How Clean Is the Linen at My Hospital? The Mucorales on Unclean Linen Discovery Study of Large United States Transplant and Cancer Centers.

Mucormycosis outbreaks have been linked to contaminated linen. We performed fungal cultures on freshly-laundered linens at 15 transplant and cancer hospitals. At 33% of hospitals, the linens were visibly unclean. At 20%, Mucorales were recovered from >10% of linens. Studies are needed to understand the clinical significance of our findings.

Status and drivers of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in the Islamic world: a comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) period saw dramatic gains in health goals MDG 4 and MDG 5 for improving child and maternal health. However, many Muslim countries in the south Asian, Middle Eastern, and African regions lagged behind. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the status of, progress in, and key determinants of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health in Muslim majority countries (MMCs). The specific objectives were to understand the current status and progress in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health in MMCs, and the determinants of child survival among the least developed countries among the MMCs; to explore differences in outcomes and the key contextual determinants of health between MMCs and non-MMCs; and to understand the health service coverage and contextual determinants that differ between best and poor or moderate performing MMCs. METHODS: In this country-level ecological study, we examined data from between 1990 and 2015 from multiple publicly available data repositories. We examined 47 MMCs, of which 26 were among the 75 high-burden Countdown to 2015 countries. These 26 MMCs were compared with 48 non-Muslim Countdown countries. We also examined characteristics of the eight best performing MMCs that had accelerated improvement in child survival (ie, that reached their MDG 4 targets). We estimated adolescent, maternal, under-5, and newborn mortality, and stillbirths, and the causes of death, essential interventions coverage, and contextual determinants for all MMCs and comparative groups using standardised methods. We also did a hierarchical multivariable analysis of determinants of under-5 mortality and newborn mortality in low-income and middle-income MMCs. FINDINGS: Despite notable reductions between 1990 and 2015, MMCs compared with a global esimate of all countries including MMCs had higher mortality rates, and MMCs relative to non-MMCs within Countdown countries also performed worse. Coverage of essential interventions across the continuum of care was on average lower among MMCs, especially for indicators of reproductive health, prenatal care, delivery, and labour, and childhood vaccines. Outcomes within MMCs for mortality and many reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health indicators varied considerably. Structural and contextual factors, especially state governance, conflict, and women and girl's empowerment indicators, were significantly worse in MMCs compared with non-MMCs within the high-burden Countdown countries, and were shown to be strongly associated with child and newborn mortality within low-income and middle-income MMCs. In adjusted hierarchical models, among other factors, under-5 mortality in MMCs increased with more refugees originating from a country (ß=23·67, p=0·0116), and decreased with better political stability or absence of terrorism (ß=-0·99, p=0·0285), greater political rights or government effectiveness (ß=-1·17, p<0·0001), improvements in log gross national income per capita (ß=-4·44, p<0·0001), higher total adult literacy (ß=-1·69, p<0·0001), higher female adult literacy (ß=-0·97, p<0·0001), and greater female to male enrolment in secondary school (ß=-16·1, p<0·0001). The best performing MMCs were Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Niger, and Senegal, which had higher coverage of family planning interventions and newborn or child vaccinations, and excelled in many of the above contextual determinants when compared with moderate or poorly performing MMCs. INTERPRETATION: The status and progress in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health is heterogeneous among MMCs, with little indication that religion and its practice affects outcomes systemically. Some Islamic countries such as Niger and Bangladesh have made great progress, despite poverty. Key findings from this study have policy and programmatic implications that could be prioritised by national heads of state and policy makers, development partners, funders, and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation to scale up and improve these health outcomes in Muslim countries in the post-2015 era. FUNDING: US Fund for UNICEF under the Countdown to 2015 for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Survival, the Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, and the Aga Khan University.

