[Cat scratch disease associated neuroretinitis: clinical report and review of the literature]. / Neuro-retinitis asociada a enfermedad por arañazo de gato: presentación de dos casos y revisión de la literatura.

Cat scratch disease is the main clinical presentation of Bartonella henselae infection. However, ocular manifestations of bartonellosis occur in about 5 to 10% of the patients, mainly presenting as neuroretinitis, choroiditis or oculoglandular syndrome of Parinaud. We describe two patients with documented B. henselae infection and typical ocular compromise. Both patients were treated and had a favorable visual outcome.

[Seroepidemiological evidence of human exposure to Anaplasma sp in Santiago, Chile]. / Evidencia seroepidemiológica de exposición humana a Anaplasma sp en Santiago, Chile.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: To find more evidence of human exposure to Anaplasma sp in Chile, we studied 108 contacts of dogs with canine ehrlichiosis (CE) (risk group) and 61 persons without tick or CE cases contact (control group). A survey including risk factors and history of diseases compatible with ehrlichiosis/ anaplasmosis was applied to the risk group. Serum IgG anti-Anaplasma sp antibodies were determined in both groups. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in the prevalence of anti-Anaplasma sp antibodies in the risk group compared with the control group (18,5 versus 3,3%), p < 0,005. No risk factors associated to seropositivity were found, nor persons with history suggesting ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis. Ninety four percent of the houses of the risk group had tick infestation. DISCUSSION: A greater risk of exposition to Anaplasma sp is documented in people living in close contact with CE cases and in houses with tick infestation.

[Listeria monocytogenes: report of a rise in pregnant women and literature review]. / Listeria monocytogenes: Informe de un aumento de casos en mujeres embarazadas y revisión de la literatura.

Listeria monocytogenes, rare pathogen in the general population, causes serious infections in patients at the extreme ages of life, pregnant woman, and those with immunosuppression. The clinical manifestations are essential to suspect the disease in patients at risk, allowing an early prescription of antimicrobial therapy, before the results of the cultures are available. Clinical course and prognosis depends on how early treatment is started and, in pregnant women, the gestational age. In Clínica Alemana, at Santiago, we detected a 15 fold rate rise of neonatal listeriosis between year 2007 and 2008. Ten cases were diagnosed between January and July 2008 and the seven cases occurring in pregnant women are reported here. All these patients were in their first pregnancy, which could be associated with similar lifestyle and food habits. Considering this new epidemiological scenario, it is important to educate the population, and to conduct an epidemiological study in order to determine the national situation of Listeria monocytogenes infection.

[An outbreak of scabies in a tertiary-care hospital from a crusted scabies case]. / Brote de sarna en un hospital terciario a partir de un caso de sarna costrosa.

In February 2005 we performed an epidemiological study of an outbreak of scabies in a tertiary-care hospital which started from a crusted scabies case. We detected 10 secondary cases, 8 in healthcare workers and 2 in hospitalized patients. The attack rate was 4.1%. In contrast to previously described outbreaks, the crusted scabies case was recognized at admission. The outbreak causes were: lacking adherence to contact precautions, long stay of the primary case in the hospital ward and delay of specific treatment. The main control measures were: alerting the hospital services about the outbreak, performing epidemiologic surveillance, coordinating with the Hospital Direction and the Occupational Health Department, education of healthcare workers in control measures, implementation of isolation measures and treatment of cases and contacts with 5% permethrin topical lotion.

Neuro-retinitis asociada a enfermedad por arañazo de gato: Presentación de dos casos y revisión de la literatura / Cat scratch disease associated neuroretinitis: Clinical report and review of the literature

La infección por Bartonella henselae se presenta característicamente con adenopatías regionales y fiebre de intensidad variable, entidad conocida como “enfermedad por arañazo de gato”. Alrededor de 5 a 10 por ciento de los casos desarrolla compromiso ocular, entre los que destacan el síndrome óculo-glandular de Parinaud, la neuro-retinitis y la retino-coroiditis focal. A continuación se presentan dos pacientes con infección aguda por B. henselae y compromiso ocular. Ambos recibieron tratamiento y evolucionaron con recuperación completa de la visión.

Cat scratch disease is the main clinical presentation of Bartonella henselae infection. However, ocular manifestations of bartonellosis occur in about 5 to 10 percent of the patients, mainly presenting as neuroretinitis, choroiditis or oculoglandular syndrome of Parinaud. We describe two patients with documented B. henselae infection and typical ocular compromise. Both patients were treated and had a favorable visual outcome.

