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Query: UMLS:C0036690 (sepsis)
 59,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

To better define the need for antibiotic therapy, several tests recommended as helpful in diagnosing neonatal sepsis were evaluated in 376 neonates during the first week after birth. The five most useful tests (with definitions of abnormality) were: band/total neutrophils (greater than or equal to 0.2); leukocyte count (less than 5,000/cu mm); latex-C-reactive protein (positive greater than 0.8 mg/100 ml); ESR (greater than or equal to 15 mm for the first hour); and latex haptoglobin (positive greater than 25 mg/100 ml). When these five tests were applied early (at the time infection was suspected and blood culture sent), 28 of 30 cases (93%) subsequently proven to have infection had two or more abnormal tests. This compares with only 24 of 320 babies (8%) with no subsequently documented evidence of infection. Of all babies who had two or more tests positive (n = 71), 39% had proven sepsis, and an additional 23% had "very probable" infection. The combination of leukopenia and an elevated band/total neutrophil ratio seems to be particularly predictive of sepsis (13 of 17 babies with this combination had proven sepsis). When less than two tests were positive, the probability that sepsis was not present was 99%. These simple, rapid tests require no special laboratory facilities and provide a valuable adjunct in the early detection of the neonate with sepsis.
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PMID:Early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. 736 17

After trauma or sepsis, the liver undergoes a reprioritization of export protein synthesis with elevated production of some acute-phase reactants and reduced production of others. We have examined the effects of combinations of insulin and the counterregulatory hormones (dexamethasone, glucagon, and epinephrine), in the presence or absence of interleukin (IL)-6, on the production by isolated hepatocytes of the positive acute-phase proteins C-reactive protein, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, and haptoglobin, and the negative acute-phase proteins prealbumin and transferrin. The effect of IL-6 on the production of the above proteins was influenced significantly by insulin and all of the counterregulatory hormones. Significant three-way interactions as well as higher order interactions between the stress hormones and insulin were seen in the case of C-reactive protein. The results indicate that both positive and negative acute-phase proteins respond differently to insulin and the counterregulatory hormones and that the potential exists for the regulation of synthesis of individual acute-phase reactants by interaction between the cytokine network and the classical endocrine hormones.
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PMID:Insulin and counterregulatory hormones influence acute-phase protein production in human hepatocytes. 754 33

In a 64-year-old man heart transplantation had been performed for ischaemic heart disease. 7 months later severe vascular disease in the transplant necessitated a second transplantation. Both procedures had been performed under immunosuppression (cyclosporine, azathioprine, prednisolone, antithymocyte globulin), with a subsequent prednisolone maintenance dose of 10 mg daily. At first there were no complications, but 31 days after the re-transplantation atrial flutter developed. Although this was quickly terminated by drugs, circulatory failure set in. Because of signs of infection (white blood cell count 29,800/microliters, 17% stab cells, C-reactive protein 24 mg/l) broad-spectrum antibiotics were administered, but without response. As a trial anti-rejection treatment was started (prednisolone 250 mg daily: antithymocyte globulin 100 mg daily for 4 days). When cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was demonstrated, ganciclovir and CMV hyperimmunoglobulin were administered and slow improvement was noted. The finding of Aspergillus in tracheal secretion was interpreted as apathogenic colonization. The patient died from cardiorespiratory failure 57 days after the second transplantation. Autopsy revealed Aspergillus sepsis.
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PMID:[Fatal Aspergillus sepsis following orthotopic heart transplantation]. 760 Sep 27