A Multidisciplinary Toxicity Team for Cancer Immunotherapy-Related Adverse Events.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Methods to obtain real-time multidisciplinary input for irAEs that require subspecialist care are unknown. This study aimed to determine whether a virtual multidisciplinary immune-related toxicity (IR-tox) team of oncology and medicine subspecialists would be feasible to implement, be used by oncology providers, and identify patients for whom multidisciplinary input is sought. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients treated with ICIs and referred to the IR-tox team in August 2017 through March 2018 were identified. Feasibility was defined as receipt of electronic referrals and provision of recommendations within 24 hours of referral. Use was defined as the proportion of referring providers who used the team's recommendations, which was determined through a postpilot survey. Demographics and tumor, treatment, and referral data were collected. Patient features and irAE associations were analyzed. RESULTS: The IR-tox team was found to be feasible and used: 117 referrals from 102 patients were received in 8 months, all providers received recommendations within 24 hours, 100% of surveyed providers used the recommendations, and 74% changed patient management based on IR-tox team recommendations. Referrals were for suspected irAEs (n=106; 91%) and suitability to treat with ICIs (n=11; 10%). In referred patients, median age was 64 years, 54% were men, 13% had prior autoimmunity, and 46% received ICI combinations versus monotherapy (54%). The most commonly referred toxicities were pneumonitis (23%), arthritis (16%), and dermatitis (15%); 15% of patients had multisystem toxicities. Multiple referrals were more common in those treated with combination ICIs (odds ratio [OR], 6.0; P=.035) or with multisystem toxicities (OR, 8.1; P=.005). The IR-tox team provided a new multidisciplinary forum to assist providers in diagnosing and managing complex irAEs. This model identifies educational and service needs, and patients with irAEs for whom multidisciplinary care is most sought. CONCLUSIONS: A virtual multidisciplinary toxicity team for irAEs was a feasible and used service, and facilitated toxicity identification and management.

Urine Antigen Detection as an Aid to Diagnose Invasive Aspergillosis.

Background: Establishing rapid diagnoses of invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a priority tests that detect galactomannan and ß-d-glucan are available, but are technically cumbersome and rely on invasive sampling (blood or bronchoalveolar lavage). Methods: We optimized a lateral flow dipstick assay using the galactofuranose-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb476), which recognizes urine antigens after Aspergillus fumigatus pulmonary infection in animals. Urine samples were obtained from a cohort of 78 subjects undergoing evaluation for suspected invasive fungal infections, and stored frozen until testing. Urine was processed by centrifugation through desalting columns and exposed to dipsticks. Reviewers blinded to clinical diagnoses graded results. Western blots were performed on urine samples from 2 subjects to characterize mAb476-reactive antigens. Results: Per-patient sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of proven or probable IA in the overall cohort was 80% (95% confidence interval [CI], 61.4%-92.3%) and 92% (95% CI, 74%-99%), respectively. In the subgroup with cancer, sensitivity was 89.5% (95% CI, 66.7%-98.7%) and specificity was 90.9% (95% CI, 58.7%-99.8%); among all others, sensitivity and specificity were 63.6% (95% CI, 30.8%-89.1%) and 92.9% (95% CI, 66.1%-99.8%), respectively. Eliminating lung transplant recipients with airway disease increased sensitivity in the noncancer cohort (85.7% [95% CI, 42.1%-99.6%]). Semiquantitative urine assay results correlated with serum galactomannan indices. Western blots demonstrated mAb476-reactive antigens in urine from cases, ranging between 26 kDa and 35 kDa in size. Conclusions: Urine testing using mAb476 may be used as an aid to diagnose IA in high-risk patients.

Natural history of pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There has been no systematic review of natural history studies of pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We conducted a systematic review focused on understanding the long-term risks of growth failure, disease reclassification and extension, hospitalizations, cancer and death among patients with childhood IBD. METHODS: PubMed searches and subsequent data abstraction were performed by 2 independent investigators. Studies published full in english with a 5-year minimum average follow-up in at least 30 patients with IBD onset before age 18 years. RESULTS: We evaluated 41 total studies (only 2 population-based studies) with 3505 Crohn's disease (CD) patients, 2071 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and 461 indeterminate colitis (IC). Growth failure was reported in CD (10% and 56%) more often than UC (0% to 10%) or non-IBD controls. Improvements in growth occurred after surgical resection in patients with CD. There was an increase in disease reclassification over time from UC and indeterminate colitis diagnosis to CD diagnosis. Patients with CD had higher number of hospitalizations and hospital days per year in comparison with UC patients in most studies. The reported surgery rates in CD ranged between 10% and 72%; the colectomy rates in UC ranged between 0% and 50%. Cancers were reported in 6 CD patients during a total 18,270 patient-years (PY) follow-up, and 8 UC patients in 18,115 PY. Deaths directly related to IBD were 63 during 39,719 PY. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood-onset IBD patients had growth failure reported in patients with CD more often than those with UC, had a reclassification of disease type to CD over time. Higher rates of surgery and hospitalizations were found with CD than with UC. The risk of cancer and death is low in this population.

