When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged < 65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Conclusion: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the < 65-year group.

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) are the entrance gates for patients presenting with infectious diseases into the hospital, yet most antimicrobial stewardship programmes are primarily focused on inpatient management. With equally high rates of inappropriate antibiotic use, the ED is a frequently overlooked yet important unit for targeted antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions. Objectives: We aimed to (a) describe the specific aspects of antimicrobial stewardship in the ED and (b) summarize the findings from improvement studies that have investigated the effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship interventions in the ED setting. Sources: : (a) a PubMed search for 'antimicrobial stewardship' and 'emergency department', and (b) published reviews on effectiveness combined with publications from the first source. Content: : (a) An in depth analysis of selected publications provided four key antimicrobial use processes typically performed by front-line healthcare professionals in the ED: making a (tentative) clinical diagnosis, starting empirical therapy based on that diagnosis, performing microbiological tests before starting that therapy and following up patients who are discharged from the ED. (b) Further, we discuss the literature on improvement strategies in the ED focusing on guidelines and clinical pathways and multifaceted improvement strategies. We also summarize the evidence of microbiologic culture review. Implications: : Based on our review of the literature, we describe four essential elements of antimicrobial use in the ED. Studying the various interventions targeting these care processes, we have found them to be of a variable degree of success. Nonetheless, while there is a paucity of AS studies specifically targeting the ED, there is a growing body of evidence that AS programmes in the ED are effective with modifications to the ED setting. We present key questions for future research.

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Background Outpatient parenteral antibiotic treatment (OPAT) has proven efficacious for treating infective endocarditis (IE). However, the 2001 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) criteria for OPAT in IE are very restrictive. We aimed to compare the outcomes of OPAT with those of hospital-based antibiotic treatment (HBAT). Methods Retrospective analysis of data from a multicenter, prospective cohort study of 2000 consecutive IE patients in 25 Spanish hospitals (2008–2012) was performed. Results A total of 429 patients (21.5%) received OPAT, and only 21.7% fulfilled IDSA criteria. Males accounted for 70.5%, median age was 68 years (interquartile range [IQR], 56–76), and 57% had native-valve IE. The most frequent causal microorganisms were viridans group streptococci (18.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.6%), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (14.5%). Median length of antibiotic treatment was 42 days (IQR, 32–54), and 44% of patients underwent cardiac surgery. One-year mortality was 8% (42% for HBAT; P < .001), 1.4% of patients relapsed, and 10.9% were readmitted during the first 3 months after discharge (no significant differences compared with HBAT). Charlson score (odds ratio [OR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.42; P = .01) and cardiac surgery (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, .09–.63; P = .04) were associated with 1-year mortality, whereas aortic valve involvement (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, .22–.98; P = .007) was the only predictor of 1-year readmission. Failing to fulfill IDSA criteria was not a risk factor for mortality or readmission. Conclusions OPAT provided excellent results despite the use of broader criteria than those recommended by IDSA. OPAT criteria should therefore be expanded.

Ante la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 resulta fundamental conocer los aspectos claves de la infecció n: su origen epidemioló gico, presentació n, curso clínico, diagnó stico y los tratamientos empleados (aú n experimentales en muchos casos). El conocimiento sobre el virus es limitado, pero a medida que progresa la pandemia y se conoce má s su fisiopatología se está publicando nueva evidencia de forma masiva. Los especialistas quirú rgicos se enfrentan a una situació n sin precedentes: deben colaborar en plantas mé dicas o urgencias atendiendo a estos pacientes, y ademá s tomar decisiones sobre pacientes quirú rgicos con posible COVID-19. Esta revisió n narrativa pretende resumir los aspectos má s relevantes y sintetizar los conceptos bá sicos sobre COVID-19 para los cirujanos.