Scedosporium apiospermum pneumonia and sternal wound infection in a heart transplant recipient

BACKGROUND: The most common fungi that cause invasive infection in transplant recipients are the spp, spp, and the endemic fungi such as and. Recently, however, other fungal pathogens have emerged as important causes of invasive disease in these immunocompromised individuals, including the dematiaceous fungi, such as and the spp, species of and, and the hyalohyphomycoses, such as (Pseudallescheria boydii) (1). METHODS: We present a single patient case report and literature review. RESULTS: We illustrate the first reported case of a postoperative sternal wound infection and pneumonia caused by in a heart transplant recipient and review the significant clinical, microbiologic, and therapeutic aspects of infection with this important opportunistic pathogen. CONCLUSIONS: Postsurgical wound infection should be added to the growing list of infections in the transplant population caused by.     

Value of [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography in digestive cancerology

COLORECTAL CANCERS: FDG-PET is a very effective tool in the follow-up of colorectal cancer for the early detection of recurrences, the search for other localisations in case of resectable lesions and for the evaluation of therapies. For the other digestive cancers, the data in the literature are less abundant and they do not yet have Marketing Authorization in France. OESOPHAGEAL CANCER: FDG-PET appears very promising for staging and detection of recurrences of oesophageal carcinomas. Pancreatic cancer Although the indication is difficult, FDG-PET appears superior to morphological techniques for the characterization and the locoregional staging of pancreatic tumours. BILARY AND GASTRIC CARCINOMAS: FDG-PET is promising but its role has to be confirmed in larger series for the detection of biliary and gastric carcinomas. OTHER DIGESTIVE TUMOURS: In cases of hepatocarcinoma, FDG-PET appears efficient only in cases of undifferentiated tumours, and in cases of malignant neuroendocrine digestive tumours, is useful in combination with somatostatin receptor imaging.     

Early dislocation after total hip arthroplasty: are postoperative restrictions necessary?

We studied prospectively 499 cases of primary total hip arthroplasty done through an anterolateral approach to establish the early dislocation rate when restrictions on postoperative mobilization were not imposed. There were 3 early dislocations (within 6 weeks of surgery). All were reduced closed, and every patient subsequently achieved a stable hip without further intervention. Our results suggest that a low early dislocation rate can be achieved using an anterolateral approach without the need to restrict patients' postoperative mobilization. It may not be appropriate, however, to remove these restrictions when using other surgical approaches to the hip.     

Follow the ins and outs of CAH designation

Earning JCAHO's Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation is challenging. Learn what it takes to receive it.     

The Effects of Salty and Nonsalty Food on Peak Breath Alcohol Concentration and Divided Attention Task Performance in Women

There is recent evidence that gender-based patterns of alcohol consumption are becoming less dissimilar and that, per capita, women are consuming more alcohol than ever before. Therefore, a better understanding of the acute effects of moderate alcohol consumption in women is essential to establishing reliable health and safety educational information. To address one component of health and safety information, we sought to determine if peak breath alcohol concentrations (BAC) could be manipulated by varying the amount of sodium our women participants ingested in a test meal. We also measured the association between BAC and the participant's performance on a divided attention (DA) task. The 12 participants were trained to use a computer-generated DA task and subsequently participated in all of four experimental conditions. During each experimental session the participant consumed a placebo drink or a drink containing 0.6 g/kg ethanol and a 220-kcal portion of salted or unsalted pretzels. She then performed four 15-min trials of the DA task, after which the BAC was measured and recorded. Reaction times and mean tracking error were recorded for each DA trial. Experimental sessions took place at the same time on days 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the participant's menstrual cycle. The BAC was significantly higher in the ethanol plus sodium condition than in the ethanol with no sodium condition. Reaction times and tracking tasks were impaired in all ethanol conditions. Scores on the DA tasks obtained from the high-sodium group did not differ significantly from those of the low-sodium group. When health care personnel provide drug education for women clients, the possible BAC-elevating effects of consuming high-sodium foods while drinking alcoholic beverages should be discussed.