Mild Community-acquired Pneumonia Research Articles

Experience of using immunomodulatory therapy in the complex treatment of mild community-acquired pneumonia and its long-term results

A decrease of nonspecific body resistance, an imbalance of local and systemic immunity and a free-radical oxidation abnormality substantially contribute to the pathogenesis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).Purpose: To study the efficiency of including immunomodulators into the comprehensive treatment of nonsevere community-acquired pneumonia and assess the long-term effects of the treatment conducted.Patients (n = 55) with non-severe CAP (41 (31-48) years old, with CRB-65 score of 0.15 (0-1)) are included in the study. Group 1 (control) received only standard CAP therapy; the other two groups received immunomodulators concurrently with the standard therapy: bacterial lysate (BL) for group 2 and azoximer bromide (AzB) for group 3. TNFα and IL-6 concentration was determined on the day of visit, on day 13 and day 60 of follow-up. During 2 years, the incidence of low respiratory tract infections (LRTI) was studied in the same patients with CAP in past (n = 55). All patients (n = 55) had clinical signs of non-severe community-acquired pneumonia. The overall duration of all symptoms was lower in immunomodulators groups as compared to the control group: 12 (11-13) days in BL group (p < 0.001) and 12 (11-12) days in AzB group (p < 0.001) with no statistically significant difference between intervention groups (p = 0.36). During treatment, TNFα and IL-6 concentration decreased on day 13 and day 60 in all patients; in patients who received immunomodulators, TNFα and IL-6 were reliably lower as compared to the control. Changes of TNFα and IL-6 concentration in the groups on day 60 of the study as compared to the baseline showed a decrease in BL group by 85 (-89 – -82) % and 86 (-90 – -85) % (p < 0.001; p = 0.001 and control); in AzB group by 82 (-86 – -80) % and 86 (-88 – -84) % (p = 0.002; p = 0.007 and control). Intensity of IL-6 concentration decrease on day 60 in BL and AzB groups did not differ (p = 0.72). Gender- and age-adjusted odds ratio for the development of low respiratory tract diseases (during 2 years after CAP) in AzB group was 0.15 (0.02-0.93) (p = 0.04) suggesting its protective effect. Inclusion of immunomodulators in basic treatment of non-severe community-acquired pneumonia reduces duration of symptoms and is associated with improvement of the proinflammatory cytokine profile. In 2 years of follow-up, long-term effects of the immunomodulatory therapy showed statistically significant lower incidence of low respiratory tract infections in AzB group only.

IJCM_103A: Cost Benefit Analysis Related to Community Acquired Pneumonia inpatients among Geriatric Age Group-A Study Conducted in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common acute infectious disease among elderly people, and is associated with high rates of hospital admission and mortality. Old Age and male sex are known risk factors for CAP among adults and many comorbidity are also risk factors for CAP, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, cancer, dementia, congestive heart failure, and liver function failure. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the economic burden of community- acquired pneumonia (CAP) among elderly patients in Berhampur, Odisha. In addition, the study evaluated the relationship between total treatment cost and CAP risk factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the IPD of MKCG MKCG Medical College of Berhampur in the period of September-November 2023. Purposive sampling was used and data was collected using semi structured questionnaire and analyzed by MS Excel 2017 Results: Among 348 are inpatient CAP episodes the mean ages were 63±8 years in outpatient group and 70±4 yrs in inpatient groups respectively. The Median treatment cost is Rs.3000/-INR per outpatient episode and Rs 10060/-INR per inpatient episode.Old patient, Male sex, Diabetes, Chronic obstructive Pulmonary Disease, liver dysfunction were associated with increased treatment cost. Conclusion: The economic burden of CAP might be decreased by reducing the number of hospitalizations for mild CAP and the incidence of severe CAP. Therefore, preventative care (e.g. oral hygiene or pneumococcus vaccination) is recommended for patients with related risk factors, such as male sex, older age, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The effect of taking antibacterial therapy on the outpatient stage and outcomes of community-acquired pneumonia in Tomsk hospitals

