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Biomedical subjects

V F Garagusi

Publications and source records attributed to V F Garagusi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever: case report and review.

We report a case of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). The patient initially presented with fever, rash, and an altered mental status, and he responded to therapy with intravenous doxycycline; serological data confirmed RMSF. Concurrent physical findings and results of cerebrospinal fluid analysis and nerve conduction studies were compatible with GBS. Although neurological complications of RMSF are common, no known associations between RMSF and GBS were found in the literature. An association between possible infection with Rickettsia conorii and GBS was reported in a French study in 1968. To our knowledge, this is the first reported association between RMSF and GBS.

Acyclovir↗

Infections associated with pets.

Dogs, cats, rodents, reptiles and birds can transmit numerous diseases. Some are localized infections resulting from bites, scratches or other skin contact. Occasionally, a minor scratch or bite can lead to more serious infection, such as cat-scratch disease. Under certain circumstances, serious gastrointestinal, respiratory or multisystem illness can develop. Accurate diagnosis and identification of the pet source are necessary to prevent further transmission.

Animals↗

Group C beta-hemolytic streptococci causing pharyngitis and scarlet fever.

After a young woman had scarlet fever associated with group C beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis, we reviewed all cases of pharyngitis treated at a student health clinic during that semester. From 541 cases of pharyngitis, 34 cultures yielded group C Streptococcus. The patients who harbored group C organisms were similar to the patients with group A streptococcal pharyngitis in the presence of fever, exudate, and cervical adenopathy. The severity of symptoms and the demonstration of scarlet fever developing from infection with this organism supports antibiotic treatment of patients with group C streptococcal pharyngitis.

Adult↗

Absence of antimycobacterial synergism between garlic extract and antituberculosis drugs.

Garlic extract inhibited the growth of four strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, three strains of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, and three strains of Mycobacterium kansasii in concentrations ranging from 0.98 mg/ml to 2.94 mg/ml. Synergism could not be demonstrated when garlic extract was added to various concentrations of four commonly used antituberculous drugs.

Antitubercular Agents↗

Cytomegalovirus encephalitis associated with episodic neurologic deficits and OKT-8+ pleocytosis.

After 3 days of symptoms suggesting a viral illness, a 35-year-old man experienced three episodes of aphasia, right-sided sensory symptoms, and bifrontal headache. Each lasted several hours. CSF examination revealed a moderate lymphocytosis consisting of 80% OKT-8+ cells. Serum anti-cytomegalovirus (anti-CMV) antibody titer was elevated at 1:1,024 and subsequently fell to 1:64. Episodic symptoms recurred 5 months later, at which time the anti-CMV titer peaked at 1:8,192. A trial of inhaled oxygen aborted two episodes after several minutes each.

Adult↗

Inhibition of mycobacteria by garlic extract (Allium sativum).

Thirty strains of mycobacteria, consisting of 17 species, were inhibited by various concentrations of garlic extract incorporated in Middlebrook 7H10 agar. The concentration required ranged from a low of 1.34 mg/ml to a high of 3.35 mg/ml of media. When there were multiple strains of a species, a mean inhibitory concentration was determined for that species. Six strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis required a mean inhibitory concentration of 1.67 mg/ml of media.

Culture Media↗

Stability of an injectable disulfiram formulation sterilized by gamma irradiation.

Stability of an injectable disulfiram suspension sterilized by gamma(gamma) irradiation was tested. Single doses of disulfiram powder in plastic syringes were subjected to 50,000 rads of gamma radiation. Culture media were inoculated with the irradiated drug to test for growth of bacteria, fungi, and mycobacteria. The irradiated drug and nonirradiated controls were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for disulfiram and its major degradation product, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC). Ultraviolet absorption spectra of irradiated and nonirradiated disulfiram were obtained. No organisms grew in any of the culture media. HPLC analysis indicated that disulfiram content of the irradiated specimens was not reduced, and DDC was not detected. There were no important differences between the ultraviolet spectra of the irradiated and nonirradiated samples. Disulfiram can be sterilized by gamma irradiation without chemical degradation.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Pulmonary oxalosis caused by Aspergillus niger.

A case report involving a pleuropulmonary mixed bacterial infection in association with Aspergillus niger is described. The patient responded to a combination of antibiotics, aerosolized and intravenously administered amphotericin B, and surgery. Aspergillus niger appeared to be a secondary invader and caused lung damage by the production of oxalic acid.

Aspergillosis↗

Fatal disseminated cytomegalovirus infection in an apparently normal adult.

An ostensibly normal 43-year-old man had intermittent fever, erythema multiforme, and leukopenia that evolved into fulminant hepatic and bone marrow necrosis. The cause of his illness was compatible with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection since there was a fourfold increase in immunofluorescent antibody titer. This report suggests that CMV can produce a rapidly progressive and overwhelming infection in an apparently healthy adult.

Adult↗

Current management of fungal enteritis.

Fungal infections of the gastrointestinal tract have risen to higher levels of prevalence in the past decade. Major factors accounting for this increase are social changes, such as the increased ease and frequency of travel, which exposes the individual to environmental conditions that may result in fungal infection; increasing use of antibiotic and hormonal medications by otherwise healthy persons; and improved therapy for other diseases, such as polychemotherapy of cancer with its immunosuppressive effects. Both noninvasive and invasive fungal disease of the intestinal tract in otherwise healthy individuals can be successfully treated. The invasive fungal infections in patients with severe prior underlying disease are often first diagnosed postmortem, but improvement in serologic techniques now offers a possibility of earlier diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.

Amphotericin B↗

Antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis: an epidemiologic investigation of a cluster of cases.

Ten cases of antibiotic-associated colitis (AAC) were identified at a hospital in Washington, D.C., from March 17 to May 9, 1979. No geographic clustering of cases was found, nor was an association with increased use of antibiotics demonstrated. Exposure to aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, and clindamycin was associated with AAC, as was a history of enemas in the seven days before the onset of illness (P=0.045). This association was strengthened when gastrointestinal procedures-defined as (1) three or more enemas per week, (2) the insertion of a nasogastric tube for two or more days, or (3) gastrointestinal surgery-were performed within seven days of the onset of illness (P=0.007). Clostridium difficile was not isolated from the hospital environments, nursing personnel, or family members of the patients. C. difficile was isolated from stool specimens of five (36%) of 14 patients who served as controls.

Adult↗