Greek nursing students' immunization coverage: data from central continental Greece.

Nursing students are at risk of acquiring vaccine-preventable diseases. To estimate the vaccination rates for nursing students, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in a major district of central continental Greece with an anonymous and self-administered questionnaire in a sample of 432 nursing students (the response rate was 97%). The eligible nursing students completed the questionnaire after informed consent was obtained.

Four-year experience of use of the Cobas Amplicor system for rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in respiratory and nonrespiratory specimens in Greece.

To evaluate the experience of a clinical microbiology laboratory with a DNA amplification assay for routine detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the Cobas Amplicor Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (Roche Diagnostics Systems, USA) was performed on 7,722 respiratory and 1,451 nonrespiratory specimens collected from 3,321 patients. The results were compared with those of culture in conventional Lowenstein-Jensen medium, culture in the MB/BacT system (Organon Teknika, France), and clinical investigations. A total of 240 of the 254 respiratory specimens culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were also positive in the PCR assay.

Recurrent facial pain due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa sinusitis.

Pseudomonas (P) aeruginosa has been rarely reported as a causative agent of chronic sinusitis in otherwise healthy individuals, mostly as part of polymicrobial infections, while it has been frequently described among immunocompromised patients. We report a case of chronic maxillary sinustitis due to P. aeruginosa presenting as recurrent facial pain in a previously healthy middle-aged woman.

Bacteriological cultures of removed intrauterine devices and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are highly effective, long-term methods of contraception. Although evidence of a direct association between IUD use and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is scarce, concerns about PID related to IUDs use has limited their use throughout the world. We designed this study to examine the effect of IUDs on PID.