Data-Driven Prediction for COVID-19 Severity in Hospitalized Patients.

Clinicians urgently need reliable and stable tools to predict the severity of COVID-19 infection for hospitalized patients to enhance the utilization of hospital resources and supplies. Published COVID-19 related guidelines are frequently being updated, which impacts its utilization as a stable go-to resource for informing clinical and operational decision-making processes. In addition, many COVID-19 patient-level severity prediction tools that were developed during the early stages of the pandemic failed to perform well in the hospital setting due to many challenges including data availability, model generalization, and clinical validation. This study describes the experience of a large tertiary hospital system network in the Middle East in developing a real-time severity prediction tool that can assist clinicians in matching patients with appropriate levels of needed care for better management of limited health care resources during COVID-19 surges. It also provides a new perspective for predicting patients' COVID-19 severity levels at the time of hospital admission using comprehensive data collected during the first year of the pandemic in the hospital. Unlike many previous studies for a similar population in the region, this study evaluated 4 machine learning models using a large training data set of 1386 patients collected between March 2020 and April 2021. The study uses comprehensive COVID-19 patient-level clinical data from the hospital electronic medical records (EMR), vital sign monitoring devices, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines. The data were collected, prepared, and leveraged by a panel of clinical and data experts to develop a multi-class data-driven framework to predict severity levels for COVID-19 infections at admission time. Finally, this study provides results from a prospective validation test conducted by clinical experts in the hospital. The proposed prediction framework shows excellent performance in concurrent validation (n=462 patients, March 2020-April 2021) with highest discrimination obtained with the random forest classification model, achieving a macro- and micro-average area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of 0.83 and 0.87, respectively. The prospective validation conducted by clinical experts (n=185 patients, April-May 2021) showed a promising overall prediction performance with a recall of 78.4-90.0% and a precision of 75.0-97.8% for different severity classes.

Clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes of human brucellosis at a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Brucellosis, which has profound public health and economic consequences, is endemic to Saudi Arabia. Brucella is transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected animals or by consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. Manifestations of brucellosis are protean and require a combination of drugs to prevent the emergence of resistance. The WHO recommends the use of doxycycline with rifampicin or an aminoglycoside for brucellosis, but experts in Saudi Arabia prefer to avoid the use of rifampicin and aminoglycosides to lessen the possibility of emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis. OBJECTIVES: Compare rifampicin and doxycycline in the treatment of human brucellosis versus various combinations of doxycycline, with either trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole), quinolones or aminoglycosides, and describe the clinical manifestations of brucellosis. DESIGN: Retrospective medical record review. SETTING: Single tertiary care center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Diagnosis of brucellosis was based on positive serology by standard agglutination test (SAT), or isolation by culture of Brucella species from blood, body fluid or tissue. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cure rate with the use of doxycycline in combination with either co-trimoxazole, quinolone or aminoglyco-sides in comparison to doxycycline/rifampicin and the clinical features of brucellosis. SAMPLE SIZE: 123. RESULTS: In 118 (96%) patients, the median IgG/IgM antibody titers at diagnosis and at 6 and 12 months were 1:1280/1:1280, 1:640/1:640, and 1:320/1:160, respectively. There were no differences in outcome between treatment regimens, as evidenced by a significant decrease in SAT titers and symptom resolution within six months. Five (4%) patients relapsed from non-adherence to treatment, but responded well to a second course of treatment. Blood cultures were positive in 50 patients (41%) patients. Fever, arthralgia and back pain were the most common symptoms. Good serological and clinical responses were achieved in 96% of patients. Relapse in 4% (n=5) was due to self-reported non-adherence. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective, relatively small sample size. CONCLUSIONS: Doxycycline with co-trimoxazole is as efficacious as doxycycline/rifampicin in non-focal brucellosis and is preferred in countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.

Nocardiosis at an Organ Transplant Center in Saudi Arabia: 15 years' experience.

BACKGROUND: Nocardiosis is a rare infection that affects immunocompromised patients on immunosuppressive medications used for transplantation and cancer therapy. Such therapies are becoming more widely available in the Middle East region. Yet, reports on nocardiosis are scarce. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of patients who were diagnosed with nocardiosis from 2004 to 2018 at a transplantation and cancer center. Nocardiosis were defined per the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria. RESULTS: During the study period, 35 patients with nocardiosis (male: 68.5%) were identified. The most common underlying associated condition was transplantation 11 (31.4%), followed by malignancy 7 (20%), connective tissue disease and sarcoidosis 7 (20%), chronic lung disease 5 (14%), miscellaneous conditions 4 (11%), and one patient with human immunodeficiency virus. Nocardia was disseminated in 8 patients (22.9%) and isolated in 27 (77.1%); the latter included 13 patients (37.1%) with bronchial form, 11 (31.4%) with isolated visceral form, and 3 (8.6%) with cutaneous form. Pulmonary involvement occurred in 90% of the cases with cough, fever, and dyspnea being the most common symptoms. The main strain isolate was Nocardia asteroides, and the cure rate was 90%. Mortality related to nocardiosis occurred in 3 transplant patients (8.6%). CONCLUSION: Wider use of immunosuppressive therapy warrants vigilance to nocardiosis, which can present in a myriad of clinical forms. In our series, mortality was confined to the transplantation group, probably because of the relatively heavy immunosuppression. Nonetheless, prognosis is favorable if the infection is recognized and treated early.

Successful Use of Rifamycin-Sparing Regimens for the Treatment of Active Tuberculosis in Lung Transplant Recipients.

OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis is an important opportunist infection that can complicate the posttransplant course of solid-organ transplant recipients. Lung transplant recipients are at higher risk of tuberculosis after transplant than are other solid-organ transplant recipients. Significant drug-drug interactions between antituberculous medications, especially rifampin, and immunosuppressant medications render treatment in this patient population especially challenging. Data on the management of tuberculosis in lung transplant recipients with rifamycin-sparing regimens are so far limited. Therefore, we evaluated the incidence, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of active tuberculosis in lung transplant patients from a single center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cases of active tuberculosis in lung transplant recipients diagnosed between January 2005 and December 2017 at our center were included. Data on patient demographics, clinical presentations, diagnosis, treatment regimens, and outcomes were collected. RESULTS: Seven of 133 lung transplant recipients (5.3%) were diagnosed with active tuberculosis during the study period, corresponding to an incidence rate of 2147/100 000 person-years. Patients were diagnosed at median time of 94 days posttransplant. Fever and weight loss were the most common presenting symptoms. All patients were initially treated with a regimen consisting of isoniazid, ethambutol, pyrazinamide, and moxifloxacin. Isoniazid was later substituted with rifabutin in 2 patients with isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis. All patients were treated for a total of 9 to 12 months, without any adverse event-related interruptions. All patients were alive at 12 months after the diagnosis of tuberculosis. There was no evidence of relapse in any of the patients after a median of 32 (range, 9-51) months of follow-up after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Rifamycin-sparing regimens appear to be safe and highly efficacious in the treatment of active tuberculosis in lung transplant recipients.

