The pathogenicity of the enterococcus remains controversial despite recognition of this organism in inflammatory exudates. A review of 114 patients with 123 bacteremic events with enterococcus from all hospital services was undertaken. A total of 46% were in the perioperative period. The clinical indications for blood culture varied, but only 19 patients had septic shock at the time. Employing three or more associated diseases as a definition, 71 patients were considered chronically ill. The primary sources of bacteremia were commonly urinary tract (22), soft tissue (17), and intra-abdominal (12). An impressive total of 48 patients had no discernible primary focus of infection. Except for the urinary tract, infections tended to be polymicrobial; 51 patients had associated synchronous or metachronous polymicrobial bacteremias. Antibiotic therapy appropriate for enterococcus did not favorably influence outcome. By chi-square analysis, patients with urinary tract and soft tissue infections had significantly better survival rates than the group as a whole, while patients with intra-abdominal sepsis, polymicrobial bacteremia, or an unknown focus of infection did statistically worse. Enterococcal bacteremia results in a high mortality (54%); its frequent identification with other facultative and anaerobic organisms may indicate that it has a synergistic role; the frequency of unexplained bacteremias stimulates speculation that primary bacteremia from the gastrointestinal tract may be a plausible explanation.
Multiple strategies have been used in an effort to increase the pool of organs for transplantation. Standardizing donor management has produced promising results. Donor management goals (DMGs) are now being used as end points of intensive care unit care during the prerecovery phase but no prospective results have been reported. Data from the United Network for Organ Sharing Region 11 were collected for successful achievement of eight common donor management goals (mean airway pressure [MAP], central venous pressure [CVP], pH, PaO2, sodium, glucose, single pressor use, and urine output) before organ recovery. Two time periods were studied with different panels of DMGs. The analysis identified the success rate of transplantation. Goals were stratified by their statistical correlation with the number of organs transplanted per donor (OTPD) in an effort to identify the most important parameter(s). Eight hundred five organ donors were studied with 2685 organs transplanted. DMGs were assessed through two phases of the study. Achieving DMGs rose from 18 to 66 per cent associated with significant improvement in OTPD (range, 2.96 to 3.45). The success of transplantation was primarily associated with limitations in vasopressor use and PaO2. Tight glucose control did affect the rate of pancreatic transplants. Thoracic organs were the most sensitive to DMGs with a 10- to 15-fold increase in lung transplantation when PaO2 rose above 100 mmHg. MAP, CVP, pH, sodium, and urine output had little effect on transplantation. Standardization of end points of donor management was associated with increased rates of transplantation. Surprisingly, not all standard goals are necessary for optimal organ use. The most significant parameters were the low use of vasopressor agents and oxygenation. Donor management strategies should strive to optimize these goals.
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