Streptococcus pneumoniae infections in 47 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients: clinical characteristics of infections and vaccine-breakthrough infections, 1989-2005

Streptococcus pneumoniae infections can cause serious systemic disease in patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and the response to pneumococcal vaccine is inadequate in most HSCT recipients. We evaluated the clinical spectrum of pneumococcal disease and vaccine-breakthrough infections in HSCT recipients at our cancer center in a retrospective analysis of all consecutive episodes of S. pneumoniae infection from 1989 through 2005. During the study period, 7888 patients underwent HSCT at our center; we identified 47 HSCT recipients with 54 S. pneumoniae infections. The overall incidence of S. pneumoniae infection was 7 per 1000 HSCTs. The incidence was higher in recipients of allogeneic grafts than in recipients of autologous grafts (9 vs. 5 per 1000 HSCTs, respectively; p 相似文献   

Dermatologic manifestations of infections in immunocompromised patients

Thirty-one immunocompromised patients (22 renal allograft recipients, 5 patients receiving chronic corticosteroid therapy, and 4 patients undergoing chemotherapy for acute leukemia) with significant dermatologic infection, excluding typical cellulitis and herpesvirus infections, were retrospectively identified over a 12-year period. Of these 31 patients, 15 (48%) had infection restricted to their skin, 6 (19%) appeared to have primary cutaneous infection that spread hematogenously to other parts of the body, 2 (6%) had infections of adjoining nasal tissue that spread to contiguous skin, and 8 (26%) appeared to have disseminated systemic infection that spread to the skin. In six of the eight patients with apparent secondary skin involvement, the development of the cutaneous lesion was the first clinical indication of disseminated infection. Eleven immunocompromised patients (35%) with bacterial infection of the skin or subcutaneous tissue were identified. These patients could be divided into three categories: leukemic patients with bacteremic gram-negative infection metastasizing to the skin (3 cases), renal transplant recipients with recurrent staphylococcal infection on and around the elbow ("transplant elbow") or streptococcal sepsis from a site of cellulitis (5 cases), and immunocompromised patients with opportunistic bacterial infection due to Nocardia asteroides or atypical mycobacteria (3 cases). Seventeen immunocompromised patients (55%) with fungal infection of the skin or subcutaneous tissue were identified. These included 12 patients with opportunistic fungal infection (Cryptococcus neoformans, 4 cases; Aspergillus species, 3 cases; Paecilomyces, 2 cases; Rhizopus species, 2 cases; and Candida tropicalis, 1 case) and 5 patients with extensive, confluent cutaneous dermatophyte infections. One patient with protothecosis and two patients with extensive papillomavirus infection were identified. Of these latter two cases, one had his immunosuppression discontinued, with clearing of his extensive warts; the other had confluent warts of the face and neck that subsequently underwent malignant degeneration to squamous cell carcinoma while chronic immunosuppressive therapy was continued.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

The microbiology and pathogenesis of infective endocarditis

Some details of 544 episodes of infective endocarditis occurring in 541 patients during 1981 and 1982 are reported. The mean age of patients was 51.6 years and there was a greater proportion of males (2:1). Of the 544 episodes 347 (63%) were due to streptococci, 19% to staphylococci, and 14% to bowel organisms. A wide variety of other organisms were responsible for a few cases, and 10% were culture negative. In 60% the portal of entry of the infection could not be ascertained: 19% were probably of dental origin: 16% arose from the alimentary, genitourinary, or respiratory tracts or from the skin or in association with drug addiction, fractures, or pregnancy; the remaining 5% were related to cardiac or other vascular surgery, cardiac catheterisation, haemodialysis, or other procedures involving the blood stream. Seventy-four (14%) of the 541 patients (mean age 59.0 years) died; the mortality was 30% in staphylococcal cases, 14% in infections due to bowel organisms, and 6% in other streptococcal infections. One hundred and seventy-one (32%) of the patients appeared to have had normal hearts before the onset of illness and another 59 (11%) had cardiac lesions not previously recognised. The aortic valve was the most common site of infection. Ninety (17%) of the patients had prosthetic valves or had undergone other cardiac surgery while 34 (6%) had had a previous episode of infective endocarditis. Nine (1.6%) episodes were not diagnosed until necropsy or operation and 34 (6.3%) required urgent valve replacement.     

