Efficacy and safety of switching from nevirapine immediate-release twice daily to nevirapine extended-release once daily in virologically suppressed HIV-infected patients: a retrospective cohort study in Taiwan.

Background: Whether the non-inferior efficacy and safety results of switching virologically suppressed HIV-1-infected patients from nevirapine immediate-release (NVP-IR) to NVP extended-release (NVP-XR) demonstrated in the TRANxITION study conducted in Europe and North America are also applicable to virologically suppressed HIV-infected Taiwanese patients remains unknown. We evaluated the comparative safety and efficacy of continuing NVP-IR versus switching to NVP-XR in virologically suppressed HIV-infected Taiwanese adults receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) regimens.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital from April 1, 2013, to March 31, 2015.

Development of a prediction model for bacteremia in hospitalized adults with cellulitis to aid in the efficient use of blood cultures: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Cellulitis is a common infectious disease. Although blood culture is frequently used in the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of cellulitis, it is a contentious diagnostic test. To help clinicians determine which patients should undergo blood culture for the management of cellulitis, a diagnostic scoring system referred to as the Bacteremia Score of Cellulitis was developed.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of purulent and non-purulent cellulitis in hospitalized Taiwanese adults in the era of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: The risk factors, microbial etiology, differentiation, and clinical features of purulent and non-purulent cellulitis are not well defined in Taiwan.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized adults with cellulitis in Taiwan in 2013. The demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, clinical manifestations, laboratory and microbiological findings, treatments, and outcomes were compared for patients with purulent and non-purulent cellulitis.

Emergence of sporadic non-clustered cases of hospital-associated listeriosis among immunocompromised adults in southern Taiwan from 1992 to 2013: effect of precipitating immunosuppressive agents.

Background: Sporadic non-clustered hospital-associated listeriosis is an emerging infectious disease in immunocompromised hosts. The current study was designed to determine the impact of long-term and precipitating immunosuppressive agents and underlying diseases on triggering the expression of the disease, and to compare the clinical features and outcome of hospital-associated and community-associated listeriosis.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of all patients with Listeria monocytogenes isolated from sterile body sites at a large medical center in southern Taiwan during 1992-2013.

Inhibition of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis reserpine-sensitive efflux pump augments intracellular concentrations of ciprofloxacin and enhances susceptibility of some clinical isolates.

Background/purpose: Active efflux is known to play a major role in the resistance of many bacteria to antibiotics. To evaluate the possibility of overcoming resistance by suppressing the efflux, we determined the effect of reserpine, an efflux pump inhibitor.

Methods: Intracellular accumulations and the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ciprofloxacin in M.

An unusual case of acute cystitis associated with mixed flora in voided urine in an adult male.

This report describes two episodes of acute cystitis associated with "mixed flora" in an elderly male following a cystoscopy. The initial episode was accompanied by pyuria and a positive nitrite test. Both episodes responded to treatment with nitrofurantoin.

Compliance of health care workers with hand hygiene practices: independent advantages of overt and covert observers.

Background: Evaluation and feedback of hand hygiene (HH) compliance are important elements of the WHO multimodal strategy for hospital infection control. Overt observation is recommended, but it may be confounded by Hawthorne effect. Covert observation offers the opportunity to decrease observer bias.

Susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and their combination over a 12 year period in Taiwan.

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the susceptibility of clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and non-MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis to sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole over a 12 year period in Taiwan.

Patients And Methods: We examined a total of 117 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis collected from Southern Taiwan, 116 from 1995 to 2006 and an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) isolate in 2009.

An indwelling urinary catheter for the 21st century.

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? A vast literature has been published on the prevalence, morbidity and microbiology of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Research and development in recent years has focused on producing antibacterial coatings for the indwelling Foley catheter with insufficient attention to its design. This article provides a critical examination of the design of the indwelling Foley catheter.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with HIV-1 infection and syphilis or neurosyphilis.

The potential mechanisms for altered matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) or tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP) function in patients with syphilis and HIV-1 co-infection (HIV-S) was unclear. To determine the expression of MMP-2, 9 and TIMP-1, 2, 4 in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of HIV-S patients, a total of 20 HIV-S patients and 8 controls were enrolled in a HIV-1 clinical cohort for diagnosis of neurosyphilis in Taiwan. Serum and CSF concentrations of MMP-2, 9, and TIMP-1, 2, 4 were determined by ELISA.

Fish gambler's tenosynovitis caused by Mycobacterium marinum: environmental investigation of a fishing pond in Southern Taiwan.

We describe a patient with Mycobacterium marinum tenosynovitis associated with a fish spine injury acquired at a gambling fishing pond in southern Taiwan and identify the source of the infection. M. marinum was isolated from fishing ponds and underground water and wastewater at the site.

Urinary-catheter-associated infections in the elderly.

The indwelling urinary catheter is the leading cause of complicated urinary tract infections and Gram-negative bacteraemia in this age group. It accounts for about 40% of life-threatening septicaemia. There is a progressive increase in mortality independently associated with the duration of catheterization.

Trends in fluoroquinolone resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in a Taiwanese medical centre: 1995-2003.

Objectives: Fluoroquinolones are being used more frequently for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTB). This study was designed to determine the frequency of the emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant strains in Taiwan and to assess whether this might be due to use of fluoroquinolones for treatment of patients with MDR or because of increased use of fluoroquinolones in the community for treatment of other infections. We also sought to determine whether there might be clonal spread of fluoroquinolone resistance.

Who are you--Staphylococcus saprophyticus?

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a leading cause of cystitis in young women. S. saprophyticus shares many clinical features of urinary tract infection caused by Escherichia coli, but differs in pathogenesis, seasonal variation, and geographic distribution.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections in intensive care units can be reduced by prompting physicians to remove unnecessary catheters.

Objective: Indwelling urinary catheters are the most common source of infections in intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of nurse-generated daily reminders to physicians to remove unnecessary urinary catheters 5 days after insertion.

Design: A time-sequence nonrandomized intervention study.

Long-term follow-up of women hospitalized for acute pyelonephritis.

Long-term outcome of acute pyelonephritis (AP) in adults is unknown. We evaluated the frequency of renal damage 10-20 years after hospitalization for AP in adult women and the utility of technetium Tc 99m-labeled dimercaptosuccinic acid (Tc 99m-DMSA) scanning for detection of renal scars; 63 of 203 women hospitalized with AP during 1982-1992 were included in the study. Tc 99m-DMSA scanning detected renal scarring in 29 women (46%).