Clinical predictors of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections: A healthcare system analysis.

Introduction: This study was performed to identify patient factors associated with hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HABSI) to guide blood culture collection and empiric antibiotic therapy.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study reviewed the medical records of 350 patients admitted to our health system from September 2017 to April 2020. The patients were 18 years and older and had at least one set of new positive non-contaminant blood cultures collected after 48 hours of admission, defined as HABSI.

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease With COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare and rapidly fatal neurological disease. Diagnosis is made through clinical features, imaging, electroencephalography, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Sporadic CJD accounts for the majority of cases and occurs due to somatic mutation in the gene or random structural change in the prion protein.

Gradenigo's Syndrome and Vernet Syndrome as Presenting Signs of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Both Gradenigo's syndrome and Vernet syndrome are rare pathologies of the intracranial space; both involve compression of a particular anatomic location in the skull, thus affecting structures nearby or within that space. A patient presenting with one or both of these syndromes should raise concern for malignancy, head trauma, or an intracranial infection. We present a case of a 39-year-old female with three weeks of left-sided ear, face, and neck pain along with difficulty swallowing and reduced vision in the left eye.

Pancreatitis, panniculitis and polyarthralgia syndrome: A rare complication of pancreatic pathology.

Pancreatitis, panniculitis, and polyarthralgia (PPP) syndrome is a rare complication of chronic pancreatitis and occurs due to leakage of pancreatic enzymes in the systemic vasculature. This enzyme leakage leads to multiple manifestations such as polyarthralgia, panniculitis, and bone necrosis due to tissue autodigestion.The inciting pancreatic pathology may be masked, and the presentation may be due to one of the systemic consequences of enzyme leakage, which can present as a diagnostic challenge for clinicians.

Herpes Simplex Virus Causing Necrotizing Granulomatous Lymphadenitis.

Localized necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis (GLA) is a very rare presentation of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. We are reporting a case that required multidisciplinary expertise to confirm the diagnosis and effectively treat the patient. Our patient had a recent diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) and presented with hematuria and palpable inguinal lymph nodes.

Thinking Beyond Bacterial Infection: A Case of Cutaneous Blastomycosis.

Blastomycosis is caused by , a dimorphic fungus that primarily causes pulmonary disease. Cutaneous blastomycosis is infrequent and tends to be misdiagnosed given its similar presentation to other cutaneous fungal infections and malignancies. A 51-year-old woman presented with a two-month history of disfiguring nasal lesions.

A Retrospective Review of the Natural Progression of Cardiac Vegetation.

Introduction: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening condition with an annual mortality of up to 40%. Vegetations are the hallmark of IE, however, factors that affect the initial size and changes in size remain unclear. Our study aims to investigate the natural history of cardiac vegetation, including changes in size and/or resolution with adequate treatment, and to analyze factors that influence size and potential for persistence.

Parental perception of oral health-related quality of life in children with autism. An observational study.

Background: Autism is reportedly the most severe neuropsychiatric disorder affecting children. Autistic subjects can be characterized by impairments in social interactive behavior along with restricted interests and quite frequently, are seen exhibiting repetitive behavior patterns in stereotyped manner. The inability to perform routine tasks can widely impact the oral health and also, the constant care and sense of helplessness might drastically affect quality of life.

The role of tocilizumab therapy in critically ill patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Context: Tocilizumab (TCZ), an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor antagonist, has been approved for use in rheumatoid arthritis and cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) associated with chimeric antigen receptor T cells treatment. Although TCZ is currently utilized in the treatment of critically ill coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) patients, data on survival impact is minimal.

Objectives: To assess the mortality rate of patients presenting with COVID-19 who received TCZ for suspected CSS.

Characteristics and comparative clinical outcomes of prisoner versus non-prisoner populations hospitalized with COVID-19.

Prisons in the United States have become a hotbed for spreading COVID-19 among incarcerated individuals. COVID-19 cases among prisoners are on the rise, with more than 143,000 confirmed cases to date. However, there is paucity of data addressing clinical outcomes and mortality in prisoners hospitalized with COVID-19.

A Rare Case of the Newly Recognized Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus-Associated Disease.

Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is associated with Kaposi sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman disease (KSHV-MCD) in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We present a case consistent with a newly recognized KSHV inflammatory cytokine syndrome (KICS), distinct from KSHV-MCD. Although both disorders exhibit signs of substantial inflammation, KICS has minimal lymphadenopathy/splenomegaly and negative pathologic nodal changes in the setting of low CD4 count.

Cutaneous Fusariosis in a Patient with Job's (Hyper-IgE) Syndrome.

is a filamentous fungus that is ubiquitous in nature and can cause severe opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. The association between and hyper-IgE syndrome is exceedingly rare and has only been documented in a single report previously. A 44-year-old male, working as marijuana grower, with prior diagnosis of hyper-IgE syndrome and recurrent infections presented with enlarging right knee ulcer that did not respond to antimicrobial treatment.

Pulmonary oxalosis in pulmonary aspergillosis syndrome.

The presence of pulmonary oxalosis in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or biopsied tissue samples is considered pathognomonic for Aspergillus disease etiology. The finding of calcium oxalate crystals in the tissue samples infected with aspergillosis can serve as a vital diagnostic clue. Detection of calcium oxalate crystals is achievable within 24 hours by most hospital microbiology laboratories.

Native valve endocarditis caused by : presenting with refractory heart failure and requiring surgical valve replacement-report on a rare zoonosis.

is a Gram-positive bacillus that is ubiquitous in nature. The bacterium is a zoonotic pathogen known to infect wild and domestic animals. Human infections, however, are uncommon and typically present with localised or generalised cutaneous lesions.

Complex encephalopathy arising from the combination of opioids and gabapentin.

The interactions between opioids and gabapentin are more clinically relevant than ever. Prescriptions dispensed for gabapentin increased from 39 million in 2012 to 64 million in 2018 in the USA and are ever increasing. Authors present a challenging case of these interactions.

Complex encephalopathy arising from the combination of opioids and gabapentin.

The interactions between opioids and gabapentin are more clinically relevant than ever. Prescriptions dispensed for gabapentin increased from 39 million in 2012 to 64 million in 2018 in the USA and are ever increasing. Authors present a challenging case of these interactions.

Artificial Differences in Clostridium difficile Infection Rates Associated with Disparity in Testing.

In 2015, Clostridium difficile testing rates among 30 US community, multispecialty, and cancer hospitals were 14.0, 16.3, and 33.

Rare Case of Olmesartan Induced Enteropathy.

Olmesartan (brand name Benicar) is an antihypertensive drug clinicians commonly use to treat high blood pressure. Olmesartan induced enteropathy (OSE) is a rare entity that authors first identified in 2012. The etiological basis of OSE remains unclear, although authors have suggested that this condition could be due to alternations in cell mediated immune responses induced by the drug.

Infections on Cruise Ships.

The modern cruise ship is a small city on the seas, with populations as large as 5,000 seen on large ships. The growth of the cruise ship industry has continued in the twenty-first century, and it was estimated that nearly 21.3 million passengers traveled on cruise ships in 2013, with the majority of these sailing from North America.

Role of Social Support in Examining Acculturative Stress and Psychological Distress Among Asian American Immigrants and Three Sub-groups: Results from NLAAS.

This study examined the impact of acculturative stress and social support (family and friend) on psychological distress among Asian American immigrants and three Asian sub-groups (Vietnamese, Filipino and Chinese) immigrants. The National Latino and Asian American Study 2002-2003 dataset was used. The study findings were: (1) among all Asian American immigrants high language barrier and discrimination stress were associated with increased level of psychological distress, but similar association was not present for legal stress; (2) among all Asian American immigrants high family social support decreased the levels of psychological distress, and in addition, friend social support buffered the relationship of discrimination and psychological distress; and (3) among Vietnamese, Filipino, and Chinese, differential association of social support and acculturative stress to psychological distress were observed.

Immunotherapies in infectious diseases.

The development of an infection involves interplay between the host's immune system and the virulence of the infecting microorganism. The traditional treatment of an infection involves antimicrobial chemotherapy to kill the organism. The use of immunotherapies in infections includes treatment options that modulate the immune response and can lead to control of infections.