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O Leroy

Publications and source records attributed to O Leroy.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Epidemiological features and prognosis of severe community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: To describe risk factors of severe pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia and to study variables influencing outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective (1987-1992) and prospective (1993-1995) study. SETTING: Three participating ICUs from primary care hospitals. PATIENTS: Five hundred and five patients (mean age: 63 +/- 17 years) with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Three groups of patients were defined: pneumococcal CAP (group 1), CAP with microbial diagnosis other than Streptococcus pneumoniae (group 2), CAP from group 2 and CAP without microbial diagnosis (group 3). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Admission data and data on the disease's course were recorded. The mean Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (SAPS) was 12.5 +/- 5.4. On admission 288 (57 %) patients were mechanically ventilated (mv) and 82 (16.2 %) required inotropic support. A microbial diagnosis was established for 309 (61.2%) patients. S. pneumoniae was isolated in 137 (27.1%) patients. Severe pneumococcal CAP was independently associated with male sex (p = 0.01), lack of antibiotics use before admission (p = 0.0001), non-aspiration pneumonia (p = 0.01) and septic shock (p = 0.0001). The overall mortality rate was 27.5 % (29.2 % in group 1). In patients with severe pneumococcal CAP, multivariate analysis showed that leukopenia less than 3,500/mm3 (p = 0.0004), age over 65 years (p = 0.01), septic shock (p = 0.01), sepsis related complications (p = 0.0001), ICU complications (p = 0.001) and inadequacy of antimicrobial therapy (p = 0.002) worsened the prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Few features facilitate the identification of pneumococcal CAP on ICU admission. The prognosis is mostly related to severity of illness (leukopenia, septic shock) while comorbidities do not seem to influence outcome. Sepsis-related disorders, ICU complications and adequate antimicrobial chemotherapy are the major variables affecting the outcome during an ICU stay.

APACHE

Effect of hospital-acquired ventilator-associated pneumonia on mortality of severe community-acquired pneumonia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to evaluate, using two pairwise case-control studies, attributable mortality linked to hospital-acquired ventilator-associated pneumonia (HA-VAP) complicating the intensive care unit (ICU) stay of patients exhibiting severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over an 11-year period, 498 patients with severe CAP were collected. Among them, 43 exhibited HA-VAP. In a first case-control study, these patients were matched with control on the basis of six confounding variables known to be general ICU prognosis factors. In a second case-control study, six variables specifically linked to CAP prognosis were used for matching. RESULTS: In the two case-control studies, each case patient was matched with one control patient. In the first analysis, success of matching was achieved in 198 of 258 (77%) variables used for matching. In the second analysis, matching was successful for 242 of 258 (94%) confounding variables used. Eighteen patients died, compared with, respectively, 6 (P = .003) and 7 (P = .01) controls. Attributable mortality of HA-VAP was similar in the two pairwise analyses, respectively, 28% (risk ratio = 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.32 to 6.82) and 26% (risk ratio = 2.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 5.52). CONCLUSION: When confounding factors were controlled, HA-VAP appeared to increase mortality of severe CAP requiring ICU admission.

Aged

Community-acquired pneumonia in the intensive care unit: epidemiological and prognosis data in older people.

OBJECTIVES: To compare epidemiological data, etiology, and prognosis of severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the intensive care unit (ICU) according to age (< or > or = 65 years) and to determine prognostic factors of CAP in older people. DESIGN: A retrospective (1987-1992) and prospective (1993-95) multicenter study. SETTING: Six ICUs in the north of France. PATIENTS: Five hundred five patients admitted to an ICU for severe CAP. MEASUREMENTS: Patient characteristics were compared with regard to age. Prognosis of CAP in older patients was studied by stepwise discriminant analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-eight patients (55%) were aged 65 years or older. Comparison of epidemiological data between older and younger patients revealed a higher prevalence of women (38% vs 29%), more severe underlying comorbidities (anticipated death within 5 years: 59% vs 26%), and more frequent chronic respiratory insufficiency (48% vs 33%) in the older patients. In this study group, 224 organisms were isolated from 172 patients (62%); those identified most frequently were Gram-negative bacilli (34%), S. pneumoniae (32%), and Staphylococcus sp. (19%). Compared with younger patients, no significant differences in bacteriological data were observed. However, crude and attributable mortality rates were significantly higher in the older patients (33% vs 21% and 30% vs 19%, respectively). Prognosis analysis identified four independent predictors of mortality in the older patients: initial septic shock (relative risk (RR) = 3), sepsis-related complications (RR = 4.3), hospital-acquired lower respiratory tract superinfections (RR = 2), and nonspecific pneumonia-related complications (RR = 2.8). CONCLUSION: The bacterial etiology provides some approaches to empirical therapy for older patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia. In addition, the inappropriateness of withholding intensive care for reasons of age alone is emphasized.