Background. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains one of the most common diseases requiring urgent hospitalization, with a significant part of patients already receiving antibiotics before admission to the hospital.
 Aim. To assess the relationship between outpatient antibacterial therapy and in-hospital mortality and the severity of the CAP.
 Materials and methods. The retrospective study included the data of adult patients with CAP who were hospitalized in Tomsk from January 1 to December 31, 2017.
 Results. Among 1412 patients, 22.2% received antibiotics before admission to the hospital, the proportion of deaths in this group was significantly lower – 3.8% compared with 10.6% among patients without antibiotic therapy (p0.001). Subjects who received antibiotics on outpatient basis were less likely to require being in the intensive care unit and administering vasopressors, in contrast to patients without prior antibiotic therapy: 5.1 and 10.6% (p=0.003); 7.1 and 4.7% (p=0.018) respectively. In patients with severe CAP on a scale IDSA/ATS, only 11.8% of cases were detected with antibiotics before hospitalization, while in mild CAP the frequency of administration was 16.6% (p0.001).
 Conclusion. Ambulatory antibacterial therapy had a positive effect on the subsequent course and outcomes of CAP in a hospital setting. Patients had a predominantly mild course of the disease, needing for vasopressors, and being in the intensive care unit, but was not consistent with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation.

Parent and Clinician Views on Not Using Antibiotics for Mild Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Preschool-aged children with mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) routinely receive antibiotics even though most infections are viral. We sought to identify barriers to the implementation of a "no antibiotic" strategy for mild CAP in young children. Qualitative study using semistructured interviews conducted in a large pediatric hospital in the United States from January 2021 to July 2021. Parents of young children diagnosed with mild CAP in the previous 3 years and clinicians practicing in outpatient settings (pediatric emergency department, community emergency department, general pediatrics offices) were included. Interviews were conducted with 38 respondents (18 parents, 20 clinicians). No parent heard of the no antibiotic strategy, and parents varied in their support for the approach. Degree of support related to their desire to avoid unnecessary medications, trust in clinicians, the emotional difficulty of caring for a sick child, desire for relief of suffering, willingness to accept the risk of unnecessary antibiotics, and judgment about the child's illness severity. Eleven (55%) clinicians were familiar with guidelines specifying a no antibiotic strategy. They identified challenges in not using antibiotics, including diagnostic uncertainty, consequences of undertreatment, parental expectations, follow-up concerns, and acceptance of the risks of unnecessary antibiotic treatment of many children if it means avoiding adverse outcomes for some children. Although both parents and clinicians expressed broad support for the judicious use of antibiotics, pneumonia presents stewardship challenges. Interventions will need to consider the emotional, social, and logistical aspects of managing pneumonia, in addition to developing techniques to improve diagnosis.

Can we recognize severe community-acquired pneumonia without pneumonia severity index? Use of modified qSOFA with procalcitonin

