Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Bouza

Publications and source records attributed to E Bouza.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Impact of the BACTEC NR system in detecting Candida fungemia.

As a result of the growing importance of candidemia, various techniques for the detection of Candida spp. in blood have been designed with a view to speeding up the laboratory procedure. We have performed a retrospective comparison of the efficiencies of the conventional VACUTAINER system (Becton Dickinson Vacutainer Systems) and the BACTEC NR system (Johnston Laboratories, Inc.). During a 4-year period, 88,300 blood cultures were processed, with growth of Candida species in 552. The mean times required for the detection of growth were 7.55 days with the VACUTAINER system and 4.1 days with the BACTEC NR system (P less than 0.05). During the first week of incubation, the VACUTAINER system detected 56.1% of the candidemias and the BACTEC NR detected 93.6% (P less than 0.05). Use of the BACTEC NR therefore permits reduction of the incubation period from the previously established 4 weeks to a more convenient 7 to 14 days.

Candida↗

[Nosocomial bacteremia caused by Acinetobacter].

Forty episodes of nosocomial Acinetobacter calcoaceticus bacteremia produced by the Anitratus type over a period of 4 years were analyzed and compared with a control group of 28 patients with bacteremia produced by gram negative bacilli. Although most of acinetobacter bacteremia were endemic an outbreak involving 12 cases were observed in an intensive care unit during the study period. Thirteen patients presented a transient bacteremia. When the site of origin of the infection could be established the respiratory system was the most commonly involved (5 cases). Polymicrobial bacteremia was present in 11 patients (27.5%). Gram-positive cocci were the most commonly associated microorganisms. Most of isolated Acinetobacter strains were resistant to cotrimoxazole, beta-lactams, and aminoglycosides but were uniformly sensitive to ciprofloxacin and imipenem. The overall mortality was 22.5%. As compared with the control group, Acinetobacter bacteremia occurred more frequently during the first week of hospitalization and involved patients with less severe underlying diseases in whom three or more potential risk factors were detected. The entering site of infection was commonly unknown and the antibiotic treatment was inappropriate in most of the cases of Acinetobacter bacteremia.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

[Multicenter study of fluconazole in the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in immunodepressed patients].

We have evaluated the efficacy of fluconazole, 50 mg/day for 2 weeks, to treat oropharyngeal candidiasis in immunologically compromised patients. There were overall 27 patients, 25 of which were HIV+ and 2 had neutropenia. The rate of clinical response at the end of therapy, and one week and one month afterwards were 96%, 76% and 64%, respectively. The microbiological eradication was achieved in 36% of patients. The tolerance of the drug was satisfactory, although in 3 cases features of hepatic toxicity were detected. The convenience, good tolerance and clinical efficacy of fluconazole make it the therapy of choice for oropharyngeal candidiasis in immunologically compromised patients.

Adult↗

A conservative procedure for the diagnosis of catheter-related infections.

A prospective study was done in 139 intravascular catheters (IVCs) that had been removed for different reasons. The purpose of the study was to compare laboratory procedures for the diagnosis of catheter-related infections and also to attempt to clarify the present controversy regarding the portal of entry of such infections. The IVCs were removed by one of us and multiple samples were studied according to a standard procedure. Semi-quantitative cultures were performed of the tips, the interior of the hub, and the skin around the insertion point. Quantitative cultures were performed of the infusion fluid and of the IVC tips. Of the 139 IVCs studied, 53 (38.1%) were infected (greater than or equal to 15 colony-forming units per plate in the semiquantitative culture). Semi-quantitative and quantitative cultures gave comparable results, but the semiquantitative procedure proved to be easier and faster. All but three infected catheters had a positive (greater than or equal to 15 colony-forming units per plate) skin and/or hub culture (superficial cultures), with microorganisms identical to those isolated in the IVC tip. Our results showed two possible and differentiable portals of entry. Thirty (56.6%) had external origin (semiquantitative skin culture positive), 12 (22.6%) had an internal origin (semiquantitative hub culture positive), and 8 (15.1%) had both origins. All catheters with negative superficial cultures had a negative tip. The predictive value of positive superficial cultures in the diagnosis of catheter-related infection was 66.2% and that of negative cultures was 96.7%. In patients with suspected catheter-related infections but negative superficial cultures, the possibility of infection may reasonably be ruled out, thereby avoiding many unnecessary catheter withdrawals.

