Autolytic debridement and management of bacterial load with an occlusive hydroactive deressing impregnated with polyhexamethylene biguanide.

Background: Debridement and control of bacterial load are key-points of wound care. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of autolytic debridement and management of bacterial load (bioburden) of an occlusive hydro-active dressing impregnated with polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB).

Methods: We used an occlusive dressing of hydro-active for leg ulcers' treatment (TenderWet-plus® - Hartmann).

High-resolution MR lymphangiography for planning lymphaticovenous anastomosis treatment: a single-centre experience.

Purpose: This article illustrates the feasibility of MR lymphangiography (MRL) for imaging lymphatic vessels in patients with lymphedema, its accuracy in distinguishing lymphatic vessels from veins, and its utility for planning Lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) treatment.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively enrolled 30 patients (24 women, range 18-70, 17 cases of lower limb lymphedema, 6 cases of primary lymphedema). All the patients underwent MRL, using a 1.

Right gastroepiploic artery arising from the dorsal pancreatic artery: a very rare anatomic variation underlying interesting embryologic implications.

The exceptional case of the right gastroepiploic artery (RGE) arising from the dorsal pancreatic (DP) artery in an individual affected by hepatocellular carcinoma is presented. This anatomic variant was demonstrated with a selective angiography of the common hepatic artery that showed a distinct DP artery branching from the injected artery. The DP artery gave off regular pancreatic branches and continued as a long and winding vessel that was identified as the RGE by its general course, the anterior epiploic branches arising from it, and the injection of the distal splenic artery, possibly via the anastomosis with the left gastroepiploic artery.

The prevalence of congenital and perinatal cytomegalovirus infections among newborns of seropositive mothers.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of congenital and perinatal human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections among newborns in two major neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Bahrain.

Methodology: One hundred newborns comprised of 84 preterm and 16 term babies admitted to the NICUs were enrolled in the study. During the first six weeks of life, urine and saliva was obtained from the babies weekly and serial breast milk samples were obtained from the mothers.

Trafficking of methicillin-resistant staphylococci and co-colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci.

Objectives: To determine the trafficking of methicillin-resistant staphylococci between the hospital and community as well as the occurrence of co-colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).

Subjects And Methods: From November 2005 to April 2006, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MRCoNS)-positive patients at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain were assessed for VRE co-colonization. Characterization of vancomycin resistance genotype by PCR was carried out.

Predominance of CTX-M genotype among extended spectrum beta lactamase isolates in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To determine the molecular characterization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) isolates from a tertiary center in Saudi Arabia using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and assess their antibiotic susceptibility pattern.

Methods: Prospective study conducted at the Saudi Aramco Dhahran Health Center, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia between April-December 2006. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases phenotype of isolates identified by automated methods was confirmed using E-test.

Probiotics for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.

Background: The dominance of lactobacilli in healthy vaginal microbiota and its depletion in bacterial vaginosis (BV) has given rise to the concept of oral or vaginal instillation of probiotic Lactobacillus strains for the management of this condition.

Objectives: To ascertain the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of BV.

Search Strategy: We searched electronic databases irrespective of publication status or language.

Extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae: trends in the hospital and community settings.

Background: To assess the prevalence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella strains in nosocomial and community-acquired infections.

Methodology: The study was conducted at a centralized microbiology laboratory in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Laboratory records (January 2004 - December 2005) were assessed.

Campylobacter enteritis in the Arabian Gulf.

Diarrhoea illnesses constitute a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In recent years, Campylobacter spp. has been recognized as the leading cause of bacterial enteritis in both developed and developing countries.

Guidelines for venous thromboembolism and clinical practice in Italy: a nationwide survey.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common health problem for today's society, and considering the role that it plays in surgical patients (general surgery, gynecology, and orthopedics), new advances in our understanding of the procedures and trauma characteristics are relevant and necessary. The most important and recently published guidelines concerning this problem have been taken into consideration, leading to articulate investigations and data evaluation. This project has proposed a data-survey framework available as a questionnaire in order to investigate application of the guidelines for VTE throughout the national territory.

Campylobacter jejuni induces diverse kinetics and profiles of cytokine genes in INT-407 cells.

Objective: To examine the kinetic ability of embryonic human epithelial INT-407 cells to express messenger ribonucleic acid mRNA for various cytokines and chemokines in response to Campylobacter jejuni C. jejuni stimulation.

Methods: In an experimental single-blind study, cultured embryonic human epithelial INT-407 cells were treated with different concentrations of viable C.

Trends in antibiotic sensitivity pattern and molecular detection of tet(O)-mediated tetracycline resistance in campylobacter jejuni isolates from human and poultry sources.

