Thursday, November 30, 2023
|
Characteristics |
Total, n = 130 |
C. striatum, n = 27 |
MRSA, n = 103 |
p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||||
| M | 92 (70.8) | 18 (66.7) | 74 (71.8) | 0.60 |
| F | 38 (29.2) | 9 (33.3) | 33 (32.0) | |
| Median age (interquartile range) | 71.0 (63.8–77.0) | 72.0 (66.0–80.0) | 71.0 (63.0–76.0) | 0.17 |
| Underlying disease or condition† | ||||
| Solid cancer | 32 (24.6) | 4 (14.8) | 28 (27.2) | 0.18 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 30 (23.1) | 6 (22.2) | 24 (23.3) | 0.91 |
| Structural lung disease | 24 (18.5) | 4 (14.8) | 20 (19.4) | 0.78 |
| Chronic obstructive lung disease | 12 (9.2) | 3 (11.1) | 9 (8.7) | 0.71 |
| Interstitial lung disease | 5 (3.8) | 0 | 5 (4.9) | 0.58 |
| Bronchiectasis | 4 (3.1) | 0 | 4 (3.9) | 0.58 |
| Destroyed lung due to tuberculosis | 1 (0.8) | 0 | 1 (1.0) | 1.00 |
| Pneumoconiosis | 1 (0.8) | 0 | 1 (1.0) | 1.00 |
| Bronchiolitis obliterans | 1 (0.8) | 1 (3.7) | 0 | 0.21 |
| Hematologic malignancy | 13 (10.0) | 5 (18.5) | 8 (7.8) | 0.14 |
| Liver cirrhosis | 11 (8.5) | 2 (7.4) | 9 (8.7) | 1.00 |
| End-stage renal disease | 7 (5.4) | 2 (7.4) | 5 (4.9) | 0.64 |
| Chronic renal failure | 6 (4.6) | 3 (11.1) | 3 (2.9) | 0.10 |
| Congestive heart failure | 3 (2.3) | 1 (3.7) | 2 (1.9) | 0.51 |
| Alcoholism | 2 (1.5) | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 1.00 |
| Cerebrovascular attack | 12 (9.2) | 5 (18.5) | 7 (6.8) | 0.13 |
| Solid organ transplantation | 2 (1.5) | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 0.63 |
| Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation | 3 (2.3) | 2 (7.4) | 1 (1.0) | 0.11 |
| Immunocompromised state‡ | 41 (31.5) | 14 (51.9) | 27 (26.2) | 0.01 |
| Recent chemotherapy | 23 (17.7) | 7 (25.9) | 16 (15.5) | 0.26 |
| Recent surgery, ≤1 mo | 19 (14.6) | 2 (7.4) | 17 (16.5) | 0.36 |
| Active smoker | 10 (7.7) | 1 (3.7) | 9 (8.7) | 0.69 |
| Neutropenia, <500 cells/mL | 8 (6.2) | 4 (14.8) | 4 (3.9) | 0.06 |
| Category of pneumonia | ||||
| Community-acquired | 6 (4.6) | 1 (3.7) | 5 (4.9) | 1.00 |
| Healthcare-associated | 37 (28.5) | 4 (14.8) | 33 (32.0) | 0.08 |
| Hospital-acquired | 63 (48.5) | 19 (70.4) | 44 (42.7) | 0.01 |
| Ventilator-associated | 24 (18.5) | 3 (11.1) | 21 (20.4) | 0.40 |
Table 1. Characteristics of adult patients with severe pneumonia caused by Corynebacterium striatum, Seoul, South Korea, 2014–2019*
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
†Patients could have ≥1 underlying disease or condition.
‡Defined as ≥1 of the following conditions: daily receipt of immunosuppressants, including corticosteroids; HIV infection; solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient; receipt of chemotherapy for underlying malignancy during the previous 6 months; or underlying immune deficiency disorder.
