[Community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia]. / Pneumopathie communautaire à Acinetobacter Baumannii.

We report two cases of community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia. Although most infections occur in hospitalized patients, a few cases of community-acquired pneumonia have been described. This disease occurs predominantly in men, and is often associated with underlying conditions such as cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus, and chronic pulmonary diseases. Community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia cases are generally reported from tropical areas, especially during wet season. Microbiological identification in blood or sputum can be difficult because of frequent misinterpretation and possible confusion with Staphylococcus or Haemophilus infuenzae or neisseriae. Early antibiotherapy is required because of the fulminant clinical course, with approximatively 50% fatality rate.

Nosocomial infections in a thirteen-bed critical care unit in Matinique: epidemiology and cost analysis - abstract

The aim of our study was to analyse the problems caused by nosocomial infections (NI) in our intensive care unit (ICU). 239 patients admitted between January and June 1995 were included in the study. 33 episodes of nosocomial infection were diagnosed in 19 patients (7.9 percent). The overall incidence of NI was 13.9 percent. Lower respiratory tract infections were the most common (6.3 percent). Patients infected on admission to the ICU had more NI than other patients (odds ratio = 3.42, 95 percent confidence interval 3.28 - 4.52, p< 0.05). Gram negative bacteria were involved in 73.2 percent of NI. Acinetobacter baumanii and Peudomonas aeruginosa were responsible, respectively, for 22.4 percent and 25.4 percent of NI. The additional cost due to NI was 33 percent for laboratory investigations and 34 percent for antibiotics. After analysis of our results, our recommendations are a cautious use of antibiotics, more efficient diagnostic tools and particular care in preventing cross contamination of our mostly severely ill or infected patients. (AU)

10-year educational programme aimed at rheumatic fever in two French Caribbean islands.

BACKGROUND: In less developed countries, rheumatic fever still occurs. We started a long-term educational programme in two French Caribbean islands that was directed at the public and at health-care workers to see whether we could reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever. METHODS: Our 10-year programme started in 1981 in Martinique and Guadeloupe, and was based in the community and in clinics and hospitals. The programme established a registry of all cases of primary and secondary rheumatic fever (diagnosed by Jones' modified criteria), with systematic hospital admission of children. We graded carditis as severe, mild, or subclinical, and acute glomerulonephritis was defined by oedema, proteinuria, and haematuria for less than 3 months. The educational part of the programme targeted the public and health-care workers, including doctors, with written information distributed in schools or via radio and television broadcasts or videotapes. For the public, the benign clinical presentation of the initial streptococcal infection was contrasted with the severity of later heart disease. FINDINGS: The first months of the programme led to a 10-20% increase in the number of rheumatic fever cases admitted to hospital, because of the renewed attention paid to the disease. Therefore we took 1982 as the baseline year. In 1982-83 the incidence of rheumatic fever was 19.6 per 100 000 inhabitants aged under 20 in Martinique, and 17.4 per 100 000 in Guadeloupe. In 100 Martinique children and 97 Guadeloupe children in 1982-83, 40 and 71% had carditis, respectively (severe in 10 and 32%). Rheumatic fever was preceded by symptomatic sore throat in 52 and 41% of cases, respectively. The disease was not seen in children with active streptococcal cutaneous infections. Disease frequency was highest in the poorest areas and families, a finding that persisted over time. The programme was associated with a progressive decline in the frequency of rheumatic fever: final reduction of 78% in Martinique and 74% in Guadeloupe. The frequency of carditis also fell. Apart from two outbreaks in one hospital, the frequency of acute glomerulonephritis also declined; 31% of cases had had sore throat, while 56% had skin infections. The cost of the programme during the 4 most intensive years was FFr 250 000 (US$ 44 500) in each island. The cost of childhood rheumatic fever, excluding late sequelae, was initially (in 1982) about FFr 7.8 million (US$ 1426 000). The cost fell to an average of Ffr 550 000 (US$ 100 000) per year in 1991-92. INTERPRETATION: A rapid decline in rheumatic fever incidence was achieved at modest cost. Such a programme needs to be continued because of the risk of disease resurgence.

[Acute rheumatic fever in Martinique. Epidemiological, clinical and biological study]. / Le rhumatisme articulaire aigu en Martinique. Etude épidémiologique, clinique et biologique.

An epidemiological and clinical survey of rheumatic fever was carried out in Martinique. The clinical manifestations, portal of entry and socio-economic facilitating factors appeared to be the same as those observed in metropolitan France when the disease occurred with a similar frequency. The prevalence and severity of rheumatic fever in Martinique are still high (in 1982, 49 new cases in a population of 300,000, including 12 with severe carditis), but they tend to diminish as the eradication campaign goes on. The reasons for the persistence of the disease and the problems encountered in the eradication campaign are discussed in the light of epidemiological data collected during the last 3 years.