The role of Clostridium difficile in childhood nosocomial diarrhea.

The role of Clostridium difficile was investigated in 100 children with nosocomial diarrhea. An etiologic agent was identified in 69 cases, 8 of whom had dual infection. C. difficile-associated diarrhea (Cdad) was defined in 16 children (16%). The mean age of the patients with Cdad was 5.4 y (range 2 months to 13 y) and the male:female ratio was 1.2. All cases with Cdad were on antibiotic therapy. Cdad occurred more frequently in the cases given combined antibiotic treatment than in those given single antibiotic treatment (p < 0.05). One case with neutropenic sepsis died. C. difficile was also investigated in the stool samples of 50 hospitalized children treated with antibiotics who did not develop diarrhea. C. difficile toxins A and B were found in 5 children aged < 2 y in the control group. This study shows that C. difficile is an important cause of nosocomial diarrhea in our hospital population.     

A retrospective cohort study of nosocomial diarrhea as a risk factor for nosocomial infection

Because most nosocomial infections are caused by enteric flora, it was undertaken to determine whether diarrhea predisposes to nosocomial infections by conducting a retrospective cohort study involving patients with and without nosocomial diarrhea who were hospitalized during a 12-month period. The rate of urinary tract infection per person-day after onset of diarrhea was significantly greater in patients with diarrhea (relative risk = 10.3; 95% confidence interval = 1.7-63.1, P = .006). When indwelling bladder catheter and duration of catheter placement were considered, diarrhea remained an independent risk factor for urinary tract infection in logistic regression analysis (P = .009). These data suggest that diarrhea and consequent urethral meatal contamination may be a cause of nosocomial urinary tract infection, especially in patients with a catheter, and that removal of the catheter should be considered whenever possible in patients with diarrhea.     

The role of antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diarrhea

Infectious diarrhea is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and a common complaint in clinical practice. Routine empirical use of antibiotics for infectious diarrhea should be avoided because of the self-limited nature of most cases, the cost of antibiotics, and the potential to worsen the already significant problem of antibiotic resistance of enteric pathogens. For patients with severe invasive or prolonged diarrhea or who are at high risk of complications, such as the elderly, diabetics, cirrhotics, and immunocompromised patients, empirical treatment with a quinolone antibiotic for 3 to 5 days can be considered. Antibiotic treatment can be highly effective for Shigella, ETEC, and V. cholerae infections, and metronidazole is indicated for C. difficile colitis. The impact of antibiotics for other specific pathogens is modest, and antibiotic therapy should be reserved for the same group of patients who would be considered for empirical treatment. The most significant problem in the antibiotic treatment of infectious diarrhea is the progressive increase in resistance among enteric pathogens; only the prudent use of antimicrobials in all areas of daily practice can limit or delay the impact of this serious problem.     

The role of physical therapy and physical modalities in pain management

This article provides an overview to arthritis care of the common physical modalities (heat, cold, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, low-energy laser, topical applications, and external devices). The rationale for use and effectiveness of the various physical modalities are discussed. Exercise is presented in terms of mode and effect of range of motion, muscle conditioning, and aerobic exercise.     

The role of bile acids in the pathogenesis of chronic diarrhea

Chronic diarrhea syndrome results from excess colonic bile acids. Fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), produced in the ileum is response to bile acid absorption, regulates hepatic bile acids synthesis. Bile acid malabsorption can be found in various gastrointestinal conditions: the greatest losses bile acids with excrements were marked at patients with surgical resection of terminal ileum. The maintenance in daily colonic excess bile at patients with postholecystectomy exceed more than in three times the indicators noted at control subjects, but at the patients with irritable bowel sindrom did not exceed the norm. Effective remedies in treatment chologenic diarrhea were bile acid sequestran.     