The microbiology and pathogenesis of infective endocarditis.

Some details of 544 episodes of infective endocarditis occurring in 541 patients during 1981 and 1982 are reported. The mean age of patients was 51.6 years and there was a greater proportion of males (2:1). Of the 544 episodes 347 (63%) were due to streptococci, 19% to staphylococci, and 14% to bowel organisms. A wide variety of other organisms were responsible for a few cases, and 10% were culture negative. In 60% the portal of entry of the infection could not be ascertained: 19% were probably of dental origin: 16% arose from the alimentary, genitourinary, or respiratory tracts or from the skin or in association with drug addiction, fractures, or pregnancy; the remaining 5% were related to cardiac or other vascular surgery, cardiac catheterisation, haemodialysis, or other procedures involving the blood stream. Seventy-four (14%) of the 541 patients (mean age 59.0 years) died; the mortality was 30% in staphylococcal cases, 14% in infections due to bowel organisms, and 6% in other streptococcal infections. One hundred and seventy-one (32%) of the patients appeared to have had normal hearts before the onset of illness and another 59 (11%) had cardiac lesions not previously recognised. The aortic valve was the most common site of infection. Ninety (17%) of the patients had prosthetic valves or had undergone other cardiac surgery while 34 (6%) had had a previous episode of infective endocarditis. Nine (1.6%) episodes were not diagnosed until necropsy or operation and 34 (6.3%) required urgent valve replacement.     

Vibrio vulnificus infection in Taiwan: report of 28 cases and review of clinical manifestations and treatment.

From May 1985 through July 1990, 28 episodes of Vibrio vulnificus infection in 27 patients were encountered in five major hospitals in Taiwan. The ages of patients ranged from 19 to 76 years; the ratio of male to female patients was 2:1. Eighteen episodes manifested as bacteremia and eight as wound infections alone. One patient each developed gastroenteritis and pneumonia after nearly drowning. Twenty-three patients exhibited skin manifestations. Twenty patients had underlying diseases. All patients were treated with antibiotics, and 14 also underwent some form of surgical treatment (incision and drainage, fasciotomy, debridement, or amputation). Thirteen of the 28 episodes were preceded by precipitating factors; most were due to ingestion of seafood or exposure of abraded skin to salt water. Ten of the 18 septicemic patients died--most within 48 hours of hospitalization. One patient without bacteremia who had a wound infection died. Results of in vitro susceptibility studies suggested that ampicillin or a third-generation cephalosporin would be effective. Susceptibility to aminoglycosides was observed for greater than 90% of isolates. We recommend combined therapy with a third-generation cephalosporin or ampicillin and an aminoglycoside along with appropriate surgical therapy for the treatment of V. vulnificus infection.     

Immunoglobulin deficiency in kidney allograft recipients: comparative effects of mycophenolate mofetil and azathioprine

