Analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of rapid antigenic tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in hospital outbreak situation.

The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) continues to be the reference diagnostic method for the confirmation of COVID-19 cases; however, rapid antigen detection tests (RADT) have recently been developed. The purpose of the study is to assess the performance of rapid antigen-based COVID-19 testing in the context of hospital outbreaks. This was an observational, cross-sectional study.

Effect of childhood pneumococcal vaccination and beta-lactam antibiotic use on the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in the adult population.

Describe the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in serotypes with reduced antibiotic sensitivity to penicillin (RAS-Pen) in adults over 59 years of age and its association with childhood anti-pneumococcal vaccination coverage (CVC) and community consumption of beta-lactam. We selected IPD cases in adults over 59 years of age reported in the Community of Madrid between 2007 and 2016. We estimated the incidence of cases caused by serotypes included in the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), those not included (non-PCV13) and the six serotypes additional to the 7-valent (PCV13-no7).

Consensus Document on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Bronchial Infection in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Although the chronic presence of microorganisms in the airways of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) confers a poor outcome, no recommendations have been established in disease management guidelines on how to diagnose and treat these cases. In order to guide professionals, the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) has prepared a document which aims to answer questions on the clinical management of COPD patients in whom microorganisms are occasionally or habitually isolated. Since the available scientific evidence is too heterogeneous to use in the creation of a clinical practice guideline, we have drawn up a document based on existing scientific literature and clinical experience, addressing the definition of different clinical situations and their diagnosis and management.

Recommendations for the treatment of invasive fungal infection caused by filamentous fungi in the hematological patient.

Antifungal treatment in the hematological patient has reached a high complexity with the advent of new antifungals and diagnostic tests, which have resulted in different therapeutic strategies. The use of the most appropriate treatment in each case is essential in infections with such a high mortality. The availability of recommendations as those here reported based on the best evidence and developed by a large panel of 48 specialists aimed to answer when is indicated to treat and which agents should be used, considering different aspects of the patient (risk of fungal infection, clinical manifestations, galactomanann test, chest CT scan and previous prophylaxis) may help clinicians to improve the results.

[Azithromycin therapy in cystic fibrosis].

Progressive lung disease, caused by chronic endobronchial colonization, is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Several pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are responsible for this effect. The steadily improving prognosis of CF has been attributed to the use of antibiotics with activity against these organisms.

[Interpretive reading of the antibiogram: Intellectual exercise or clinical need?].

Clinical categorisation of susceptibility testing results according to criteria established by different committees is daily performed in clinical microbiology laboratories. By this process clinicians can predict the therapeutic success of antimicrobial treatment in patients infected with susceptible microorganisms. In addition, microbiology laboratories that include a suitable number of antimicrobial agents in susceptibility tests can perform interpretive reading of the antibiogram.