Clinical Effects of Hypertension on the Mortality of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

The incidence of ischemic heart disease has been increased rapidly in Korea. However, the clinical effects of antecedent hypertension on acute myocardial infarction have not been identified. We assessed the relationship between antecedent hypertension and clinical outcomes in 7,784 patients with acute myocardial infarction in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry during one-year follow-up. Diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease were more prevalent in hypertensives (n=3,775) than nonhypertensives (n=4,009). During hospitalization, hypertensive patients suffered from acute renal failure, shock, and cerebrovascular event more frequently than in nonhypertensives. During follow-up of one-year, the incidence of major adverse cardiac events was higher in hypertensives. In multi-variate adjustment, old age, Killip class ≥III, left ventricular ejection fraction <45%, systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg on admission, post procedural TIMI flow grade ≤2, female sex, and history of hypertension were independent predictors for in-hospital mortality. However antecedent hypertension was not significantly associated with one-year mortality. Hypertension at the time of acute myocardial infarction is associated with an increased rate of in-hospital mortality.     

Risk factors for mortality in patients with mucormycosis

Optimal clinical care and clinical investigation of patients with mucormycosis are limited by absence of controlled trials, and absence of well-defined predictors of mortality or clinical response. The Deferasirox-AmBisome Therapy for mucormycosis (DEFEAT Mucor) study was the first randomized clinical trial conducted on patients with mucormycosis, and demonstrated that adjunctive deferasirox therapy did not improve outcomes of the disease. The current study describes clinical factors from the 20 patients enrolled to identify those associated with 90-day mortality of the 11 (55%) patients who died by day 90. Age, diabetes mellitus, transplant status, or antifungal therapy were not associated with mortality. However, active malignancy or neutropenia at enrollment were associated with increased mortality. Pulmonary infection was linked with lower Kaplan-Meier survival compared to non-pulmonary infection. Higher baseline serum concentrations of iron and ferritin were also associated with mortality. No patient who progressed clinically during the first 14 days of study therapy survived; however, many patients who clinically improved during that time did not survive to 90 days. In contrast, day 30 clinical response was predictive of 90-day survival. These factors may be useful in defining enrollment randomization stratification critieria for future clinical trials, and in supporting clinical care of patients with mucormycosis.     

多导睡眠图对卒中后睡眠障碍的评价意义

睡眠障碍是脑卒中（Stroke）后患者常见并发症,它不仅影响病人的躯体康复和心身健康,而且会加重高血压、糖尿病等常见脑卒中危险因素的程度,甚至诱发脑梗死或脑出血的再发。应用多导睡眠图（polysomnogram,PSG）对脑卒中后并发睡眠障碍患者进行夜间睡眠监测,能够更加客观地反应患者睡眠质量,有效地纠正睡眠障碍,促进患者功能恢复。     

Mortality and morbidity during a five-year follow-up of diabetics with myocardial infarction

In 787 patients with acute myocardial infarction originally participating in the G?teborg Metoprolol Trial, mortality and morbidity during 5 years' follow-up were assessed and related to whether patients had diabetes mellitus. Diabetes occurred in 78 patients (10%). Patients with diabetes had a different risk factor pattern, including higher age, higher occurrence of angina pectoris and hypertension, whereas smoking habits did not differ. In the early phase (hospitalization), patients with diabetes had a higher mortality (12% versus 8%), required more treatment for heart failure and stayed longer in hospital. Other morbidity aspects, such as severity of pain, occurrence of severe supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, high-degree AV-block and infarct size did not differ. During 5 years' follow-up mortality rate in patients with diabetes mellitus was 55% as compared with 30% among patients with no diabetes (p less than 0.001). Reinfarction rate during 5 years was 42% in diabetics versus 25% in non-diabetics (p less than 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, taking into account the differences in risk factor pattern, diabetes turned out to be an independent determinant for long-term mortality and reinfarction (p less than 0.001). We conclude that patients with diabetes mellitus, developing acute myocardial infarction, is a group with particularly high risk of death and reinfarction. Interventions aiming at its reduction have priority.     