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has commonly been substituted for azathioprine (AZA) in kidney transplantation and has been shown to have a greater effect on T cell function and also B cell function than AZA. Although immunoglobulin deficiency has been investigated in patients treated with protocols that include AZA, it has not extensively been studied in MMF-based immunosuppressive protocols. To evaluate this effect, we conducted a prospective study and recruited 49 patients. The patients received either AZA- (group 1) or MMF- (group 2) based therapy. A total of 17 patients in group 1 and 24 patients in group 2 completed the study. Immunoglobulin levels were evaluated before and in every month after transplantation for a 6-month period. Total infectious episodes were recorded and evaluated after 6 months in both groups. While no significant differences have been found in group 1, there were significant decreases in IgG, M, and A levels in group 2 after 6 months (IgG: 11.6+/-1.5-6.8+/-2.0 g/L, P<0.0001; IgM: 2.20+/-1.40-1.40+/-1.16 g/L, P=0.02; IgA: 1.40+/-0.70-1.07+/-0.86 g/L P=0.03). Two patients (11.7%) in group 1 and 11 patients in group 2 (45.8%) were found to have at least one low level of immunoglobulin (P=0.03). When the infectious complications were evaluated, the mean number of infection episodes in each patient was 1.3+/-1.6 and 0.5+/-0.7 for the MMF and AZA groups, respectively (P=0.06). Recurrent urinary tract infection developed in eight patients and seven of those were in group 2. In group 2, 7 of 11 patients with low immunoglobulin levels had recurrent urinary tract infection (63%), while no patient who had normal immunoglobulin levels developed any recurrent urinary tract infections (P<0.001). After 6 months, MMF was changed to AZA in these seven patients, who had both recurrent urinary tract infections and low immunoglobulin levels. All but one patient was found to have normal immunoglobulin levels after 3 months of conversion and only two episodes of infection were recorded during this period. We suggest that serum immunoglobulin levels can be monitored in patients taking MMF, and conversion from MMF to AZA may be an alternative for patients with low immunoglobulin levels and recurrent urinary tract infections.     

Successful use of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in octogenarians

This paper reports experience with 18 patients who started CAPD at an age≥80 years at our centre, with emphasis on results, complications and outcome. There were 12 male and 6 female patients whose mean age was 85 years (range 82–91 years); the median duration on CAPD was 31.5 months (range 2 to 58 months). End-stage renal diseases (ESRD) was caused by nephrosclerosis in 9, diabetes mellitus (DM) and light chain disease in 2 each, chronic glomerulonephritis, membranous nephropathy and IgA nephropathy in 1 each, the cause was unknown in yet another two. Seven patients performed their own dialysis while 11 required assistance. The most common co-morbid conditions were hypertension and angina. Peritonitis, that occurred at a rate of 1 episode per 10.8 patient months was responsible for most of the hospitalizations. Peritonitis necessitated catheter removal in 7 patients, reinsertion was done in 6 of them. Fourteen episodes of exit site infection were encountered in 8 patients, 2 developed pericatheter leak and 1 had a tunnel infection. Of the hernias observed in 4 patients, none were inguinal-2 patients each had umbilical and incisional hernias. Nine patients are still continuing CAPD successfully with a median duration of 29 months (range 11–57 months). One patient was transferred to hemodialysis because of congestive heart failure and eight patients died. The causes of death were peritonitis (3/8), CVA (2/8), pneumonia (1/8) and septicemia (1/8). In one patient, the cause of death was not clearly established. Our survival rate of 80% at 3 years is encouraging and hence we advocate CAPD as an acceptable mode of treatment in octogenarians with ESRD.     

Fever after a stay in the tropics: diagnostic predictors of the leading tropical conditions

Differential diagnosis of fever in travelers returning from the tropics is extremely diverse. Apart from the travel destination, other diagnostic predictors of tropical infections are poorly documented in returning travelers. From April 2000 to December 2005, we prospectively enrolled all patients presenting at our referral centers with fever within 1 year after visiting a tropical or subtropical area. For clinical relevance, the diagnostic predictors of the leading tropical conditions were particularly investigated in the febrile episodes occurring during travel or within 1 month after return (defined as early-onset fever). In total, 2071 fever episodes were included, occurring in 1962 patients. Most patients were western travelers (60%) or expatriates (15%). Regions of exposure were mainly sub-Saharan Africa (68%) and southern Asia/Pacific (14%). Early-onset fever accounted for 1619 episodes (78%). Most tropical infections were related to specific travel destinations. Malaria (mainly Plasmodium falciparum) was strongly predicted by the following features: enlarged spleen, thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150 x 10(3)/microL), fever without localizing symptoms, and hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin level >or=1.3 mg/dL). When malaria had been ruled out, main predictors were skin rash and skin ulcer for rickettsial infection (mainly African tick bite fever); skin rash, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia (leukocyte count <4 x 10(3)/microL) for dengue; eosinophil count >or=0.5 x 10(3)/microL for acute schistosomiasis; and enlarged spleen and elevated alanine aminotransferase level (>or=70 IU/L) for enteric fever. The initial clinical and laboratory assessment can help in selecting appropriate investigations and empiric treatments for patients with imported fever.     