一氧化氮能神经调节异常在腹泻型肠易激综合征患者中的作用

目的　探讨一氧化氮 (NO)在肠易激综合征 (IBS)发病机制中的作用 ,并从基因水平揭示NO含量改变的原因。方法　 (1)应用电子气压泵及灌注导管测压仪研究 2 5例腹泻型IBS患者及 15例正常志愿者的肛门、直肠压力、直肠顺应性、乙状结肠和直肠运动指数以及直肠对容量刺激的感觉阈值 ;(2 )应用硝酸还原酶法测定两组肠黏膜NO的含量 ;(3)NADPH黄递酶组化法和计算机图像分析系统对两组肠黏膜肌层一氧化氮合酶 (NOS)阳性神经纤维作定量分析 ;(4)采用荧光定量PCR(FQ PCR)方法对神经型一氧化氮合酶 (nNOS)的基因表达进行定量分析。结果　 (1)肠道测压 :IBS患者的直肠静息压、肛管上部静息压、收缩压、松弛压、肛管下部静息压、收缩压、松弛压和直肠顺应性与正常人比较 ,差异无显著性 (P >0 .0 5 ) ;患者乙状结肠和直肠运动指数明显高于正常人 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;(2 )直肠内脏感觉阈值 :最低感觉阈值、排便阈值和疼痛阈值明显低于正常人 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;(3)肠黏膜NO含量 :患者结肠黏膜NO含量显著低于正常人 ,并且患者的NO含量与运动指数成负相关 ,与感觉阈值、排便阈值、疼痛阈值呈正相关 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;(4)NADPH组化染色 :IBS患者黏膜肌层NOS阳性神经纤维的面积和平均吸光度较正常人显著减少 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;(5 )NOS mRNA     

Diagnostic studies of nosocomial diarrhea in children: assessing their use and value

During a 17-month period (01/11/85-05/31/86) 225 cases of nosocomial diarrhea were identified in a children's hospital. Diarrhea was considered to be nosocomial if it began at least 72 hours after the patient's hospital admission or within 3 days after discharge. One or more routine diagnostic studies for identification of a pathogen were performed in 195 (87%) cases. The most commonly performed test was the bacterial stool culture. None of these samples yielded a bacterial pathogen. The only pathogens detected by routine laboratory studies were rotavirus (61/137 [45%] samples were positive for rotavirus by ELISA) and Clostridium difficile (9/54 [17%] positive for toxin). Of the patients whose tests were positive for rotavirus 56 were younger than 2 years of age, and all were identified in the winter and spring. When multiple stool samples were tested by the diagnostic laboratory, rotavirus was identified in an additional 14 patients whose initial stool samples were negative for rotavirus. All patients whose tests were positive for C. difficile toxin had received antibiotics within the previous 3 months. Ova/parasites were not detected in 53 of the tested stools. We also identified enteric adenovirus in six patients. Viruses were identified in 95 (42%) of the 225 cases of nosocomial gastroenteritis. Nosocomial diarrhea is common in a children's hospital. Rotavirus is the most commonly identified pathogen. Rotavirus testing is valuable in children with nosocomial diarrhea who are younger than 2 years of age, especially in the winter and spring. Multiple samples may be necessary to identify rotavirus. C. difficile toxin assay should be considered for patients who are receiving or who have received antibiotics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Clostridium difficile in adult patients with nosocomial diarrhea in a Costa Rican hospital

Stool samples from 104 adult patients with nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea were analyzed for Clostridium difficile by cultivation, toxin A inmunoenzymatic detection, and toxin B cytotoxic detection. The isolates were additionally screened for the toxin genes by polymerase chain reaction. C. difficile was isolated from 26 samples, and the toxins were directly detected in another 5 samples. Toxin A and B genes were detected in all toxigenic bacterial isolates. The detection rate of 30% indicates that C. difficile is a major etiologic agent of nosocomial diarrhea in Costa Rica.     

上海地区婴幼儿院内感染轮状病毒致腹泻病的分子流行病学调查

目的 了解上海地区婴幼儿院内感染轮状病毒(RV)致腹泻病的分子流行病学特征.方法 采用胶体金法和套式PCR,对2006年11月至2008年1月复旦大学附属儿科医院收集的226例院内感染性腹泻患儿的粪便标本进行RV病原检测,并对阳性标本进行分型,调查患儿的临床特征.数据分析分别以构成比、阳性榆出率表示,均值采用t检验.结果 胶体会法RV阳性率为47.8%.院内感染RV腹泻以1岁以内的年龄段最高,新生儿占RV腹泻患儿的32.4%.发病高峰在10、11月份.采用套式-PCR对除新生儿外的67份RV阳性标本进行分型,G3为主要流行的血清型,占46.3%,其次为G1占23.9%、G2占3.0%、G9占1.5%,7份为混合感染,均为G1、G3混合,10份未能分型.从P分型来看,主要流行株为P[8]型,占90.0%,其次为P[4]型占6.0%,3份标本未能分型.未发现P[6]、PE9]和P[10]型.G3P[8]为主要分离株,占61.2%,其次为G1P[8],占17.9%,G1、G3P[8]混合感染占9.5%,G2P[4]、G8P[9]各1例.新生儿32份RV阳件标本中10份成功分型,均为G1P[8].院内感染RV腹泻延长住院天数、增加住院费用.结论 RV是上海地区院内感染性腹泻病的主要病原,其流行的主要血清型为G3P[8]型,但仍需加强监测G1流行株的暴发流行.     

