scholarly journals Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Patients with Infective Endocarditis Diagnosed in a Department of Internal Medicine

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 864
Author(s):  
Louis Kreitmann ◽  
David Montaigne ◽  
David Launay ◽  
Sandrine Morell-Dubois ◽  
Hélène Maillard ◽  
...  

Clinical manifestations of infective endocarditis (IE) can be highly non-specific. Our objective was to describe the clinical characteristics of patients initially referred to a department of internal medicine for a diagnostic work-up, and eventually diagnosed with IE. We retrospectively retrieved adult patients admitted to the department of internal medicine at Lille University Hospital between 2004 and 2015 who fulfilled Duke Classification criteria for definite IE. Thirty-five patients were included. The most frequently involved bacteria were non-hemolytic streptococci. Most patients presented with various systemic, cardiac, embolic, rheumatic, and immunological findings, with no sign or symptom displaying high sensitivity. The first transthoracic echocardiogram was negative in 42% of patients. Furthermore, definite diagnosis required performing at least 2 transesophageal examinations in 24% of patients. We observed a trend towards decreased survival in the subgroup of patients in whom the delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was >30 days. In conclusion, patients who are initially referred to internal medicine for a diagnosis work-up and who are ultimately diagnosed with IE have non-specific symptoms and a high percentage of initial normal echocardiography. Those patients require prolonged echocardiographic monitoring as a prolonged delay in diagnosis is associated with poorer outcomes such as death.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Damlin ◽  
Katarina Westling

Abstract Background Patients with injection drug use (IDU) have increased risk of developing infective endocarditis (IE). Previous studies have reported recurrent IE, increased duration of hospital stay, poor adherence and compliance as well as higher mortality and worse outcomes after surgery in the IDU-IE patient group. Further studies are needed to provide a basis for optimized care and prevention of readmissions in this population. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes among patients with IDU-IE. Methods Data of adults with IDU-IE and non-IDU-IE, treated between 2008 and 2017 at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm were obtained from the Swedish National Registry of Infective Endocarditis. Clinical characteristics, microbiological results, treatment durations, results from echocardiography and in-hospital mortality were compared between the groups. Results Of the total 522 patients, 165 (32%) had IDU-IE. Patients with IDU-IE were younger than the patients with non-IDU-IE (mean age IDU-IE: 41.6 years, SD 11.9 years; non-IDU-IE: 64.3 years, SD 16.4 years; P <  0.01). No difference in distribution of gender was observed, 33% were females in both the IDU-IE and the non-IDU-IE group. History of previous IE (IDU-IE: n = 49, 30%; non-IDU-IE: n = 34, 10%; P <  0.01) and vascular phenomena (IDU-IE: n = 101, 61%; non-IDU-IE: n = 120, 34%; P <  0.01) were more common among patients with IDU-IE while prosthetic heart valves (IDU-IE: n = 12, 7%; non-IDU-IE: n = 83, 23%; P <  0.01) and known valvular disease (IDU-IE: n = 3, 2%; non-IDU-IE: n = 78, 22%; P <  0.01) were more common among patients with non-IDU-IE. Aetiology of Staphylococcus aureus (IDU-IE: n = 123, 75%; non-IDU-IE: n = 118, 33%; P <  0.01) as well as tricuspid (IDU-IE: n = 91, 55%; non-IDU-IE: n = 23, 6%; P <  0.01) or pulmonary valve vegetations (IDU-IE: n = 7, 4%; non-IDU-IE: n = 2, 1%; P <  0.01) were more common in the IDU-IE group. The overall incidence of IDU-IE decreased during the study period, while the incidence of definite IE increased (P <  0.01). Conclusions This study presents that patients with IDU-IE were younger, less frequently treated with surgery and had higher prevalence of vascular phenomena and history of previous IE, aspects that are important for improved management of this population.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Nikolic ◽  
Poya Ghorbani ◽  
Raffaella Pozzi Mucelli ◽  
Sam Ghazi ◽  
Francisco Baldaque- Silva ◽  
...  

