Treatment resistance in unipolar depression: Is it an iatrogenic phenomenon caused by antidepressant treatment of patients with a bipolar diathesis?

Major depressive disorder is a common psychiatric illness that is considered generally treatable; however, there are some patients who fail to respond in spite of adequate trials of antidepressants. Clinical factors known to contribute to treatment resistance include psychiatric and physical comorbidity, undiagnosed bipolarity, and treatment non-adherence. There is also emerging evidence that the use of antidepressants in some 'unipolar' patients may lead to a pattern of progressive diminution of therapeutic response and ultimately treatment resistance. A large number of these patients may have a bipolar diathesis even though there are no symptoms of hypomanic, manic or mixed episodes. It is hypothesized that the widespread and injudicious use of antidepressants in patients with a bipolar diathesis might result in treatment-induced resistant depression. Furthermore, attempts to manage the antidepressant-led mood instability might cause increased utilisation of other psychotropic drugs including sedative/hypnotics, neuroleptics and mood stabilisers and contribute to polypharmacotherapy.     

Nosocomial urinary tract infection in the intensive care unit: when should Pseudomonas aeruginosa be suspected? Experience of the French national surveillance of nosocomial infections in the intensive care unit,Rea-Raisin

Individual and ward risk factors for P. aeruginosa-induced urinary tract infection in the case of nosocomial urinary tract infection in the intensive care unit were determined with hierarchical (multilevel) logistic regression. The 2004-2006 prospective French national intensive care unit nosocomial infection surveillance dataset was used and 3252 patients with urinary tract infection were included; 16% were infected by P. aeruginosa. Individual risk factors were male sex, duration of stay, antibiotics at admission and transfer from another intensive care unit. Ward risk factors were patient turnover and incidence of P. aeruginosa-infected patients.     

The structure of emotional symptoms in the postpartum period: Is it unique?

Background

In perinatal mental health there is a lack of consensus as to whether postpartum emotional disorders are unique in their aetiology and clinical presentation. If the clinical presentation is unique, then the factor structure should be different in a postpartum sample.

Methods

Admission and discharge scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995b) scores were collected for 527 inpatients admitted to a Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit. Reliability and validity of the DASS were examined, and confirmatory factor analysis evaluated the fit of a series of models of the DASS.

Results

The DASS had sound reliability and validity in the postpartum inpatient sample. The optimal fitting factor solution for the DASS was a revised three-factor model previously supported in studies of other clinical and non-clinical populations. The factor structure was invariant across admission and discharge.

Limitations

The sample consisted of postpartum inpatients and the generalisability of results to other postpartum samples is not known.

Conclusions

Postpartum emotional symptoms have the same factor structure previously observed in non-postpartum populations, consistent with the hypothesis that postpartum emotional disorders are similar to those occurring at other times. The present study provides support for the reliability and validity of the DASS in the postpartum period.     

Concurrent posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in patients with ipsilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss: Is it caused by otolith particles?

The etiology of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is still elusive even though detached otolith particles from the utricular macula are generally thought to be responsible for the pathogenesis of BPPV. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), of which the etiology is also idiopathic in most cases, may accompany concurrent BPPV. This uncommon condition of concurrent BPPV with SSNHL has been assumptively explained as selective damage of the cochlea and the utricle due to viral neurolabyrinthitis. Recently, radiological evidences that inner ear hemorrhage is observed in patients with SSNHL accompanied by severe vertigo have been reported. The basic hypothesis for this study is that blood debris in the endolymphatic fluid due to inner ear hemorrhage is one of the causes of concurrent posterior semicircular canal (PSCC) BPPV in patient with ipsilateral SSNHL. In this report, we will outline the clinical findings of 4 patients with PSCC BPPV with SSNHL, and present an experimental results using whole blood in artificial endolymph to evaluate the hypothesis.     

Significance of isolated vasculitis in the gynecological tract: what clinicians do with the pathologic diagnosis of vasculitis?

