Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases
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Scand. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2000
Review Case ReportsIatrogenic meningitis: an increasing role for resistant viridans streptococci? Case report and review of the last 20 years.
Iatrogenic meningitis following lumbar puncture is a rare event. We present a 52-y-old man who developed symptoms of meningitis within 12 h after spinal anaesthesia. Cerebrospinal fluid cultures grew Streptococcus salivarius partially resistant to penicillin and ceftriaxone. ⋯ An upward trend in resistance of S. viridans isolates is cause for concern and may change empirical treatment strategies. Death was reported in 3 cases (5%) and was associated with Pseudomonas and staphylococcal isolates. The recognition of this entity and the importance of proper infection control measures are underlined.
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Scand. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2000
Case ReportsSubdural empyema after tooth extraction in which Capnocytophaga species was isolated.
We describe a patient with meningitis and a subdural empyema arising from an infection after teeth extraction in which Capnocytophaga species was detected. The patient was a 54-y-old man without any underlying diseases. A computerized tomography scan showed a subdural empyema 21 d after the extraction.
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Scand. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2000
Case ReportsStreptococcus salivarius acute meningitis with latent petromastoiditis.
A 48-y-old woman, with a previous history of neurosurgical intervention for a trigeminal neurinoma, presented with acute meningitis due to Streptococcus salivarius. There were significant changes in the petrous region, as revealed by MRI, leading to the diagnosis of associated latent subacute mastoiditis.
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Scand. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2000
Case ReportsMoraxella catarrhalis endocarditis: case report and review of the literature.
A case of bacterial endocarditis caused by Moraxella catarrhalis in an apparently immunocompetent Greek male is presented, which was diagnosed after a 2-month history of low-grade fever of unknown origin. The agent seems to be a rare pathogen, but due to the high mortality rate, it should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of relevant cases. Beta-lactamase production by many strains complicates the choice of antibiotic.
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Plasmapheresis is one of the methods which has been tried in the effort to influence the course of severe sepsis with septic shock and to improve survival rates. This is a retrospective study of 17 consecutive patients with septic shock who were treated with acute plasmapheresis. Nine out of 16 patients with verified etiology suffered from infections with Gram-positive bacteria. ⋯ No serious side-effects of treatment were observed. This study indicates that plasmapheresis is a safe treatment for patients with septic shock and has a positive effect on survival. Prospective, randomized studies would be valuable to determine the role of plasmapheresis in the management of patients with septic shock.