|
Pathogens identified |
No. (%) patients |
p value* |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2014–2015, n = 200 |
2016–2017, n = 180 |
2018–2019, n = 185 |
Total, n = 565 |
||
| Total | 88 (44.0) | 66 (36.7) | 75 (40.5) | 229 (40.5) | 0.35 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | 27 (13.5) | 15 (8.3) | 8 (4.3) | 50 (8.8) | <0.01 |
| Methicillin-susceptible | 3 (1.5) | 0 | 3 (1.6) | 6 (1.1) | 0.24 |
| Methicillin-resistant | 24 (12.0) | 15 (8.3) | 5 (2.7) | 44 (7.8) | <0.01 |
| Corynebacterium striatum | 2 (1.0) | 7 (3.9) | 10 (5.4) | 19 (3.4) | 0.05 |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | 4 (2.0) | 2 (1.1) | 1 (0.5) | 7 (1.2) | 0.43 |
| Legionella pneumophila | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.6) | 0 | 2 (0.4) | 0.61 |
| Moraxella catarrhalis | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.2) | 0.36 |
| Streptococcus pyogenes | 0 | 1 (0.6) | 0 | 1 (0.2) | 0.34 |
| Nocardia species | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.2) | 0.36 |
| Enteric gram-negative bacilli | 18 (9.0) | 22 (12.2) | 20 (10.8) | 60 (10.6) | 0.59 |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae | 13 (6.5) | 14 (7.8) | 16 (8.6) | 43 (7.6) | 0.73 |
| Escherichia coli | 4 (2.0) | 4 (2.2) | 3 (1.6) | 11 (1.9) | 0.92 |
| Enterobacter cloacae | 1 (0.5) | 3 (1.7) | 2 (1.1) | 6 (1.1) | 0.54 |
| Citrobacter freundii | 1 (0.5) | 2 (1.1) | 0 | 3 (0.5) | 0.34 |
| Klebsiella oxytoca | 0 | 0 | 2 (1.1) | 2 (0.4) | 0.13 |
| Hafnia alvei | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.2) | 0.36 |
| Nonenteric gram-negative bacilli | 47 (23.5) | 22 (12.2) | 37 (20.0) | 106 (18.8) | 0.02 |
| Acinetobacter baumannii | 24 (12.0) | 13 (7.2) | 23 (12.4) | 60 (10.6) | 0.20 |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 19 (9.5) | 6 (3.3) | 11 (5.9) | 36 (6.4) | 0.047 |
| Stenotrophomonas maltophilia | 4 (2.0) | 2 (1.1) | 7 (3.8) | 13 (2.3) | 0.22 |
| Burkholderia cepacia | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.2) | 0.36 |
| Acinetobacter lwoffii | 0 | 1 (0.6) | 0 | 1 (0.2) | 0.34 |
| Chryseobacterium indologenes | 0 | 1 (0.6) | 0 | 1 (0.2) | 0.34 |
| Chryseobacterium meningosepticum | 1 (0.5) | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2) | 0.40 |
| Chlamydia pneumoniae | 1 (0.5) | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2) | 0.40 |
Table 2. Bacterial pathogens detected among 565 adult patients with severe hospital-acquired pneumonia, Seoul, South Korea, 2014–2019
*p value based on χ2 test for trend.
|
Pathogens |
No. (%) co-infecting pathogens |
p value* |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total, n = 130 |
C. striatum, n = 27 |
MRSA, n = 103 |
||
| Any | 50 (38.5) | 13 (48.1) | 37 (35.9) | 0.25 |
| Other bacteria | 28 (21.5) | 2 (7.4) | 26 (25.2)† | 0.045 |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| Acinetobacter baumannii | 6 | 0 | 6 | |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae | 5 | 0 | 5 | |
| Escherichia coli | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| Haemophilus influenzae | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Citrobacter freundii | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Enterobacter cloacae | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Elizabethkingia meningosepticum | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Klebsiella aerogenes | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Stenotrophomonas maltophilia | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Virus | 24 (18.5) | 9 (33.3)‡ | 15 (14.6)§ | 0.047 |
| Influenza virus | 8 | 4 | 4 | |
| Influenza virus A | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| Influenza virus B | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Parainfluenza virus type 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| Rhinovirus | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| Adenovirus | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| Respiratory syncytial virus | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Respiratory syncytial virus A | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Respiratory syncytial virus B | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Human coronavirus | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| 229E | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| OC43/HKU1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Human metapneumovirus | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Bocavirus | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Enterovirus | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Fungus | 4 (3.1) | 4 (14.8)¶ | 0 | <0.01 |
| Aspergillus species | 4 (3.1) | 4 (14.8) | 0 | |
| Pneumocystis jirovecii | 1 (0.8) | 1 (3.7) | 0 | |
Table 3. Additional pathogens detected among adult patients with severe Corynebacterium striatum pneumonia and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, Seoul, South Korea, 2014–2019*
*Categories of co-infection were not mutually exclusive; some cases were associated with ≥2 categories of pathogens.
