Enterococcus faecalis Septicemia and Vertebral Osteomyelitis after Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Biopsy of the Prostate.

Transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy (TRUS) has rarely been associated with disseminated infection, yet the occurrence appears to be increasing. Resistance to fluoroquinolones, the most commonly used prophylaxis, is one of the likely causes, with Escherichia coli being the most commonly reported cause of these infections. Herein we present what is, to our knowledge, the first case of Enterococcus faecalis septicemia and vertebral osteomyelitis after TRUS.

Use of email in a family practice setting: opportunities and challenges in patient- and physician-initiated communication.

Background: Electronic mail (email) has the potential to improve communication between physicians and patients.

Methods: We conducted two research studies in a family practice setting: 1) a brief, anonymous patient survey of a convenience sample to determine the number of clinic patients receptive to communicating with their physician via email, and 2) a randomized, controlled pilot study to assess the feasibility of providing health education via email to family practice patients.

Results: Sixty-eight percent of patients used email, and the majority of those (80%) were interested in using email to communicate with the clinic.

Caring for patients after bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery leads to sustainable long-term weight loss and may be curative for such obesity-related comorbidities as diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea in severely obese patients. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass has become the most common procedure for patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The procedure carries a mortality risk of up to 1 percent and a serious complication risk of up to 10 percent.