Clinical Risk Factors for Infective Endocarditis in Bacteremia.

Crucial to the management of staphylococcal bacteremia is an accurate evaluation of associated endocarditis, which has both therapeutic and prognostic implications. Because the clinical presentation of endocarditis can be nonspecific, the judicious use of echocardiography is important in distinguishing patients at high risk of developing endocarditis. In the presence of high-risk clinical features, an early transesophageal echocardiogram is warranted without prior transthoracic echocardiography.

First Reported Case of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Vertebral Osteomyelitis with Multiple Spinal and Paraspinal Abscesses Associated with Acupuncture.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world and originated in China about 2,000 years ago. Acupuncture is a form of complementary medicine and has gained popularity worldwide in the last few decades. It is mainly used for the treatment of chronic pain.