Candida albicans Germ-Tube Antibody: Evaluation of a New Automatic Assay for Diagnosing Invasive Candidiasis in ICU Patients.

Testing for Candida albicans germ-tube antibody IFA IgG assay (CAGTA) is used to detect invasive candidiasis infection. However, most suitable assays lack automation and rapid single-sample testing. The CAGTA assay was adapted in an automatic monotest system (invasive candidiasis [CAGTA] VirClia IgG monotest (VirClia), a chemiluminescence assay with ready-to-use reagents that provides a rapid objective result.

Mercedes Flap With Releasing Incisions for Scalp Defects.

Introduction: The reconstruction of scalp defects is surgically challenging due to the limited distensibility in the area.

Objectives: To describe a new variant of the Mercedes flap with releasing incisions for the reconstruction of medium-sized scalp defects.

Materials And Methods: Pigs' feet were used as the experimental model for the design of this new variant.

Clinical experience of the use of adalimumab in the management of hidradenitis suppurativa. Comparison of response rates with Crohn disease.

The recent approval of adalimumab as the first treatment to be approved for the management of hidradenitis suppurativa has represented a before and after in the control of this chronic inflammatory disease. Given the inflammatory burden of this cutaneous disease, in the last few years hidradenitis suppurativa has been compared with inflammatory bowel disease, particularly with Crohn disease, to the point of considering hidradenitis suppurativa as "Crohn disease of the skin". These two chronic inflammatory diseases show sufficient similarities to consider whether treatment response based on the inflammatory load could also be similar.

Plasmapheresis and other extracorporeal filtration techniques in critical patients.

Plasmapheresis is an extracorporeal technique that eliminates macromolecules involved in pathological processes from plasma. A review is made of the technical aspects, main indications in critical care and potential complications of plasmapheresis, as well as of other extracorporeal filtration techniques such as endotoxin-removal columns and other devices designed to eliminate cytokines or modulate the inflammatory immune response in critical patients.

Contribution of Candida biomarkers and DNA detection for the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis in ICU patients with severe abdominal conditions.

Background: To assess the performance of Candida albicans germ tube antibody (CAGTA), (1 → 3)-ß-D-glucan (BDG), mannan antigen (mannan-Ag), anti-mannan antibodies (mannan-Ab), and Candida DNA for diagnosing invasive candidiasis (IC) in ICU patients with severe abdominal conditions (SAC).

Methods: A prospective study of 233 non-neutropenic patients with SAC on ICU admission and expected stay ≥ 7 days. CAGTA (cutoff positivity ≥ 1/160), BDG (≥80, 100 and 200 pg/mL), mannan-Ag (≥60 pg/mL), mannan-Ab (≥10 UA/mL) were measured twice a week, and Candida DNA only in patients treated with systemic antifungals.

Biomarkers of lipid peroxidation in the aqueous humor of primary open-angle glaucoma patients.

Objective: To investigate the lipid peroxidation (PEROX) processes in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients, and whether this mechanism may be related to disease progression.

Material And Methods: A prospective, observational, cross-sectional, non-experimental, and analytical study was conducted on a case and a comparison group, consisting of 175 surgical patients divided into: 1) POAG group (GG; n=88) and 2) comparison group of patients with cataracts (CG; n=87). Demographic data, patient characteristics, lifestyle data, as well as ophthalmological examination were registered in an Excel spreadsheet.

Reconstruction after pancreatoduodenectomy: Pancreatojejunostomy vs pancreatogastrostomy.

Pancreatic surgeons try to find the best technique for reconstruction after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) in order to decrease postoperative complications, mainly pancreatic fistulas (PF). In this work, we compare the two most frequent techniques of reconstruction after PD, pancreatojejunostomy (PJ) and pancreatogastrostomy (PG), in order to determine which of the two is better. A systematic review of the literature was performed, including major meta-analysis articles, clinical randomized trials, systematic reviews, and retrospective studies.

Predictors of early mortality in very elderly patients with bacteremia: a prospective multicenter cohort.

Objectives: The proportion of very elderly people in the population is increasing, and infectious diseases in this patient group may present with specific characteristics. The objective of this study was to investigate the outcome predictors of bacteremia among the very elderly.

Methods: This was a multicenter prospective cohort study of bloodstream infections (BSI) in patients ≥ 80 years old in 15 hospitals in Spain.

The role of accessibility policies and other determinants of health care provision in the initial prognosis of malignant melanoma: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The prognostic benefit of health care service provision and delivery policies for patients with malignant melanoma (MM) is not yet clear.

Objective: To analyze the role of health care provision determinants in the initial prognosis of MM.

Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted at 14 public hospitals and recruited 3550 patients with MM between 2000 and 2009.