Infection
-
Inclusion criteria for acute uncomplicated cystitis were studied in a total of 307 patients. The data on recurrence should be grouped according to age or menopause, because recurrence was observed only in postmenopausal patients, and the mean age was significantly higher in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group. Bacteriuria of 10(3) and 10(4) cfu/ml could be included only when urine was collected by catheterization or very careful clean-catch method, because the incidence of uropathogens was significantly low even in patients with bacteriuria of 10(4) cfu/ml, when urine was collected by conventional midstream catch.
-
We examined the value of the dipstick test for detecting pyuria and bacteriuria in the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI). The dipstick esterase test could be quickly assessed and could easily detect leukocyte esterase in the urine. This was well correlated with the conventional sedimentation method. ⋯ One of the reasons for this is the formation of biofilm around the indwelling catheter. We attempted to evaluate the effect of catheter exchange just before treatment of catheter-associated UTI with either 300 or 600 mg/day of levofloxacin, one of the newer quinolones. However, we are unable to find any apparent effect on the drug's efficacy.
-
Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Peripheral oxygen availability within skeletal muscle in sepsis and septic shock: comparison to limited infection and cardiogenic shock.
In 40 intensive care patients, tissue oxygen partial pressure distribution within skeletal muscle was measured in order to estimate peripheral oxygen availability. In septic patients with multiple organ failure (n = 20) mean skeletal muscle pO2 was abnormally high (48.8 +/- 8.5 mmHg, p less than 0.001) in contrast to patients with limited infection without sepsis (28.3 +/- 5.9 mmHg, n = 10). ⋯ In our patients in severe stage of sepsis, we did not observe local skeletal muscle hypoxia due to microcirculatory disorder. High mean skeletal muscle pO2 suggested reduced oxygen consumption within tissue rather than reduced oxygen transport to tissue in sepsis.
-
Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Supplemental immunoglobulin (ivIgG) treatment in 163 patients with sepsis and septic shock--an observational study as a prerequisite for placebo-controlled clinical trials.
In a multicenter observational study of 163 medical and surgical patients with a total of 173 episodes of sepsis or septic shock (Elebute sepsis score: 19.0 +/- 0.5), the effects of supplemental i.v. immunoglobulin (i.v. IG) treatment (unmodified polyvalent IgG pH 4.25, n = 123; for Pseudomonas sepsis, n = 50, Pseudomonas IgG) on multiple organ failure (MOF) were investigated by means of APACHE II score changes (pretreatment: 23.7 +/- 0.6). In 44% of the cases ("responders"), a prompt improvement in APACHE II score (defined as decrease greater than or equal to 4) was evident from day 0 to day 4 after onset of therapy, thus being in close time relationship to the i.v. ⋯ In a small-sized second comparative nonrandomized control group (n = 27, antibiotic treatment alone) of septic patients (Elebute: 14.7 +/- 1.0) with similar MOF severity (APACHE II: 23.6 +/- 1.4), the response rate (30%) was, though not statistically significant, lower by one-third. The optimal baseline score ranges for patient inclusion into future placebo-controlled randomized i.v. IG trials were found to be 20-35 for the APACHE II score and 12-27 for the Elebute score.