Based on review and practice of literature search of clinical economic evaluation, We have discussed the source and search strategy of literatures of clinical economic evaluation. A sample on antibiotics in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia was shown concurrently.
Objective To investigate the value of procalcitonin (PCT) at admission for severity stratificaton and prognosis prediction of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and assess the ability of the combination of PCT and the validated pneumonia risk scores (PSI and CURB-65) for predicting 30-day mortality. Methods A retrospective study was performed in 150 hospitalized CAP patients admitted in the Department of Respiratory Medicine of General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University between March 2015 and March 2016. The primary end point for this study was mortality within 30 days. Sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive and negative predictive value (PPV, NPV) of PCT for assessing mortality was calculated and compared to validated pneumonia risk scores. Results In the 150 CAP patients enrolled, there were 77 males and 73 females with an average age of 58.4±16.3 years. Twelve (8%) patients died within 30 days. The non-survivors had significantly higher median PCT level (4.25 ng/mlvs. 0.24 ng/ml) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level (14.60 mg/dlvs. 5.10 mg/dl) compared with the survivors. The median PCT level was significantly higher in the patients with more severe disease assessed by two risk scoring systems. Combination of PCT with risk scores can improve prognostic value for predicting 30-day mortality of CAP. Conclusions The level of PCT at admission is more useful than the traditional biomarkers for the severity stratification and prognosis prediction of CAP. It can well determine patients at low risk of mortality from CAP. There is no advantage of PCT compared to PSI or CURB-65, so we recommend combination of PCT to risk sores to predict 30-day mortality of CAP.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is still a common disease that seriously affects people’s health. It is of great clinical significance for proper anti-infective therapy to identify the characteristics and changes of the pathogens. Along with the accelerated process of aging population, increased use of immunosuppression agents, and increased morbidity of malignant tumor and underlying diseases, the pathogenic spectrum of patients with CAP varies as well. This article reviews the important pathogenic changes of CAP in recent years.
Community-acquired pneumonia refers to infectious pulmonary parenchyma inflammation that occurs outside the hospital, including pneumonia that occurs during the incubation period after admission of pathogens with a clear incubation period. Community-acquired pneumonia has a high incidence and mortality rate, imposing a heavy medical burden and posing a serious threat to social public health. In the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine each have their own advantages. In order to strengthen the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia through the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and improve the prevention and treatment level of community-acquired lung disease, this guideline was developed by the Internal Medicine Professional Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, led by Henan University of Chinese Medicine and the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine. This guideline refers to the development methods and processes of international clinical practice guidelines, based on the best existing evidence, combined with the characteristics of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, weighing the pros and cons of intervention measures, and finally forming six recommended opinions, in order to provide references for the clinical practice of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.
Objective To observe the gamma-glutamyltransferase ( GGT) activity and total antioxidant capacity ( T-AOC) in serum and platelet during the course of community-acquired pneumonia ( CAP) . Methods Ninety cases of hospitalized CAP were recruited from the respiratory wards in the Affiliated Hospital of XuzhouMedical College fromSeptember 2010 to September 2011, and 30 healthy cases who underwent physical examination in the same hospital were enrolled as control. GGT activity and T-AOC were compared between the CAP patients and the control subjects, and also between the CAP patients who developed reactive thrombocytosis ( platelet count gt;300 ×109 /L) and those without thrombocytosis ( platelet count ≤300 ×109 /L) . Results Compared with the control subjects, serumand platelet GGT activity of the CAP patients were significantly higher [ ( 45. 6 ±25. 4) U/L vs. ( 17. 9 ±3. 7 ) U/L, ( 179. 9 ±41. 3) mU/109plt vs. ( 49. 5 ±8. 0) mU/109plt, P lt; 0. 05] , serum T-AOC at admission was significantly lower [ ( 12. 6 ±1. 6) U/mL vs. ( 17. 7 ±2. 1) U/mL, P lt; 0. 05] , and platelet T-AOC at admission was significantly higher [ ( 61. 6 ±18. 3) mU/109plt vs. ( 48. 6 ±9. 9) mU/109 plt, P lt; 0. 05] . Platelet T-AOC of the CAP patients at discharge was significantly lower than that of the CAP patients at admission and the control subjects. Compared with the CAP patients without thrombocytosis, serum T-AOC and serum GGT activity of the CAP patients who developed reactive thrombocytosis were significantly higher( P lt;0. 05) , and platelet T-AOC and platelet GGT activity were both significantly lower ( P lt; 0. 05) . There were negative correlations of the platelet count with platelet T-AOC and GGT activity in the CAP patietns( r = - 0. 316,P =0.003; r = - 0. 318, P =0. 002) . Conclusions There is a correlation between the oxidative stress and the platelet function in the inflammatory process of CAP. There might be an indicative role of platelets in resolving the inflammatory process and in maintaining the oxidative-antioxidative balance.
