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Biomedical subjects

C Block

Publications and source records attributed to C Block.

102 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

First recorded outbreaks of meningococcal disease in the Israel Defence Force: three clusters due to serogroup C and the emergence of resistance to rifampicin.

Outbreaks of meningococcal disease were observed for the first time in the Israel Defence Force (I.D.F.) in 1992 and 1993, while in previous years, cases appeared in sporadic fashion. Two episodes in the winter of 1992 involving three and two individuals, respectively, were caused by Neisseria meningitidis group C, which was nontypable and nonsubtypable (C:NT:-). Three cases in one event in early 1993 were due to group C:NT:P1.2, the two secondary cases being caused by strains completely resistant to rifampicin. While these outbreaks were small, they should be seen against a background of the emergence of relatively virulent clones of serogroup C which have caused significant outbreaks in several countries. This and the drug resistance problem will require medical decision-makers to review strategies for the prevention of meningococcal disease, taking into account alternative agents for chemoprophylaxis as well as a possible role for vaccination.

Bacteremia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prostatic abscess in the antibiotic era.

The clinical and bacteriologic features of 269 cases of prostatic abscess (PA) reported during the last 40 years were reviewed. In the pre-antibiotic era, PA not uncommonly had a dramatic presentation and frequently was caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Currently, PA may be difficult to differentiate from prostatitis and other diseases of the lower urogenital tract. Prostatic enlargement is found in 75% of cases, whereas fever and urinary retention each occur in only one-third of cases. The organisms most frequently isolated from PA are Escherichia coli and other gram-negative bacilli; other isolates include Staphylococcus species and an expanding spectrum of bacteria and fungi. PA due to Staphylococcus species may also occur in neonates. Transrectal ultrasonography and computerized tomography are valuable methods for the preoperative diagnosis of PA. Although transurethral resection of the prostate is the most commonly used therapy for PA, transperineal aspiration of pus guided by transrectal ultrasonography appears to be promising.

Abscess↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rise in the incidence of viral hepatitis in Israel despite improved socioeconomic conditions.

The incidence of viral hepatitis (mostly type A) in Israel, an area highly endemic for the disease, was examined between 1951 and 1985. During a period of improved standards of living, the overall reported incidence of the disease increased. In the Jewish population, the age of peak incidence shifted from 1-4 y to 5-9 y; this change is compatible with improved sanitation. However, whereas the absolute incidence declined among children 1-4 y old, it doubled among those 5-9 y old over the same period. The peak incidence in the non-Jewish population remains in children 1-4 y old. One possible explanation for the rise in overall incidence is an increase in the ratio of clinical to subclinical infections due to a shift of peak incidence to an older age group. Seasonal patterns have persisted against a background of changing morbidity, with the maximal incidence from late summer to midwinter. An unexplained, consistent excess incidence among males is observed for all age groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Four decades of shigellosis in Israel: epidemiology of a growing public health problem.

Despite the improved standard of living in Israel, shigellosis remains a common disease. Examination of trends in the incidence of shigellosis in Israel between 1951 and 1987 showed a period of declining rates followed by an increase in the reported incidence beginning around 1969. This increase was mainly due to Shigella sonnei; rates of infection with Shigella flexneri remained relatively constant. Trends showed marked differences between age groups and between ethnic groups. In comparison, the rates in the United States--much lower than those in Israel--began to decline in the early 1950s and have remained low. The incidence in Israel is now about 20 times higher than that in the United States. Thus shigellosis remains a major and growing public health problem in Israel, a country that has enjoyed a dramatic improvement in basic sanitary services and infrastructure over the past few decades. This disturbing finding lends urgency to efforts to control the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of intravenous fat infusion on neonatal neutrophil and platelet function.

Intravenous fat (Intralipid) is used extensively as a major component of parenteral nutrition for patients in the neonatal intensive care unit. Abnormalities of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) and platelet number or function related to Intralipid infusion have been reported although conflicting results exist. In order to examine potential adverse hematologic effects of Intralipid, 10 ill neonates were studied before and after a 16-hr infusion of 1 g/kilo of Intralipid. PMN count, chemokinesis, chemotaxis, and aggregation were unchanged pre- and post intralipid infusion. Platelet count, bleeding time, and platelet aggregation were also unchanged. Similar results were obtained in vitro when neonatal and adult PMNs and platelets were incubated in Intralipid and their function analyzed. These findings suggest that short-term, low-dose Intralipid has no measurable impact on neonatal PMN or platelet activity and support its use in neonates even in the presence of infection or thrombocytopenia.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of antimicrobial drug resistance among Shigellas isolated at an Israeli hospital from 1977 through 1990.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of diarrhea due to Shigella sp. has become complicated in recent years by drug resistance. The emergence of resistance to antibiotics important in the treatment of shigellosis was studied among Shigella sp. isolated at the Sheba Medical Center between 1977 and 1990. METHOD: A retrospective study of resistance patterns of Shigella sp. using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test. RESULTS: In the early 1980s S. sonnei replaced S. flexneri as the most frequent isolate. Ampicillin resistance rose steadily, peaking at 70% for S. sonnei in 1990 and 50% for S. flexneri in 1987 and 1990. Resistance to tetracycline roughly paralleled this. By 1990, 68% of S. sonnei and 75% of S. flexneri were insensitive. Cotrimoxazole resistance developed rapidly from 1981. By 1990, 88% of strains of S. sonnei had become resistant, compared to 63% of S. flexneri. S. boydii and S. dysenteriae were encountered less frequently, but showed important rates of resistance. Chloramphenicol remained active against almost all strains of S. sonnei, while resistance in S. flexneri reached about 30% in the late 1980s. Relatively few isolates were resistant to all four drugs. Only 20/841 (2.4%) of strains tested from 1984 to 1990 were resistant to nalidixic acid. CONCLUSION: The data presented document the emergence of antibiotic resistance as a serious public health problem among strains of Shigella isolated at a large medical center in Israel.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Placental blood sampling: an aid to the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the usefulness of placental blood cultures in establishment of the diagnosis of early onset sepsis. STUDY DESIGN: Babies born to mothers with suspected intraamniotic fluid infection had blood cultures obtained from a branch of the umbilical vein on the fetal surface of the placenta immediately after delivery. The babies at highest risk (n = 35) had subsequent neonatal blood cultured from a peripheral vein (group 1), whereas 26 newborns at a lower risk did not (group 2). A group of 20 term babies born after uncomplicated labor and vaginal delivery or by elective cesarean delivery served as control subjects. RESULTS: Placental blood cultures were more often positive for pathogens in group 1 (7 of 35; 20%; 0.09 to 0.36) than in group 2 (0 of 26; 0 to 0.11) or control subjects (0 of 20; 0 to 0.14; p < 0.02). Within group 1, placental blood cultures were more often positive (7 of 35; 20%; 0.09 to 0.36) than subsequent neonatal blood cultures (1 of 35; 3%; 0 to 0.15; p < 0.05). Contaminants were cultured in 3 of 81 (4%; 01 to 0.11) placental samples (all from group 1) compared with 1 of 35 (3%; 0 to 0.11) neonatal samples (difference not significant). CONCLUSIONS: A carefully obtained culture of placental blood may be a useful addition or substitute for neonatal blood culturing in newborns at risk for early-onset sepsis by virtue of maternal risk factors.

Bacteriological Techniques↗