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to analyze the diagnostic value of Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), modified qSOFA, National Early Warning Score (NEWS) and NEWS + Lactate (NEWS + L) scores in the detection of severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). MethodsThis research is a retrospective cohort study. Patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) with the diagnosis of CAP were divided into severe and mild pneumonia regarding their Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) scores. The accuracies of lactate, procalcitonin (PCT) values, NEWS and qSOFA scores, as well as score combinations (NEWS + L and qSOFA + PCT) in predicting patients with severe CAP were analyzed. ResultsMedian qSOFA value in the severe CAP group (0 [IQR 0–1]) was found to be higher than median qSOFA value (0 [IQR 0-0]) in the mild CAP group (p < 0.001). The rate of qSOFA positivity (qSOFA ≥ 2) was significantly higher in the severe CAP group (17.1%, n = 21) compared to the mild CAP group (1.3%, n = 1) (p < 0.001). Median qSOFA + PCT for the severe CAP group (2 [IQR 1–2]) was higher than the mild CAP group (1 [IQR 0–1]) (p < 0.001). Mean NEWS score for severe CAP (4.95 ± 3.09) was found to be 1.69 (95% CI 0.92–2.46) higher than mean NEWS score of the mild CAP group (3.26 ± 2.39) (p < 0.001). The severe CAP NEWS + L score (6.97 ± 3.71) was higher than the mild CAP NEWS + L score (4.94 ± 2.48) (p < 0.001). Blood lactate level was not significant in the evaluation of severe CAP (p = 0.221). PCT (AUROC = 0.685 [95% CI 0.610–0.760]; p = 0.038), NEWS score (AUROC = 0.658 95% CI [0.582–0.733]; p < 0.001), qSOFA (AUROC = 0.686) were calculated to have adequate accuracy for the detection of severe CAP. [95% CI 0.613–0.759]; p = 0.037), NEWS + L score (AUROC = 0.665 [95% CI 0.589–0.740]; p = 0.038). The qSOFA + PCT score (AUROC = 0.758 [95% 0.691–0.825]; p = 0.034) was also found to be a highly accurate predictor of severe CAP. ConclusionIn this study, we found a combination of qSOFA and PCT to be the most reliable method of detecting severe CAP.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of deregulated long non-coding RNA RPPH1 in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundSevere community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) is one of the most common critical and acute diseases in the respiratory and acute medicine department. The expression and significance of lncRNA RPPH1 (RPPH1) in SCAP were assessed aiming to explore a biomarker assisting in the screening and management of SCAP.MethodsThis study is a retrospective study enrolled 97 SCAP patients, 102 mild community-acquired pneumonia (MCAP) patients, and 65 healthy individuals. The serum expression of RPPH1 of study subjects was evaluated using PCR. The diagnostic and prognostic significance of RPPH1 in SCAP was evaluated by ROC and Cox analyses. Meanwhile, the correlation of RPPH1 with patients’ clinicopathological features was evaluated by spearman correlation analysis to evaluate its role in assessing disease severity.ResultsA significant downregulation of RPPH1 was observed in the serum of SCAP patients compared with MCAP and healthy individuals. RPPH1 was positively correlated with ALB (r = 0.74) and negatively correlated with C-reactive protein (r = -0.69), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (r = -0.88), procalcitonin (r = -0.74), and neutrophil (r = -0.84) of SCAP patients, which are associated with the development and severity of SCAP. Additionally, reduced RPPH1 was closely associated with the 28-day development-free survival of SCAP patients and served as an adverse prognostic indicator together with procalcitonin.ConclusionsDownregulated RPPH1 in SCAP could act as a diagnostic biomarker screening SCAP from healthy and MCAP individuals and act as a prognostic biomarker predicting patients’ disease conditions and outcomes. The demonstrated significance of RPPH1 in SCAP could assist the clinical antibiotic therapies of SCAP patients.

Developing Consensus on Clinical Outcomes for Children with Mild Pneumonia: A Delphi Study.

The absence of consensus for outcomes in pediatric antibiotic trials is a major barrier to research harmonization and clinical translation. We sought to develop expert consensus on study outcomes for clinical trials of children with mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Applying the Delphi method, a multispecialty expert panel ranked the importance of various components of clinical response and treatment failure outcomes in children with mild CAP for use in research. During Round 1, panelists suggested additional outcomes in open-ended responses that were added to subsequent rounds of consensus building. For Rounds 2 and 3, panelists were provided their own prior responses and summary statistics for each item in the previous round. The consensus was defined by >70% agreement. The expert panel determined that response to and failure of treatment should be addressed at a median of 3 days after initiation. Complete or substantial improvement in fever, work of breathing, dyspnea, tachypnea when afebrile, oral intake, and activity should be included as components of adequate clinical response outcomes. Clinical signs and symptoms including persistent or worsening fever, work of breathing, and reduced oral intake should be included in treatment failure outcomes. Interventions including receipt of parenteral fluids, supplemental oxygen, need for high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, and change in prescription of antibiotics should also be considered in treatment failure outcomes. Clinical response and treatment failure outcomes determined by the consensus of this multidisciplinary expert panel can be used for pediatric CAP studies to provide objective data translatable to clinical practice.