Prediction of outcome in patients with liver dysfunction after left ventricular assist device implantation

Although postoperative liver dysfunction (LD) following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is associated with high mortality, outcome is difficult to predict in patients with liver dysfunction. We aimed to clarify factors affecting recovery from LD after VAD implantation. A total of 167 patients underwent LVAD implantation, of whom 101 developed early postoperative LD, defined as maximum total bilirubin (max T-bil) greater than 5.0 mg/dl within 2 weeks. We set two different end-points, unremitting LD, and 90-day mortality. The rates of early mortality (90 days) and recovery from LD were 36 % (36/101) and 72 % (73/101), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that preoperative body weight, preoperative mechanical support, preoperative T-bil and creatinine, left ventricular diastolic dimension, right VAD (RVAD) insertion, cardiopulmonary bypass time, postoperative cardiac index, and postoperative T-bil and central venous pressure (CVP) on postoperative day (POD) 3 (non-recovered vs recovered, 12.4 ± 4.5 vs 9.5 ± 3.6 mmHg) were higher in patients with unremitting LD. Preoperative T-bil, RVAD insertion, and T-bil and CVP on POD 3 (non-survivor vs survivor, 12.4 ± 4.4 vs 9.4 ± 3.6 mmHg) were also higher in non-survivors. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CVP on POD 3 was predictive of recovery from postoperative LD (OR 0.730, P < 0.05) and 90-day mortality (OR 0.730, P < 0.05). A key outcome factor in patients who developed early postoperative LD after LVAD implantation was postoperative liver congestion with high CVP. To overcome postoperative LD, appropriate management of postoperative CVP level is important.     

Predictors for the white coat effect in general practice patients with suspected and treated hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was introduced more than 40 years ago and is accepted as a clinically useful method to evaluate the white coat effect in patients with suspected and established hypertension. AIM: To study the differences between blood pressure readings taken in the physician's office in the primary healthcare setting, and ambulatory readings, and to find possible predictors. DESIGN OF STUDY: Prospective study. SETTING: Two primary healthcare centres in Norway. METHOD: The study included 221 patients, 107 of whom were on antihypertensive treatment, and 114 of whom were under investigation for possible hypertension. Differences between blood pressure readings taken in the physician's office and ambulatory readings were calculated. Independent predictors for the white coat effect were calculated using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The difference between blood pressure readings taken in the office and ambulatory readings was 27 mmHg systolic and 11 mmHg diastolic. For the systolic readings, the following factors were independent predictors of the amount of the white coat effect: mean blood pressure, age, history of smoking, family history of cardiovascular disease, and antihypertensive treatment. For the diastolic readings, they were: mean blood pressure, history of smoking, and sex of the patient (with this being most significant for women). CONCLUSION: Ambulatory blood pressure measurement is of significant value in identifying patients with white coat hypertension. It can be an important supplement for use in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with hypertension in general practice.     

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver associated with primary pulmonary hypertension

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH), a rare hyperplastic condition of the liver, is reported in two patients with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). The first patient was a 26-year-old man who died of PPH and showed multiple NRH without cirrhosis of the liver. The second patient was a 25-year-old man who had a PPH with pulmonary arterial thrombi and NRH of the liver. NRH has been described in association with immune disease, hematopoietic disorder, and diabetes mellitus, so that NRH with PPH is considered to be very rare. Histologic findings of the lungs show typically plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy in both cases, and the livers of these patients are composed of multiple nodules that are histologically represented by slightly larger hepatocytes arranged in a cobblestone-like fashion, and are ultramicroscopically characterized by massive proliferation of mitochondria. The pathogenetic association of nodular regenerative hyperplasia with primary pulmonary hypertension will be discussed.     

临床护理路径在妊娠期糖尿病合并妊娠期高血压患者中的应用

目的 探讨妊娠期糖尿病合并妊娠高血压患者临床护理路径的的应用效果。方法 选取2017年3月~2018年5月我院收治的妊娠期糖尿病合并妊娠期高血压患者72例,按照随机数字表法分为一般组和观察组,各36例。一般组给予实施常规护理,观察组给予临床护理路径护理,比较两组护理前、后的血糖、血压水平,并随访两组患者至终止妊娠,比较两组不良妊娠结局发生率。结果 两组护理前的血糖、血压水平比较,差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）;护理后,观察组空腹血糖、餐后2h血糖均低于一般组[（6.06±0.98）mmol/L vs（7.12±0.65）mmol/L,（8.15±0.88）mmol/L vs（9.48±0.90）mmol/L],差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;观察组收缩压、舒张压均低于一般组[（128.11±3.80）mmHg vs（136.03±3.75）mmHg,（85.06±4.18）mmHg vs（90.10±4.09）mmHg],差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。观察组不良妊娠结局发生率为8.33%,低于一般组的25.00%,差距有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论 临床护理路径对妊娠期糖尿病合并妊娠期高血压患者的血糖和血压均有积极的干预作用,能够有效改善患者健康状态,降低患者不良妊娠结局发生率。     

