Health-related quality of life in men with localized prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy: validation of an abbreviated version of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite for Clinical Practice in Spain.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is greatly affected by prostate cancer (PCa) and associated treatments. This study aimed to measure the impact of radiotherapy on HRQoL and to further validate the Spanish version of the 16-item Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-16) in routine clinical practice.

Methods: An observational, non-interventional, multicenter study was conducted in Spain with localized PCa patients initiating treatment with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BQT).

Performance of a Quantitative PCR-Based Assay and Beta-d-Glucan Detection for Diagnosis of Invasive Candidiasis in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Preterm Neonatal Patients (CANDINEO Study).

An epidemiological, multicenter, noninterventional, observational case-control study was conducted to describe the performance of serum beta-d-glucan (BDG) and PCR in blood, serum, and sterile samples for the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis (IC) in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm neonates and to compare these techniques with culture of samples from blood and other sterile sites. Seventeen centers participated in the study, and the number of episodes analyzed was 159. A total of 9 episodes of IC from 9 patients (7 confirmed and 2 probable) and 150 episodes of suspected sepsis from 117 controls were identified.

Epidemiology and risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection in critically ill patients in Spain: The PROCRID study.

Introduction: Our objectives were to describe the incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in critically ill patients and to determine C. difficile PCR-ribotypes.

Methods: Prospective, observational study in 26 Spanish ICUs.

RNAIII-inhibiting-peptide-loaded polymethylmethacrylate prevents in vivo Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation.

Staphylococci, common orthopedic pathogens, form antibiotic-resistant biofilms. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) beads loaded with the quorum-sensing inhibitor RNAIII-inhibiting peptide (RIP) were implanted in rats and shown to prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. RIP release was bimodal, typical of previously-tested antibiotics.

Garenoxacin treatment of experimental endocarditis caused by viridans group streptococci.

The activity of garenoxacin was compared to that of levofloxacin or penicillin in a rabbit model of Streptococcus mitis group (penicillin MIC, 0.125 microg/ml) and Streptococcus sanguinis group (penicillin MIC, 0.25 microg/ml) endocarditis.

Comparative study of antimicrobial release kinetics from polymethylmethacrylate.

Polymethylmethacrylate loaded with antimicrobial agents (most commonly vancomycin and/or aminoglycosides) is used for treatment and prevention of orthopaedic infections. Emergence of organisms resistant to vancomycin or aminoglycosides or both has been reported. Therefore, we studied in vitro release from polymethylmethacrylate beads of antimicrobials with suitable spectra for orthopaedic infections, including cefazolin, ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, linezolid, and rifampin (2.

Prosthetic joint infection.

Infection is the second most common cause of prosthetic joint failure. Signs and symptoms associated with prosthetic joint infection may develop weeks or even years following arthroplasty. While some patients with prosthetic joint infection present with findings consistent with acute septic arthritis, many present with pain alone.

High rate of aminoglycoside resistance among staphylococci causing prosthetic joint infection.

Gentamicin and tobramycin are two aminoglycosides commonly impregnated into polymethylmethacrylate for treatment and prevention of prosthetic joint infection. Susceptibilities of staphylococci to aminoglycosides are not reported routinely in the United States. The gentamicin and tobramycin minimum inhibitory value of 93 staphylococci from patients with PJI were determined.

Molecular Methods in the Diagnosis of Endocarditis.

Advances in molecular microbiologic diagnostics have yielded new tools to diagnose infective endocarditis. These tools can detect microorganisms that are difficult to grow or are uncultivable, because of prior antimicrobial therapy or because of innate characteristics of the microorganisms. This paper reviews molecular microbiologic diagnostic techniques and their role in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis.