Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Efficacy Of Observational Care Versus Antibiotic Therapy For Treatment Of Acute Uncomplicated Diverticulitis, Morgan Mooty, Abbie R. Bauer

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using:

van Dijk ST, Daniels L, Ünlü Ç, et al. Long-Term Effects of Omitting Antibiotics in Uncomplicated Acute Diverticulitis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2018;113(7):1045-1052. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41395-018-0030-y

for a patient with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis.

Ultrasound – An Underutilized Diagnostic Tool For Ventricular Assist Device Driveline Infections, Kristina Krzelj, Tomislav Tokic, Tomislav Kopjar, Maja Cikes, Davor Milicic, Hrvoje Gasparovic

The VAD Journal

Patients with ventricular assist device (VAD) driveline infections (DLI) have reduced quality of life and increased risk of severe complications, such as sepsis, hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, and wound infections. The management of VAD patients imposes a significant financial burden due to prolonged in-hospital stays, frequent re-admissions, expensive diagnostics, and the need for antibiotic therapy and/or surgical intervention. There is considerable room for improvement in DLI management, particularly in the early detection and treatment stages. Ultrasound, an easily applicable device available in almost every hospital, offers an unrecognized potential for the early detection of DLI. By increasing awareness about the …

Clinical Utility Of Neutrophil To Lymphocyte Ratio In Sickle Cell Disease With Vaso-Occlusive Crisis, Satish Maharaj, Simone Chang

Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy

Background and objectives: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio represents a universally accessible value that correlates with inflammation and prognosis in several disease states; however, the role of this biomarker in sickle cell disease remains poorly explored. Hence, the objective of the present study was to determine its potential clinical utility in patients with sickle cell disease.

Patients: Herein, we retrospectively reviewed 143 patients with sickle cell disease who presented to the emergency department with fever and painful vaso-occlusive crisis.

Results: The examined cohort had a prevalence of 11% confirmed bacterial infection, with approximately two-thirds reporting the use of hydroxyurea. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio …

Retrospective Analysis Of Risk Factors And Management Of Infection After Lumbar Spine Implantation, Hussien Mohamed Mohamed, Hussein Abo El-Gheit, Mohamed Abulsoud

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Background: Wound infection still has a negative impact on patient outcomes after spine surgery, despite the discovery of preventative medicines as well as improvements in surgical approach and postoperative care. The risk of intraoperative/postoperative infection is increased by utilizing a posterior surgical approach, applying instrumentation, using an allograft, requiring a blood transfusion, and longer operations.

Aim of the study: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for post-operative instrumental lumbar spinal infection and evaluate functional outcomes after the management of the infections.

Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on diseased persons whom had an infection after lumbar spine instrumentation …

Evaluation Of Resistant Associated Variants / Substitutions (Ravs/Rass) Role In Management Of Compensated Naive And Experienced Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Gamal Mohammad Mohammad Soliman, Ashraf Taha Abd Elmouttaleb, Mostafa Abd Elaziz Ahmed Abd Elrahman, Mohamed Ghareb Mohamed Shikhroho, Amr Mohammed Mohsen Aly Badary

Al-Azhar International Medical Journal

Background: The success of DAA-based combination therapy for the treatment of HCV NS3 resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) is influenced by their occurrence. Objective: The main aim of this study were; 1) identifying the association of HCV relapse (post treatment with ani-NS5A DAAs Simeprevir or Daclatasvir) with occurrence of RAVs/RASs (Resistance associated substitutions) of nucleotide and specific amino acid replacement among Egyptian. Methods: This cross-sectional, case-control study was conducted. Patients were enlisted by Tropical Medicine. Department outpatient clinics at El-Hussein University (Al Azhar University Faculty of Medicine) and EL-Agouza Police hospital. 150 HCV patients in all were involved in the study.These three …

Update In Laboratory Diagnosis Of Urinary Tract Infection, Weny Rinawati, Diana Aulia

