Publications

20 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 20

Abstract (Expand)

PURPOSE Infections and subsequent septicemia are major complications in neutropenic patients with hematological malignancies. Here, we identify biomarker candidates for the early detection of ann infectious origin, and monitoring of febrile neutropenia (FN). METHODS Proteome, metabolome, and conventional biomarkers from 20 patients with febrile neutropenia without proven infection (FNPI) were compared to 28 patients with proven infection, including 17 patients with bacteremia. RESULTS Three peptides (mass to charge ratio 1017.4-1057.3; p-values 0.011-0.024), six proteins (mass to charge ratio 6881-17,215; p-values 0.002-0.004), and six phosphatidylcholines (p-values 0.007-0.037) were identified that differed in FNPI patients compared to patients with infection or bacteremia. Seven of these marker candidates discriminated FNPI from infection at fever onset with higher sensitivity and specificity (ROC-AUC 0.688-0.824) than conventional biomarkers i.e., procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, or interleukin-6 (ROC-AUC 0.535-0.672). In a post hoc analysis, monitoring the time course of four lysophosphatidylcholines, threonine, and tryptophan allowed for discrimination of patients with or without resolution of FN (ROC-AUC 0.648-0.919) with higher accuracy compared to conventional markers (ROC-AUC 0.514-0.871). CONCLUSIONS Twenty-one promising biomarker candidates for the early detection of an infectious origin or for monitoring the course of FN were found which might overcome known shortcomings of conventional markers.

Authors: Martin E. Richter, Sophie Neugebauer, Falco Engelmann, Stefan Hagel, Katrin Ludewig, Paul La Rosée, Herbert G. Sayer, Andreas Hochhaus, Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal, Tom Bretschneider, Christine Pausch, Christoph Engel, Frank M. Brunkhorst, Michael Kiehntopf

Date Published: 1st Apr 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

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BACKGROUND Sepsis sequelae include critical illness polyneuropathy, myopathy, wasting, neurocognitive deficits, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and chronic pain. Little is known howlong-termm sequelae following hospital discharge are treated. The aim of our study is to determine the effect of a primary care-based, long-term program on health-related quality of life in sepsis survivors. METHODS/DESIGN In a two-armed randomized multicenter interventional study, patients after sepsis (n = 290) will be assessed at 6, 12 and 24 months. Patients are eligible if severe sepsis or septic shock (ICD-10), at least two criteria of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), at least one organ dysfunction and sufficient cognitive capacity are present. The intervention comprises 1) discharge management, 2) training of general practitioners and patients in evidence-based care for sepsis sequelae and 3) telephone monitoring of patients. At six months, we expect an improved primary outcome (health-related quality of life/SF-36) and improved secondary outcomes such as costs, mortality, clinical-, psycho-social- and process-of-care measures in the intervention group compared to the control group. DISCUSSION This study evaluates a primary care-based, long-term program for patients after severe sepsis. Study results may add evidence for improved sepsis care management. General practitioners may contribute efficiently to sepsis aftercare. TRIAL REGISTRATION U1111-1119-6345. DRKS00000741, CCT-NAPN-20875 (25 February 2011).

Authors: Konrad Schmidt, Paul Thiel, Friederike Mueller, Katja Schmuecker, Susanne Worrack, Juliane Mehlhorn, Christoph Engel, Katja Brenk-Franz, Stephan Kausche, Ursula Jakobi, Anne Bindara-Klippel, Nico Schneider, Antje Freytag, Dimitry Davydow, Michel Wensing, Frank Martin Brunkhorst, Jochen Gensichen

Date Published: 1st Dec 2014

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

Abstract (Expand)

External ventricular drainage (EVD) is frequently used in neurosurgery to drain cerebrospinal fluid in patients with raised intracranial pressure. We performed a retrospective single center study in order to evaluate the incidence of EVD-related infections and to identify underlying risk factors. 246 EVDs were placed in 218 patients over a 30-month period. EVD was continued in median for 7 days (range 1-44). The cumulative incidence of EVD-related infections was 8.3% (95% CI, 5.3-12.7) with a device-associated infection rate of 10.4 per 1000 drainage days (95% CI, 6.2-16.5). The pathogens most commonly identified were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (62%) followed by Enterococcus spp. (19%). Patients with an EVD-related infection had a significantly longer ICU (11 versus 21 days, P \textless 0.01) and hospital stay (20 versus 28.5 days, P \textless 0.01) than patients without. Median total duration of external drainage was twice as long in patients with EVD-related infection (6 versus 12 days, P \textless 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the duration between first EVD placement and the occurrence of EVD-related infection and EVD removal in patients without EVD-related infection (6 versus 7 days, P = 0.87), respectively. Interestingly no risk factor for EVD-related infection could be identified in our cohort of patients.

