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Antonio Anzueto

Publications and source records attributed to Antonio Anzueto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Impact of High-Titer Convalescent Plasma on Clinical and Virologic Outcomes Among Veterans Hospitalized With SARS-CoV-2 Infection: VA CoronavirUs Research and Efficacy Studies-1 (VA CURES-1).

In the initial absence of proven therapies, empirical COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) was rapidly introduced for individuals hospitalized for COVID-19. Seventy-five participants were randomized from November 2020 to June 2021 in a double-blind, multi-site, placebo-controlled, randomized trial (VA CURES-1) evaluating the impact of CCP vs. saline in Veterans hospitalized with COVID-19 with hypoxemia. The composite primary outcome was acute hypoxemic respiratory failure or all-cause death by Day 29. We analyzed clinical outcomes, nasal viral RNA, plasma cytokines and viral evolution over time. Among 40 participants receiving saline and 35 receiving CCP with high neutralizing titers (median 1:1420), the percent reaching the primary outcome was similar (10%), as were time to clinical recovery and to nasal viral clearance. By whole genome sequencing, viral molecular complexity evolved pre- to posttreatment more frequently in recipients of saline vs. CCP (4 of 7 (57.1%) vs. 1 of 4 (25%), respectively), based on numbers of mixed allele positions. Numbers of amino acid-changing, non-synonymous mutations in the spike protein were greater in saline vs. CCP recipients. Both outcomes suggested purifying selection (reduced overall viral infection complexity) following CCP. In conclusion, convalescent plasma showed no significant clinical impact but may influence SARS-CoV-2 complexity. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04539275.

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Patient's perception of exacerbations of COPD--the PERCEIVE study.

The evaluation of therapies requires the development of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) that help clinicians to understanding the symptoms, perceptions and feelings of patients with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With the aim of obtaining information on the perceptions of patients with COPD, their exacerbations and expectations of treatment, a random telephone contact survey in six countries was performed. From 83,592 households screened, 1100 subjects with symptoms compatible with COPD were identified. The most frequent symptom was shortness of breath (78%). The most frequent complaint was that due to their COPD: "they could not complete the activities they like to do" (54%); 17% (187) of individuals were afraid that their COPD would cripple, or eventually kill them. Exacerbations generated a mean of 5.1 medical visits/year (SD=4.6) with the mean duration of exacerbation symptoms being 10.5 days. Increased coughing was the exacerbation symptom having the strongest impact on well-being (42%). Fifty-five percent of patients declared that quicker symptom relief was the most desired requirement for treatment. New data are provided on the impact of COPD and its exacerbations on the daily life of patients. These data will help to develop PROs designed to evaluate the effectiveness of different therapies for exacerbated COPD.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Tiotropium in COPD patients not previously receiving maintenance respiratory medications.

INTRODUCTION: Use of maintenance bronchodilator therapy is currently recommended in symptomatic patients with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and in those with Stage II or greater COPD as defined by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). Because no prospective data describe when rescue therapy alone is insufficient or the optimal time to start maintenance therapy, it is unclear whether maintenance therapy has benefits in milder disease. To explore potential benefits we asked: Does once-daily tiotropium improve lung function, health status, and/or symptoms in "undertreated" COPD patients (i.e., those who are not receiving maintenance bronchodilator therapy) or patients considered by their health care providers as having milder disease? METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of data from COPD patients participating in two, 1-year, placebo-controlled trials with tiotropium was performed. Patients were defined as "undertreated" if they received no respiratory medication or only as-needed short-acting beta-agonists prior to enrollment. Measures included serial spirometry, Transition Dyspnea Index (TDI), and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). RESULTS: Of 921 patients enrolled, 218 (23.7%) were "undertreated": 130 received tiotropium; 88 received placebo. Demographics for the two treatment groups were comparable. Tiotropium-treated patients had significantly improved forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) compared with patients using placebo on all study days. Additionally, TDI and SGRQ scores significantly improved with tiotropium compared with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily tiotropium provides significant improvement in lung function, health status, and dyspnea when used as maintenance therapy in undertreated COPD patients who were not previously receiving maintenance bronchodilator therapy.