†Three patients were co-infected with 2 bacteria: H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae; E. coli and K. pneumoniae; and A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae.
‡One patient was co-infected with influenza A virus and human metapneumovirus.
§One patient was co-infected with bocavirus and rhinovirus.
¶One patient was co-infected with Aspergillus species and P. jirovecii.
|
Characteristics |
Total, n = 130 |
C. striatum, n = 27 |
MRSA, n = 103 |
p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical manifestation | ||||
| Dyspnea | 106 (81.5) | 25 (92.6) | 81 (78.6) | 0.16 |
| Fever, temperature >38°C | 103 (79.2) | 18 (66.7) | 85 (82.5) | 0.07 |
| Sputum | 92 (70.8) | 16 (59.3) | 76 (73.8) | 0.14 |
| Cough | 57 (43.8) | 11 (40.7) | 46 (44.7) | 0.72 |
| Altered mental status | 46 (35.4) | 10 (37.0) | 36 (35.0) | 0.84 |
| Diarrhea | 4 (3.1) | 2 (7.4) | 2 (1.9) | 0.19 |
| Septic shock at ICU admission | 81 (62.3) | 12 (44.4) | 69 (67.0) | 0.03 |
| Mechanical ventilation | 127 (97.7) | 27 (100) | 100 (97.1) | 1.00 |
| APACHE II score, mean (SD) | 25.6 (8.1) | 26.4 (11.9) | 26.0 (7.0) | 0.72 |
| SOFA score, mean (SD) | 9.5 (3.7) | 9.5 (3.4) | 9.5 (3.7) | 0.99 |
| Bacteremia | 19 (14.6) | 1 (3.7) | 18 (17.5) | 0.12 |
| Laboratory findings, median (IQR) | ||||
| Leukocyte count, cells/mL | 10,950 (7,800–15,625) | 11,600 (4,800–15,900) | 10,700 (8,400–15,600) | 0.26 |
| Platelets, × 103/mL | 159 (81–242) | 123 (55–230) | 171 (102–245) | 0.14 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/dL | 11.3 (5.5–19.3) | 13.6 (8.0–19.8) | 10.8 (5.4–18.6) | 0.61 |
| Procalcitonin, ng/mL | 1.1 (0.3–3.9) | 0.3 (0.1–1.3) | 1.8 (0.4–4.2) | <0.01 |
Table 4. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with severe Corynebacterium striatum pneumonia and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, Seoul, South Korea, 2014–2019*
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated APACHE, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation; BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment.
|
Outcome |
Total, n = 130 |
C. striatum, n = 27 |
MRSA, n = 103 |
p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death | ||||
| Total | n = 103 | n = 27 | n = 103 | NA |
| 30 days | 41 (31.5) | 11 (40.7) | 30 (29.1) | 0.25 |
| 60 days | 57 (43.8) | 14 (48.1) | 44 (42.7) | 0.61 |
| 90 days | 68 (52.3) | 16 (59.3) | 52 (50.5) | 0.42 |
| In-hospital | 73 (56.2) | 19 (70.4) | 54 (52.4) | 0.09 |
| Death among patient categories | ||||
| Nonimmunocompromised patients | n = 89 | n = 13 | n = 76 | NA |
| 30 days | 21 (23.6) | 5 (38.5) | 16 (21.1) | 0.18 |
| 60 days | 31 (34.8) | 5 (38.5) | 26 (34.2) | 0.76 |
| 90 days | 40 (44.9) | 7 (53.8) | 33 (43.4) | 0.49 |
| In-hospital | 40 (44.9) | 7 (53.8) | 33 (43.4) | 0.49 |
| Immunocompromised patients | n = 41 | n = 14 | n = 27 | NA |
| 30 days | 20 (48.8) | 6 (42.9) | 14 (51.9) | 0.59 |
| 60 days | 26 (63.4) | 8 (57.1) | 18 (66.7) | 0.55 |
| 90 days | 28 (68.3) | 9 (64.3) | 19 (70.4) | 0.73 |
| In-hospital | 33 (80.5) | 12 (85.7) | 21 (77.8) | 0.69 |
| Median ICU stay, d (IQR) | 14.0 (8.0–26.3) | 14.0 (9.0–27.0) | 14.0 (8.0–26.0) | 0.33 |
| Median hospital stay after ICU admission, d (IQR) | 29.5 (14.0–57.0) | 30.0 (16.0–81.0) | 29.0 (14.0–55.0) | 0.48 |
Table 5. Outcomes of adult patients with severe Corynebacterium striatum and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, Seoul, South Korea, 2014–2019*
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. ICU, intensive care unit; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; NA, not applicable.
