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Biomedical subjects

J Meszaros

Publications and source records attributed to J Meszaros.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Omission bias and pertussis vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Several laboratory studies have suggested that many people favor potentially harmful omissions over less harmful acts. The authors studied the role of this omission bias in parents' decisions whether to vaccinate their children against pertussis. METHODS: Two hundred mail surveys were sent to subscribers to a magazine that had published articles favoring and opposing pertussis vaccination. Subjects were asked about their beliefs about the vaccine and the disease, and whether they had vaccinated their own children or planned to, and they were given test items to identify omission bias in their reasoning. RESULTS: One hundred and three subjects (52%) responded to the survey. Respondents who reported they did not or would not allow their children to be vaccinated (n = 43; 41%) were more likely to believe that vaccinating was more dangerous than not vaccinating (p < 0.001). They were also more likely to exhibit omission bias (p = 0.004), holding constant their stated beliefs about the danger of the vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Omission bias plays a role in decisions not to vaccinate with pertussis vaccine, beyond the role played by belief about the risk of vaccination.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Propionibacterium acnes in the etiology of endocarditis].

Propionibacterium acnes is the gram positive anaerobic bacteria belongs to the normal skin and oral microbial flora. The participation of this microorganism in the infective endocarditis is still controversial. The aim of the study was to perform the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties in 5 patients with infective endocarditis caused by Propionibacterium acnes. In 3 out of 5 patients the infective endocarditis developed after prosthesis valve replacement, in 2 others on the native valves. The inserted prostheses were mechanical ones, propionibacterium acnes was identified as causative organisms in all of the causes (two positive blood and/or valve culture). The bacterial strains were sensitive to the antibiotics as: penicillins, cephalosporins, clindamycin, and vancomycin, however cephalosporins used at the beginning of the treatment in 3 patients and clindamycin in 1 patient had limited clinical efficacy. Later treatment with timentin, augmentin and tienamycin was successful in 3 patients; one patient was cured with vancomycin. One patient died because of septic, embolic complication in early stage of illness. We conclude the effectiveness of penicillins in combination with clavulanic acid and tienamycin in therapy of infective endocarditis due to Propionibacterium acnes. The treatment should be lasted during 4-6 weeks.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Imipenem in the treatment of patients with severe surgical infection].

The clinical efficacy and safety of intravenously administered imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of 45 patients with severe bacterial septicemia due to intra-abdominal abscesses, respiratory and urinary tract as well as skin, soft tissue and bone infections was studied in the prospective and open trial. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of imipenem has been assessed on the basis of 909 bacterial strains isolated from patients treated and non-treated with imipenem/cilastatin. Among them were 526 Gram-negative, 370 Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and 13 Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides sp.). Pathogen susceptibility to imipenem was determined with a disc-diffusion technique using Merck, Sharp Dohme sensitive discs containing 10 mcg of imipenem. Highly sensitive to imipenem were 96.8% of Gram-negative 82.7% of Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and 100% of Bacteroides sp. All patients, in whom evident foci of infection e.g. intra-abdominal abscesses were discovered, were operated on. The dosage of imipenem/cilastatin ranged from 1.5 to 2.0 g/24 h. Clinical cure and bacteriological elimination was achieved in 39 (86.7%) of patients while 6 (13.3%) showed marked clinical improvement. Before and during therapy, aerobic and anaerobic cultures were taken from accessible sites. All specimens were worked up using conventional bacteriological techniques. Before during and after therapy, samples for hematology, biochemistry and urinanalysis were obtained. Adverse clinical effects were noted in 2 (4.4%) patients. One had nausea and vomiting which were probably related to rapid infusion and disappeared after increasing the administration time, and one had transient diarrhea. In conclusion, imipenem/cilastatin was a well tolerated and effective drug in the treatment of life-threatening surgical infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lesion of locus coeruleus: the effect on pethidine and pentazocine analgesia.

Analgesic activity of pethidine and pentazocine in the locus coeruleus lesioned rats was evaluated. Bilateral destruction of locus coeruleus resulted in a marked decrease in noradrenaline content in forebrain but did not change significantly the levels of dopamine. Lesioned animals showed a marked decrease of predrug pain threshold. However, pethidine increased more effectively the nociceptive threshold in lesioned rats. The effect observed after pentazocine was generally similar but the maximal increase in pain threshold in lesioned animals did not differ significantly from the values observed in sham lesioned rats. The action of both analgesics was markedly prolonged after the lesion of the locus coeruleus.

Analgesics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Pseudomembranous colitis in patients with kidney failure].

Two cases of pseudomembranous colitis in patients with renal failure are presented. Both patients were treated with antibiotics. Clinical course, bacteriologic examination of feces, and endoscopy of the colon plays an important role in the diagnosis of this complication. No gut endoscopy was performed in both patients due to severe disease course. Pseudomembranous colitis was diagnosed by clinical symptoms and bacteriologic examination of feces out of which C. difficile was isolated. Teicoplanin-a drug of a known efficiency in the treatment of C. difficile infection-was given and vancomycin was used in the second patient. We would like to stress that renal failure predisposes to the a development of pseudomembranous colitis. An emphasis is also on the dose adjustments of drugs in renal failure.

Clostridioides difficile↗