[In vitro activity of telithromycin against community acquired respiratory pathogens]. / Estudio de la actividad comparativa in vitro de telitromicina en patógenos respiratorios adquiridos en la comunidad en 13 centros clínicos chilenos.

BACKGROUND: Telithromycin is a new ketolide antimicrobial, that can be useful for the treatment of respiratory infections. AIM: To compare in vitro activity of telithromycin against respiratory pathogens, isolated in outpatient clinics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred eighty strains isolated from patients with respiratory infections, were studied. The strains studied were S pneumoniae, penicillin sensitive (SPNS:57); intermediate (SPNI:35), resistant (SPNR:25); S pyogenes (SP:57); H influenzae (HIN 51); M catarrhalis (MC:25) and S aureus meticillin sensitive (SAUS:30). Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) by broth microdilution was studied for telitrhomycin and levofloxacin in all strains. Other antimicrobials studied, but not in all strains were erythromycin, clindamycin, trimetoprim sulphamethoxazole, oxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefuroxime. RESULTS: All strains were sensible to telithromycin at a concentration -4 microg/ml. MIC 90 and its range for SPNS was 0.03 microg/ml (-0.004-0.12), for SPNI was 0.03 microg/ml (-0.004-025), for SPNR was 0.06 microg/ml (-0.004-0.25), for HIN was 2 microg/ml (0.12-4), for SP was 0.5 microg/ml (-0.004-2), for MC was 0.5 microg/ml (0.06-2) and for SAU was 0.25 microg/ml (0.06-0.25). CONCLUSIONS: All studied pathogens were sensible to telithromycin in vitro. This antimicrobial is an alternative for the treatment of community acquired respiratory infections.

Evidencia seroepidemiológica de exposición humana a Anaplasma sp en Santiago, Chile / Seroepidemiological evidence of human exposure to Anaplasma sp in Santiago, Chile

Objectives and Methods: To find more evidence of human exposure to Anaplasma sp in Chile, we studied 108 contaets of dogs with canine ehrlichiosis (CE) (risk group) and 61 persons without tick or CE cases contact (control group). A survey including risk factors and history of diseases compatible with ehrlichiosis/ anaplasmosis was applied to the risk group. Serum IgG anti-Anaplasma sp antibodies were determined in both groups. Results: A significant difference was found in the prevalence of anti-Anaplasma sp antibodies in the risk group compared with the control group (18,5 versus 3,3 percent), p < 0,005. No risk factors associated to seropositivity were found, ñor persons with history suggesting ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis. Ninety four percent of the houses of the risk group had tick infestation. Discussion: A greater risk of exposition to Anaplasma sp is documented in people living in cióse contact with CE cases and in houses with tick infestation.

Objetivos y Método: Con el propósito de buscar mayor evidencia de exposición humana a Anaplasma sp en Chile, se estudiaron 108 personas en contacto con perros con ehrlichiosis canina (EC) (grupo de riesgo) y 61 personas sin antecedente de contacto con garrapatas ni con perros con EC (grupo control). Se aplicó encuesta sobre factores de riesgo e historia de cuadros sugerentes de ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis al grupo de riesgo. En ambos grupos se determinó presencia de IgG anti-Anaplasma sp. Resultados: Se encontró significativa mayor prevalencia de anticuerpos anti-Anaplasma sp en el grupo de riesgo que en el grupo control (18,5 versus 3,3 por ciento), p < 0,005. No se encontraron factores de riesgo asociados a sero-positividad, ni personas con historia sugerente de ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis clínica. Noventa y cuatro por ciento de las viviendas del grupo de riesgo presentaba infestación por garrapatas. Discusión: Se evidencia mayor riesgo de exposición humana a Anaplasma sp en personas en contacto cercano con perros con EC y que habitan viviendas con infestación por garrapatas.

Listeria monocytogenes: informe de un aumento de casos en mujeres embarazadas y revisión de la literatura / Listeria monocytogenes: report of a rise in pregnant women and literature review

Listeria monocytogenes, rare pathogen in the general population, causes serious infections in patients at the extreme ages of life, pregnant woman, and those with immunosuppression. The clinical manifestations are essential to suspect the disease in patients at risk, allowing an early prescription of antimicrobial therapy, before the results of the cultures are available. Clinical course and prognosis depends on how early treatment is started and, in pregnant women, the gestational age. In Clínica Alemana, at Santiago, we detected a 15 fold rate rise of neonatal listeriosis between year 2007 and 2008. Ten cases were diagnosed between January and July 2008 and the seven cases occurring in pregnant women are reported here. All these patients were in their first pregnancy, which could be associated with similar lifestyle and food habits. Considering this new epidemiological scenario, it is important to educate the population, and to conduct an epidemiological study in order to determine the national situation of Listeria monocytogenes infection.

