Our aim was to determine the risk factors on mortality in adult patients with community-acquired severe sepsis and septic shock. The main outcome measure was hospital mortality. This prospective single centre study was conducted from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2010, and included 184 patients, of whom 135 (73.4%) were with severe sepsis and 49 (26.6%) had septic shock. Overall, ninety-five (51.6%) patients have died, 60 (44.4%) in severe sepsis and 35 (71.4%) patients with septic shock. The lung was the most common site of infection 121 (65.8%), and chronic heart failure was the most frequent comorbidity 65 (35.3%). Logistic multivariate analysis identified three independent risk factors for mortality in patients with severe sepsis: positive blood culture (odds ratio, 2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–5.06; P = 0.02), three or more organ dysfunctions (odds ratio, 3.93; 95% confidence interval, 1.62–9.53; P = 0.002), and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.00–1.04; P = 0.01). In addition to SAPS II, positive blood culture, and three or more organ dysfunctions are important independent risk factors for mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

Age < 12 months and severity of clinical presentation at admission were identified as the strongest predictors of neurological complications and may be of value in selecting patients for more intensive care and treatment.

Bacterial meningitis is a severe infection responsible for high mortality. This prospective study of 277 pediatric bacterial meningitis cases was done to identify factors predicting death in children <16 years of age living and treated in a limited-resources country (Kosovo). Of the 277 children enrolled, 60 patients (22%) developed neurologic complications, and 15 children died (5%). The following variables were strongly correlated with mortality: altered mental status on admission (relative risk [RR] = 29.9), presentation of the initial cerebrospinal fluid as thick pus (RR = 29.9), prehospital seizures (RR = 23.5) and their recurrence >24 hours after admission (RR = 11.5), age <1 month (RR = 19.3), the use of inotropic agents (RR = 11.5), and admission after 5 days' duration of illness (P < .001). The mortality rate in children in Kosovo is similar to those reported from developing countries, and this is most likely due to the unfavorable living conditions.

ObjectivesDespite a 92-99% national vaccination coverage since 2000, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia experienced a large measles outbreak between 2010 and 2011. Here we investigate the characteristics of patients hospitalized during this outbreak at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases in Skopje.MethodsEpidemiological, clinical and laboratory data of 284 measles patients, including 251 from Skopje (43.80% of the 573 reported cases) and 33 from elsewhere in Macedonia were collected.ResultsThe most affected age groups were children up to 4 years of age and adolescents/adults of 15 years and older. Most patients were unvaccinated (n=263, 92.61%) and many had non-Macedonian nationalities (n=156, 54.93%) or belonged to the Roma ethnicity (n=73, 25.70%). Bronchopneumonia and diarrhea were the most common complications. Eighty-two out of 86 tested patients (95.35%) had measles-specific IgM antibodies. The outbreak was caused by the measles variant D4-Hamburg.ConclusionsThe epidemic identified pockets of susceptibles in Skopje and indicated that additional vaccination opportunities in particular for people with non-Macedonian nationality and traveler communities are warranted to ensure efficient measles control in Macedonia. The high attack rate among children of less than 1 year suggests that vaccination before 12 months of age should be considered in high risk settings.

In both study periods, the most frequent early neurologic complications of childhood bacterial meningitis were subdural effusions. Long-term sequelae were observed in 10% of children, with late seizures, neuropsychological impairment, and deafness being the most common one. Age prior to 12 months was risk factor for both early neurologic complications and long-term sequelae of bacterial meningitis in children.