ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical features of Legionella-associated cavitary pneumonia, and to explore the diagnosis, treatment planning, and clinical management of patients.MethodsThe data of a patient with severe Legionella-associated cavitary pneumonia were collected and analyzed. Databases including PubMed, Ovid, Wanfang, VIP and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched for pertinent literatures, using the keyword "Legionella, lung abscess or cavitary pneumonia" in Chinese and English from Jan. 1990 to Jun. 2019. The related literature was reviewed.ResultsA 60-year-old male patient was admitted to hospital because of fever, cough, and expectoration for five days. On presentation, his temperature was 38.3 °C, and pulmonary auscultation revealed rales on the left side of the lungs. Culture of lower airway secretions obtained by bronchoscopy revealed Legionella pneumophila infection, and serotype 6. Chest computerized tomography showed a consolidation in the left lung and an abscess in the left upper lobe. The patient was discharged from the hospital after three months of anti-Legionella treatment (Mosfloxacin, Azithromycin, etc.). Fifteen manuscripts, including 18 cases, were retrieved from databases. With the addition of our case, a total of 19 cases were analyzed in detail. There were 15 males and four females, aged from 4 months to 73 years old. Most of them (14/19, 73.7%) were accompanied by multiple underlying diseases. Initial empiric antimicrobial therapy failed in 15 (78.9%) cases, and 7 (36.8%) patients required combination therapy. The courses of antimicrobial treatment were from 3 to 49 weeks. All except one patient were fully recovered and discharged from hospital.ConclusionsLegionella pneumonia with pulmonary abscess or cavity is rare and often presents with fever. Pulmonary imaging shows infiltration in the initial, but can be free of cavities or abscesses. Most patients have basic diseases. Severe patients often need to be treated in combination with antibiotics for long periods of time.
Objective To highlight the characteristics of acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia ( AFOP) . Methods The clinical, radiological and pathological data of two patients with AFOP were analyzed, and relevant literature was reviewed. Results Two male patients with the age of 48 years and 43 years presented with fever, cough, dyspnea and chest pain. The chest CT scan revealed multiple, bilateral, patchy consolidation distributing in peripheral areas in one case and consolidation in the middle lobe of the right lung and a little pleural effusion in another case. Two patients were diagnosed initially as community acquired pneumonia, but antibiotic treatment was ineffective. After the transbronchial lung biopsy and computed tomography guided percutaneous lung biopsy, pathological examination revealed there were numerous fibrin and organizing tissue in the alveoli without pulmonary hyaline membrane, which were consistent with AFOP. The patients showed significant clinical and radiological improvement after corticosteroid therapy. One patient was stable and the other one died of respiratory failure because of relapse during dose reduction of corticosteroids. Conclusions Patients of AFOP were misdiagnosed as pneumonia easily. Treatment with corticosteroids could be effective to some patients. If the antibiotic treatment was ineffective to the patient with fever and consolidation in the lungs, AFOP should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by tracheoscopy intervention altimeter and analyze and compare its financial burden.MethodsRetrospective analysis of 419 hospitalized patients with CAP was carried in respiratory medicine department of four hospitals from July 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018 (Changhai Hospital, Shanghai First People’s Hospital, Baoshan Branch of Shanghai First People’s Hospital, and Baoshan Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital). According to the time of tracheoscopy intervention treatment, they were divided into 3 groups: 127 patients treated with tracheoscopy intervention during the initial treatment period (within 72 h after obtaining imaging diagnosis) were included in an early intervention group, 158 patients treated with tracheoscopy intervention 72 h after obtaining imaging diagnosis were included in a medium-term intervention group, and 134 patients treated without tracheoscopy intervention were included in a non-intervention group. The total efficiency of treatment, improvement of clinical symptoms, imaging absorption, serum inflammation index level, sputum culture positive rate, change rate, efficiency after drug change, hospital stay and hospitalization cost were compared among three groups.ResultsThe total efficiency of treatment in the early intervention group was higher than that of the medium-term intervention group and the non-intervention group, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05), and the time of normality of body temperature, the time of disappearance of strong sputum and cough in the early intervention group, the absorption time of chest X-rays were shorter than that of the medium-term intervention group and the non-intervention group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); peripheral blood hemoglobin, serum calcitonin and hypersensitive C reactive protein levels were lower than those in the medium-term intervention group and the non-intervention group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05), and the sputum-positive and drug-change rates in the early intervention group and the medium-term intervention group were higher than those in the non-intervention group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); the duration of hospital stay in the early intervention group was shorter than that of the medium-term intervention group and the non-intervention group, and the cost of hospitalization was less than that of the medium-term intervention group and the non-intervention group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).ConclusionTracheoscopy intervention treatment in the initial period of CAP not only significantly improves the efficacy, but also significantly reduces treatment costs and length of hospitalization, hence it is worth clinical promotion.
