[Infection and colonization by Scedosporium prolificans].

Background: Scedosporium prolificans is a dematiaceous fungus that is known to cause a wide spectrum of infections in humans, bearing a severity and a prognosis that is relationed with the patients immune status.

Methods: A retrospective review was made of the clinical charts of all patients who developed positive S. prolificans cultures in our centre from 1990 to 2000.

[Keratitis caused by Acanthamoeba spp.: presentation of 10 cases].

Objective: To describe the clinical and microbiological characteristics of ten patients with Acanthamoeba spp. keratitis.

Methods: A retrospective review was made of the clinical charts of ten patients with both clinical keratitis and positive culture for Acanthamoeba spp.

Genetic similarity among one Aspergillus flavus strain isolated from a patient who underwent heart surgery and two environmental strains obtained from the operating room.

We report the simultaneous isolation of one Aspergillus flavus strain from the aortic prosthesis of a heart surgery patient and another two isolates recovered from a dual-reservoir cooler-heater used in the operating room where this patient was operated on. Genetic typing of these three isolates by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) revealed identical genotypes. Eight unrelated control strains of A.

[Meningitis by enterovirus in pediatrics. Clinical characteristics and virologic diagnosis].

Background And Methods: With the aim of knowing the etiology of aseptic meningitis (pleocytosis in LCR with negative bacterial culture and positive or negative virus culture or without pleocytosis with viral culture in positive LCR), 48 children attending the Emergency Department of our hospital from June to December, 1995 were prospectively studied. Pharyngeal and rectal swab, LCR for bacteria and virus and blood cultures were carried out. The samples were inoculated in fibroblasts MRC-5, RD and BGM.

Deep infections caused by Scedosporium prolificans. A report on 16 cases in Spain and a review of the literature. Scedosporium Prolificans Spanish Study Group.

Scedosporium prolificans, a mold morphologically similar to Scedosporium apiospermum, may cause asymptomatic colonization or localized or disseminated infection following trauma, surgery, and immunosuppression. S. prolificans is normally resistant to available antifungal agents, and prognosis depends largely on the host's immune status, extent of infection, and feasibility of surgical debridement.

[Hemorrhagic colitis caused by verotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Presentation of 9 cases].

Objective: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of nine patients with enteritis caused by verocytotoxin-producing E. coli O157.

Patients And Methods: Clinical data of patients was collected retrospectively, the isolated strains were tested for verotoxin production (VT) using Vero cell culture line, and presence of VT1 and VT2 gene sequences was detected using amplification techniques (PCR), biotype was also determined using twelve biochemical tests, and genomic macrorestriction profile (PFGE).

[Hemolytic-uremic syndrome caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7. Detection in direct sample of verotoxin-coding genes].

Hemorrhagic colitis is an enteritis caused by verotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli. Conventional diagnosis requires the identification of the microorganism and the demonstration of verotoxin production. The determination of toxigenicity in isolated strains and in direct stool samples by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique may simplify the diagnosis.

Influence of three factors on the diagnostic effectiveness of transthoracic needle aspiration in pneumonia.

Prior antibiotic therapy, size of the infiltrate, and the person who performed the technique were the three factors that we studied to assess their influence on the effectiveness of transthoracic needle aspiration (TNA). Ninety-one patients with a diagnosis of severe bacterial pneumonia, who underwent TNA, have been included in the study. The technique was carried out with an ultrathin needle gauge 25 and without fluoroscopic control.

[Pneumonia in alcoholic patients: the clinical and etiological characteristics].

Twenty-four alcoholic patients with community-acquired pneumonia were studied for 2 years in order to define clinical signs and etiology. Blood cultures and serological profiles were done for all patients in addition to standard blood analyses. All had an invasive procedure -transthoracic puncture with an ultrafine 25G needle (20 patients) or telescopic catheter with bacteriologic brush (4 patients).

[Clinical and etiological features of community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly].

Background: The aim of the present study was to know the clinical and etiologic features of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in elderly patients requiring hospital admission.

Methods: A prospective study of 36 consecutive patients aged over 70 years, admitted to a general hospital was performed. Standard analytical determinations, blood cultures, and serologic studies were performed in all patients using invasive techniques: aspirative transthoracic puncture (ATP) with ultrafine needle in 35 (97%) cases, and telescopic catheter (TC) in 1 case.

[Current use of penicillin in community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonias].

Background: A retrospective study was performed to know the clinical and microbiologic aspects of community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia in adult patients admitted to a general hospital from 1990-1992.

Methods And Results: The medical records of 55 patients, aged 20-86 years (man age: 58 year) were reviewed. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from blood in 45 cases (81.

[Transthoracic aspiration punction with ultrafine needle in high risk community acquired pneumonia].

Background: The identification of etiologic agents of pneumonias acquired in the community (PAC) with risk factors is difficult. The classical diagnostic methods are not profitable and thus invasive techniques are used. In this study the diagnostic use of an invasive technique such as aspirative transthoracic puncture (ATP) was evaluated in this type of pneumonias.

[Cryptococcal meningitis and AIDS. Clinical description of 10 patients].

We have studied 10 patients with cryptococcal meningitis and AIDS. Nine of them were intravenous drug users and four have been previously diagnosed of AIDS. In 60% of them cryptococcal meningitis was the first opportunistic infection, and as group represented only 6.

[Scedosporium inflatum, a new pathogenic fungus. Report of 2 cases with a fatal outcome].

Scedosporium inflatum is a newly described human pathogen, their infections primarily involved musculoskeletal tissues. We report 2 fatal cases with disseminated S. inflatum infections in Spanish patients.

[Evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage in the microbiological diagnosis of pneumonia in patients at risk].

Bronchoalveolar washout was performed in 130 patients with pneumonia during a period of 28 months. Microbiological investigation involved common bacteria, Legionella, fungi, viruses (Cytomegalovirus, herpes, RSV), Mycobacterium, and Pneumocystis carinii. Infection HIV was present in 75% of patients.

[Pyomyositis in AIDS].

We describe two cases of pyomyositis in two patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Neither of the two cases had previous history of predisposing factors and both patients began with fever and pain at the site of the lesions. Aspiration by punction was required in addition to the antimicrobial therapy.

[Microbiological diagnosis of patients undergoing ambulatory peritoneal dialysis].

A prospective study was performed to evaluate two culture methods for the diagnosis of bacterial peritonitis in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD): a total bag volume method, and culture of 50 ml with prior saline wash. Peritonitis was present in 45 patients (47.4%).

[Haemophilus influenzae systemic infections in a children's hospital].

Thirty seven infections due to "Haemophilus influenzae" b were registered from January 1979 to December 1983. The organism was isolated from blood and/or CSF in all cases. Relation with sex or season predominance was not observed.