (95% confidence interval=0.83–1.38). Likelihood of nursing home admission was relatively low because the low-risk population included in the study, limiting the power to detect small differences in risk of nursing home utilization between groups.
CONCLUSION: There was no difference in nursing home utilization between low-risk older adults who did and did not possess an LTC insurance policy.     

A quality improvement program to enhance after-hours telephone communication between nurses and physicians in a long-term care facility

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether satisfaction of on-site nurses with after-hours telephone communication with off-site physicians improved in one long-term care (LTC) facility after a nurse-oriented intervention.
DESIGN: Longitudinal quality improvement study.
SETTING: Extended Care and Rehabilitation Center (ECRC), Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen registered nurses.
INTERVENTION: Communicating Health Assessments by Telephone (Project CHAT), a program of individualized training sessions and decision support tools to aid LTC nurses with symptom assessment and communication of health information over the telephone.
MEASUREMENTS: Nurses completed six satisfaction surveys (three surveys in the 3 months before Project CHAT and three surveys in the 3 months after Project CHAT).
RESULTS: The nurses' average satisfaction scores increased on several items, including those that assessed whether the nurse was pretty sure what pieces of information the physician was going to ask for ( P =.04), felt that the amount of patient information the physician asked for seemed reasonable ( P =.03), felt prepared to answer the questions the physician asked ( P =.01), and felt that the process of gathering patient information for the physician was easy ( P =.01). The percentage of calls that resulted in immediate evaluation by a physician (on-site or in the emergency department) increased from 2.0% in the period before Project CHAT to 8.6% in the period after Project CHAT ( P =.01).
CONCLUSION: Nurses' satisfaction with several aspects of after-hours telephone medicine improved after an inexpensive, education-based intervention in one LTC facility. Further research is needed to determine how similar interventions might affect other quality measures, including patient outcomes.     

Low-level colonization and infection with ciprofloxacin-resistant gram-negative bacilli in a skilled nursing facility

Background: We report a 1-year surveillance study that evaluates colonization and infection with ciprofloxacin-resistant gram-negative bacilli (CR GNB) and the relation to quinolone use and other possible risk factors in a proprietary skilled nursing facility (SNF) with no history of outbreaks. Methods: Rectal swabs obtained quarterly were streaked on MacConkey agar with ciprofloxacin discs (5 μg) to screen for CR GNB and later were speciated and the antimicrobial susceptibilities were confirmed by standardized disc-diffusion tests. Results: The mean prevalence of CR GNB colonization was 2.6% (range 0.9% to 5.3%). The colonization frequency was higher in the last survey than it was in the first survey. CR GNB–colonized strains included Pseudomonas species (21%), but more than half were non-Pseudomonas enterics such as Acinetobacter baumannii (25%), Proteus mirabilis (17%), and Providencia stuartii (13%). None of the patients who had colonization with CR GNB had subsequent infections with the same species. Patients with colonization had more exposure to ciprofloxacin and they were more likely to have been recently admitted from an acute-care hospital and have decubitus ulcers. During the study period, of 336 patients surveyed, 98 (29%) patients developed suspected infections and cultures were done; the infection rate was 4.7 per 1000 patient days. Of these infected patients, 59 (60%) were infected by GNBs; the infection rate was 2.3 per 1000 patient days. Nineteen percent of the GNB infections were treated with a quinolone. (Overall, quinolones constituted about 17% of antibiotic usage in the SNF). Only 3 (5%) of the patients infected with GNB were infected with CR GNB, including Pseudomonas and Providenci a species. The CR GNB infections involved multiple sites, multiple organisms, and long length of stay in the SNF. Conclusions: The findings indicate that in this community SNF, a low frequency of colonization or infection with CR GNB existed. Whether continued moderate use of quinolones will lead to increasing levels of CR GNB will require further study. (AJIC Am J Infect Control 1998;26:552-7)     

Factors associated with infection by 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus during different phases of the epidemic

Objective

The focus of this study was to ascertain the factors associated with 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1 (pH1N1) infection during different phases of the epidemic.