Understanding Student Characteristics in the Development of Active Learning Strategies.

Student evaluations after non-lecture, active learning sessions at Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, have yielded bipartite responses with one group responding favorably and the other group negatively. The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics, motivation, and learning strategies of medical students that find value in, appreciate, and perceive active learning sessions to be beneficial and those of students that do not. We generated a survey, based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), that included questions regarding overall student motivations for learning, learning strategies that students employed throughout medical school, and their perceptions of active learning. Following an active learning session on hyperammonemia, we administered the modified MSLQ survey. Using the results of this survey, we validated the modified MSLQ and identified correlations between student characteristics and their perception of the active learning session. We found that, in general, students with high task value, intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy for learning and performance, and control of learning beliefs felt more positively about their experience in the active learning session. Understanding the characteristics, motivations, and learning strategies that help students find value in active learning sessions will help medical educators develop future curricular material so that these exercises will better engage and be more effective with a greater number of learners. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01550-9.

Rapid stool-based diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection by real-time PCR in a children's hospital.

Clostridium difficile is a major cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated infectious diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. Detection of C. difficile by anaerobic bacterial culture and/or cytotoxicity assays has been largely replaced by rapid enzyme immunoassays (EIA). However, due to the lack of sensitivity of stool EIA, we developed a multiplex real-time PCR assay targeting the C. difficile toxin genes tcdA and tcdB. Stool samples from hospitalized pediatric patients suspected of having C. difficile-associated disease were prospectively cultured on cycloserine-cefoxitin-fructose agar following alcohol shock. Six testing modalities were evaluated, including stool EIA, culture EIA, and real-time PCR (tcdA and tcdB) of cultured isolates and stool samples. Real-time PCR detection was performed with tcdA and tcdB gene-specific primers and hydrolysis probes using the LightCycler platforms (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN). A total of 157 samples from 96 pediatric patients were analyzed. The sensitivities of stool real-time PCR and stool EIA were 95% and 35%, respectively, with a specificity of 100% for both methods. The lower limit of detection of the stool real-time PCR was 30 CFU/ml of stool sample per reaction for tcdA and tcdB. This study highlights the poor performance of stool toxin EIAs in pediatric settings. Direct detection of C. difficile toxin genes in stool samples by real-time PCR showed sensitivity superior to that of stool and culture EIAs and performance comparable to that of real-time PCR assay of cultured isolates. Real-time PCR of DNA from stool samples is a rapid and cost-effective diagnostic modality for children that should facilitate appropriate patient management and halt the practice of serial testing by EIA.

RAPIDIRON: Reducing Anaemia in Pregnancy in India-a 3-arm, randomized-controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of oral iron with single-dose intravenous iron in the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant women and reducing low birth weight deliveries.

