1/678. Case of sepsis caused by bifidobacterium longum.We report a case of sepsis caused by bifidobacterium longum in a 19-year-old male who had developed high fever, jaundice, and hepatomegaly after acupuncture therapy with small gold needles. Anaerobic, non-spore-forming, gram-positive bacilli were isolated from his blood and finally identified as B. longum. He recovered completely after treatment with ticarcillin and metronidazole. To our knowledge, this is the first report of incidental sepsis caused by B. longum.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/678. Autoimmune enteropathy with distinct mucosal features in T-cell activation deficiency: the contribution of T cells to the mucosal lesion.BACKGROUND: Autoimmune enteropathy is normally characterised by crypt hyperplastic villous atrophy with enterocyte autoantibodies, activation of mucosal lymphocytes and increased epithelial HLA-DR. This case involved a severely affected Portuguese infant who was found to have lymphocyte activation deficiency and demonstrated correspondingly distinct mucosal features. methods: A female infant of nonconsanguineous parents was treated for vomiting and diarrhoea, first with milk exclusion and then with parenteral nutrition. lymphocyte subsets and immunoglobulin concentrations were normal, but in vitro testing showed no activation in response to phytohaemagglutinin, candida, or purified protein derivative, although the response to interleukin (IL)-2 was intact. interleukin-2 deficiency was excluded. Analysis of jejunal biopsy specimens revealed only mild villous blunting with absent goblet cells, normal epithelial proliferation, and no crypt hyperplasia. The dense infiltrate of CD8 and CD4 T lymphocytes showed normal CD2 and CD3 expression but no activation or proliferation markers. HLA-DR was not increased on epithelium or lymphocytes. Thus, in addition to in vitro evidence for lymphocyte activation deficiency, the mucosal specimens showed no evidence of in situ T-cell activation. RESULTS: After development of overwhelming septicaemia, the patient died at 18 months, just before a planned bone marrow transplant. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm significant heterogeneity within autoimmune enteropathy. Formal immune function testing should be performed in all affected infants to identify T-cell activation deficiencies. The distinct mucosal findings suggest that activated T cells usually induce the crypt hyperplastic villous atrophy characteristic of classic autoimmune enteropathy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.5keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/678. Endogenous endophthalmitis associated with bacillus cereus bacteremia in a cocaine addict.A 22-year-old black female intravenous cocaine addict presented with an endophthalmitis of the right eye. Diagnostic evaluation included an immediate anterior chamber paracentesis and a delayed vitreous aspiration. Although cultures from the involved eye were negative, all 7 blood cultures grew Bacillus cereus suggesting that this organism was the responsible agent of an endogenous endophthalmitis. The patient was treated with appropriate systemic and local antibiotics with resolution of the acute inflammatory signs. However, a phthisical eye has been noted on follow-up examinations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/678. lemierre syndrome and acute mastoiditis.lemierre syndrome seldom follows an episode of pharyngotonsillitis. Characteristically, it is comprised of septic thrombosis of the internal jugular vein and bacteremia, leading to lung emboli and metastatic abscess formation. We describe lemierre syndrome that complicates an acute mastoiditis, with considerations regarding its pathogenesis and management. Despite its sporadic occurrence, awareness of lemierre syndrome is important, since early recognition reduces both the morbidity and mortality associated with it.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/678. Staged operative treatment in a septic patient with an infected, unstable pelvis, and a missed bladder rupture.This case demonstrates once again the potential and serious complications of pelvic fractures, especially when associated urogenital injuries are missed. Missing the bladder rupture proved almost fatal to our patient. Second, it was confirmed that in very unstable pelvic fractures, external fixation alone does not provide enough stability. Local stability is the cornerstone in the treatment of (bone) infection, and in these cases, maximal stability is only obtainable with internal fixation. The advantages of metal implants in infected areas outweigh the disadvantages by far. For the bladder-rupture, we chose a two-stage approach. First, we performed a urinary diversion, to avoid surgical closure of the infiltrated bladder wall. All cavities, including the open bladder, were packed with omentum to fill the dead space with highly vital tissue to offer stout resistance to infection. Two years later, with the patient in excellent physical condition, urinary undiversion was carried out. Ultimately physical and social recovery was complete.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/678. Community-acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus: a cause of musculoskeletal sepsis in children.Between August 1996 and August 1997, 130 children were admitted to our pediatric orthopaedic unit with Staphylococcus aureus musculoskeletal infection. Twenty-six of the 130 staphylococcal isolates were resistant to methicillin, an incidence of 20%. All but one of the infections, a femoral fixator-pin infection, were community-acquired. Twenty-two of the infections were superficial; however, there were four cases of deep musculoskeletal sepsis due to methicillin-resistant S. aureus. In areas where methicillin-resistant S. aureus is prevalent in the community, methicillin resistance should be considered in any overwhelming staphylococcal infection not responding to conventional antibiotics despite adequate surgical debridement.