Introduction: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a disease that may mimic malignant pancreatic lesions both in terms of symptomatology and imaging appearance. The aim of the present study is to analyse experiences of surgery in patients with AIP in one of the largest European cohorts. Methods: We performed a single-centre retrospective study of patients diagnosed with AIP at the Department of Abdominal Diseases at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, between January 2001 and October 2020. Results: There were 159 patients diagnosed with AIP, and among them 35 (22.0%) patients had surgery: 20 (57.1%) males and 15 (42.9%) females; average age at surgery was 59 years (range 37-81). Follow-up period after surgery was 67 months (range 1-235). AIP type 1 was diagnosed in 28 (80%) patients and AIP type 2 in 7 (20%) patients. Malignant and premalignant lesions were diagnosed in 8 (22.9%) patients for whom AIP was not the primary differential diagnosis but, in all cases, it was described as a simultaneous finding and recorded in retrospective analysis in histological reports of surgical specimens. Conclusions: Diagnosis of AIP is not always straightforward, and, in some cases, it is not easy to differentiate it from the malignancy. Surgery is generally not indicated for AIP but might be considered in patients when suspicion of malignant/premalignant lesions cannot be excluded after complete diagnostic work-up.


2016 ◽  
Vol 91 (7) ◽  
pp. E319-E320
Author(s):  
Francesca R. Mauro ◽  
Serelina Coluzzi ◽  
Francesca Paoloni ◽  
Fabio Trastulli ◽  
Daniele Armiento ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Wolf Ulrich Schmidt ◽  
Christoph J. Ploner ◽  
Maximilian Lutz ◽  
Martin Möckel ◽  
Tobias Lindner ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Coma of unknown etiology (CUE) is a major challenge in emergency medicine. CUE is caused by a wide variety of pathologies that require immediate and targeted treatment. However, there is little empirical data guiding rational and efficient management of CUE. We present a detailed investigation on the causes of CUE in patients presenting to the ED of a university hospital. Methods One thousand twenty-seven consecutive ED patients with CUE were enrolled. Applying a retrospective observational study design, we analyzed all clinical, laboratory and imaging findings resulting from a standardized emergency work-up of each patient. Following a predefined protocol, we identified main and accessory coma-explaining pathologies and related these with (i.a.) GCS and in-hospital mortality. Results On admission, 854 of the 1027 patients presented with persistent CUE. Their main diagnoses were classified into acute primary brain lesions (39%), primary brain pathologies without acute lesions (25%) and pathologies that affected the brain secondarily (36%). In-hospital mortality associated with persistent CUE amounted to 25%. 33% of patients with persistent CUE presented with more than one coma-explaining pathology. In 173 of the 1027 patients, CUE had already resolved on admission. However, these patients showed a spectrum of main diagnoses similar to persistent CUE and a significant in-hospital mortality of 5%. Conclusion The data from our cohort show that the spectrum of conditions underlying CUE is broad and may include a surprisingly high number of coincidences of multiple coma-explaining pathologies. This finding has not been reported so far. Thus, significant pathologies may be masked by initial findings and only appear at the end of the diagnostic work-up. Furthermore, even transient CUE showed a significant mortality, thus rendering GCS cutoffs for selection of high- and low-risk patients questionable. Taken together, our data advocate for a standardized diagnostic work-up that should be triggered by the emergency symptom CUE and not by any suspected diagnosis. This standardized routine should always be completed - even when initial coma-explaining diagnoses may seem evident.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl H. Göbel ◽  
Sarah C. Karstedt ◽  
Thomas F. Münte ◽  
Hartmut Göbel ◽  
Sebastian Wolfrum ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In the emergency room, distinguishing between a migraine with aura and a transient ischemic attack (TIA) is often not straightforward and mistakes can be harmful to both the patient and to society. To account for this difficulty, the third edition of the International Classification of Headache disorders (ICHD-3) changed the diagnostic criteria of migraine with aura. Methods One hundred twenty-eight patients referred to the emergency room at the University Hospital of Lübeck, Germany with a suspected TIA were prospectively interviewed about their symptoms leading to admission shortly after initial presentation. The diagnosis that resulted from applying the ICHD-3 and ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria was compared to the diagnosis made independently by the treating physicians performing the usual diagnostic work-up. Results The new ICHD-3 diagnostic criteria for migraine with aura and migraine with typical aura display an excellent specificity (96 and 98% respectively), and are significantly more specific than the previous ICHD-3 beta classification system when it comes to diagnosing a first single attack (probable migraine with aura and probable migraine with typical aura). Conclusions The ICHD-3 is a highly useful tool for the clinical neurologist in order to distinguish between a migraine with aura and a TIA, already at the first point of patient contact, such as in the emergency department or a TIA clinic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1752.1-1752
Author(s):  
B. Hernández-Cruz ◽  
F. J. Olmo Montes ◽  
M. J. Miranda García ◽  
M. D. Jimenez Moreno ◽  
M. A. Vázquez Gómez ◽  
...  