BACKGROUND: Anaemia is a worldwide problem and iron deficiency is the most common cause. In pregnancy, anaemia increases the risk of adverse maternal, foetal and neonatal outcomes. India's anaemia rate is among the highest in the world with India's National Family Health Survey indicating over 50% of pregnant women were affected by anaemia. India's Anaemia Mukt Bharat-Intensified National Iron Plus Initiative aims to reduce the prevalence of anaemia among reproductive-age women, adolescents and children by 3% per year and facilitate the achievement of a Global World Health Assembly 2025 objective to achieve a 50% reduction of anaemia among women of reproductive age. However, preliminary results of the NFHS-5 survey completed in 2020 indicate that anaemia rates are increasing in some states and these targets are unlikely to be achieved. With oral iron being the first-line treatment for iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in pregnancy, these results are likely to be impacted by the side effects, poor adherence to tablet ingestion and low therapeutic impact of oral iron. These reports suggest a new approach to treating IDA, specifically the importance of single-dose intravenous iron infusions, may be the key to India effectively reaching its targets for anaemia reduction. METHODS: This 3-arm, randomized controlled trial is powered to report two primary outcomes. The first is to assess whether a single dose of two different intravenous formulations administered early in the second trimester of pregnancy to women with moderate IDA will result in a higher percentage of participants achieving a normal for pregnancy Hb concentration at 30-34 weeks' gestation or just prior to delivery when compared to participants taking standard doses of oral iron. The second is a clinical outcome of low birth weight (LBW) (< 2500 g), with a hypothesis that the risk of LBW delivery will be lower in the intravenous iron arms when compared to the oral iron arm. DISCUSSION: The RAPIDIRON trial will provide evidence to determine if a single-dose intravenous iron infusion is more effective and economically feasible in reducing IDA in pregnancy than the current standard of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry - India CTRI/2020/09/027730. Registered on 10 September 2020, http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid1=46801&EncHid=&userName=anemia%20in%20pregnancy.

Pneumocystis jirovecii prophylaxis in patients treated for high-grade gliomas: a survey among neuro-oncologists.

BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is a known complication in patients with high-grade gliomas (HGGs) who are treated with radiation and chemotherapy. PJP prophylaxis is commonly recommended, but there are currently no clear guidelines regarding duration of treatment and choice of drugs. This study aimed to assess current practice patterns of PJP prophylaxis among neuro-oncologists. METHODS: An online survey of 14 multiple choice questions was sent to 207 neuro-oncologists and medical oncologists treating brain cancers at all National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the United States. Recipients were identified via a search of the cancer centers' websites. RESULTS: Sixty-one invited experts completed the survey (response rate 29%; of these, 72% were neuro-oncologists, 18% were medical oncologists, and 10% were pediatric neuro- or medical oncologists). Seventy percent of respondents stated that they routinely prescribe PJP prophylaxis, while 7% do not provide prophylaxis. Eighty-one percent of respondents use absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) to assess lymphopenia and 13% also monitor CD4 lymphocyte counts during prophylaxis. The most commonly used first-line agent is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (88% of respondents), followed by pentamidine (6%). Discontinuation of PJP prophylaxis is determined by the following: count recovery (33% by ALC; 18% by CD4 lymphocyte counts), radiation completion (23%), and chemotherapy completion (7%). Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase levels were routinely checked by only 13% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: PJP prophylaxis is commonly used in HGG patients, but there are large variations in practice patterns, including the duration of prophylaxis. As consideration for PJP prophylaxis affects all patients with HGG, standardization of prophylaxis should be formally addressed.

Disseminated sporotrichosis following iatrogenic immunosuppression for suspected pyoderma gangrenosum.

Sporotrichosis is an infection caused by the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii and related species that often arises from traumatic inoculation of inhabited soil and organic debris into skin. The infection is usually limited to the skin in immunocompetent patients, usually as lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis. Accurate diagnosis rests on clinical data and culture, and might be facilitated by biopsy identification of suppurative and granulomatous inflammation with fungal elements. In this Grand Round, we present a dramatic case of cutaneous sporotrichosis initially presented with an atypical large ulcer without associated lymphocutaneous spread, clinically mimicking pyoderma gangrenosum, and subsequently progressed to disseminated sporotrichosis in the setting of iatrogenic immunosuppression. We further review the clinical features, risk factors, and treatment of these disseminated sporotrichosis cases, and discuss the need for improved awareness of this fungus' potential link to cause disseminated and invasive fungal infections.

Single Academic Center Experience of Unrestricted ß-d-Glucan Implementation.

We investigated serum ß-d-glucan (BDG) testing among non-neutropenic adult inpatients at an academic center where the test is unrestricted. BDG orders were inappropriate in 49% of cases due to absence of predisposing host factors or clinical picture consistent with fungal infection. Providers' knowledge about BDG was insufficient.