Despite improvements in surgical treatment and intensive care, mortality from severe acute pancreatitis remains high. We have carried out a randomised study of 60 consecutive patients with alcohol-induced necrotising pancreatitis to find out whether early antibiotic treatment can improve outcome. 30 patients were assigned cefuroxime (4.5 g/day intravenously) from admission. In the second group, no antibiotic treatment was given until clinical or microbiologically verified infection or after a secondary rise in C-reactive protein. The inclusion criteria were C-reactive protein concentration above 120 mg/L within 48 h of admission and low enhancement (< 30 Hounsfield units) on contrast-enhanced computed tomography. There were more infectious complications in the non-antibiotic than in the antibiotic group (mean per patient 1.8 vs 1.0, p = 0.01). The most common cause of sepsis was Staphylococcus epidermidis; positive cultures were obtained from pancreatic necrosis or the central venous line in 14 of 18 patients with suspected but blood-culture-negative sepsis. Mortality was higher in the non-antibiotic group (seven vs one in the antibiotic group; p = 0.03). Four of the eight patients who died had cultures from pancreatic necrosis positive for Staph epidermidis. We conclude that cefuroxime given early in necrotising pancreatitis is beneficial and may reduce mortality, probably by decreasing the frequency of sepsis.
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PMID:Early antibiotic treatment in acute necrotising pancreatitis. 765 13

Local septic complications in acute pancreatitis (AP) should be characterized and defined in order to assess the validity of early diagnosis and various therapeutic measures. The purpose of this study was therefore to distinguish between two local septic complications which have been termed 'abscess' and 'infected necrosis' in regard to their morphological, clinical, laboratory criteria. Moreover, the validity of various diagnostic procedures and therapeutic interventions were compared. Septic necrosis is defined as a diffuse bacterial inflammation of necrotic pancreatic and peripancreatic tissue. The morphologic substrate of pancreatic abscess is a localized collection of pus surrounded by a capsula or pseudocapsula. Infected necrosis become clinically evident in the early phase of AP. The patients suffer from a fulminant course of AP with signs of sepsis and laboratory alterations typical for AP. Concomitantly, these patients develop pulmonary and renal insufficiency, in 71.5 and 44.2% of the patients, resp. Overall mortality rate of patients with infected necrosis amounts to 20.8%. In contrast, pancreatic abscess develops not before week 5 after onset of AP. Concomitantly, the laboratory signs of AP like amylasemia and hypocalcemia as well as LDH and C-reactive protein increases are rarely observed. Correspondingly, these patients suffer significantly less form pulmonary insufficiency (22.6%) or other organ complications. Consequently, the mortality rate is with 6.5% significantly lower. Timely diagnosis is possible with acceptable sensitivity by contrast-enhanced CT scan and fine-needle aspiration. Other imaging procedures do not show similar sensitivity and specificity. Therapeutically, patients with infected necrosis as well as pancreatic abscess have to be operated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Diagnosis and therapy of primary pancreatic abscess]. 766 88

The prognosis of an individual attack of acute pancreatitis is dependent on its severity and whether or not sepsis develops in or around the pancreas. Approximately 20-25% of patients with acute pancreatitis have a severe form of the disease which usually necessitates high dependency or intensive care management in the first week or two of illness. While most of these patients can readily be identified by experienced clinical judgement a proportion of them do not appear unduly ill at first presentation. For this reason a number of objective grading systems have been devised which identified the group of patients with the greatest likelihood of developing major complications and being at risk of death. The most commonly utilised systems in the United Kingdom are the eight factor Glasgow scoring scale and the APACHE II system. The measurement of C-reactive protein is also helpful and it has recently been shown that the combining of the Glasgow scoring system with CRP results in 80% or better sensitivity and specificity for those who develop major clinical complications. The body mass index (BMI) when over 30 kgs/m2 is also a useful marker of an adverse outcome, and CT scanning is another method of grading severity. The newer markers of interleukin 6 and PMN elastase have yet to be proved in a large prospective clinical study but do show considerable promise as being of value in identifying the patient at risk.
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PMID:Prognosis of acute pancreatitis. 766 94

