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3.
Rev Esp Quimioter ; 36(2): 194-200, 2023 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36651283

ABSTRACT

The present outbreak of Human Monkeypox (HMPX) that has begun in May 2022 and has spread across all continents in less than two months has qualitative and quantitative characteristics that make it different from the pattern of human disease previously caused by this virus. It has spread with enormous ease, affects almost exclusively adults, behaves as a sexually transmitted disease and focuses on very specific groups and transmission conditions. The high incidence in the city of Madrid in males that have sex with males (MSM) has allowed us to observe and report the experience with the first 30 cases diagnosed in our institution. Patients presented with febrile symptoms, genital and paragenital skin lesions reminiscent of smallpox, but less extensive and severe. The disease may also cause proctitis, pharyngitis and perioral lesions. The PCR test for diagnostic confirmation has been shown to be very sensitive and effective, not only in skin lesions but also in blood and other fluids such as pharyngeal, rectal exudates and blood. A very high proportion of patients with HMPX also have other sexually transmitted diseases that must be actively detected in this context. The spontaneous evolution of our patients has been good and hospitalization has been practically unnecessary. Transmission to non-sexual cohabitants and health personnel has been nonexistent and the lesions have disappeared in less than 30 days without leaving sequelae and no need for specific antiviral treatment.


Subject(s)
Mpox (monkeypox) , Sexual and Gender Minorities , Adult , Male , Humans , Spain , Tertiary Care Centers , Homosexuality, Male , Disease Outbreaks , Demography
4.
Rev Esp Quimioter ; 36(1): 45-51, 2023 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36408974

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of CMV reactivation in a population admitted for severe COVID-19 to a general hospital. METHODS: Point prevalence study in all hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 (admitted either to general wards or ICU). Determination of the presence of CMV DNA in circulating blood. COVID-19 was confirmed in patients with compatible clinical manifestations, usually with pneumonia and a positive nasopharyngeal PCR test. RESULTS: We included 140 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who consented to participate. A total of 16 patients (11.42%), had circulating CMV-DNA in peripheral blood at the time of the study. Patients with positive CMV viral load were mainly ICU patients (11/37 -29,7%) and only 5/103 cases (4,85%) were hospitalized into general wards. The accumulated doses of corticosteroids (prednisone equivalents) in the study day were (median and IQR) 987.50 mg (396.87-2,454.68) and 187.50 mg (75.00-818.12) respectively in CMV positive and negative patients (p < 0.001). A significant proportion of CMV positive patients were discovered because of the study and were clinically unsuspected by their physicians. The coinfected COVID-CMV positive population had a higher risk of accumulated secondary nosocomially-acquired infections and a worse prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: CMV reactivation should be systematically searched in patients in COVID-19 cases admitted to the ICU.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cytomegalovirus Infections , Humans , Cytomegalovirus Infections/complications , Cytomegalovirus Infections/epidemiology , Cytomegalovirus/genetics , Prevalence , COVID-19/epidemiology , Hospitals, General
5.
Rev Esp Quimioter ; 35(6): 509-518, 2022 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35785957

ABSTRACT

Infection caused by Monkeypox Virus (MPVX) has small rodents as its natural reservoir and both monkeys and humans are occasional hosts. The causative agent is an Orthopoxvirus (MPVX) that was isolated in monkeys in 1958 and proved capable of passing to humans in 1970. It remained contained in Africa, causing isolated episodes of infection, until 2003 when an outbreak occurred in the United States following importation of animals from that continent. Since then, anecdotal cases have continued to be reported outside Africa, usually very clearly linked to travelers to those countries, but in May 2022, a broad outbreak of this disease has begun, now affecting several continents, with the emergence of human cases of MPVX (H-MPVX) infection mainly among Men that have Sex with Men (MSM). The disease has an incubation time ranging from 5 to 15 days and is characterized by the presence of pustules, fever, malaise and headache. The presence of significant regional lymphadenopathy is a differential feature with episodes of classical smallpox. Proctitis and pharyngitis, with minimal skin lesions, may be another form of presentation. Diagnosis can be confirmed by PCR testing of lesions or by demonstration of MPVX in other body fluids or tissues, although in the appropriate epidemiologic setting the clinical picture is highly suggestive of the disease. Effective drug treatment has been developed as part of programs to protect against potential bioterrorist agents and smallpox vaccinees are known to have high protection against monkeypox. New vaccines are available, but neither the drugs nor the vaccines are yet freely available on the market. The prognosis of the disease appears, at least in adults in developed countries, to be good, with very low mortality figures and much less aggressive behavior than that described in classical smallpox. Isolation measures, essential for the control of the outbreak, have been published by the health authorities.