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/678. abdominal pain as an atypical presentation of meningococcaemia.An atypical presentation of meningococcaemia without purpura poses diagnostic problems. The importance of the identification of shock manifest as delayed capillary refill in two children with meningococcal septicaemia presenting with fever and abdominal pain is discussed. abdominal pain is an unusual presentation of meningococcal disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/678. Iatrogenic staphylococcus aureus septicaemia following intravenous and intramuscular injections: clinical course and pathomorphological findings.The clinical course, autopsy and histological findings are presented from three (one 33-year-old female and two males aged 26 and 56) fatalities resulting from injection therapy which has produced Staphylococcus aureus septicaemia. The autopsies were performed within 2-4 days postmortem. No primary focus other than the insertion site of the peripheral venous catheters or the intramuscular injections, representing the initial entry site of Staphylococcus aureus, could be identified. Death was attributed directly to the staphylococcal infection as a result of iatrogenic injection therapy for the treatment of a non-severe underlying illness (premature labour pains, acute loss of hearing, lumbago). The forensic diagnosis of Staphylococcus aureus septicaemia following iatrogenic injections has to be critically evaluated and can be established routinely in cases with delayed autopsy only when no other cause of death is revealed by autopsy, no apparent source of infection other than the insertion site can be detected and careful attention is paid to histological and bacteriological findings. All doubtful cases of nosocomial bloodstream infections with fatal outcome should undergo an immediate autopsy. In cases of very early forensic involvement microbiological investigations, including phagotyping, molecular biological characterization and identification of bacterial toxins from micro-organisms out of appropriate specimens obtained postmortem, could be efforts of potential evidential value regarding the aetiological proof. To optimize aetiopathogenetic conclusions concerning a causal relationship between iatrogenic injections and septic complications, the medicolegal investigation should also include an interdisciplinary co-operation with consultants from other relevant fields (e.g. microbiology and hygienics).- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.240924772597keywords = illness, ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/678. sepsis.OBJECTIVES: To review infection and sepsis in patients with cancer and to provide an overview of controversies and research-based practices of infectious complications and management strategies. DATA SOURCES: research studies, review articles, web sites, and consensus documents. CONCLUSIONS: Traditional assumptions about infection and its optimal management are redefined by research regarding transfusion and catheter-related infections, prophylactic antibiotic administration, use of growth factors, and antimicrobial therapy regimens. IMPLICATIONS FOR nursing PRACTICE: Infection is still the most common source of morbidity and mortality among cancer patients. The importance of recognizing high-risk patients, implementing infection prevention practices, and prompt intervention for infection symptoms has been established.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/678. Marked histiocytosis in the portal tract in a patient with reactive hemophagocytic syndrome: An autopsy case.We report an autopsy case of reactive hemophagocytic syndrome with peculiar liver histology. A 71-year-old female was diagnosed as having acute myelogenous leukemia and treated with chemotherapy. During her course, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was noted in blood culture and she was diagnosed as having MRSA sepsis. She died of respiratory failure 5 months after the onset of leukemia and 10 days after the MRSA sepsis. Ante-mortem liver function tests were within normal ranges. At autopsy, myeloblastic leukemia cells positive for CD13 were present in the bone marrow and, to a much lesser extent, in the spleen and liver. Numerous histiocytes of a bland appearance with erythrophagocytosis were noted in the bone marrow and spleen. The histiocytes were positive for CD68, but negative for S-100 and lysozymes. In the liver, many histiocytes of bland appearance with erythrophagocytosis and CD68 positivity were present in the portal tracts with no Kupffer cell hyperplasia. There were no hepatocellular degeneration, fatty changes or sinusoidal dilations. We consider that this histiocytosis was associated with MRSA infection and diagnosed this as infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome. In previously reported cases, hemophagocytosis in hyperplastic kupffer cells was the main liver change of reactive hemophagocytic syndrome. The present case suggests that marked histiocytosis in portal tracts only may be a main feature of liver changes in reactive hemophagocytic syndrome and that such cases may not show abnormal liver function tests.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = ill (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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