Family cluster of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

We describe the clinical and genetic characteristics of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in a family cluster in the western region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia diagnosed between 2012 and 2016. All cases had risk factors for tuberculosis acquisition and they were not household contacts of the index case. Genetic analysis detected both MDR-TB and pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR TB) strains in the index case and confirmed tuberculosis transmission between two cases. Lack of early diagnosis of MDR-TB by molecular testing and lack of extended contact tracing contributed to the transmission of MDR-TB among this family cluster over four years.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in living donor transplanted livers and donor-related tuberculosis in recipients: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA has been detected in multiple organs in people without active tuberculosis or a history of tuberculosis. Molecular testing for metabolic activity has suggested that M tuberculosis DNA represents viable bacilli. Whether transplanted organs with M tuberculosis DNA can result in tuberculosis in recipients has not been assessed. METHODS: Biopsies obtained at the time of living donor liver transplantation were tested for the presence of M tuberculosis DNA using in situ PCR. The cohort of recipients was longitudinally followed for the development of tuberculosis. RESULTS: Living donor liver transplantation was performed for 270 patients. Mean age was 33 years (median: 41 years, range: 1-80 years). Recipients were followed for a mean of 68 months (median: 72 months, range: 1-138 months) after transplantation. Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA was detected in 25 of 155 donated livers (16%) with liver biopsies available for testing. None of the recipients of these livers received tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis and only one (4%) developed tuberculosis 15 months after transplantation. Among the entire cohort of 270 patients, post-transplant tuberculosis was diagnosed in four patients (1.48%) at an incidence rate of 2.61 cases per 1000 transplant-years. No factors associated with developing tuberculosis were identified, including positive M tuberculosis DNA in transplanted livers. CONCLUSIONS: Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in living donor transplanted livers did not result in tuberculosis despite post-transplant immunosuppression.

Pneumocystis jiroveci Pneumonia in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: To describe the clinical presentations, treatment regimen, and outcomes of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) among immunocompromised patients at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of PJP were included. RESULTS: During the study, 42 patients with confirmed PJP were identified. Twenty (48%) patients were HIV-infected, while 22 (52%) were HIV negative. The median T-cell count (CD 4 ) was below 50 cells/mL in HIV patients with PJP at the time of HIV and PJP diagnoses. Graft rejection, cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation, and lymphopenia were associated with the development of PJP in transplant recipients; and high-dose steroids for non-transplant patients. The all-cause mortality at 90 days was lower in individuals with HIV-related PJP, compared to those with other predisposing conditions (10% and 32%, respectively; P=0.085). No specific risk factors were independently associated with the increased risk of mortality. CONCLUSION: PJP remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients, with a higher mortality rate reported in non-HIV patients.

The Saudi Thoracic Society guidelines for diagnosis and management of noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

This is the first guideline developed by the Saudi Thoracic Society for the diagnosis and management of noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Local experts including pulmonologists, infectious disease specialists, thoracic surgeons, respiratory therapists, and others from adult and pediatric departments provided the best practice evidence recommendations based on the available international and local literature. The main objective of this guideline is to utilize the current published evidence to develop recommendations about management of bronchiectasis suitable to our local health-care system and available resources. We aim to provide clinicians with tools to standardize the diagnosis and management of bronchiectasis. This guideline targets primary care physicians, family medicine practitioners, practicing internists and respiratory physicians, and all other health-care providers involved in the care of the patients with bronchiectasis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis in solid organ transplantation: incidence before and after expanded isoniazid prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: The risk of tuberculosis is increased in solid organ transplantation. Rates remain high in developed and developing countries. We developed protocols to better identify transplant recipients at risk of tuberculosis and initiate interventions to prevent tuberculosis. OBJECTIVES: Report tuberculosis incidence in solid-organ transplant recipients and the results of expanded isoniazid prophylaxis in deceased-donor renal transplantation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study, comparing two time periods. SETTING: Large transplantation center in a WHO-medium endemicity country for tuberculosis. METHODS: In a cohort of all solid-organ transplant recipients performed between 2003 and 2012, tuberculosis-free transplantation follow-up is used for incidence calculation. Rates of tuberculosis in renal transplant recipients are compared before and after implementation of expanded isoniazid prophylaxis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Active tuberculosis post-transplantation. RESULTS: Of 1966 solid-organ transplant recipients (kidney: 1391, liver: 426, heart: 114, lung: 35), 20 recipients (1.02%) developed tuberculosis. Twelve cases (60%) developed tuberculosis within one year of transplantation. The incidence was 248 cases per 100 000 transplant-years. The proportion of transplant recipients (incidence of tuberculosis per 100 000 transplant-years) for specific organs were kidney 0.58% (127), liver 1.88% (594), heart: 1.75% (570), and lung 5.71% (4750). In the survival analysis, lung transplant recipients had significantly higher rates of tuberculosis compared to recipients of kidneys from living donors (P=.0001) with a rate ratio of 45.3 (95% CI: 7-313). Mortality was 5% among tuberculosis patients. After implementing expanded isoniazid prophylaxis among deceased-donor kidney recipients, no tuberculosis occurred in 177 recipients, compared to 3 out of 155 (2%) recipients before implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of tuberculosis among our solid transplant recipients are decreasing. Universal iso-niazid prophylaxis in transplant recipients could reduce transplant-associated tuberculosis in endemic areas. LIMITATIONS: Donor data on tuberculosis exposure and prevention and tuberculosis prevention efforts before referral to our center are not available for all patients.

