Search results for "030212 general & internal medicine"
showing 10 items of 6494 documents
Evaluation of a rapid antigen test (Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag rapid test device) for SARS-CoV-2 detection in asymptomatic close contacts of COVID-19 patien…
2021
Objectives There is limited information on the performance of rapid antigen detection (RAD) tests to identify SARS-CoV-2-infected asymptomatic individuals. In this field study, we evaluated the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device (Abbott Diagnostics, Jena, Germany) for this purpose. Methods A total of 634 individuals (355 female; median age, 37 years; range, 9–87) were enrolled. Two nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from household (n = 338) and non-household contacts (n = 296) of COVID-19 cases. RAD testing was carried out at the point of care. The RT-PCR test used was the TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, MA, USA). Results Household contacts were tested at a median …
Assessment of prevalence and load of torquetenovirus viraemia in a large cohort of healthy blood donors.
2020
OBJECTIVES: Torquetenovirus (TTV) is an emerging marker of functional immune competence with the potential to predict transplant-related adverse events. A large-scale epidemiological study was performed to understand how basal values vary in healthy individuals according to age and gender.; METHODS: We tested plasma from 1017 healthy blood donors aged 18-69years. The presence and load of TTV were determined by a real-time PCR assay. A sub-cohort of 384 donors was tested for anti-cytomegalovirus IgG antibodies, and 100 participants were also tested for TTV viraemia on a paired whole blood sample.; RESULTS: The overall prevalence of TTV was 65% (657/1017) with a mean (±SD) growth of 5±4% ever…
Performance of existing definitions and tests for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in critically ill, adult patients: A systematic review with…
2020
Contains fulltext : 229471.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVES: To summarize the available evidence on the diagnostic performance for invasive aspergillosis (IA) in non-hematological, non-solid organ transplantation critically ill patients of the following: (i) existing definitions of IA (developed either for classical immunocompromised populations or for non-immunocompromised critically ill patients); (ii) laboratory tests; (iii) radiology tests. METHODS: A systematic review was performed by evaluating studies assessing the diagnostic performance for IA of a definition/s and/or laboratory/radiology test/s vs. a reference standard (histology) or a reference definition. RES…
Invasive candida infections in neonates after major surgery: Current evidence and new directions
2021
Infections represent a serious health problem in neonates. Invasive Candida infections (ICIs) are still a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Infants hospitalized in NICUs are at high risk of ICIs, because of several risk factors: broad spectrum antibiotic treatments, central catheters and other invasive devices, fungal colonization, and impaired immune responses. In this review we summarize 19 published studies which provide the prevalence of previous surgery in neonates with invasive Candida infections. We also provide an overview of risk factors for ICIs after major surgery, fungal colonization, and innate defense mechanisms against fungi, a…
Evidence of increased circulation of Bordetella pertussis in the Italian adult population from seroprevalence data (2012–2013)
2016
Incidence data on pertussis cases in Italy do not show pertussis resurgence as recently described in other European countries. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to pertussis toxin (PT-IgG) in selected adult age groups, who can serve as a reservoir of Bordetella pertussis and be responsible for onward transmission to vulnerable infants. The seroprevalence of PT-IgG was studied in sera collected in 2012-2013 in three age groups: 20-29 years and 30-39 years (reproductive age), and ≥60 years. These data were compared to those from sera collected in similar age groups in 1996-1997. More than 80 % of the adult population analysed in the 2012-2013 group pr…
Early adjustment of empirical antibiotic therapy of bloodstream infections on the basis of direct identification of bacteria by matrix-assisted laser…
2020
Abstract Introduction To assess the potential added value of rapid MALDI-TOF MS-based identification of bacteria in positive blood cultures to the information provided by Gram staining for adequate empirical antibiotic treatment adjustments in patients with bloodstream infections (BSI). Methods We conducted a retrospective, single-center, pre-post quasi-experimental study. In the pre-MALDI-TOF MS phase of the study antibiotic adjustments were made on the basis of Gram stain results, whereas in the MALDI-TOF MS phase they were based on information provided by Gram staining and MALDI-TOF MS results. No antimicrobial stewardship program for BSI was in place within the study period. Antibiotic …
Use of next generation sequencing technologies for the diagnosis and epidemiology of infectious diseases
2020
[ES]: Por primera vez, la tecnología de secuenciación masiva permite acceder a la información genómica a un precio y a una escala tales, que se está implementado en la práctica clínica y epidemiológica rutinaria. Los obstáculos para dicha implementación son todavía muchos. Sin embargo, ya existen muchos ejemplos de las grandes ventajas que supone en comparación con métodos anteriores. Esto es, sobre todo, porque con una sola determinación podemos obtener simultáneamente información epidemiológica del microorganismo causante, así como de su perfil de resistencias, si bien estas ventajas están más o menos desarrolladas según el patógeno considerado. En esta revisión se repasan varios ejemplos…
Italian young doctors’ knowledge, attitudes and practices on antibiotic use and resistance: A national cross-sectional survey
2020
Abstract Objectives Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major health issues worldwide. Clinicians should play a central role to fight AMR, and medical training is a pivotal issue to combat it; therefore, assessing levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices among young doctors is essential for future antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes. Methods A nationwide, cross-sectional, multicentre survey was conducted in Italy. A descriptive analysis of knowledge and attitudes was performed, along with a univariate and multivariate analysis of their determinants. Results Overall, 1179 young doctors accessed the survey and 1055 (89.5%) completed all sections. Regarding the knowledge se…
Molecular epidemiology and drug-resistance mechanisms in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated in patients from a tertiary hospital in …
2020
Abstract Objectives The aim of this study has been to characterize carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates and to determine the resistance mechanisms involved, the clonal relationship between strains and clinical and demographical data of the infected patients. Methods Clinical and demographical data from patients were collected and statistically analysed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed and resistance genes were detected both phenotypically and genotypically. Conjugation assays were performed to show horizontal transferability of resistance genes. Clonal relationship was also studied. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to obtain information regard…
Ebola Virus Disease Complicated by Late-Onset Encephalitis and Polyarthritis, Sierra Leone
2016
To the Editor: Ebola virus (EBOV) disease is usually an acute illness, but increasing evidence exists of persistent infections and post-Ebola syndromes. We report a case of EBOV encephalitis.