The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Oct 2010
Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus infections in returning travelers.
Skin and soft tissue infections caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus are emerging among travelers returning from the tropics. Here, we here present data on 15 affected individuals. ⋯ Spa typing of the strains revealed a broad spectrum of variants, but some were clonally related. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was found in three cases.
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Sep 2010
Implementation of a validated peripheral neuropathy screening tool in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Mombasa, Kenya.
Limited objective data are available for the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy (PN) among antiretroviral (ART)-treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in resource-limited settings. A validated neuropathy-screening tool was integrated into routine ART visits at an HIV clinic in Mombasa, Kenya. Diagnosis of PN required at least one symptom and either abnormal vibratory sensation or deep tendon reflex bilaterally. ⋯ Peripheral neuropathy was common, particularly among older HIV-infected adults in Kenya. The protective association with current D4T use likely represents survivor effect bias. Longitudinal studies using this screen will help further characterize PN in resource-limited settings.
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Mar 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialClinical efficacy comparison of Saccharomyces boulardii and yogurt fluid in acute non-bloody diarrhea in children: a randomized, controlled, open label study.
The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and cost/effectiveness of Saccharomyces boulardii compared with yogurt fluid (YF) in acute non-bloody diarrhea in children. This randomized, prospective open-label clinical trial includes 55 children (36 boys, 19 girls; mean age 21.2 +/- 28.2 months). Group A (N = 28) received lyophilized S. boulardii and group B (N = 27) received YF. ⋯ In outpatient cases, yogurt treatment was cheaper than S. boulardii whereas in hospitalized patients, treatment cost was similar. In conclusion, the effect of daily freshly prepared YF was comparable to S. boulardii in the treatment of acute non-bloody diarrhea in children. The duration of diarrhea was shorter in the S. boulardii group, expressed as a significantly higher number of patients with normal stools on day 3.
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Retinal hemorrhage is a frequently observed sign in Plasmodium falciparum infection. In Plasmodium vivax infection, however, retinal hemorrhage is very rare; only five cases have been reported in the literature. ⋯ We analyzed the structural characteristics of the lesions using fluorescein angiography and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of retinal hemorrhage in malaria patients, even those with P. vivax infection, and should consider a diagnosis of malaria in a patient with unexplained retinal hemorrhage and fever.