Subject(s)
Mpox (monkeypox) , Sexual and Gender Minorities , Smallpox , Male , Adult , Animals , Humans , United States , Mpox (monkeypox)/epidemiology , Mpox (monkeypox)/diagnosis , Smallpox/epidemiology , Homosexuality, Male , Monkeypox virus , Disease Outbreaks
6.
Rev Esp Quimioter ; 35(3): 288-292, 2022 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35397483

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of COVID-19 at nine nursing homes in Madrid, Spain, during the first wave of COVID-19 infection and lockdown period when preventive measures were taken to avoid transmission among residents. METHODS: Nine hundred forty-two residents and 846 staff members from nine nursing homes participated in the study (April 18 to June 20, 2020). All participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 in the nasopharynx by PCR and for IgG antibodies detection. Microbiological status at sampling was defined as active infection (positive PCR ± presence of antibodies), past infection (negative PCR + presence of antibodies), or naïve participants (negative PCR + absence of antibodies). RESULTS: Laboratory results helped classify the residents as having active infection (n=224; 23.8%), past infection (n=462; 49.1%), or being naïve (n=256; 27.1%); staff members were actively infected (n=127; 15.1%), had had a past infection (n=290; 34.2%), or were naïve (n=429; 50.7%). Overall, the percentage of participants with COVID-19 was significantly higher in residents than in staff members (72.8% vs 49.2%; P=0.001). The clinical situation of residents vs staff at sampling was as follows: acute manifestations compatible with COVID-19 (7.3% vs 3.9%; P<0.01) and no manifestations of infection (92.7% vs 96.0%; P<0.01). A large proportion of both asymptomatic and symptomatic residents (69.4% vs 86.6%; P=0.015) had positive PCR results (mostly alongside positive IgG determinations). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 affects 75% of the residents in nursing homes in Madrid. The high impact in these settings, despite the strict restrictions adopted during the lockdown, demonstrates the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to cause outbreaks.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Communicable Disease Control , Humans , Immunoglobulin G , Incidence , Nursing Homes , SARS-CoV-2 , Spain/epidemiology
7.
Aesthetic Plast Surg ; 46(1): 258-264, 2022 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34351508

ABSTRACT

Liposuction remains one of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgical procedures and its popularity is increasing every year. However, since its inception, justified concerns regarding patient safety have placed limits on the volume of fat that can be aspirated, influenced by hemodynamic fluctuations and blood loss during liposuction. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic agent that competitively inhibits the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin, thus preventing the binding and degradation of fibrin. Despite the existence of evidence of the effectiveness of TXA in orthopedic and cardiac surgeries, there is little evidence of its use in liposuction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in the control of surgical bleeding in patients undergoing liposuction, through a prospective, open, randomized and controlled clinical trial. Two groups of 25 participants each were formed to whom the application of TXA in a tumescent solution prior to liposuction or liposuction with the traditional technique was randomly assigned. The results showed a decrease in blood loss reflected by the differences in the final hematocrit values, as well as decrease in the same per aspirated volume (p = 0.003). No adverse events were found related with the TXA application and no blood transfusions were required in this group, in contrast to the control group where the need for blood transfusion was present in 20% of the intervened participants. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.


