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Biomedical subjects

V A Spagna

Publications and source records attributed to V A Spagna.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Endocarditis due to strain of Cardiobacterium hominis resistant to erythromycin and vancomycin.

Endocarditis caused by Cardiobacterium hominis was observed in a penicillin-allergic patient with a prosthetic cardiac valve who had received prophylactic therapy with erythromycin for dental extractions. The organism was resistant to erythromycin and vancomycin, with minimal inhibitory concentrations of 12.5 microgram/ml and 25 microgram/ml, respectively, but was sensitive to penicillin G, tetracycline, cephalexin, and cefaclor. This case suggests that currently recommended antibiotic prophylactic therapy for endocarditis, especially in penicillin-allergic patients, may be inadequate for unusual pathogens such as C hominis.

Bacteria↗

Normal pressure hydrocephalus, parkinsonism, and primary empty sella--coincidence or cause-effect?

The triad of normal-pressure hydrocephalus, parkinsonism, and primary empty sella appeared in a 70-year-old woman. There was dramatic resolution of the extrapyramidal signs and symptoms on treatment with levodopa-carbidopa and ventriculojugular shunt. The syndrome may be the result of several mechanisms, but an alteration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure dynamics may be the sole etiology for this triad.

Aged↗

Successful treatment with cefaclor of gonococcal urethritis in men.

Cefaclor, a new orally administered cephalosporin, was evaluated by a randomized trial for effectiveness in the treatment of uncomplicated urethritis due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae in men. Regimens included 2,3, and 4 g of cefaclor, with or without 1 g of orally administered probenecid, as single daily doses for three days. The diagnoses were confirmed by isolation of N. gonorrhoeae; cures or therapeutic failures were determined by follow-up cultures on day 7 after completion of therapy. Sixty-six (73%) of 90 treated patients were evaluable for efficacy. The bacteriologic cure rate was 98% (65/66); one patient treated with 2 g of cefaclor plus probenecid had a positive culture for N. gonorrhoeae on follow-up examination. Adverse reactions consisted of mild nausea in five patients (7%) and vomiting in one patient (1%) who received 3- or 4-g doses. No treatment was discontinued, and no abnormality of screening hematologic tests or enzymes was observed. Thus, cefaclor, given in multiple doses, was highly efficacious for treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal urethritis in men.

Cefaclor↗

Application of the limulus lysate assay in evaluation of disseminated gonorrhea in women.

The limulus lysate assay was utilized as a diagnostic adjunct in the evaluation of three cases of disseminated gonorrhea in women. Although not a specific test for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the limulus lysate assay, when used with properly diluted endocervical samples, gave results that correlated with conventional diagnostic techniques. If the advantages and limitations of the limulus lysate assay become fully appreciated, it may serve as a useful clinical tool for diagnosis of this syndrome.

Adult↗