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Biomedical subjects

Robert E Siegel

Publications and source records attributed to Robert E Siegel.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Pneumonitis in human cytomegalovirus infection.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a beta herpes virus with a double stranded DNA genome of 240kbp. The virus is prevalent and establishes a latent infection in most adults. HCMV is an opportunistic pathogen for patients with impaired cellular immunity. HCMV pneumonia is a common presentation of HCMV disease in immunocompromised patients. The incidence of HCMV pneumonitis can be as high as 90% in lung transplant recipients. This paper takes a fresh look at the challenging perspectives of molecular, immunologic, cellular, diagnostic, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of HCMV infection as future targets for development of antiviral strategies.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Principles of antibiotic treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in the outpatient setting.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common illness with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Nearly 80% of the treatment for this condition is provided in the outpatient setting. Among the etiologic agents associated with bacterial CAP, the predominant pathogen is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Treatment of CAP for the most part is empirical; therefore, any antibiotic treatment should cover both typical and atypical pathogens. The beta-lactams have historically been considered standard therapy for the treatment of CAP. However, the impact of rising resistance rates is now a primary concern facing physicians. For patients with comorbidities or recent antibiotic therapy, current guidelines recommend either combination therapy with a beta-lactam and a macrolide or an antipneumococcal fluoroquinolone alone. Fluoroquinolones are broad-spectrum antibiotics that exhibit high levels of penetration into the lungs and low levels of resistance. Evidence from clinical trials indicates clinical success rates of > 90% for moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, and levofloxacin in the treatment of CAP due to S pneumoniae. Data from comparative clinical trials suggest fluoroquinolone monotherapy is as efficacious as beta-lactam-macrolide combination therapy in the treatment of CAP patients. The respiratory fluoroquinolone levofloxacin has also been shown to be effective in CAP patients for the treatment of macrolide-resistant S pneumoniae. The use of azithromycin, telithromycin, and fluoroquinolones in short-course regimens has been shown to be efficacious, safe, and tolerable in patients with CAP. Based on clinical evidence, high-dose, short-course therapies may represent a significant advance in the management of CAP.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed2004

The symptom burden of chronic critical illness.

OBJECTIVE: To assess self-reported symptom burden of chronic critical illness. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Respiratory care unit for treatment of chronically critically ill patients at an academic, tertiary-care, urban medical center. PATIENTS: Fifty patients who underwent elective tracheotomy and transfer from an adult intensive care unit to the respiratory care unit for weaning from mechanical ventilation. INTERVENTIONS: Assessment of physical and psychological symptoms through patients' self-reports using a modification of the Condensed Form of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We measured self-reported symptom burden, ventilator outcomes, and vital status and functional status at discharge and 3 and 6 months after discharge. Half of the patients were successfully liberated from mechanical ventilation, but most hospital survivors were discharged to skilled nursing facilities and more than half of the cohort was dead at 3 months after discharge. Seventy-two percent (36 of 50) of patients were able to self-report symptoms during the period of respiratory care unit treatment. Among patients responding to symptom assessment, approximately 90% were symptomatic. Forty-four percent of patients reported pain at the highest levels. More than 60% reported psychological symptoms at these levels, and approximately 90% of patients reported severe distress due to difficulty communicating. CONCLUSIONS: Physical and psychological symptom distress is common and severe among patients receiving treatment for chronic critical illness. The majority of these patients die soon after hospital discharge. Given the level of distress in our study patients and the high mortality rate that we and others have observed, greater attention should be given to relief of pain and other distressing symptoms and to assessment of burdens and benefits of treatment for the chronically critically ill.

APACHE↗