不同阻断压力和时间对2型糖尿病患者皮肤反应性充血影响的初步比较

目的:观察激光多普勒血流仪(LDF)测定2型糖尿病患者上肢皮肤微血流阻断后反应性充血(PORH)的最佳阻断压力和时间。方法:应用LDF对28例2型糖尿病患者上肢皮肤PORH进行连续三天检测,每天的阻断加压量及持续时间分别为收缩压以上20mmHg/2min、30mmHg/3min以及40mmHg/4min,快速减压,以诱发PORH,比较三种阻断状态对上肢皮肤微血流阻断后最小值PUmin、最大值PUmax及PUmax-PUmin的影响。结果:在以上三种压力和时间状态下,前臂PUmin差异无统计学差异,PUmax及PUmax-PUmin于30mmHg/3min时分别为40.46±17.72和36.04±16.97,与40mmHg/4min时测值(40.39±15.45和36.16±15.56)比较,其差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),但两者明显高于20mmHg/2min时测定结果(28.27±15.48、23.70±15.72,P<0.01)。结论:采用收缩压以上30mmHg/3min,即可使2型糖尿病患者皮肤微血管达到较好的反应性充血效果。     

Antihypertensive treatment of acute intracerebral hemorrhage by intravenous nicardipine hydrochloride: prospective multi-center study

The authors performed a multicenter prospective study to evaluate the feasibility and safety of intravenous nicardipine hydrochloride for acute hypertension in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study included 88 patients (mean age: 58.3 yr, range 26-87 yr) with ICH and acute hypertension in 5 medical centers between August 2008 and November 2010, who were treated using intravenous nicardipine. Administration of nicardipine resulted in a decrease from mean systolic blood pressure (BP) (175.4 ± 33.7 mmHg) and diastolic BP (100.8 ± 22 mmHg) at admission to mean systolic BP (127.4 ± 16.7 mmHg) and diastolic BP (67.2 ± 12.9 mmHg) in 6 hr after infusion (P < 0.001, mixed-effect linear models). Among patients who underwent follow-up by computed tomography, hematoma expansion at 24 hr (more than 33% increase in hematoma size at 24 hr) was observed in 3 (3.4%) of 88 patients. Neurological deterioration (defined as a decrease in initial Glasgow coma scale ≥ 2) was observed in 2 (2.2%) of 88 patients during the treatment. Aggressive nicardipine treatment of acute hypertension in patients with ICH can be safe and effective with a low rate of neurological deterioration and hematoma expansion.     

Association of corrected QT interval with long-term mortality in patients with syncope

Introduction

The electrocardiographic parameters QRS duration, QRS-T angle and QTc can predict mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. The prgnostic value of these parameters in hospitalized patients with syncope needs investigation.

Material and methods

We retrospectively studied 590 consecutive patients hospitalized with syncope. After excluding patients with baseline abnormal rhythm, QT- prolonging medications, and missing data, 459 patients were analyzed. Baseline demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, medication use, San Francisco Syncope Rule (SFSR) and Osservatorio Epidemiologico sulla Sincope nel Lazio (OESIL) score and data on mortality were collected. The categorical variables and continuous variables of the 2 groups of patients with prolonged QTc and normal QTc interval were analyzed by Fischer''s exact test and Mann-Whitney Test. A stepwise Cox regression model was used for time to death analysis.

Results

Of 459 patients, prolonged QTc interval was observed in 122 (27%). Mean follow-up was 41 months. Patients with prolonged QTc interval had higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, OESIL score, high risk SFSR, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and increased mortality. Stepwise Cox regression analysis showed that significant independent prognostic factors for time to death were prolonged QTc interval (p = 0.005), age (p = 0.001), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.001) and history of malignancy (p = 0.006). QRS duration and QRS-T angle were not independent predictors of mortality.