Adolescent↗

Ciprofloxacin in patients with bacteremic infections. The Spanish Group for the Study of Ciprofloxacin.

The efficacy and safety of ciprofloxacin in the treatment of 68 episodes of bacteremia were studied. Patients were treated intravenously (30 cases), orally (13 cases), or with sequential intravenous/oral therapy (25 cases). Intravenous doses ranged from 200 to 400 mg per day and oral doses ranged from 1,000 to 1,500 mg per day. According to the criteria of McCabe and Jackson, 39 cases had nonfatal and 29 had ultimately fatal underlying diseases. The clinical condition of patients at the start of therapy was critical or poor in 40 cases and fair or good in 28. Sixty-four of the 68 episodes of bacteremia were monomicrobial and the remaining four were polymicrobial. The causative micro-organisms were: Escherichia coli (18 episodes), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13 episodes), Acinetobacter sp. (10 episodes), Salmonella sp. (seven episodes), Enterobacter sp. (six episodes), Proteus sp. (four episodes), Serratia sp. (four episodes), Haemophilus influenzae (three episodes), Klebsiella sp. (three episodes), Staphylococcus aureus (2 episodes), and Morganella morganii (two episodes). Overall clinical efficacy of ciprofloxacin was 94 percent (64 of 68 patients). Bacteremia persisted in four patients (failure rate of 6 percent). Five organisms persisted: Acinetobacter sp. (two patients), P. aeruginosa (one patient), Enterobacter sp. (one patient), and Serratia sp. (one patient). Side effects were phlebitis associated with intravenous administration (four cases), dizziness (four cases), and superinfection (six cases). Superinfecting organisms and sites were as follows: Enterococcus faecalis, wound (2 cases); Candida sp., urinary tract infection (one case); Acinetobacter anitratus (ciprofloxacin resistant), urinary tract infection (one case); Staphylococcus epidermidis, blood (one case); and Clostridium perfringens, blood (one case). Ciprofloxacin administered either intravenously, orally, or intravenously followed by the oral route is effective therapy in the treatment of severe bacteremic infections.

Administration, Oral↗

Visceral leishmaniasis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

In an 8-month period nine patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were diagnosed as having visceral leishmaniasis; all diagnoses were based on cultures (eight from bone marrow and one from the skin). Visceral leishmaniasis developed before full-blown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in seven patients and at the same time as or after AIDS in the other two patients. Three patients had a history of leishmaniasis. Clinical manifestations and laboratory findings were atypical. Leishmania species were cultured from samples taken from all patients; however, six patients had an insignificant antileishmanial antibody titer and Leishmania amastigotes were not seen in their bone marrow smears. Four isolates were identified by isoenzyme analysis as Leishmania donovani infantum. Five patients died, including two patients who had completed at least one 3-week course of therapy with N-methylglucamine antimoniate. Screening should be done for visceral leishmaniasis in patients with HIV infection who live or travel in areas where the disease is endemic. The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis may frequently be missed if cultures are not done.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Evaluation of ciprofloxacin for the treatment of severe bacterial infections].

The results of efficacy and safety of ciprofloxacin administered by parenteral and oral route in the treatment of severe infections-particularly, osteomyelitis and bacteremia-due to gram-negative bacilli are studied in the present work. The group consisted of 34 patients, there were 25 men and 9 women, whose age ranged from 5 to 84 years. Two patients were excluded from the study and did not enter in the efficacy analysis, although they accounted for the evaluation of incidence of side effects. Ten patients presented osteomyelitis, 16 patients had bacteremia (one of them, with endocarditis), and six patients suffered from other types of infection (one of them had meningitis). All patients recovered or presented clinical improvement with the treatment, except three of them, which accounted for a response rate of 90.6%. In 28 of the 32 evaluable cases, microbiologic eradication was achieved (eradication rate, 87.5%). Infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa persisted or recurred in three patients with chronic osteomyelitis; in two of them, the strain become resistant to ciprofloxacin, and in the third patient, the results of cultures persisted positive along the whole course, thus, the eradication of the microorganism was not achieved. One woman presented bacteremia due to Acinetobacter which persisted despite antibiotic therapy. Side effects were mild and obliged to withdraw the treatment in two cases (dizziness). Ciprofloxacin is a new fluoroquinolone that is easily administered by parenteral and oral route. In the present study, it has revealed as safe and highly efficacious, even in particularly severe or resistant bacterial infections.