2173. Co-Occurring Dysphagia and Frailty are Common and Associated with Increased Disease Severity in Older Adults Presenting with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Abstract Background Impaired swallowing (dysphagia) and physical (frailty) function are associated with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), however, neither are routinely screened for in patients with CAP. We sought to: 1) examine frailty and dysphagia screening profiles in a cohort of older adults with CAP; and 2) determine if these screening profiles differ across CAP severity levels. Methods Older adults (≥65) meeting diagnostic criteria for pneumonia are included as participants. During the index encounter, dysphagia (3-ounce water swallow) and frailty (FSQ;4 ≥3 = frailty) screeners are administered. Thirty days post-enrollment, a standardized clinical severity scale is used to document CAP severity (mild (ambulatory management); moderate-severe (hospitalization)). Statistical analysis included descriptives and cross tabulations. Results We enrolled 26 participants (13 female) with a mean age of 73 (SD: 7.1). Nine (34.6%) and 17 (65.4%) patients had mild and moderate-severe CAP severity, respectively. Twenty (76.9%) and 14 (53.8%) patients met screening criteria for dysphagia and frailty, respectively. Screening profiles included: no frailty or dysphagia (15.4%), frailty and no dysphagia (11.5%), no frailty but dysphagia (30.8%), frailty and dysphagia (42.3%). No frailty but dysphagia (44.4%) was the most common mild CAP severity profile. When CAP severity worsened (moderate-severe), co-occurring frailty and dysphagia was most prevalent (47.1%). Fig. 1.Combined dysphagia and frailty screening profiles for this cohort.Dysphagia only was highly prevalent (31%), however, the majority of individuals presented with co-occurring dysphagia and frailty (42%).Fig. 2.Screening profiles across CAP severity levels.No frailty/dysphagia (44.4%) was the most common mild CAP profile. Co-occurring frailty/dysphagia was most prevalent (47.1%) in mod-severe CAP. Conclusion In this cohort, standardized screenings for dysphagia and frailty revealed both were common and frequently co-occurred, particularly in the high acuity CAP group. These data suggest older adults with pneumonia may have underlying dysphagia and/or frailty that warrant further evaluation. These potential impairments should be considered in care pathways (e.g. antibiotic therapy and rehabilitation services consultation) to mitigate negative sequelae. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

The diagnostic value of complete blood parameters in determining the severity of community-acquired pneumonia in children

Aim: In children, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has a high mortality and morbidity rate. Platelet, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, red cell distributions width (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distributions width (PDW), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have all been suggested as markers of systemic infection and inflammation. Several research, however, have centered on the clinical significance of blood parameters in pediatric CAP. We aim to determine the diagnostic value of complete blood parameters for CAP and to look into their relationship to disease severity.&#x0D; Material and Method: A retrospective, the cross-sectional study enrolled children aged 3 months to 18 years who were diagnosed with CAP at Ankara Atatürk Sanatorium Training and Research Hospital's pediatrics clinics between January 2018 and June 2021, as well as age-matched healthy children. CAP case definition was made according to the CAP case definition defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Patients were evaluated according to the criteria of WHO and British Thoracic Society 2011 guidelines as severe and mild CAP.&#x0D; Results: 400 CAP and 400 control patients were included in the study. The mean age of the CAP group was 2.40±3.20 years and the control group was 2.38±3.17 years. Eosinophil, hemoglobin, MPV, PDW and PLR values of the CAP group was statistically significantly lower; leukocytes, lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, basophil, platelet, RDW, and NLR levels of the CAP group were higher than the control group (p

Identification of candidate biomarkers for severe adenovirus community-acquired pneumonia by proteomic approach

IntroductionWorldwide, Human adenoviruses (ADV) cause a significant portion of childhood mortality. The severity of ADV Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP) can be assessed by clinical features, but the rapid and accurate diagnostic biomarkers are still lacking. Candidate biomarkers for severe ADV CAP are to be screened and the different protein expression levels associated with pediatric ADV CAP may help assess the severity of ADV CAP for the pediatricians to make early intervention. MethodsIn our study, serum samples from healthy controls, patients with ADV CAP, streptococcus pneumonia (SP) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection were collected. Differently expressed proteins (DEPs) were detected by iTRAQ-based mass spectrometry. Gene Ontology and Pathway Enrichment analysis of DEPs were performed by Cytoscape. The protein interaction network for the identified proteins was constructed by String. ResultsThe results showed that 119 DEPs in mild ADV CAP and 148 DEPs in severe ADV CAP were identified, compared with healthy children. Four proteins (Protein S100-A9 (S100A9), Protein S100-A8 (S100A8), Leucine aminopeptidase III (LAP3), and Apolipoprotein A-IV(APOA4)) were validated by Western blot, and results indicated that the expression levels of these four proteins were consistent with the proteomic analysis. LAP3 was the most significantly up-regulated protein in severe ADV CAP compared to mild group. In addition, LAP3 was the most significantly up-regulated protein in severe ADV CAP comparing with SP CAP infection and RSV CAP infection. ConclusionOur findings identified LAP3 protein as a potential diagnostic biomarker which can assess the severity of ADV CAP.