Subject(s)
Lipectomy , Tranexamic Acid , Blood Loss, Surgical/prevention & control , Humans , Lipectomy/methods , Prospective Studies , Tranexamic Acid/therapeutic use , Treatment Outcome
8.
Sleep Med ; 89: 71-77, 2022 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34915264

ABSTRACT

STUDY OBJECTIVE: There is very limited information about the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the very elderly. Here we aimed to analysed the effect of CPAP on a clinical cohort of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) ≥80 years old. METHODS: Post-hoc pooled analysis of two open-label, multicenter clinical trials aimed to determine the effect of CPAP in a consecutive clinical cohort of elderly (≥70 years old) with moderate-to-severe OSA (apnea-hipopnea index ≥15 events/hour) randomized to receive CPAP or no CPAP for three months. Those consecutive patients ≥80 years old were included in the study. The primary endpoint was the change in Epworth Sleepiness scale (ESS). Secondary outcomes included sleep-related symptoms, quality of life, neurocognitive and mood status as well as office blood pressure measurements. RESULTS: From the initial 369 randomized individuals with ≥70 years, 97 (26.3%) with ≥80 years old were included (47 in the CPAP group and 50 in the no-CPAP group). The mean (SD) age was 81.5 (2.4) years. Average use of CPAP was 4.3 (2.6) hours/night (53% with good adherence) Patients in the CPAP group significantly improved snoring and witnessed apneas as well as AHI (from 41.9 to 4.9 events/hour). However no clinical improvements were seen in ESS (-1.2 points, 95%CI, 0.2 to -2.6), any domain of QSQ, any neurocognitive test, OSA-related symptoms, depression/anxiety or blood pressure levels. CONCLUSIONS: The present study does not support the use of CPAP in very elderly patients with moderate-to-severe OSA.


Subject(s)
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure , Sleep Apnea, Obstructive , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Continuous Positive Airway Pressure/methods , Humans , Quality of Life , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/psychology , Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/therapy , Snoring
9.
Rev Med Interne ; 42(12): 844-854, 2021 Dec.
Article in French | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34373143

ABSTRACT

Lymphoproliferative syndromes (multiple myeloma, Waldenström's disease, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphomas) may be associated with peripheral neuropathies. The mechanism can be dysimmune, associated or not with monoclonal gammopathies; paraneoplastic; infiltrative; or more commonly, iatrogenic or due to vitamin deficiency. The diagnosis can be complex, especially when the neuropathy is the presenting manifestation, requiring a close cooperation between internists and neurologists. The positive diagnosis of the neuropathy is based on a systematic electro-clinical investigation, which specifies the topography and the mechanism of the nerve damage, sometimes reinforced by imaging examinations, in particular, nerve and/or plexus MRI. The imputability of the neuropathy to a lymphoproliferative syndrome is based on a set of arguments including the clinical context (B signs, tumour syndrome), first-line laboratory tests (hemogram, protein electrophoresis, viral serologies, complement), auto-antibodies discussed according to the neuropathy (anti-MAG, anti-gangliosides) and sometimes more invasive examinations (bone marrow or neuro-muscular biopsies).


Subject(s)
Paraproteinemias , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases , Autoantibodies , Humans , Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein , Syndrome
10.
Rev Esp Quimioter ; 33(6): 415-421, 2020 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32945157

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the value of systematic screening in asymptomatic women admitted for spontaneous delivery with a combination of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cycle threshold (Ct) and serum antibodies. METHODS: Since May 6 all women admitted for spontaneous delivery underwent RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs and specific antibodies IgG of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in serum that were performed as part of routine clinical care in our institution. Ct of the PCR was recorded. We analyzed the first 100 women consecutively admitted for spontaneous delivery at our institution. RESULTS: Nine women were positive for SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples (9%) and 13 (13%) presented positive specific antibodies of the coronavirus. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 prior exposure was 15%. The Ct determination (RT-PCR test) of our 9 positive patients ranged from 36 to 41 cycles with a median of 40. Vaginal delivery occurred in 94% of the cases and only 6% underwent a cesarean section, always for obstetric reasons. No fetal transmission was observed and maternal and neonatal prognosis was excellent. CONCLUSIONS: During epidemic episodes in asymptomatic women in labor, universal testing with RT-PCR (considering Ct determination), and the detection of antibodies, permits a better interpretation of the results and avoid unnecessary isolation procedures.


