Semmelweis’ present day follow-up: Updating bacterial sampling and enrichment in clinical hygiene

Potentially dangerous antibiotic resistant contaminants have permanently penetrated at least well-off western populations. The danger is so evident that some hospitals have started to refuse accepting patients who carry such bacteria. Sampling and enrichment measures in hygiene monitoring must be updated as they are corner stones in handling the problems and safeguarding the health care units. Their patients, when exposed to microorganisms are strenuous to treat. Sometimes even this fails, if the infections are spreading in weakened patients. The present review summarizes currently used technologies and the abilities of bacteria to avoid detection. Improved protocols on environmental monitoring in healthcare units are required. They should be comparable with contamination control in industries. Actually these measures in health care should be even stricter because human lives are directly endangered as the resistance of especially elderly patients is low.     

Neuroimaging and Neurologic Complications after Organ Transplantation

Neurologic complications are common after transplantation and affect 30-60% of transplant recipients. The etiology of most of the posttransplant neurologic disorders is related to the opportunistic infections, both systemic and involving central nervous system (CNS), toxicity of immunosuppressive medications, and the metabolic insult created by the underlying primary disease and the transplant procedure. Neuroimaging studies are one of the key tools in the evaluation and enable early diagnosis of neurologic complications in transplant patients, especially posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome, central pontine myelinolysis, intracerebral hemorrhage, and fungal and bacterial abscesses. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred technique, but each of the available neuroimaging techniques offers a unique insight into the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying neurologic complications of transplantation. The role of neuroimaging in this population includes early detection of calcineurin inhibitor neurotoxicity, opportunistic infections, neoplasia, metabolic disorders, or cerebrovascular diseases. In addition, we can monitor longitudinal progression of disease and treatment response.     

Soluble CD14 at 2 yr of age: Gender-related effects of tobacco smoke exposure, recurrent infections and atopic diseases

The endotoxin receptor soluble CD14 (sCD14) has been implicated in the 'hygiene hypothesis' suggesting reduced allergic sensitization with bacterial stimulation. However, the relationship between early life sCD14 and allergic diseases is conflicting. We aimed to investigate whether possible risk factors for allergic diseases were associated with sCD14 levels at 2 yr of age. In the nested case-control study of the birth cohort studies 'Environment and Childhood Asthma study in Oslo' 411 children selected with recurrent bronchial obstruction (rBO) (n=241) and no bronchial obstruction (n=170) by 2 yr were investigated with skin prick test and structured parental interview at age 2 yr. Exposure to tobacco smoke, pets and infections was recorded semi-annually by questionnaires (0-2 yr). The sCD14 was analysed from frozen, stored serum by ELISA technique. Regression analyses were performed in all subjects with complete data (n=406, 180 girls), and in girls and in boys separately. Mean sCD14 (ng/ml) was significantly higher among girls 2035 (1973-2096) vs. 1947 (1890-2004) (boys). The sCD14 was significantly reduced among girls exposed to antenatal maternal smoking and with parental asthma, after adjusting for age, parental rhino-conjunctivitis, pet keeping and childhood infections. Recurrent otitis media (OM) increased and common colds significantly decreased sCD14 levels in girls. Boys with atopic dermatitis and rBO had reduced sCD14. Pet exposure was not significantly associated with sCD14. We report novel gender-related effects of sCD14 in early life and suggest that gender, tobacco smoke exposure, age and middle ear disease in particular should be accounted for when assessing the role of sCD14 in childhood allergic diseases.     