Management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a multidisciplinary hospital

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common acute infectious disease in adults. Diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the incidence of CAP and worsens the prognosis. In this regard, the assessment of the current practice of CAP management in patients with concomitant DM and its compliance with clinical guidelines is of great interest.Purpose. To study the current practice of CAP treatment in adult patients with concomitant type 2 DM in a multidisciplinary hospital and evaluate its compliance with the national clinical guidelines.Methods. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out in a pulmonology department of a republican clinical hospital. The study recruited adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CAP and previously diagnosed type 2 DM. For each case, demographic characteristics, the severity of CAP, the presence and nature of complications, systemic antibiotic therapy (ABT) and compliance with 16 quality indicators (QI) were recorded. The quality indicators described the adequacy of examination, treatment and secondary prevention of CAP in the presence of concomitant DM. QIs were chosen based on the national clinical guidelines for CAP and algorithms for specialized medical care for patients with DM.Results. Altogether, 48 patients with the average age of 63.9 ± 10.5 years were enrolled. 81% of patients had mild CAP. The severity criteria were assessed in 60% of the patients, prognosis – in 17% of the patients. X-ray examination, pulse oximetry and complete blood count were performed on time in 100% of the cases. A total of 19% of patients had a culture of respiratory specimens. A blood culture was performed in 11,11% of the cases of severe CAP (SCAP). Rapid urine tests for pneumococcal and legionella antigens have not been used. Glycemia was monitored daily in 27% of the patients. ABT was initiated on time in 100% of the patients.Conclusion. Low adherence to many QIs, insufficient control of glycemia and correction of sugar-lowering therapy in the treatment of hospitalized patients with CAP and concomitant type 2 DM were observed, which can worsen clinical outcomes.

Clinical evaluation of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for detecting pathogens in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid collected from children with community-acquired pneumonia.

This study is to evaluate the usefulness of pathogen detection using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) specimens from children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We retrospectively collected BALF specimens from 121 children with CAP at Tianjin Children's Hospital from February 2021 to December 2021. The diagnostic performances of mNGS and conventional tests (CT) (culture and targeted polymerase chain reaction tests) were compared, using composite diagnosis as the reference standard. The results of mNGS and CT were compared based on pathogenic and non-pathogenic organisms. Pathogen profiles and co-infections between the mild CAP and severe CAP groups were also analyzed. The overall positive coincidence rate was 86.78% (105/121) for mNGS and 66.94% (81/121) for CT. The proportion of patients diagnosed using mNGS plus CT increased to 99.18%. Among the patients, 17.36% were confirmed only by mNGS; Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 52.38% and 23.8% of the patients were co-infected. Moreover, Bordetella pertussis and Human bocavirus (HBoV) were detected only using mNGS. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which was identified in 89 (73.55%) of 121 children with CAP, was the most frequent pathogen detected using mNGS. The infection rate of M. pneumoniae in the severe CAP group was significantly higher than that in the mild CAP group (P = 0.007). The symptoms of single bacterial infections (except for mycoplasma) were milder than those of mycoplasma infections. mNGS identified more bacterial infections when compared to the CT methods and was able to identify co-infections which were initially missed on CT. Additionally, it was able to identify pathogens that were beyond the scope of the CT methods. The mNGS method is a powerful supplement to clinical diagnostic tools in respiratory infections, as it can increase the precision of diagnosis and guide the use of antibiotics.

Decalogue for the selection of oral antibiotics for lower respiratory tract infections.