Conclusions

A prolonged QTc interval is an independent predictor of long-term mortality in hospitalized patients with syncope.     

Impact of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Diseases on Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 in Daegu Metropolitan City

BackgroundData regarding the association between preexisting cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and the outcomes of patients requiring hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of preexisting CVRFs or CVDs on the outcomes of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in a Korean healthcare system.MethodsPatients with COVID-19 admitted to 10 hospitals in Daegu Metropolitan City, Korea, were examined. All sequentially hospitalized patients between February 15, 2020, and April 24, 2020, were enrolled in this study. All patients were confirmed to have COVID-19 based on the positive results on the polymerase chain reaction testing of nasopharyngeal samples. Clinical outcomes during hospitalization, such as requiring intensive care and invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) and death, were evaluated. Moreover, data on baseline comorbidities such as a history of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, current smoking, heart failure, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular accidents, and other chronic cardiac diseases were obtained.ResultsOf all the patients enrolled, 954 (42.0%) had preexisting CVRFs or CVDs. Among the CVRFs, the most common were hypertension (28.8%) and diabetes mellitus (17.0%). The prevalence rates of preexisting CVRFs or CVDs increased with age (P < 0.001). The number of patients requiring intensive care (P < 0.001) and invasive MV (P < 0.001) increased with age. The in-hospital death rate increased with age (P < 0.001). Patients requiring intensive care (5.3% vs. 1.6%; P < 0.001) and invasive MV (4.3% vs. 1.7%; P < 0.001) were significantly greater in patients with preexisting CVRFs or CVDs. In-hospital mortality (12.9% vs. 3.1%; P < 0.001) was significantly higher in patients with preexisting CVRFs or CVDs. Among the CVRFs, diabetes mellitus and hypertension were associated with increased requirement of intensive care and invasive MV and in-hospital death. Among the known CVDs, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure were associated with invasive MV and in-hospital death. In multivariate analysis, preexisting CVRFs or CVDs (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–3.01; P = 0.027) were independent predictors of in-hospital death after adjusting for confounding variables. Among individual preexisting CVRF or CVD components, diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.51–3.90; P < 0.001) and congestive heart failure (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.06–5.87; P = 0.049) were independent predictors of in-hospital death.ConclusionBased on the findings of this study, the patients with confirmed COVID-19 with preexisting CVRFs or CVDs had worse clinical outcomes. Caution is required in dealing with these patients at triage.     

Lipoproteins and metabolic control in hypertensive type II diabetics treated with clonidine

Twenty patients with type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension (WHO stages I and II) participated in a 3-month double-blind cross-over study to evaluate the effects of clonidine (75-300 micrograms daily) on blood pressure, glycemic control and plasma lipoproteins. Already after 1 month's treatment with clonidine the systolic and diastolic blood pressures had decreased, from 168/103 to 161/98 mmHg (p less than 0.01). Fasting blood glucose and HbA1c concentrations were unaffected by 3 months' treatment. Similarly, plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations remained unchanged throughout the study (i.e. mean high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were 0.89 and 3.87 mmol/l on placebo vs. 0.90 and 3.98 mmol/l on clonidine). Adverse effects were mild and tolerable, and consisted mainly of dryness of the mouth. We conclude that clonidine lowers the blood pressure in patients with type II diabetes without any adverse effects on glycemic control or plasma lipoproteins.     

Prediction of COVID-19-related Mortality and 30-Day and 60-Day Survival Probabilities Using a Nomogram

BackgroundPrediction of mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a key to improving the clinical outcomes, considering that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the collapse of healthcare systems in many regions worldwide. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with COVID-19 mortality and to develop a nomogram for predicting mortality using clinical parameters and underlying diseases.MethodsThis study was performed in 5,626 patients with confirmed COVID-19 between February 1 and April 30, 2020 in South Korea. A Cox proportional hazards model and logistic regression model were used to construct a nomogram for predicting 30-day and 60-day survival probabilities and overall mortality, respectively in the train set. Calibration and discrimination were performed to validate the nomograms in the test set.ResultsAge ≥ 70 years, male, presence of fever and dyspnea at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, and diabetes mellitus, cancer, or dementia as underling diseases were significantly related to 30-day and 60-day survival and mortality in COVID-19 patients. The nomogram showed good calibration for survival probabilities and mortality. In the train set, the areas under the curve (AUCs) for 30-day and 60-day survival was 0.914 and 0.954, respectively; the AUC for mortality of 0.959. In the test set, AUCs for 30-day and 60-day survival was 0.876 and 0.660, respectively, and that for mortality was 0.926. The online calculators can be found at https://koreastat.shinyapps.io/RiskofCOVID19/.ConclusionThe prediction model could accurately predict COVID-19-related mortality; thus, it would be helpful for identifying the risk of mortality and establishing medical policies during the pandemic to improve the clinical outcomes.     