Bacterial infections in adult patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex

Sixty-four episodes of bacterial infection were identified over a 44-month period in 16 of 28 patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and 14 of 31 patients with AIDS-related complex. Nineteen of the 30 infected patients were parenteral drug abusers, 10 were from Caribbean Islands and had no identified risk factor, and one was a homosexual male. Fourteen patients had 21 episodes of community-acquired pneumonia: Streptococcus pneumoniae (10), Haemophilus influenzae (three), other Haemophilus species (three), group B beta-hemolytic streptococci (one), Staphylococcus aureus (one), Branhamella catarrhalis (one), Legionella pneumophila (one), and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (one). Seven patients had eight episodes of nosocomial pneumonia caused by gram-negative bacilli. Twenty-five episodes of community-acquired bacteremia and nine episodes of nosocomial bacteremia were associated with specific sites of infection. Other infections included meningitis (two), urinary tract infection (one), and abscesses involving subcutaneous and deep tissues (12). Sixteen patients had recurrent infections; 11 of these had or eventually had AIDS. Community-acquired bacterial infections in patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex are common and may be recurrent but have low fatality rates. In comparison, nosocomial bacterial infections occur primarily in patients with AIDS and have high fatality rates.     

Colonization and molecular epidemiology of coagulase-negative Staphylococcal bacteremia in cancer patients: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: Controversy surrounds the source (skin vs mucosa) of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) bacteremia in cancer patients. Determining the source of this infection has clinical and epidemiologic implications. OBJECTIVE: To determine the source(s) of CoNS bacteremia in cancer patients. METHODS: Between November 1998 and October 2000, cultures of nasal and rectal mucosa and skin at central venous catheter (CVC) sites were obtained in 62 patients (66 episodes) with CoNS-positive blood culture(s). Bacteremia was classified as true, indeterminate, or unlikely on the basis of clinical and microbiologic findings. Molecular relatedness of strains isolated from the blood and from colonized sites of patients with true and those with unlikely bacteremia was examined using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: CoNS colonization was present in 55 episodes (83%). The nasal mucosa was the most frequently colonized site (86%), followed by rectal mucosa (40%) and skin at site of CVC insertion (38%) (P < .001). Colonization at > or =1 site was common. True and unlikely bacteremia accounted for 11 and 10 episodes, respectively, with the remaining 45 episodes considered undetermined or had negative surveillance cultures. Among patients with true bacteremia, 6 mucosal isolates and only 1 skin isolate were related by PFGE to the blood isolate recovered from the same patient. CONCLUSION: Mucosa is the most common site of CoNS colonization and is the likely source of CoNS bacteremia in cancer patients.     

Cutaneous manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus infection in Taiwan

Cutaneous manifestations are common and often the presenting feature of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, but a comprehensive study of HIV-associated skin lesions is not available in Taiwan. We reviewed all skin lesions in all HIV patients diagnosed in our department between 1990 and 1998 to document the spectrum of skin manifestations, the frequency of each disorder, and their relationship with CD4 counts. A total of 64 HIV patients were studied, including 38 with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (CD4 < 200 x 10(6) cells/L) and 26 who had not developed AIDS (non-AIDS). There were 142 episodes of skin conditions representing 25 different skin diseases, including oral candidiasis (15% in non-AIDS vs 71% in AIDS patients), drug eruptions, herpes simplex, seborrheic dermatitis, dermatophytosis, herpes zoster, secondary syphilis, condyloma acuminatum, Kaposi's sarcoma (16% among AIDS patients), hairy leukoplakia, and molluscum contagiosum (13% among AIDS patients), in decreasing order. Several unusual cases are briefly described, including verrucous herpes infection, condyloma-like molluscum contagiosum, and AIDS-associated pigmented erythroderma. In our study, 70% of all HIV patients had skin diseases, with an average of 2.2 conditions per patient (3.2 in AIDS patients vs 0.7 in non-AIDS patients; p < 0.001). A broad spectrum of HIV-associated skin diseases was observed in our series. The frequency of HIV-associated skin disease was 92% in AIDS patients and 39% in non-AIDS patients; 78% of skin lesions in AIDS patients were diagnosed when CD4 counts were below 100 x 10(6) cells/L.     

