Scleritis in Takayasu Arteritis.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic vasculitis of unknown etiology which primarily affects the aorta. The manifestations of this disease include secondary hypertension, reduced pulses, limb claudication, discrepant blood pressure, arterial bruits, and heart failure due to aortic insufficiency or coronary artery disease. The ophthalmological findings are late manifestations.

Epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant enterococci with reduced susceptibility to daptomycin.

A retrospective case-case control study was conducted, including 60 cases with daptomycin-nonsusceptible vancomycin-resistant enterococci (DNS-VRE) matched to cases with daptomycin-susceptible VRE and to uninfected controls (1∶1∶3 ratio). Immunosuppression, presence of comorbid conditions, and prior exposure to antimicrobials were independent predictors of DNS-VRE, although prior daptomycin exposure occurred rarely. In summary, a case-case control study identified independent risk factors for the isolation of DNS-VRE: immunosuppression, multiple comorbid conditions, and prior exposures to cephalosporines and metronidazole.