Methods

In central Taiwan, 306 persons from households with schoolchildren were followed sequentially and serum samples were taken at three sampling time-points starting in the fall of 2008, shortly after influenza vaccination. Participants who seroconverted between two consecutive blood samplings were considered as having serological evidence of infection. A generalized estimation equation (GEE) with a logistic link to account for household correlations was applied to identify factors associated with pH1N1 infections during the pre-epidemic (April–June) and epidemic (September–October) periods.

Results

The results showed that receiving an inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine (ISIV) and having a hemagglutination inhibition assay (HI) titer of 40 or higher resulted in a significantly lower likelihood of pH1N1 infection during the pre-epidemic period only, for both children and adults (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12–0.9). Having a previous infection by pH1N1 with a baseline titer of 20 or higher resulted in a significantly lower likelihood of infection by pH1N1 during the epidemic period (adjusted OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.02–0.16).

Conclusions

Our results provide the first serological evidence to suggest a protection effect from receiving an ISIV against pH1N1 infection only when the HI titer reaches 40 or higher during the pre-epidemic period. This study gives an important insight into the control and intervention measures required for preventing infections during future influenza epidemics.     

The end-of-life experience in long-term care: five themes identified from focus groups with residents, family members, and staff

PURPOSE: We designed this study to examine the end-of-life (EOL) experience in long-term care (LTC) based on input from key stakeholders. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study consisted of 10 homogeneous focus groups drawn from a purposive sample of LTC residents (2 groups; total n = 11), family caregivers (2 groups; total n = 19), paraprofessional staff (3 groups; total n = 20), and licensed/registered staff (3 groups; total n = 15) from five nursing homes and eight residential care/assisted living communities in North Carolina. We analyzed data by using grounded theory techniques to elicit manifest and latent themes. RESULTS: Five overarching themes emerged: (a) components of a good death in LTC, (b) normalcy of dying in LTC, (c) the role of relationships in the provision and receipt of care, (d) hospice contributions to care at the EOL in LTC, and (e) stakeholder recommendations for enhancing EOL care in these settings. Underlying these themes was one central category, closeness, based on physical proximity and frequency of contact. IMPLICATIONS: Findings suggest that promoting collaborative relationships among the four stakeholder groups, increasing social worker involvement, and removing barriers to hospice may enhance the EOL experience in LTC.     

Urinary catheters: what type do men and their nurses prefer?

OBJECTIVES: Urinary catheters are used frequently, but the relative risks and benefits of different types of devices are not clear. We sought to determine the beliefs of both older male patients and nursing staff about the relative merits and problems of condom and indwelling catheters. DESIGN: Patient and nurse survey using convenience sampling. SETTING: A University-affiliated Veterans Affairs medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Men hospitalized on medical, rehabilitation and nursing home units using either an indwelling or a condom catheter were invited to participate as were all members of the nursing staff on these units. Of 116 eligible patients, 104 were interviewed (response rate = 90%). Of 107 eligible nursing staff members, 99 completed the questionnaires (response rate = 92%). INTERVENTION AND MEASUREMENTS: Consenting patients were interviewed personally about their urinary catheter. The nursing staff were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Patients were mostly older and predominantly hospitalized on the medical service. Compared with those using an indwelling catheter, patients using a condom catheter were more likely to believe that their catheter was comfortable (86 vs 58%, P = .04) and less likely to believe it was painful (14 vs 48%, P = .008) or to restrict their activity (24 vs 61%, P = .002). The nursing staff had a mean of 13 years nursing experience, and the majority worked in the nursing home unit. Most of the nursing staff respondents believed that condom catheters were less painful and restrictive for patients and were easier to apply, but they also believed that they fell off and leaked more often and required more nursing time. CONCLUSIONS: Both patients and nursing staff prefer condom to indwelling catheters for patient comfort, but they recognize that dislodgment and leaking are major drawbacks of condom catheters. A more secure condom catheter would greatly improve the management of male incontinence.     