应用质粒分析探讨医院内细菌感染的流行病学特点

为探讨医院内细菌感染的流行病学特点，作者借助临床分离的６４株肺为克雷伯菌，４５株阴沟肠杆菌和６３株醋酸钙不动杆菌，进行质粒图谱分３种细菌分别有５８株，３５株和４１株含有质粒，且分别构成４６个，２１个和２３个质粒图谱型。结果表明：质粒分析为查明医院内细菌感染源和感染途径提供了较为直接，准确的客观依据，同时也看到了质粒分析的局限性。     

浅谈对传染科护士素质的要求与体会

根据笔者在传染科病房工作中的体会,从六个方面针对传染科工作的特殊性和存在的共性分别阐述了传染科护士在工作中如何高标准、严要求自己,如何对病人做到到位的护理,旨在提高传染科病房的整体护理质量,从而把更多的实惠让利于患者。     

30例急性单发性球形肺炎的临床与CT特点

目的　通过分析 3 0例急性单发性球形肺炎的临床与CT特点 ,提高与周围性肺癌的鉴别能力。方法　对 3 0例住院患者 ,入院后均行胸片、胸部CT、纤维支气管镜检查及痰涂片、痰细菌培养等检查。结果　痰细菌培养均为细菌感染 ,胸片、胸部CT显示病灶为贴近胸膜或沿支气管血管束分布占 70 .0 0 % ;分布在两肺下叶背段或后基底段占 60 .0 0 %。病灶直径 2 .0～ 4.5cm 2 4例 ,占 80 .0 0 % ,2 5例患者经抗炎治疗病灶完全吸收。结论　抗炎治疗是动态观察单发性球形肺炎病灶变化的一种有效方法。     

The child with recurrent respiratory infections: normal or not?

Respiratory infections (RI) are one of the major complaints in children and adolescents, and represent a demanding challenge for the pediatrician. It has been estimated that at least 6% of Italian children younger than 6 yr of age present recurrent respiratory infections (RRI). Children with RRI are not affected by severe alterations of the immune system. RRI represent essentially the consequence of an increased exposure to infectious agents during the first years of life, when immune functions are still largely immature. Several social and environmental factors, such as day-care attendance, family size, air pollution, parental smoking, and home dampness, represent important risk factors for airway diseases and may contribute in various degrees to determine the incidence of RRI. The main problem for the pediatrician is to discriminate normal children with high RI frequency related to an augmented exposure to environmental risk factors from children affected by other underlying pathological conditions (immunological or not), predisposing to infectious diseases. When RRI diagnosis has been formulated, removal of environmental risk factors (i.e. precocious day-care attendance, smoking in the household) must first be suggested.     

The epidemiology of nosocomial Pseudomonas cepacia infections: Endemic infections

Pseudomonas cepacia has recently emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen. We analyzed a national nosocomial infections database, the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system, to describe the epidemiology of endemic nosocomial P. cepacia infections. Between 1980 and 1985, the P. cepacia nosocomial infection rate was 2.4 per 100,000 patient discharges. During this period, there was a significant increase in the P. cepacia infection rate. The highest infection rate was reported from large medical school-affiliated hospitals. Over 90% of the infections were reported from medicine and surgery services. The most frequently reported site of infection was the lower respiratory tract (31%), followed by blood (20%) and the urinary tract (20%). Nosocomial P. cepacia infections are often associated with mortality, particularly when they involve the lung. These data confirm the hypothesis that P. cepacia is an emerging nosocomial pathogen and suggest that the epidemiology of endemic infections differs from that reported for epidemic inflections.     

Epidemiological considerations following long-term surveillance of invasive group A streptococcal disease in The Netherlands, 1992–2003

A nationwide laboratory-based surveillance system for invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections was conducted in The Netherlands from March 1992 until December 2003. Until 1996, all isolates submitted were evaluated clinically and demographically. During this period there was a transition from passive to active surveillance for some of the participating laboratories, corresponding to a national coverage of 50%. During active surveillance, participating laboratories submitted twice as many isolates from invasive GAS disease, whereas the relative submission of isolates representing very severe manifestations (toxic shock-like syndrome, fatality) did not increase. From 1997 onwards, invasiveness was defined solely on the basis of source of isolation (without clinical evaluation). During the period of microbiological and clinical evaluation, microbiological evaluation alone was found to be specific (> 99%), but had limited sensitivity (66%). Estimation of the true rate of invasive GAS disease should be based on an active surveillance system with inclusion of both microbiological and clinical data.