Effects of simultaneous diabetes and hypertension in an insulin dependent diabetic model.

Several lines of evidence suggest that hypertension is a contributing factor to diabetic nephropathy, a major cause of mortality in diabetes mellitus patients. The present study tested the hypotheses (1) that insulin dependent diabetes (IDD) causes hypertension, and (2) that simultaneous hypertension and IDD causes greater renal damage than would be expected from the independent contributions of each disease. IDD was induced by injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg i.p.) into male Wistar rats, causing severe hyperglycaemia within 4 days. Seven days after the STZ treatment, hypertension was initiated by subcutaneous implantation of deoxycorticosterone acetate and administration of 1% saline in the drinking water (DOCA-NaCl). IDD rats not receiving DOCA-NaCl displayed a small elevation of blood pressure one week after STZ treatment, but thereafter displayed significant hypotension. The IDD rats receiving DOCA-NaCl displayed elevated systolic arterial pressure throughout the study, but by the end of the experiment, their mean systolic arterial pressure was significantly lower than that of the rats treated with DOCA-NaCl alone. Only the IDD/DOCA-NaCl rats displayed significant signs of renal dysfunction, i.e. greatly increased proteinuria and morphological renal damage, including marked distension of distal tubules and occasional casts. No other group displayed these abnormalities.     

Evaluation of early clinical failure criteria for gram-negative bloodstream infections

ObjectivesThe aim was the development of early clinical failure criteria (ECFC) to predict unfavourable outcomes in patients with Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GN-BSI).MethodsAdults with community-onset GN-BSI who survived hospitalization for ≥72 hr at Prisma Health-Midlands hospitals in Columbia, SC, USA from January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2015 were identified. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between clinical variables between 72 and 96 hr after GN-BSI and unfavourable outcomes (28-day mortality or hospital length of stay >14 days from GN-BSI onset).ResultsAmong 766 patients, 225 (29%) had unfavourable outcomes. After adjustments for Charlson Comorbidity Index and appropriateness of empirical antimicrobial therapy in multivariable model, predictors of unfavourable outcomes included systolic blood pressure <100 mmHg or vasopressor use (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–2.9), heart rate >100 beats/minute (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.5), respiratory rate ≥22 breaths/minute or mechanical ventilation (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4–3.3), altered mental status (aOR 4.5, 95% CI 2.8–7.1), and white blood cell count >12 000/mm³ (aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.8–4.1) between 72 and 96 hr after index GN-BSI. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve of ECFC model in predicting unfavourable outcomes was 0.77 (0.84 and 0.71 in predicting 28-day mortality and prolonged hospitalization, respectively).ConclusionsRisk of 28-day mortality or prolonged hospitalization can be estimated between 72 and 96 hr after GN-BSI using ECFC. These criteria may have clinical utility in management of GN-BSI and may improve methodology of future investigations assessing response to antimicrobial therapy based on a standard evidence-based definition of early clinical failure.     

Cardiovascular recovery from stress predicts longitudinal changes in blood pressure

Cardiovascular reactivity and recovery were examined as predictors of blood pressure changes over 3 years. Blood pressure and heart rate readings were obtained from 73 men and women aged 18-20 years during cold pressor, mental arithmetic, tourniquet ischemia, cycle exercise and step exercise tasks. Regression analyses indicated that after adjustment for initial blood pressure, initial age, initial body-mass index, sex, parental history of hypertension, and length of follow-up, heightened heart rate reactivity to mental arithmetic was associated with increased follow-up systolic blood pressure (DeltaR(2)=0.04, P<0.05). Systolic blood pressure recovery from cold pressor and tourniquet ischemia were also positively related to follow-up systolic blood pressure (DeltaR(2)=0.04 and 0.04, respectively, P<0.05) and remained so even after adjustment for the corresponding cardiovascular reactivity measures. These findings suggest that cardiovascular reactivity and recovery measures are modest predictors of longitudinal changes in blood pressure.     