Subject(s)
Asymptomatic Infections , COVID-19/diagnosis , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/diagnosis , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Antibodies, Viral/blood , COVID-19/blood , COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing , COVID-19 Serological Testing , Cesarean Section/statistics & numerical data , Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins/immunology , Delivery, Obstetric/methods , Delivery, Obstetric/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Nasopharynx/virology , Parturition , Phosphoproteins/immunology , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/blood , Young Adult
11.
Rev Esp Quimioter ; 33(5): 369-378, 2020 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32729288

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: There are few descriptions of the clinical presentation and evolution of consecutive SARS-CoV-2 infections with a long-enough follow up. METHODS: Description of the first consecutive 100 patients with microbiologically-proven COVID-19 in a large hospital in Madrid, Spain including a minimum of two-month follow up. RESULTS: The median age of the patients (52% males) was 61.5 years (IQR=39.5-82.0) and the median BMI was 28.8 kg/m2 (IQR=24.7-33.7). Overall 72% of the patients had one or more co-morbid conditions with a median age-adjusted Charlson index of 2 (IQR=0-5.7). Five patients (5%) were immunosuppressed. The most common symptoms at the time of diagnosis were fever (80.0%), cough (53.0%) and dyspnea (23.0%). The median O2 saturation at the time of first examination was 94% (IQR=90-97). Chest X-ray on admission was compatible with pneumonia in 63% of the cases (bilateral in 42% and unilateral in 21%). Overall, 30% were managed at home and 70% were admitted to the hospital. Thirteen patients were admitted to the ICU with a median of 11 days of stay in the Unit (IQR=6.0-28.0). CALL score of our population ranged from 4 to 13. Overall, 60.0% of patients received antibiotic treatment and 66.0%, empirical antiviral treatment, mainly with lopinavir/ritonavir (65%) or hydroxychloroquine (42%). Mortality, with a minimum of 60 days of follow up, was 23%. The median age of the deceased patients was 85 years (IQR=79-93). CONCLUSIONS: We found a high mortality in the first 100 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at our institution, associated with advanced age and the presence of serious underlying diseases.


Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Body Mass Index , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Testing , Child , Clinical Laboratory Techniques , Comorbidity , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/drug therapy , Coronavirus Infections/mortality , Female , Fever/etiology , Follow-Up Studies , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Viral/drug therapy , Pneumonia, Viral/mortality , SARS-CoV-2 , Spain/epidemiology , Symptom Assessment , Time Factors , Young Adult , COVID-19 Drug Treatment
12.
Ann Cardiol Angeiol (Paris) ; 68(3): 187-194, 2019 Jun.
Article in French | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30704626

ABSTRACT

Regular physical exercice has undeniable cardiovascular benefits and improves life expectancy. This benefice seems limited to moderate intensity exercises. Intense and chronic physical exercice would lead to heart structural changes. For a long time, knowledge of these cardiac effects seemed limited to the left ventricle. Since more authors have shown that right ventricle is vulnerability to the effects of intense chronic training. We report a Gallavardin-type ventricular stress tachycardia in a young with healthy hearted; in whom a right infundibular arrhythmogenic focus has been found in the absence of structural alteration of the right ventricle. Intense athletic activity may reveal a latent arrhythmogenic focus through sympathetic activation. Ablation was the preferred therapeutic strategy, preferred to drug therapy and derived from an analysis of risk-benefit ratios.


Subject(s)
Sports/physiology , Tachycardia, Ventricular/physiopathology , Adult , Arrhythmias, Cardiac/diagnosis , Electrocardiography , Exercise Test , Female , Humans
13.
Sci Rep ; 6: 36283, 2016 11 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27808118

ABSTRACT

Apart from the overwhelming cases of allopolyploidization, the impact of speciation through homoploid hybridization is becoming more relevant than previously thought. Much less is known, however, about the impact of climate changes as a driven factor of speciation. To investigate these issues, we selected Festuca picoeuropeana, an hypothetical natural hybrid between the diploid species F. eskia and F. gautieri that occurs in two different mountain ranges (Cantabrian Mountains and Pyrenees) separated by more than 400 km. To unravel the outcomes of this mode of speciation and the impact of climate during speciation we used a multidisciplinary approach combining genome size and chromosome counts, data from an extensive nuclear genotypic analysis, plastid sequences and ecological niche models (ENM). Our results show that the same homoploid hybrid was originated independently in the two mountain ranges, being currently isolated from both parents and producing viable seeds. Parental species had the opportunity to contact as early as 21000 years ago although niche divergence occurs nowadays as result of a climate-driven shift. A high degree of niche divergence was observed between the hybrid and its parents and no recent introgression or backcrossed hybrids were detected, supporting the current presence of reproductive isolation barriers between these species.


