A Pseudo-Outbreak of Pseudomonas putida and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in a Bronchoscopy Unit.

Background: Endoscopes represent the medical devices most commonly linked to health care-associated outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks. Most of the recent outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks have resulted from contaminated automated endoscope reprocessors (AER) or the use of damaged or malfunctioning bronchoscopes or contaminated equipment.

Objectives: We investigated a pseudo-outbreak of Pseudomonas putida and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia recovered from bronchial washing (BW) specimens obtained during bronchoscopy in a bronchoscopy unit.

Management of malignant pleural effusion by an indwelling pleural catheter: A cost-efficiency analysis.

Background: For patients that are expected to survive for longer, the risk of complications combined with the need for more vacuum drainage bottles have become barriers to the placement of indwelling pleural catheter (IPC), since these could increase costs.

Objetives: The objective of the current article is to determine the cost and efficiency of treating malignant pleural effusion (MPE) with IPC in Spanish hospitals.

Methods: We compared the cost associated with the use of IPC per outpatient and per inpatient.

CCTTT pentanucleotide repeats in inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Introduction: One of the pathways involved in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is the nitric oxide (NO) pathway. A polymorphism in the inducible NO synthase (NOS2) gene has been described, consisting of the CCTTT pentanucleotide repeat, which causes a reduction in NO production. The aim of this study was to determine if this polymorphism increases susceptibility to developing PAH.