Background:Fragility fractures (FF) represent a health problem and among them, the VFF. They have worse vital prognosis, are at greater risk of new FF, had higher comorbidity, with clinical manifestations in only 30%-40% of cases. One in 6 women and one in 12 adult males will have a VFF.Objectives:To analyze the clinical characteristics of FF patients attended in the FLS at Virgen Macarena University Hospital. Compare the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of VFF patients with those with OFF.Methods:Design: Prospective cohort. Patients attended in the FLS from May 2018 to November 2019 in a protocolized manner (Openclinica®). Inclusion criteria: a clinical FF in the previous two years. Descriptive statistics: percentages and means with 25thand 75thpercentile. Inferential statistic by parametric and nonparametric tests. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee and patients signed consent to participate.Results:Data from 414 patients with a first FF are analyzed, 101 (25%) with VFF and 313 (76%) with OFF [188 (45%) hip, 66 (16%) distal radius, 32 (8%) humerus and 27 (6%) miscellaneous (pelvis, ribs, tibia)]. All VFFs analyzed had clinical symptoms and the number of fractured vertebrae was 2 (1-3). In 28 (37%) were FF of dorsal vertebrae, at 25 (33%) lumbar and 23 (30%) dorsal and lumbar. Comparative analysis showed differences in age VFF 71 (62-77) vs OFF 76 (66 – 83) years, p=0.0003. It highlighted a bimodal distribution according to age, with a peak incidence of 55 to 68 years and another between 75-80 years (Graph). Referral unit to FLS: VFF Rheumatology (42%) and/or Traumatology Emergency Room (44%) vs OFF Internal Medicine (45%) and General Traumatology Unit (38%), p=0.0001. There were also differences in the treatment with teriparatide (VFF 20% vs OFF 4%); zoledronate (VFF 6% vs OFF 3%) and alendronate (VFF 44% vs OFF 63%, p=0001); days of immobilization (VFF 30 (0 - 60) vs OFF 10 (0 - 30), p-0.01); they have greater independence to carry out activities of daily life (Barthel Scale) VFF 95(81 – 100) vs OFF 80 (60 – 95), p=0.00001; increased clamping force of hands 18 (12 - 20) vs 12 (8 - 18) mmHg, p=0.001, and lower risk of falls (J D Downton Scale) (VFF 43% vs OFF 60%, p=0,01). While the number of relevant comorbidities was higher in VFF 3 (1 - 5) vs OFF 2 (1 - 4) it was no statistical, p=0.3. The use of GCC was risky for VFF (n=13, 13%) vs OFF (n=17, 5%), p=0.01 and RR (95%CI) 2.3 (1.01 – 5.3) and not for other drugs (GnRH inhibitors, aromatase inhibitors or chemotherapy). No differences in sex were found (VFF 80%- vs OFF 80% women, p=0.9), previous FF history (9% vs 12%, p=0.2), secondary OP (16% vs 21%, p=0.1); percentage of patients with OP by femoral neck DEXA (VFF 35% vs 42%, p=0.2) or by lumbar spine DEXA (VFF 36% vs OFF 34%, p=0.8).Conclusion:VFF have a bimodal age-based distribution, usually occurring in younger patients, with a higher degree of independence and muscle strength and lower risk of falls, although they are associated with longer duration of immobilization, compared to OFF. In our cohort, VFFs affect 2 or more vertebrae and they are commonly treated with parenteral osteoporotic drugs. The use of glucocorticoids doubled the risk of developing a VFF, these findings are similar to those of others published cohorts.This project received a grant of the Ministry Health of the Junta de Andalucía Ref.PIN-0092-2016.Bibliography:[1]Gerdhem P. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology 27 (2013) 743–755[2]McCarty J,et al. Diagnosis and management for vertebral compression fractures. American Family of Physicians Jul1, 2016 Vol 94 No 1.Disclosure of Interests:Blanca Hernández-Cruz Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Lilly, Sanofi, BMS, STADA, Francisco Jesús Olmo Montes: None declared, Maria José Miranda García: None declared, María Dolores Jimenez Moreno: None declared, María Angeles Vázquez Gómez: None declared, Mercedes Giner García: None declared, Miguel Angel Colmenero Camacho: None declared, José Javier Pérez Venegas: None declared, María José Montoya García: None declared


