BMC pulmonary medicine
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Aug 2008
Hyponatremia and hospital outcomes among patients with pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study.
Community-acquired (CAP) and nosocomial pneumonias contribute substantially to morbidity and hospital resource utilization. Hyponatremia, occurring in >1/4 of patients with CAP, is associated with greater disease severity and worsened outcomes. ⋯ Hyponatremia is common among hospitalized patients with pneumonia and is associated with worsened clinical and economic outcomes. Studies in this large population are needed to explore whether prompt correction of [Na+] may impact these outcomes.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Aug 2008
Hospital acquired pneumonia with high-risk bacteria is associated with increased pulmonary matrix metalloproteinase activity.
Neutrophil products like matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), involved in bacterial defence mechanisms, possibly induce lung damage and are elevated locally during hospital- acquired pneumonia (HAP). In HAP the virulence of bacterial species is known to be different. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of high-risk bacteria like S. aureus and pseudomonas species on pulmonary MMP concentration in human pneumonia. ⋯ Pulmonary MMP concentrations and MMP activity are elevated in patients with HAP. This effect is most pronounced in patients with high-risk bacteria. Artificial ventilation may play an additional role in protease activation.