Lower respiratory tract infections, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations (COPD-E) and community acquired pneumonia (CAP), are one of the most frequent reasons for consultation in primary care and hospital emergency departments, and are the cause of a high prescription of antimicrobial agents. The selection of the most appropriate oral antibiotic treatment is based on different aspects and includes to first consider a bacterial aetiology and not a viral infection, to know the bacterial pathogen that most frequently cause these infections and the frequency of their local antimicrobial resistance. Treatment should also be prescribed quickly and antibiotics should be selected among those with a quicker mode of action, achieving the greatest effect in the shortest time and with the fewest adverse effects (toxicity, interactions, resistance and/or ecological impact). Whenever possible, antimicrobials should be rotated and diversified and switched to the oral route as soon as possible. With these premises, the oral treatment guidelines for mild or moderate COPD-E and CAP in Spain include as first options beta-lactam antibiotics (amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefditoren), in certain situations associated with a macrolide, and relegating fluoroquinolones as an alternative, except in cases where the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is suspected.

Comparative Analysis of Drug Interactions with Antibacterial Agents in the Treatment of Community-Acquired Pneumonia

According to the World Health Organisation, pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections are one of the leading causes of death all over the world. Simultaneous treatment of pneumonia with antibacterial drugs and concomitant medicines may result in adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The aim of the study was to analyse ADRs resulting from drug-drug interactions in different empiric antibiotic treatment regimens used for mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), taking into account the concomitant symptomatic non-antibacterial treatment and chronic disease treatment. Materials and methods: the authors analysed spontaneous reports in the VigiBase global database (starting from the date the database was created and until 15 February 2021) on ADRs resulting from interactions of medicinal products included in the Russian clinical guidelines for CAP. Results: the authors compiled a list of antibacterial drugs (amoxicillin+clavulanic acid, amoxicillin, ampicillin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, linezolid), as well as lists of medicinal products for symptomatic and concomitant treatment, based on the approved guidelines for management of CAP and frequent comorbid chronic diseases. They searched VigiBase for ADRs that may have resulted from drug-drug interactions involving these medicinal products. Conclusions: the analysis of adverse reactions used for mild CAP treatment demonstrated that the largest number of ADRs were associated with drug-drug interactions involving azithromycin, while the smallest number of ADRs were associated with cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. Further study of drug-drug interactions will help to prevent potential ADRs, identify rational drug combinations, and improve the existing patient management strategies.

Forecasting thrombotic complications in patients with community acquired pneumonia according to multidimensional analysis of severity, systematic inflammation, endothelial function and hemostasis

BACKGROUND. Despite the significant progress in the diagnostic and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the issues of timely defining thrombotic complications of CAP and their timely treatment have not yet been fully resolved.&#x0D; OBJECTIVE. To determine the prognostic signs of the risk of thrombotic complications in patients with CAP.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thus, 45 patients with CAP of the 3rd and 4th clinical groups were examined. The result of the cluster analysis was the distribution of patients into certain clusters (classes). There were 3 clusters of patients depending on the predisposition to thrombosis.&#x0D; RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Patients belonging to cluster 2 and cluster 3 had a high risk of thrombosis. A feature of these patients was a severe course of CAP (by SMRT-CO scale), accompanied by significant leukocytosis or leukopenia in combination with severe systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein) and low protein C.&#x0D; CONCLUSIONS. This category of patients should consider the possibility of prescribing anticoagulant therapy. While in patients with mild CAP, less pronounced systemic inflammation and high levels of protein C, the risk of thrombosis will be low. Therefore, this category of patients will not require the appointment of anticoagulants.

Analysis of the selection of antimicrobial drugs for community-acquired pneumonia by final year medical students

Currently bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains one of the important problems of providing medical care on an outpatient basis. Despite the high detection rate and modern methods of treatment this disease holds the first place among the causes of death in the category of infectious diseases. Knowledge about rational use of drugs is obtained in higher medical school and subsequently serves as a basis for further work of a practicing physician. Purpose of the study: to analyze the knowledge of final year medical students in the field of rational choice of antimicrobial agent (AMA) in the treatment of non-severe CAP in outpatient setting in patient without concomitant diseases and risk factors. Total 240 final year students of A.I. Yevdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry were offered in February-April, 2019 to indicate their preferred AMA for a young previously healthy patient with mild CAP. The study involved 178 women (74.17 %) and 62 men (25.83 %). The average age of the respondents was 24.8+3.3 years. There were 271 options for the appointment of AMA with 152 (56.1 %) given by the international nonproprietary name and 119 (43.9 %) by trade name. Remarkably, the AMAs which are recommended for the treatment of mild CAP on an outpatient basis, accounted only for 46.2 % in this study. Of particular concern is the fact that only about 40—50 % of AMA prescribing for CAP by medical graduates is in line with current clinical guidelines. The inappropriate choice of a drug in this particular situation not just increases the drug load, the cost of pharmacotherapy and the risk of side effects, but also directly affects the results of treatment. This situation emphasizes the need for a purposeful formation of a personal formulary of medicines for a graduate of a medical university, taking into account the basic principles of rational pharmacotherapy and the provisions of clinical guidelines relevant to the Russian Federation.