Age Factors

[Systemic manifestations and development of GPIIbIIIa antibodies in the course of staphylococcal endocarditis. Report of a case].

Immunological complications of staphylococcal endocarditis are rare but represent a serious event in this condition. The authors report the case of acute tricuspid valve endocarditis in a 38 year old drug addict. The diagnosis was suggested by the presentation of bilateral bacterial lung abscesses with a murmur of tricuspid regurgitation, and confirmed by transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography. Bacteriological cultures isolated a methicillin-sensitive staphylococcal aureus. The outcome was complicated by a nephrotic syndrome associated with a glomerulonephritis by deposition of immune complexes and an autoimmune thrombocytopaenic purpura due to acquired anti-glycoprotein IIb IIIa antibodies. Antibiotic therapy led to cure without sequellae of the endocarditis, the nephrotic syndrome and the thrombocytopaenia. This case illustrates the risk of immunological complications during acute staphylococcal tricuspid valve endocarditis and also illustrates the possibility of a favourable outcome with antibiotic therapy alone. However, the potential severity of these complications indicates the need for early diagnosis and strict surveillance of this condition.

Adult

[Evaluation of prescription of antibiotics in an intensive care unit].

OBJECTIVES: In order to optimize prescriptions, we conducted a qualitative evaluation of antibiotic prescription in an intensive care unit. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed on 100 consecutive prescriptions from 11/95 to 4/96. RESULTS: Among 14 documented cases, initial antibiotic therapy was in accordance with antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in all but one case. Among 86 empirical cases, 38 were secondarily documented, yielding 43 microorganisms. Of these 38, 27 were susceptible to 2 or more empirical antibiotics, 3 to only 1 and 8 to none. Antibiotics were modified in 23/38 (60%) cases, resulting in drug changes (n = 21) or drug addition (n = 2). In all cases, the new prescription was consistent with the antibiogram. In the 48 cases where no microorganism was isolated, antibiotic change was guided by clinical course and occurred in 6 (12.5%) cases. A switch to older, cheaper or more narrow spectrum antibiotics was possible in 18 cases, but was actually done in only 4 (22%). Dosage errors were observed in 5 cases of initial therapy. Second line therapy contained 8(21%) dosage errors. Most frequently, isolated organisms at admission were: Staphylococcus sp. (n = 15), P. aeruginosa (n = 11) and S. pneumoniae (n = 10). New pathogens emerged in 16 patients (16%) receiving antibiotics. The most frequent was P. aeruginosa in 4 patients receiving ofloxacin + amoxicillin +/- clavulanic acid. CONCLUSION: These results are encouraging, however, the use of guidelines and periodic evaluation of antibiotic prescription practices might improve the efficiency of empirical antibiotic prescriptions and reduce overall antibiotic costs.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Effect of spermine administration on pancreatic maturation in unweaned rats.