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection caused by the entry of pathogens into the urinary tract. Symptoms of a UTI are not always obvious, and some are asymptomatic or atypical. Urinary tract infections must be distinguished from other diseases that have a similar clinical appearance. Many UTIs resolve spontaneously, but often cause significant morbidity and mortality. With the unpredictable nature of the disease, laboratory tests are required for accurate diagnosis and identification of the cause of infection. Thus, it is necessary to understand the interpretation and limitations of urinalysis and urine culture results. To assist in the diagnosis of …

Laboratory Findings In Covid-19 - Alterations Of Hematological, Immunological, Biochemical, Hormonal And Other Lab Panels: A Narrative Review, Yousef Rasmi, Lucas Paulo Jacinto Saavedra, Matei-Alexandru Cozma, Heba El-Nashar, Shaza Aly, Nouran Fahmy, Omayma Eldahshan, Mohamed El-Shazly, Elena Codruța Dobrică, Hamed Kord-Varkaneh, Camelia Cristina Diaconu, Mihnea Alexandru Găman

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Up to the present date, according to the official reports of the World Health Organization (WHO), 205,338,159 patients have been confirmed with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and 4,333,094 have died as a consequence of this infectious disorder. The majority of COVID-19 patients will develop hematological, biochemical, immunological, hormonal and other complex alterations of their laboratory data which may be diagnosed using different biomarkers. In this paper, we review the alterations of the hematology, immunology, biochemistry, hormonal and other laboratory panels discovered in the subjects diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on the available data in the literature.

Variations In Covid-19 Airway Management And Preparedness Among Victorian Hospitals, Kaylee A. Jordan, Teresa M. Sindoni, Reny Segal, Keat Lee, Roni B. Krieser, Paul Mezzavia, Yinwei Chen, Irene Ng

Journal of Perioperative Nursing

The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant concerns surrounding the risk of transmission to health care workers involved in airway management of patients with suspected or known infection. Limited evidence has been available to guide the preparation of staff, intubation environments, team structure and personal protective equipment. Our study invited Victorian hospitals to complete a survey on their airway management practices and protocols, in order to assess the degree of variability in practice and preparedness. Twenty hospitals responded in September 2020, during Victoria’s second wave of COVID-19. Forty percent had dedicated COVID-19 intubation teams, all including consultant anaesthetists. Seventy-five percent had negatively …

Prion Disease: A Challenging Diagnosis, Jeffrey F. Spindel, Anita M. Fletcher, William T. Smith, Rodrigo Cavallazzi

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Human prion diseases are a group of rare encephalopathies resulting in rapidly progressive dementia and ultimately death. While there are no effective treatments for any form of prion disease, prompt and efficient diagnosis is essential to prevent the spread of the self-propagating protein, which may occur through aerosols, and avoid unnecessary or invasive testing. Diagnosis relies largely on physical examination, with many nonspecific findings, and laboratory testing, which has wide ranges of reported accuracy and high false positive rates with diseases such as Alzheimer’s dementia.

Methods: Patients who underwent testing for prion disease were retrospectively identified from the electronic …

Streptococcus Anginosus Lung Infection And Empyema: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Nishita Tripathi, Kuldeep Ghosh, Anupama Raghuram

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Streptococcus milleri group (SMG) also referred to as the Streptococcus anginosus group. These are Gram-positive, variable hemolysis, catalase negative, microaerophilic, non-motile facultative anaerobes which have been known to cause abscesses in humans. We report a case of empyema caused by Streptococcus anginosus in a patient with an unresolved pneumonia for over a month. In early October 2018, the patient presented to an emergency room with the complaints of shortness of air, productive cough, chills, subjective fever and weight loss for 4 weeks. A chest X-ray revealed a left lower lobe pneumonia. He was treated with 250 mg of azithromycin for …

Supply, Demand, And Quality: A Three-Pronged Approach To Blood Product Management In Developing Countries, Kyle L. Gress, Karina Charipova, Ivan Urits, Omar Viswanath, Alan D. Kaye