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Damlin ◽  
Katarina Westling

Abstract Background: Patients with injection drug use (IDU) have increased risk of developing infective endocarditis (IE), however data of these patients are scarce and need to be explored further. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes among patients with IDU-IE.Methods: Data of adults with IDU-IE and non-IDU-IE, treated between 2008-2017 at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm were obtained from the Swedish National Registry of Infective Endocarditis. Clinical characteristics, microbiological results, treatment durations, results from echocardiography and in-hospital mortality were compared between the groups. Results: In total, 165 (32%) of the included patients had IDU-IE. Patients with IDU-IE were younger than the patients with non-IDU-IE (mean age IDU-IE: 41.6 years; non-IDU-IE: 64.3 years; P<0.01). No difference in distribution of genders was observed, 33% women in both groups. History of previous IE (n=49, 30%) and vascular phenomena (n=101, 61%), were more common among patients with IDU-IE while prosthetic heart valves (n=83, 23%) and known valvular disease (n=78, 22%) were more common among patients with non-IDU-IE (P<0.05). Aetiology of Staphylococcus aureus (n=121, 73%) and tricuspid (n=91, 55%) or pulmonary valve (n=7, 4%) vegetations were more common among IDU-IE (P<0.05). The overall incidence of IDU-IE decreased during the study period, while the incidence of definite IE increased (P<0.01). Conclusions: Patients with IDU-IE were younger, frequently presenting with right-sided vegetations and S. aureus aetiology, and were less frequently treated with surgery. Patients with IDU-IE had higher prevalence of vascular phenomena and history of previous IE, aspects that are important for improved management of this population.


Author(s):  
Jeroen S. Reijnen ◽  
Jon B. Marthinsen ◽  
Alf O. Tysland ◽  
Christoph Müller ◽  
Irina Schönhardt ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose To assess the safety and performance of a MRI-directed diagnostic pathway for patients with first-time suspicion of prostate cancer in a non-university hospital. Methods Between May 2017 and December 2018 all biopsy-naive patients examined in our hospital followed a MRI-directed diagnostic work-up algorithm based on PI-RADS score. In short, PI-RADS 1–2 was generally not biopsied and PI-RADS 3–5 was reviewed by a multidisciplinary team. Patients with PI-RADS 4-5 were all referred to biopsy, either transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy or MRI in-bore biopsy for small tumors and for sites difficult to access. PI-RADS scores were compared to the histopathology from biopsies and surgical specimens for patients who had prostatectomy. Non-biopsied patients were referred to a safety net monitoring regimen. Results Two hundred and ninety-eight men were enrolled. 97 (33%) had PI-RADS 1–2, 44 (15%) had PI-RADS 3, and 157 (53%) had PI-RADS 4–5. 116 (39%) of the patients avoided biopsy. None of these were diagnosed with significant cancer within 2–3.5 years of safety net monitoring. Almost all high ISUP grade groups (≥ 3) were in the PI-RADS 4–5 category (98%). Prostatectomy specimens and systematic biopsies from MRI-negative areas indicated that very few clinically significant cancers were missed by the MRI-directed diagnostic pathway. Conclusion Our findings add to evidence that a MRI-directed diagnostic pathway can be safely established in a non-university hospital. The pathway reduced the number of biopsies and reliably detected the site of the most aggressive cancers. Graphic abstract


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 27768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vibeke Backer ◽  
Asger Sverrild ◽  
Charlotte Suppli Ulrik ◽  
Uffe Bødtger ◽  
Niels Seersholm ◽  
...  

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