Recurrent erythema multiforme

In a prospective clinical study of erythema multiforme (EM), we identified 22 subjects who experienced more than 1 episode. These subjects were young, with an average age of 29 years. They had an average number of 12 previous episodes, with each episode lasting 3 weeks. The average interval between episodes was 4.9 months. We counted the number and location of each skin lesion and found that patients had an average of 188 EM skin lesions at the time of their evaluation. We found the isomorphic phenomenon, that is, lesions appearing at sites of skin trauma, in 19 of the 22 study subjects; photodistribution of skin lesions in 15 of the 22, grouping of the lesions over the elbow and knees in 7 of the 22, and nailfold involvement in 7 of the 22. In this study there was compelling evidence for herpes simplex virus association with recurrent EM. All 22 patients had histories of herpes simplex virus infections preceding at least 1 of their previous episodes of EM. Sera from all study subjects had antibodies to HSV detectable by enzyme immunoassay. None, however, had HSV isolated from the throat at the time of the EM or from an EM skin lesion. All 11 patients who were subsequently tested had positive viral cultures for HSV taken from the suspected recurrent herpes lesion. When 8 EM skin biopsies were examined by indirect immunofluorescence with a monoclonal antibody to the type common HSV glycoprotein gB, all had positive staining of keratinocytes. Only one-third of patients with a single episode of EM had a history of possible herpes lesions preceding EM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evolution of the clinical manifestations of infection during the course of febrile neutropenia in patients with malignancy

Summary The impact of a standardized set of diagnostic interventions on the further management of 968 episodes of fever in neutropenic cancer patients who did not respond to initial therapy was assessed prospectively. At the onset of fever, 65% of patients had no additional signs of infection, whereas skin and soft tissue infections were present in 12% and clinical sepsis and gastrointestinal infections in 8% each. After 72h, 41% of the fevers still remained unexplained. New foci of infection emerged in 11% of the cases involving mainly the lungs, skin and soft tissues, and urinary tract. The presence of a lower respiratory tract infection or a microbiologically defined infection of any sort was associated with higher mortality than other types of infection were. Changes in initial antibiotic therapy were, based on the results of the diagnostic measures specified in the protocol in only 15% of the cases.     

Etiology of bloody diarrhea among patients presenting to United States emergency departments: prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other enteropathogens.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections have been associated with bloody diarrhea. The prevalence of enteropathogens among patients with bloody diarrhea was determined by a prospective study at 11 US emergency departments. Eligible patients had bloody stools, > or =3 loose stool samples per 24-h period, and an illness lasting <7 days. Among 873 patients with 877 episodes of bloody diarrhea, stool samples for culture were obtained in 549 episodes (62.6%). Stool cultures were more frequently ordered for patients with fever, >10 stools/day, and visibly bloody stools than for patients without these findings. Enteropathogens were identified in 168 episodes (30.6%): Shigella (15.3%), Campylobacter (6.2%), Salmonella (5.8%), STEC (2.6%), and other (1.6%). Enteropathogens were isolated during 12.5% of episodes that physicians thought were due to a noninfectious cause. The prevalence of STEC infection varied by site from 0% to 6.2%. Hospital admissions resulted from 195 episodes (23.4%). These data support recommendations that stool samples be cultured for patients with acute bloody diarrhea.     