Listeria monocytogenes, es un patógeno poco frecuente en la población general, causante de infecciones graves en pacientes en edades extremas de la vida, mujeres embarazadas e inmunodeprimidos. La sospecha de la enfermedad en pacientes de riesgo se basa principalmente en el cuadro clínico, lo que permite iniciar un tratamiento empírico antes de contar con los resultados de los cultivos. La evolución y pronóstico dependen de la precocidad con que se inicia la terapia y de la edad gestacional. En Clínica Alemana de Santiago detectamos un aumento de 15 veces en la tasa de listeriosis comparando el año 2007 con el 2008. Entre enero y julio 2008, se diagnosticaron 10 casos, de los cuales siete fueron en primigestas, lo que podría tener relación con un hábito alimentario y características de vida similar. Es fundamental, a la vista de esta nueva realidad epidemiológica, educar a la población en hábitos alimentarios y de higiene, como también realizar un estudio epidemiológico que determine la situación nacional de infección por L. monocytogenes.

Brote de sarna en un hospital terciario a partir de un caso de sarna costrosa / An outbreak of scabies in a tertiary-care hospital from a crusted scabies case

Realizamos el estudio epidemiológico de un brote de sarna ocurrido en un hospital terciario, a partir de un caso de sarna costrosa, en febrero de 2005. Detectamos diez casos secundarios; ocho en el personal de salud y dos en pacientes hospitalizados, con una tasa de ataque de 4,1 por ciento. A diferencia de otros brotes, el diagnóstico de sarna costrosa se hizo al ingreso del caso primario al hospital. Las causas del brote fueron: adherencia deficiente a las medidas de aislamiento de contacto, permanencia prolongada del caso primario en sala compartida, y retardo en el inicio del tratamiento específico. Las principales medidas de control fueron: alertar a los servicios sobre el brote, realizar vigilancia epidemiológica, coordinación con la Dirección del Hospital y el Departamento de Salud Ocupacional, capacitar al personal de salud en las medidas de control, instaurar medidas de aislamiento y tratar a los casos y sus contactos con permetrina 5 por ciento loción tópica.

In February 2005 we performed an epidemiological study of an outbreak of scabies in a tertiary-care hospital which started from a crusted scabies case. We detected 10 secondary cases, 8 in healthcare workers and 2 in hospitalized patients. The attack rate was 4.1 percent. In contrast to previously described outbreaks, the crusted scabies case was recognized at admission. The outbreak causes were: lacking adherence to contact precautions, long stay of the primary case in the hospital ward and delay of specific treatment. The main control measures were: alerting the hospital services about the outbreak, performing epidemiologic surveillance, coordinating with the Hospital Direction and the Occupational Health Department, education of healthcare workers in control measures, implementation of isolation measures and treatment of cases and contacts with 5 percent permethrin topical lotion.

Estudio de la actividad comparativa in vitro de telitromicina en patógenos respiratorios adquiridos en la comunidad en 13 centros clínicos chilenos / In vitro activity of telithromycin against community acquired respiratory pathogens

Background: Telithromycin is a new ketolide antimicrobial, that can be useful for the treatment of respiratory infections. Aim: To compare in vitro activity of telithromycin against respiratory pathogens, isolated in outpatient clinics. Material and methods: Two hundred eighty strains isolated from patients with respiratory infections, were studied. The strains studied were S pneumoniae, penicillin sensitive (SPNS:57); intermediate (SPNI:35), resistant (SPNR:25); S pyogenes (SP:57); H influenzae (HIN 51); M catarrhalis (MC:25) and S aureus meticillin sensitive (SAUS:30). Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) by broth microdilution was studied for telitrhomycin and levofloxacin in all strains. Other antimicrobials studied, but not in all strains were erythromycin, clindamycin, trimetoprim sulphamethoxazole, oxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefuroxime. Results: All strains were sensible to telithromycin at a concentration ¡4 µg/ml. MIC 90 and its range for SPNS was 0.03 µg/ml (¡0.004-0.12), for SPNI was 0.03 µg/ml (¡0.004-025), for SPNR was 0.06 µg/ml (¡0.004-0.25), for HIN was 2 µg/ml (0.12-4), for SP was 0.5 µg/ml (¡0.004-2), for MC was 0.5 µg/ml (0.06-2) and for SAU was 0.25 µg/ml (0.06-0.25). Conclusions: All studied pathogens were sensible to telithromycin in vitro. This antimicrobial is an alternative for the treatment of community acquired respiratory infections.

