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Biomedical subjects

B Régnier

Publications and source records attributed to B Régnier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Isolated right-sided Bartonella quintana endocarditis in an immunocompetent adult.

Bartonella quintana is a recently recognized cause of culture-negative left-sided endocarditis. We report a case of isolated tricuspid endocarditis caused by B. quintana in a 65-year-old alcoholic man, who also had immune-complex glomerulonephritis. B. quintana was established as the cause of the endocarditis based on serological tests and on failure of extensive efforts to isolate an alternative organism. The patient improved gradually on antibiotic therapy and did not require surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first report of isolated right-sided endocarditis caused by B. quintana. Although uncommon, Bartonella should be considered in patients with isolated right-sided culture-negative endocarditis.

Aged

Clinical and bacteriologic epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae in a medical intensive care unit.

The epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae was studied over a 16-month period in a medical intensive care unit (ICU). A control program involving enhanced isolation procedures, surveillance cultures at admission and then at 1-week intervals, and selective digestive decontamination (SDD) was instituted. Phenotypic and genotypic markers (plasmid content and DNA macrorestriction polymorphism determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) were used to compare 138 strains of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae. The incidence of colonization and/or infection with ESBL producers was 11.9%. ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae strains were isolated from 64 of 65 patients. Fifty-five cases were considered acquired in the ICU, while nine cases were imported. Forty-five infections occurred in 32 patients; 20 infections involved the urinary tract. SDD failed to reduce the incidence of acquisition of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae. Combined use of markers was necessary to achieve accurate differentiation of strains. A single epidemic clone (SHV-4 beta-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae) was the cause of 85% of the ICU-acquired cases. Sporadic occurrence of SHV-5, TEM-3, SHV-2, and SHV-3 producers accounted only for a few cases.

Cross Infection

[Enterobacteria producing extended spectrum beta-lactamases].

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) were first observed in 1983. Since then, the number and variety of ESBLs have increased rapidly, particularly in France, and their distribution is now worldwide. The number of ESBLs has now reached more than 30, some of them spreading largely in several countries, such as SHV-4 in France. Intensive care units were first involved. Patients from nursing homes may recirculate ESBLs into acute care units. ESBL clinical epidemiology does not differ from other enterobacteriaceae. Digestive tract is the main reservoir, hands are the route of transmission. Infection develops in about 50% of colonized patients, more than one-half being urinary tract infections. Risk factors for colonization or infection are length of exposure to an epidemic strain and frequency of health-care-worker contact. Strategies for containing spreading of ESBL-producing strains include use of barrier precautions for carriers. Judicious use of antimicrobial agents is also important, by decreasing antibiotic selective pressure.

Cross Infection

Shock complicating severe falciparum malaria in European adults.

OBJECTIVE: To study adult patients with severe falciparum malaria who developed shock. DESIGN: Retrospective study from 1987 to 1993. SETTING: Medical intensive care unit in a university hospital. PATIENTS: 14 patients admitted with severe falciparum malaria who developed shock. All received intravenous quinine. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The mean Simplified Acute Physiology Score II was 59.5 +/- 7.1; 2.6 +/- 0.4 criteria defining severe disease were present on admission in 12 patients; and initial parasitemia was 21 +/- 6%. Twelve patients received inotropic drugs. Pulmonary artery catheterization showed the following results in 7 patients: mean arterial pressure 57 +/- 4 mmHg; pulmonary artery occlusion pressure 11 +/- 1 mmHg; cardiac index 5.5 +/- 0.91.min-1.m-2, and systemic vascular resistance index 783 +/- 122 dyne.s.cm-5.m-2. Seven patients had evidence of bacterial infection at the time of shock. Of the 7 deaths (50%), 5 were due to shock, with documented bacterial infection in all patients and persistent parasitemia in 4. CONCLUSIONS: Shock complicating severe falciparum malaria in adults is associated with peripheral vasodilation and carries a poor prognosis. In falciparum malaria with shock, bacterial coinfection should be suspected immediately and treated empirically with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Nevertheless, Plasmodium falciparum may contribute directly or indirectly to the onset of shock.

Adult

Septic shock in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognosis of patients with septic shock admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), according to their HIV serostatus. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Medical ICU of a university hospital. PATIENTS: 76 patients with septic shock admitted to the same ICU, of whom 28 were HIV positive and 48 were HIV negative. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Severity scores, number and type of organ failures, and survival rates were assessed in the two groups of patients. Glasgow Coma Scale and general severity scores [Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS)] were significantly worse in HIV-infected patients. The total number of organ failures was also higher in the HIV-positive group: 3.7 +/- 0.2 vs 3.1 +/- 0.2 in the HIV-negative group (p < 0.001). On day 28, 21 (46%) HIV-negative patients were dead compared to 26 (93%) patients in the HIV-positive group (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, HIV infection was an independent risk factor for mortality, as were the SAPS score, use of mechanical ventilation, and the McCabe score. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a considerable excess mortality in HIV-infected patients with septic shock. Although severity of illness was clearly much more pronounced in HIV-positive patients, retroviral infection was independently associated with death. Improving survival in HIV-positive patients with septic shock may require earlier diagnosis and treatment of the causative infection.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections

Epidemiological features of and risk factors for infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae strains with diminished susceptibility to penicillin: findings of a French survey.