糖尿病患者足部皮肤反应性充血在三种血流阻断压力下的变化

目的:探讨2型糖尿病患者足部皮肤微血管反应性充血在3种血流阻断压力下的变化。方法:对28例2型糖尿病患者右足相关部位施以三种持续压力阻断血流,分别为收缩压以上20mmHg/2min,30mmHg/3min,40mmHg/4min,减压后造成反应性充血(PORH)。用激光多普勒血流仪(LDF)连续检测内踝及足背皮肤微血流值,比较三种压力下皮肤微血流基值(PU0),最小血流值(PUmin),反应性充血最大值(PUmax)及最大储备量(PUmax-PUmin)、最大变化程度(PUmax-PU0)。结果:三种压力条件下的内踝和足背皮肤PU0、PUmin差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),PUmax、PUmax-PUmin、PUmax-PU0等指标在40mmHg/4min时明显大于20mmHg/2min,差异有非常显著性统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论:LDF检测PORH可用于糖尿病患者内皮依赖性舒张功能的判断,对足部施加收缩压以上40mmHg压力持续4min能获得较满意的临床检测结果。     

Long-Term Mortality According to the Characteristics of Early Neurological Deterioration in Ischemic Stroke Patients

Purpose

Although early neurological deterioration (END) during the acute stroke period is known to be associated with poor functional outcomes, there is little data regarding the impact of END on long-term outcomes according to the characteristics of END. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in long-term mortality according to the characteristics of END among acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack patients.

Materials and Methods

END was defined as any increase (≥1) in National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score within 7 days after admission. We assessed the characteristics of END, such as the etiology and severity of END, as well as recovery after END. The relationship between 30-day or long-term mortality and each characteristic of END was investigated using multiple logistic analysis or Cox regression model.

Results

Among 2820 patients, END was observed in 344 patients (12.2%). After adjustment for age, sex, underlying cardiovascular diseases, stroke severity, and stroke subtypes, END was associated with long-term mortality, whether it was mild or severe and whether or not it was followed by recovery. However, 30-day mortality was strongly related to the severity of END or the absence of recovery after END. Among the causes of END, recurrent stroke and medical illness were related to 30-day mortality, as well as long-term mortality, while brain herniation and intracranial hemorrhagic complications were only associated with 30-day mortality.

Conclusion

The results of the present study demonstrated that END is associated with higher mortality and the effects of END on short-term and long-term mortality depend on END characteristics.     

A case-control study to identify predictors of 14-day mortality following carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bacteraemia

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is an increasingly common nosocomial pathogen. We sought to identify clinical and microbiological predictors of 14-day mortality among patients with CRAB bacteraemia. This case-control study included all adult patients in one Israeli hospital with CRAB on blood culture between July 2008 and June 2011. Cases were defined as patients who died within 14 days of bacteraemia onset and controls as patients who survived over 14 days. Sequence-typing of the bla_OXA-51-like gene and REP-PCR identified CRAB clone groups. Logistic regression was performed to analyze predictors of 14-day all-cause mortality. To correct for differences in treatment onset, Cox regression was used to examine the effect of receiving an active antibiotic. Eighty-three cases and 89 controls were included. Six major CRAB clone groups were identified, with 14-day mortality ranging from 17 to 66%. Independent predictors of 14-day mortality were severity of illness (OR = 1.38 for each 1-point increase in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score; 95% CI, 1.21, 1.56), independence in activities of daily living (ADL) on admission (OR = 3.40; 95% CI, 1.20, 9.67, for fully dependent vs. independent), surgery before bacteraemia (OR = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.11, 0.59) and clone group (OR = 7.76; 95% CI, 2.52, 23.85, for the most virulent group vs. the reference group). In the multivariate Cox model using a propensity score to adjust for SOFA, clone, ADL and surgery, active antibiotic treatment was protective (HR = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.15, 0.60). Differences in virulence between CRAB clones may partly explain heterogeneous results in previous studies of mortality following CRAB infection.