Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Bipolaris spicifera: An informative case

A case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by Bipolaris spicifera involving the brain and sinuses is presented. The patient survived following surgery and ketoconazole therapy, which successfully treated both the sinus and the brain infections.     

Synovial fluid levels of fluconazole in a patient with Candida parapsilosis prosthetic joint infection who had an excellent clinical response

A 73-year-old woman presenting with persistent swelling of the right knee 30 months after total joint arthroplasty was found to have a Candida parapsilosis infection. Treatment with fluconazole resulted in full recovery.     

Brucellosis of the spine with a synchronous Staphylococcus aureus pyogenic elbow infection

Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis and pyogenic arthritis has a different pattern in the elderly than in the young. The axial skeleton is the most frequent site of infection and treatment is usually by intravenous antibiotics. We report a case ofStaph. aureus septic arthritis of the elbow with concomitant osteomyelitis of the spine that was thought to be due toStaph. aureus, but culture of debrided material from the lesion grewBrucella in culture. We suggest that in the elderly it is advisable to obtain a tissue culture diagnosis and not to instigate therapy based on positive blood cultures or a concomitant infection.     

Is it possible to prevent bacterial adhesion onto ureteric stents?

The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of bactericidal coatings or immersion in antibiotic solution reduces or prevents bacterial adhesion onto ureteric stents. Precut segments of full silicone, silver-coated and hydrogel-coated ureteric stents were incubated with two uropathogenic bacterial strains with and without previous immersion in antibiotic solution. Tobramycin, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin solutions were used, as these antibiotics are commonly administered for the prophylaxis and treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI). Microbiological analysis showed that immersion of ureteric stents in ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin yielded a significant reduction of bacterial adhesion, whereas immersion in tobramycin did not. The surface material of the stents had no direct influence on bacterial adhesion. In this experimental study, neither the silver nor the hydrogel coat reduced bacterial adhesion onto ureteric stents whereas immersion in a suitable antibiotic solution significantly reduced and even prevented this phenomenon, probably due to the adhesion of the antibiotic onto the stent surface. Prevention of bacterial adhesion onto ureteric stents is essential to reduce the risk of UTI in connection with these devices.     

静脉用丙种球蛋白治疗新生儿重症感染对细胞免疫功能的影响

应用静脉注丙球(IVIG),配合抗生素(An)治疗重症感染新生儿12例,在观察疗效及不良反应的同时,通过检测患儿治疗前后T细胞亚群及白细胞介素Ⅱ(IL-2)产生水平的变化,观察IVIG对细胞免疫功能的影响。结果显示:患儿CD_3~+、CD_4~+、CD_8~+细胞及IL-2产生水平均明显低于正常同龄新生儿。经IVIG+An及单用An治疗后,T细胞各亚群及IL-2水平均明显增高。IVIG组与An组比较,诒疗后IVIG组CD_4~+细胞明显高于An组,IL-2水平也较An组为高,但无统计学意义。疗效观察,中毒症状及原发病体征好转消失时间IVIG组较An组明显缩短。本文还就IVIG对细胞免疫功能影响的可能机制进行了讨论。     

肾移植后细菌败血症治疗过程中内毒素血症和菌血症的动态变化

为研究败血症时细菌溶解的程度对内毒素血症的影响,本文对肾移植术后怀疑为革兰氏阴性杆菌败血症患者的血中内毒素和细菌进行了定量检查。13名患者中有4人血中细菌定量>50cfu/ml,其血中内毒素水平由开始检查到最高峰时相差2～35倍,有一名患者在使用抗生素治疗过程中突然发生休克,最后由于呼吸、循环衰竭而死亡,其血中内毒素明显升高。本文结果表明:对于感染发病率很高的肾移植患者,如何控制和处理抗生素治疗后的高内毒素血症是一个值得研究的问题。血中内毒素和细菌的定量检查可以为及时采取针对性措施,防治内毒素血症提供依据。     

Nutritional Anemias

Prevention of nutritional deficiencies should be attained by the consumption of a good diet. Unfortunately, in the case of iron, this is not always possible, and it is advantageous to fortify food with iron. Milk-based formulas and cereals are the most commonly used iron-fortified products in infancy and early childhood. Bioavailability of iron from cereals is low and more clinical studies on the field are necessary to demonstrate the effectiveness of iron-fortified cereals in infants and children of developing countries. Infections and excessive blood loss in infancy related to the use of fresh, pasteurized or powdered cow milk result in much of the anemia we currently see in industrialized countries. Vitamin A deficiency interacts with iron metabolism and recent intervention studies have shown that anemia in Vitamin A deficient children can be successfully treated with oral supplements.     

A prospective radiologic and neurologic follow-up study of 61 HIV-1 -infected subjects: early beginning and slow progression of brain atrophy

The course of the organic brain disease caused by human immunodeficency virus (HIV-1) was evaluated in a follow-up study. The primary material included 200 consecutive HIV-1 infected persons. Sixty-one subjects, in whom other brain-affecting factors were excluded, consented to the follow-up. They underwent 278 radiologic examinations: computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or a combination of both (mean 4.6 examinations/subject). Clinical neurologic status and, in 40 subjects, cognitive performance were repeatedly evaluated. Sixteen subjects were followed up until death and 11 of them were autopsied. Median follow-up time was 27 mo (range 2.5–66 mo). The most common radiologic finding was atrophy, found in 19 subjects at study entry and developing in 10 subjects during the study. Twenty-four subjects (39%) showed the development and/or progression of atrophy. Atrophic changes progressed most rapidly in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), but mild developing/progressive atrophy was found even in 33% of asymptomatic or neurologically intact subjects. Cognitive and radiologic worsening were simultaneous in 6/7 subjects with declining neuropsychologic test performance. Signal intensity changes including HIV-1 leukoencephalopathy appeared in AIDS patients with clear cognitive decline.     

关于Reed－Frost模型的研究和改进

笔者提出了对Ｒｅｅｄ－Ｆｒｏｓｔ模型的学术评论，并新建了一种Ｒｅｅｄ－Ｆｒｏｓｔ模型的改进模型。该改进模型全面考虑了隐性感染者的产生、传染作用及向免疫者的转化。应用这个模型，模拟了ＮｅｗＥｎｇｌａｎｄ的麻疹流行和中国上海市某保育院的水痘流行，结果颇为理想。该模型包括了基本的流行要因，故能用以解释流行过程，并可帮助流行病学工作者理解隐性感染在传染病流行过程中的作用。