Community-acquired Salmonella bacteraemia in patients with sickle-cell disease 1969-2008: a single centre study

We document the aetiology of community-acquired bacteraemia in sickle-cell disease (SCD) patients and present clinical aspects of 11 cases of Salmonella bacteraemia. Prospective computerized records of all significant bacteraemic episodes presenting to our institution from 1969 to 2008 were analysed. Additional clinical information was drawn from hospital medical records. Six thousand three hundred and sixty-nine community-acquired bacteraemic episodes were documented, with 66 occurring in SCD patients. Salmonella species were the third most frequently isolated organism in SCD patients; 18% of bacteraemias in SCD patients were caused by Salmonella species vs 3% in non-SCD patients (p < 0.0001). Moreover, the proportion of community-acquired Salmonella bacteraemic episodes caused by non-Typhi species was significantly higher in SCD compared to other patients (p = 0.0015). Focal infection was identified in 7 of the 11 cases of Salmonella bacteraemia in SCD patients, with bone and joint accounting for 6 of these. Infection may have been acquired during travel to the tropics in 4 patients. Our study supports the view that SCD patients are particularly susceptible to Salmonella infection. These infections frequently require multiple surgical interventions and prolonged hospital stays. SCD patients should be advised to pay particular attention to food hygiene while travelling to the tropics.     

Long-term follow-up in patients with incessant ventricular tachycardia

Seventeen patients with coronary artery disease, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy or no organic heart disease who presented with incessant ventricular tachycardia (VT) were studied and followed for a mean period of 51 +/- 35 months. In these patients the incessant VT included greater than or equal to 3 episodes of sustained VT at a rate of greater than or equal to 120 beats/min and frequent episodes of nonsustained VT over a 24-hour period. No patient had electrolyte disorder, prolonged QT interval, drug-induced arrhythmia or myocardial infarction less than 2 weeks old. Six patients died within 27 months of follow-up; 4 from sudden death and 2 from acute myocardial infarction. Three of the 11 surviving patients had remission of their VT within 1 week after the diagnosis of incessant VT. In 3 other patients in whom antiarrhythmic drugs were discontinued during follow-up because of adverse effects of the drugs or other medical reasons, 2 were found in remission. In the remaining 5 alive patients, deliberate attempts were made to discontinue the antiarrhythmic drugs; 4 of these patients were found in remission when the drugs were discontinued. Thus, 9 of these patients (53%) with incessant VT had remission over a mean follow-up of 55 +/- 34 months after discontinuation of the antiarrhythmic drugs. The probability of remission in patients surviving incessant VT warrants trials of discontinuation of antiarrhythmic drugs in these patients.     

Peritoneal dialysis in the nineth decade of life experience in a single center

The clinical outcome of 21 patients on CAPD who were older than 79 years at the time of beginning dialysis is reported in the present paper. These patients represented 5% of 420 patients who were admitted to the CAPD program of our Unit between 1980 and 1995. Fifteen of the patients were men and 6 women, with a mean age of 81 ± 3 years. The median patient survival was 21 months, after 3 years patient survival rate was 30%. The causes of death were cardiovascular (7), cachexia (4), peritonitis (1), liver failure (1) and withdrawal of dialysis (2). The peritonitis rate was 0.6 episodes/year, 45% of episodes were caused by gram + bacteria, 23% by gram - bacteria and in the other episodes peritoneal fluid culture was not performed or no growth was observed. Exit site infection rate was 1 episode every 32 months. Three peritoneal catheters were removed after 1, 14, and 23 months. Most severe complications were dementia (5) and depression (4), severe peripheral vascular disease with pain and ulcers in 3 cases. Quality of life was poor in 4/11 patients surviving after one year. Sixteen patients required a partner for performing the exchanges and many of them needed frequent hospitalization or equivalent care at home.     

Usefulness of rapid antigen detection for the diagnosis of systemic infections due to Haemophilus influenzae]