Influenza outbreak detection and control measures in nursing homes in the United States

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of influenza vaccine, rapid influenza testing, and influenza antiviral medication in nursing homes in the US to prevent and control outbreaks. METHODS: Survey questionnaires were sent to 1017 randomly selected nursing homes in nine states. Information was collected on influenza prevention, detection and control practices, and on outbreaks during three influenza seasons (1995-1998). RESULTS: The survey response rate was 78%. Influenza vaccine was offered to residents and staff by 99% and 86%, respectively, of nursing homes. Among nursing homes offering the influenza vaccine, the average vaccination rate was 83% for residents and 46% for staff. Sixty-seven percent of the nursing homes reported having access to laboratories with rapid antigen testing capabilities, and 19% reported having a written policy for the use of influenza antiviral medications for outbreak control. Nursing homes from New York, where organized education programs on influenza detection and control have been conducted for many years, were more likely to have reported a suspected or laboratory-confirmed influenza outbreak (51% vs 10%, P = .01), to have access to rapid antigen testing for influenza (92% vs 63%, P = .01), and to use antivirals for prophylaxis and treatment of influenza A for their nursing home residents (94% vs 55%, P = .01) compared with nursing homes from the other eight states. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza outbreaks among nursing home residents can lead to substantial morbidity and mortality when prevention measures are not rapidly instituted. However, many nursing homes in this survey were neither prepared to detect nor to control influenza A outbreaks. Targeted, sustained educational efforts can improve the detection and control of outbreaks in nursing homes.     

An outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in a nursing home: Lessons to learn

Hong Kong experienced an epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) from March to June 2003. Nursing homes were a potential area of cross-infection because of the crowded living space, substandard environmental hygiene, inadequate ventilation, low working staff to resident ratio, and staff who lacked knowledge of infection control. The mortality in elderly SARS patients was high because of their atypical presentations, their multiple comorbidities, and that they are more susceptible to the side-effects of treatment. The community geriatric assessment team need to work closely with the hospitals and the primary health care system to provide surveillance of the disease, infection control, and management of sub-acute clinical problems, in order to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions in nursing home residents during an epidemic outbreak.     

Exploring Staff Clinical Knowledge and Practice with LGBT Residents in Long-Term Care: A Grounded Theory of Cultural Competency and Training Needs

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Existing literature shows that LGBT residents are likely to face suboptimal care in LTC facilities due to prejudice and discriminatory policies. The aim of this project was to assess the LGBT cultural competency of staff working in LTC facilities, identify their current training needs, and develop a framework for understanding LGBT cultural competency among LTC staff and providers.

Methods: This grounded theory study comprised data from focus groups of interdisciplinary staff from three LTC facilities.

Results: Results suggested that LTC staff struggle with how to be sensitive to LGBT residents’ needs. Tension appeared to exist between wanting to provide an equal standard of care to all LTC residents and fearing they would show “favoritism” or “special treatment,” which might be viewed as unprofessional. Participants indicated training could help to address the ambivalence they experience about providing sensitive care to subpopulations of residents who face stigma and oppression.

Conclusions: LTC staff stand to benefit from cultural competency training focused on LGBT residents. Training should be not only informational in nature, but also facilitate greater self-awareness and self-efficacy with respect to providing care to LGBT people.     

Is Hospice Associated with Improved End‐of‐Life Care in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities?

