Disseminated Penicillium marneffei infection in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a case report

Penicillium marneffei(P.marneffei) is a facultative intracellular pathogen and the only therrmally dimorphic fugus. This fungal intection is cormmonly found in Southeast Asian,     

Management of urinary tract infections: historical perspective and current strategies: Part 2--Modern management

PURPOSE: An understanding of the microbial origin of infectious diseases and the introduction of antimicrobial therapy stimulated more advances in the management of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the 20th century than had occurred in the previous 5 centuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Numerous resources were used to collect the information described in this review. Medical texts from the 19th and 20th century contain information regarding the traditional contemporary treatment of UTI during those eras. Early volumes of the Journal of Urology from the beginning of the 20th century describe the first attempts at chemotherapy for UTI. MEDLINE searches were used to collect appropriate information after 1969. Modern medical journals and modern medical texts were used to collect information on antimicrobial therapy since the late 1960s through today. RESULTS: Numerous advances in the diagnosis and management of UTI were made during the 20th century. Advances in microbiological and chemical assays have facilitated the development of historical uroscopy into modern day urinalysis and culture techniques, which are the cornerstone of UTI diagnosis. Imaging technologies, including x-ray, ultrasound, nuclear imaging, magnetic resonance and computerized tomography, have been particularly helpful in the diagnosis of complicated or recurrent UTIs. Major innovations in nonpharmacological therapy include noninvasive shock wave lithotripsy and percutaneous drainage of kidney abscesses. The most profound advance in UTI management during the 20th century was the discovery of antimicrobial agents. Nitrofurantoin was the first truly effective and safe antimicrobial therapy for UTI but its spectrum of activity is limited. Broad use of amoxicillin (and other beta-lactams) after its introduction in the 1970s led to the development of resistance to this antimicrobial, prompting a gradual change to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) as first line therapy for UTI. However, wide use of TMP/SMX also resulted in the progressive emergence of resistance, limiting the clinical usefulness of this therapy in the modern management of UTI. Fluoroquinolones offer an attractive alternative to TMP/SMX, and American and European guidelines recommend their empirical use in areas where TMP/SMX resistance is 10% or higher. CONCLUSIONS: The development of antimicrobial therapy was the defining moment of 20th century medicine and one of the key innovations in medical history. While the initial promise of antimicrobials has been validated in clinical practice, overuse of certain agents has led to the emergence of resistance, illustrating the importance of using evidence based strategies to select therapy.     

Adult male circumcision: results of a standardized procedure in Kisumu District, Kenya

OBJECTIVE: To develop a standard procedure for male circumcision in a resource-poor medical setting and prospectively evaluate the outcome in a randomized, controlled trial with the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the main outcome, as studies suggest that circumcision is associated with a lower incidence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in high-risk populations. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Healthy, uncircumcised, HIV-seronegative men aged 18-24 years from Kisumu District, Kenya, were offered participation in a clinical trial using a standard circumcision procedure based on "usual" medical procedures in Western Kenya. The follow-up included visits at 3, 8 and 30 days after circumcision, with additional visits if necessary. Healing, satisfaction and resumption of activities were assessed at these visits and 3 months from randomization. RESULTS: Overall, 17 (3.5%) of the 479 circumcisions were associated with adverse events judged definitely, probably or possibly related to the procedure. The most common adverse events were wound infections (1.3%), bleeding (0.8%), and delayed wound healing or suture line disruption (0.8%). After 30 days, 99% of participants reported being very satisfied with the procedure; approximately 23% reported having had sex and 15% reported that their partners had expressed an opinion, all of whom were very satisfied with the outcome. About 96% of the men resumed normal general activities within the first week after the procedure. CONCLUSION: Safe and acceptable adult male circumcision services can be delivered in developing countries should male circumcision ultimately be advocated as a public-health measure.     

Environment, wealth, inequality and the burden of disease in the Accra metropolitan area, Ghana

The study examines environmental problems and adverse impacts on the health of urban households in the Accra metropolitan area, Ghana. Accra is faced with severe inadequacy of urban infrastructure in the face of rapid population growth in the metropolis. More than half of the city's population do not have access to solid waste collection services. Only 39.8% of households have indoor pipe and over 35.0% of households depend on unsanitary public latrines whilst 2.5% do not have access to toilet facilities. Human excrement, garbage and wastewater are usually deposited in surface drains, open spaces and streams in poor neighbourhoods. The resultant poor sanitation has serious health impacts as more than half of reported diseases are related to poor environmental sanitation. The majority of households depend on solid fuels for cooking and this leads to indoor air pollution and high incidence of respiratory infections. Poor households bear a disproportionately large share of the burden of environmental health hazards than their wealthy counterparts, due to their particular vulnerability resulting from inadequate access to environmental health facilities and services.     

Gastroenteritis outbreak in British troops, Iraq

Gastroenteritis affected many British military personnel during the war in Iraq. In the first month, 1,340 cases were seen; 73% of patients required hospital admission and 36% were hospital staff. In a survey of 500 hospital staff, 76% reported gastroenteritis, which was more likely in clinical workers. Investigations showed only caliciviruses.     

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Minnesota, 2000-2003

We compared characteristics of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) and CA-MRSA invasive disease identified in Minnesota from 2000 through 2003. A total of 586 patients with SSTIs and 65 patients with invasive disease were identified. Patients with invasive disease were more likely to be smokers (p = 0.03), and report a history of immunosuppressive therapy (p = 0.03), emphysema (p = 0.011), or injection drug use (p = 0.020) than were SSTI patients. Invasive disease isolates were less likely to be susceptible to ciprofloxacin (p = 0.002) and clindamycin (p = 0.001) and more likely to have healthcare-associated pulsed-field gel electrophoresis subtypes than SSTI isolates (p<0.001). Patients with invasive disease may have had healthcare exposures that put them at risk of acquiring healthcare-associated MRSA and which were not exclusion criteria in the CA-MRSA case definition. Continued surveillance of MRSA is needed to better characterize CA-MRSA infections.     

Surgical salvage of peritoneal dialysis catheters from chronic exit-site and tunnel infections

BACKGROUND: Chronic exit-site and tunnel infections of the peritoneal dialysis catheter are significant causes of catheter loss. Surgical salvage procedures that can effectively resolve the infection and preserve dialysis are of major importance. METHODS: Thirteen patients with chronic exit-site and tunnel infections underwent surgical salvage consisting of unroofing the tunnel tract and shaving of the superficial catheter cuff. A control group of 138 patients implanted during the same time span as the study group was used for infection rate and survival comparisons. RESULTS: The salvage procedure cured the infection in all patients. No dialysate leaks occurred. Peritoneal dialysis was not interrupted. Surgical salvage provided successful long-term peritoneal dialysis that was equivalent to the cohort dialysis population. CONCLUSION: Surgical salvage by unroofing/cuff shaving is an effective long-term solution for chronic exit-site and tunnel infection.     

Gentamicin in ophthalmology

Gentamicin, widely used in the treatment of ocular infections, is discussed in terms of its chemical structure, effectiveness against various organisms, and pharmacology. Dosages and methods of administration are detailed and toxic effects, reversible and irreversible, are noted.