Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
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Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important cause of foodborne illness. In Australia, risk factors for STEC infection have not been examined at a national level. ⋯ This study of risk factors for STEC infection by serogroup highlights risks associated with eating hamburgers and occupational handling of raw meat. To prevent infection, hamburgers must be cooked thoroughly, and people handling raw meat or who have close contact with animals must ensure adequate hygiene.
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We assessed the in vivo efficacy of surgical and N95 (respirator) masks to filter reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-detectable virus when worn correctly by patients with laboratory-confirmed acute influenza. Of 26 patients with a clinical diagnosis of influenza, 19 had the diagnosis confirmed by RT-PCR, and 9 went on to complete the study. Surgical and N95 masks were equally effective in preventing the spread of PCR-detectable influenza.
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BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (BKV-HC) is a severe complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), but antiviral treatment for this condition has not been evaluated. ⋯ Cidofovir may be a potentially effective therapy for BKV-HC, but evidence supporting its use requires randomized controlled trials.
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Comparative Study
Predicting mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia: The APACHE II score versus the new IBMP-10 score.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the leading cause of mortality associated with nosocomial infection. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score at the time of diagnosis of VAP is considered the best scoring system to predict mortality in patients with VAP. The objective of this study was to develop a simple score to predict mortality in patients with VAP and to compare its results with those for the APACHE II scoring system. ⋯ This preliminary work indicates that a 5-point score, the IBMP-10, is comparable to the APACHE II score in its ability to predict mortality in patients with VAP. If future studies validate the IBMP-10 score, physicians may be have a simple tool to evaluate the disease severity and to predict outcomes in patients with VAP.