Fecal microbiota transplantation to eradicate vancomycin-resistant enterococci colonization in case of an outbreak

Objective

A rapid and worrying emergence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) gut colonization is occurring worldwide and may be responsible for outbreaks, especially in healthcare facilities. While no efficient decolonization strategies are recommended, we assessed fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to eradicate VRE colonization.

Actinomyces graevenitzii pulmonary abscess mimicking tuberculosis in a healthy young man

Pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare disease that is often misdiag-nosed as tuberculosis or lung cancer. Actinomyces graevenitzii is a relatively new recognized Actinomyces species isolated from various clinical samples. The authors report a case of pulmonary actinomycosis caused by A graevenitzii. A computed tomography examination revealed an excavated consolidation in the middle right lobe of a previously healthy young man who presented with a long history of moderate cough. Cultures of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary abscess caused by A gravenitzii. At the three-month follow-up consultation and, after six weeks of high-dose amoxicillin, the pulmonary lesion had completely disappeared.     

54 cases of infectious endocarditis seen in 32 years in a population of 2038 congenital heart diseases

A longitudinal study of a 32-year period (1954-1987) involving 2038 patients with congenital heart defects followed by the same physician yielded 54 cases of infective endocarditis (IE). Complex cyanogenic cardiopathies were particularly exposed to the risk of infection (8.2 IE for 1000 patient-years), then came ventricular septal defects (2.4), tetralogy of Fallot (2.3), aortic stenosis (2.0) and atrioventricular canal (1.7). The risk was smaller in patients with Eisenmerger complex (1.2), persistent arterial canal (1.4) and coarctation (0.7). Patients under 10 years of age (16.7%) were less affected than young adults in the 20-29 years age-group (33.4%). The organisms most frequently isolated were streptococci (42%); staphylococci ranked second (23%). Less common organisms were found in 14% of the cases, and blood cultures were negative in 21%. Systemic prophylaxis with penicillin V, introduced 16 years ago, seems to have almost halved the incidence of infective endocarditis due to penicillin-sensitive organisms.     

Outcome of patients with Eisenmenger syndrome. Apropos of 62 cases followed-up for an average of 16 years]

In an era when heart-lung transplantation offers a therapeutic option for patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome, it is important to assess the natural history of this condition. With this objective the authors studied 62 patients followed-up by the same cardiologist. The average follow-up period was 16 years, but 22 patients were followed up for over 20 years. The average age at death was 29 years. It differed significantly for genetically normal patients (31 years for 21 fatalities) compared with a population of trisomics (21 years for 6 fatalities). Half the patient population lived for over 30 years. Fourteen of the 27 deaths occurred during the third decade and only 4 before the age of 20. The probability of surviving 10 more years for a 20 years old genetically normal patient was 56%. The causes of death in the 19 cases in which it could be established were: 5 sudden deaths, 4 right heart failures, 3 massive haemoptyses, 3 pulmonary emboli, 2 pneumonias and 2 peroperative deaths. The functional disability was nearly always minimal or mild, enabling the patient to work: 24 of the 45 non-trisomic patients had full-time jobs. Pregnancy was a poor prognosis factor and could be lethal (2 deaths due to pulmonary embolism in the post-partum period). A heart-lung transplantation would only seem to be justified in patients with severe symptoms, polycythaemia, irreversible right heart failure and/or haemoptysis.     

Chronic gonococcal arthritis with C5 deficiency presenting with brief flare-ups: case study and literature review

Gonococcal arthritis is typically acute and appears within 3 weeks after initial infection. Chronic gonococcal arthritis is now exceptionally rare, since the advent of the antibiotic era. Numerous host factors are involved in gonococcal dissemination, such as complement deficiency, HIV and gonococcus strain characteristics. Gonococcal arthritis shares the same risk factors. In this instance, our patient was a 16-year-old girl suffering from persistent polyarthralgia with joint swelling presenting with brief flare-ups for a period of 1 year. She disclosed a single episode of unprotected sexual intercourse 1 year ago, i.e. just before developing her first rheumatological symptoms. Therefore, we performed a joint aspiration (arthrocentesis), and synovial fluid was inoculated directly into aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles, which tested positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae within 24 h. Clinical presentation was consistent with previous reports of chronic gonococcal arthritis. Further investigation revealed a C5 complement deficiency, which might explain the chronic Neisseria process. A favourable outcome was reached after a ten-day course of IV ceftriaxone, with no apparent sequelae found during follow-up 6 weeks later. This case demonstrates an unusual gonococcal arthritis with brief flare-ups for the course of a year, followed by a subacute form. N. meningitidis infections, similar to N. gonorrhoeae, are typically acute and may sometimes be involved in chronic processes. However, this characteristic appears to be rare in the case of N. gonorrhoeae. Risk factors for this chronic process will be discussed with a review of the literature.     

