Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases
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Streptococcal myositis (SM), is a very serious condition with a high mortality rate. The port of entry of the infection is often unknown. ⋯ The patient survived after massive therapeutic interventions including intensive care with intravenous antibiotics, fasciotomy, plasma exchange, controlled respiratory ventilation and exarticulation through the shoulder. The patient's wife fell ill at the same time with a sore throat and the same type of streptococci (T-type 3) was found in both patients.
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Scand. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 1992
Diagnosis of human parvovirus B19 infections by polymerase chain reaction.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for detecting parvovirus B19 DNA in clinical specimens. A pair of oligonucleotide primers spanning the PstI-fragment of the B19 virus genome was used for PCR, and a PCR product of 727 bp was amplified. B19 virus DNA was detected in all sera (n = 26) of individuals in the incubation period and acute phase of infection. PCR was useful for detecting viral B19 DNA in amniotic fluid and fetal blood of hydropic fetuses, confirming fetal B19 virus infection.
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Scand. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 1992
Case ReportsLong-term oral ciprofloxacin in the treatment of prosthetic valve endocarditis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is refractory to medical treatment alone and early valve replacement is necessary. We describe a 40-year-old patient in whom endocarditis developed in the early postoperative period, and reoperation was not considered feasible. Ciprofloxacin was administered orally in order to suppress bacteremia for 36 months. Long-term oral ciprofloxacin may provide an opportunity in the treatment of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Ps. aeruginosa in patients who are unfavorable candidates for reoperation.
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Scand. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 1991
Effects of different types and combinations of antimicrobial agents on endotoxin release from gram-negative bacteria: an in-vitro and in-vivo study.
Total and free endotoxin release in time from cultures of Escherichia coli by different antibiotics was studied in vitro for 4 h in relation to the antibiotic effect on viable counts and morphological features of the test cultures. The most rapid fall in viable counts was seen after treatment with imipenem or the combination of imipenem with tobramycin, accompanied by an early, but minimal increase (1.8-fold) of the total (free plus cell-bound) endotoxin level at 1 h. Total endotoxin levels increased approximately 5-fold upon incubation with ceftazidime, tobramycin or the combination of tobramycin with cefuroxime, whereas incubation with cefuroxime or aztreonam alone caused a late 22-and 49-fold increase in total endotoxin, respectively, at 4 h. ⋯ We describe the patterns of plasma endotoxin in these patients during the first 24 h of antibiotic treatment. We conclude that, in the in-vitro study, values of total endotoxin, free endotoxin, and the rate of release of endotoxin varies with the antibiotic used. We also demonstrate that in patients under treatment for septic shock endotoxin release can be related to the administration of antibiotics.
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Scand. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 1991
Klebsiella bacteremia: a review of 196 episodes during a decade (1980-1989).
This report reviews 196 episodes of klebsiella bacteremia in 194 patients during a 10-year period (1980-1989) in a community teaching hospital in the USA. The median age of patients was 70 years with a mode of 84 years. The prevalence was 0.76 episodes/1000 admissions. ⋯ The majority of patients had major underlying conditions. The overall mortality was 37%. Factors that adversely influenced the mortality rate were nosocomial bacteremia, polymicrobial bacteremia, respiratory tract as the portal of entry, rapidly fatal and ultimately fatal underlying conditions, septic shock, severe leukopenia, increases in total serum bilirubin level or serum creatinine level and inappropriate antimicrobial therapy.