Bacterial co-infection and early mortality among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Manila, The Philippines.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of bacterial co-infection and its effect on early mortality among hospitalised human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Manila, the Philippines. DESIGN: A prospective observational study was conducted at a national infectious disease hospital. HIV-negative PTB patients aged 13 years hospitalised from November to December 2011 and from December 2012 to May 2013 were enrolled. Sputum samples were tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and six respiratory bacterial pathogens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Of 466 patients, 228 (48.9%) were TB-PCR-positive. Overall, bacterial pathogens in purulent sputum were detected in 135 (29.0%) patients: Haemophilus influenzae was the most common bacterium (21.2%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (7.9%). The prevalence of bacterial co-infection did not differ between TB-PCR-positive and -negative patients. A total of 92 (19.7%) patients died within 2 weeks. Bacterial co-infection was significantly associated with an increased risk of 2-week mortality among TB-PCR-positive patients (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.67, 95%CI 1.03-2.72). This association was also observed but did not reach statistical significance among TB-PCR-negative patients (aRR1.7, 95%CI 0.95-3.02). CONCLUSION: Bacterial co-infection is common and contributes to an increased risk of early mortality among HIV-negative PTB patients.

Clinical experience in temporomandibular joint arthroscopy.

Clinical experience of arthroscopy in 12 temporomandibular joints with a clinical diagnosis of closed lock was described. There were 10 patients and all were females with a mean age of 31.2 years (range 20 to 59 years). The antero-lateral approach was used for entry into 11 joints. The clinical findings were adhesions (64%), fibrillation (64%), anterior displacement of disc (36%) and scuffing of the articular surface of the glenoid fossa (9%). Two of the joints that had arthrocentesis prior to arthroscopy did not show any different findings from the rest. Of the 8 patients who had pre-arthroscopy pain, 7 patients (88%) had reduction of the symptom. Three patients (38%) had complete resolution of pain. The range of mouth opening (measured as maximal incisor opening) increased in all patients two weeks following arthroscopy. The average change in maximal incisor opening was 40.3% with a range of 22% to 85%. The mean follow-up was 34 months (range 4 to 68 months).