Infectious disease clinics of North America
-
The foregoing delineation on the rationale, structure, and process for development of a program or institute in international health is not meant to be prescriptive. Flexibility, relevance, and sensitivity to the local context-the academic health center setting--are crucial, just as these characteristics are the hallmark of successful international projects. ⋯ Fortunately, there is an enlightened climate for the development of innovative and collaborative approaches to meet these challenges within a framework of social justice and overall human development. It is the unique and unparalleled opportunity for US academic health centers to work with international colleagues toward this goal.
-
Fungal meningitis tends to be a subacute or chronic process; however, it may be just as lethal as bacterial meningitis if untreated. There are many similarities between the pathogenic fungi. Most of the fungi are aerosolized and inhaled, and initiate a primary pulmonary infection which is usually self-limited. ⋯ Currently, amphotericin B is still the drug of choice in most situations; however, the newer azole antifungal agents offer great promise, especially in the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis. The precise role of such agents will remain unclear until appropriate large-scale studies of their effectiveness have been completed. The treatment of the unusual CNS mycoses will continue to be based on clinical experience, and reports of the use of new azoles in these diseases need to be critically evaluated.
-
With widespread use of the live virus vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, there has been a dramatic decrease in the incidence of all three diseases. At the same time, an increasing proportion of the remaining cases are occurring in adolescents and adults. ⋯ Vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella is particularly important for susceptible adults likely to come in contact with infected children. Adults at particularly high risk for exposure may include daycare center workers, teachers and other school employees, college students, medical personnel, and those planning to travel outside the United States.
-
Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. · Dec 1989
ReviewEpidemiology and control of nosocomial viral infections.
The impact of nosocomial viral disease, in terms of morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures, should not be underestimated. Respiratory viruses, in particular, account for a substantial proportion of all nosocomial infections, especially among pediatric patients and the institutionalized elderly. ⋯ Early recognition of viral diseases should, in turn, permit us to institute, and further evaluate, specific measures for their control. Appreciation of the epidemiology and transmission of these viruses will provide the framework for successful infection control strategies.
-
Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. · Dec 1988
ReviewInfections caused by dematiaceous fungi: chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis.
Because of the increased incidence of infections caused by dematiaceous fungi, it is important to clearly define the conceptual basis for the clinical nomenclature for infections caused by these fungi. When considering dematiaceous fungal infections, there is a continuum of diseases that can be separated into the three categories of chromoblastomycosis, phaeohyphomycosis, and mycetoma. The diseases chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis are compared and contrasted in this chapter.