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Reply to Bodi et al.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Mexican American elders have similar severities of COPD despite less tobacco exposure than European American elders.

INTRODUCTION: Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnicity of the US population and the largest subset includes those of Mexican origin. Hispanics, including Mexican Americans (MAs), consistently report less tobacco exposure than European Americans (EAs), but limited data are available regarding differences in the clinical characteristics, severity of airflow obstruction, and functional status between MAs and EAs with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Participants in a community-based study of aging and frailty among MAs and EAs, San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging, underwent spirometry. Participants with spirometry values consistent with COPD by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria are described here. RESULTS: Thirty-four percent (248/721) of the participants who underwent spirometry had evidence of GOLD Stages 1-4 COPD. Significantly more MAs with COPD reported being never smokers compared to EAs with COPD. Among those with COPD who also smoked, MAs reported significantly less tobacco exposure than EAs (15.7 vs. 32.4 pack-years, respectively), but both groups had surprisingly similar severities of airflow obstruction. Additionally, MAs had worse functional status and perceived health than did EAs. CONCLUSIONS: Despite significantly less exposure to tobacco smoke, MAs with COPD had a similar degree of obstruction to airflow compared with EAs with COPD. Healthcare providers should have a high index of suspicion for COPD in MAs who are exposed to even small amounts of cigarette smoke.

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Characteristics associated with sustained abstinence from smoking among patients with COPD.

PURPOSE: Smoking cessation is the mainstay of recommended treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet many continue smoking. This study seeks to understand the characteristics of patients with COPD who have quit and those who have not quit to identify important factors to evaluate in smoking-cessation interventions. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 1.5 million, predominantly male Veterans Administration enrollees. Of the respondents (63% [n = 887,775]), those with at least 1 COPD visit, a smoking history, and aged more than 34 years were included in this analysis (n = 89 337). Differences in demographics, functional status, comorbidities, and provider-patient interactions were evaluated for current and former smokers. RESULTS: Ninety-seven percent of the cohort with COPD was male. Former smokers (n = 58 482) were older (mean age of 69.6 vs 62.8, P<.001) and had more cardiac comorbidities, but better mental health (Mean Mental Component Summary score from the Veterans Short Form-36 +/- standard deviation of 43.4 +/- 13.2 vs 39.9 +/- 13.7, P<.001) than current smokers (n = 25 595), respectively. In addition, former smokers more actively participated in their health care and had a better relationship with their provider than current smokers. CONCLUSION: Former smokers with COPD were older, had more cardiac comorbidities, better mental health, and better perceived provider-patient interactions than active smokers. This study highlights the importance of screening participants with COPD who are enrolling in forthcoming smoking cessation trials for mental illnesses. In addition, developing interventions that address psychiatric comorbidities and potentially improve provider-patient communication may be other key areas to evaluate in future smoking cessation trials in patients with COPD.

Age Factors↗

Antibiotic therapy and 48-hour mortality for patients with pneumonia.

PURPOSE: Although numerous articles have demonstrated that recommended empiric antimicrobial regimens are associated with decreased mortality at 30 days, there is controversy over whether appropriate antibiotic selection has a beneficial impact on mortality within the first 48 to 96 hours after admission. Our aim was to determine whether the use of guideline-concordant antibiotic therapy is associated with decreased mortality within the first 48 hours after admission for patients with pneumonia. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at two tertiary teaching hospitals in San Antonio, Texas. A propensity score was used to balance the covariates associated with the use of guideline-concordant antimicrobial therapy. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association between mortality within 48 hours and the use of guideline-concordant antibiotic therapy, after adjusting for potential confounders including the propensity score. RESULTS: Information was obtained on 787 patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The median age was 60 years, 79% were male, and 20% were initially admitted to the intensive care unit. At presentation 52% of subjects were low risk, 34% were moderate risk, and 14% were high risk. Within the first 48 hours, 20 patients died. After adjustment for potential confounders, the use of guideline-concordant antimicrobial therapy (odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.95) was significantly associated with decreased mortality at 48 hours after admission. CONCLUSION: Using initial empiric guideline-concordant antimicrobial therapy is associated with decreased mortality at 48 hours. Further research needs to investigate methods to ensure that patients with community-acquired pneumonia are treated with appropriate antimicrobial therapies.

