Etiology, Risk Factors and Outcome of 1003 Cases of Infective Endocarditis from a 33-year National Survey in the Slovak Republic: An increasing proportion of elderly patients.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is still a significant cause of mortality in European hospitals, despite of the fact, that large nationwide studies were performed in last twenty years and pathogens are well known. The aim of the study was to assess risk factors, mortality, etiology and proportion of elderly patients within a longitudinal nation wide survey of infectious endocarditis in Slovakia.

Patients And Methods: Etiology, risk factors and outcome of 1003 cases of infective endocarditis (IE) in Slovakia over the last 33 years have been assessed.

Fungal neuroinfections and fungaemia: unexpected increase of mortality from invasive fungal infections in 2005-2011 in comparison to 1989-1998: analysis of 210 cases.

Objective: In this short communication we compared the data of fungaemia cases in Slovak hospitals from 1989-1998 published in 1999-2000 with data from 2005-2011.

Methods: Risk factors, etiology and outcome of fungaemia between two periods (1989-1998 vs. 2005-2011) were compared and risk factors for death assessed by univariate analysis (CDC 2006 Statistical Package).

Colonization of the respiratory tract by drug-resistant bacteria in HIV-infected children and prior exposure to antimicrobials.

The aim of this short communication is to assess colonization by MRSA, penicillin-resistant pneumococci (PRP), fluconazole-resistant (FLU-R) Candida albicans (CA) and non-albicans Candida (NAC), and ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli with regard to immune recovery due to CD4 T-cell increase depending on the duration of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Prior exposure to oral cephalosporins (P<0.

Hospital antibiotic management in Slovakia--results of the ABS maturity survey of the ABS International group.

Background: Antibiotic stewardship (ABS) is one of the important indicators in a healthcare system. Slovakia is participating in the project "Implementing antibiotic strategies for appropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals in member states of the European Union--ABS International", the objectives of which are identification of strengths and weaknesses of antibiotic policy in participating countries. This paper summarizes the results for Slovakia.

Antifungal drug discovery, six new molecules patented after 10 years of feast: why do we need new patented drugs apart from new strategies?

After 10 years absence (between 1990-1999) of new antifungal agents and intensive research being introduced into clinical practice, 3 new azoles (Voriconazole - Pfizer, Posaconazole - Schering-Plough, Ravuconazole - Bristol-Myers Squibb) and 3 new echinocandins (Caspofungin - MSD, Anidulafungin - Astellas-Pfizer, Micafungin - Fujisawa) were patented. The question raises if we really need 6 new antifungal agents in such a short time? Perhaps, they are not here because we need them all, but because of at least fifteen years effort of many groups of investigators who successfully discovered, proved and introduced these agents to the drug market. Voriconazole (2000), Posaconazole (2005), Ravuconazole (2007) from the group of azoles; and Caspofungin (2002), Anidulafungin (2004) and Micafungin (2006) from the group of echinocandins, with unique mode(s) of action (cell wall synthesis inhibition) different from polyens, azoles, antimetabolites and new monoclonal antifungal antibody (Mycograb), were approved and introduced to the clinical practice.