Vasculitides includes a heterogeneous group of disorders with the common histologic findings of vascular wall inflammation. Systemic or localized disease (eg, renal vasculitis) has serious consequences. The incidence of isolated gynecologic vasculitis diagnosed on pathology specimens and its significance is little known. We performed a 20 year retrospective review including 53 cases with vasculitis diagnosis affecting the female genital tract identified in pathology reports. None had prior symptoms or were diagnosed with generalized vasculitis, while one patient had prior diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Most patients presented with abnormal bleeding and were treated for conditions unrelated to vasculitis. The different types of vasculitis were: predominantly lymphocytic (nonspecific) 30 cases, necrotizing 17 cases and granulomatous 6 cases. Only 2 patients had additional serologic tests. None of the patients with isolated gynecologic vasculitis received corticosteroids or additional treatment related to the vasculitis. None of the patients developed systemic vasculitis at follow-up (2 months-19.5 years; mean, 5.5 years). Isolated gynecologic vasculitis diagnosed on pathology slides is rarely associated with systemic vasculitis. Potential isolated gynecologic vasculitis causes include: previous surgical interventions and vascular inflammation secondary to local neoplasm. In almost all cases, clinicians did not perform a thorough laboratory analysis to exclude systemic vasculitis and therapy was not required in any case, suggesting minimal clinical significance.     

Is it nutrients,food items,diet quality or eating behaviours that are responsible for the association of children's diet with sleep?

Both diet quality and sleep duration of children have declined in the past decades. Several studies have suggested that diet and sleep are associated; however, it is not established which aspects of the diet are responsible for this association. Is it nutrients, food items, diet quality or eating behaviours? We surveyed 2261 grade 5 children on their dietary intake and eating behaviours, and their parents on their sleep duration and sleep quality. We performed factor analysis to identify and quantify the essential factors among 57 nutrients, 132 food items and 19 eating behaviours. We considered these essential factors along with a diet quality score in multivariate regression analyses to assess their independent associations with sleep. Nutrients, food items and diet quality did not exhibit independent associations with sleep, whereas two groupings of eating behaviours did. ‘Unhealthy eating habits and environments’ was independently associated with sleep. For each standard deviation increase in their factor score, children had 6 min less sleep and were 12% less likely to have sleep of good quality. ‘Snacking between meals and after supper’ was independently associated with sleep quality. For each standard deviation increase in its factor score, children were 7% less likely to have good quality sleep. This study demonstrates that eating behaviours are responsible for the associations of diet with sleep among children. Health promotion programmes aiming to improve sleep should therefore focus on discouraging eating behaviours such as eating alone or in front of the TV, and snacking between meals and after supper.     

Characterization of tetracycline and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in a Spanish hospital: Is livestock-contact a risk factor in infections caused by MRSA CC398?

Tetracycline-resistance (Tet^R) has been postulated as a marker of the livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lineage CC398. Objectives of the study: to determine the spa-types and assigned MLST clonal complexes (CCs) among all 98 MRSA-Tet^R strains recovered during 2011–2012 (from different patients) in a Spanish Hospital, analyzing the possible correlation with livestock-contact of the patients. All 98 strains were assigned to 9 CCs: CC398 (60.2%), CC1 (19.4%), CC5 (12.2%), and other CCs (8.2%). The 98 patients were classified into three groups: (A) contact with livestock-animals (n = 25); (B) no-contact with livestock-animals (n = 42); (C) no information about animal contact (n = 31). A significant higher percentage of CC398 strains was obtained in group A (76%) than in group B (50%) (p < 0.05), being the percentage in group C of 61.3%. Most of MRSA-Tet^R-CC398 strains presented a multi-resistance phenotype, including erythromycin, clindamycin, and ciprofloxacin, and the most prevalent detected genes were tet(M) and erm(C). Three strains presented the phenotype macrolide-susceptibility/lincosamide-resistance and contained the vga(A) gene. MRSA-CC1 strains showed higher percentages of erythromycin/clindamycin resistance (95%/89%) than MRSA-CC398 strains (58%/63%), and this resistance was usually mediated by erm(C) gene. Most of MRSA-CC5 strains showed resistance to ciprofloxacin, tobramycin/kanamycin and erythromycin. None of the strains presented the genes lukF/lukS-PV, tsst-1, eta, etb or etd. All MRSA-CC398 strains lacked the genes of the immune-evasion-cluster, but MRSA-CC1 strains carried these genes (type E). In conclusion, although MRSA CC398 is detected in a significant higher proportion in patients with livestock-contact; its detection in people without this type of contact also indicates its capacity for human-to-human transmission.     