A nationwide retrospective study was performed in France to describe the susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains to penicillin G and to identify risk factors for infection with nonsusceptible strains. From January 1991 to May 1992, 10,350 S. pneumoniae strains were recorded. The overall rate of penicillin-nonsusceptible pneumococcal (PNSP) strains was 11%; specific prevalence rates, according to the sources of the isolates, were as follows: blood, 6%; cerebrospinal fluid, 10%; lower respiratory tract, 10%; and middle ear, 18%. Large variations in regional distribution were observed. In 85% of cases, PNSP strains belonged to serogroup 23, 19, 6, 14, or 9, by order of decreasing frequency. A logistic regression model identified the following factors as being associated with PNSP infections: age of < 15 years (OR = 2.01), isolation of the organisms from the upper respiratory tract (OR = 2.36) or from sinus and middle ear (OR = 1.63), HIV infection (OR = 2.01), beta-lactam antimicrobial therapy in the previous 6 months (OR = 1.99), and nosocomial acquisition (OR = 2.12). The attributable risk of beta-lactam antimicrobial therapy in the previous 6 months was 19%, showing that suppression of this factor alone could not eradicate PNSP infections.

Adolescent

[Bacteria, multiresistant to antibiotics, in intensive care units: epidemiological context and strategies of control].

In France, many hospitals have reported high prevalence of multiply resistant strains, mostly in intensive care units. However, resistance has spred to other medical or surgical wards, and to rehabilitation or long term care facilities as well. Both antibiotic misure and cross-colonization via tronsient carriage on bouds of caregivers account for these epidemics. In turn, high prevalence of resistance leads to increased antibiotic prescriting which results in extra costs and further emergence of new resistance mechanisms. In addition, such high prevalence might well contribute to increased morbidity and extra-incidence of nosocomial infections. Control of resistant strains requires proper use of antibiotics and prevention of cross-colonization, which relies on identification of reservoirs and effective implementation of isolation precautions.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Incidence, risk factors, and outcome of severe sepsis and septic shock in adults. A multicenter prospective study in intensive care units. French ICU Group for Severe Sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of severe sepsis in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Inception cohort study from a 2-month prospective survey of 11,828 consecutive admissions to 170 adult ICUs of public hospitals in France. PATIENTS: Patients meeting clinical criteria for severe sepsis were included and classified as having documented infection (ie, documented severe sepsis, n = 742), or a clinical diagnosis of infection without microbiological documentation (ie, culture-negative severe sepsis, n = 310). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hospital and 28-day mortality after severe sepsis. RESULTS: Clinically suspected sepsis and confirmed severe sepsis occurred in 9.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.5 to 9.5) and 6.3 (95% CI, 5.8 to 6.7) of 100 ICU admissions, respectively. The 28-day mortality was 56% (95% CI, 52% to 60%) in patients with severe sepsis, and 60% (95% CI, 55% to 66%) in those with culture-negative severe sepsis. Major determinants of both early (< 3 days) and secondary deaths in the whole cohort were the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II and the number of acute organ system failures. Other risk factors for early death included a low arterial blood pH (< 7.33) (P < .001) and shock (P = .03), whereas secondary deaths were associated with the admission category (P < .001), a rapidly or ultimately fatal underlying disease (P < .001), a preexisting liver (P = .01) or cardiovascular (P = .002) insufficiency, hypothermia (P = .02), thrombocytopenia (P = .01), and multiple sources of infection (P = .02). In patients with documented sepsis, bacteremia was associated with early mortality (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Only three of four patients presenting with clinically suspected severe sepsis have documented infection. However, patients with clinically suspected sepsis but without microbiological documentation and patients with documented infection share common risk factors and are at similarly high risk of death. In addition to the severity of illness score, acute organ failures and the characteristics of underlying diseases should be accounted for in stratification of patients and outcome analyses.

Adult

Prosthetic valve endocarditis in the ICU. Prognostic factors of overall survival in a series of 122 cases and consequences for treatment decision.