Maternal health outcomes following the implementation of Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojana (JSSY) at a tertiary healthcare center in Rajasthan.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of the Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojana (JSSY) initiative on maternal health in terms of the number of prenatal checkup registrations, institutional deliveries, and maternal deaths. The aim of JSSY was to reduce maternal and infant mortality by promoting institutional delivery. METHODOLOGY: The present retrospective descriptive study included data from all institutional deliveries that occurred at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mahila Chikitsalaya, SMS Medical College Jaipur, India, both before (between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2011) and after the implementation of JSSY (between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2015). Numbers of prenatal outpatient department registrations, institutional deliveries, and maternal deaths per year were compared between the periods using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Increases in the mean number of prenatal outpatient department registrations (P=0.021) and institutional deliveries (P=0.021) were recorded following the implementation of JSSY; a non-significant decrease in the maternal mortality ratio was also observed (P=0.248). CONCLUSION: JSSY appeared to be an effective program in improving maternal health; use of prenatal care and institutional deliveries increased following its implementation.

Global and regional trends in the nutritional status of young people: a critical and neglected age group.

Adolescence and emerging adulthood form a critical time period for the achievement of optimal health and nutrition across all stages of the life course. We undertook a review of published literature and global data repositories for information on nutrition levels, trends, and patterns among young people aged 10-24 years from January 1, 2016 to September 20, 2016. We describe patterns for both males and females at the global level and for geographic regions for the period covering 1990-2015. The results of this study paint a less than ideal picture of current young people's nutrition, suggesting dual burdens of underweight and high body-mass index in many countries and variable improvements in micronutrient deficiencies across geographical regions. Poor diet diversity and lack of nutrient-dense food, high risk for metabolic syndrome, and sedentary lifestyles also characterize this population. The need for objective, comparable, and high-quality data is also recognized for further study in this area. As the global community works toward supporting and scaling up health gains in the sustainable development goal era, realizing the critical role of young people is essential. Investing in young people's nutrition is critical to making strides in improving the overall health and well-being of all populations.

Extended spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae infection in heart and lung transplant recipients and in mechanical circulatory support recipients.

BACKGROUND: Extended spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing gram-negative bacilli are increasingly reported in patients with a variety of risk factors including prior cephalosporin and antibiotic usage, prolonged hospitalizations, existence of comorbid conditions, and critical illness. METHODS: Retrospective review of infections caused by ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae was performed in heart transplant (HTx), lung transplant (LTx), and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device recipients at a large transplant center. RESULTS: Among 1065 patients transplanted/implanted, the incidence of ESBL-related infections (bacteremia, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, central venous catheter-associated infection, and wound infections) in HTx, LTx, and MCS device recipients was reported at 2.2%, 5.5%, and 10.7%, respectively, caused by ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Citrobacter freundii. CONCLUSIONS: Early detection and adequate duration of therapy for ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in solid organ transplants and MCS device recipients are essential in successful patient outcomes including prevention of recurrent infection.

The natural course of inflammatory bowel disease-indeterminate from childhood to adulthood: within a 25 year period.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-indeterminate is a subgroup of IBD that has features of both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). AIMS: To determine the clinical course of IBD-indeterminate in children over a 25 year period. METHODS: We performed a retrospective investigation on children diagnosed with IBD. Diagnosis and disease distribution of IBD was based on clinical, radiologic, endoscopic, and histologic examinations. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty children diagnosed with IBD between 1986 and 2003 were identified from the IBD registry, 78 (22%) of whom were diagnosed with IBD-indeterminate. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.2 ± 4 years and the mean follow-up period was 4.1 ± 2 years. In 2003, 18 of 78 children (23%) were reclassified by the same physician based on the endoscopic and pathologic findings as follows: eight children with CD, five children with UC, and five children with non-IBD (eg, eosinophilic colitis). During 2011, 20 of the 60 patients who had maintained an IBD-indeterminate diagnosis were located and contacted, and detailed telephone interviews were conducted by the corresponding author. Two patients were reclassified as having CD (10%), one patient was reclassified as having eosinophilic colitis (5%), six patients remained with IBD-indeterminate (30%), and eleven patients (55%) reported a complete resolution of their symptoms. The follow-up period ranged from 10-18 years (mean 12.5 ± 3 years). Children who were reclassified as having CD were significantly younger than those who maintained an IBD-indeterminate diagnosis (6.4 ± 4 years versus11.2 ± 3 years, respectively, P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Children with IBD-indeterminate remain classified as IBD-indeterminate, or were clinically reclassified as CD or non-IBD, or became asymptomatic as they transitioned into adulthood. The need for IBD-indeterminate classification is of importance, especially when deciding on management and treatment.