Adult↗

Clinical course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: review of therapeutic interventions.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable disease in which patients experience a progressive decline in lung function. Based on clinical evidence, the management of COPD should focus on (1) earlier diagnosis; (2) risk reduction through smoking cessation, decreased exposure to inhaled irritants, and immunization against respiratory pathogens; (3) symptom reduction with pharmacotherapy and pulmonary rehabilitation; (4) decreasing complications by reducing exacerbations and improving pulmonary function; and (5) improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Smoking cessation has been shown to slow lung function decline and to reduce mortality--including deaths due to lung cancer, other respiratory disease (including COPD), and cardiovascular disease. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) guidelines advocate interventions according to the severity of COPD and recommend initiation of maintenance long-acting bronchodilator therapy in patients with moderate disease. However, recent evidence from a post hoc analysis of randomized controlled trials of tiotropium suggests that initiation of long-acting bronchodilator therapy at earlier stages of disease may also provide improvements in lung function and HRQOL. The results of ongoing long-term studies may soon provide evidence that in addition to relieving symptoms and improving patient HRQOL, specific pharmacologic therapies may also alter the clinical course of COPD.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Adjunctive therapy to mechanical ventilation: surfactant therapy, liquid ventilation, and prone position.

Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Although lung protective mechanical ventilation is the only therapy shown to reduce mortality and development of organ failure, several biologic pathways have been identified and provided an opportunity for therapeutic interventions. No pharmacologic or adjunctive treatments are available. Clinical studies demonstrated that prone position results in significant and clinically relevant improvement in oxygenation and ventilation, which persist when patients are returned to supine position; the beneficial response is not limited to patients turned early in disease course. Few complications are associated with prone ventilation. Clinical experience suggests that prone ventilation may protect the lung from potential detrimental effects of mechanical ventilation. Further studies are needed.

Humans↗

Incidence, risk factors, and outcome of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: Three hundred sixty-one intensive care units (ICUs) from 20 countries. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand eight hundred ninety-seven patients mechanically ventilated for more than 12 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Baseline demographic data, primary indication for mechanical ventilation, daily ventilator settings, multiple organ failure over the course of mechanical ventilation, and outcome were collected. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was present in 439 patients (15%). Patients with VAP were more likely to have chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, aspiration, sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Mortality in patients with VAP was 38%. Factors associated with mortality were severity of illness, limited activity before the onset of mechanical ventilation and development of shock, acute renal failure, and worsening of hypoxemia during the period of mechanical ventilation. Case-control analysis showed no increased mortality in patients with VAP (38.1% vs 37.9%, P = .95) but prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay. CONCLUSION: In a large cohort of mechanically ventilated patients, VAP is more likely in patients with underlying lung disease (acute or chronic). Ventilator-associated pneumonia was associated with a significant increase in ICU length of stay but no increase in mortality.

