International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Nov 2009
Invasive fungal infections and (1,3)-beta-D-glucan serum concentrations in long-term intensive care patients.
Invasive fungal infections are associated with high morbidity and increased mortality. This study was performed to assess the epidemiology of fungal infections and to determine (1,3)-beta-D-glucan serum concentrations in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). ⋯ Longer hospitalization and multiple bacterial infections were found to be the main risk factors for invasive fungal infections. Long-term ICU patients have elevated (1,3)-beta-D-glucan levels, not only due to invasive fungal infections, but also due to the serious underlying diseases and conditions, inter-current complications, and intensive care measures. Yet, persistently high serum levels of (1,3)-beta-D-glucan in ICU patients may be indicative of invasive fungal infections and warrant additional diagnostic efforts.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Nov 2009
The use of receiver operating characteristics analysis in determining erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels in diagnosing periprosthetic infection prior to revision total hip arthroplasty.
Periprosthetic infection (PPI) is a difficult complication in total joint arthroplasty, and while erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are acute phase reactants thought to be of high predictive value for diagnosing infection, no clear cut-off values have been defined. The current study aimed to determine the cut-off values for ESR and CRP that improve clinical differentiation between aseptic failure and PPI in total hip arthroplasty (THA). ⋯ The gold standard for diagnosing PPI remains bacterial culture, but sensitivity is negatively affected by prior antibiotic exposure, strongly adherent bacteria, slow growing persisters, and biofilms. ESR and CRP are reflective of systemic changes in infection and pose an attractive, less invasive alternative with reasonable sensitivity and specificity. The current study is the first to identify ideal cut-off values for ESR and CRP in THA patients, providing an optimum balance between sensitivity and specificity based on ROC curves.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Nov 2009
Population-based incidence and burden of childhood intussusception in Jeonbuk Province, South Korea.
The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of childhood intussusception and to estimate the incidence rate of intussusception before the introduction of rotavirus vaccines in Korea. ⋯ This retrospective study provides a background incidence rate of childhood intussusception in Korean children before the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Nov 2009
Case ReportsSecondary Strongyloides stercoralis prophylaxis in patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 infection: report of two cases.
Secondary ivermectin prophylaxis for strongyloidiasis in two patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated malignancies and fully treated complicated strongyloidiasis is described. Treatment was well tolerated and neither patient developed further manifestations of hyperinfection. As treatment failure for complicated strongyloidiasis has been documented in severely immunosuppressed patients, secondary prophylaxis may be indicated.