The natural history of ulcerative colitis in a pediatric population: a follow-up population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The natural history of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been poorly studied in children. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study in children diagnosed with UC with a follow-up. The diagnosis of UC was based on clinical, radiologic, endoscopic, and histologic examinations. We estimated the occurrence of colectomy, proctitis, and extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) at the onset of the diagnosis and at the end of the study period. RESULTS: We identified 115 UC patients between 1986 and 2003 with a mean age at diagnosis of 10.6 ± 5.1 years. The cumulative rate of colectomy was 4.1% at 1 year, and 16% at 10 years. EIMs were experienced by 20% of the children; 48% had arthritis, 35% had sclerosing cholangitis, and 17% had aphthous stomatitis. Proctitis was noted in 29 patients and it was not associated with an increased risk of colectomy (relative risk = 1.4; 95% CI = 0.7-4.5), and girls were twice more likely to develop proctitis. The pathologic reading for disease extensions was recorded for all children at entry and only 62 children had pathological results at maximum follow-up. At entry, 25% of the children only had ulcerative proctitis (E1) localization, 40% had left-sided UC (E2), and 35% had extensive UC (E3). Among the patients with E1 localization, 20% had progressed to E2 and 80% had progressed to E3; among the patients with E2 localization, 40% had progressed to E3. Age, gender, and EIMs at time of diagnosis were not associated with extension of disease at maximal follow-up. The Z score of body mass index (BMI) of children was significantly higher at the end of the study. At diagnosis, 85% of patients received 5-aminosalicyclic acid, 60% received steroids, and 11% received an immunomodulator. The majority of patients were still using systemic steroids at and after 5 years from their entry date. Only 32 of the 91 children on steroids did not receive an immunomodulator. CONCLUSION: Pediatric UC is associated with high rates of EIMs and colectomy that are not dependent on age, gender, or race, but is associated with a high rate of proctitis among girls. Understanding the clinical course of UC can optimize therapeutic interventions.

Aspergillus fumigatus vegetation of a prosthetic aortic root graft with mycotic aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

A 58-year-old woman with a history of Bentall aortic graft and bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement 3 months prior to admission, presented with headache and fever. Imaging yielded a large obstructive filling defect in the ascending aorta, a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and a mycotic aneurysm. Intraoperative specimens grew Aspergillus fumigatus, and despite aggressive measures the patient died. Aspergillus infections of prosthetic vascular grafts are rare surgical complications and are difficult to diagnose given the low incidence of positive microbiology cultures and the long median time between surgery and diagnosis. Treatment has consisted of antifungal and surgical treatment, although mortality remains high.

Prediction of PIH by Maternal Serum Beta HCG Levels in the Second Trimester (13-20 Weeks) of Pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that women with high serum beta-HCG levels in early pregnancy are at higher risk of developing PIH. METHODS: Serum beta-HCG estimation was done by CLIA method in 200 women between 13 and 20 weeks of gestation, selected randomly for this study from July 2008 to Aug 2009. Multiple of median (MOM) was calculated from charts of norms available for that week of pregnancy. They were followed till delivery for development of PIH and pregnancy outcome and results analysed statistically with Chi-square test and Z test. RESULTS: Out of 200 cases, 178 (89 %) were finally evaluated. Of whom 22 (12.36 %) cases developed PIH. Beta HCG levels were considered raised if the levels were >2MOM.20 (83.33 %) out of 24 cases with beta HCG levels >2MOM developed PIH against 2 (1.2 %) cases out of 154 having beta HCG levels ≤2 MOM (P value <0.001). Also, higher levels of beta HCG are associated with increased severity of PIH (P value <0.01). The sensitivity was 90.91 %, specificity was 97.44 % and positive predictive value was 83.33 %. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that the serum beta HCG estimation at mid trimester (13-20 weeks) is a good predictor of PIH and higher levels of beta HCG are associated with increased severity of PIH.