Is there any rationale for treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections with antimicrobials that are determined to be ineffective in vitro?

Antimicrobial drug resistance remains a leading problem in modern healthcare, impacting on treatment options, mortality, infection control and economic issues. The introduction of new antimicrobial drugs has consistently been followed by the emergence of resistant bacteria. This review aims to answer the question of whether clinical improvement is likely if treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections is attempted with an antimicrobial drug against which resistance is expressed in vitro (RD). Over time, S. aureus has acquired a broad range of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains have become the most common multidrug-resistant healthcare-related infection-causing bacteria in Europe. As intention-to-treat studies with an RD would be unethical, only observational studies to evaluate the impact of RD therapy have been performed. Most of these studies bolster the assumption that RD therapy offers no benefit to the patient, but some do not show a detrimental effect. Limited antimicrobial treatment options for severe, invasive infections caused by MRSA might tempt physicians to use antimicrobials to which in vitro resistance is reported by the microbiological laboratory. Reasons for this non-evidence-based approach might include better pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic parameters, lower toxicity and better bioavailability in specific compartments, and/or the assumption of increased in vivo susceptibility of those microorganisms reported as resistant in vitro. In vitro resistance of a bacterium to a drug implies that exposing this bacterium to that drug should result in a worse clinical outcome than would be obtained with a drug to which resistance has not been observed (SD). As a counterpoint to in vitro resistance breakpoints, the concept of clinical breakpoints is therefore briefly revisited in this review. In a nutshell, no evidence has been published that S. aureus infections can be reliably treated with RDs, either as a single administration or in combination therapy.     

Bloodstream infections caused by IMP-8-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates: the need for clinical laboratory detection of metallo-β-lactamases?

A retrospective study was conducted at a Taiwanese medical center to characterize bloodstream infections caused by IMP-8 metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates and to assess the need for laboratory detection of IMP producers. We analyzed 37 patients infected with IMP-8 producers (two Escherichia coli, nine Klebsiella pneumoniae, 25 Enterobacter cloacae, and one Citrobacter freundii) and 107 patients infected with non-IMP-8 producers (eight E. coli, 26 K. pneumoniae, 70 E. cloacae, and three C. freundii) that were interpreted as carbapenem-nonsusceptible based on the updated Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2010 guidelines. Only 18 (48.6 %) of the IMP-8 producers were regarded as potential carbapenemase producers based on the CLSI 2012 guidelines. The production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) was more common in the MBL group (73.0 %) than in the non-MBL group (41.1 %). There were no significant differences in carbapenem susceptibilities, clinical characteristics, carbapenem use for empirical and definitive treatment, and mortality rates between the two groups. Eighteen IMP-8 producers could be deemed as resistant to all carbapenems [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of any carbapenem ≥2 μg/mL]; patients with these isolates had a lower, but non-significant, 28-day mortality rate (27.8 %) than patients infected with non-MBL producers having similar carbapenem MICs (39.0 %) (p?=?0.41). A multivariate analysis revealed severity of acute illness as the single independent variable associated with both 7-day and 28-day mortality rates (p?<?0.01) for infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae with decreased carbapenem susceptibilities. Our findings suggest that the clinical detection of IMP-producing Enterobacteriaceae is not required even when the “old” CLSI criteria are used.     