We carried out univariate and multivariate analysis of outcome among 122 patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) admitted to our ICU between 1978 and 1992. The predominant pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (33%), streptococci (20%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (12%), enterococci (10%), and Gram-negative bacilli (9%). At 4 months, overall survival was 66% (42 deaths). Staphylococcus aureus was the main predictor of death (75% vs 15% with other pathogens). In S aureus PVE, multivariate analysis identified the following predictors of death: prothrombin time < 30% (relative risk [RR]: 8.3), concomitant mediastinitis (RR: 4.9), heart failure (RR: 4.4), and septic shock (RR: 2.6). In PVE due to other pathogens, prothrombin time < 30% (RR: 32.26), renal failure (RR: 7.31), and heart failure (RR: 6.07) were associated with death. In S aureus PVE, survival was higher in patients who received medical-surgical therapy than in those who received medical therapy alone (9/20 [45%] vs 0/20) (p < 0.01). In PVE due to other pathogens, there was no difference in survival between patients who underwent prosthesis replacement (89%) and those who received only medical treatment (81%). Among the 65 patients who underwent heart surgery, the mortality rate and incidence of postoperative paravalvular leakage did not correlate with positive prosthesis cultures. We conclude that non-S aureus and uncomplicated PVE may be managed without valve replacement but that prompt surgical intervention should be required in all other situations.

Adult

[Resources for the campaign against nosocomial infection in hospitals].

Since 1973, the Ministry of Health has recommended to set up Infection Control Committees which became statutory in 1988. They have many responsibilities including the survey of nosocomial infection rate, the implementation of appropriate control strategies, the control of "antibiotic resistance", the training of staff, the production and the evaluation of written procedures for patients care, isolation, sterilization..., as well as they are in charge of the protection of health care workers against occupational risk of infection. Although, such committees have been appointed in more than 85% of hospitals, their true activity and the rate of nosocomial infection remain much less well known. The very low proportion of beds actually involved in a "surveillance" program, the scarcity of specific personnel, the insufficiency of institutional program of training, and the height prevalence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics are all of concern. Recently, the Ministry of Health has intensified its requirements and recommendations. However, resources allocated to nosocomial infection control remain unsatisfactory and it makes mandatory that each hospital generate a program which should be recognized as a priority. It is obvious that willingness is not sufficient and that the appointment of nosocomial infection control teams is warranted with appropriately trained personnel. However it is fair te recognize that the cost-effectiveness evaluation of various strategies remains to be done.

Cross Infection

[Antiretroviral treatments and their therapeutical trials].

Efficacity of antiretroviral treatments is limited by the fact that available drugs are only virostatic and by the progressive impairment of the immune system during HIV infection. Antiviral compounds active on the various steps of viral invasion and replication are described. Further progress in the association of several drugs may improve efficiency and reduce the emergence of resistant strains, which would allow treatment at an earlier stage of the disease. In the absence of relevant animal models, additional clinical trials are mandatory. Their methodological quality must not be influenced by the extreme sensitivity of public opinion to AIDS.

Antiviral Agents

Continuous positive airway pressure by face mask or mechanical ventilation in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and severe Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

We reviewed the records of 44 patients with AIDS who had 45 episodes of severe Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). While 9 patients required intubation and mechanical ventilation (MV) on admission, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) by face mask was the initial measure in 36 episodes. There were 25 patients managed with CPAP alone, 23 of whom survived. Among the reasons for delayed intubation and MV (11 patients) was that treatment failure was strongly associated with non-survival, since all 6 such patients died. The in-hospital mortality for severe PCP in this study was 33% overall, and reached 65% for mechanically ventilated patients. The 1-year survival was 43% (95% confidence interval, 28%-58%). These data confirm the improved prognosis for patients with AIDS and severe PCP, and suggest that mask CPAP may be an adequate mean of ventilatory support in this setting.

Adult

Severe tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Tuberculosis has now been well documented as a complication of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but no studies concern patients requiring admission to the ICU. We report 12 cases of severe disseminated tuberculosis in patients who were seropositive for HIV. Eight patients had diffuse pulmonary involvement responsible for acute respiratory failure, 7 of whom required mechanical ventilation. Four developed septic shock, and in 3 blood cultures were positive for M. tuberculosis. Four patients had central nervous system involvement, with coma requiring mechanical ventilation 3 times. Rapid diagnosis was permitted in 10 patients by acid-fast smears of pulmonary specimens (8 patients) and/or tissue biopsies (4 patients). Seven patients died despite intensive therapy; autopsy was performed in 4 patients, showing disseminated tuberculosis. On the basis of this report, tuberculosis in HIV infection may present as an overwhelming systemic disease and thus requires an aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

[Infectious pneumopathies in immunosuppressed patients].

Infective pneumonia occurring in immunocompromised patients is characterized by its multiple causes which create diagnostic problems and by the need for a prompt treatment. The principal criteria pointing to a specific organism are the causes of immunodeficiency (now usually due to treatment of blood diseases or cancers, organ transplantation and AIDS) and the radiological features of the pneumonia. Confirming the diagnosis frequently requires features of the pneumonia. Confirming the diagnosis frequently requires invasive explorations which in any case are limited by the patient's fragility. Consequently, empirical therapeutic measures are initiated, at least initially, taking into account all likely assumptions. The severity and frequency of these lung infections make it desirable to develop preventive measures applying to the patient himself (antibiotic prophylaxis) or to his environment.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome