Respiratory syncytial virus acute respiratory infection-associated hospitalizations in preterm Mexican infants: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe acute respiratory infections (ARI) in preterm infants. The incidence of RSV-associated hospitalizations has not been defined in Mexico. OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of ARI- and RSV-associated hospitalizations in preterm infants during the first year of life. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 294 preterm infants followed up through monthly telephone calls and routine outpatient visits. Hospitalized children were identified through daily visits to pediatric wards of participating hospitals and through telephone calls. Respiratory samples were tested for RSV by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Mean gestational age of participating infants was 33 weeks. Ninety-six infants were diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and 17 with congenital heart disease (CHD); 11 had both conditions. There were 71 hospitalization episodes in 53 infants. Respiratory samples for RSV detection were available in 44 hospitalization episodes, and the result was positive in 16 (36.3%). At least one hospitalization for ARI was recorded in 33 of 96 participants with BPD, in seven of 17 with CHD, and 18 of 192 infants without these diagnoses. Five (71.4%) of CHD infants who required admission also had BPD. RSV-confirmed hospitalization rates were 9.4%, 5.9%, and 2.6% for infants with BPD, CHD, and otherwise healthy preterm infants, respectively. Attributable RSV admission frequencies were estimated to be 13.6%, 16.5%, and 4.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mexican preterm infants, particularly those with BPD, have high rates of ARI- and RSVassociated hospitalizations. Specific interventions to reduce the incidence of severe infections in this highrisk group are required.

Oral Candida isolates and fluconazole susceptibility patterns in older Mexican women.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the epidemiologic and microbiologic profile and in vitro fluconazole susceptibility of yeasts isolated from the oral mucosa colonization/infection of elderly patients. BACKGROUND: It has been reported that in older adults increases the oral colonization by Candida particularly C. non-albicans, showing a decreased response to fluconazole, which increases the risk of recalcitrant local and disseminated candidiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in 120 elderly patients. Oral samples were obtained of mucosal Candida colonization or infection by swabbing. Each sample was plated on CHROMagar(®)Candida and incubated (36±1.5°C) for two days. The yeast species were identified using the API(®)ID32-C-AUX. Fluconazole susceptibility was tested using a broth microdilution assay according to the CLSI methods. RESULTS: The yeast colonization/infection frequency in the total population was 65.8%. The frequency of the highest Candida carriers was 67.4% in the 70-79-year-old-group. Oral candidiasis was present in 20%, with a tendency to increase with age (33.3% of adults aged>80years), it was determined that the use of prosthesis is associated with a higher colonization rate (Chi2, p=0.011). The frequency of colonization/infection cases with more than one species showed a tendency to increase with age; 18.9% in the 60-69 year-old-group, 20.9% in the 70-79-year-old-group and 29.2% in the ≥80 year-old-group. About fluconazole susceptibility: for C. albicans, 20.3%, about Candida non-albicans species 15.3% were dose dependently susceptible (DDS) and 17.9% were resistant. CONCLUSIONS: After 80 years of age, there is a considerable increase in Candida non-albicans species and a reduced susceptibility to fluconazole.