Subject(s)
Climate Change , Festuca/genetics , Genetic Speciation , Ploidies , Diploidy , Festuca/classification , Genetic Variation , Genome, Plant/genetics , Geography , Hybridization, Genetic , Phylogeny , Polyploidy , Reproductive Isolation , Spain , Species Specificity
14.
Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis ; 35(6): 941-6, 2016 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26980094

ABSTRACT

Influenza virus infection remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality during winter seasons. Bacterial and virus co-infection is a commonly described situation in these patients. However, data on co-infection by influenza A and B viruses are lacking. In this study, we present the cases of co-infection by influenza A and B viruses during the winter season of 2014-2015 in our institution. We analyzed 2759 samples from 2111 patients and found that 625 samples corresponding to 609 patients were positive for influenza A or B virus. A total of 371 patients had influenza A, 228 had influenza B, and 10 (1.6 %) had influenza A and B virus detection in the same sample. The median age of co-infected patients was 78.6 years, and only one of the co-infected patients died because of the infection. Comparison with a control group of mono-infected patients revealed that co-infection was significantly associated with nosocomial acquisition [odds ratio (OR) = 4.5, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-19.25, p = 0.042]. However, co-infection was not associated with worse outcome, previous underlying condition, or vaccination status. Multivariate analysis revealed that co-infection was not an independent risk factor for death and that no single risk factor could predict co-infection.


Subject(s)
Coinfection , Influenza A virus , Influenza B virus , Influenza, Human/epidemiology , Influenza, Human/virology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Case-Control Studies , Comorbidity , Female , Humans , Influenza A virus/classification , Influenza A virus/genetics , Influenza B virus/classification , Influenza B virus/genetics , Influenza, Human/diagnosis , Influenza, Human/mortality , Length of Stay , Male , Middle Aged , Mortality , Odds Ratio , Patient Outcome Assessment , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors
15.
Anaerobe ; 37: 38-42, 2016 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26505927

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea in developed countries. Although an optimal diagnosis is crucial, laboratory diagnostics remain challenging. Currently, the reference methods are direct cytotoxicity assay and toxigenic culture; however there is controversy in the interpretation of discordant results of these tests. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine the clinical significance of detecting C. difficile only by toxigenic culture with a negative direct cytotoxicity assay. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study in which patients aged >2 years with CDI were enrolled and monitored at least 2 months after their last episode. Samples were tested by both cytotoxicity assay and toxigenic culture. RESULTS: During the 6-month study period, we identified 169 episodes meeting CDI criteria that had been tested by both assays, out of which 115 were positive for both cytotoxicity assay and toxigenic culture, and 54 CDI episodes (31.9%) were positive only by toxigenic culture. Overall, patients median age was 71.3, 50.9% were male and the most frequent underlying disease was malignancy. The comparison of CDI episodes positive for both assays and by toxigenic culture only revealed the following, respectively: mild CDI (77.4% vs 94.4%; p = 0.008), severe CDI (21.7% vs 5.6%; p = 0.008), severe complicated (0.9% vs 0.0%; p = 1.000), pseudomembranous colitis (1.7% vs 1.9% p = 1.000), recurrence (17.4% vs 14.8%; p = 0.825), overall mortality (8.7% vs 7.4%; p = 1.000) and CDI related mortality (2.6% vs 0%; p = 0.552). CONCLUSION: CDI episodes positive by cytotoxicity assay were more severe than those positive only by toxigenic culture, however there were a significant proportion of CDI cases (31.9%) that would have been missed if only cytotoxicity had been considered as clinically significant for CDI treatment, including severe CDI cases. Our data suggest that a positive test by toxigenic culture with a negative result for cytotoxicity should not be interpreted as colonization.


