Journal of microbiology, immunology, and infection = Wei mian yu gan ran za zhi
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J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Aug 2011
Mortality predictors of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients at presentation: Experience in a tertiary care hospital of northern Taiwan.
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) remains the leading cause of opportunistic infections and deaths among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. We would like to identify the predictors of mortality of these patients at initial presentation, and assist clinicians to aware the patients in risk of mortality earlier. ⋯ HIV-infected patients with PJP can be clinically stratified by three prognostic variables identified by multivariate analysis. Early recognition of patients in higher risk can assist clinicians to prevent rapid deterioration and seek for better outcomes.
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J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Aug 2011
Case ReportsA case of acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with novel H1N1 treated with intravenous immunoglobulin G.
Influenza A "novel H1N1" with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious illness that poses a challenge to clinicians managing such cases. This case report reveals a patient with ARDS secondary to influenza A with deteriorating clinical status, who improved tremendously after intravenous immunoglobulin G (IV IgG). Patients with H1N1 associated with ARDS may be given a trial of IV IgG. More case reports and trials are required to ascertain the efficacy of IV IgG and the best dosage and timing of starting IV IgG in relation to antiviral therapy.
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J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Jun 2011
Causes, clinical symptoms, and outcomes of infectious diseases associated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in Taiwanese adults.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an uncommon but a potentially life-threatening condition. Few systematic reviews have been published on the clinical manifestations, causes, and indicators for prognosis of HLH caused by infections. ⋯ The infectious diseases associated with HLH were diverse and resulted in a high mortality rate. Cases in which the patients were aged more than 50 years, developed DIC, and had persistent fever even after 3 days of being diagnosed with HLH showed poor prognosis.
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J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Jun 2011
Viral etiology of acute lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized young children in Northern Taiwan.
Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) comprise a great proportion of diagnoses among hospitalized children. This study identifies the viral pathogens causing LRTIs in young children and compares their clinical features and disease severity. ⋯ RSV is the most common pathogen causing LRTIs in young children, followed by hMPV. The hMPV group had higher mixed infection rate than RSV group. hBoV does circulate in northern Taiwan.
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J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Jun 2011
Isolated pathogens and clinical outcomes of adult bacteremia in the emergency department: a retrospective study in a tertiary Referral Center.
Approximately two-thirds of the patients with severe sepsis or septic shock are first encountered in the emergency departments (EDs) of western countries, in which bacteremia is present in about 50% of patients with severe sepsis. The situation of bacteremia presenting to the EDs in Taiwan is not well documented. The objective of this study was to examine the epidemiology and microbiology of bacteremia in adult patients who visited the ED of a medical center in southern Taiwan. ⋯ Categories of bacteremia acquisition was associated with different distribution of pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical outcome. Traditional classification might overestimate the problem of drug resistance in community-acquired infections. The concept of health care-associated infection should be introduced to avoid overemphasis of drug-resistant problem in true community-acquired infection.