Diagnostic potential of interferon-gamma release assay to detect latent tuberculosis infection in kidney transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) is screened by using clinical assessment, tuberculin skin test (TST), chest radiography, and recently by interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of QuantiFERON® -TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT) for diagnosing LTBI in patients planned for kidney transplantation. METHODS: All adult patients with end-stage renal disease, evaluated for kidney transplantation in a referral center from August 2008 till May 2013, were enrolled, after consenting in a prospective, observational, non-interventional study. LTBI diagnosis was conducted by TST, chest x-ray, and clinical assessment, followed by IGRA by QFT. RESULTS: Overall, 278 patients were enrolled and kidney transplantation was performed in 173 patients. Contributed follow-up was 836.5 patient-years, and TB-free transplant duration was 478.5 patient-years. By standard methods, LTBI was diagnosed in 14 patients. Peri-transplant chemoprophylaxis was given to 53 patients, which included recipients of organs from all deceased donors and living donors with LTBI. QFT was positive in 70 patients, negative in 200 patients, and indeterminate in 8 patients. The agreement between LTBI diagnosis using standard methods and IGRA by QFT was poor (kappa: 0.089+0.046, P-value=.017). Twenty-seven of the QFT-positive patients were transplanted and only one was given isoniazid preventive therapy. None of the transplant recipients developed TB after a median follow-up of 25 months (range 2-58 months, mean 27 months). CONCLUSIONS: The agreement of the QFT with standard diagnosis of LTBI in kidney transplant recipients was poor.

Successful treatment of multi-focal XDR tuberculous osteomyelitis.

We herein describe the nosocomial transmission of a pre-XDR or MDR case of pulmonary tuberculosis in a HIV-negative health care worker in an area endemic for MDR and XDR tuberculosis. Following inadequate therapy and non-compliance, he presented with extra-pulmonary XDR tuberculosis in the form of multi-focal osteomyelitis and encysted pleural effusion. He was cured after two years of treatment with various anti-tuberculous drugs in addition to interferon gamma.

Viral hepatitis B and C in HIV-infected patients in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis B and C are among the leading causes of death in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Prevalence data on viral hepatitis B and C in HIV-infected people in the region of Middle East and North Africa are scarce. We report the prevalence of viral hepatitis B and C in HIV-infected patients in Saudi Arabia. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Data on all HIV patients who attended HIV Program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were kept longitudinally. For the purpose of this report, patients enrolled in the program between January 1985 and December 2010 were included. METHODS: Data on all HIV patients who received HIV care at age 18 and older between January 1985 and December 2010 were collected. Data were collected from patients' charts at our medical records department and electronically from the electronic health records and HIV database. We excluded patients who were de.ceased prior to completing work-up, lost follow-up, or acquired HIV perinatally. RESULTS: Among 341 HIV-infected patients, hepatitis C infection was found in 41 (12%) patients. The commonest risk factor for hepatitis C virus and HIV acquisition was blood/blood product transfusion in 24 (60%) patients, of these 21 (88%) were hemophiliacs, followed by heterosexual transmission in 9 (22%) patients. The commonest genotype was genotype 1 observed in 18 patients (44%) followed by genotype 4 in 6 (15%) patients. Hepatitis B surface antigen was found in 11 (3%) patients. The commonest risk factor for hepatitis B virus and HIV acquisition was heterosexual transmission in 8 (73%) patients, followed by blood/blood product transfusion in 2 (18%) patients. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus infections are, respectively,10 and 20 times higher among HIV-infected patients than in the general population.

