Biomedical subjects

B Zeluff

Publications and source records attributed to B Zeluff.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

Dermatologic manifestations of infectious diseases in cardiac transplant patients.

Infection remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in cardiac transplant patients. Skin infections are not uncommon in these patients. Although usually caused by secondary dissemination after initial infection of another organ system, some skin infections may be primary infections, such as bacterial infections caused by the use of intravenous catheters or fungal infections in severely immunosuppressed patients. Nevertheless, the presence of skin lesions in a transplant patient may indicate infection in a primary site or another deep-seated focus of infection.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Acquired resistance of Nocardia brasiliensis to clavulanic acid related to a change in beta-lactamase following therapy with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.

Previous studies have demonstrated that Nocardia brasiliensis is susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and that its beta-lactamases are inhibited in vitro by clavulanic acid. A cardiac transplant patient with disseminated infection caused by N. brasiliensis was treated with this drug combination with good response, but relapsed while still on therapy. The relapse isolate was found to be identical to the initial isolate by using genomic DNA restriction fragment patterns obtained by pulsed field gel electrophoresis, but it was resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. On isoelectric focusing, the beta-lactamase from the relapse isolate exhibited a shift in the isoelectric point (pI) of its major band from 5.10 to 5.04 compared with the enzyme from the pretreatment isolate. As determined by using values of the amount of beta-lactamase inhibitor necessary to give 50 +/- 5% inhibition of beta-lactamase-mediated hydrolysis of 50 microM nitrocefin, the beta-lactamase of the relapse isolate was also 200-fold more resistant than the enzyme from the pretreatment isolate to clavulanic acid and was more resistant to sulbactam, tazobactam, cloxacillin, and imipenem. The beta-lactamase of the relapse isolate exhibited a 10-fold decrease in hydrolytic activity for cephaloridine and other hydrolyzable cephalosporins compared with that for nitrocefin. Acquired resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid in this isolate of N. brasiliensis appears to have resulted from a mutational change affecting the inhibitor and active site(s) in the beta-lactamase.

Amoxicillin↗

PubMed1989

Treatment of systemic fungal infections with liposomal amphotericin B.

Forty-six patients with systemic fungal infections were treated with liposomal amphotericin B. Twenty-one patients had disseminated candidiasis, 19 had aspergillosis, and the rest had a variety of other fungal infections. Forty patients failed to respond to conventional amphotericin B therapy, and 6 patients were given liposomal amphotericin B because conventional amphotericin B caused severe side effects. Twenty-four patients had a complete response, and 22 patients failed to respond. No short- or long-term toxic reactions were observed. The acute side effects such as fever, chills, and potassium loss were infrequent and milder than those commonly observed with conventional amphotericin B. No chronic renal, hematologic, or central nervous system side effects were observed. Liposomal amphotericin B therapy was effective and less toxic than conventional amphotericin B therapy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Management of infection in the post-cardiac-transplant patient.

In reviewing our post-transplant experience with infection in 192 cardiac transplant patients, we have noticed a pattern. During the first month following transplantation, the patient seldom has an opportunistic infection, but is in danger of nosocomial infection (84 episodes in 57 patients). These include wound infection, and infections of the lungs, blood, and urinary tract. After the first month, and for the duration of the first year following transplantation, nosocomial infections become less common and opportunistic infections dominate (176 episodes in 111 patients). Although viruses are the most common opportunistic pathogens (100 infections in 111 patients), bacteria, fungi, and parasites are the most serious threats, especially when they affect the lungs. We relate our experience in prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment throughout the first year following transplant.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1984

Infection after cardiac transplantation: treatment and prognosis.

Since July 1982, 18 patients have undergone orthotopic cardiac transplantation at the Texas Heart Institute with steroid and cyclosporine immunosuppression. There have been no deaths from infection despite 15 bacterial, 8 viral, 6 fungal and 1 protozoal infection episodes. With a total follow-up of 90 patient months (mean follow-up, 5.0 months; range 0.1 to 18 months), the incidence of infection is 33 episodes per 100 patient months (1.7 episodes per patient). Only 23 episodes (77%) required drug treatment. Compared to conventional immunosuppressive regimes, cyclosporine treatment is associated with a substantial reduction in the incidence and severity of infection in cardiac allograft recipients.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1981

Systemic calciphylaxis revisited.

A syndrome characterized by rapidly progressive ischemic necrosis involving large areas of the skin and muscle, and by peripheral gangrene associated with extensive vascular calcifications was observed in a patient with end-stage renal failure on chronic hemodialysis. In an effort to control the disease, parathyroidectomy was performed which resulted in rapid improvement of tissue perfusion. However, the patient eventually died from sepsis within 2 months after admission. This case presents the typical features of the syndrome of systemic calciphylaxis. The literature is reviewed searching for similar cases of this poorly recognized, but life-threatening, clinical syndrome. The pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and therapy of this unusual and rapidly progressive, but potentially reversible, condition are reviewed with emphasis on its prompt recognition and appropriate management.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Leishmaniasis in a heart transplant patient.

Infection is a well-recognized complication of immunosuppressive therapy. We describe a case of leishmaniasis in a 62-year-old man who was undergoing immunosuppressive therapy because of heart transplantation. A geologist and native Texan, the patient had traveled extensively in south-central Texas, but not outside of the continental United States. Cutaneous lesions of the extremities developed, which were diagnosed histologically as leishmaniasis and confirmed by means of transmission electron microscopy. Cultures grew Leishmania mexicana. Treatment with sodium antimony gluconate was successful in healing the infective lesions.

Animals↗