Adult↗

High prevalence of tuberculosis in AIDS patients in Spain.

A total of 67 cases of tuberculosis was diagnosed in the first 100 cases of AIDS, diagnosed according to the former CDC criteria, at a hospital in Madrid, Spain. This is the highest known prevalence of tuberculosis in AIDS patients both within and outside Spain. The clinical manifestations of tuberculosis were very variable and atypical. The rate of isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from blood was particularly high: of 25 patients in whom blood cultures were performed, 16 were positive. In a third of the patients with proven mycobacteremia, blood was the first or the only positive specimen. In general, therapy resulted in rapid clinical improvement, but in some cases mycobacteria were isolated from clinical or necroscopy specimens months after what was considered adequate therapy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Serratia bacteremia.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗

Visceral leishmaniasis in immunocompromised hosts.

Visceral leishmaniasis is infrequently reported in immunocompromised hosts; hence, the clinical manifestations and outcome of the disease in these patients are unknown. In a series of 10 patients with visceral leishmaniasis complicating renal transplantation (three), hematologic neoplasms (two), systemic lupus erythematosus (two), or infection with human immunodeficiency virus (three), typical hallmarks of kalaazar such as enlargement of spleen or hyperglobulinemia were absent in three and six patients, respectively. Extensive visceral involvement was noted by biopsies or autopsies in four patients. Diagnosis was made during evaluation for fever of unknown origin. Myriads of amastigotes were seen in bone marrow smears. Measurement of antibodies against Leishmania donovani was positive in each patient tested. Ultimately, three patients died, and chronic infections refractory to treatment developed in two other patients. Visceral leishmaniasis is a potentially fatal infection in immunocompromised hosts. Current antiparasitic therapy frequently fails to eradicate L. donovani from infected tissues.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Serratia bacteremia.

During a 6-yr period, 146 patients at our institution had Serratia bacteremia (3.8% of the total number of episodes of bacteremia), with an incidence of 1.24/1000 admitted patients. We chose a random group of 50 cases for clinical analysis in the present study. The disease was community-acquired in 8% of the cases and nosocomially-acquired in the remaining 92%. The bacteremia was unimicrobial in 84% and part of a polymicrobial bacteremia in 16% of the episodes. The most frequently isolated species of the Serratia genus was S. marcescens. Portals of entry, in decreasing order of frequency, were: urinary, unknown, respiratory, and surgical wound infections. Clinically, the most frequent finding was fever (100%). Shock occurred in 28% of the patients, and none of our cases showed evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. We found 62% of Serratia isolates resistant to gentamicin. Overall mortality was 38% and factors associated with a poor prognosis were: severity of the underlying disease, critical clinical situation at onset of bacteremia, presence in the intensive care unit (I.C.U.), occurrence of shock or polymicrobial bacteremia, portal of entry in the respiratory tract, and inadequate treatment.

Adolescent↗

Epidemic outbreak of Serratia marcescens infection in a cardiac surgery unit.

Between 2 February and 16 April 1985, an outbreak of Serratia marcescens infection involving 10 male patients occurred in a cardiac surgery unit. All the patients had surgical wound infection, five also had osteomyelitis (four sternal, one costal), and another had peritonitis secondary to peritoneal dialysis. Three patients had concomitant bacteremia. All Serratia strains isolated produced a cherry-red pigment, and all had the same biochemical and antibiotic susceptibility pattern. An intensive search for the origin of the outbreak was initially unsuccessful, and it proved impossible to isolate S. marcescens from cultures of numerous samples taken from hospital personnel and from the environment. The fact that all patients were male and had been shaved for surgery by the same team of barbers led us to investigate the shaving procedures. We finally isolated a strain of pigmented S. marcescens, corresponding to that involved in the outbreak, from samples taken from the hands and equipment of the barbers. After suitable action had been taken, the epidemic terminated.

Barbering↗