Discontinuing amoxicillin treatment after three days is not inferior to discontinuing it after eight days in adults admitted to hospital with mild to moderate-severe community acquired pneumonia who substantially improved after an initial three days' treatment.
Insights into long-term mortality, especially into the cause of death after initial recovery from an episode of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), may help in determining optimal preventive measures in such patients. Prospective observational cohort studies were conducted to compare cause-specific long-term mortality rates for 356 patients who had recovered from CAP with those of the general Dutch population (16.3 million) between 2003 and 2007. The Dutch Municipal Public Records Database and death certificates were used to determine cause-specific mortality rates up to 7 years after discharge. In patients who had recovered from CAP, cumulative 1-year, 5-year and 7-year mortality rates were 17%, 43% and 53%, respectively, as compared with 4%, 19% and 24% for an age-matched and sex-matched population reference cohort. Overall, patients who had recovered from CAP had significantly higher long-term mortality than matched population controls (rate ratio (RR) 3.6; p <0.001). In the years after an episode of CAP, malignancy (27%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (19%) and cardiovascular disease (16%) were the most frequent causes of death. Only 6% died of pneumonia, as compared with 3.2% in the general population. After initial recovery from an episode of CAP, long-term mortality rates are more than three times as high as in the general population. The causes of long-term mortality were mostly comorbidity-related, and significantly different from those in the general population. After an episode of CAP, optimization of treatment of comorbidities, such as treatment for COPD, might improve long-term survival rates.
Background During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic older patients had an increased risk of hospitalisation and death. Reports on the association of frailty with poor outcome have been conflicting. Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate the independent association between frailty and in-hospital mortality in older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands. Methods This was a multi-centre retrospective cohort study in 15 hospitals in the Netherlands, including all patients aged ≥70 years, who were hospitalised with clinically confirmed COVID-19 between February and May 2020. Data were collected on demographics, co-morbidity, disease severity and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results A total of 1,376 patients were included (median age 78 years (IQR 74–84), 60% male). In total, 499 (38%) patients died during hospital admission. Parameters indicating presence of frailty (CFS 6–9) were associated with more co-morbidities, shorter symptom duration upon presentation (median 4 vs. 7 days), lower oxygen demand and lower levels of CRP. In multivariable analyses, the CFS was independently associated with in-hospital mortality: compared to patients with CFS 1–3, patients with CFS 4–5 had a two times higher risk (odds ratio (OR) 2.0 (95%CI 1.3–3.0) and patients with CFS 6–9 had a three times higher risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 2.8 (95%CI 1.8–4.3)). Conclusions The in-hospital mortality of older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands was 38%. Frailty was independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality, even though COVID-19 patients with frailty presented earlier to the hospital with less severe symptoms.
BACKGROUNDChest radiographs are often used to diagnose community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), to monitor response to treatment and to ensure complete resolution of pneumonia. However, radiological exams may not reflect the actual clinical condition of the patient.OBJECTIVETo compare the radiographic resolution of mild to moderately severe CAP to resolution of clinical symptoms as assessed by the physician or rated by the patient.DESIGNProspective cohort study.PARTICIPANTSOne hundred nineteen patients admitted because of mild to moderately severe CAP with new pulmonary opacities.MAIN MEASURESRadiographic resolution and clinical cure of CAP were determined at day 10 and 28. Radiographic resolution was defined as the absence of infection-related abnormalities; clinical cure was rated by the physician and defined by improvement of signs and symptoms. In addition, the CAP score, a patient-based symptom score, was calculated.KEY RESULTSRadiographic resolution, clinical cure and normalization of the CAP score were observed in 30.8%, 93% and 32% of patients at day 10, and in 68.4%, 88.9% and 41.7% at day 28, respectively. More severe CAP (PSI score >90) was independently associated with delayed radiographic resolution at day 28 (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.3–16.9). All 12 patients with deterioration of radiographic findings during follow-up had clinical evidence of treatment failure.CONCLUSIONSIn mild to moderately severe CAP, resolution of radiographic abnormalities and resolution of symptoms scored by the patient lag behind clinical cure assessed by physicians. Monitoring a favorable disease process by routine follow-up chest radiographs seems to have no additional value above following a patient's clinical course.
Background: A study was undertaken to determine whether a short course of antibiotic treatment ((5 days) is as effective as the conventional longer treatment in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane central register of controlled trials were searched to July 2006. Studies considered eligible were double-blind randomised clinical trials including adult patients >18 years of age with a clinical diagnosis of exacerbation of COPD or chronic bronchitis, no antimicrobial therapy at the time of diagnosis and random assignment to antibiotic treatment for (5 days versus .5 days. The primary outcome measure was clinical cure at early follow-up on an intention-to-treat basis.Results: 21 studies with a total of 10 698 patients were included. The average quality of the studies was high: the mean (SD) Jadad score was 3.9 (0.9). At early follow-up (,25 days), the summary odds ratio (OR) for clinical cure with short treatment versus conventional treatment was 0.99 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.08). At late follow-up the summary OR was 1.0 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.10) and the summary OR for bacteriological cure was 1.05 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.26). Similar summary ORs were observed for early cure in trials with the same antibiotic in both arms and in studies grouped by the antibiotic class used in the short-course arm. Conclusions: A short course of antibiotic treatment is as effective as the traditional longer treatment in patients with mild to moderate exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and COPD.
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