Invasive Aspergillus niger complex infections in a Belgian tertiary care hospital.

The incidence of invasive infections caused by the Aspergillus niger species complex was 0.043 cases/10 000 patient-days in a Belgian university hospital (2005-2011). Molecular typing was performed on six available A. niger complex isolates involved in invasive disease from 2010 to 2011, revealing A. tubingensis, which has higher triazole minimal inhibitory concentrations, in five out of six cases.

Assessing the impact of community health information networks: a multisite field study of the Wisconsin Health Information Network.

Community health information networks (CHINs) have emerged as a promising new technology to generate cost reductions and support change in the health care industry. The proliferation of CHINs has been thwarted, however, by a conspicuous lack of evidence to support the claims of enhanced efficiency and effectiveness from CHIN participation. A recent study of the Wisconsin Health Information Network, the nation's first fully functioning CHIN, documents the benefits of this emerging technology. The findings reveal the potential for significant cost savings via electronic transmission of patient clinical and administrative information as well as enhancement of the quality of patient care.

Crystal and molecular structure of BN 52021, a PAF-acether antagonist. Comparison with the conformation of Kadsurenone and related compounds.

BN52021 (Ginkgolide B) monohydrate C20H24O10 X H2O crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with two independant molecules in the unit cell of which parameters are a = 7.627(2), b = 11.514(3), c = 12.941(3)A, alpha = 97.05(2), beta = 90.27(2) and gamma = 108.71(2)o, V = 1067.06A3. Calculated density Dx = 1.320g X cm-3. The crystal structure was solved by Patterson methods starting from dreiding model data. The final reliability index R = 0.099 for 3848 observed reflections collected with a four-circle diffractometer. Anti-PAF activities of Kadsurenone, Kadsurin-A, Kadsurin-B and Piperenone, molecular structure of MIRANDIN-A, related compounds and BN52021 suggest that a distance 0-0 of about 6.6A observed in Kadsurenone and in BN52021 could be favourable to anti-PAF activity.

Prospective survey of local and systemic reactions to immunotherapy with pollen extracts.

To assess the relative risk of local and systemic reactions to injections of pollen extracts and to examine the predictive value of these local reactions for systemic reactions, a prospective survey of local and systemic reactions was performed from October 1981 to June 1983 at a large military allergy clinic. Four hundred and sixteen patients received 26,645 injections of pollen extracts. Of the total, 25,508 injections (95.7%) were not associated with reactions, 1,055 injections (4.0%) were associated with local reactions (669, less than 2 cm in diameter; 279, 2 to 5 cm; and 107 greater than 5 cm), and 82 injections (0.3%) were associated with systemic reactions. Seventy patients experienced 82 systemic reactions. Of these, 25 (36%) had no prior local reactions. Eighteen males and 52 females had systemic reactions. The sensitivity of local reactions as a predictor of systemic reactions was 64%, the specificity was 1.2%, the positive predictive value was 12%, and the negative predictive value was 14%. Proportionally, more women than men experienced systemic reactions, P less than 0.05. We made the following conclusions. Most injections of pollen extracts were not associated with local or systemic reactions. The majority of reactions were local. The presence of local reactions was not helpful in predicting which patients would develop systemic reactions. Women appeared to be at greater risk for systemic reactions than men.