PMN (polymorphonuclear neutrophil) elastase is a proteolytic enzyme which is a biochemical marker for abnormal granulocyte stimulation. In inflammation and sepsis, excessive neutrophil stimulation results in significant amounts of PMN elastase being released into the plasma which indicates the severity of the disease and its prognosis. In 62 patients with osteomyelitis or suppurative arthritis, PMN elastase had a diagnostic sensitivity of 81%, which is comparable to the nonspecific erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Sensitivity of C-reactive protein (CRP) was 71%, fibrinogen 54% and leucocyte count 26%. PMN elastase was also useful in the follow up of patients with bone and joint infections; in the early post-operative period it became normal more quickly than the other findings unless the patients developed complications. Ten days after operation, PMN elastase was normal in 75% of the patients compared to the CRP which became normal in only 25%. Later both results were similar: on discharge from hospital, PMN elastase was normal in 77% and CRP in 71%.
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PMID:PMN elastase in bone and joint infections. 769 65

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is an early mediator of sepsis and multiple organ failure; increased concentrations in serum are also observed in acute pancreatitis. In the present study the predictive value of TNF and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations on admission were compared in order to differentiate complicated cases of acute pancreatitis from the mild course in 77 patients. Serum TNF concentration exceeded the detectable level only in seven of 77 patients (9 per cent), although complicated pancreatitis developed in 18 (23 per cent). The sensitivity and overall accuracy of TNF concentration in predicting severe disease were only 16 and 74 per cent respectively. The corresponding values for CRP (concentrations greater than 100 mg/l) were 84 and 74 per cent respectively. These data suggest that, in contrast with CRP, the early determination of peripheral blood TNF concentration is of no clinical value in assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis.
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PMID:Serum tumour necrosis factor compared with C-reactive protein in the early assessment of severity of acute pancreatitis. 774 9

The concentrations of endotoxin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and group II phospholipase-A2 (PLA2-II) were measured in serum or plasma during cytotoxic chemotherapy, fever of unknown origin and sepsis in 56 patients with hematological malignancies and during sepsis and viral infections in 22 non-hematological patients. High concentrations of IL-6, PLA2-II and endotoxin were detected in sepsis, the levels being similarly elevated in hematological and non-hematological patients. The levels of IL-6 and PLA2-II correlated closely with that of C-reactive protein (CRP). The levels of PLA2-II and IL-6 declined earlier than the level of CRP during the course of antimicrobial treatment. The levels of IL-6 also rose earlier than the level of CRP. The ability of IL-6 and PLA2-II and endotoxin to discriminate between sepsis and other causes of fever was comparable to that of CRP. IL-6 and PLA2-II are, together with CRP, valuable tools for the detection of sepsis in patients with hematological malignancies who undergo cytotoxic medication. Endotoxin is not suitable for routine laboratory diagnosis of sepsis.
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PMID:Endotoxin, interleukin-6 and phospholipase-A2 as markers of sepsis in patients with hematological malignancies. 778 12

Between June 1986 and October 1992, disseminated toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in 16 AIDS patients. 13 cases were diagnosed at autopsy where multiple organ involvement was documented in all 13. Three patients were diagnosed intra vitam. All 3 survived with appropriate treatment. Clinical features indicative of disseminated toxoplasmosis were: fever of unknown origin between 39 degrees and 40 degrees C in 16 cases, clinical signs suggestive of sepsis or septic shock in 15, with progression to multiorgan failure in 10, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy in 6, confusion, disorientation or apathy in 13 and lack of a systemic pneumocystis carinii prophylaxis in all 16. Typical laboratory markers were: CD4 cell counts below 100 x 10(6)/l in 16 cases, elevation of serum lactic dehydrogenase in 16 and creatine phosphokinase (in 4/6), normal or only slightly elevated C-reactive protein (in 9/11), positive Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies in 15/16 and negative IgM antibodies in all 16. Lesions indicative of cerebral toxoplasmosis were visualized on cranial computerized tomography in only 3/10 evaluated patients. In patients with advanced HIV infection presenting with a systemic illness, including the clinical and laboratory features described above, systemic Toxoplasma gondii infection must be included in the differential diagnosis. In these patients, specific and if warranted, invasive diagnostic procedures followed by early vigorous therapeutic intervention should be considered.
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PMID:Disseminated toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients--report of 16 cases. 778 18


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