Gender difference in calcification diseases: Is it the result of gender-specific ways of nano-bacterial expansion?

Gender difference has been reported for frequency of the calcification diseases in urogenital system: according to published statistics data, they are more numerous in males. We suggest that the male increasing is due to nanobacterial infections and ways of their dissemination. There are specific gender-dependent ways for these infections which bring infection to the different target organs, namely: urinary tract, kidney, prostate in men and placenta in women. Identification of the suggested microbial pathogens and investigation of sex-determined pathways for the dissemination are the following steps to get ascertaining events of gender reasons for different calcification diseases.     

Is endogenous histamine involved in the contraction of the isolated trachea,evoked by muscarinic agonist?

Inflammation Research -     

Viral agents causing lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized children: evaluation of the Speed-Oligo? RSV assay for the detection of respiratory syncytial virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the viral agent which is more frequently involved in lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants under 1 year of age in developed countries. A new oligochromatographic assay, Speed-Oligo? RSV, was designed and optimized for the specific detection and identification of RSV subtypes A and B. The test was evaluated in 289 clinical samples from 169 hospitalized children using an immunochromatography (IC) test, virus isolation by culture, and an in-house real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Other viruses causing LRTIs were investigated by cell culture or PCR-based tests. Sixty-two patients were infected by RSV (36.7%). In addition, adenovirus, influenza B, parainfluenza 2, and human metapneumovirus were detected in rates ranging from 5 to 8%. A proportion of 10.1% of the patients had mixed infections. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were, respectively, 94.9, 99.4, 98.9, and 97.4% for Speed-Oligo? RSV, 92.9, 96.3, 92.9, and 96.3% for RT-PCR/RSV, and 58.4, 98.1, 93.3, and 82.6% for IC. Our rates of viral detection and co-infection were similar to those of previously reported series. Finally, we find that Speed-Oligo? RSV is a rapid and easy-to-perform technique for the detection of RSV and the identification of subtypes A and B.     

Alignment of the tibial component of the unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,assessed in the axial view by CT scan: does it influence the outcome?

BackgroundThe ideal position of the unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) in the axial plane remains undefined the medical literature. The aim of this study was to observe how tibial components are placed in the axial plane and identify whether this could influence the postoperative clinical outcome.MethodsA retrospective transversal study of 101 UKA was performed in 88 patients by a single surgeon. Postoperative CT scans were performed at a mean follow-up period of 71 months (36 to 150), and clinical and functional outcomes were assessed by the WOMAC and the KSS scores. Patients were divided several times in two groups depending on a different WOMAC or KSS value each time, and differences in axial angulation were analyzed in every comparison. Distribution of data and influence on outcomes were also analyzed.ResultsThe tibial component was positioned with a mean angulation of 11.9° (− 1 to 32) of external rotation (ER). A lower angle of ER was observed in all comparisons in the groups with better outcomes. Differences between groups were statistically significant when a good result was defined as a WOMAC score lower than 10.ConclusionsVariability in axial positioning (33 °) is higher than in other planes due to the free-hand technique. A trend towards better outcomes is observed when the tibial component is placed in a lower angle of ER. Rotational alignment in UKA should be investigated in subsequent studies with larger sample sizes.Level of evidenceLevel III, retrospective comparative study     

Is progesterone elevation on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin administration associated with the probability of pregnancy in in vitro fertilization? A systematic review and meta-analysis

