Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · Dec 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyRandomized controlled trial of zinc and vitamin A as co-adjuvants for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
To assess the efficacy of weekly zinc or zinc plus retinol as adjuncts for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. ⋯ Supplementation with zinc or zinc plus retinol did not lead to better outcomes than placebos, and caution is warranted regarding routine micronutrient supplementation, particularly in patients co-infected with HIV.
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · Dec 2010
Aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized adult patients in New Caledonia.
To describe the aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in hospitalized adult patients in New Caledonia, a French archipelago in the South Pacific. ⋯ The aetiology of CAP was determined in 82 of 137 cases (59.8%), of which 31 exhibited two or more pathogens (37.8%). Hundred and seventeen pathogens were detected: Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common one (41.0%), followed by influenza virus A (22.1%) and Haemophilus influenzae (10.2%). The frequency of atypical bacteria was low (6.0%). The most frequent and significant coinfection was S. pneumoniae with influenza A virus (P=0.004). Influenza virus was detected from nasopharyngeal swabs in four patients (15.4% of patients tested for influenza) and by PCR from pulmonary specimens in 15 patients (57.7%). CONCLUSIONS : Pneumoniae is the leading cause of CAP in New Caledonian adults. Viral-bacterial co-infections involving S. pneumoniae and influenza virus are very common during the winter. Such adult patients hospitalized with CAP are a clear sentinel group for surveillance of influenza. Vaccination against influenza and S. pneumoniae should be strengthened when risk factors are identified.