Objective To investigate the relationship between the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods The clinical data of 285 adult patients with CAP admitted from November 2014 to August of 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The severity of CAP was evaluated by pneumonia severity index (PSI) score. Meanwhile, 60 cases with qualified medical examination were collected as a healthy control group. The distributions of PSI score, RDW, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil percentage (NEU%) were described in the patients with different risk degree. The correlation analysis of various indicators were analyzed by Spearman correlation. The threshold of RDW(%) was calculated through the construction of the general linear regression equation. The risk factors of PSI score were analyzed with multiple linear regression. Results The higher the risk stratification, the higher the distribution of PSI scores, RDW, PCT, CRP and NEU% were. RDW was positively correlated with PCT, CRP, and NEU% (r values were 0.417, 0.252, 0.318, respectively, P<0.05). PSI score was positively correlated with RDW, PCT, CRP, and NEU% (r values were 0.537,0.598, 0.557, 0.482, respectively, P<0.05). RDW was positively correlated with PSI score (r=0.537, P<0.05). The thresholds of RDW(%) were 14.514 and 19.041. Multiple linear regression showed that RDW, PCT, CRP and NEU% were all influential factors of PSI scores and explained 46.9% of the total mutation rate. Conclusion RDW is correlated with the severity of CAP, and can predict the severity of CAP.
Objective To establish a model for prognosis analysis of severe community-acquired pneumonia in order to find the independent risk factors for mortality. Methods The data of 88 patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia enrolled from 533 community-acquired pneumonia patients in Fujian Provincial Hospital from April 2012 to December 2015 were analyzed, they were divided into a survival group and a death group according to prognosis. The clinical materials of basic data of the population, clinical manifestation, treatment and prognosis and pulmonary severity indexes were collected. Then univariate analysis was used to screen risk factors of death before logistic multivaritae regression was applied to explore independent risk factors. Results The different pathogen groups including viral, bacterial, mixed infection, negative and other groups were compared and no differences were found in mortality (all P>0.05). Univariate analysis revealed antibiotics treatment before admission, higher APACHEⅡ score, higher Chalison's score, septicopyemia, and higher level of procalcitonin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood glucose, lactate could increase death risk for the patients. While antiviral treatment and no invasive mechanical ventilation were determined as protective factors. Logistic multivaritae regression showed three factors including higher lactate and higher serum BUN and higher heart rates were independent death risk factors [OR values were 4.704 (95%CI 0.966-22.907), 1.264 (95%CI 0.994-1.606), and 1.081 (95%CI 1.003-1.165), respectively]. Whereas no invasive mechanical ventilation was protective factor (OR=0.033, 95%CI 0.001-0.764). Conclusion The patients with higher lactate and BUN, higher heart rate and accepting invasive mechanical ventilation have poor prognosis.
Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of dexamethasone on children with severe community acquired pneumonia ( CAP) . Methods 120 children with severe CAP admitted from January 2009 to June 2011 were recruited in the study. The patients were randomly divided into a dexamethasone group ( n = 62) and a control group ( n = 58) . The patients in the dexamethasone group received additional dexamethasone intravenous injection for 3 days ( 0. 2-0. 4 mg· kg- 1 · d- 1 , qd) on the basic treatment of the control group. Length of hospital stay, serum C reactive protein ( CRP) concentration on 4th day after admission, overall efficacy, mortality, incidence of adverse events during treatment were compared between the two groups. Results Median length hospital stay was 8 days in the dexamethasone group compared with 9 days in the control group without significant difference ( P gt;0. 05) . The serumCRP concentration on 4th day was lower in the dexamethasone group than that in the control group [ ( 23. 4 ±5. 6) mmol /L vs. ( 41. 3 ±6. 2) mmol /L, P lt;0. 05] . The overall efficacy was higher in the dexamethasone group than that in the control group ( 88. 7% vs. 74. 1% , P lt; 0. 05) . The in-hospital mortality and incidence of severe adverse events were not significantly different between the two groups ( P gt; 0. 05) . Conclusions Dexamethasone treatment is associated with a significant attenuation in systematic inflammatory response, but does not decrease mortality in hospitalized children with severe CAP.
