Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiología clínica
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The emergence and spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains resistant to multiple drugs represent a threat for global tuberculosis control. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost 500,000 cases of M. tuberculosis resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin (multidrug-resistant, or MDR-TB), at least, emerged in 2006. In addition, new cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), defined as MDR-TB with resistance to a fluoroquinolone and at least one second line injectable agent, have been reported in 45 countries in all five continents. ⋯ This situation poses a serious problem for low income countries, especially those with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. MDR-TB and XDR-TB are also of special concern in wealthy countries, due to mass immigration. Therefore, tuberculosis resistant to multiple drugs should be given high priority in global public health and biomedical research.
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Enferm. Infecc. Microbiol. Clin. · Aug 2008
Letter Review Case Reports[Streptococcus salivarius meningitis following subarachnoid anesthesia].
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Enferm. Infecc. Microbiol. Clin. · Jul 2008
Review[Automatic detection of bacterial and fungal infections in blood].
Sepsis is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in hospitals. Early detection of pathogens using nucleic acid-based techniques speeds diagnosis of bacteremia and/or fungemia, aids the rapid application of appropriate antibiotics, reduces the use of unnecessary antibiotics, and lowers mortality. Two commercially available techniques that help to identify different sepsisproducing bacteria and fungi in a shorter time period are: LightCycler SeptiFast Test Mgrade (Roche Diagnostic SL) and GenoType Blood Culture (Hain Lifescience). ⋯ To minimize these inhibitions, the second study used 24 samples at half the original volume (extracted DNA at 1/4 concentration). With these modifications, inhibitions were substantially reduced. SeptiFast is more effective than blood culture in discriminating between contamination by coagulase-negative staphylococci and species of streptococci.
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Enferm. Infecc. Microbiol. Clin. · Jul 2008
Review[Autochthonous acute viral and bacterial infections of the central nervous system (meningitis and encephalitis)].
Rapid diagnosis of acute viral and bacterial infections of the central nervous system (meningitis and encephalitis) is highly important for the clinical management of the patient and helps to establish early therapy that may solve life-threatening situations, to avoid unnecessary empirical treatments, to reduce hospital stay, and to facilitate appropriate interventions in the context of public health. Molecular techniques, especially real-time polymerase chain reaction, have become the fastest and most sensitive diagnostic procedures for autochthonous viral meningitis and encephalitis, and their role is becoming increasingly important for the diagnosis and control of most frequent acute bacterial meningitides. Automatic and closed systems may encourage the widespread and systematic use of molecular techniques for the diagnosis of these neurological syndromes in most laboratories.