Evaluating academic detailing as an antibiotic stewardship intervention in primary healthcare settings in Croatia.

Background: Acute respiratory tract infections are common in primary healthcare care settings and frequently result in antibiotic prescriptions, despite being primarily viral. There is scarcity of research examining impact of academic detailing (AD) intervention on prescribing practices for these infections in resource-constrained healthcare settings like southeastern Europe. Therefore aim of this study was to evaluate impact of AD intervention as an antimicrobial stewardship measure on antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in primary setting in Croatia which is located in southeastern Europe.

Dematiaceous Molds.

Dematiaceous molds are darkly pigmented environmental molds found worldwide, especially prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. Common genera include Bipolaris, Cladophialophora, Exophiala, and Alternaria. They cause disease in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals, presenting as cutaneous infections, allergic sinusitis, pneumonia, and, rarely, disseminated infections.

Analysis of factors affecting diagnosis of unilateral isolated fungal sphenoid sinusitis.

Background: To analyze the characteristics and factors influencing the diagnosis of unilateral isolated fungal sphenoid sinusitis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients who underwent surgery for unilateral isolated sphenoid sinusitis between June 2020 and May 2023. Data collected included variables such as gender, age, side of the specimen, symptoms, sinus computed tomography findings, pathological results, and complications.

The pneumococcal bacteriocin streptococcin B is produced as part of the early competence cascade and promotes intraspecies competition.

Unlabelled: is an important human pathogen that normally resides in the human nasopharynx. Competence-mediated bacteriocin expression by plays a major role in both the establishment and persistence of colonization on this polymicrobial surface. Over 20 distinct bacteriocin loci have been identified in pneumococcal genomes, but only a small number have been characterized phenotypically.

Deep Fungal Infections of Skin and Role of Histopathology in Diagnosis.

Introduction: Deep mycoses acquired by penetrating trauma to the skin can have varied and sometimes atypical morphological presentations resulting in diagnostic dilemmas and delay in treatment onset. Histopathology can be a useful tool in not only diagnosing but also differentiating various deep mycoses.

Aims And Objectives: To observe various morphological presentations and histopathological features of deep fungal infections.

Eumycetoma Caused by Aspergillus terreus: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Mycetoma is a granulomatous disease of subcutaneous tissue that is caused by different species of aerobic filamentous bacteria (actinomycetoma) or fungi (eumycetoma). Mycetoma treatment depends on the causative pathogen, and it mainly consists of antimicrobial interventions or surgery. Aspergillus terreus is an etiologic agent of invasive aspergillosis and a rare cause of eumycetoma that is common in central and southern China.

Sex and gender in rhinosinusitis: a review.

Rhinosinusitis is a highly prevalent, inflammatory condition affecting the nose and paranasal sinuses, impacting an individual's quality of life with significant health care burden. Sinusitis is more frequent in females, and they typically present with more severe symptoms and worse quality of life scores. Males are more likely to present with nasal polyps and have higher objective scores on imaging studies.

Mortality patterns in chronic granulomatous invasive fungal rhinosinusitis: insights from two fatal cases.

Chronic granulomatous invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (CGIFRS) is a type of invasive fungal rhinosinusitis that is characterized by the presence of pathologic findings of non-caseating granulomas in the paranasal sinuses. This article describes two cases of CGIFRS with fatal outcomes. The first case was for a 36-year-old man who presented with headache, dizziness, and vomiting for 1 month.

Insufficient Diagnostic Value of Serum Galactomannan and (1,3)-β-D-Glucan in Paranasal Sinus Fungus Balls.

Background And Objectives: The serum galactomannan test (GM test) and the (1,3)-β-D-glucan test (G test) are utilized in diagnosing invasive fungal sinusitis. However, their effectiveness in detecting paranasal sinus fungus balls (FBs) has not been established. This study aimed to explore their diagnostic value in patients with FBs.

Isolated Sphenoid Fungal Sinusitis With Mucocele Mistaken for Chordoma: A Study of Two Unique Cases.

Isolated sphenoid fungal sinusitis (ISFS) is a rare condition characterized by fungal infection of the sphenoid sinus. It often presents with non-specific symptoms, which can lead to misdiagnosis. This study presents two unique cases of ISFS with mucocele that were initially misdiagnosed as chordoma based on preoperative radiographic findings.

Rhino-Orbital Mucormycosis Presenting As Orbital Apex Syndrome With Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: A Rare Phenomenon.

Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) is an opportunistic infection that has increased due to COVID-19 with the use of corticosteroids and diabetes being the most important predisposing factors. Orbital apex syndrome with central retinal artery occlusion secondary to mucormycosis is relatively rare. This case report highlights a case of a 62-year-old female with poorly controlled diabetes and a history of COVID-19 two weeks prior, who presented with acute right eye painful visual loss for three days associated with bulging of the right eye and drooping of the eyelid.

Perioperative Use of Systemic Steroids Within Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: Evidence-Based Guidance for Clinicians.

Objective: To review and synthesize the available evidence for use of perioperative systemic steroids for otolaryngologic surgical procedures.

Data Sources: A comprehensive literature review with evidence-informed recommendations.

Review Methods: Databases were queried for medical subject heading terms and keywords related to perioperative systemic corticosteroids use for comprehensive otolaryngology and subspecialty procedures including otologic, sinonasal, sleep, laryngeal, head and neck, facial plastics, and pediatric surgery.

A Case of Invasive Rhinosinusitis Caused by Penicillium brasilianum.

Penicillium brasilianum is an environmental filamentous fungus with useful applications in biotechnology. However, human infections caused by P. brasilianum are rare and not well understood.

[Correlation between nasal mucosal microbiota diversity and the pathogenesis and prognosis of chronic sinusitis].

To analyze the correlation between nasal mucosal microbiota diversity and the pathogenesis and prognosis of chronic sinusitis. A total of 80 patients with chronic sinusitis（CRS） admitted to Second Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University were selected as the research group, and 80 patients with chronic dacryocystitis and nasal septum deviation without sinus inflammation admitted to our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group, nasal secretory specimens were collected under nasal endoscopic guidance by nasal swab, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization classification time mass spectrometry, anaerobic bacterial culture and common bacterial culture were performed to compare the differences in nasal mucosal flora between groups. Patients with chronic sinusitis were followed up for 6 months, and nasal secretions were collected again to detect microflora, and the patients were divided into relapse group（21 cases） and non-recurrence group（59 cases） according to whether the patients had relapse.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Microbial Profiles and Clinical Outcomes in Orbital and Preseptal Cellulitis.

Orbital cellulitis and severe preseptal cellulitis are critical periocular infections with potential vision- and life-threatening implications. The COVID-19 pandemic is hypothesized to have had an influence on their presentation and pathogenesis; however, the real impact remains unclear. In this retrospective multicenter cohort study from January 2017 to December 2022, we analyzed 1285 cases with preseptal or orbital cellulitis in pre-pandemic (2017-2019) and pandemic (2020-2022) cohorts.