HYGIENE ET PROBLEMES INFECTIEUX EN GERIATRIE

Conference (2012, June 14)

Procalcitonin usefulness for the initiation of antibiotic treatment in intensive care unit patients*.

in Critical Care Medicine (2012), 40(8), 2304-9

OBJECTIVES: : To test the usefulness of procalcitonin serum level for the reduction of antibiotic consumption in intensive care unit patients. DESIGN: : Single-center, prospective, randomized controlled ... [more ▼]

OBJECTIVES: : To test the usefulness of procalcitonin serum level for the reduction of antibiotic consumption in intensive care unit patients. DESIGN: : Single-center, prospective, randomized controlled study. SETTING: : Five intensive care units from a tertiary teaching hospital. PATIENTS: : All consecutive adult patients hospitalized for > 48 hrs in the intensive care unit during a 9-month period. INTERVENTIONS: : Procalcitonin serum level was obtained for all consecutive patients suspected of developing infection either on admission or during intensive care unit stay. The use of antibiotics was more or less strongly discouraged or recommended according to the Muller classification. Patients were randomized into two groups: one using the procalcitonin results (procalcitonin group) and one being blinded to the procalcitonin results (control group). The primary end point was the reduction of antibiotic use expressed as a proportion of treatment days and of daily defined dose per 100 intensive care unit days using a procalcitonin-guided approach. Secondary end points included: a posteriori assessment of the accuracy of the infectious diagnosis when using procalcitonin in the intensive care unit and of the diagnostic concordance between the intensive care unit physician and the infectious-disease specialist. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: : There were 258 patients in the procalcitonin group and 251 patients in the control group. A significantly higher amount of withheld treatment was observed in the procalcitonin group of patients classified by the intensive care unit clinicians as having possible infection. This, however, did not result in a reduction of antibiotic consumption. The treatment days represented 62.6 +/- 34.4% and 57.7 +/- 34.4% of the intensive care unit stays in the procalcitonin and control groups, respectively (p = .11). According to the infectious-disease specialist, 33.8% of the cases in which no infection was confirmed, had a procalcitonin value >1microg/L and 14.9% of the cases with confirmed infection had procalcitonin levels <0.25 microg/L. The ability of procalcitonin to differentiate between certain or probable infection and possible or no infection, upon initiation of antibiotic treatment was low, as confirmed by the receiving operating curve analysis (area under the curve = 0.69). Finally, procalcitonin did not help improve concordance between the diagnostic confidence of the infectious-disease specialist and the ICU physician. CONCLUSIONS: : Procalcitonin measuring for the initiation of antimicrobials did not appear to be helpful in a strategy aiming at decreasing the antibiotic consumption in intensive care unit patients. [less ▲]

Syphilis treatment in the human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient: follow the guidelines.

in Clinical Infectious Diseases : An Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (2011), 53(8), 845

Qu’avons-nous appris de la pandémie de grippe de 2009 ?

Scientific conference (2010, November 16)

Simultaneous quantification of five Beta-lactam antibiotics in human plasma by HPLC-DAD: Clinical application for ceftazidime treatment in intensive care units

in Acta Clinica Belgica (2010), 65(Suppl. 1), 24-30

Autoimmune angioneurotic edema in a patient with Helicobacter pylori infection.

in Helicobacter (2009), 14(1), 9-11

Association of acquired autoimmune angioneurotic edema with other diseases is increasing. However, the precise mechanism by which antibodies to C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) are produced, is not ... [more ▼]

Association of acquired autoimmune angioneurotic edema with other diseases is increasing. However, the precise mechanism by which antibodies to C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) are produced, is not elucidated. We describe a patient with IgA antibodies against C1-INH without other autoimmune markers. Our patient had gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection, proven by biopsy. This case suggests that H. pylori infection can act as triggering factor for acquired autoimmune angioneurotic edema. [less ▲]

Report of a case of Streptococcus agalactiae mycotic aneurysm and review of the literature.

in International Journal of Surgical Pathology (2008), 16(3), 314-9

A unique case of mycotic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta caused by Streptococcus agalactiae in an afebrile patient presenting with abdominal pain is described. Although this bacterium is associated with a ... [more ▼]

A unique case of mycotic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta caused by Streptococcus agalactiae in an afebrile patient presenting with abdominal pain is described. Although this bacterium is associated with a variety of infections in human beings, aortitis is uncommon. Chronic alcoholism and diabetes mellitus are the 2 major predisposing conditions for group B Streptococci infection and both were present in this case. The abdominal pain and elevated inflammatory markers in the absence of fever were elusive in presentation; however, the diagnosis of mycotic aneurysm was established by abdominal computed tomography scan. The patient was treated successfully by resection of the diseased aorta and aortic allograft replacement. Culture of the excised tissue grew Streptococcus agalactiae sensitive to penicillin G and (other commonly tested antibiotics) fluoroquinolones. A prolonged course of moxifloxacin (for 6 months) was administered due to the persistence of elevated inflammatory markers and was remarkably well tolerated. Sixteen months after stopping the antibiotics, the patient is doing well, and the control imaging studies are satisfactory. [less ▲]

Chronic hepatitis C infection in a patient with bone marrow hypoplasia.

in World Journal of Gastroenterology (2008), 14(26), 4238-40

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with multifarious extra-hepatic manifestations; the most described and discussed being mixed cryoglobulinemia which is strongly related to B-cell ... [more ▼]

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with multifarious extra-hepatic manifestations; the most described and discussed being mixed cryoglobulinemia which is strongly related to B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs). We present a case of chronic HCV infection and mixed cryoglobulinemia, with minimal liver involvement. The case is a 53-year-old patient who was diagnosed as having bone marrow hypoplasia at the age of three. She received several blood transfusions to normalize her haemoglobin. At the age of 31, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis on account of her diffuse joint pain and inflammation, elevated rheumatoid factor (RF) and Raynaud's phenomenon. Twenty years later, monoclonal gammopathy of IgG Lambda (one year later, changed to IgM Kappa) was detected during a routine examination. A bone marrow biopsy showed hypoplasia, Kappa positive B-lymphocytes and low-grade malignant lymphoma cells. PCR of the bone marrow aspirate was not contributory. No treatment was initiated owing to her poor bone marrow function and she is under regular follow-up. [less ▲]

Simultaneous determination of five Beta-lactam antibiotics in human plasma by HPLC-DAD: A highly performing approach of the antibiotherapy in intensive care units

Poster (2008)

Uncomplicated left-sided infective endocarditis due to Escherichia coli, successfully treated with oral levofloxacin

in Clinical Research in Cardiology (2007, June), 96(6), 401