Polirradiculopatía por citomegalovirus en 2 pacientes con SIDA: tratamiento exitoso con terapia anti retroviral de alto grado de actividad TAAGA / Polyradiculopathy caused by cytomegalovirus in 2 AIDS patients treated successfully with highly active antiretroviral therapy HAART

We report two male patients with AlDS, aged 23 and 30 years old respectively. One was admitted due to a progressive weakness of the left leg and urinary and fecal incontinence. The other was admitted due to a progressive paraparesia without incontinence, but with a severe lumbar pain. In both patients polymerase chain reactions for cytomegalovirus in cerebrospinal fluid were positive. Treatment with ganciclovir, for 21 and 14 days respectively and highly active antiretroviral therapy was started. Both patients experienced recovery of their neurological deficits after 98 and 88 days of therapy, respectively

Infecciones sistémicas por levaduras en un hospital general: correlación entre estudio de susceptibilidad in vitro y supervivencia de los pacientes al episodio de infección fúngica / Systemic yeast infections in a general hospital: correlation between antifungal susceptibility and patient survival

Background: Fungi are important causal agents of nosocomial infections, that usually have high mortality rates. Aim: To evaluate the species distribution and susceptibility patterns of deep yeast infections in a General Hospital and to correlate those results with patient survival. Material and methods: Twenty one strains (from five pediatric and 16 from adult patients) were studied. Antifungal Susceptibility Testing (AST) to Amphotericin B (Anfb), Fluorocytosine (5FC), Fluconazole (FZ) and Itraconazole (IZ) was performed according to the EUCAST document. Clinical data of patients was obtained and survival to the infection was recorded. Results: C. albicans was isolated in 11 samples (52 percent), C. parapsilosis in three samples (14 percent), C. glabrata in two samples (9 percent), C. tropicalis in one sample (5 percent) and C. neoformans in four samples (19 percent). Twenty three percent of fungi were recovered at the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. The MICs ranged between 0.25 and 0.5 µg/mL for Anfb; between 0.25 and 16 µg/ml for SFC, between 0.12 and 32 µg/mL for FZ and 0.015 and 0.5 µg/mL for IZ. No association between antifungal susceptibility and patient survival was observed. Conclusions: C. albicans continues to be the most frequently isolated yeast, however, non-albicans species are an emergent group causing nosocomial infections. Surgical procedures are the main source of fungal infections in this sample

Endocarditis por Abiotrophia defectiva en paciente adulto / Endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia defectiva in an adult patient

Abiotrophia defectiva, formerly designated as a member of nutritionally variant streptococci, is part of normal oral flora and may be a cause of culture-negative endocarditis. We report a case of infective endocarditis caused by A. defectiva in a 37-year-old man, allergic to penicillin. We also review the literature for antibiotic treatment alternatives and the microbiological diagnostic possibilities at present.

Abiotrophia defectiva es una cocácea grampositiva considerada anteriormente como parte del grupo de los estreptococos nutricionalmente variables. Es parte de la microbiota oral y puede ser causante de endocarditis bacteriana con cultivo negativo. Se reporta el caso de un paciente varón de 37 años de edad, alérgico a penicilina, con endocarditis infecciosa causada por A. defectiva y se realiza revisión de la literatura sobre las alternativas terapéuticas y el estado actual del diagnóstico microbiológico de este agente.

Eficacia clínica de la asociación amoxicilina/sulbactam (4: 1) en otitis media aguda en niños / Clinical efficacy of amoxicillin/sulbactam (4: 1) association in acute otitis media in children