Authors: S. Hagel, T. Bruns, M. W. Pletz, C. Engel, R. Kalff, C. Ewald

Date Published: 2014

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

Abstract (Expand)

INTRODUCTION: The optimal nutritional strategy remains controversial, particularly in severely septic patients. Our aim was to analyze the effect of three nutritional strategies--enteral (EN), parenteral (PN), and combined nutrition (EN+PN)--on the outcome of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This secondary analysis of the prospective, randomized-controlled, multicenter "Intensive Insulin Therapy and Pentastarch Resuscitation in Severe Sepsis (VISEP)" trial only included patients with a length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) of more than 7 days. Besides patient characteristics, data on nutrition therapy were collected daily for up to 21 days. Morbidity as measured by the mean Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, incidence of secondary infections, renal replacement therapy, ventilator-free days and severe hypoglycemia, length of ICU stay, and mortality at 90 days were compared between the three nutritional strategies. RESULTS: In all, 353 patients were included in the analysis with the majority (68.5 %) receiving EN+PN, 24.4 % receiving EN, and only 7.1 % receiving PN. Median caloric intake was 918 kcal/day (EN), 1,210 kcal/day (PN), and 1,343 kcal/day (EN+PN; p < 0.001). In the latter group, calories were predominantly administered via the parenteral route within the first week. The rate of death at 90 days was lower with EN than with EN+PN (26.7 % vs. 41.3 %, p = 0.048), as was the rate of secondary infections, renal replacement therapy, and duration of mechanical ventilation. In the adjusted Cox regression analysis, the effect on mortality [hazard ratio (HR)= 1.86, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.16-2.98, p = 0.010] and the rate of secondary infections (HR= 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.27-2.81, p = 0.002) remained different between EN and EN+PN. CONCLUSION: In patients with severe sepsis or septic shock and prolonged ICU stay, EN alone was associated with improved clinical outcome compared to EN+PN. This hypothesis-generating result has to be confirmed by a randomized-controlled trial in this specific patient population.

Authors: G. Elke, E. Kuhnt, M. Ragaller, D. Schadler, I. Frerichs, F. M. Brunkhorst, M. Loffler, K. Reinhart, N. Weiler

Date Published: 5th Mar 2013

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND Mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is affected by multiple variables. The possible impact of the mode of ventilation has not yet been clarified; therefore, a secondary analysiss of the \textquotedblepidemiology of sepsis in Germany\textquotedbl study was performed. The aims were (1) to describe the ventilation strategies currently applied in clinical practice, (2) to analyze the association of the different modes of ventilation with mortality and (3) to investigate whether the ratio between arterial partial pressure of oxygen and inspired fraction of oxygen (PF ratio) and/or other respiratory variables are associated with mortality in septic patients needing ventilatory support. METHODS A total of 454 ICUs in 310 randomly selected hospitals participated in this national prospective observational 1-day point prevalence of sepsis study including 415 patients with severe sepsis or septic shock according to the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine criteria. RESULTS Of the 415 patients, 331 required ventilatory support. Pressure controlled ventilation (PCV) was the most frequently used ventilatory mode (70.6 %) followed by assisted ventilation (AV 21.7 %) and volume controlled ventilation (VCV 7.7 %). Hospital mortality did not differ significantly among patients ventilated with PCV (57 %), VCV (71 %) or AV (51 %, p=0.23). A PF ratio equal or less than 300 mmHg was found in 83.2 % of invasively ventilated patients (n=316). In AV patients there was a clear trend to a higher PF ratio (204\pm70 mmHg) than in controlled ventilated patients (PCV 179\pm74 mmHg, VCV 175\pm75 mmHg, p=0.0551). Multiple regression analysis identified the tidal volume to pressure ratio (tidal volume divided by peak inspiratory airway pressure, odds ratio OR=0.94, 95 % confidence interval 95% CI=0.89-0.99), acute renal failure (OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.01-4.55) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score (OR=1.09, 95% CI=1.03-1.15) but not the PF ratio (univariate analysis OR=0.998, 95 % CI=0.995-1.001) as independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS This representative survey revealed that severe sepsis or septic shock was frequently associated with acute lung injury. Different ventilatory modes did not affect mortality. The tidal volume to inspiratory pressure ratio but not the PF ratio was independently associated with mortality.

Authors: D. Schädler, G. Elke, C. Engel, H. Bogatsch, I. Frerichs, R. Kuhlen, R. Rossaint, M. Quintel, J. Scholz, F. M. Brunkhorst, M. Loeffler, K. Reinhart, N. Weiler

Date Published: 2013

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

Abstract (Expand)

Heme and its breakdown products CO, Fe, and bilirubin are being recognized as signaling molecules or even therapeutic agents, but also exert adverse effects when released at high concentrations. Manipulating the pathway confers protection in rodent sepsis models via both control of free heme and formation of its first and higher-order products. Thus, regulatory elements present in human heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and biliverdin reductases (BLVRA/B) genes might impact outcome. We tested whether a highly polymorphic (GT)n microsatellite and single-nucleotide polymorphisms in HMOX1 and BLVRA/B genes are associated with outcome of sepsis. Two cohorts (n = 430 and 398 patients) with severe sepsis were screened for single-nucleotide polymorphisms and/or the microsatellite by fragment length analysis and genotyping techniques. Heme oxygenase 1 plasma levels were determined in additional patients with severe sepsis (n = 92) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Based on mean Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment scores, patients homozygous for rs2071746 A allele or medium length (GT)n microsatellites of HMOX1 showed higher 28-day mortality (P = 0.047 and P = 0.033) in one cohort compared with other genotypes, whereas 90-day mortality rates showed no association. The T allele was less frequently observed in both cohorts than would be expected according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Heme oxygenase 1 plasma levels were elevated in septic patients, independent of the genotype. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms within BLVRA/B showed no association with outcome. Short (GT)n repeats that are in linkage disequilibrium with the T allele of rs2071746 in HMOX1 are associated with favorable outcome, whereas no association with gene variants of BLVRA/B, involved in the generation of higher-order metabolites, was noticed.

Authors: Christoph Sponholz, Klaus Huse, Marcel Kramer, Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis, Ralf A. Claus, Anna Kern, Christoph Engel, Evelyn Kuhnt, Michael Kiehntopf, Christina Routsi, Vassiliki Mylona, Iraklis Tsangaris, Stefan H. Heinemann, Konrad Reinhart, Matthias Platzer, Michael Bauer

Date Published: 2012

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND Structures in intensive care medicine comprise human as well as material resources, organization, and management and may be related to processes thereby affecting patients’ outcomes. Utilizingg a unique data base we evaluated structures of German intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS The study was carried out by the German Competence Network Sepsis (SepNet). Data were prospectively collected on a cross-sectional basis in a representative random sample of German hospitals utilizing a questionnaire. Structures were related to ICU outcome of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. The sample was subdivided in 5 strata according to hospital size. RESULTS A total of 454 ICUs cared for 3877 patients including 415 patients (11%) with severe sepsis or septic shock. The mean number of beds per ICU was 10.4, the ratio of ICU to hospital beds 1:27, both with significant differences depending on hospital size. 81% of the ICUs provided around the clock physician presence (range: 66-98% across hospital strata, p \textless 0.001). Shift-wise, one nurse was responsible for a mean number of 2.7 patients (morning 1:2.3, afternoon 1:2.6, night 1:3.3 patients) with significant variation according to hospital size (smaller hospitals 1:2.9, university hospitals 1:2.1, p \textless 0.001). More than half of all German ICUs are lead by anesthesiologists. Neither physician nor nurse staffing was associated with mortality in the subset of patients with sepsis. CONCLUSIONS In a representative, nationwide sample of German ICUs key elements of structures varied considerably with respect to hospital size. This has to be considered when proposing standards, reimbursement strategies, or quality assessment.

Authors: Jürgen Graf, Andrea Reinhold, Frank M. Brunkhorst, Max Ragaller, Konrad Reinhart, Markus Loeffler, Christoph Engel

Date Published: 1st Oct 2010

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

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