MO170“SWEET HYPOXIA” WITH ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY: THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF ACUTE HYPOXIC RESPIRATORY FAILURE IN COVID-19 INFECTION - A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE

Background and AimsSevere COVID-19 infection may result in hypoxemic respiratory failure necessitating invasive mechanical ventilation. We revisit the phenomenon of asymptomatic patients despite very low pulse oximetry readings, the so-called “sweet hypoxia” or “happy hypoxia” or “silent hypoxemia”. We describe for the first time, the sequential chest radiographic images of the progressive radiological trajectory of COVID-19 pneumonia.Method Case Report. ResultsA 62-year old hypertensive obese Caucasian male, an ex-smoker, was diagnosed with mild community-acquired pneumonia in mid-March 2020, following evaluation for low grade fever. He had traveled to Florida and Texas in the previous month. He tested positive for COVID-19 by RT-PCR. A week later, he was admitted to a Community Hospital with one day history of new shortness of breath and loose stools. Vital signs were stable. Pulse oximeter was 96% on room air. He was fatigued with few bibasilar lung crackles. CBC was normal. Creatinine was 1.0 mg/dL. Abnormal laboratory: sodium 131 mmol/L, AST 50 iu/L, ALT 96 iu/L. Chest radiograph revealed new patchy left lower lobe airspace infiltrate (Figure 1B). EKG showed regular sinus rhythm of 96/min, QT interval 445 msec and PVCs. Treatment included nasal cannula oxygen, IV fluids, IV Azithromycin and IV Ceftriaxone. He improved the next day, requested discharge home, vital signs were stable, pulse oximetry was 91% on room air, sodium had normalized at 137 mmol/L and he was discharged home on Azithromycin 500 mg daily x 3 days and Cefdinir 300 mg BID x 5 days.MO170 Figure 1:Sequence of chest radiographs, normal in November 2019 (A), before initial hospital admission - March 20, 2020 @ 02:10:10 (B), and just before intubation in the Emergency Department following the second .admission - March 22, 2020 @ 03:32:01 (C).He cheerfully went home. Later that night he quickly developed worsening dyspnea. He was readmitted about 18 hours post-discharge. Temperature 99.40F, blood pressure 161/101, pulse 100/min. He was tachypneic and pulse oximetry was 82% on room air. This improved to 93% on 4.5 LPM nasal cannula oxygen. Initial EKG was normal. New pertinent laboratory data: Bicarbonate 17 mmol/L, phosphorus 5.5 mg/dL, calcium 7.2 mg/dL, creatinine 1.1 mg/dL, BNP 31 pg/mL and lactic acid 1.2 mmol/L. PTT was 28.3 sec. HIV-1 p24 AG, HIV-1 AB, HIV-2 AB, HbSAG and Hepatitis C AB were negative. Chest radiograph showed worsening bilateral infiltrates (Figure 1C). He very quickly desaturated in the ED down to 81% despite high flow oxygen therapy. He was promptly intubated (Figure 2A). Oxygenation immediately improved. He was transferred to the ICU on IV Vancomycin and IV Cefepime. He developed septic shock and required IV Norepinephrine. With worsening chest radiographs, (Figures 2B & 2C), he was transferred to a tertiary medical center. On transfer, pertinent new data: creatinine 1.38 mg/dL, albumin 2.8 g/dL, Ferritin 2,573 ng/mL, LDH 534 u/L, CRP 6.0 mg/L, INR 1.2, D-Dimer 1.04, procalcitonin 0.38 ng/mL, WBC 13.3 x 109/L. EKG showed sinus bradycardia. Urine Legionnaire AG and Strep. Pneumonia AG were negative. IV Azithromycin 500 mg daily and IV Ceftriaxone 2 gm daily were administered for 8 days. Chloroquine phosphate 500 mg 2x daily was added. IV Norepinephrine was continued. IV fluids were withheld. The head of the bed was elevated to >300. DVT prophylaxis with SQ Enoxaparin and Vitamin C were administered. New blood cultures remained negative. COVID-19 RT-PCR after 3 days remained positive. He was extubated after 4 days and discharged home after 9 days with normalized creatinine of 1.03 mg/dL.ConclusionWe have for the first time demonstrated the sequential chest radiographic images of the progressive radiological trajectory of COVID-19 pneumonia. The place of non-invasive ventilation demands further study. The so-called “sweet hypoxia” or “happy hypoxia” or “silent hypoxemia” in COVID-19 is revisited – indeed, it is not exactly limited to COVID-19 patients. The need to mitigate lung barotrauma is mandatory. Finally, prognostication of pneumonia in COVID-19 is unpredictable. Too early premature discharge from the hospital is strongly discouraged.