Tetralogy of Fallot. 20 years' experience in 144 cases

Between 1968 and December 1987, 144 patients with tetralogy of Fallot were examined at La Pitié Hospital, Paris. 76 were female and 68 male, with a mean age of 8.1 years at the first visit. The patients were regularly followed up by the same physician relying on radiography of the chest, electrocardiography and, since 1982, two-dimensional echocardiography. These visits were coupled with an interview with the welfare officer attached to our department for information on the patient's way of life as well as his socio-professional and familial problems. 129 patients of mean age 14.8 years underwent corrective surgery preceded in 81 cases by palliative surgery. The overall immediate mortality rate was 12.4% (16 cases), falling from 19.5% between 1968 and 1977 to 3% during the last 10 years. The mean follow-up period was 10.7 years, with 51 patients being followed up for more than 10 years and 18 for more than 20 years. Late mortality now stands at 5.3% (7 patients, 6 of whom died of a cardiac cause). Residual lesions consisted in significant (27%) pulmonary insufficiency in 35 patients, residual interventricular septal defect in 16 patients (12.4%) and pulmonary obstruction in 11 patients (8%). 18 patients presented with dysrhythmias, including 7 cases of ventricular arrhythmia; 5 two-bundle blocks and 5 complete atrioventricular blocks were also observed. 11 patients required reoperation with a 27.2% mortality rate (3 cases).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Is 5 days of oral fluoroquinolone enough for acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis? The DTP randomized trial

The treatment duration of acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis (AUP) is still under debate. As shortening treatment duration could be a means to reduce antimicrobial resistance, we aimed to establish whether 5 days of antibiotic treatment is non-inferior to 10 days in patients with AUP. We performed an open-label prospective randomized trial comparing 5 days to 10 days of fluoroquinolone treatment for AUP. The inclusion criteria were: female patients aged ≥18 years with clinical signs of urinary tract infection, fever >38 °C, and positive urinalysis. Patients were randomized to either 5 or 10 days of fluoroquinolone treatment. Outcome was cure at day 10 and day 30 after the end of treatment. One hundred patients were randomized and 12 were excluded after randomization. The mean?±?standard deviation (SD) age was 31.8?±?11 years old and the mean?±?SD temperature was 38.6?±?0.7 °C. The main bacterium involved was Escherichia coli (n?=?86; 97.7%) and 3 (3.4%) patients had a positive blood culture. In the post-hoc analysis, clinical cure 10 days after the end of the treatment was 28/30 (93.3%) in the 5-day arm and 36/38 (94.7%) in the 10-day arm (p?=?1.00). At day 30, the clinical cure rate was 23/23 (100%) in the 5-day arm and 20/20 (100%) in the 10-day arm (p?=?1.00). The microbiological cure rate was 20/23 (87.0%) in the 5-day arm and 16/20 (80.0%) in the 10-day arm (p?=?1.00). The efficacy of 5 days of fluoroquinolone treatment does not seem different from 10 days of treatment for AUP.     

Risk factors for heat related death during the August 2003 heat wave in Paris, France, in patients evaluated at the emergency department of the Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou

Objectives

This study sought to determine the risk factors for short term mortality in the victims of the heat wave of August 2003 in France from among patients evaluated in our emergency department (ED). It was hypothesised that age, temperature, and some long term therapies and pre‐existing pathologies were factors associated with short term mortality.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of a seven day period. Four experts decided blindly, in pairs, whether a patient had presented with a heat related problem. Inclusion criteria were: core temperature ⩾38 °C and/or clinical signs of dehydration. Comparisons were made between the survivors and one month non‐survivors for 57 different items. Short term mortality was defined as death in the ED or within the first month of the ED visit.

Results

Of 841 patients attending the ED in the study period, 165 were included in the study, of which most were elderly women. Thirty one (18.8%) died within one month. Factors associated with short term mortality were: a greater degree of dependent living; more severe clinical condition on admission (higher temperature and heart rate, lower blood pressure, hypoxia, and altered mental status); higher values of blood glucose, troponin, and white blood cell count; lower values of serum protein and prothrombin levels; pre‐existing ischaemic cardiomyopathy; pneumonia as associated infection; and previous psychotropic treatment. The total number of survivors at one year was 91.

Conclusions

Although this study is limited because of the small sample size, the results have helped determine factors useful for future identification of patients at greatest risk of death in order to implement a more efficient patient care protocol.     

Obesity in trauma patients: correlations of body mass index with outcomes, injury patterns, and complications

Current understanding of the effects of obesity on trauma patients is incomplete. We hypothesized that among older trauma patients, obese patients differ from nonobese patients in injury patterns, complications, and mortality. Patients older than 45 years old presenting to a Level I trauma center were included in this retrospective database analysis (n = 461). Body mass index (BMI) groups were defined as underweight less than 18.5 kg/m(2), normal 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m(2), overweight 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m(2), or obese greater than 30 kg/m(2). Injury patterns, complications, and outcomes were analyzed using univariate analyses, multivariate logistic regression, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Higher BMI is associated with a higher incidence of torso injury and proximal upper extremity injuries in blunt trauma (n = 410). All other injury patterns and complications (except anemia) were similar between BMI groups. The underweight (BMI less than 18.5 kg/m(2)) group had significantly lower 90-day survival than other groups (P < 0.05). BMI is not a predictor of morbidity or mortality in multivariate analysis. Among older blunt trauma patients, increasing BMI is associated with higher rates of torso and proximal upper extremity injuries. Our study suggests that obesity is not an independent risk factor for complications or mortality after trauma in older patients. Conversely, underweight trauma patients had a lower 90-day survival.