In vitro activities of the new semisynthetic glycopeptide telavancin (TD-6424), vancomycin, daptomycin, linezolid, and four comparator agents against anaerobic gram-positive species and Corynebacterium spp

Telavancin is a new semisynthetic glycopeptide anti-infective with multiple mechanisms of action, including inhibition of bacterial membrane phospholipid synthesis and inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis. We determined the in vitro activities of telavancin, vancomycin, daptomycin, linezolid, quinupristin-dalfopristin, imipenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, and ampicillin against 268 clinical isolates of anaerobic gram-positive organisms and 31 Corynebacterium strains using agar dilution methods according to National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards procedures. Plates with daptomycin were supplemented with Ca(2+) to 50 mg/liter. The MICs at which 90% of isolates tested were inhibited (MIC(90)s) for telavancin and vancomycin were as follows: Actinomyces spp. (n = 45), 0.25 and 1 microg/ml, respectively; Clostridium difficile (n = 14), 0.25 and 1 microg/ml, respectively; Clostridium ramosum (n = 16), 1 and 4 microg/ml, respectively; Clostridium innocuum (n = 15), 4 and 16 microg/ml, respectively; Clostridium clostridioforme (n = 15), 8 and 1 microg/ml, respectively; Eubacterium group (n = 33), 0.25 and 2 microg/ml, respectively; Lactobacillus spp. (n = 26), 0.5 and 4 microg/ml, respectively; Propionibacterium spp. (n = 34), 0.125 and 0.5 microg/ml, respectively; Peptostreptococcus spp. (n = 52), 0.125 and 0.5 microg/ml, respectively; and Corynebacterium spp. (n = 31), 0.03 and 0.5 microg/ml, respectively. The activity of TD-6424 was similar to that of quinupristin-dalfopristin for most strains except C. clostridioforme and Lactobacillus casei, where quinupristin-dalfopristin was three- to fivefold more active. Daptomycin had decreased activity (MIC > 4 microg/ml) against 14 strains of Actinomyces spp. and all C. ramosum, Eubacterium lentum, and Lactobacillus plantarum strains. Linezolid showed decreased activity (MIC > 4 microg/ml) against C. ramosum, two strains of C. difficile, and 15 strains of Lactobacillus spp. Imipenem and piperacillin-tazobactam were active against >98% of strains. The MICs of ampicillin for eight Clostridium spp. and three strains of L. casei were >1 microg/ml. The MIC(90) of TD-6424 for all strains tested was 相似文献   

Psychosocial functioning and self‐rated health in Japanese school‐aged children: A cross‐sectional study

Emotional and behavioral disorders in children are school‐health concerns; however, Japanese screening tools for such disorders are not yet available. We examined the association between psychosocial functioning as measured by the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) and self‐rated health within school settings. A cross‐sectional study was conducted for 2513 fifth and eighth graders from all of the primary and secondary schools in Shunan City, Japan. The Japanese PSC had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90) and a factor structure similar to that of the English PSC. When the cut‐off values were set to ≥ 28 and ≥ 17, 4–9% and 20–39% of our respondents, respectively, reported high PSC scores. A multiple ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio of a positive PSC score (≥ 28) for poorer self‐rated health among ratings of “very good,” “good,” “fair,” and “poor” was 3.5 (95% confidence interval = 2.6–4.8). There was a clear association between psychosocial dysfunction identified by a PSC score ≥ 28 and poor self‐rated health. We offer directions for further research on appropriate PSC cut‐off values with Japanese samples.     

Confidence‐weighted testing: A descriptive study of Japanese nursing students

Nurses' lack of self‐confidence in their own nursing skills is one of the main reasons that novice nurses leave the profession in Japan. Nursing education must help students gain self‐confidence in their nursing skills in order to allow more novice nurses to stay in their profession. In this study, we evaluated whether confidence‐weighted testing feedback actually improves students' self‐confidence in their basic nursing skills. Confidence‐weighted testing, which provides quantifiable results, might allow students to objectively assess their skill‐related self‐confidence. Sixty‐seven first‐year nursing students took two confidence‐rating examinations on the knowledge and practical skills related to pulse and blood pressure measurement of immobile patients. Feedback was given to each participant after the first examination. After the first examination with confidence‐weighted testing feedback, students showed higher levels of self‐confidence in their practical skills, but not in knowledge. The improvement of self‐confidence in practical skills suggests that there is still room for improvement in confidence‐weighted testing feedback in knowledge. Further research is required to identify more effective feedback methods to improve students' self‐confidence levels in knowledge using the results of confidence‐weighted testing.     

Change in endolymphatic hydrops 2 years after endolymphatic sac surgery evaluated by MRI

Objective

This study was performed to determine whether endolymphatic sac surgery improves vestibular and cochlear endolymphatic hydrops 2 years after sac surgery and to elucidate the relationship between the degree of improvement of endolymphatic hydrops and the changes in vertigo symptoms, the hearing level, and the summating potential/action potential ratio (?SP/AP ratio) by electrocochleography (ECochG) in patients with Ménière’s disease (MD).

Early intervention with suplatast tosilate for prophylaxis of pediatric atopic asthma: A pilot study

The onset of asthma may be related to Th2 cytokine dominance at the time when food allergies occur several months after birth. This study investigated the effectiveness of early intervention with a Th2 cytokine inhibitor (suplatast tosilate) for prevention of asthma in infants with food allergies and atopic dermatitis. Suplatast tosilate dry syrup (6 mg/kg daily) or a histamine H₁-blocker (ketotifen fumarate dry syrup: 0.06 mg/kg daily) was administered randomly to 53 infants with atopic dermatitis caused by food allergies. The primary endpoints were the incidence of asthma and the time to the onset of wheezing. The peripheral blood Th1/Th2 ratio, total IgE level, and eosinophil count were measured before and after treatment. After 24 months of treatment, the prevalence of asthma was significantly lower in the suplatast group (20.8%) than in the ketotifen group (65.6%, p < 0.01). Additionally, the time from the start of treatment to the initial episode of wheezing for infants who developed asthma was significantly longer in the suplatast group than the ketotifen group (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the eosinophil count was significantly decreased by suplatast treatment (p < 0.05), and there was a significant difference between the suplatast and ketotifen groups with respect to both the eosinophil count (p < 0.01) and the Th1/Th2 ratio (p < 0.05). The results of the present pilot study suggest that suplatast tosilate is useful for the primary prevention of wheezing and asthma in children.     

Scar endometriosis after a laparotomy for uterine perforation as a complication of dilatation and curettage

Background  Ectopic endometriosis is an uncommon disease. Abdominal scar endometriosis is especially rare. Case  A 38-year-old gravid 1, para 1 woman underwent dilatation and curettage due to an intrauterine infection. During the procedure, uterine perforation occurred and an emergency laparotomy was performed to provide hemostasis and suturing. Three years later, she complained of pain and swelling at the lower end of her abdominal scar during menstruation. A biopsy of the abdominal scar demonstrated endometriosis. The patient elected to receive conservative management rather than a surgical procedure. Therefore, hormonal therapy was initiated. The hormonal therapy provided symptomatic relief and reduced the size of the lesion. Conclusion  We reported an extremely rare case of scar endometriosis after a laparotomy for a uterine perforation that occurred as a complication of dilatation and curettage. We suggest that hormonal therapy using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist might be an alternative to surgical treatment for ectopic endometriosis.