The effect of immunomodulators on various markers of the acute inflammation phase in patients with mild community-acquired pneumonia

The objective: to study the effect of immunomodulators on markers of the acute inflammation phase in patients with mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).Subjects and methods. Patients (n = 64) with mild CAP (39.62 ± 9.82 years, CRB – 650.15 ± 0.04 scores) were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 (control) received only standard CAP therapy; in the other two groups, immunomodulators were prescribed simultaneously with standard therapy: in Group 2 – bacterial lysate (BL), in Group 3 – azoximer bromide (AB). In the patients, the blood levels of IL-6, TNF-α, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactoferrin were tested before treatment (day 1), and on days 13 and 60 of observation.Results. The initial levels of TNF-α, IL-6, CRP and lactoferrin in the patients were statistically significantly higher above normal ones. A significant decrease in the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, CRP was found in all patients on the 13th and 60th days of observation compared to the 1st day, the maximum reduction was observed in the patients receiving immunomodulators. The biggest decrease in the level of lactoferrin on the 60th day of observation was noted in the group of patients taking BL. The changes in the rate of TNF-α and IL-6 levels decrease on the 13th and 60th days were also statistically significantly more pronounced (compared to the control group). The changes in the rate of decreasing from the baseline on the 13th and 60th days in TNF-α in the BL Group made 44 [-64; -32]% and 85 [-89; -82]%; in the AB Group – 28 [-40; -20]% and 82 [-86; -80]%; in IL-6 in the BL group – 32 [-40; -18]% and 86 [-90; -85]%, in the AB group – 45 [-53; -38]% and 86 [-88; -84]%. In the control group, this parameter for TNF-α was 18 [-32; -8]% and 64 [-78; -56]%, for IL-6 – 11 [-20; -1]% and 75 [-81; -74]%.Conclusion. The addition of immunomodulators (BL, AB) to the therapy of patients with mild CAP results in statistically significant decrease in the blood levels of biomarkers of the acute inflammation phase on the 13th and 60th days.

A case of community-onset Acinetobacter pneumonia in a healthy person

A 56-year-old woman with fever, sore throat and productive cough was referred to our hospital, where mild community-acquired pneumonia was diagnosed. Sputum smears revealed Gram-negative coccobacilli. Treatment with ceftriaxone was initiated, but symptoms continued without progression to respiratory failure or bacteremia. As sputum cultures identified Acinetobacter baumannii, antibiotics were changed to levofloxacin, resulting in complete remission. A. baumannii is a very rare cause of community-acquired pneumonia in Japan. However, in cases of pneumonia where Gram-negative coccobacilli are identified and prove resistant to initial treatment, the possibility of A. baumannii pneumonia should be kept in mind even for healthy subjects with low severity score.

Vaccination against Staphylococcus aureus and some Enterobacteriaceae in the complex treatment of mild community-acquired pneumonia in conscript servicemen

Vaccination against Staphylococcus aureus and some Enterobacteriaceae in the complex treatment of mild community-acquired pneumonia in conscript servicemen