ABSTRACT Background: D-dimer levels are significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with Pulmonary Thromboembolism (PTE) as compared to those without PTE, but its clinical utility is still uncertain. Purpose: To determine the D-dimer performance for ruling out PTE in patients with COVID-19. We also assessed clinical and laboratory factors associated with the presence of PTE on CT Pulmonary Angiogram (CTPA). Methods: Retrospective study involving all patients who presented at a tertiary care hospital from March 2020 to May 2021 with severe acute respiratory syndrome from COVID-19, who underwent CTPA and had D-dimer collected within 48 hours from CTPA. The D-dimer ability to classify patients with or without PTE according to CTPA was evaluated. Results: A total of 697 patients [382 (54.8%) men; mean (SD) age, 59 (20.5) years] were included, of which 71.5% required intensive care admission, 32.4% had PTE, and 35.6% died during hospitalization. PTE was independently associated with mortality [42.5% vs. 32.3%; p = 0.038]. D-dimer levels were higher in patients with PTE [9.1 (3.9; 20) vs. 2.3 (1.2; 5.1); p < 0.001]. Using the D-dimer cutoff of 0.5 μg/mL or above, sensitivity was 98.2% and specificity 5.7%. The 0.3 μg/mL threshold was associated with 100% of sensitivity for the presence of PTE, with which 99.1% of patients had increased values. ROC curve AUC was 0.77, demonstrating moderate discriminative power of D-dimers to detect PTE. Conclusions: D-dimer levels are higher among COVID-19 hospitalized patients with PTE as compared to those without PTE and have moderate discriminative power to detect PTE, but its use to exclude PTE in this population may have limited clinical utility.

Abstract Objectives Differential diagnosis of COVID-19 includes a broad range of conditions. Prioritizing containment efforts, protective personal equipment and testing can be challenging. Our aim was to develop a tool to identify patients with higher probability of COVID-19 diagnosis at admission. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 100 patients admitted with suspected COVID-19. Predictive models of COVID-19 diagnosis were performed based on radiology, clinical and laboratory findings; bootstrapping was performed in order to account for overfitting. Results A total of 29% of patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Variables associated with COVID-19 diagnosis in multivariate analysis were leukocyte count ≤7.7 × 103 mm–3, LDH >273 U/L, and chest radiographic abnormality. A predictive score was built for COVID-19 diagnosis, with an area under ROC curve of 0.847 (95% CI 0.77–0.92), 96% sensitivity and 73.5% specificity. After bootstrapping, the corrected AUC for this model was 0.827 (95% CI 0.75–0.90). Conclusions Considering unavailability of RT-PCR at some centers, as well as its questionable early sensitivity, other tools might be used in order to identify patients who should be prioritized for testing, re-testing and admission to isolated wards. We propose a predictive score that can be easily applied in clinical practice. This score is yet to be validated in larger populations.

Resumo A doença relacionada à IgG4 tem um espectro clínico amplo em que múltiplos órgãos podem ser afetados, e o diagnóstico depende de achados histopatológicos típicos e elevada expressão de IgG4 em plasmócitos no tecido afetado. Descrevemos o quadro clínico e a evolução de um paciente com nefrite túbulo-intersticial aguda, insuficiência renal grave e manifestações sistêmicas como linfoadenomegalias e pancreatite crônica. O diagnóstico foi confirmado pelas características clínicas e pela histopatologia renal e de linfonodo, na qual a imunohistoquímica mostrou tecido linfoide com policlonalidade e expressão aumentada de IgG4, com uma relação IgG4/IgG total > 80%. O paciente foi tratado com prednisona na dose de 60 mg/dia, seguido de micofenolato mofetil, e apresentou melhora clínica e da função renal depois de 6 meses de tratamento. O alto índice de suspeição da doença relacionada ao IgG4 com comprometimento multissistêmico e o tratamento precoce desta condição são primordiais para a melhora do prognóstico destes pacientes.

Abstract The IgG4-related disease has a wide clinical spectrum where multiple organs can be affected, and the diagnosis depends on typical histopathological findings and an elevated IgG4 expression in plasma cells in the affected tissue. We describe the clinical presentation and evolution of a patient with acute tubulointerstitial nephritis, severe kidney failure and systemic manifestations such as lymphadenomegaly and chronic pancreatitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by the clinical picture and kidney and lymph node histopathology, in which immunohistochemistry of the lymphoid tissue showed policlonality and increased expression of IgG4, with a IgG4/total IgG ratio > 80%. The patient was treated with prednisone at a dose of 60 mg/day, followed by mycophenolate mofetil, and showed clinical and renal function improvement at 6 months of follow-up. The high index of suspicion of IgG4-related disease with multisystem involvement and the early treatment of this condition are essential to improve the prognosis of affected patients.

Objetivo : Determinar a prevalência de diagnósticos alternativos corroborados por angiotomografia computadorizada (angio-TC) de tórax em pacientes com suspeita de tromboembolia pulmonar (TEP) e com resultados negativos para TEP, assim como investigar se esses diagnósticos alternativos já haviam sido identificados antes dos resultados da angio-TC. Métodos : Estudo transversal, retrospectivo, com 191 pacientes adultos que realizaram angio-TC por suspeita de TEP no período entre setembro de 2009 e maio de 2012. As radiografias de tórax e as angio-TCs foram revisadas para determinar se os achados poderiam fornecer um diagnóstico alternativo nos casos não diagnosticados como TEP. Dados sobre sintomas, fatores de risco, comorbidades, tempo de internação e mortalidade foram coletados. Resultados : A angio-TC foi positiva para tromboembolia pulmonar em 47 casos (24,6%). Entre os 144 pacientes sem tromboembolia pulmonar, achados anormais foram observados em 120 (83,3%). Tais achados foram compatíveis com um diagnóstico alternativo que explicava os sintomas do paciente em 75 casos (39,3%). Desses 75 casos, os achados não haviam sido detectados previamente na radiografia de tórax em apenas 39 (20,4%) dos casos. O diagnóstico alternativo mais frequente, identificado somente por angio-TC, foi pneumonia (em 20 casos). Sintomas, fatores de risco, comorbidades e taxa de óbito intra-hospitalar não diferiram significativamente entre os pacientes com ou sem TEP. Entretanto, a mediana de tempo de internação foi significativamente maior nos pacientes com TEP do que naqueles sem TEP (18,0 e 9,5 dias, respectivamente; p = 0,001). Conclusões : Nossos resultados demonstram que a angio-TC de tórax é útil em casos com suspeita de TEP, pois pode confirmar o diagnóstico e evidenciar achados sugestivos de um diagnóstico alternativo em um significativo número de pacientes.

Objective : To determine the prevalence of alternative diagnoses based on chest CT angiography (CTA) in patients with suspected pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) who tested negative for PTE, as well as whether those alternative diagnoses had been considered prior to the CTA. Methods : This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study involving 191 adult patients undergoing CTA for suspected PTE between September of 2009 and May of 2012. Chest X-rays and CTAs were reviewed to determine whether the findings suggested an alternative diagnosis in the cases not diagnosed as PTE. Data on symptoms, risk factors, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, and mortality were collected. Results : On the basis of the CTA findings, PTE was diagnosed in 47 cases (24.6%). Among the 144 patients not diagnosed with PTE via CTA, the findings were abnormal in 120 (83.3%). Such findings were consistent with an alternative diagnosis that explained the symptoms in 75 patients (39.3%). Among those 75 cases, there were only 39 (20.4%) in which the same alterations had not been previously detected on chest X-rays. The most common alternative diagnosis, made solely on the basis of the CTA findings, was pneumonia (identified in 20 cases). Symptoms, risk factors, comorbidities, and the in-hospital mortality rate did not differ significantly between the patients with and without PTE. However, the median hospital stay was significantly longer in the patients with PTE than in those without (18.0 and 9.5 days, respectively; p = 0.001). Conclusions : Our results indicate that chest CTA is useful in cases of suspected PTE, because it can confirm the diagnosis and reveal findings consistent with an alternative diagnosis in a significant number of patients.

OBJETIVO: Identificar fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento de pneumonia adquirida no hospital (PAH), não associada à ventilação mecânica e causada por bactérias multirresistentes (MR). MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte observacional retrospectivo, conduzido ao longo de três anos em um hospital universitário terciário. Incluímos apenas pacientes sem ventilação mecânica, com diagnóstico de PAH e com cultura bacteriana positiva. Variáveis categóricas foram comparadas por meio do teste do qui-quadrado. A análise de regressão logística foi usada para determinar os fatores de risco para PAH causada por bactérias MR. RESULTADOS: Dos 140 pacientes diagnosticados com PAH, 59 (42,1%) apresentavam infecção por cepas MR. As taxas de mortalidade nos pacientes com cepas de Staphylococcus aureus resistentes e sensíveis à meticilina, respectivamente, foram de 45,9% e 50,0% (p = 0,763). As taxas de mortalidade nos pacientes com PAH causada por bacilos gram-negativos MR e não MR, respectivamente, foram de 45,8% e 38,3% (p = 0,527). Na análise univariada, os fatores associados com cepas MR foram DPOC, insuficiência cardíaca crônica, insuficiência renal crônica, diálise, cateterismo urinário, infecções extrapulmonares e uso de antimicrobianos nos 10 dias anteriores ao diagnóstico de PAH. Na análise multivariada, o uso de antimicrobianos nos 10 dias anteriores ao diagnóstico foi o único fator preditor independente de cepas MR (OR = 3,45; IC95%: 1,56-7,61; p = 0,002). CONCLUSÕES: Neste estudo unicêntrico, o uso de antimicrobianos de largo espectro 10 dias antes do diagnóstico de PAH foi o único preditor independente da presença de bactérias MR em pacientes com PAH sem ventilação mecânica.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for the development of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in non-ventilated patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study conducted over a three-year period at a tertiary-care teaching hospital. We included only non-ventilated patients diagnosed with HAP and presenting with positive bacterial cultures. Categorical variables were compared with chi-square test. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors for HAP caused by MDR bacteria. RESULTS: Of the 140 patients diagnosed with HAP, 59 (42.1%) were infected with MDR strains. Among the patients infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and those infected with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, mortality was 45.9% and 50.0%, respectively (p = 0.763). Among the patients infected with MDR and those infected with non-MDR gram-negative bacilli, mortality was 45.8% and 38.3%, respectively (p = 0.527). Univariate analysis identified the following risk factors for infection with MDR bacteria: COPD; congestive heart failure; chronic renal failure; dialysis; urinary catheterization; extrapulmonary infection; and use of antimicrobial therapy within the last 10 days before the diagnosis of HAP. Multivariate analysis showed that the use of antibiotics within the last 10 days before the diagnosis of HAP was the only independent predictor of infection with MDR bacteria (OR = 3.45; 95% CI: 1.56-7.61; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In this single-center study, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics within the last 10 days before the diagnosis of HAP was the only independent predictor of infection with MDR bacteria in non-ventilated patients with HAP.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) exhibits mortality rates, between 20% and 50% in severe cases. Biomarkers are useful tools for searching for antibiotic therapy modifications and for CAP diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up treatment. This non-systematic state-of-the-art review presents the biological and clinical features of biomarkers in CAP patients, including procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, copeptin, pro-ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide), adrenomedullin, cortisol and D-dimers.

