Combination of Conventional EVD and Ommaya Drainage for Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH).

Background: The effect of Ommaya reservoirs on the clinical outcomes of patients with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) remains unclear.

Objective: We aimed to determine the effect of combining the Ommaya reservoir and external ventricular drainage (EVD) therapy on IVH and explore better clinical indicators for Ommaya implantation.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed with IVH who received EVD-Ommaya drainage between January 2013 and March 2021.

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Bacterial Pneumonia in Neurosurgical Emergency Center Patients: A Retrospective Study Spanning 13 Years at a Tertiary Center.

Patients with brain injuries are at a heightened susceptibility to bacterial pneumonia, and the timely initiation of empiric antibiotic treatment has been shown to substantially reduce mortality rates. Nevertheless, there is a need for knowledge regarding the resistance and prevalence of pulmonary bacterial infections in this patient population. To address this gap, a retrospective study was conducted at a neurosurgical emergency center, focusing on patients with brain injuries.

Early Intraventricular Antibiotic Therapy Improved In-Hospital-Mortality in Neurocritical Patients with Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Nosocomial Meningitis and Ventriculitis.

Background: Hospital-acquired multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial meningitis and/or ventriculitis (MEN) is a severe condition associated with high mortality. The risk factors related to in-hospital mortality of patients with MDR bacterial MEN are unknown. We aimed to examine factors related to in-hospital mortality and evaluate their prognostic value in patients with MDR bacterial MEN treated in the neurointensive care unit.

Apelin-Overexpressing Neural Stem Cells in Conjunction with a Silk Fibroin Nanofiber Scaffold for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially moderate or severe TBI, is one of the most devastating injuries to the nervous system, as the existing therapies for neurological defect repair have difficulty achieving satisfactory results. Neural stem cells (NSCs) therapy is a potentially effective treatment option, especially after specific genetic modifications and when used in combination with biomimetic biological scaffolds. In this study, tussah silk fibroin (TSF) scaffolds with interconnected nanofibrous structures were fabricated using a top-down method.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the identification of beta-hemolytic streptococci.

Objective: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has emerged as promising technology for species identification. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the performance of MS and the traditional method for identification of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS).

Methods: Clinical BHS isolates were identified by the BD Phoenix SMIC/ID Streptococcal panels, and two MALDI-TOF MS platforms: the VITEK MS and the Bruker MALDI Biotyper systems respectively.

Improvement in clinical and economic outcomes with empiric antibiotic therapy covering atypical pathogens for community-acquired pneumonia patients: a multicenter cohort study.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of empiric antibiotic regimens covering atypical pathogens with respect to detailed clinical and economic outcomes in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: A population-based, multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted from June 2010 to May 2011. Patients with a diagnosis of CAP were enrolled and categorized into two groups according to the initial antibiotic strategy used - covering or not covering atypical pathogens.