Unusual hard metal lung disease: bronchiolocentric interstitial pneumonia.

A 38-year-old woman experienced a persistent dry cough and progressively worsening dyspnoea for 2 years. Spirometry testing revealed a moderate-to-severe restrictive abnormality. High-resolution chest computed tomography showed diffuse reticulonodular opacities. A lung biopsy disclosed alveolar parenchymal inflammation and fibrosis with bronchiolocentric features, prompting consideration of interstitial pneumonia. Following a thorough investigation of her occupational history and an on-site inspection, it was discovered that the patient had been grinding drill bits designed for printed circuit boards for 8 years, exposing her to hard metals. Mineralogical analyses confirmed excessive tungsten in urine, serum and hair, leading to a diagnosis of hard metal lung disease due to tungsten carbide-cobalt exposure. After discontinuing exposure and commencing corticosteroid therapy, her symptoms, pulmonary function and imaging showed modest improvement. This case highlights the significance of assessing occupational history in patients with interstitial pneumonia and understanding industrial hazards for accurate diagnosis and care.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium difficile by E test.

The in vitro inhibitory activity of 11 antimicrobials against 44 clinical isolates of Clostridium difficile was investigated. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using E test. Metronidazole (MIC90 0.38 microg/mL), teicoplanin (MIC90 0.75 microg/mL) and vancomycin (MIC90 1.0 microg/mL) were very active against the isolates examined, whereas, resistance to imipenem, cefoxitin, clindamycin and ciprofloxacin was found in most of the tested strains. We concluded that teicoplanin warrants clinical trials to determine its adequate dosage to treat C. difficile infection. The commonly used regimens to treat intra-abdominal and/or anaerobic infections (eg. imipenem, cefoxitin, clindamycin or ciprofloxacin) need special attention, while considering the side effects of C. difficile-associated diarrhea.

Correlation between time to positivity of blood cultures with clinical presentation and outcomes in patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia: prospective cohort study.

Time to positivity (TTP) of blood cultures in patients with bacteraemia is considered to be a predictor of outcome for some bacterial species. Two hundred and thirty-one patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae monomicrobial bacteraemia at a hospital from 1 January to 31 December 2007 were prospectively enrolled. TTP <7 h (46 patients, 19.9%) was associated with a higher Pittsburg bacteraemia score (6.2 +/- 5.5 vs. 3.7 +/- 4.3, p 0.002), fewer non-fatal diseases by the McCabe classification (39.1% vs. 64.9%, p 0.002), a higher percentage of patients with liver cirrhosis, active malignancy, and chemotherapy within 3 months (28.3% vs. 11.9%, p 0.007; 28.3% vs. 14.6%, p 0.031; 23.9% vs. 5.4%, p <0.001), more primary bacteraemia (45.7% vs. 22.2%, p 0.002), and a higher 30-day mortality rate (47.8% vs. 21.1%, p <0.001). Risk factors for 30-day mortality in the univariate analysis included higher Pittsburg bacteraemia score (5.8 +/- 5.3 vs. 3.7 +/- 4.3, p 0.002), primary bacteraemia (41.0% vs. 21.8%, p 0.004), TTP <7 h (36.1% vs. 14.1%, p <0.001), and the presence of active malignancy (29.5% vs. 12.9%, p 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, higher Pittsburg bacteraemia score (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.01-1.14), TTP <7 h (OR 2.46; 95% CI 1.20-5.05) and active malignancy (OR 2.21; 95% CI 1.03-4.73) were the significant factors associated with 30-day mortality. In the Kaplan-Meier survival curve, short TTP was significantly associated with mortality at all time-points after admission. TTP of blood cultures, interpreted with a cut-off point of <7 h, in patients with K. pneumoniae bacteraemia can provide useful prognostic information.

Waning-off effect of serum hepatitis B surface antibody amongst Taiwanese university students: 18 years post-implementation of Taiwan's national hepatitis B vaccination programme.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its sequelae remain a major health problem for Taiwan. The national hepatitis B (HB) vaccination programme was first launched in 1984 to combat the spread of this infection. This study examined the status of HBV infection amongst students at a Taiwanese university in 2005, 18 years after the implementation of a nation-wide mass HB vaccination programme. In 2005, 5875 new university entrants, who were born during the period 1 July 1976 to 30 June 1988, were subdivided into one of 12 one-year-interval birth-year cohorts. Each student was individually tested for serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) status. We observed a declining trend of past exposure to HB infection from 48.7% (1976 birth-year cohort) to 5.2% (1987 birth-year cohort). The prevalence of chronic HB infection also declined from 14.5% (1976 birth-year cohort) to 1.9% (1987 birth-year cohort). The prevalence of persistent HB immunity through (earlier) active vaccination declined from 72% (1984 birth-year cohort) to 41.6% (1987 birth-year cohort). The prevalence of HB infection-naïve individuals increased from 18.2% (1984 birth-year cohort) to 53.1% (1987 birth-year cohort). This study demonstrates that as the implementation of the mass HB vaccination programme in 1984, the incidence of HB infection in Taiwan has declined, although a 'waning-off' effect of serum anti-HBs to low or undetectable levels, which may not provide protection, amongst this student population has arisen, 18 years following the implementation of the nation-wide HB vaccination programme. Such a situation may mean that these individuals may not be effectively protected against future HB infection. A booster dose of HB vaccine, given 18 years following HB vaccination, perhaps even earlier, should be considered.