The effect of oral administration of spermine on pancreatic maturation was investigated in the suckling rat. The treatment consisted of 0.3-0.4 mmol spermine kg-1 body weight given orally once a day for 3 days starting at day 11 after birth. Spermine administration does not adversely affect the growth of the pancreas (wet weight, protein and DNA contents remain unchanged). The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index decreases significantly in spermine-treated rats, indicating that spermine slows down the proliferation rate of the organ. The enzymatic activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin and alpha-amylase are increased significantly in the pancreas of spermine-treated rats. The morphology of the organ seems affected as shown by hematoxylin-eosin staining: a cytoplasm indicative of higher synthetic activity is visible after spermine treatment. We conclude that spermine treatment of unweaned rats can induce precocious biochemical and morphological maturation of the exocrine pancreas, pushing the organ forward in the process of differentiation (closer to the adult stage).

Animals

Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide-diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine is immunogenic in early infancy and able to induce immunologic memory.

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines are not protective against the most common pneumococcal infections in infancy. The importance of pneumococcal diseases and emerging antimicrobial resistance emphasize the need for prophylaxis. METHODS: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, containing capsular polysaccharides from serotypes 6B, 14, 19F and 23F conjugated to diphtheria toxoid (PncD), was given to 75 infants at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. Three dosages (1, 3 or 10 microg of each) were used. A placebo group of 49 infants received physiologic saline. Children were given a booster dose of either polysaccharide or conjugate vaccine at 14 months of age; the placebo group received conjugate vaccine. Antibody concentrations were determined with an enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The highest dose induced the strongest response after primary immunization, but booster response was greatest in the group primed with the lowest dose. Polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines induced booster responses of the same magnitude. At 24 and 36 months of age the antibody concentrations were similar in children who had received the PncD in infancy and in children immunized at 14 months of age only. CONCLUSIONS: The PncD conjugate vaccine is immunogenic and able to induce immunologic memory.

Antibodies, Bacterial

Reduced response to multiple vaccines sharing common protein epitopes that are administered simultaneously to infants.

The plethora of newly discovered vaccines implies that, in the future, many vaccines will have to be administered simultaneously to infants. We examined the potential interference with the immune response of several coadministered vaccines containing the same protein component, namely, tetanus toxoid (TT). Infants simultaneously receiving a tetravalent pneumococcal vaccine conjugated to TT (PncT) and a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-poliovirus-Haemophilus influenzae type b-tetanus conjugate vaccine showed significantly lower anti-H. influenzae type b polysaccharide (polyribosylribitol phosphate [PRP]) antibody concentrations than those receiving either a tetravalent pneumococcal vaccine conjugated to diphtheria toxoid or placebo. A dose range study showed that anti-PRP antibody concentrations were inversely related to the TT content of the PncT vaccines administered in infancy. Postimmunization antitetanus antibody concentrations were also affected adversely as the TT content of the coadministered vaccines was increased. This phenomenon, which we believe derives from interference by a common protein carrier, should be taken into account when the introduction of an immunization program including multiple conjugate vaccines is considered.

Antibodies, Bacterial

Pulmonary disposition of vancomycin in critically ill patients.

Vancomycin penetration in epithelium lining fluid was studied in ten mechanically ventilated patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia 24 hours after the onset of treatment. Vancomycin was given intravenously at a daily dose of 30 mg/kg. Vancomycin levels were detectable in four patients (range, 1-2.77 micrograms/ml). Concordance between high plasma concentrations (> 20 micrograms/ml) and detectable vancomycin levels in epithelium lining fluid was noted. These results suggest that the pulmonary disposition of vancomycin remains low for most patients 24 h after the onset of treatment compared with the minimum inhibitory concentrations for most gram-positive organisms. One therapeutic goal of vancomycin treatment could be to obtain through plasma levels of 20 micrograms/ml. Further studies are required to determine the clinical relevance of these observations.

Aged

Incidence and prognosis of embolic events and metastatic infections in infective endocarditis.