The role of progesterone elevation on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome has remained a debatable issue for several years. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate whether progesterone elevation on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) administration is associated with the probability of pregnancy. Eligible studies were considered those in which patients did not participate more than once. A literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL identified 12 eligible studies, 10 of which were retrospective. The majority (n = 10) of these studies did not detect a statistically significant association between progesterone elevation and the probability of pregnancy. Meta-analysis was performed only for the studies (n = 5) that provided data on clinical pregnancy per patient reaching hCG administration for final oocyte maturation. No statistically significant association between progesterone elevation and the probability of clinical pregnancy was detected (Odds ratio: 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.53-1.06; P = 0.10). This finding persisted in the sensitivity analyses performed, which excluded the studies that did not report clearly that measurement of progesterone did not affect patients' management and those that did not report definition of clinical pregnancy. In addition, subgroup analyses were conducted on the basis of type of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone GnRH analogue used and on the value of serum threshold used to classify patients in those with or without progesterone elevation. These analyses, however, did not materially change the results obtained. In conclusion, the best available evidence does not support an association between progesterone elevation on the day of hCG administration and the probability of clinical pregnancy in women undergoing ovarian stimulation with GnRH analogues and gonadotrophins for IVF.     

Anatomical differentiation of direct and indirect inguinal hernias: Is it worthwhile in the modern era?

The study aimed to assess the clinical accuracy of differentiating direct and indirect inguinal hernias preoperatively by different grades of surgeons. A retrospective audit was conducted over a 9‐year period and comprised all adult inguinal hernia patients operated by one consultant surgeon. The hernias were differentiated into direct and indirect hernias based on the direction of cough impulse and the deep ring occlusion test. The preoperative diagnosis was compared with intraoperative findings. During the study period, 503 patients were examined. Of these, 272 patients were diagnosed as having indirect hernias and 56 patients as having direct hernias. In 175 patients, no attempt was made to differentiate indirect and direct hernias. When compared with intraoperative findings, the diagnosis was correct in 77% of the indirect hernias and 55% of direct hernias. Of the patients in whom no differentiation was attempted, 115 patients had indirect hernias, 56 had direct hernias, and four had both. For indirect hernias, the diagnostic accuracy was 82, 63, and 30% for consultant, registrars, and senior house officers. For direct hernias, the diagnostic accuracy was 66, 50, and 44%, respectively. This study demonstrates relatively poor accuracy in diagnosing direct inguinal hernias regardless of seniority. Clin. Anat. 23:848–850, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Transient minimal hydronephrosis on contralateral kidney in infants with unilateral hydronephrosis: Is it an early sign of worsening of the affected kidney?

Background/aim The criteria for surgical management of ureteropelvic junction obstruction are not well-defined, and there is a risk for loss of renal function before the operation. In this context, certain changes in contralateral kidney had been investigated in order to increase the sensitivity of diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether contralateral transient minimal hydronephrosis (CTMH) can be considered as an “early alarm” sign for worsening of the affected kidney in infants with hydronephrosis.Materials and methods A total of 182 infants (92 surgically treated and 90 conservatively followed-up) with unilateral hydronephrosis were retrospectively analyzed. Ultrasonography and renal scan findings were evaluated. Correlation between the appearance of CTMH, contralateral compensatory hypertrophy (CCH) on ultrasonography, and prognosis of the affected kidney were evaluated.ResultsAmong the surgically treated patients, 18 (19.6%) patients developed CTMH on average 7 months (0–13 months) before surgery. Among these 18 patients with CTMH, 12 patients (66.6%) had loss of renal function preoperatively, while this ratio was 29.7% on their counterparts (p = 0049). CCH was observed in 31 (33.7%) individuals in surgically treated patient group including all 18 patients with CTMH, while none of the conservatively followed-up patients developed CCH and/or CTMH. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, among the variables investigated, CTMH was found as an independent predictor of the deterioration in the affected kidney and of the poor prognosis (p = 0.011 and p = 0.0004, respectively).Conclusion In our study, among the variables investigated, CTMH was found as an independent predictor of the deterioration in the affected kidney and poor prognosis in infants followed-up with isolated unilateral hydronephrosis. Additionally, CTMH can be considered as an “early alarm” sign for worsening of the affected kidney and the need for surgical intervention.