HIV-Care Outcome in Saudi Arabia; a Longitudinal Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Clinical characteristics of HIV-1 infection in people inhabiting Western, Sub-Saharan African, and South-East Asian countries are well recognized. However, very little information is available with regard to HIV-1 infection and treatment outcome in MENA countries including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. METHODS: Clinical, demographic and epidemiologic characteristics of 602 HIV-1 infected patients followed in the adult Infectious Diseases Clinic of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a tertiary referral center were longitudinally collected from 1989 to 2010. RESULTS: Of the 602 HIV-1 infected patients in this observation period, 70% were male. The major mode of HIV-1 transmission was heterosexual contact (55%). At diagnosis, opportunistic infections were found in 49% of patients, most commonly being pneumocysitis. AIDS associated neoplasia was also noted in 6% of patients. A hundred and forty-seven patients (24%) died from the cohort by the end of the observation period. The mortality rate peaked in 1992 at 90 deaths per 1000 person-year, whereas the mortality rate gradually decreased to <1% from 1993-2010. In 2010, 71% of the patients were receiving highly active retroviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: These data describe the clinical characteristic of HIV-1-infected patients at a major tertiary referral hospital in KSA over a 20-year period. Initiation of antiretroviral therapy resulted in a significant reduction in both morbidity and mortality. Future studies are needed in the design and implementation of targeted treatment and prevention strategies for HIV-1 infection in KSA.

HIV-associated nephropathy in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is the most common cause of chronic renal failure in HIV patients with African descent. It usually presents with proteinuria, enlarged kidneys, and rapidly progressive renal failure, often over several weeks to months. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of HIVAN in our HIV population. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Cross-sectional observational study in a referral center covering the period of 1990- 2010. METHODS: Proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) were used to identify renal disease and suspicious cases of HIVAN with abnormal proteinuria and e-GFR of < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. RESULTS: Of 585 HIV-positive patients, 248 were eligible to inclusion criteria. Most of the patients were male, that is, 165 (67%) were male compared to 83 (33%) female with the mean age 39 years; 240 (96.7%) were on antiretroviral therapy. Thirty (12%) patients had abnormal proteinuria and 218 (88%) had normal urinary protein and e-GFR. No significant differences were observed in demographic data, CD4+ T-lymphocyte count, viral load, creatinine level, and e-GFR among both groups. Significant differences were observed in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the abnormal proteinuria group (10 patients [33.3%] compared to 30 patients [13.8%] in the normal group (P=.0139) and the prevalence of hypertension in the abnormal proteinuria group (11 patients [36.7%] compared to 22 patients [10%] in the normal group (P=.002). Sixteen patients (6.6% of the cohort) met the study definition of HIVAN. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of abnormal proteinuria and HIVAN among HIV-infected patients in Saudi Arabia is higher than that of non-African patients in developed countries.

Mycobacterium abscessus peritonitis associated with laparoscopic gastric banding.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium abscessus is a rapidly growing Mycobacterium that is a common water contaminant in the environment. We report a case of M. abscessus infection with band erosion following laparoscopic gastric banding. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old woman developed insidiously progressing abdominal distension over a period of 1 year associated with abdominal pain, fatigue, night sweating and anorexia 4 years after laparoscopic gastric banding for obesity. Investigation revealed significant ascites with caseating granuloma in peritoneal biopsies from which M. abscessus was isolated. Band erosion with infection and multiple abdominal adhesions were confirmed during laparoscopic removal of the gastric band. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of M. abscessus infection after laparoscopic gastric banding surgery. We discuss the possible sources of infection, its indolent presentation, and therapeutic challenges. CONCLUSION: It is important to consider environmentally acquired infection in patients with signs and symptoms of infection in the presence of surgical prosthesis.

Epidemiology of antituberculosis drug resistance in Saudi Arabia: findings of the first national survey.

