Cutaneous histoplasmosis with prominent parasitization of epidermal keratinocytes: report of a case

Disseminated histoplasmosis most commonly occurs in immunosuppressed individuals and involves the skin in approximately 6% of patients. Cutaneous histoplasmosis with an intraepithelial‐predominant distribution has not been described. A 47‐year‐old man was admitted to our institution with fever and vancomycin‐resistant enterococcal bacteremia. He had been diagnosed with T‐cell prolymphocytic leukemia 4 years earlier and had undergone matched‐unrelated‐donor stem cell transplant 2 years earlier; on admission, he had relapsed disease. His medical history was significant for disseminated histoplasmosis 6 months before admission, controlled with multiple antifungal regimens. During this final hospitalization, the patient developed multiple 2–5 mm erythematous papules, a hemorrhagic crust across the chest, shoulders, forearms, dorsal aspect of the fingers, abdomen and thighs. Skin biopsy revealed clusters of oval yeast forms mostly confined to the cytoplasm of keratinocytes and within the stratum corneum; scattered organisms were present in the underlying superficial dermis without any significant associated inflammatory infiltrate. Special stains and immunohistochemical studies confirmed these to be Histoplasma organisms. We highlight this previously unrecognized pattern of cutaneous histoplasmosis to ensure its prompt recognition and appropriate antifungal therapy.     

Bioaerosol exposure to personnel in a clinical environment absent patients

Nosocomial infections pose a significant and escalating threat to both patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). By their nature, hospitals induce antibiotic resistance in virulent and commensal strains, leading to increasingly severe hospital-acquired infections. This study measured environmental exposure experienced by domestic staff cleaning vacated patient rooms of a community hospital to bacteria in ambient bioaerosols. While they cleaned the room, participants wore an N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR), from which coupons were cut and bacteria were extracted, cultured and enumerated. Extrapolation to the full area of the respirator yielded measured exposures of 0.2–1.4 × 10⁴ colony-forming units/hour, of which ～97% collected on the front layer of the N95, suggesting a possible role for minimal respiratory protection in nonpatient environments. Random resistance testing of 1.6% of the isolates showed that ～70% of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms exhibited resistance to oxacillin and ～9% of the Gram-positives displayed resistance to vancomycin. These data provide an estimate for mask bioaerosol loading that can be used in risk modeling and to refine strategies for reuse of FFRs during critical shortages.     

Face shields for infection control: A review

Face shields are personal protective equipment devices that are used by many workers (e.g., medical, dental, veterinary) for protection of the facial area and associated mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) from splashes, sprays, and spatter of body fluids. Face shields are generally not used alone, but in conjunction with other protective equipment and are therefore classified as adjunctive personal protective equipment. Although there are millions of potential users of face shields, guidelines for their use vary between governmental agencies and professional societies and little research is available regarding their efficacy.     

The radiological diagnosis of infection

Musculoskeletal infections can involve bone, joints, muscles and soft tissues. The interpretation of imaging in musculoskeletal infections can be a diagnostic challenge and requires an integrated approach with clinical details and blood inflammatory markers. Imaging also plays a vital role in treatment planning and follow up. Conventional plain film radiography is still the cornerstone, which provides an overview of the bone and surrounding soft tissue pathology and should routinely be the first imaging procedure in patients with suspected musculoskeletal infection. The sensitivity of radiographs for the detecting of acute osteomyelitis is limited. Ultrasound can be used to assess soft tissue collections, joint effusions, and foreign body localization. It is invaluable in providing guidance for diagnostic joint aspiration, biopsy or therapeutic drainage of a soft tissue abscess/collection. CT scans are useful in providing bony detail and are particularly useful for evaluation of presence of sequestrum and in cases where MRI is contraindicated. MRI provides excellent anatomical details and evaluates both the soft tissues and bones and is the most sensitive and specific imaging modality for evaluating musculoskeletal infection. Radionuclide imaging can be helpful in cases of acute osteomyelitis and multifocal infection and has a high negative predictive value when normal.     

