Effectiveness of protease inhibitor monotherapy versus combination antiretroviral maintenance therapy: a meta-analysis.

Background: The unparalleled success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is based on the combination of three drugs from two classes. There is insufficient evidence whether simplification to ritonavir boosted protease inhibitor (PI/r) monotherapy in virologically suppressed HIV-infected patients is effective and safe to reduce cART side effects and costs.

Methods: We systematically searched Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, conference proceedings and trial registries to identify all randomised controlled trials comparing PI/r monotherapy to cART in suppressed patients.

A rifampicin-containing antibiotic treatment improves outcome of staphylococcal deep sternal wound infections.

Background: Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a severe complication after cardiac surgery, mostly caused by staphylococci. Little is known about the optimal antibiotic management.

Methods: A 10 year retrospective analysis of 100 patients with staphylococcal DSWI after cardiac surgery in a tertiary hospital.

Implementation of raltegravir in routine clinical practice: selection criteria for choosing this drug, virologic response rates, and characteristics of failures.

Background: Raltegravir (RAL) achieved remarkable virologic suppression rates in randomized-clinical trials, but today efficacy data and factors for treatment failures in a routine clinical care setting are limited.

Methods: First, factors associated with a switch to RAL were identified with a logistic regression including patients from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study with a history of 3 class failure (n = 423). Second, predictors for virologic outcome were identified in an intent-to-treat analysis including all patients who received RAL.

Less than 28 days of intravenous antibiotic treatment is sufficient for suppurative thrombophlebitis in injection drug users.

Data about the required duration of intravenous therapy for suppurative thrombophlebitis is lacking. Among 36 episodes of proven suppurative thrombophlebitis requiring hospital admission, no relapses occurred when treatment was given for >7 days intravenously and followed by oral therapy. A <4-week course of intravenous antibiotics may be sufficient.

Obituary to analgesic nephropathy--an autopsy study.

Background: To determine whether classic analgesic nephropathy with renal papillary and urothelial capillary sclerosis could still be detected at autopsy in the beginning of the 21st century, the present study which is similar to a previous one performed in 1980 was undertaken as suggested by the Ad Hoc Committee of the International Study Group on Analgesics and Nephropathy.

Methods: Consecutive autopsies of 616 adults performed at the Basle Institute of Pathology between November 2000 and February 2002 were analysed. Tissue samples of renal cortex and papilla of 1220 kidneys and of each ureter and main renal artery available were subjected to a very careful and meticulous study using classical histopathological methodology.