The real magnitude of antituberculosis (anti-TB) drug resistance in Saudi Arabia is still unknown because the available data are based on retrospective laboratory studies that were limited to hospitals or cities. A representative national survey was therefore conducted to investigate the levels and patterns of anti-TB drug resistance and explore risk factors. Between August 2009 and July 2010, all culture-positive TB patients diagnosed in any of the tuberculosis reference laboratories of the country were enrolled. Isolates obtained from each patient were tested for susceptibility to first-line anti-TB drugs by the automated Bactec MGIT 960 method. Of the 2,235 patients enrolled, 75 cases (3.4%) were lost due to culture contamination and 256 (11.5%) yielded nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Finally, 1,904 patients (85.2% of those enrolled) had available drug susceptibility testing results. Monoresistance to streptomycin (8.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.2 to 9.1), isoniazid (5.4%; 95% CI, 4.7 to 6.2), rifampin (1%; 95% CI, 0.7 to 1.3) and ethambutol (0.8%; 95% CI, 0.5 to 1.2) were observed. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) was found in 1.8% (95% CI, 1.4 to 2.4) and 15.9% (95% CI, 15.4 to 16.5) of new and previously treated TB cases, respectively. A treatment history of active TB, being foreign-born, having pulmonary TB, and living in the Western part of the country were the strongest independent predictors of MDR-TB. Results from the first representative national anti-TB drug resistance survey in Saudi Arabia suggest that the proportion of MDR-TB is relatively low, though there is a higher primary drug resistance. A strengthened continuous surveillance system to monitor trends over time and second-line anti-TB drug resistance as well as implementation of innovative control measures, particularly among immigrants, is warranted.

Natural course of epilepsy concomitant with CNS tuberculomas.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is relatively common in CNS tuberculomas, but its natural course is unclear. AIM: To determine the prevalence and prognosis of epilepsy in patients with seizures related to CNS tuberculomas. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with CNS tuberculomas who presented at our institution between 1983 and 2001. RESULTS: Seizures occurred in 22 of 93 (23.6%) of the patients with CNS tuberculomas. These patients were treated with standard antituberculous therapy for a period varying between 6 and 20 months. Sixty-three out of 93 patients were cured of tuberculosis, and 21 of the 63 (33%) who had concomitant epilepsy became seizure-free. TB recurred in 3 patients, and 1 out of 22 who had concomitant epilepsy continued to have seizures; 3 died and 24 were lost to follow-up. Anti-epileptic medications were discontinued after completion of the anti-TB course. CONCLUSION: Seizures are commonly associated with CNS tuberculomas and most often resolve after successful treatment of the underlying CNS tuberculosis.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 in two Saudi families.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2), the second retrovirus that causes the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans, is limited in its distribution to West Africa. We report cases in two Saudi families with HIV-2 infection and AIDS, resulting in death of the index cases-the husbands, while the wives and a daughter were maintained on antiretroviral therapy. When HIV viral loads were undetectable in initial assays, further testing confirmed the presence of HIV-2. In the first family, the 30-year-old wife was found to be HIV-positive after the diagnosis in her 30-year-old husband, who later died with AIDS. In the second family, HIV-2 infection was diagnosed in the 50-year-old wife and 18-year-old daughter of a man who had died of AIDS at the age of 48 years. Recognizing HIV-2 infection is essential for appropriate workup, assessment, therapy and care of the pregnant woman.

Evolution of tigecycline resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae in a single patient.

Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae infections carry serious clinical and infection-control implications. Isolates possessing such hydrolyzing enzymes have been described in the United States and around the world. Besides being resistant to carbapenems, they usually confer resistance to fluoroquinolones, piperacillin-tazobactam, and extended-spectrum cephalosporins. Tigecycline demonstrates in vitro activity against these organisms, but reported resistance raises concern about tigecycline use for these infections. We describe a carbapenemase-producing K pneumoniae evolving resistance to tigecycline in a 75-year-old male after a prolonged stay in a critical care unit.