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The role of new therapies for severe community-acquired pneumonia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and is the most common cause of death from infectious diseases. CAP patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission carry the highest mortality rates. This paper aims to review the current literature regarding epidemiology, risk factors, severity criteria and reasons for admitting the hospitalized patient to the ICU, and the empiric and specific antibiotic therapeutic regimens employed. RECENT FINDINGS: Multiple sets of clinical practice guidelines have been published in the past few years addressing the treatment of CAP. The guidelines all agree that CAP patients admitted to the hospital represent a major concern, and appropriate empiric therapy should be instituted to improve clinical outcomes. SUMMARY: The cost, morbidity and mortality of CAP patients requiring ICU admission remain unacceptably high. These are heterogeneous groups of patients, so it is important to use risk-stratification based on clinical parameters and prediction tools. Appropriate antibiotic therapy is an important component in the management of both groups of patients. In particular, it is essential to administer an appropriate antimicrobial agent from the initiation of therapy, so that the risks of treatment failure and the morbidity of CAP may be minimized.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Clinical characteristics and treatment patterns among patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate clinical characteristics and treatment patterns among patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), including the implementation of and outcomes associated with deescalation therapy. DESIGN: Prospective, observational, cohort study. SETTING: Twenty ICUs throughout the United States. PATIENTS: A total of 398 ICU patients meeting predefined criteria for suspected VAP. INTERVENTIONS: Prospective, handheld, computer-based data collection regarding routine VAP management according to local institutional practices, including clinical and microbiological characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The most frequent ICU admission diagnoses in patients with VAP were postoperative care (15.6%), neurologic conditions (13.3%), sepsis (13.1%), and cardiac complications (10.8%). The mean (+/- SD) duration of mechanical ventilation prior to VAP diagnosis was 7.3 +/- 6.9 days. Major pathogens were identified in 197 patients (49.5%) through either tracheal aspirate or BAL fluid and included primarily methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (14.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.3%), and other Staphylococcus species (8.8%). More than 100 different antibiotic regimens were prescribed as initial VAP treatment, the majority of which included cefepime (30.4%) or a ureidopenicillin/monobactam combination (27.9%). The mean duration of therapy was 11.8 +/- 5.9 days. In the majority of cases (61.6%), therapy was neither escalated nor deescalated. Escalation of therapy occurred in 15.3% of cases, and deescalation occurred in 22.1%. The overall mortality rate was 25.1%, with a mean time to death of 16.2 days (range, 0 to 49 days). The mortality rate was significantly lower among patients in whom therapy was deescalated (17.0%), compared with those experiencing therapy escalation (42.6%) and those in whom therapy was neither escalated nor deescalated (23.7%; chi2= 13.25; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment patterns for VAP vary widely from institution to institution, and the overall mortality rate remains unacceptably high. The deescalation of therapy in VAP patients appears to be associated with a reduction in mortality, which is an association that warrants further clinical study.

Adolescent↗

Risk factors for extubation failure in patients following a successful spontaneous breathing trial.

BACKGROUND: To assess the factors associated with reintubation in patients who had successfully passed a spontaneous breathing trial. METHODS: We used logistic regression and recursive partitioning analyses of prospectively collected clinical data from adults admitted to ICUs of 37 hospitals in eight countries, who had undergone invasive mechanical ventilation for > 48 h and were deemed ready for extubation. RESULTS: Extubation failure occurred in 121 of the 900 patients (13.4%). The logistic regression analysis identified the following associations with reintubation: rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) [odds ratio (OR), 1.009 per unit; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.003 to 1.015]; positive fluid balance (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.53); and pneumonia as the reason for initiating mechanical ventilation (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.84). The recursive partitioning analysis allowed the separation of patients into different risk groups for extubation failure: (1) RSBI of > 57 breaths/L/min and positive fluid balance (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.8 to 4.8); (2) RSBI of < 57 breaths/L/min and pneumonia as reason for mechanical ventilation (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.6); (3) RSBI of > 57 breaths/L/min and negative fluid balance (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.8 to 2.5); and (4) RSBI of < 57 breaths/L/min (OR, 1 [reference value]). CONCLUSIONS: Among routinely measured clinical variables, RSBI, positive fluid balance 24 h prior to extubation, and pneumonia at the initiation of ventilation were the best predictors of extubation failure. However, the combined predictive ability of these variables was weak.

