: A rare cause of native valve endocarditis with multifocal emboli to brain and spleen.

is a facultative anaerobic gram-negative rod bacterium, which can acquire pathogenicity through the acquisition of additional genetic material. We present a case of ST1193, an emerging global multidrug-resistant (MDR) high-risk clone, causing native valve endocarditis and septic brain and splenic emboli in a 67-year-old woman.

Comparative Outcomes of Candida auris Bloodstream Infections: A Multicenter Retrospective Case-Control Study.

Background: This study was performed to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes between patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by Candida auris and those with BSIs caused by other Candida spp.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective case-control study was performed at 3 hospitals in Brooklyn, New York, between 2016 and 2020. The analysis included patients ≥18 years of age who had a positive blood culture for any Candida spp.

Emerging Multiorgan Klebsiella pneumoniae Invasive Syndrome Leading to Septic Shock: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

is a community-acquired pathogen that typically causes pneumonia and urinary tract infections. Rarely, it can affect other organ systems such as the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the meninges, ears, eyes, and spine. We present the case of a 62-year-old male admitted with septic shock secondary to necrotizing pneumonia and multiple hepatic liver abscesses, which to the best of our knowledge, is the first reported case of multiorgan invasive infection, including the presence of a newly recognized syndrome referred as Invasive Liver Abscess Syndrome (ILAS).

Cladosporium sphaerospermum as a Rare Cause of Pneumonia.

isa radiotrophic dematiaceous fungus that can rarely cause disease in humans such as infections of the skin, eye, upper airways, and brain. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first reported case of -induced invasive lung infection. This case presents a 51-year-old male with a medical history significant for heavy smoking and severe alcohol abuse who was admitted for acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to a large exudative right pleural effusion compounded by hydropneumothorax.

Idiopathic Bilateral Ovarian Vein Thrombosis in a Non-Pregnant Healthy Patient: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) is a potentially life-threatening condition, and it is typically related to the peripartum period; however, it is also associated with pelvic inflammatory disease, recent pelvic or abdominal surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, thrombophilia, malignancy, and sepsis. Idiopathic isolated OVT is rare and is usually presented as case reports in the medical literature. In this report, we present a case of bilateral OVT in a postmenopausal female with no identifiable risk factors and normal coagulation profile workup to highlight the importance of considering it as a differential diagnosis in female patients presenting with abdominal pain.

Hypercoagulable workup in a community hospital setting: to test or not to test; that is the question.

: Thrombophilia tests are often ordered unnecessarily and/or inappropriately, with significant impact on healthcare costs, hospital resources, time, and potential harm to the patient. : To identify the incidence of unnecessary and inappropriate thrombophilia testing in a community hospital setting. : We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records for patients who underwent inpatient thrombophilia testing at The Brooklyn Hospital Center from 1/1/2018 to 12/31/2018.

Effect of icodextrin on heart rate variability in diabetic patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Introduction: Spectral analysis of heart rate variability is a noninvasive method for evaluating autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction under various clinical conditions, such as in dialysis patients, in whom an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system appears to be an important risk factor for sudden cardiovascular death and arrhythmia. ♢

Objective: We compared the effect of icodextrin-based dialysis solution, an option that allows for better metabolic and fluid overload control, with that of glucose-based dialysis fluid on sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in the heart, as assessed by heart rate variability, in diabetic patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). ♢

Methods: This secondary analysis uses data from a randomized controlled trial in diabetic PD patients with high or high-average peritoneal transport using icodextrin-based (ICO group, n = 30) or glucose-based (GLU group, n = 29) solutions for the long dwell.

Influence of ester-modified lipids on bilayer structure.

Lipid membranes function as barriers for cells to prevent unwanted chemicals from entering the cell and wanted chemicals from leaving. Because of their hydrophobic interior, membranes do not allow water to penetrate beyond the headgroup region. We performed molecular simulations to examine the effects of ester-modified lipids, which contain ester groups along their hydrocarbon chains, on bilayer structure.

Icodextrin improves metabolic and fluid management in high and high-average transport diabetic patients.

Background: Icodextrin-based solutions (ICO) have clinical and theoretical advantages over glucose-based solutions (GLU) in fluid and metabolic management of diabetic peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients; however, these advantages have not yet been tested in a randomized fashion.

Objective: To analyze the effects of ICO on metabolic and fluid control in high and high-average transport diabetic patients on continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD).

Patients And Methods: A 12-month, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare ICO (n = 30) versus GLU (n = 29) in diabetic CAPD patients with high-average and high peritoneal transport characteristics.