The changing face of prosthetic valve endocarditis at a tertiary-care hospital: 1986-2005.

Introduction And Objectives: To investigate changes in the clinical characteristics, etiology and prognosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis at a tertiary-care hospital.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of all patients diagnosed with prosthetic valve endocarditis using modified Duke criteria between 1986 and 2005. The analysis covered two time periods: January 1986 to December 1995 (P1) and January 1996 to December 2005 (P2).

[Brain abscess in a third-level hospital: epidemiology and prognostic factors related to mortality].

Objective: To document the epidemiology, causes, treatment and prognostic factors associated with mortality of patients with brain abscess in a tertiary medical center.

Methods: Observational retrospective cohort study of patients with cerebral abscess admitted at a tertiary hospital during 13 years.

Results: The case records of 71 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital between January 1992 and December 2005 and diagnosed of brain abscess were review.

Clinical course and predictors of death in prosthetic valve endocarditis over a 20-year period.

Objective: To compare early and late outcome of patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis treated medically versus surgically and to determine predictors of in-hospital death. We retrospectively reviewed patient's clinical records, including laboratory findings, surgery, and pathologic files, in an acute-care, 1200-bed teaching hospital.

Methods: One hundred thirty-three episodes of definite prosthetic valve endocarditis as defined by the Duke University diagnostic criteria occurred in 122 patients from January 1986 to December 2005.

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis: successful treatment with intraventricular colistin.

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen that can cause a multitude of severe infections. In neurosurgical patients the usual presentation is ventriculitis associated with external ventricular drainage. Carbapenems have been considered the gold standard for the treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis, but resistant isolates are increasing worldwide, reducing the therapeutic options.