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

While transfusion of blood and blood products is instinctively linked to the provision of emergent care, blood and blood products are also routinely used for the treatment of subacute and chronic conditions. Despite the efforts of the World Health Organization and others, developing countries are faced with a three-part problem when it comes to access to and delivery of transfusions: insufficient supply, excessive demand, and inadequate quality of available supply. Developing countries rely heavily on replacement and remunerated donors rather than voluntary nonremunerated donors due to concerns regarding donation- and transfusion-transmitted infection as well as local and cultural beliefs. While …

The Absence Of Prophylactic Antibiotics Administration And The Surgical Site Infections Rate In Mohs Micrographic Surgery, Riva Ambardina Pradita, Larisa Paramitha Wibawa

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology & Venereology Indonesia

Background: The use of prophylactic antibiotics in dermatologic surgery, particularly in Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), remains a gray area. Despite the low rate of surgical site infection (SSI), SSI can result in some significant morbidities. Thus, numerous dermatologists keep administering prophylactic antibiotics in MMS.

Method: A search was conducted to identify clinically significant topics followed by literature review through the main available medical literature database. The three selected studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were then critically assessed for their validity, importance, and applicability using the guidance from Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine for Critical Appraisal …

Infection Of Plasmodium Knowlesi Malaria In Human, I Gede Yasa Asmara

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Plasmodium knowlesi (P. knowlesi) has been recognised as the fifth of malaria infections in human after P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale. Epidemiology and clinical features of the disease have much been discussed only in several literatures since the incidence increased in Kapit Division, Sarawak, Malaysia in 2004. A large-scale research investigating real incidence of the infection in South East Asia is important. Because of rapid life cycle, the number of parasite in the blood can increase significantly, result in potential severe malaria. Pathophysiology aspect of the disease has not been clear yet, particularly on how severe …

Herpes Zooster Induced Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Christopher Surya Suwita, Michael Johan, Dicky L. Tahapary, Budiman Darmowidjojo

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute, life-threatening complication of diabetes which is common in daily practice. DKA is the result of severe insulin deficiency and often presents as the first symptom of an undiagnosed diabetes even though it may also appear in individuals with diabetes. Some conditions that can trigger DKA include infections, myocardial infarction, stroke, pancreatitis, trauma, or poor treatment compliance. Skin tissue infections such as herpes zoster are rare inciting factor in DKA. This article will discuss a case of DKA that is triggered by herpes zoster.

Abdomen Actin’ Up: A Unique Presentation Of Disseminated Abdominal Actinomycosis, Arpana Parachuri, Md, Brianna Shinn, Md, Rino Sato, Md

The Medicine Forum

INTRODUCTION

Abdominal actinomycosis is a chronic, indolent disease characterized by nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, fever, and abdominal pain. Actinomyces is a genus of fastidious, gram-positive, non-acid-fast, branching filamentous bacilli characterized by sulfur granules that is normally found in oral flora and inhabits the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Actinomyces infections are relatively rare, however when present, they have the ability to invade multiple organs and disseminate throughout multiple body cavities. Factors that increase the risk of developing actinomycosis include poor oral hygiene, alcoholism, and preexisting dental disease. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) also increase the risk of developing pelvic actinomycosis. Over …

Fmt Placed By Colonoscopy: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Nadia Huq, Veena Kumaravel, Aboud Affi, Maharaj Singh

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Fecal transplants are successful in the treatment of recurrent or refractory Clostridium difficile infections (CDI), but there is no consensus on the best method of instillation. Studies have shown greater success with lower gastrointestinal tract placement, but technical aspects of placement are not validated.

Purpose: This review aims to identify common traits and procedural techniques of successful fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) therapy via colonoscopy.

Methods: An electronic search was conducted using OVID Medline and PubMed for articles published from January 2010 to January 2016. The primary outcome of interest was cure by FMT placed via colonoscopy.