Objective To explore clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality of community-acquired pneumonia due to Enterobacteriaceae (EnCAP) . Methods This was a single-center, retrospective study. Baseline demographic, clinic, radiologic characteristcs, treatment and outcomes were compared between patients hospilized with EnCAP and community-acquired pneumonia due to Streptoccocus pneumoniae (SpCAP) during January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors independently associated with 30-day mortality for EnCAP. Results In comparison with SpCAP, cerebrovascular disease, chronic hepatopathy, chronic renal disease, aspiration risk, confusion, pleural effusion and higher PSI risk class/CURB-65 score, lower leukocyte, hemoglobin, albumin, longer length of stay in hospital were associated with EnCAP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated sepsis shock (OR 1.700, P=0.018, 95%CI 0.781 to 38.326), hemoglobin (OR 0.087, P=0.011, 95%CI 0.857 to 0.981) and appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy (OR 0.108, P=0.002, 95%CI 0.011 to 0.151) were risk factor for 30-day mortality of EnCAP. Conclusions The clinical characteristics of EnCAP are different with SpCAP. Clinic physicians should pay much attention to the risk factors for 30-day mortality of EnCAP.
Objective To evaluate and select essential medicine for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) using evidence-based methods based on the burden of disease. Methods By means of the approaches, criteria, and workflow set up in the second article of this series, we referred to the recommendations of evidence-based or authority guidelines from inside and outside China, collected relevant evidence from domestic clinical studies, and recommended essential medicine based on evidence-based evaluation. Data were analyzed by Review Manager (RevMan) 5.1 and GRADE profiler 3.6 to evaluate quality of evidence. Results (1) Eleven guidelines were included (nine foreign guidelines, two domestic guidelines; nine based on evidence, two based on expert consensus). For CAP, amoxicillin amp; clavulanate potassium had efficiencies of 77.1% and an incidence of 18.8% as to adverse reaction that mainly included gastrointestinal reaction, skin rashes, etc. Piperacillin/tazobactam had an efficiency of 92.1% and a bacterial clearance rate of 88.9%. Cefuroxime had an efficiency of 89% and a bacterial clearance rate of 85.5%. There was no statistical significance between azithromycin and cefuroxime for CAP (RR=0.98, 95%CI 0.9 to 1.06); however, azithromycin was superior to cefuroxime in shortening fever-relief time (MD=–0.98, 95%CI –1.24 to –0.55) and cough-relief time (MD=–1.36, 95%CI –1.94 to –0.78). Efficiencies of ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, moxifloxacin and lavofloxacin were all more than 80% and among the three, moxifloxacin was the most efficient (RR=1.08, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.13, P=0.004). Meropenem had an efficiency of 90%, a bacterial clearance rate of 83.3% and an incidence of 3.33% as to adverse reaction that mainly included diarrhea. Conclusion (1) We offer a b recommendation for antibiotics such as amoxicillin, amoxicillin amp; clavulanate potassium, ampicillin/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam, doxycycline, azithromycin, clarithromycin, cefuroxim, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, lavofloxacin, moxifloxacin, ertapenem, meropenem, imipenem and vancocin. (2) We offer a weak recommendation for penicillin G, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin. (3) We propose that doctor should choose optimal antibiotics based on commonly-seen pathogenic bacteria that cause CAP, local criteria of antibiotic susceptibility, severity of CAP, and risk factors of patients.