Objective To explore whether hospitalized elderly patients with severe communityacquired pneumonia ( SCAP) have better outcomes if they are treated with dual-therapy consisting of a β-lactam/macrolide or fluoroquinolone.Methods A prospective study was conducted in patients with SCAP aged 65 years or older between January 2007 and January 2012. These patients were assigned to a combination therapy group or a β-lactam monotherapy group by the attending physicians. Time to clinical stability( TCS) and total mortality were calculated. Prognostic factors for death were analyzed. Results Among the 232 patients, 153 patients were given β-lactam/macrolide or β-lactam/ fluoroquinolone ( macrolide in 67 patients and fluoroquinolone in 86) , while 79 were treated with β-lactam monotherapy. Compared with the monotherapy group, the combination therapy group was associated with significant decreased TCS ( median TCS, 10 days vs. 13 days) , and lower overall in-hospital mortality( 24.2% vs. 43.0%, P lt;0. 01) . Compared with fluoroquinolone, macrolide use was associated with lower ICU mortality ( 14.9% vs. 31.4% , P lt;0. 01) . Simplified acute physiology score Ⅱ, pneumonia severity index, mutilobar infiltration, and β-lactam monotherapy were confirmed as independent predictors of death. Conclusion β-lactam/macrolide or β-lactam/ fluoroquinolone combination therapy, especially with macrolide, has superiority over β-lactam monotherapy in elderly patients with SCAP, and should be recommended.
ObjiectiveTo obtain reliable evidence of diagnosis and treatment through evaluating the validity of pneumonia severity index (PSI), CURB-65 and acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) scores in predicting risk stratification, severity evaluation and prognosis in elderly community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients.MethodsClinical and demographic data were collected and retrospectively analyzed in 125 in-hospital patients with CAP admitted in Shanghai Dahua Hospital from January 2012 to April 2015. The severity of pneumonia was calculated with PSI, CURB-65 and APACHEⅡgroups during 1 to 3 days after admission. Mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates were evaluated among patients in each scores and was categorized into three classes, namely mild, moderate and severe groups during 1 to 3 days after admission. Mortality and ICU admission rates were evaluated among patients in each severity level. Through evaluating the sensitivity, specificity, the predicting values and the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) among PSI, CURB-65 and APACHEⅡ, the validity and consistency of these three scoring systems were assessed.ResultsUsing PSI, CURB-65 and APACHEⅡ scoring systems, the patients were categorized into mild severity (48.8%, 64.0% and 52.8%, respectively), moderate severity (37.6%, 23.2% and 32.0%, respectively) and severe severity (13.6%, 12.8% and 15.2%, respectively). In PSI, CURB-65 and APACHEⅡ systems, the mortality in high risk groups was 41.3%, 62.5% and 47.4%, respectively; The ICU-admission rate in high risk groups was 88.3%, 100.0% and 94.7%, respectively. The sensitivity of PSI, CURB-65 and APACHEⅡ was 50.0%, 71.4% and 64.3% in predicting mortality, and was 46.8%, 50.0% and 59.3% in predicting ICU-admission, respectively. PSI, CURB-65 and APACHEⅡ showed similar specificity (approximately 90%) in predicting mortality and ICU admission. ROC was conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of PSI, APACHEⅡ and CURB-65 in predicting mortality and ICU admission. The AUC had no significant difference among these three scoring systems. The AUC of PSI, CURB-65 and APACHEⅡwas 0.893, 0.871, 0.880, respectively for predicting mortality, and was 0.949, 0.837, 0.949, respectively for predicting ICU admission. There was no significant difference among these three scoring in predicting mortality and ICU admission (all P>0.05).ConclusionsPSI, CURB-65 and APACHEⅡ performed similarly and achieved high predictive values in elderly patients with CAP. The three scoring systems are consistent in predicting mortality risk in elderly CAP patients. The CURB-65 is more sensitive in predicting the risk of death, and more early in identifing patients with high risk of death. The APACHEⅡ is more sensitive in predicting the risk of ICU admission, and has good value in identifying severe patients and choosing the right treatment sites.