Results: Of the …

Necrotizing Fasciitis Of The Neck: Case Presentation, Emil Marginean, Ciprian Venter, Maria Domuta, Oana Valenas, Ildiko Sorban, Alina Pantis, Bogdan Popescu, Razvan V. Scăunașu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Necrotizing fasciitis represents a severe and rare infectious disease, which is accompanied by extended necrosis of subcutaneous tissues and fascia layers, having as a result gangrene of the teguments. To reduce mortality associated with this disease, a rapid diagnosis is necessary as well as aggressive surgical treatment, accompanied by adequate, aggressive antibiotic therapy. As a rule, etiology is teeth related, with the condition more common in immunology-depressed patients. This article presents the experience of the authors regarding a case presentation of necrotizing fasciitis with typical clinical expression and management of the disease in an immunological-depressed patient. Further data on diagnosis, …

A 30 Years Old Woman With Sepsis, Skin And Soft Tissueinfection, And Obesity, Franzeska Adm Widinartasari, Muhammad Ali Sodiq, Muchlis Au Sofro

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Obesity increases morbidity and mortality through its multiple efects on nearly every human system. Obesity has efect on the immune response which leads to susceptibility to infections. ß lactamases are bacterial enzymes that inactivate ß-lactam antibiotics by hydrolysis. One group of ß lactamases, extended-spectrum ß lactamases (ESBLs), have the ability to hydrolyse and cause resistance to various types of the newer ß-lactam antibiotics. The management of skin and soft tissue infection with polymicrobial infection and multi drug resistance can be challenging problem. We present a case of an obese patient with polymicrobial SSTI. bPatient showed clinical sign of sepsis with …

Path To Resistance: Risk Factors Associated With Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Kushal Patel, Jessica J.F. Kram, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: An estimated 51,000 health care-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections occur in the United States annually. More than 13% are secondary to non-carbapenem multidrug-resistant strains, which result in 400 yearly deaths. Traditional risk factors for resistance include ICU stay, mechanical ventilation, previous hospitalization and major comorbidities. As microbes evolve, risk factors also may evolve.

Purpose: To determine if traditional and/or new risk factors for P. aeruginosa resistance are valid and predictive of infection with carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa.

Methods: We retrospectively studied inpatients and outpatients ≥ 18 years old who presented to an Aurora Health Care facility with a positive P. …

Total Artificial Heart Imaging And Complications: A Pictorial Review, Carrie K. Gomez, Susan K. Hobbs

The VAD Journal

Heart failure is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality with many patients ultimately requiring heart transplantation. As the rate of heart failure continues to increase and surpass the number of available donor hearts, the need for cardiac assist devices is rapidly rising. The total artificial heart has emerged as an effective therapeutic option in patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure who are awaiting orthotopic heart transplantation. The TAH replaces the patient’s native ventricle and valves and has one of the highest bridge to transplant rates. Many complications have been associated with the TAH including infections, bleeding, thrombosis, device malfunction, …

Blastomyces: Why Be Dimorphic?, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In introducing the infectious disease focus for this edition of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, the author describes the unsolved mysteries surrounding the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces and the related pathogenesis of pulmonary blastomycosis.

Feasability Of Preventing Encrustation Of Urinary Catheters, J. M. Bibby, A. J. Cox, D. W. L. Hukins

Cells and Materials

Colonization of urinary catheters by bacteria which produce urease leads to an increase in urine pH, followed by deposition of the minerals struvite and hydroxyapatite. Adhesion of these encrusting deposits can be reduced, but not prevented, by using catheters with a smooth surface finish. Chemical methods for preventing encrustation are not completely satisfactory. A better way of preventing encrustation would be to prevent colonization of the catheter by bacteria. This might be achieved by controlled release of antimicrobial agents directly into the urine from the catheter itself. Preliminary experiments have demonstrated the feasibility of controlled release from solid silicone. However, …