Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in hospitalized patients are known to be closely related to antibiotic exposure. Although several substances can cause CDI, the risk differs between individual agents. In Vienna and other eastern parts of Austria, CDI ribotype 027 is currently highly prevalent. This ribotype has the characteristic of intrinsic moxifloxacin resistance. Therefore, we hypothesized that moxifloxacin restriction can decrease the number of CDI cases in hospitalized patients. Our antibiotic stewardship (ABS) group applied an information campaign on CDI and formal restriction of moxifloxacin in Wilhelminenspital (Vienna, Austria), a 1,000-bed tertiary care hospital. The preintervention period (period 1) was January through May 2013, and the intervention period (period 2) was June through December 2013. We recorded the defined daily doses (DDD) of moxifloxacin and the number of CDI patients/month. Moxifloxacin use was reduced from a mean (؎ standard error of the mean [SEM]) of 1,038 ؎ 109 DDD per month (period 1) to 42 ؎ 10 DDD per month (period 2) (P ‫؍‬ 0.0045). Total antibiotic use was not affected. The mean (؎SEM) numbers of CDI cases in period 1 were 59 ؎ 3 per month and in period 2 were 32 ؎ 3 per month (46% reduction; P ‫؍‬ 0.0044). Reducing moxifloxacin use in combination with providing structured information on CDI was associated with an immediate decrease in CDI rates in this large community teaching hospital.C lostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a common side effect of antimicrobial therapy, and C. difficile is endemic in hospitals due to health care-associated transmissions. CDI is associated with increased mortality rates and economic burden (1, 2). Although several substances can cause CDI, the risk differs between individual antibiotics. A recent meta-analysis of community-associated CDI comprising 30,184 patients (3) showed that the risk for CDI was greatest with clindamycin (odds ratio [OR], 20.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.50 to 49.09), followed by fluoroquinolones (OR, 5.65; 95% CI, 4.38 to 7.28).

Although cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality in type 2 diabetic patients is closely related to urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), the causative mechanisms are not yet identified. The aim of our study was to define the circadian variation of blood pressure (BP) in 72 type 2 diabetic patients (mean age 60 years, mean diabetes mellitus duration: 12 years) in comparison with 41 nondiabetic controls with essential hypertension (mean age 58 years) by using ambulatory blood pressure measurement. Thirty diabetic patients had normal UAER (< 30 mg/24 h), 27 had microalbuminuria (30 to 300 mg/24 h), and 15 had persistent proteinuria (> 300 mg/24 h). Systolic blood pressure during both nighttime and daytime was significantly elevated in type 2 diabetic patients with macroalbuminuria compared to controls and patients with normal UAER. During nighttime even type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria had significantly elevated systolic blood pressure compared to controls with essential hypertension. We also observed a correlation of nocturnal blood pressure to UAER (systolic: r = 0.32, P < .007 and diastolic: r = 0.24, P < .04). Nondipping (defined as a reduction of nocturnal BP < 10%) was observed in 80% of the macroalbuminuric, 74% of the microalbuminuric, but only in 43% of the normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients and in 37% of the controls (P < .04). Since a loss of circadian variation of BP is closely related to vascular complications in nondiabetics, our findings may indicate an important relationship between nondipping of BP and the high morbidity and mortality rate in diabetic patients with increased UAER.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first described at the end of 2019 in China and has since spread across the globe. Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a potent prognostic marker in several medical conditions and has recently been suggested to be of prognostic value in COVID-19.Methods: This retrospective, observational study of consecutive patients with COVID-19 was conducted from March 12, 2020 to December 4, 2020 in the Wilhelminenhospital, Vienna, Austria. RDWlevels on admission were collected and tested for their predictive value of 28-day mortality.Results: A total of 423 eligible patients with COVID-19 were included in the final analyses and 15.4% died within 28 days (n = 65). Median levels of RDWwere significantly higher in non-survivors compared to survivors [14.6% (IQR, 13.7–16.3) vs. 13.4% (IQR, 12.7– 14.4), P &lt; 0.001]. Increased RDW was a significant predictor of 28-day mortality [crude odds ratio (OR) 1.717, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.462–2.017; P = &lt; 0.001], independent of clinical confounders, comorbidities and established prognostic markers of COVID-19 (adjusted OR of the final model 1.368, 95% CI 1.126–1.662; P = 0.002). This association remained consistent upon sub-group analysis. Our study data also demonstrate that RDW levels upon admission for COVID-19 were similar to previously recorded, non-COVID-19 associated RDW levels [14.2% (IQR, 13.3–15.7) vs. 14.0% [IQR, 13.2–15.1]; P = 0.187].Conclusions: In this population, RDWwas a significant, independent prognostic marker of short-term mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Background: Mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) is a strong prognostic marker in several inflammatory, respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, but has not been studied in COVID-19 yet. Methods: This prospective, observational study of patients with COVID-19 infection was conducted from 6 June to 26 November 2020 in different wards of a tertiary hospital. MR-proANP, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitive cardiac troponin I levels on admission were collected and tested for their association with disease severity and 28-day mortality. Results: A total of 213 eligible patients with COVID-19 were included in the final analyses of whom 13.2% (n = 28) died within 28 days. Median levels of MR-proANP at admission were significantly higher in nonsurvivors (307 pmol/L IQR, [161 -532] vs 75 pmol/L [IQR, 43 -153], P < .001) compared to survivors and increased with disease severity and level of hypoxaemia. The area under the ROC curve for MR-proANP predicting 28-day mortality was 0.832 (95% CI 0.753 -0.912, P < .001).An optimal cut-off point of 160 pmol/L yielded a sensitivity of 82.1% and a specificity of 76.2%. MR-proANP was a significant predictor of 28-day mortality independent of clinical confounders, comorbidities and established prognostic markers

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