BACKGROUND: The hospital-acquired pneumonia is the most common nosocomial infection. Recently, the Acinetobacter baummannii infections are rapidly increasing, especially the frequency of Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii. Therefore we assessed clinical features and prognosis of patients in the ICU with Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii from the sputum culture using the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score(CPIS). METHODS: The medical records of 43 patients with Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii from sputum culture who were suspected had clinically pneumonia and admitted to the ICU from January 2000 to July 2002 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULT: 19 patients were CPIS greater than 6 and 24 patients were CPIS less than or equal to 6. Mean age for the former was 71+/-11 years old, and the latter was 61+/-19 years old. The mean APACHE II score on admission and on sputum study was not different between two groups(17.4+/-5.7 vs 18.5+/-6.1, p=0.553, 20+/-6 vs 17+/-8, p=0.078). But the mortality rate was 73.7% for the former, and 16.7% for the latter(p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In ICU patients who had clinically suspected pneumonia with sputum culture positive for Multi-drug resistant A. baumannii, the mortality was significantly higher if CPIS was greater than 6.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; APACHE ; Cross Infection ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum*

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that a B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) test can provide important information on diagnosis, as well as predicting the severity and prognosis of heart failure. Myocardial dysfunction is often observed in critically ill noncardiac patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, and the prognosis of the myocardial dysfunction needs to be determined. This study evaluated the predictability of BNP on the prognosis of critically ill noncardiac patients. METHODS: 32 ICU patients, who were hospitalized from June to October 2002 and in whom the BNP test was evaluated, were enrolled in this study. The exclusion criteria included the conditions that could increase the BNP levels irrespective of the severity, such as congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, and renal insufficiencies. A triage B-Type Natriuretic Peptide test with a RIA-kit was used for the fluorescence immunoassay of BNP test. In addition, the acute physiology and the chronic health evaluation (APACHE)IIscore and mortality were recorded. RESULTS: There were 16 males and 16 females enrolled in this study. The mean age was 59 years old. The mean BNP levels between the ICU patients and control were significantly different (186.7+/-274.1pg/mL vs. 19.9+/-21.3 pg/mL, p=0.033). Among the ICU patients, there were 14(44%) patients with BNPlevels above 100 pg/mL. The APACHEIIscore was 16.5+/-7.6. In addition, there were 11 mortalities reported. The correlation between the BNP and APACHEIIscore, between the BNP and mortality were significant (r=0.443, p=0.011 & r=0.530, p=0.002). The mean BNP levels between the dead and alive groups were significantly different (384.1+/-401.7 pg/mL vs. 83.2+/-55.8 pg/mL p=0.033). However, the PaO2/FiO2 did not significantly correlate with the BNP level. CONCLUSION: This study evaluated the BNP level was elevated in critically ill, noncardiac patients. The BNP level could be a useful, noninvasive tool for predicting the prognosis of the critically ill, noncardiac patients.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Critical Illness* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain* ; Physiology ; Prognosis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Triage

The association between malignancy and glomerular disease has been reported in older patients. Although the relationship between membranous glomerulonephritis or minimal change disease and solid tumors or hematologic malignancies, respectively, are known widely, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis have been described rarely in patients with solid tumors. We describe a patient with renal cell carcinoma who presented to nephrotic syndrome, volume overload and renal failure. On renal biopsy at contra-lateral kidney of renal cell carcinoma, the patient was diagnosed at focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. The proteinuria and renal function were ameliorated after resection renal cell carcinoma. We suggest that the focal segmental glomerulosclerosis is associated with renal cell carcinoma. This is the first case of the clinical cause of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis associated with renal cell carcinoma of papillary type.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Kidney ; Nephrosis, Lipoid ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Proteinuria ; Renal Insufficiency