Infection
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Clinical Trial
Diagnostic and prognostic values of admission procalcitonin levels in community-acquired pneumonia in an intensive care unit.
Measurement of procalcitonin (PCT) has been studied for several years in infectious diseases. Some studies have focused on community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) but only one was conducted in critically ill patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ In ICU patients admitted for severe CAP, initial PCT values could be an interesting predictor for complications and mortality.
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Infections caused by dimorphic fungi, rarely observed in a temperate climate, may cause chronic infections in immunocompromised patients. We describe a case of sporotrichosis in a 50-year-old woman, who underwent mastectomy due to breast carcinoma, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. ⋯ The isolate was resistant to all commonly used antifungal agents, except for itraconazole. Therapy with this antifungal agent resulted in disappearance of the clinical symptoms.
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When to start or change antiretroviral treatment against HIV infection is of major importance. Patients' readiness is considered a major factor influencing such treatment decisions, in particular because no objective, absolute time point when to start antiretroviral therapy exists. We aimed at evaluating patients' readiness to start or change antiretroviral therapy (ART). ⋯ Patients mainly shared the decision made during consultation. Although physicians have an essential role concerning ART, patients, physicians, and nurses all contribute to the decision. Qualitative findings indicate the importance for health-care providers to include patients' expertise and contributions.