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether hospice enrollment for nursing home (NH) and residential care/assisted living (RC/AL) residents near the end of life is associated with symptoms and symptom management, personal care, spiritual support, and family satisfaction. DESIGN: Structured, retrospective telephone interviews with family and staff who attended to NH and RC/AL residents in the last month of life. SETTING: A stratified sample of 26 NH and 55 RC/AL facilities in four states. Participants: Family members (n=97) and long-term care (LTC) staff (n=104) identified as most involved in care of 124 residents who died over a 15-month period. MEASUREMENTS: A variety of reported measures of care and symptoms before death, including the Discomfort Scale for Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type. RESULTS: Of 124 decedents, 27 (22%) received hospice services. Dementia was less common in hospice enrollees than in decedents who did not receive hospice care. Hospice enrollees more often had moderate/severe pain and dyspnea and received pain treatment and were more likely to receive assistance with mouth care and eating and drinking. There were no differences related to unmet need, and observed differences were largely eliminated when comparisons were limited to residents whose deaths were expected. CONCLUSION: Rates of hospice use observed in this study (22%) were considerably higher than previously reported, although persons with dementia may continue to be underreferred. Hospice use is targeted to dying residents with higher levels of reported pain and dyspnea. Because difference in care largely disappears in cases when death was expected, LTC staff seem to be well positioned to provide end-of-life care for their residents and are advised to remain sensitive to instances in which death may be expected.     

The Swedish epidemic of coeliac disease explored using an epidemiological approach--some lessons to be learnt

Sweden has experienced an epidemic of symptomatic coeliac disease that has no likeness anywhere else in the world. This is quite unique for a disease that is genetically dependent, immune-mediated and chronic, and suggests an abrupt increase and decrease, respectively, of one or a few causal factors influencing a large proportion of Swedish infants during the period in question. We have shown that half of the epidemic was explained by an increase in the proportion of infants introduced to gluten in comparatively large amounts after breast-feeding had been ended. This was partly an effect of societal changes in national dietary recommendations and the food content of industrially produced infant foods. Thus, these changes over time in infant feeding practices had a large public health impact. In fact, when the Swedish epidemic began, the increase in incidence rate was larger in girls than in boys, as was the decrease during the post-epidemic period. Moreover, children born during summer had an increased risk for coeliac disease, possibly as they were mostly introduced to dietary gluten during winter when infections are more common. Notably, birth cohorts of the epidemic and post-epidemic periods differ considerably regarding coeliac disease occurrence at comparable ages, even when followed up to school age. A longer follow-up will reveal to what extent new cases develop later in life, and to what extent this difference in cumulative incidence remains. However, mass screening studies of both the epidemic and post-epidemic cohorts at comparable ages are also planned to determine to what extent 'silent' disease cases develop. Continuing to explore the Swedish epidemic of coeliac disease by means of an epidemiological approach provides a unique opportunity. This may include increasing our understanding of what determines the clinical expression of the disease, exploring the potentially causal role of environmental exposures, and possibly also identifying strategies for primary prevention.     

Pseudo-Outbreak of Ventriculitis in a Neurosurgical ICU

BACKGROUND: Infection is a potentially life-threatening complication of ventriculostomy placement. Placement of ventricular catheters frequently occurs outside the setting of the operating room. We typically detect <10 nosocomial central nervous system infections per year in our neurosurgical ICU. Over a 4–month period (May–August 2003), 19 positive cerebrospinal (CSF) cultures were noted in 10 patients. Organisms included coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS, 16 cultures in 7 patients), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4 cultures in 2 patients), and Acinetobacter lwoffi (1 culture in 1 patient).METHODS: An outbreak investigation was performed, including review of the patients' clinical course, laboratory data, ventriculostomy catheter insertion, site care, CSF specimen collection practices, and interviews with all involved staff.RESULTS: Investigation revealed ventriculostomy CSF specimens were collected by a single neurosurgical resident each month. Five (50%) of the patients were determined to have infection. CNS was found in all (10) contaminated cultures. Of 66 cultures obtained in August, 17 (26%) were culture positive, and 9 (14%) of these were contaminated. One resident obtained all cultures in August. Meetings were held between epidemiology department, neurosurgery faculty, and nursing staff. Practice changes were implemented to emphasize hand hygiene, aseptic collection techniques, and exit site care. Inservices were held for nursing staff and neurosurgery residents. Subsequent review of CSF cultures has revealed no further contamination.CONCLUSIONS: Continuing education of medical and nursing staff is required to prevent poor collection technique to prevent contamination of CSF obtained from ventriculostomy catheters. When investigating a potential outbreak, it is important to review all laboratory and clinical data to ensure that positive culture results represent true infection.     

