The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
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Easily performed prognostic rules are helpful for guiding the intensity of monitoring and treatment of patients. The aim of the present study was to compare the predictive value of the sepsis score and the Confusion, Respiratory rate (> or =30 breaths.min(-1)), Blood pressure (systolic value <90 mmHg or diastolic value < or =60 mmHg) and age > or =65 yrs (CRB-65) score in 105 patients with community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia. In addition, the influence of timing of the antimicrobial treatment on outcome was investigated. ⋯ In summary, both scores performed equally well in predicting mortality. The prediction of survival in the intermediate-risk group might be more accurate with the sepsis score. Pre-hospital antibiotic treatment was associated with less severe disease.
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Pulmonary coagulopathy and hyperinflammation may contribute to an adverse outcome in sepsis. The present study determines the effects of natural inhibitors of coagulation on bronchoalveolar haemostasis and inflammation in a rat model of endotoxaemia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised to treatment with normal saline, recombinant human activated protein C (APC), plasma-derived antithrombin (AT), recombinant human tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), heparin or recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). ⋯ Administration of APC, AT and TFPI significantly limited LPS-induced generation of thrombin-AT complexes in the lungs, and tPA stimulated pulmonary fibrinolytic activity. However, none of the agents had significant effects on the production of pulmonary cytokines, chemokines, neutrophil influx and myeloperoxidase activity. Natural inhibitors of coagulation prevent bronchoalveolar activation of coagulation, but do not induce major alterations of the pulmonary inflammatory response in rat endotoxaemia.