International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
-
Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2014
Observational StudyBurden of illness, quality of life, and healthcare utilization among patients with herpes zoster in South Korea: a prospective clinical-epidemiological study.
To assess the herpes zoster (HZ) disease burden, including the severity and duration of HZ-associated pain, its impact on quality of life (QoL), and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in a South Korean clinical setting. ⋯ Severe morbidity, impaired QoL, and significant HCRU are associated with HZ in South Korea, especially in older patients, supporting the need for early intervention and preventive strategies to reduce the HZ-associated disease burden.
-
Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2014
High levels of serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor and interleukin 10 are associated with a rapidly fatal outcome in patients with severe sepsis.
The aim of this study was to delineate the association between high macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) levels in the early phase of sepsis and rapidly fatal outcome. ⋯ Patients with RFO exhibited simultaneously high MIF and IL-10 levels in the early phase of severe sepsis. Incremental increases in both IL-10 and MIF levels were associated with RFO in this patient group, and of the two, IL-10 was the most significant factor linked to RFO.
-
Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2014
Case Reports Observational StudyRibavirin and interferon therapy in patients infected with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus: an observational study.
The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been reported to have a high case-fatality rate. Currently, there is no specific therapy or vaccine with proven effectiveness for MERS-CoV infections. ⋯ While ribavirin and interferon may be effective in some patients, our practical experience suggests that critically ill patients with multiple comorbidities who are diagnosed late in the course of their illness may not benefit from combination antiviral therapy as preclinical data suggest. There is clearly an urgent need for a novel effective antiviral therapy for this emerging global threat.
-
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous virus and its reactivation may lead to CMV end-organ disease (CMV EOD) in immunocompromised patients and also in immunocompetent patients when they are critically ill. We aimed to investigate the frequency and the clinical features of proven CMV EOD in previously non-immunosuppressed patients admitted to our institution. ⋯ Despite being a rare condition, lower gastrointestinal bleeding in this profile of ICU patients could be the clinical manifestation of CMV colitis, and intensivists should be alert to this condition.