Bacterial and fungal co-infection is a major barrier in COVID-19 patients: A specific management and therapeutic strategy is required

Microbial co-infections are another primary concern in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet it is an untouched area among researchers. Preliminary data and systematic reviews only show the type of pathogens responsible for that, but its pathophysiology is still unknown. Studies show that these microbial co-infections are hospital-acquired/nosocomial infections, and patients admitted to intensive care units with invasive mechanical ventilation are highly susceptible to it. Patients with COVID-19 had elevated inflammatory cytokines and a weakened cell-mediated immune response, with lower CD4⁺ T and CD8⁺ T cell counts, indicating vulnerability to various co-infections. Despite this, there are only a few studies that recommend the management of co-infections.     

Differential Diagnosis of Acute Diarrhea

Acute diarrhea is a condition of increased water stool content, stool volume, and number of bowel movements that lasts less than 14 days. Mild diarrhea is usually self-limiting; however, undertreated moderate to severe diarrhea may cause severe dehydration and lead to hypovolemic shock. In order to prevent severe dehydration and treat patients appropriately, it is crucial for health care providers to determine the right diagnosis of patients with acute diarrhea. This article focuses on pathophysiology, general patient presentation, diagnostic tests and differential diagnosis lists of acute diarrhea to discuss which diagnosis should be made based on patient presentation and objective data.     

Paradox of complex diversity: Challenges in the diagnosis and management of bacterial keratitis

Bacterial keratitis continues to be one of the leading causes of corneal blindness in the developed as well as the developing world, despite swift progress since the dawn of the “anti-biotic era”. Although, we have expeditiously developed our understanding about the different causative organisms and associated pathology leading to keratitis, extensive gaps in knowledge continue to dampen the efforts required for early and accurate diagnosis, and management in these patients, resulting in poor clinical outcomes. The ability of the causative bacteria to subdue the therapeutic challenge stems from their large genome encoding complex regulatory networks, variety of unique virulence factors, and rapid secretion of tissue damaging proteases and toxins.In this review article, we provide an overview of the established diagnostic techniques and therapeutics for keratitis caused by various bacteria. We extensively report the recent in-roads through novel tools for accurately diagnosing mono- and poly-bacterial corneal infections. Furthermore, we outline the recent progress by our groups and others in understanding the sub-cellular genomic changes that lead to antibiotic resistance in these organisms. Finally, we discuss in detail, the novel therapies and drug delivery systems in development for the efficacious management of bacterial keratitis.     

李东垣论治泄泻理论探讨

李东垣的升脾阳法对于泄泻的治疗具有重要价值。泄泻的基本病机是脾虚湿盛，脾虚为病机之核心，或兼肺虚，或兼湿盛，或兼寒积，脾虚则清阳不升，正所谓"清气在下，则生飧泄"。治疗以补脾健脾为本，根据不同的病机或补益脾肺，或燥湿健脾，或攻逐寒积，或健脾升阳。     

Decreased efficacy of UV inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus after multiple exposure and growth cycles

UV disinfection is a relatively simple and cost-efficient disinfection method, especially for in-home greywater treatment. In this study, a bench scale experiment was performed using a LED collimated UV-C beam with a peak wavelength of 256?nm to determine if potentially pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus may become enriched in a semi-recirculating greywater system with UV as the sole disinfection step. A statistically significant (P?<?0.001) decreasing trend in UV-C efficacy was observed between the 1st and 6th UV exposure-growth cycles of S. aureus (ATCC 25923), resulting in a 1.5 decrease in log₁₀ removal (P?<?0.00000) by the 5th iteration. An eleven-point dose-response curve of the 7th iteration of S. aureus was estimated and compared to the dose-response curve of the original strain; due to a longer apparent shoulder period and a decay constant of lesser degree, the dose required for a 4-log reduction of the enriched S. aureus was estimated to be ～1.9 times greater (22.0?mJ?cm^?2 versus 11.8?mJ?cm^?2). However, experimental results with S. epidermidis (ATCC 12228) and two wild strains, S. aureus and S. warneri, exhibited no trend of increased resistance. UV doses exceeding 20?mJ?cm^?2 are generally sufficient in achieving a 4-log reduction of bacteria in drinking water systems; however, the results exhibited in this study suggest that when recirculation is involved, there may be a need for UV doses exceeding what is necessary for a 4-log reduction to suppress the enrichment of strains which could pose a public health risk.     

邱健主任从心小肠藏象系统论治腹泻型肠易激综合征的临床经验

邱健主任医师从事中医临床35年,临床治疗腹泻型肠易激综合征(IBS-D)有独到的见解,认为IBS-D的病因为先天禀赋不足和(或)后天失养、情志失调、饮食不节、感受外邪等,其发病关键在于心小肠藏象系统功能紊乱,心阳不足,不能温煦小肠,小肠泌别清浊失司而发为泄泻,以“桂枝荔芝汤”为基础方论治此病临床效果显著。     

Efficacy of cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive in the management of corneal thinning and perforation due to microbial keratitis

PurposeReport the efficacy of cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive (CTA) application in the management of corneal thinning and perforations associated with microbial keratitis.MethodsA retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent CTA application for corneal thinning and perforation secondary to microbiologically proven infectious keratitis between 2001 and 2018 at a single center. We defined successful CTA application as an intact globe without tectonic surgical intervention.ResultsThe cohort included 67 patients, and 37 presented with corneal perforation while 30 had corneal thinning. The perforation/thinning was central/paracentral in 43 eyes and peripheral in 23 eyes. The underlying infectious etiologies were monomicrobial in 42 cases (35 bacterial, 3 fungal, 2 viral, and 2 acanthamoeba cases) and polymicrobial in 25 cases (22 polybacterial cases and 3 cases with a combination of Gram positive bacteria and fungus). The median duration of glue retention was 29 days. The CTA success rate was 73%, 64%, and 44% at 10, 30, and 180 days, respectively. CTA application appears more successful in monomicrobial (vs. polymicrobial) and Gram positive bacterial (vs. Gram negative) keratitis but the differences are statistically non-significant. The location of perforation/thinning and the use of topical corticosteroid were not associated with CTA failure.ConclusionCTA was moderately effective in restoring globe integrity in severe corneal thinning and perforation secondary to microbial keratitis in the short term. However the majority of patients require tectonic surgical intervention within 6 months. CTA application success is not significantly associated with the location of thinning/perforation or the use of topical corticosteroid.     

清热解毒、散风除翳法对细菌性角膜炎的作用机制研究

目的:观察清热解毒、散风除翳法对细菌性角膜炎模型鼠的疗效及其作用机制。方法:将60只Wistar大鼠随机分为5组,即模型组、小剂量组、大剂量组、对照组以及空白组，每组12只大鼠。采用细菌性角膜炎动物模型症状评定观察清热解毒、散风除翳法的疗效,通过细菌清除率、角膜细菌菌落计数,光学显微镜观察大鼠角膜的病理组织学改变,并采用流式细胞仪检测CD4+,CD8+及CD4+/CD8+的水平讨论清热解毒、散风除翳法的作用机制。结果:1)清热解毒、散风除翳法可降低细菌性角膜炎性反应状评分,提高细菌清除率,改善角膜基质层的病理结构;2)清热解毒、散风除翳法可提高细菌性角膜炎模型鼠外周血血CD4+、CD8+的表达水平,具有剂量依赖性(P<0.05),CD4+/CD8+比值相对稳定,各组间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:清热解毒,散风除翳法能有效改善细菌性角膜炎,其作用机制可能与上调大鼠外周血中CD4+,CD8+含量有关。