Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei: the causative micro-organisms of glanders and melioidosis.

Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei are the causative micro-organisms of Glanders and Melioidosis, respectively. Although now rare in Western countries, both micro-organisms have recently gained much interest because of their unique potential as bioterrorism agents. This paper reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of Melioidosis and Glanders.

Treatment options for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter species.

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter spp. are emerging nosocomial pathogens and have become a leading cause of Gram-negative infections in many parts of the world. Acinetobacter spp.

From folklore to scientific evidence: breast-feeding and wet-nursing in islam and the case of non-puerperal lactation.

Breast-feeding practice has an important medical and socio-cultural role. It has many anthropological aspects concerning the "power structures" that find their expression in breast-feeding and the practices that formed around it, both socially, scientifically, and legally-speaking. Breast-feeding has been given much attention by religions and taboos, folklore, and misconception abound around it making it a topic of genuine curiosity.

Auditing and benchmarking of azithromycin utilization in primary care military clinics.

Despite widespread azithromycin use, no audit has targeted this drug to date. Azithromycin was audited in primary military clinics between July 1, 2003 and December 31, 2003 (period 1). Consumption (defined daily doses/1000 visits) and economic expenditure of penicillin V, amoxicillin, erythromycin, and azithromycin were evaluated.

Candida albicans masquerading as gram-negative bacilli in the clinical laboratory.

We report misidentification of Candida albicans as Gram-negative bacilli owing to colony morphology on MacConkey agar and subsequent inoculation into GN-ID/VITEK-2. ATCC and clinical Candida strains (n = 24) masqueraded as various bacterial species when experimentally inoculated into GN-ID cards. This phenomenon should be considered when peculiar taxa or susceptibility are encountered.

Clinical features and laboratory diagnosis of infection with the potential bioterrorism agents burkholderia mallei and burkholderia pseudomallei.

Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei are the causative organisms of Glanders and Melioidosis, respectively. Although now rare in Western countries, both organisms have recently gained much interest because of their unique potential as bioterrorism agents. These organisms are less familiar to medical and laboratory personnel than other select bioterrorism bacterial agents and thus heightened awareness of Glanders and Melioidosis is crucial in order to enable adequate emergency preparedness and response to deliberate release of B.

Prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infections in the neonatal intensive care setting.

Nosocomial infection causes substantial morbidity and mortality among neonates treated in the neonatal intensive care setting. Colonization and subsequent infection of central venous catheters leading to catheter-related bloodstream infection is among the most common causes of nosocomial sepsis in this patient population. Prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infection is a major challenge and numerous strategies have been attempted in this context with varying success.

Impaired neutrophil functions in the pathogenesis of an outbreak of recurrent furunculosis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among mentally retarded adults.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important cause of skin infections. We recently described an outbreak of recurrent furunculosis involving methicillin-resistant S. aureus among mentally retarded adults.

Antibiotic drug advertising in medical journals.

Advertising is a leading strategy for drug promotion. We analysed 779 advertisements in 24 medical journals, 25% of which featured antibiotics. Antibiotic advertisements showed differences compared to those of other drugs.

Atraumatic rupture of the spleen associated with hemophagocytic syndrome and isolated splenic peliosis. Case report.

Atraumatic rupture of the spleen is an uncommon condition that may be associated with various etiologies. The hemophagocytic syndrome (HS) and isolated splenic peliosis are two rare conditions, each of which has previously been described in association with splenic rupture. We describe a unique case of atraumatic splenic rupture in which concurrent HS and splenic peliosis were diagnosed following splenectomy.

Unmasking of carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency during an acute exacerbation of asthma complicated by rhabdomyolysis in a soldier.

Rhabdomyolysis is a life-threatening condition that may result from various etiologies. We report a rare case of severe rhabdomyosis in a soldier after a mild acute asthma exacerbation. Further work-up revealed an underlying deficiency of type II carnitine palmitoyltransferase.

Prevention of infections associated with permanent cardiac antiarrhythmic devices by implementation of a comprehensive infection control program.

Objective: To implement a comprehensive infection control (IC) program for prevention of cardiac device-associated infections (CDIs).

Design: Prospective before-after trial with 2 years of follow-up.

Setting: A tertiary-care, university-affiliated medical center.

Gender differences and sex-specific manifestations associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection in women.

The rapidly growing rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among women has prompted many challenging issues related to the management and consequences of HIV and its complications in this population. This paper reviews the current evidence with regard to various aspects of HIV infection in women. Special emphasis is placed on gender-differences as well as sex-specific manifestation of this disease, including epidemiology, viral load determination and disease progression, related morbidity, and anti-retroviral therapy.

Isolated splenic cat scratch disease in an immunocompetent adult woman.

We report a case of isolated splenic cat scratch disease in an immunocompetent woman. The clinical presentation of prolonged fever, night sweats, weakness, and intrasplenic lesions was highly suggestive of lymphoma. This is the second reported case of isolated splenic cat scratch disease in an adult and the first in a healthy adult.

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in institutionalized adults with developmental disabilities.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has recently been reported to emerge in the community setting. We describe the investigation and control of a community-acquired outbreak of MRSA skin infections in a closed community of institutionalized adults with developmental disabilities. In a 9-month period in 1997, 20 (71%) of 28 residents had 73 infectious episodes.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strains in community-acquired bacteremia in Southern Israel.

Background: In recent years, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae have emerged in many hospitals worldwide. The increasing dissemination and long-term carriage of these organisms within the community carry tremendous implications on the empirical therapy of community-acquired infection.

Material/methods: To evaluate the prevalence and clinical features of community-acquired bacteremia involving ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in southern Israel (ESBL-P) we retrospectively studied all Enterobacteriaceae bacteremias during an 8-month period in the Negev region using medical and laboratory records.