AIMS: In infective endocarditis, the true incidence of embolic events and metastatic infections remains unknown probably because a large number of events are asymptomatic. The consequences of the prognosis of such events have never been evaluated by a prospective follow-up. This study aimed to assess the incidence of symptomatic or asymptomatic embolic events and metastatic infections in definite infective endocarditis and to determine whether these events carry a risk of mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: From January 1991 to December 1993, 102 patients with suspected or known infective endocarditis were referred to our institution. Among them, we selected 68 patients (50 males, 18 females, mean age = 52.7 years) exhibiting definite infective endocarditis according to the Duke University criteria. Blood cultures were positive in 49 cases (72%). Echocardiography revealed valvular vegetations in 55 cases (81%). Irrespective of the clinical presentation, patients were examined radiologically by cerebral computed tomography scanning (n = 60), magnetic resonance imaging (n = 3), abdominal computed tomography scanning (n = 32) or abdominal echocardiography (n = 20). Depending on the symptoms, thoracic computed tomography scanning (n = 22), pulmonary angiography (n = 2), ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy (n = 4), or gallium citrate radionuclide scanning (n = 7) were also performed. All patients were prospectively followed-up for a mean period of 21.4 +/- 17.5 months. In 35 patients (51%), 51 embolic or metastatic events were revealed, involving the central nervous system (n = 23), spleen (n = 7), kidney (n = 5), lung (n = 5), liver (n = 4), bone and joint (n = 4), iliac (n = 2) or mesenteric (n = 1) arteries. During the hospital stay, the mortality rate was higher in patients exhibiting embolic or metastatic events (20 vs 12%), but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated no difference in long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that embolic or metastatic events had a high incidence (51%) during infective endocarditis, but were not associated with significant attributable mortality.

Adult

Safety and immunogenicity of tetravalent pneumococcal vaccines containing 6B, 14, 19F and 23F polysaccharides conjugated to either tetanus toxoid or diphtheria toxoid in young infants and their boosterability by native polysaccharide antigens.

BACKGROUND: New vaccines against pneumococcal infections in infancy are needed. We assessed in young infants the safety and immunogenicity of two tetravalent vaccines containing pneumococcal 6B, 14, 19F and 23F polysaccharides conjugated to either tetanus toxoid (Pnc-T) or diphtheria toxoid (Pnc-D). METHODS: Pnc-T or Pnc-D containing 3 microg of polysaccharide of each of the four pneumococcal polysaccharides or placebo were given intramuscularly in a double blinded fashion (25 infants per group) at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. At 12 months of age all 75 children were boosted with a 23-valent nonconjugate polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine. Serum type-specific anticapsular antibody concentrations were measured at 2, 4, 6, 7, 12 and 13 months of age. Adverse events occurring within 72 h after each injection were recorded. RESULTS: Both Pnc-T and Pnc-D were well-tolerated. Pnc-T and Pnc-D had higher antibody concentrations compared with placebo after primary immunity (type 6B, 1.66, 1.40 and 0.60 microg/ml, respectively; type 14, 4.81, 2.65 and 2.22 microg/ml, respectively; type 19F, 2.40, 3.48 and 0.83 microg/ml, respectively; type 23F, 0.96, 0.44 and 0.35 microg/ml, respectively). Proportions of infants with concentrations above 1.0 microg/ml were also higher in the vaccine recipients than in those given placebo. After booster with the nonconjugate polysaccharide vaccine, both geometric antibody concentration and proportion with concentrations > or =1.0 microg/ml were significantly higher among either Pnc-T or Pnc-D recipients than among placebo recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Both Pnc-T and Pnc-D were well-tolerated, induced serotype-specific anticapsular antibodies and induced immunologic memory.

Antibodies, Bacterial

Reduction of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage in early infancy after immunization with tetravalent pneumococcal vaccines conjugated to either tetanus toxoid or diphtheria toxoid.

