Transrectal prostatic ultrasonography in acute bacterial prostatitis: findings and clinical implications.

To evaluate the role of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in the diagnosis of acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) and to analyse the possible relationship between sonographic findings and clinical presentation and evolution, a prospective study using TRUS in patients with ABP was conducted. 45 patients (aged 58.2 +/- 14.

Bacteraemia in adults due to glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli other than P. aeruginosa.

Background: Glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli other than P. aeruginosa (NF) are emerging pathogens.

Aim: To evaluate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, predictors of acquisition, and outcome of bacteraemia due to NF.

A nosocomial outbreak of influenza during a period without influenza epidemic activity.

The objective of this study was to describe a nosocomial outbreak of influenza during a period without influenza epidemic activity in the community. Outbreak investigation was carried out in an infectious diseases ward of a tertiary hospital. Presence of two or more of the following symptoms were used to define influenza: cough, sore throat, myalgia and fever.

Addition of a macrolide to a beta-lactam-based empirical antibiotic regimen is associated with lower in-hospital mortality for patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia.

To assess the association between inclusion of a macrolide in a beta-lactam-based empirical antibiotic regimen and mortality among patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia, 10 years of data from a database were analyzed. The total available set of putative prognostic factors was subjected to stepwise logistic regression, with in-hospital death as the dependent variable. Of the 409 patients analyzed, 238 (58%) received a beta-lactam plus a macrolide and 171 (42%) received a beta-lactam without a macrolide.

Differences in virulence factors among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli causing cystitis and pyelonephritis in women and prostatitis in men.

Differences in the presence of nine urovirulence factors among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli causing cystitis and pyelonephritis in women and prostatitis in men have been studied. Hemolysin and necrotizing factor type 1 occur significantly more frequently among isolates causing prostatitis than among those causing cystitis (P < 0.0001) or pyelonephritis (P < 0.

Diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection in liver transplant recipients in an endemic area.

Background: Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) with isoniazid is recommended for transplant recipients with positive tuberculin skin test (TST). However, TST could be an imperfect identifier of LTBI in this population. In addition, the risk of isoniazid hepatotoxicity could be high in liver transplant recipients (LTR).

111Indium labelled leukocyte scintigraphy in the detection of acute prostatitis.

Although prostatitis is a common problem the diagnosis is still controversial despite the availability of a wide variety of diagnostic tools. In fact, there is still no accurate method of localizing the infected tissue. The aims of the present study were to assess whether 111In labelled leukocytes (ILLs) accumulated in the infected tissue of acute prostatitis and if such uptake responded to treatment.

Are quinolone-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli less virulent?

The prevalence of hemolysin, type 1 fimbriae, P fimbriae, cytotoxic necrotizing factor-1 (CNF-1), aerobactin, and autotransporter toxin (sat) was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and phenotypic assays of 42 epidemiologically unrelated Escherichia coli strains causing acute pyelonephritis in women (21 nalidixic acid-susceptible and 21 nalidixic acid-resistant strains) and 58 E. coli strains causing cystitis in women (29 nalidixic acid-susceptible and 29 nalidixic acid-resistant strains). Hemolysin and CNF-1 were less prevalent (P<.

Short-term effectiveness of ceftriaxone single dose in the initial treatment of acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis in women. A randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the short-term effectiveness of ceftriaxone single dose followed by cefixime with a standard treatment of acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis in women.

Methods: An open, prospective, and randomised trial of women with acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis was performed. Group A were given a daily intravenous dose of 1 g ceftriaxone; group B: ceftriaxone 1 g intravenous single dose followed by oral cefixime.

Molecular epidemiology and evolution of resistance to quinolones in Escherichia coli after prolonged administration of ciprofloxacin in patients with prostatitis.

The emergence and evolution of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in faeces of patients with prostatitis treated with high-dose oral ciprofloxacin for 1 month were studied. In 11 of 23 patients, from whom only quinolone-susceptible E. coli was isolated before treatment, quinolone-resistant strains, genetically distinct from the quinolone-susceptible ones, predominated during and just after therapy.

Decreased invasive capacity of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in patients with urinary tract infections.

Quinolone-resistant (QR) Escherichia coli may have lower invasive capacity than does quinolone-susceptible E. coli. To evaluate this, we prospectively collected data regarding all cases of E.

Mixed cryoglobulinaemia in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection: prevalence, significance and relationship with different viral genotypes.

In order to analyse the prevalence and significance of cryoglobulinaemia in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the possible relationship of cryoglobulinaemia with the genotypes of HCV, we studied 89 patients with chronic HCV infection, 42 healthy controls and 22 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. The patients with HCV were divided into three different groups according to the presence of cirrhosis and alanine aminotransferase levels. Moreover, in 20 patients with HCV and cryoglobulinaemia, HCV RNA sequences were quantified in serum and in cryoprecipitate.

[Predictive factors of the presence of bacteremia in males with urinary infection].

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND AND PATIENTS AND METHODS: Possible predictive factors of the presence of bacteremia in 135 males with parenchymatous urinary tract infection (PUI) are studied by means of univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results: Thirty percent of the patients had bacteremia. In the multivariate analysis the following factors were significative: duration of symptoms > 5 days, a serum creatinine level > 1.

Systemic AA amyloidosis induced by oral contraceptive-associated hepatocellular adenoma: a 13-year follow up.

We report a case of a woman who showed hepatic and renal AA amyloidosis with a liver adenoma associated with the use of oral contraceptives. A nephrotic syndrome secondary to the renal amyloidosis underwent complete remission 7 years after the withdrawal of oral contraceptive therapy. Twenty-nine months after the initial presentation, the patient was admitted with acute upper abdominal pain and abdominal tenderness.

How can relations be improved between the family and the support team during the care of terminally ill patients?

The family and patient are a unit of treatment. The support team should try to develop good communication with the family to be able to offer help respectfully and tactfully throughout the different phases of the terminal illness. We review: (a) the influence of the terminal illness on the family, and (b) the important factors in the intervention of the support team and their relationship with the family.

[Esophageal amyloidosis secondary to rheumatoid arthritis simulating achalasia].

The involvement of the esophagus in amyloidosis secondary to rheumatoid arthritis is rare. The case of a female patient with rheumatoid arthritis and secondary esophageal amyloidosis (type AA) with a radiologic and endoscopic clinical picture compatible with achalasia is presented. In the manometry carried out after two cardiomyotomies, abundant non propulsant tertiary waves were seen, as were two primary waves, intraesophageal pressure higher than that of the gastric fundus and lower hypertensive esophageal sphincter which was completely relaxed on one occasion, resulting in a manometric pattern which was different to that of the other two cases published with the same disease.

Spinal neurinomas.--a comprehensive clinical and statistical study on 47 cases.

Based on an unselected material forty-seven cases of intraspinal neurinomas treated in a period of seven years, this report presents a comprehensive, clinical and statistical analysis. Divergences from the literature in respect of case history, distribution and frequency are pointed out. Attention is paid to the difficulties of early diagnosis.