Objective To overview the systematic reviews about the efficacy and safety of respiratory fluoroquinolones for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods We electronically searched databases including China National Knowledge Internet, WanFang Data, VIP, PubMed, Embase and The Cochrane Library to collect systematic reviews or Meta-analyses about respiratory fluoroquinolones for CAP from inception to November 2, 2017. Two reviewers independently screened literatures, extracted data, and then AMSTAR tool was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. Results A total of 18 systematic reviews/Meta-analyses were included. The results of quality assessment indicated the scores ranged from 5 to 10. Among the 11 items, the item 1 of " Was an ‘a priori’ design provided” and item 4 " Was the status of publication (i.e. grey literature) used as an inclusion criterion” appeared to be the most problematic. The results of overview suggested that: the efficacy of respiratory fluoroquinolones might be similar to β-lactams plus macrolides combination treatment for CAP. However, respiratory fluoroquinolones might be more safety. In addition, the efficacy of respiratory fluoroquinolones sequential therapy for CAP was similar to that of continuous intravenous therapy, but the adverse reactions of the former were fewer. Conclusions Respiratory fluoroquinolones might be similar in efficacy for CAP to other antibiotics recommended by the guidelines with less adverse reactions. However, it can increase multi-drug resistance and potential tuberculosis drug resistance, we should strictly follow the principle of rational use of antibiotics to avoid abuse.
Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of nutritional support with different proportion of fat on the prognosis of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP). Methods Ninety SCAP patients with nutritional risk treated between January 2014 and July 2015 were randomized into high, normal, and low-proportion fat groups with 30 patients in each. The patients in different groups underwent nutritional support with different fat proportion besides the same medication. Data of albumin, pre-albumin and transferrin were collected and analyzed before treatment and 10 days after treatment. The mortality rates were compared between groups. Results Albumin, pre-albumin and transferrin were similar in all groups before intervention (P>0.05); albumin, pre-albumin and transferrin increased significantly 10 days after treatment in each group (P<0.05). Patients in the normal-fat group acquired significantly more obvious improvements on each index (P<0.05). A shorter length of stay in hospital was observed in the normal-proportion fat group compared with the high and low-proportion fat groups, but there was no significant differences among groups (P>0.05). On the 10th day, the normal -proportion fat proportion group had a significantly higher cure rate and a significantly lower mortality rate than the other two groups (P<0.05). The improvement rate was similar in all groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Supportive treatment with normal fat proportion has a promising value in the improvement of albumin, pre-albumin and transferrin for SCAP patients with a shorter length of stay in hospital, which is worthy of clinical promotion.
Objective To evaluate the prognostic values of CURB-65 score and inflammatory factors in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods A retrospective study was conducted in hospitalized adult CAP patients in West China Hospital between January 1st, and December 31th, 2013. Data of CURB-65 score and serum levels of inflammatory factors (WBC, ESR, PCT, CRP, IL-6 and ALB) on admission and clinical outcomes were collected. The associations between CURB-65 score, inflammatory factors and clinical outcomes were examined. Logistic regression analysis was performed to develop combined models to predict in-hospital death of CAP patients, and ROC analysis was conducted to measure and compare the prognostic values of CURB-65 score, inflammatory factors or combined models. Results A total of 505 hospitalized CAP patients were included. 81 patients died during the hospitalization and the in-hospital mortality rate was 16.0%. Possible risk factors of in-hospital death included old age, male sex, hypertension, cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, multi-lobular pneumonic infiltration, high risk scores, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and severe pneumonia (all P values<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that CURB-65 score, ALB and IL-6 were the independent factors in predicting in-hospital death of CAP patients and the area under curve (AUC) of them while predicting in-hospital death were 0.75 (95%CI 0.69 to 0.81), 0.75 (95%CI 0.69 to 0.81) and 0.75 (95%CI 0.69 to 0.80), respectively. ROC analysis found that ALB and IL-6 could improve the AUC of CURB-65 score significantly while predicting the in-hospital death (P<0.05). When ALB and IL-6 were added to the CURB-65 score simultaneously, the AUC was improved to 0.84 (95%CI 0.80 to 0.87). When IL-6 or ALB was added to the CURB-65 score to form a new scale, the AUC of the new scale was significantly higher than that of the CURB-65 score in predicting in-hospital death (P<0.001). Conclusion The prognostic values of CURB-65 score and inflammatory factors may be not ideal when they are used alone in hospitalized CAP patients. IL-6 and ALB may significantly improve the prognostic value of CURB-65 score in predicting in-hospital death.