F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography as a diagnostic and follow-up tool in endocarditis of prosthetic valve and aortic valved tube: a case report.

Background: European Society of Cardiology 2015 guidelines approved F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) as a useful diagnostic imaging technique in prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and recent evidence seems to suggest a role of nuclear imaging in the follow-up of cardiovascular infections, but nowadays there are no sufficient data available.

Case Summary: A 67-year-old male presented with fever, weight loss, and fatigue. His medical history included ulcerative colitis and a previous Bentall-De Bono surgical procedure in 2014.

Characteristics of current heart failure patients admitted to internal medicine vs. cardiology hospital units: the VASCO study.

The majority of patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) are admitted to internal medicine (IM) rather than to cardiology (CA) units, but to date few studies have analyzed the characteristics of these two populations. In this snapshot survey, we compared consecutive patients admitted for HF in six IM units vs. one non-intensive CA unit.

Colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa of dental unit waterlines and its relationship with other bacteria: suggestions for microbiological monitoring.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an environmental bacterium, ubiquitous in aquatic habitats and water distribution systems, including dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). We investigated the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in DUWLs from private dental settings.

Experimental Study to Develop a Method for Improving Sample Collection to Monitor Laryngoscopes after Reprocessing.

Background/aims: The microbiological surveillance of endoscopes and automated flexible endoscope reprocessing have been proven to be two of the most difficult and controversial areas of infection control in endoscopy. The purpose of this study was to standardize a sampling method for assessing the effectiveness of standard reprocessing operating procedures for flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopes (FFLs).

Methods: First, the sampling devices were directly inoculated with Bacillus atrophaeus spores; second, tissue non tissue (TNT) wipes were tested on artificially contaminated surfaces and on FFLs.

The role of chemical products at low doses in preventing the proliferation of bacteria in dental unit waterlines: the ICX experience.

In this study we evaluated (1) the efficacy of a protocol that combines hydrogen peroxide (shock treatment) and ICX tablets (continuous treatment) for the control of microbial contamination in dental unit water lines, and (2) the in vitro antimicrobial activity of ICX tablets on collection and wild strains isolated from dental chair output waters. To assess the treatment effectiveness, the microbial load in the output water samples of three dental chairs were investigated: one control chair received only shock treatment. In vitro bactericidal activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Efficacy of a Low Dose of Hydrogen Peroxide (Peroxy Ag⁺) for Continuous Treatment of Dental Unit Water Lines: Challenge Test with Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 1 in a Simulated Dental Unit Waterline.

This study was designed to examine the in vitro bactericidal activity of hydrogen peroxide against Legionella. We tested hydrogen peroxide (Peroxy Ag⁺) at 600 ppm to evaluate Legionella survival in a simulated dental treatment water system equipped with Water Hygienization Equipment (W.H.

Cultural and Molecular Evidence of Legionella spp. Colonization in Dental Unit Waterlines: Which Is the Best Method for Risk Assessment?

Legionella spp. are ubiquitous in aquatic habitats and water distribution systems, including dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Legionella in DUWLs and tap water samples using PMA-qPCR and standard culture methods.

Viability-qPCR for detecting Legionella: Comparison of two assays based on different amplicon lengths.

Two different real-time quantitative PCR (PMA-qPCR) assays were applied for quantification of Legionella spp. by targeting a long amplicon (approx 400 bp) of 16S rRNA gene and a short amplicon (approx. 100 bp) of 5S rRNA gene.

Overestimation of the Legionella spp. load in environmental samples by quantitative real-time PCR: pretreatment with propidium monoazide as a tool for the assessment of an association between Legionella concentration and sanitary risk.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) offers rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of Legionella in environmental water samples. In this study, qPCR and qPCR combined with propidium monoazide (PMA-qPCR) were both applied to hot-water system samples and compared to traditional culture techniques. In addition, we evaluated the ability of PMA-qPCR to monitor the efficacy of different disinfection strategies.

Legionella in water samples: how can you interpret the results obtained by quantitative PCR?

Evaluation of the potential risk associated with Legionella has traditionally been determined from culture-based methods. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is an alternative tool that offers rapid, sensitive and specific detection of Legionella in environmental water samples. In this study we compare the results obtained by conventional qPCR (iQ-Check™ Quanti Legionella spp.