Community-acquired necrotizing fasciitis caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus: A case report and literature review

A 61-year-old man presented with pain in the abdomen and right lower limb. He had a history of hepatitis B virus-induced liver cirrhosis, but had not been visiting the outpatient clinic and did not receive any medication. Cutaneous necrosis and bulla were observed on his abdomen and right lower limb. The necrotic skin was incised, and he was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis. A nonfermentative Gram-negative bacillus infection was confirmed from aspirated fluid and blood cultures. Therefore, meropenem and immunoglobulins were administered. Because necrosis was widespread, surgical debridement was performed. Thereafter, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus infection was confirmed by semi-quantitative PCR using the bullous fluid and blood cultures. Meropenem was administered for 3 weeks, followed by levofloxacin alone for 1 week. The patient's condition improved; therefore, skin grafting was performed as planned and yielded a favorable response. After rehabilitation, the patient could walk without support and infection did not recur. However, he had severe liver cirrhosis and large esophageal varices, and he eventually died from sudden varix rupture.Necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon soft tissue infection, associated with high morbidity and mortality, and early recognition and treatment are crucial for survival. Acinetobacter is rarely associated with necrotizing fasciitis. Although this is a very rare case of the occurrence of necrotizing fasciitis due to A. calcoaceticus infection, we believe that this organism can be pathogenic in immunocompromised patients such as those with liver cirrhosis by reporting this case.     

老年与非老年患者社区获得性肺炎的临床对照研究

目的 探讨老年与非老年患者社区获得性肺炎(CAP)的临床特点,为临床治疗提供依据.方法 收集2007-2009年于北京安贞医院呼吸科和呼吸重症监护病房住院的CAP患者的临床资料,进行总结分析.结果 老年CAP患者临床症状不典型,常表现为非呼吸道症状,多伴有基础疾病表现,易合并低蛋白血症、贫血、电解质紊乱,低钠、低钾血症;老年CAP组平均住院时间比非老年CAP组住院时间长,但差异无统计学意义;老年CAP组平均住院费用比非老年CAP组住院费用多,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);老年CAP组患者均合并基础疾病,以心血管疾病和COPD多见;根据肺炎严重程度评分(PSI),35例老年CAP组患者中,评分为Ⅲ级的10例占29.0％、Ⅳ级20例占57.0％、V级5例占14.0％;非老年CAP组患者25例,均为PSI评分Ⅰ～Ⅱ级;老年CAP组34例好转,1例死亡,住RICU 7例占20.0％,需要机械通气4例占11.0％;非老年CAP组患者均好转.结论 老年CAP患者临床症状不典型,极易漏诊、误诊,值得高度重视;老年CAP患者年龄大、基础疾病及合并症多,预后差,应及早进行综合性治疗,提高治愈率、降低病死率;通过PSI可进行危险分层以全面评估CAP患者病情,筛选高危患者,确定适宜的治疗方案,改善患者预后,合理应用医疗资源.     

肺炎严重度指数和CURB-65评分对老年社区获得性肺炎预后评估的比较

以肺炎严重度指数（PSI）和CURB-65评分两种方法,评估218例老年社区获得性肺炎住院患者的临床资料,做两种评估方法的比较.按PSI评分标准,Ⅱ-Ⅴ级分别有20、82、105和11例,病死率分别为0.0%、1.2%、12.4%和5/11;按CURB-65评分标准,1-5分各有157、48、11、1和1例,病死率分别为1.3%、14.6%、8/11、1/1、1/1.两种方法均能有效预测预后,前者能综合判断患者的病情,但操作比较繁琐,而后者评估相对简单,但对老年患者病情易低估.     

Improving the 2007 Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society severe community-acquired pneumonia criteria to predict intensive care unit admission

Purpose

To improve 2007 Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) severity criteria to predict intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients hospitalized with pneumonia.

Methods

A composite score that included the 2007 IDSA/ATS criteria for severe pneumonia and additional significant variables identified by recent publications was tested in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia.

Results

Among 787 patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, 156 (19.8%) required admission to the ICU. We identified one major criterion (arterial pH < 7.30), and 4 minor criteria (tachycardia > 125 bpm, arterial pH 7.30-7.34, sodium < 130 mEq/L and glucose > 250 mg/dL) to be associated with ICU admission. Adding arterial pH < 7.30 to the 2 2007 IDSA/ATS major criteria increased sensitivity from 61.5% to 71.8% and area under the curve (AUC) from 0.80 to 0.86. Adding in sequence the four minor criteria to the 2007 IDSA/ATS minor criteria, increased sensitivity from 41.7% to 53.8%, and AUC from 0.65 to 0.69. In the new composite score, combining 1 of 3 major criteria with 3 of 12 minor criteria showed a sensitivity of 92.9% and an AUC of 0.88.

Conclusion

The addition of arterial pH < 7.30 to the 2007 IDSA/ATS major criteria improves sensitivity and AUC to identify patients who will require ICU care.     

Impact of serum C-reactive protein measurements in the first 2 days on the 30-day mortality in hospitalized patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia: A cohort study

Introduction

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the impact of daily consecutive measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the initial 2 days of hospitalization on the 30-day all-cause mortality in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods

We used 4 different thresholds of fractional decrease (FD) in CRP at the second day of admission (CRP2) of 25%, 30%, 40%, and 60%. In addition, we studied the association of each of these thresholds with the 30-day all-cause mortality.

