1/15. sporothrix meningitis.sporothrix schenckii is a fungus commonly found in soil and on plants, wood splinters, rosebush thorns, and decaying vegetation. It is also carried by some wild and domestic animals and rodents. When this organism penetrates the skin of individuals handling contaminated substances, the cutaneous manifestation may be lymphangitic or fixed. The treatment of choice for the cutaneous form of the disease (sporotrichosis) is potassium iodide. If iodides are contraindicated or not tolerated, itraconazole may be used. sporotrichosis can persist for years if unrecognized and can progress to systemic forms, including osteoarticular, pulmonary (may occur when the organism is inhaled), and meningeal involvement. Systemic forms can be life-threatening and very difficult to treat. Primary care providers must be familiar with this disorder and its presentation because it is easily mistaken for a bacterial infection and inappropriately treated.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/15. nocardia osteomyelitis in a pachymeningitis patient: an example of a difficult case to treat with antimicrobial agents.Antimicrobial agents played a miraculous role in the treatment of bacterial infections until resistant bacteria became widespread. Besides antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, many factors can influence the cure of infection. nocardia infection may be a good example which is difficult to cure with antimicrobial agents alone. A 66-year-old man developed soft tissue infection of the right buttock and thigh. He was given prednisolone and azathioprine for pachymeningitis 3 months prior to admission. Despite surgical and antimicrobial treatment (sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim), the infection spread to the femur and osteomyelitis developed. The case showed that treatment of bacterial infection is not always as successful as was once thought because recent isolates of bacteria are more often resistant to various antimicrobial agents, intracellular parasites are difficult to eliminate even with the active drug in vitro, and infections in some sites such as bone are refractory to treatment especially when the patient is in a compromised state. In conclusion, for the treatment of infections, clinicians need to rely on laboratory tests more than before and have to consider the influence of various host factors.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/15. Demonstration of purulent bacterial intracranial infections by computed tomography.Computed tomography is shown to be an important modality in both diagnosis and management of cerebral infections. Representative findings from CT scans of patients with purulent bacterial infection of the meninges, cerebrum, ventricles, and adjacent structures are presented. Material is taken from 2,645 CT scans done in a 1 year period at the Hospital of the University of pennsylvania. It is hoped that the use of CT will lead to a decrease of morbidity and mortality in entities such as brain abscess and subdural empyema.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/15. achromobacter xylosoxidans. An unusual neonatal pathogen.Perinatal acquisition of a rare pediatric pathogen, achromobacter xylosoxidans, with evidence for in utero transmission, is described. Cultures from the mother and neonate demonstrated A. xylosoxidans. An ascending bacterial infection in the mother with clinical chorioamnionitis is presented as the probable mode of transmission. Postmortem examination of the infant confirmed achromobacter meningitis. In contrast to the current case with transmission from mother to neonate, previously published neonatal cases of achromobacter infections indicate that nosocomial transmission of the organism is most common (79%). In addition, the literature review revealed a high mortality associated with meningitis (77%), frequent hydrocephalus, and subsequent neurologic sequelae (36%). To the authors' knowledge, this is the first documented case of maternal-fetal transfer of A. xylosoxidans.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/15. Simultaneous recovery of bacterial and viral pathogens from cerebrospinal fluid.Mixed bacterial infection in meningitis is well-documented, but there have been few previous reports of mixed viral-bacterial meningitis. A retrospective analysis of the bacterial and viral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures from a 1-year period in a 315-bed children's hospital revealed 5 patients with mixed viral-bacterial meningitis among 276 patients with viral and/or bacterial culture-positive meningitis. These 5 accounted for 2.8% of the patients with positive CSF viral cultures and 4.8% of those with positive CSF bacterial cultures. All of the viruses were identified as enteroviruses, and the bacteria were Group B Streptococcus, Group D salmonella, streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae type b and staphylococcus aureus. The ages of the patients ranged from 10 days to 22 years. The clinical course of each of the illnesses was typical of bacterial meningitis. This relatively high frequency of mixed viral-bacterial meningitis could affect the utility of rapid viral diagnostic tests for CSF viruses.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/15. Anti-M in children with acute bacterial infections.Four children, 7 to 24 months old, were found to have anti-M at the time of admission to the hospital for severe acute bacterial infections. All were M-N . Two patients had meningitis, one had septic arthritis, and the fourth had a third-degree burn of the left hand. In follow-up studies the anti-M of patients No3 and No4 were no longer detectable after 12 and 11 months respectively. In all patients no demonstrable antibody was in either maternal or cord sera at time of birth. The clinical data and bacterial isolations lead us to postulate that bacterial infections account for the formation of naturally occurring anti-M in M-negative persons.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/15. actinomycosis meningitis in a girl with incontinentia pigmenti.A 7-year-old girl with incontinentia pigmenti and a history of multiple bacterial infections developed chronic meningitis with actinomycosis odontolyticus, which was successfully treated with long-term penicillin administration. Although all tests of immunologic function were normal in this patient, her history of recurrent and unusual infections is consistent with previous suggestions of an undefined immunodeficiency state associated with incontinentia pigmenti.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/15. Infection with CDC group DF-2 gram-negative rod: report of two cases.Two patients had bacteremia with Center for disease Control group DF-2 Gram-negative rods. Previously described patients infected with this organism had clinical syndromes including cellulitis, meningitis, and endocarditis, and generally were severely ill. One of our patients had acute oligoarticular arthritis. The other had fever, headache, malaise, and a generalized rash. In neither case was bacterial infection considered likely at onset, and neither patient received antibiotic therapy. Both patients recovered completely. The organism is a fastidious Gram-negative rod that only recently has been characterized. methods for isolating and identifying the organism are reviewed. The spectrum and frequency of illnesses caused by this organism are probably greater than previously recognized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/15. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome. A deadly new disease.The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) represents a new epidemic of major proportions. risk factors include homosexuality, intravenous drug abuse, Haitian descent, and multiple transfusion in the presence of hemophilia a. The etiology of AIDS remains unknown, but there is increasing evidence implicating a transmissible infectious agent and/or multiple antigenic exposures inducing a loss of immunoregulation. In a high-risk patient, the features of weight loss, generalized lymphadenopathy, and fever should arouse suspicion of AIDS. Diagnostic confirmation includes demonstration of reduced numbers of T lymphocytes with reversal of helper-suppressor T-lymphocyte ratio, presence of unusual opportunistic infections, and a progressive downhill course. The most common infection in AIDS is pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Treatment failures with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra) are common; pentamidine isethionate (Lomidine) may be more effective in eradicating the infection. In spite of initial improvement, recurrences of P carinii pneumonia and other opportunistic infections are common. In addition, other protozoan, viral, fungal, and atypical mycobacterial infections are frequent in patients with AIDS. Finally, rare neoplasms such as Kaposi's sarcoma and B-cell lymphoma, including primary lymphoma of the brain, are also being recognized as complications. At present there is no specific therapy for AIDS, and the disease is usually fatal. Continued research will hopefully result in immunomodulation techniques and specific vaccines to combat this serious epidemic.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/15. pasteurella ureae meningitis.A 54-year-old man, with a history of alcohol abuse and previous skull fractures, developed a low-grade meningitis. The causative organism was pasteurella ureae, an uncommon cause of bacterial infection, which has not been reported previously in australia. The patient recovered after therapy with penicillin. A review of the cases of serious infection with this organism suggests that liver disease and skull trauma are common predisposing factors. Problems with the identification of P.ureae may be encountered unless its particular biochemical properties are recognized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bacterial infection (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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