This study was conducted to determine the trends in Campylobacter antibiotic resistance occurring in our setting and to assess the differences in the isolates using patterns of plasmid profiles. One hundred Campylobacter jejuni strains of human and poultry origin isolated in 2002-2003 (phase A) and 2005-2006 (phase B) in the Kingdom of Bahrain were evaluated. Susceptibility to erythromycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was determined, and plasmid extraction and polymerase chain reaction detection of the tet(O) gene was carried out.

Management of acute diarrhoea in primary care in Bahrain: self-reported practices of doctors.

This nationwide study was conducted to assess the extent of adherence of primary-care physicians to the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended guidelines on the use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT), antimicrobials, and prescribing of other drugs used in treating symptoms of acute diarrhoea in Bahrain. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey was carried out in primary-care health centres. During a six-week survey period (15 August-30 September 2003), 328 (25.

Multiplex PCR for direct identification of Campylobacter spp. in human and chicken stools.

Differentiation between Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli is problematic in clinical specimens due to fastidious growth requirements and limited biochemical tests. This study describes a rapid, multiplex PCR protocol for the direct detection and differentiation of C. jejuni and C.

Pattern of antibiotic susceptibility in Campylobacter jejuni isolates of human and poultry origin.

Campylobacter jejuni antibiotic resistance is rising with a variable geographical pattern; but there is limited data from the Arabian Gulf region. We assessed the sensitivity of human (117) and chicken (33) C. jejuni isolates to erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole by agar dilution, disc diffusion and the E test.

Clinical relevance of virulence genes in Campylobacter jejuni isolates in Bahrain.

There are no data describing the genetic make-up of Campylobacter strains (an important aetiological agent of diarrhoea) circulating in the Arabian Gulf region. Here, the molecular characterization of two virulence genes in Campylobacter jejuni from Bahrain and the relationship with clinical infection are reported. Molecular screening for cytolethal distending toxin (cdtB) and invasion-associated marker (iam) genes was carried out on C.

Human papillomavirus infection among women attending health facilities in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Objective: To investigate the occurrence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the associated risk factors in Bahrain's female population.

Methods: This study was carried out between March to December 2004, which includes cervical scrapings for Pap smear and HPV-DNA testing using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, obtained from 100 women attending the Gynecology Clinic at Salmaniya Medical Center and Sheikh Sabah Health Center in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We distributed questionnaires that include the sociodemographic data as well as information on risk factors such as smoking, parity, and the contraceptive used.

Neonatal sepsis 1991-2001: prevalent bacterial agents and antimicrobial susceptibilities in Bahrain.

Objectives: To investigate the organisms causing neonatal sepsis and their modifications over an extended period, to assess their changing sensitivities to antibiotics and to verify whether the policy for screening pregnant women for group B streptococci (GBS) carriage is desirable in our settings.

Subjects And Methods: Medical records of all infants with positive blood culture from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Salmaniya Medical Complex between 1991 and 2001 and Bahrain Defense Force Hospital between 1999 and 2001 were reviewed.

Results: Of the 7,978 neonates in both hospitals 335 (4.

Effect of antibiotic sub inhibitory concentration on cytolethal distending toxin production by Campylobacter jejuni.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of pre-exposure antibiotics on cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) production and toxigenic effect of C. jejuni.

Methods: Sonicates and filtrates were prepared from known cdt+ and cdt- isolates of C.

Status of malaria in the Kingdom of Bahrain: a 10-year review.

Background: Malaria was eradicated in Bahrain about 20 years ago. However, because of a large immigrant population, cases of imported malaria continued to be seen. This paper presents an evaluation of the data from 1992 to 2001 to assess the levels of indigenous and imported malaria cases and the potential for reemergence of malaria transmission in the country.

Induction of alpha and beta chemokines by intestinal epithelial cells stimulated with Campylobacter jejuni.

Objectives: To investigate the production of dynamic alpha and beta chemokines represented by interleukin-8 (IL-8) as alpha chemokine and CCL2 (monocyte-chemoattractant protein-1, CCR2 ligand), CCL4 (macrophage-inflammatory protein-1beta, CCR5 ligand), CCL3 (macrophage-inflammatory protein-1alpha, CCR1/5 ligand), (CCL5, regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES, CCR5 ligand) as beta chemokines by the human intestinal cell line INT407 stimulated with factors produced by living Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) and those present within sonicated and filtrated bacteria.

Methods: We used immunohistochemical technique modified to detect intracellular production of cytokines protein and RT-PCR to read RNA messages for evaluation of de novo cytokine synthesis.

Campylobacter-stimulated INT407 cells produce dissociated cytokine profiles.

Objectives: To study the action of factors produced by living Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) against those present within sonicated and filtrated bacteria on induction of potential cytokines by the human intestinal cell line INT407.

Methods: We used immunohistochemical technique modified to detect intracellular production of cytokines protein and RT-PCR to read RNA messages for evaluation of de novo cytokine synthesis.