Incidence of bacteraemia following fibreoptic bronchoscopy.

Guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis of infective endocarditis prior to fibreoptic bronchoscopy, are based on only five studies, which showed a bacteraemia rate of <1% among 291 patients studied. T his study was designed to expand the current data regarding the frequency of bacteraemia following fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures of venous blood and of lavage fluid were drawn from 200 consecutive patients undergoing fibreoptic bronchoscopy without respiratory infection or antibiotic treatment prior to the procedure. The true bacteraemia rate was calculated after excluding probable "contaminated" blood cultures. A possible correlation between type of procedure performed during the bronchoscopy and occurrence of bacteraemia was investigated. Positive blood cultures were noted following 26 bronchoscopy examinations. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus was found in the cultures of 18 patients, coagulase positive Staphylococcus in 3 patients, nonhaemolytic streptococci and a Klebsiella species in 2 patients each, and beta haemolytic streptococcus in one patient. After exclusion of 13 "contaminated" specimens the bacteraemia rate was 6.5% (13/200 patients). This study showed a bacteraemia rate of 6.5%, significantly higher than previously recognized in a cohort of patients undergoing fibreoptic bronchoscopy without either pulmonary infection or an unusually high rate of invasive procedures. These findings should be taken into account in future evaluations of recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis of endocarditis.     

Resistance of essential fatty acid-deficient rats to endotoxin-induced increases in vascular permeability

Resistance to endotoxin in essential fatty acid-deficient (EFAD) rats is associated with reduced synthesis of certain arachidonic acid metabolites. It was hypothesized that EFAD rats would manifest decreased vascular permeability changes during endotoxemia as a consequence of reduced arachidonic acid metabolism. To test this hypothesis, changes in hematocrit (HCT) and mesenteric localization rate of technetium-labeled human serum albumin (99mTc-HSA) and red blood cells (99mTc-RBC) were assessed in EFAD and normal rats using gamma-camera imaging. Thirty minutes after Salmonella enteritidis endotoxin, EFAD rats exhibited less hemoconcentration as determined by % HCT than normal rats (47 +/- 2% vs. 54 +/- 1% respectively, P less than 0.01). Endotoxin caused a less severe change in permeability index in the splanchnic region in EFAD rats than in normal rats (1.2 +/- 0.6 x 10(-3)min-1 vs. 4.9 +/- 1.7 x 10(-3)min-1 respectively, P less than 0.05). In contrast to 99mTc-HSA, mesenteric localization of 99mTc-RBC was not changed by endotoxin in control or EFAD rats. Supplementation with ethyl-arachidonic acid did not enhance susceptibility of EFAD rats to endotoxin-induced splanchnic permeability to 99mTc-HSA. Leukotrienes have been implicated as mediators of increased vascular permeability in endotoxin shock. Since LTC3 formation has been reported to be increased in EFA deficiency, we hypothesized that LTC3 may be less potent than LTC4. Thus the effect of LTC3 on mean arterial pressure and permeability was compared to LTC4 in normal rats. LTC3-induced increases in peak mean arterial pressure were less than LTC4 at 10 micrograms/kg (39 +/- 5 mm Hg vs. 58 +/- 4 mm Hg respectively, P less than 0.05) and at 20 micrograms/kg (56 +/- 4 mm Hg vs. 75 +/- 2 mm Hg respectively, P less than 0.05). LY171883 (30 mg/kg), an LTD4/E4 receptor antagonist, attenuated the pressor effect of LTC4, LTD4, and LTC3. Infusion of LTC4 (4 micrograms/kg/min) in normal rats induced a rise in HCT from 44 +/- 1% to 51 +/- 1% (P less than 0.01), which was greater (P less than 0.05) than the rise induced by LTC3 (47 +/- 1% to 49 +/- 1%). The results showing that EFAD rats are resistant to endotoxin-induced increases in HCT and vascular permeability raise the possibility that this may, in part, be a result of preferential LTC3 production that is less potent than LTC4.