胆管空肠Roux-en-y吻合术后逆行性胆管感染的相关临床因素分析

目的：探讨胆管空肠Roux-en-y吻合术后逆行性胆管感染的相关临床因素。方法选择本院收治并实施胆管空肠Roux-en-y吻合术患者134例，分析糖尿病病史（有或无）、吻合口直径（≤2 cm或＞2 cm）、吻合方式（侧侧吻合、端侧吻合）、术前黄疸持续时间（≤7 d或＞7 d）、术前胆红素水平（≤171μmol/L或＞171μmol/L）、术中抗菌药物（有或无）对术后逆行性胆管感染的影响。结果合并糖尿病患者发生逆行性胆管感染发生率高于无糖尿病患者，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）；吻合口直径≤2 cm患者发生逆行性胆管感染发生率高于吻合口直径＞2 cm患者，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）；侧侧吻合患者的逆行性胆管感染发生率高于端侧吻合患者，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论胆管空肠Roux-en-y吻合术后逆行性胆管感染与患者是否合并糖尿病、吻合口大小及吻合方式有关，值得临床借鉴。     

河南省新报告HIV感染者中丙型肝炎病毒感染状况及其影响因素分析

目的 了解河南省新报告HIV感染者中丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染情况及其相关影响因素。方法 对2012年7月1日至2013年6月30日河南省所有新确证上报的HIV-1感染者进行信息整理、HIV-1 BED新发感染检测和HCV抗体检测。结果 河南省该期间新确证上报2 049例HIV-1感染者中HCV抗体阳性率为14.87%（271/1 887），BED阳性比例（新发感染比例）为26.34%（497/1 887）。新发HIV-1感染者中HCV抗体阳性率较既往HIV-1感染者低，20～39岁组HIV-1感染者的HCV抗体阳性率较其他年龄组低，个别地区HIV-1感染者的HCV抗体阳性率较高，经注射吸毒感染HIV-1者中HCV抗体阳性率较高。结论 新发感染、年龄、传播途径和地区分布是河南省新报告HIV-1感染者中HCV感染率的影响因素，应有针对性地开展此人群的丙型肝炎防治工作。     

413例医院感染患者调查分析

目的了解医院感染发生的现状,以便采取有效措施防控医院感染发生。方法对20161例出院患者进行回顾性调查分析。结果发生医院感染413例,感染率为2.05%(1.73%～2.29%),科室以神经外科感染率较高,感染部位以呼吸道感染占首位,疾病以神经系统疾病患者为高发人群,病原体种类以革兰氏阴性杆菌为主。结论医院感染的发生主要与患者基础疾病特点相关,应根据具体情况采取有效措施,尽可能地预防医院感染发生。     

医院感染监测系统的开发与应用

通过与软件公司联合开发满足医院要求的感染管理软件,实现感染管理的信息化.其功能包括疑似病例智能筛查、多重耐药菌监测、抗菌药物监测、专职人员与临床医生交互平台等.结果表明运用该软件系统能及时提供医院感染动态信息,提高工作效率,改善医院感染管理水平.     

卫生检验与检疫专业病毒学检验实验教学改革探索

“病毒学检验实验”是卫生检验与检疫专业必修的专业实践课，它注重培养学生在病毒学检验中的实践能力和解决问题能力。因此，本研究结合当前公共卫生需要，以提高学生实践综合能力为目标，进行实验教学改革与探索。本文对病毒学检验实验课程体系中的教学方法和手段、实验考核方法进行改革探索，提出研究型、实战式、案例式病毒学检验实验教学模式；受新冠疫情影响，采用线上线下混合式教学，并在原有实验基础上，新增虚拟仿真实验，打破时空限制，帮助学生掌握实验技能。此外，采用综合实验考核方案，构建适合于卫生检验与检疫专业病毒学检验的实验教学体系。