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization is important for transmission of the organisms. We assessed the ability of two tetravalent conjugate vaccines administered in early infancy to prevent carriage of vaccine-related pneumococci. METHODS: A vaccine containing pneumococcal type 6B, 14, 19F and 23F polysaccharide conjugated to tetanus toxoid (Pnc-T) and a vaccine containing the same four polysaccharides conjugated to diphtheria toxoid (Pnc-D) were compared with placebo, in a double blinded study (25 infants per group). Vaccines (or placebo) were injected at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. At 12 months of age a native (nonconjugate) polysaccharide vaccine was administered as a booster. Serum type-specific anticapsular antibody concentrations were measured and nasopharyngeal cultures were obtained at 2, 4, 6, 7, 12 and 13 months of age. RESULTS: In general carriage of all pneumococci (vaccine- and non-vaccine-related) was low at age 2 months and increased with age. However, for the vaccine-related serotypes (6A, 6B, 14, 19F and 23F) carriage was not increased with age in Pnc-D or Pnc-T recipients. Of all cultures obtained after the full primary series, 7 of 72 (10%), 3 of 62 (5%) and 19 or 70 (27%) were positive for the vaccine-related pneumococcal serotypes among the Pnc-D, Pnc-T and placebo recipients, respectively (P = 0.001 for Pnc-D vs. placebo; P = 0.014 for Pnc-T vs. placebo). Most of the antibiotic-resistant isolates belonged to the vaccine-related serotypes. CONCLUSIONS: A significant reduction in the carriage of vaccine-related strains after administration of conjugate vaccines was observed. These preliminary results suggest that transmission of specific pneumococcal serotypes most often associated with disease and antibiotic resistance may at least partially be controlled by immunization.

Bacterial Vaccines

Community-acquired aspiration pneumonia in intensive care units. Epidemiological and prognosis data.

Over a 9-yr period, among 505 patients exhibiting severe community-acquired pneumonia and admitted into a total of six medical ICUs in the north of France, we collected 116 patients (23%) meeting the usual criteria for aspiration pneumonia. Main medical grounds of ICU admission were respiratory distress in 54 patients and neurological disturbances in 62 patients. The main underlying risk factor for aspiration pneumonia was drug overdose (39%). Mechanical ventilation was required for 73 patients. Initial shock was present in 15 patients. Pulmonary involvement was bilateral in 27 patients. There were 94 aerobic organisms isolated from 70 patients (60%), the most frequent being gram-negative bacilli (n = 38), Staphyloccus spp. (n = 27) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 22). Overall mortality was 22%, but only 11 (11%) deaths were directly or indirectly related to aspiration pneumonia. Stepwise multivariate analysis identified four independent predictors of mortality: ineffective initial antimicrobial therapy (p = 0.0001), positive initial blood culture (p = 0.0001), hospital-acquired lower respiratory tract superinfections (p = 0.0054), and use of inotropic support (p = 0.0078). The importance of prevention of hospital-acquired superinfections and permanent optimization of our antimicrobial strategies warranting efficacy of the initial antimicrobial therapy is underlined.

Adult

Fatal infection of coronary stent implantation.

Among systemic infections occurring after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary stent implantation, septic cardiac complications are rare. We report a new case of infective aneurysm of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) following stent implantation. Infective mitral endocarditis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa occurring a few weeks after stenting led to search for stent infection. Coronary angiography revealed a saccular aneurysm of the LAD. Despite surgical repair, a fatal outcome resulted.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary

Usefulness of diltiazem in the acute management of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias in the elderly.

Acute management of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias is often difficult in elderly patients. Diltiazem was given intravenously (loading dose of 0.25 mg/kg over 2 minutes followed by a 4 mg/kg/24 hr infusion) in 37 elderly patients (mean age 70 years, range 60-91). Fifteen out of the 37 patients (41%) had left ventricular cardiac disease, 12 (32%) had cor pulmonale, and 10 (27%) had no obvious cardiac disease. Hemodynamic tolerance of the supraventricular tachyarrhythmia was poor in 12 patients. A good result was defined as a return to sinus rhythm after bolus or infusion, or as a slowing of the ventricular rate (VR) to less than 100 beats/min. Of the 23 patients in atrial fibrillation, about half reverted to sinus rhythm after diltiazem, and in most of the others the ventricular rate decreased to less than 100 beats/min. Side effects occurred in 10 patients (bradycardia in 6, cutaneous rash in 2, hypotension in 2). They rapidly reversed after cessation of diltiazem. They were responsible for 2 out of the 5 poor results. Thus, diltiazem appeared effective and safe when used carefully in elderly patients with supraventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Aged