Twenty-eight cases of systemic infections due to Haemophilus influenzae diagnosed from October 1988 to December 1998 were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical manifestations were 13 meningitis (15 episodes), 9 septic arthritis, 4 acute epiglottitis, 1 septicemia and 1 lung abscess. In the 15 meningitis episodes, 13 had positive CSF culture results, and the other 2 episodes of pretreated with antibiotics were diagnosed by H. influenzae type b (Hib) antigen detection by using concentrated urine specimens. In the 9 septic arthritis cases, 6 had positive synovial fluid culture results. Of the 3 cases with negative results on Gram stain and on synovial fluid and blood cultures, etiological diagnosis was established by Hib antigen detection in synovial fluid. Results of Hib antigen detection were positive in all 8 cases (100%). In 6 of these 8 cases, antimicrobial therapy was started by the results of antigen detection. In the 4 acute epiglottitis, 2 had positive blood culture results, and the other 1 case was diagnosed by Hib antigen detection by using concentrated urine specimen. In 3 of these 4 cases, H. influenzae strains isolated from nasopharyngeal swab or aspirated sputum were serotyped as type b. In this study, rapid antigen detection has several advantages in the rapid laboratory diagnosis of systemic infections due to Haemophilus influenzae. 1. The detection of Hib antigen is the only way to diagnose bacterial etiology of infection in patients who had received partially treatment with antimicrobials. Urine is as an appropriate specimen for antigen testing as CSF in patients with suspected Hib meningitis. Moreover, to detect Hib antigen in synovial fluid is clinically useful in septic arthritis. 2. Both the antigen detection and Gram stain made the rapid presumptive identifications and effected therapeutic decision making. 3. Antigen detection methods have also been used in serotyping of clinical isolates. We conclude that rapid antigen detection is a very useful tool for the rapid etiological diagnosis and guideline for the choice of antimicrobials in systemic infections due to Hib. It is necessary to diagnose bacterial etiology as a routine procedure using not only Gram stain and culture but also rapid antigen detection technique in patients with suspected Hib systemic infection.     

Relapsing catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome: report of three cases

BACKGROUND: The catastrophic variant of the antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS), also now known as Asherson's syndrome, is defined as a potential life-threatening variant of the antiphospholipid syndrome, which is characterized by multiple small-vessel thrombosis that can lead to multiorgan failure. Relapses in patients with the CAPS are very uncommon. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and laboratory features of patients with relapsing episodes of CAPS. METHODS: Three patients with relapsing CAPS are presented with their clinical and laboratory features. RESULTS: Seven episodes of CAPS that occurred in the 3 patients reported were analyzed. The median time between the episodes of CAPS was 12.5 months (range, 2.5-48). Precipitating factors were identified in 2 episodes only (Legionella respiratory tract infection and periodontal infection). The most significant manifestations of the episodes were renal involvement (5 episodes), central nervous system and cardiac involvement (4 episodes), and pulmonary and hepatic involvement (3 episodes each). Interestingly, laboratory features of definite microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MHA) were present in 5 of 7 episodes of relapsing CAPS. The remaining episodes presented with thrombocytopenia, schistocytes, and anemia but data concerning hemolysis and Coombs tests were not reported. Rituximab was used in 2 episodes. CONCLUSIONS: Relapses occur very infrequently in patients with the CAPS. The presence of MHA is common in these patients, suggesting that an association between MHA and relapses of CAPS could be present and that a "continuum" between various MHAs might exist, as recently suggested.     

A comparison of hospital and community-acquired infective endocarditis.

The epidemiology, clinical features, microbiology and outcome of 30 episodes of nosocomial endocarditis occurring over a 13-year period were reviewed and compared with 148 cases of community-acquired endocarditis. Twenty-eight patients (93%) had been in hospital for > 1 week and 10 patients (33%) for > 1 month when they developed endocarditis. Left-sided infection was most frequent; only 3 cases involved the tricuspid valve. Compared with community-acquired infection, patients tended to be older, had a greater incidence of congestive cardiac failure (p = 0.001) or hypotension (p = 0.0008) at presentation and were more likely to have bacteremia after an invasive procedure (83 vs 31%; p < 0.00001). Intravascular devices were the presumed source of bacteremia in 11 cases (37%); the same organism was isolated from both the blood and the suspected source of infection. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent causative organism, accounting for 17 episodes (57%), including 4 (13%) due to methicillin-resistant strains. Nosocomial endocarditis had a significantly higher mortality than did community-acquired infection (40 vs 18%; p = 0.02). Eight patients (27%) needed valve replacement. Proper adherence to protocols for management of intravascular devices and appropriate antimicrobial prophylaxis before procedures may have prevented endocarditis in 15 of 30 patients.