El empleo de dosis elevadas de amoxicilina asociada a inhibidores de b-lactamasas es una estrategia razonable para eludir la creciente resistencia de S. pneumoniae y H. influenzae en otitis media aguda (OMA). Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia clínica y tolerancia de amoxicilina/sulbactam en una combinación 4:1 en niños con OMA. Métodos: en un estudio abierto, no comparativo, efectuado durante 18 meses, se enrolaron niños entre 3 y 86 meses de edad, consultantes en 2 unidades de emergencia de Santiago, Chile, con OMA diagnosticada por otorrinolaringólogo, sin tratamiento antimicrobiano previo. Una vez solicitado el consentimiento informado se les efectuó una timpanocentesis con fines diagnósticos indicándose luego amoxicilina/sulbactam 50/12,5 mg/kg dos veces al día durante 10 días. Se efectuó seguimiento con examen clínico en los días 3, 10 y 40 e impedanciometria en el día 10 y 40 si la anterior era anormal. Se empleó el score de Dagan (SD) como evaluación y los criterios de mejoría/curación fueron predefinidos. Resultados: 172 niños (edad promedio: 30,9 meses, rango 4-86) completaron el estudio. Los principales microorganismos aislados fueron S. pneumoniae 40 por ciento (30 por ciento resistentes a penicilina), Haemophilus 28 por ciento (10,9 por ciento productores de b-lactamasa), y Moraxella 4 por ciento. El SD medio disminuyó de 10 en el ingreso a 3 en el día 3, y a 1 en el día 10 (p < 0,001). Al día 10 y 40 respectivamente, 48,1 y 74,1 por ciento estaban curados, 45,1 y 18,5 por ciento mejoraron y en 6,8 y 3,1 por ciento había fracasado el tratamiento. La diarrea aumentó de 6,4 por ciento al ingreso a 32,5 por ciento en el día 3 y 8,1 por ciento en el día 10, requiriendo sólo manejo dietético. Dos niños discontinuaron el tratamiento debido a vómitos uno y a exantema el otro. Conclusiones: Amoxicilina/sulbactam en dosis de 100/25 mg/kg/día durante 10 días tuvo una eficacia clínica (curación o mejoría) de 93,2 por ciento. La diarrea transitoria fue común aunque no severa requiriendo sólo restricción dietética.

Encuesta sobre los métodos de diagnóstico microbiológico de la infección urinaria / Survey on methods for the microbiological diagnosis of urinary tract infection

La infeccióm del tracto urinario (ITU), patología infecciosa altamente prevalente, debe ser confirmada por un diagnóstico microbiológico. El Comité de Microbiología Clínica de la Sociedad Chilena de Infectología realizó una encuesta retrospectiva para conocer la situación actual de algunos laboratorios asistenciales sobre metodología y criterios diagnósticos empleados empleados en el diagnóstico de ITU. Respondieron la encuesta 15 centros hospitalarios y laboratorios privados recopilándose información sobre 49.632 urocultivos. Es destacable que la totalidad de los laboratorios consideraron como criterio microbiológico de ITU un recuento microbiano > 100.000 ufc/ml. No fue posible analizar datos con recuentos inferiores por no disponerse de datos métodos sobre obtención de muestra, resultados del estudio microscópico (sedimiento urinario) concominate y sintomatología clínica. Utilizando este criterio diagnóstico la positividad varió entre 2,3 por ciento en varones y 33 por ciento en mujeres, porcentajes con una mayor dispersión en niños. Sólo 13 por ciento de las intituciones procesaron la muestra de orina en conocimiento del tiempo transcurrido desde la obtención de la muestra. Todos los laboratorios utilizaron el mismo criterio para considerar contaminada una muestra: > 3 microorganismo; algunos de ellos registraron 17 por ciento de contaminación. Si bien esta encuesta fue retrospectiva limitando la calidad del diagnóstico de situación, ella motivó al Comite de Microbiología Clínica a elaborar recomendaciones para el diagnóstico microbiológico de la infección urinaria

Estudio de sensibilidad en micobacterias: ¿hay novedades? / Susceptibility tests for mycobacteria: something new?

La evaluación de la susceptibilidad de micobacterias tiene tres objetivos fundamentales: medir resistencia primaria, resistencia secundaria y ayudar a la toma de mejores decisiones terapéuticas en algunos pacientes. El estudio de resistencia mediante el método convencional está vigente pero adolece de lentitud en la obtención de resultados. Los métodos automatizados Bacte y permiten acortar esta espera a 7 a 10 días. Otros métodos en desarrollo para el estudio de la resistencia a fármacos antiturbeculosos son la epsilometría (E-test), detección mediante fagos, citometría de flujo y análisis genotípico. Se revisa someramente el principio biológico de cada uno y su utilidad clínico epidemiológica

Septicemia por streptococcus pneumoniae: análisis de 40 casos / Septicemia by streptococcus pneumoniae: analysis of 40 cases

Sepsis due to streptococcus pneumoniae has a high mortality. We report a retrospective review of 40 episodes of S pneumonia sepsis in adult patients during a two yaer period in a general hospital, that represented 11,3 percent of all sepsis observed in such hospital. Ninety two percent of infections were community acquired and in 95 percent, the portal of entry was the respiratory tract. 85 percent of patients had at least one risk factor such as alcohol abuse, unconsciousness of chronic pulmonary disease. Nine patients had suppurative complications (empyema in 4 cases, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in 2, septic arthritis in 2 and meningitis in 1 case) and 12 (30 percent) died. The potential benefit of antipneumococcal vaccine as prevention should be considered in high risk subjects