OBJETIVO: Níveis de procalcitonina, midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP, pró-peptídeo natriurético atrial midregional),, C-terminal provasopressin (copeptina), proteína C reativa (CRP) e escore do Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) são associados a gravidade e descritos como preditores de desfechos na pneumonia associada a ventilação mecânica (PAVM). Este estudo procurou comparar o valor preditivo de mortalidade desses biomarcadores na PAVM. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional com 71 pacientes com PAVM. Níveis de procalcitonina, MR-proANP, copeptina e PCR, bem como escore de SOFA foram obtidos no dia do diagnóstico de PAVM, designado dia zero (D0), e no quarto dia de tratamento (D4) Os pacientes receberam tratamento antimicrobiano empírico, com modificações baseadas nos resultados de cultura. Os pacientes que morreram antes de D28 foram classificados como não sobreviventes. RESULTADOS: Dos 71 pacientes, 45 sobreviveram. Dos 45 sobreviventes, 35 (77,8%) receberam tratamento antimicrobiano adequado, comparados com 18 (69,2%) dos 26 não sobreviventes (p = 0,57). Os sobreviventes apresentaram valores significativamente mais baixos em todos os biomarcadores estudados, inclusive no escore de SOFA (exceto PCR) em D0 e D4. Em D0 e D4, a área sob a curva ROC foi maior para procalcitonina. Em D0, MR-proANP teve a maior razão de verossimilhança positiva (2,71) e valor preditivo positivo (0,60), mas a procalcitonina apresentou o maior valor preditivo negativo (0,87). Em D4, a procalcitonina apresentou a maior razão de verossimilhança positiva (3,46), o maior valor preditivo positivo (0,66) e o maior valor preditivo negativo (0,93). CONCLUSIONS: Os biomarcadores procalcitonina, MR-proANP e copeptina podem predizer mortalidade na PAVM, assim como o escore de SOFA. A procalcitonina tem o maior poder preditivo de mortalidade na PAVM.

OBJECTIVE: Levels of procalcitonin, midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP), C-terminal provasopressin (copeptin), and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, are associated with severity and described as predictors of outcome in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This study sought to compare the predictive value of these biomarkers for mortality in VAP. METHODS: An observational study of 71 patients with VAP. Levels of procalcitonin, MR-proANP, copeptin, and CRP, together with SOFA scores, were determined at VAP onset, designated day 0 (D0), and on day 4 of treatment (D4). Patients received empirical antimicrobial therapy, with modifications based on culture results. Patients who died before D28 were classified as nonsurvivors. RESULTS: Of the 71 patients evaluated, 45 were classified as survivors. Of the 45 survivors, 35 (77.8%) received appropriate antimicrobial therapy, compared with 18 (69.2%) of the 26 nonsurvivors (p = 0.57). On D0 and D4, the levels of all biomarkers (except CRP), as well as SOFA scores, were lower in eventual survivors than in eventual nonsurvivors. For D0 and D4, the area under the ROC curve was largest for procalcitonin. On D0, MR-proANP had the highest positive likelihood ratio (2.71) and positive predictive value (0.60), but procalcitonin had the highest negative predictive value (0.87). On D4, procalcitonin had the highest positive likelihood ratio (3.46), the highest positive predictive value (0.66), and the highest negative predictive value (0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The biomarkers procalcitonin, MR-proANP, and copeptin can predict mortality in VAP, as can the SOFA score. Procalcitonin alone has the greatest predictive power for such mortality.