Prospective study of a panfungal PCR assay followed by sequencing, for the detection of fungal DNA in normally sterile specimens in a clinical setting: a complementary tool in the diagnosis of invasive fungal disease?

We prospectively analyzed 34 clinical biopsy samples from 23 patients with a suspected invasive fungal infection by fungal culture, histology and a panfungal PCR followed by sequencing. Results were compared to the composite diagnosis according the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria. In 34 samples, culture, histology and panfungal PCR were positive in 35%, 38% and 62%, respectively.

How to discriminate contamination from bloodstream infection due to coagulase-negative staphylococci: a prospective study with 654 patients.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are frequent contaminants of blood cultures. We aimed to evaluate the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria in patients with CoNS bacteraemia for discrimination between true bloodstream infection (BSI) and contamination. Prospective evaluation was carried out of clinical and laboratory parameters in adults with at least one positive blood culture with CoNS at the University Hospital of Basel between 2003 and 2007.

Emergence of four cases of KPC-2 and KPC-3-carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae introduced to Switzerland, 2009-10.

We report four epidemiologically unrelated cases of KPC-carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae identified in Switzerland between May 2009 and November 2010. Three cases were transferred from Italy (two KPC-3, one KPC-2) and one from Greece (KPC-2). Resistance to colistin and doxycycline emerged in one KPC-3-carrying K.

Comparison of the DiversiLab repetitive element PCR system with spa typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for clonal characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become an increasing problem worldwide in recent decades. Molecular typing methods have been developed to identify clonality of strains and monitor spread of MRSA. We compared a new commercially available DiversiLab (DL) repetitive element PCR system with spa typing, spa clonal cluster analysis, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in terms of discriminatory power and concordance.

[Vaccination against pneumococci and influenza. How good is the evidence?].

Diseases caused by pneumococci and influenza viruses can lead to severe complications in children, in older, chronically ill and immunosuppressed patients. In an aging population in western countries they present an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Additionally, antibiotic resistance may complicate a therapy.