Results

The mean age was 64 ± 20; males, 59%. The 30-day mortality rate was 18% (20/111). The mean serum CRP levels at the first day of all study group and CRP2 were 203 ± 98 vs 146 ± 92 mg/L, respectively, P = .05. The mean FD in CRP2 levels among the survivors was 33 %, whereas among the nonsurvivors, was 7%, P < .001. Multiple regression analysis revealed that FD less than 25% in CRP2 was associated with 30-day all-cause mortality, odds ratio of 3.07 (95% confidence interval, 2.84-5.03), P = .002, compared with those with FD more than 25% in CRP2.

Conclusions

Fractional decrease less than 25% in CRP levels at the second day was significantly associated with 30-day all-cause mortality in hospitalized patients with severe CAP.     

A five-year study of severe community-acquired pneumonia with emphasis on prognosis in patients admitted to an intensive care unit

Objectives To characterize the epidemiology and to determine the prognosis factors in severe community-acquired pneumonia among patients admitted to an intensive care unit. Design Retrospective clinical study. Setting Intensive Care and Infectious Diseases Unit of a municipal general hospital of Lille University Medical School. Patients 299 consecutive patients exhibiting severe community-acquired pneumonia. Measurements and results On admission to ICU, 149 patients required mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure and 44 exhibited septic shock. Pulmonary involvement was bilateral in 71 patients. There were 260 organisms isolated from 197 patients (65.9%), the most frequent beingStreptococcus pneumoniae (n=80),Staphylococcus spp. (n=57) and Gram-negative bacilli (n=81). Overall mortality was 28.5% (85 patients). According to univariate analysis, mortality was associated with age over 60 years, anticipated death within 5 years, immunosuppression, shock, mechanical ventilation, bilateral pulmonary involvement, bacteremia, neutrophil count <3500/mm³, total serum protein level <45 g/l, serum creatinine >15 mg/l, non-aspiration pneumonia, ineffective initial therapy and complications. Multivariate analysis selected only 5 factors significantly associated with prognosis: anticipated death within 5 years, shock, bacteremia, non-pneumonia-related complications and ineffective initial therapy. Conclusion The effectiveness of the initial therapy appears to be the most significant prognosis factor and, as the one and only related to the initial medical intervention, suggests a need for permanent optimization of our antimicrobial strategies. Study presented at the 6th European Congress on Intensive Care Medicine, 1992, Barcelona, Spain     

Arterial carbon dioxide tension on admission as a marker of in-hospital mortality in community-acquired pneumonia

PURPOSE: Respiratory failure is the leading cause of death among patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia. We sought to determine the association between arterial carbon dioxide tension (P(a)CO(2)) and in-hospital mortality in patients admitted with pneumonia. METHODS: We analyzed data from 2171 patients aged >or=17 years who had been admitted for community-acquired pneumonia to an acute care hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. We compared the risk of all-cause in-hospital mortality using a Cox proportional hazards model across categories of P(a)CO(2). RESULTS: Overall, in-hospital mortality was 10% (n = 218). Compared with patients with normal P(a)CO(2) values (40 to 44 mm Hg), in-hospital mortality was greater (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0 to 3.2) among patients with hypocapnia (P(a)CO(2) <32 mm Hg). In-hospital mortality was also greater (OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.5 to 4.5) in patients with hypercapnia (>or=45 mm Hg). In-hospital mortality was similar in patients with P(a)CO(2) values between 32 and 35 mm Hg (OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 0.89 to 2.79) and those with values between 36 and 39 mm Hg (OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 0.77 to 2.61). CONCLUSION: Among patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia, in-hospital mortality was greater in those with hypocapnia or hypercapnia. These data suggest that measurement of P(a)CO(2) adds prognostic information to standard prediction rules and should be used for clinical and epidemiologic purposes to risk-stratify in-hospital patients with community-acquired pneumonia.     

Pneumonia treated in the internal medicine department: focus on healthcare-associated pneumonia

Patients with pneumonia treated in the internal medicine department (IMD) are often at risk of healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP). The importance of HCAP is controversial. We invited physicians from 72 IMDs to report on all patients with pneumonia hospitalized in their department during 2 weeks (one each in January and June 2010) to compare HCAP with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). We analysed 1002 episodes of pneumonia: 58.9% were CAP, 30.6% were HCAP and 10.4% were HAP. A comparison between CAP, HCAP and HAP showed that HCAP patients were older (77, 83 and 80.5 years; p < 0.001), had poorer functional status (Barthel 100, 30 and 65; p < 0.001) and had more risk factors for aspiration pneumonia (18, 50 and 34%; p < 0.001). The frequency of testing to establish an aetiological diagnosis was lower among HCAP patients (87, 72 and 79; p < 0.001), as was adherence to the therapeutic recommendations of guidelines (70, 23 and 56%; p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality increased progressively between CAP, HCAP and HAP (8, 19 and 27%; p < 0.001). Streptococcus pneumoniae was the main pathogen in CAP and HCAP. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) caused 17 and 12.3% of HCAP. In patients with a confirmed aetiological diagnosis, the independent risk factors for pneumonia due do difficult-to-treat microorganisms (Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa or MRSA) were HCAP, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and higher Port Severity Index. Our data confirm the importance of maintaining high awareness of HCAP among patients treated in IMDs, because of the different aetiologies, therapy requirements and prognosis of this population.