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During the study period, we identified a total of 1,740 patients with severe pneumonia. Among them, 27 had severe C. striatum pneumonia and 103 had severe MRSA pneumonia (Table 1). The median patient age in the C. striatum group was 72.0 years and in the MRSA group was 71.0 years. Solid cancer, diabetes mellitus, and structural lung diseases were the most common underlying conditions in both groups. More patients in the C. striatum group were immunocompromised (51.9% vs. 26.2%; p = 0.01). Most (70.4%) patients in the C. striatum group had HAP, 14.8% had healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP), 11.1% had ventilator-associated pneumonia, and 3.7% had CAP. HAP was significantly more common in the C. striatum group than the MRSA group (70.4% vs. 42.7%; p = 0.01); HCAP was more common in the MRSA group (32.0% vs. 14.8%; p = 0.08), albeit without statistical significance.
We identified bacterial pathogens in 565 patients who had severe HAP during 2014–2019 (Table 2). The proportion of severe MRSA HAP decreased significantly, from 12.0% (24/200) in 2014–2015 to 2.7% (5/185) in 2018–2019 (p<0.01), whereas the proportion of severe C. striatum HAP increased significantly, from 1.0% (2/200) in 2014–2015 to 5.4% (10/185) in 2018–2019 (p<0.001). Among 75 HAP cases from which bacterial pathogens were identified in 2018–2019, C. striatum was responsible for 13.3% (10/75) of cases, which was the fourth most common pathogen, after Acinetobacter baumannii (30.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (21.3%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.7%).
We identified co-infection pathogens in 13 (48.1%) patients in the C. striatum group and 37 (35.9%) patients in the MRSA group (p = 0.25) (Table 3). Co-infection with other bacteria was more common in the MRSA group (25.2% vs. 7.4%; p = 0.045), whereas viral co-infection was more common in the C. striatum group (33.3% vs. 14.6%; p = 0.047). Fungal co-infection, which included 4 Aspergillus species and 1 Pneumocystis jirovecii, was only found in the C. striatum group (14.8% vs. 0%; p<0.01).
Dyspnea, fever, sputum, and cough were the most common signs and symptoms in both groups (Table 4). Fever tended to be less common in the C. striatum group (66.7% vs. 82.5%; p = 0.07). The proportion of patients with septic shock at the time of ICU admission was significantly higher in the MRSA group (67.0% vs. 44.4%; p = 0.03). However, the proportion of mechanical ventilation, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) score, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score at the time of ICU admission were similar between the 2 groups. Peripheral leukocyte counts, platelet counts, and serum C-reactive protein levels also were similar between the 2 groups, but serum procalcitonin level was significantly higher in the MRSA group than the C. striatum group (median 0.3 ng/mL vs. 1.8 ng/mL; p<0.01).
On microscopic examination of Gram stain specimens, gram-positive rods were identified in 69.2% (18/26) of specimens. Among 27 cases, 10 were quantitative cultures and 17 were semiquantitative cultures. Bacterial counts were >105 CFU/mL in 8/10 quantitative cultures. Of the 17 semiquantitative culture specimens, 12 specimens were grade many (4+), 1 was grade moderate (3+), 1 grade few (2+), and 3 were grade rare (1+) (Appendix Table). All 27 C. striatum isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing. All isolates were resistant to penicillin, ceftriaxone, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin, and susceptible to vancomycin, and all isolates were multidrug resistant.
The mortality rates between the C. striatum and MRSA group showed no statistically significant differences: 30-day mortality (40.7% vs. 29.1%; p = 0.25), 60-day (48.1% vs. 42.7%; p = 0.61), and 90-day (59.3% vs. 50.5%; p = 0.42) (Table 5). In-hospital mortality rates were higher (70.4%) in the C. striatum group than in the MRSA group (52.4%), albeit without statistical significance (p = 0.09). Mortality rates were similar for C. striatum and MRSA in subgroups regardless of the patient’s immune status. We noted no statistically significant differences in the median length of ICU stay between the C. striatum and MRSA group, both 14 days (p = 0.33), nor in the length of hospital stay after ICU admission, 30 days for the C. striatum versus 29 days for the MRSA group (p = 0.48).
