Tropical savannas are known for the fire‐prone ecosystems, yet, riparian evergreen forests are another important landscape feature. These forests usually remain safe from wildfires in the wet ...riparian zones. With global changes, large wildfires are now more frequent in savanna landscapes, exposing riparian forests to unprecedented impact.
In 2017, a large wildfire spread across the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, an iconic UNESCO site in central Brazil, raising concerns about its impact on the fire‐sensitive ecosystems. By combining remote sensing analysis of Google Earth images (2003–2019) with detailed field information from 36 sites, we assessed wildfire impacts on riparian forests. For this, we measured the structure of trees, saplings and herbaceous plants, as well as topsoil variables.
Since 2003, all riparian forests had canopy cover above 90%, but after 2017, canopy cover dropped to 20% in some forests, indicating large variation in wildfire damage. A closer look in the field revealed that, on average, the wildfire killed 52% of adult trees and 87% of tree saplings in flooded forests. In non‐flooded forests, impacts on adult trees were negligible, but fire killed 75% of tree saplings. Opportunistic vines and the invasive grass Melinis minutiflora were already present in severely disturbed flooded forests. In all forests, impacts on many ecosystem variables were related to canopy damage, a variable measurable from satellite. Overall, seasonally flooded riparian forests were the most severely impacted, possibly due to the relatively thinner barks of their trees.
Synthesis and applications. Our findings reveal how riparian forests embedded in tropical savanna landscapes are in danger from large wildfires. The destruction of some forests has opened space for new plant species that may propel a shift to an alternative ecosystem state. Riparian forests are habitat of large savanna animals and their loss could affect entire trophic networks. Managing wildfires and invasive grasses locally is probably the best strategy to maintain riparian forests resilient. As wildfire regimes intensify in tropical savanna landscapes, our findings stress the need for an integrated management that considers riparian forests as a vulnerable element of the system.
Our findings reveal how riparian forests embedded in tropical savanna landscapes are in danger from large wildfires. The destruction of some forests has opened space for new plant species that may propel a shift to an alternative ecosystem state. Riparian forests are habitat of large savanna animals and their loss could affect entire trophic networks. Managing wildfires and invasive grasses locally is probably the best strategy to maintain riparian forests resilient. As wildfire regimes intensify in tropical savanna landscapes, our findings stress the need for an integrated management that considers riparian forests as a vulnerable element of the system.
Otero ML, Menezes RC, Ferreira IBB, et al. Infect Drug Resist. 2020;13:2811‒2817. The authors have advised the author list on page 2811 is incorrect. This error was introduced by the Editorial staff ...during the publication process. The correct author list and affiliations are as follows. Matheus L Otero,1,* Rodrigo C Menezes,2,* Isabella B B Ferreira,3,* Francine L Issa,4 Gabriel Agareno,1 Thomas Azevedo Carmo,1 María B Arriaga,4-6 Kiyoshi F Fukutani,5,6 Licurgo Pamplona Neto,7 Sydney Agareno,7 Nivaldo M Filgueiras Filho,1,3,7,* Kevan M Akrami,8,* Bruno B Andrade1,4-6,9,* 1Curso de Medicina, Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS), Laureate Universities, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; 2Curso de Medicina, União Metropolitana Para o Desenvolvimento da Educação e Cultura (UNIME), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; 3Universidade Do Estado Da Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; 4Curso de Medicina, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; 5Laboratório de Inflamação e Biomarcadores, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; 6Multinational Organization Network Sponsoring Translational and Epidemiological Research (MONSTER) Initiative, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; 7Hospital Da Cidade, Intensive Care Unit, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; 8Division of Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, USA; 9Escola Bahiana De Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil *These authors contributed equally to this work Read the original article
To assess the Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS3) prognostic score performance across different body mass index categories.
A retrospective cohort study in a general ICU in Brazil. A ...secondary analysis of medical records was performed with clinical and epidemiological data. Patients were stratified according to their body mass index (BMI) category, and a binary logistic regression was then performed to identify factors independently associated with mortality. SAPS3 accuracy was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. A modified Kaplan-Meyer plot was employed to evaluate death probability according to BMI. ICU mortality was evaluated as the primary outcome.
A total of 2,179 patients (mean age of 67.9 years and female predominance (53.1%)) were enrolled. SAPS3 was found accurate in all groups except in the underweight (AUC: 0.694 95% CI 0.616–0.773; HL = 0.042). The patients in the underweight group tended to be older, have longer hospital stay, have worse functional status, and have a higher value on prognostic scores. After the adjustments, no statistically significant difference between the BMI groups was noted in relation to mortality, except for the low weight that presented a likelihood of death of 3.50 (95% CI, 1.43–8.58, p = 0.006).
This research showed that SAPS3 had poor accuracy in predicting ICU mortality in underweight patients. This group was shown to be an independent risk factor for worse clinical outcomes.
Intensive care unit; Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3; Body Mass Index, Mortality, Prognosis.
Evaluate host and pathogen factors associated with mortality in those with hospital acquired infections (HAI) in a tertiary intensive care unit in Brazil.
Observational and analytical cohort single ...center study in a general intensive care unit (ICU) in Northeastern Brazil between January 2016 and August 2018, including those over 18 years of age admitted to the ICU found to have a HAI.
A total of 165 patients were included, with a mean age of 72 years and male predominance (53.3%) and observed mortality of 46%. Mortality in those with HAI was significantly associated with older age, increased ICU length of stay and readmission to the ICU in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that development of septic shock and obtundation during ICU admission was significantly associated with an increased risk of death (OR: 6.94, 95% CI 1.23-39.27, OR: 2.48, 95% CI 1.17-5.29, respectively). A trend towards mortality risk was noted in those with increased age and prior cardiovascular disease. Surprisingly, mortality risk was independent of site of infection, type of pathogen and antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, having more than one HAI over the course of the ICU admission did not impact mortality.
Risk of death in those with HAI is associated with obtundation and septic shock, in addition to vasopressor use. Host factors, rather than pathogen-specific characteristics or infecting site, impact risk of death related to HAI in the ICU.
Objective: Evaluate host and pathogen factors associated with mortality in those with hospital acquired infections (HAI) in a tertiary intensive care unit in Brazil. Methods: Observational and ...analytical cohort single center study in a general intensive care unit (ICU) in Northeastern Brazil between January 2016 and August 2018, including those over 18 years of age admitted to the ICU found to have a HAI. Results: A total of 165 patients were included, with a mean age of 72 years and male predominance (53.3%) and observed mortality of 46%. Mortality in those with HAI was significantly associated with older age, increased ICU length of stay and readmission to the ICU in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that development of septic shock and obtundation during ICU admission was significantly associated with an increased risk of death (OR: 6.94, 95% CI 1.23-39.27, OR: 2.48, 95% CI 1.17-5.29, respectively). A trend towards mortality risk was noted in those with increased age and prior cardiovascular disease. Surprisingly, mortality risk was independent of site of infection, type of pathogen and antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, having more than one HAI over the course of the ICU admission did not impact mortality. Conclusion: Risk of death in those with HAI is associated with obtundation and septic shock, in addition to vasopressor use. Host factors, rather than pathogen-specific characteristics or infecting site, impact risk of death related to HAI in the ICU. Keywords: hospital acquired infection, ICU, mortality, critical illness, septic shock, intensive care
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