The role of the microbiologist in the control of nosocomial infection and antibiotic therapy

The microbiologist is a key figure in the control of hospital infection and in antimicrobial policy. Some of the contributions to the area of documentation and information can be summarized as follows: information on the development of isolation of sentinel microorganisms and their distribution in services and areas, the development of resistance of the various microorganisms to the most commonly used antimicrobial agents, molecular characterization of the isolated microorganisms causing epidemic outbreaks and the control of environmental microorganisms posing a threat to hospitals.Concerning interventions, microbiologists make a substantial contribution to teaching activity and to the continuing education required to maintain optimal knowledge on infections and microbiology in hospitals. They also recommend therapeutic approaches to the presence of isolated microorganisms and specific situations, collaborate in the design of antimicrobial prophylaxis and illustrate the policy of patient isolation. Microbiologists play a key role in decisions to introduce new drugs in hospitals and in programs to limit their inappropriate use.Finally, microbiologists and microbiology services constitute a central element where all the activities required for the diagnosis, treatment and control of infection performed by the various hospital services converge.     

The role of torovirus in nosocomial viral gastroenteritis at a large tertiary pediatric centre

OBJECTIVE:

To describe the viral etiology and epidemiology of nosocomial viral gastroenteritis (NVG) at a tertiary care pediatric hospital and identify any changes over the past two decades.

METHODS:

Retrospective review of all patients with laboratory-confirmed NVG at The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Ontario), from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2005.

RESULTS:

One hundred forty-two episodes of NVG were found among 133 patients, occurring in 0.48 of 100 admissions. The median age was two years; 42% were <1 year of age and 41% were immunocompromised. The most commonly detected pathogen was torovirus (67% of episodes), followed by rotavirus (19%) and adenovirus (9%). Seventy-five cases (53%) were epidemiologically linked in 32 separate clusters (median cluster size two, range two to four). The NVG rate fell from 0.63 of 100 to 0.22 of 100 admissions after March 2005 (P<0.001) when enhanced infection control precautions were instituted in response to an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.

CONCLUSIONS:

Torovirus remains the most commonly identified cause of NVG at The Hospital for Sick Children. Most NVG cases were epidemiologically linked, and a significant reduction in cases occurred after the institution of enhanced infection control practices following an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus. Improved education and surveillance for NVG should lead to further reduction in this problem.     

Cardiovascular response to mental stress and to handgrip in children. The role of physical activity.

Cardiovascular responses to sympathetic stimulation may be altered in the early phases of life of subjects with a family history of hypertension. The possible influence of physical activity on adrenergic modulation in children is still not well known. In this study we evaluated, in a group of 162 11-year-old children from a secondary school near Naples, blood pressure and heart rate measured 4 times at 3-week intervals at rest and during adrenergic system stimulation by mental arithmetic stress and isometric exercise. Children were divided into sedentary and physically active groups according to the levels of a Saltin modified questionnaire. Family history of hypertension was also investigated. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure at rest were slightly higher in the sedentary group at each control (107/75 +/- 11/11 vs 105/73 +/- 11/11 mmHg at the first and 100/70 +/- 14/14 vs 98/69 +/- 9/9 at the last control); heart rate in the same group was higher as well (91 +/- 11 vs 87 +/- 12 beats/min, p less than 0.02 at the first and 80 +/- 9 vs 77 +/- 11 at the last control). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased by 7/15% during mental stress and by 23/45% during isometric exercise in the sedentary group. The corresponding blood pressure increases in the physically active group were 6/12% and 20/40%, respectively. These responses were independent of sex, body weight and family history of hypertension. These results support the hypothesis that regular physical activity in young adolescents only mildly influences resting blood pressure and cardiovascular responses during the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.