Biomechanical and histological evaluation of a prototype bovine pericardial patch for veterinary abdominal surgery: An approximation study.

In veterinary medicine, especially within large animal medical and surgical clinics, addressing cavitary defects is a primary concern. In bovines, umbilical hernias are the most common defect, and surgical repair often necessitates the use of prosthetic materials. However, there is a high rate of recurrence with sutures or synthetic meshes, largely due to tissue contamination.

Multicenter evaluation of four methods for Clostridium difficile detection: ImmunoCard C. difficile, cytotoxin assay, culture, and latex agglutination.

A three-center study was undertaken to compare several test methods for the detection of Clostridium difficile, associated toxin, or related markers by using 927 stool specimens. Methods included direct assay of cytotoxin in stool by tissue culture, C. difficile bacterial culture followed by cytotoxin assay, bacterial culture alone, latex agglutination assay, and the ImmunoCard C.

Control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a neonatal intensive-care unit: use of intensive microbiologic surveillance and mupirocin.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology and the interventions used to control two methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) epidemics involving 46 infants with two fatalities in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Setting: A 50-bed, level III NICU in a university hospital.

Interventions: After traditional interventions failed to stop the first epidemic, an intensive microbiologic surveillance (IMS) program was developed.

Impact of technological developments and organizational strategies on clinical laboratory cost reduction.

Health care reform efforts, largely under the aegis of managed health care initiatives, have prompted clinical laboratories to increase efficiency and reduce both expenditures and test turnaround times. The adoption of newer technologies is viewed as a mechanism of achieving the latter objectives, but direct and indirect costs and outcomes are often difficult to project. Issues explored in this article include the impact on a large university hospital-based clinical microbiology laboratory following the application of various technological approaches to organism recognition and susceptibility testing and the consolidation of certain testing services.

Prevention of Travelers' Diarrhea: Ciprofloxacin versus Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole in Adult Volunteers Working in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The objective of the study was to compare the safety and efficacy of three treatment protocols for the prevention of travelers' diarrhea: once-daily ciprofloxacin versus trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ) once daily versus placebo for the prevention of travelers' diarrhea. The study population was comprised of participants in 2-week medical-missions projects based in Latin America and the Caribbean. The diverse age group and varied study sites closely resembles the population of travelers who seek pretravel advice from physicians.