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The impact of empiric antimicrobial therapy with a β-lactam and fluoroquinolone on mortality for patients hospitalized with severe pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: National clinical practice guidelines have recommended specific empiric antimicrobial regimes for patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia. However, evidence confirming improved mortality with many of these regimes is lacking. Our aim was to determine the association between the empiric use of a β-lactam with fluoroquinolone, compared with other recommended antimicrobial therapies, and mortality in patients hospitalized with severe community-acquired pneumonia. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted at two tertiary teaching hospitals. Eligible subjects were admitted with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia and had a chest X-ray and a discharge ICD-9 diagnosis consistent with this. Subjects were excluded if they received 'comfort measures only' during the admission, had been transferred from another acute care hospital, did not meet criteria for severe pneumonia, or were treated with non-guideline-concordant antibiotics. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association between 30-day mortality and the use of a β-lactam antibiotic with a fluoroquinolone compared with other guideline-concordant therapies, after adjustment for potential confounders including a propensity score. RESULTS: Data were abstracted on 172 subjects at the two hospitals. The mean age was 63.5 years (SD 15.0). The population was 88% male; 91% were admitted through the emergency department and 62% were admitted to the intensive care unit within the first 24 hours after admission. Mortality was 19.8% at 30 days. After adjustment for potential confounders the use of a β-lactam with a fluoroquinolone (odds ratio 2.71, 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 6.1) was associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSION: The use of initial empiric antimicrobial therapy with a β-lactam and a fluoroquinolone was associated with increased short-term mortality for patients with severe pneumonia in comparison with other guideline-concordant antimicrobial regimes. Further research is needed to determine the range of appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapies for patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia.

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Community-Acquired Pneumonia Recovery in the Elderly (CAPRIE): efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin therapy versus that of levofloxacin therapy.

BACKGROUND: Limited prospective data are available for elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin versus that of levofloxacin for the treatment of CAP in hospitalized elderly patients (age, > or = 65 years). METHODS: We conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Eligible patients were stratified by CAP severity before randomization to receive treatment with either intravenous/oral moxifloxacin (400 mg daily) or intravenous/oral levofloxacin (500 mg daily) for 7-14 days. Clinical response at test-of-cure (the primary efficacy end point was between days 5 and 21 after completion of therapy), and clinical response during therapy (between days 3 and 5 after the start of therapy) and bacteriologic response were secondary end points. RESULTS: The safety population included 394 patients (195 in the moxifloxacin group and 199 in the levofloxacin group). The population eligible for clinical efficacy analysis (i.e., the clinically valid population) included 281 patients (141 in the moxifloxacin group and 140 in the levofloxacin group); 51.3% were male, and the mean age (+/-SD) was 77.4 +/- 7.7 years. Cure rates at test-of-cure for the clinically valid population were 92.9% in the moxifloxacin arm and 87.9% in the levofloxacin arm (95% confidence interval [CI], -1.9 to 11.9; P = .2). Clinical recovery by days 3-5 after the start of treatment was 97.9% in the moxifloxacin arm vs. 90.0% in the levofloxacin arm (95% CI, 1.7-14.1; P = .01). In the moxifloxacin group, cure rates were 92.6% for patients with mild or moderate CAP and 94.7% for patients with severe CAP, compared with cure rates of 88.6% and 84.6%, respectively, in the levofloxacin group (P = not significant). Cure rates in the moxifloxacin arm were 90.0% for patients aged 65-74 years and 94.5% for patients aged > or = 75 years, compared with 85.0% and 90.0%, respectively, in the levofloxacin arm (P = not significant). There were no statistically significant differences between the treatment groups with regard to drug-related adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous/oral moxifloxacin therapy was efficacious and safe for hospitalized elderly patients with CAP, achieving > 90% cure in all severity and age subgroups, and was associated with faster clinical recovery than intravenous/oral levofloxacin therapy, with a comparable safety profile.

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