Category Archives: JCCM 2020

Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality after Recovered Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Patients with Proven Significant Coronary Artery Disease: A Retrospective study

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2020-0006

Introduction: Recovered Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (rOHCA) population is heterogenous. Few studies focused on outcomes in the rOHCA subgroup with proven significant coronary artery disease (SigCAD). We aimed to characterize this subgroup and study the determinants of in-hospital mortality.
Methods: Retrospective study of consecutive rOHCA patients submitted to coronary angiography. Only patients with SigCAD were included. Results: 60 patients were studied, 85% were male, mean age was 62.6 ± 12.1 years. In-hospital mortality rate was 43.3%. Patients with diabetes and history of stroke were less likely to survive. Significant univariate predictors of in-hospital mortality were further analysed separately, according to whether they were present at hospital admission or developed during hospital evolution. At hospital admission, initial non-shockable rhythm, low-flow time>12min, pH<7.25mmol/L and lactates >4.75mmol/L were the most relevant predictors and therefore included in a score tested by Kaplan-Meyer. Patients who had 0/4 criteria had 100% chance of survival till hospital discharge, 1/4 had 77%, 2/4 had 50%, 3/4 had 25%. Patients with all 4 criteria had 0% survival. During in-hospital evolution, a pH<7.35 at 24h, lactates>2mmol/L at 24h, anoxic brain injury and persistent hemodynamic instability proved significant. Patients who had 0/4 of these in-hospital criteria had 100% chance of survival till hospital discharge, 1/4 had 94%, 2/4 had 47%, 3/4 had 25%. Patients with all 4 criteria had 0% survival. Contrarily, CAD severity and ventricular dysfunction didn’t significantly correlate to the outcome.
Conclusion: Classic prehospital variables retain their value in predicting mortality in the specific group of OHCA with SigCAD. In-hospital evolution variables proved to add value in mortality prediction. Combining these simple variables in risk scores might help refining prognostic prediction in these patients’ subset.

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When a Stroke is not Just a Stroke: Escherichia coli Meningitis with Ventriculitis and Vasculitis: A Case Report

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2020-0002

Introduction: Community-acquired Escherichia coli ventriculitis is considered a rare condition. Central nervous system (CNS) infection due to gram-negative bacilli is usually associated with previous neurosurgical interventions. The recent publication of cases of Escherichia coli meningitis and ventriculitis suggests its prevalence may be underestimated by the literature.
Case presentation: A case of community-acquired Escherichia coli CNS infection on a 58 year old patient presenting with altered consciousness but without neck stiffness, nor significant past medical history is reported. Imaging and lumbar puncture findings suggested a complex case of meningitis with associated ventriculitis and vasculitis. Escherichia coli was later identified in cultures. Subsequent multi-organ support in Intensive Care was required. The patient was treated with a prolonged course of intravenous antimicrobials guided by microbiology, resulting in some neurological recovery. The main challenges encountered in the management of the patient were the lack of clear recommendations on the duration of treatment and the potential development of multi-resistant organisms.
Conclusion: Bacterial central nervous system infections can have an atypical presentation, and an increasing number of cases of community-acquired ventriculitis have been reported. Early consideration should be given to use magnetic resonance imaging to help guide treatment. A long course of antibiotics is often required for these patients; however, the optimal duration for antimicrobial treatment is not well defined.

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Therapeutic Evaluation of Computed Tomography Findings for Efficacy of Prone Ventilation in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients with Abdominal Surgery

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2020-0003

Introduction: In Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), the heterogeneity of lung lesions results in a mismatch between ventilation and perfusion, leading to the development of hypoxia. The study aimed to examine the association between computed tomographic (CT scan) lung findings in patients with ARDS after abdominal surgery and improved hypoxia and mortality after prone ventilation.
Material and Methods: A single site, retrospective observational study was performed at the Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, between 1st January 2004 and 31st October 2018. Patients were allocated to one of two groups after CT scanning according to the presence of ground-glass opacity (GGO) or alveolar shadow with predominantly dorsal lung atelectasis (DLA) on lung CT scan images. Also, Patients were divided into a prone ventilation group and a supine ventilation group when the treatment for ARDS was started.
Results: We analyzed data for fifty-one patients with ARDS following abdominal surgery. CT scans confirmed GGO in five patients in the Group A and in nine patients in the Group B, and DLA in 17 patients in the Group A and nine patients in the Group B. Both GGO and DLA were present in two patients in the Group A and nine patients in the Group B. Prone ventilation significantly improved patients’ impaired ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen from 12 h after prone positioning compared with that in the supine position. Weaning from mechanical ventilation occurred significantly earlier in the Group A with DLA vs the Group B with DLA (P < 0.001). Twenty-eight-day mortality was significantly lower for the Group A with DLA vs the Group B with DLA (P = 0.035).
Conclusions: These results suggest that prone ventilation could be effective for treating patients with ARDS as showing the DLA.

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The Dynamical Assessment of Inflammatory Biomarkers in Predicting the Outcome of Septic Patients and the Response to Antimicrobial Therapy

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2020-0004

Aims: To evaluate the kinetics of inflammatory biomarkers in septic patients in order to identify the most reliable predictor of unfavorable outcome.
Methods: A prospective analysis of septic patients was performed. Median levels of neutrophil/lymphocyte count ratio, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin were dynamically assessed and comparatively analyzed.
Results: Seventy-seven patients were included. Descendent kinetic patterns were registered for all biomarkers, except C-reactive protein. At 24 hours, neutrophil/lymphocyte count ratio significantly decreased in 42.85% of cases, procalcitonin in 37.33%, C-reactive protein in 16.12% and fibrinogen in 1.58% of cases. At 72 hours, procalcitonin decreased to one-half in 70% of cases and neutrophil/lymphocyte count ratio in 67.53% of cases.
Conclusions: Neutrophil/lymphocyte count ratio and procalcitonin significantly decreased in the first 72 hours, while C-reactive protein increased in the first 24 hours. The proportions of patients with major decrease of baseline values were higher for neutrophil/lymphocyte count ratio and procalcitonin.

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