Subject(s)
Bacterial Typing Techniques/methods , Clostridioides difficile , Clostridium Infections/diagnosis , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cell Line , Clinical Laboratory Techniques/methods , Clostridioides difficile/growth & development , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies
16.
Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis ; 34(8): 1515-25, 2015 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25904126

ABSTRACT

A multicenter study of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) performed during 2008 in Spain revealed that two of every three episodes went undiagnosed or were misdiagnosed owing to nonsensitive diagnostic tests or lack of clinical suspicion and request. Since then, efforts have been made to improve the diagnostic tests used by laboratories and to increase the awareness of this disease among both clinicians and microbiologists. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of these efforts by assessing the current magnitude of underdiagnosis of CDI in Spain using two point-prevalence studies performed on one day each in January and July of 2013. A total of 111 Spanish laboratories selected all unformed stool specimens received for microbiological diagnosis on these days, and toxigenic culture was performed at a central reference laboratory. Toxigenic isolates were characterized both pheno- and genotypically. The reference laboratory detected 103 episodes of CDI in patients aged 2 years or more. Half (50.5 %) of the episodes were not diagnosed in the participating laboratories, owing to insensitive diagnostic tests (15.5 %) or the lack of clinical suspicion and request (35.0 %). The main ribotypes were 014, 078/126, 001/072, and 106. Ribotype 027 caused 2.9 % of all cases. Despite all the interventions undertaken, CDI remains a highly neglected disease because of the lack of sensitive diagnostic tests in some institutions and, especially, the absence of clinical suspicion, mainly in patients with community-associated CDI. Toxigenic C. difficile should be routinely sought in unformed stools sent for microbiological diagnosis, regardless of their origin.


Subject(s)
Awareness , Clostridioides difficile/isolation & purification , Clostridium Infections/diagnosis , Diagnostic Tests, Routine/methods , Diarrhea/chemically induced , Diarrhea/diagnosis , Laboratory Proficiency Testing , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Clostridium Infections/microbiology , Diagnostic Errors , Diarrhea/microbiology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Spain , Young Adult
17.
Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis ; 34(6): 1081-5, 2015 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25620782

ABSTRACT

Rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs) are immunoassays that produce results in 15 min or less, have low sensitivity (50 %), but high specificity (95 %). We studied the clinical impact and laboratory savings of a diagnostic algorithm for influenza infection using RADTs as a first-step technique during the influenza season. From January 15th to March 31st 2014, we performed a diagnostic algorithm for influenza infection consisting of an RADT for all respiratory samples received in the laboratory. We studied all the patients with positive results for influenza infection, dividing them into two groups: Group A with a negative RADT but positive reference tests [reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and/or culture] and Group B with an initial positive RADT. During the study period, we had a total of 1,156 patients with suspicion of influenza infection. Of them, 217 (19 %) had a positive result for influenza: 132 (11 %) had an initial negative RADT (Group A) and 85 (7 %) had a positive RADT (Group B). When comparing patients in Group A and Group B, we found significant differences, as follows: prescribed oseltamivir (67 % vs. 82 %; p = 0.02), initiation of oseltamivir before 24 h (89 % vs. 97 %; p = 0.03), antibiotics prescribed (89 % vs. 67 %; p = <0.01), intensive care unit (ICU) admissions after diagnosis (23 % vs. 14 %; p = 0.05), and need for supplementary oxygen (61 % vs. 47 %; p = 0.01). An influenza algorithm including RADTs as the first step improves the time of administration of proper antiviral therapy, reduces the use of antibiotics and ICU admissions, and decreases hospital costs.


Subject(s)
Algorithms , Diagnostic Tests, Routine/methods , Influenza, Human/diagnosis , Mass Screening/methods , Adult , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Cohort Studies , Diagnostic Tests, Routine/economics , Female , Hospital Costs , Humans , Influenza, Human/drug therapy , Male , Mass Screening/economics , Middle Aged
18.
Mol Phylogenet Evol ; 79: 92-105, 2014 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24952319

ABSTRACT

The fine-leaved Loliinae is one of the temperate grass lineages that is richest in number of evolutionary switches from perennial to annual life-cycle, and also shows one of the most complex reticulate patterns involving distinct diploid and allopolyploid lineages. Eight distinct annual lineages, that have traditionally been placed in the genus Vulpia and in other fine-leaved ephemeral genera, have apparently emerged from different perennial Festuca ancestors. The phenotypically similar Vulpia taxa have been reconstructed as polyphyletic, with polyploid lineages showing unclear relationships to their purported diploid relatives. Interspecific and intergeneric hybridization is, however, rampant across different lineages. An evolutionary analysis based on cloned nuclear low-copy GBSSI (Granule-Bound Starch Synthase I) and multicopy ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) sequences has been conducted on representatives of most Vulpia species and other fine-leaved lineages, using Bayesian consensus and agreement trees, networking split graphs and species tree-based approaches, to disentangle their phylogenetic relationships and to identify the parental genome donors of the allopolyploids. Both data sets were able to reconstruct a congruent phylogeny in which Vulpia was resolved as polyphyletic from at least three main ancestral diploid lineages. These, in turn, participated in the origin of the derived allopolyploid Vulpia lineages together with other Festuca-like, Psilurus-like and some unknown genome donors. Long-distance dispersal events were inferred to explain the polytopic origin of the Mediterranean and American Vulpia lineages.


Subject(s)
Evolution, Molecular , Gene Duplication , Poaceae/classification , Polyploidy , Bayes Theorem , DNA, Plant/genetics , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics , Phylogeny , Poaceae/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Starch Synthase/genetics
19.
Infection ; 41(6): 1203-4, 2013 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23649866

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Infections of the hand may be associated with lymphangitis and lymphadenitis. In most cases, bacterial infections are responsible but these may be also due to viral infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We describe a clinical case of a recurrent infection in the left thumb of a health male. Bacterial and viral cultures were performed. RESULTS: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 was isolated on viral culture and on direct fluorescent antibody testing; so, the final diagnosis was herpetic whitlow. CONCLUSIONS: Herpetic whitlow should be considered in cases of recurrent finger infections.


Subject(s)
Herpes Simplex/pathology , Herpes Simplex/virology , Herpesvirus 2, Human/isolation & purification , Thumb/pathology , Thumb/virology , Adult , Humans , Male
20.
Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis ; 32(2): 289-97, 2013 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22983402

ABSTRACT

Torque teno virus (TTV) and torque teno mini virus (TTMV) have been potentially related to liver diseases. The aim of the study was to quantify TTV and TTMV in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected patients to study the relationship between the TTV and TTMV viral loads and the severity of liver disease. We carried out a cross-sectional study in 245 patients coinfected with HIV and HCV (HIV/HCV-group), 114 patients monoinfected with HIV (HIV-group), and 100 healthy blood donors (Control-group). Plasma samples were tested for TTV and TTMV by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prevalences of TTV and TTMV infections in the HIV/HCV-group and the HIV-group were significantly higher than the Control-group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, TTV and TTMV coinfections were found in 92.2 % (226/245) in the HIV/HCV-group, 84.2 % (96/114) in the HIV-group, and 63 % (63/100 %) in the Control-group (p ≤ 0.05). HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with HIV viral load ≥50 copies/mL and patients with severe activity grade had the highest viral loads of TTV and TTMV (p ≤ 0.05). HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with high TTV load (>2.78 log copies/µL) had increased odds of having advanced fibrosis or severe necroinflammatory activity grade in the liver biopsy. Moreover, HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with high TTMV load (>1.88 log copies/µL) had decreased odds of having no/minimal fibrosis and no/mild activity grade, and increased odds of having a high fibrosis progression rate. In conclusion, TTV and TTMV might play a role in the development of liver disease in immunodeficiency patients, such as the patients coinfected with HIV and HCV.


Subject(s)
DNA Virus Infections/epidemiology , DNA Virus Infections/virology , HIV Infections/complications , Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications , Liver/pathology , Plasma/virology , Torque teno virus/isolation & purification , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Prevalence , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Retrospective Studies , Viral Load
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