Clinical and in vitro efficacy of colistin plus vancomycin and rifampin against colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii causing ventilator-associated pneumonia

We present the case of a patient with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by a pan-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii successfully treated with the combination colistin plus vancomycin plus rifampin, whose in vitro activity was investigated by checkerboard method and killing testing. Furthermore, the serum bactericidal activity (SBA) was assessed. Our case shows that an innovative regimen consisting of colistin plus antimicrobials active only against Gram-positive microorganisms might represent a valid therapeutic option for severe infections caused by colistin-resistant A. baumannii

Chemical and antimicrobial analyses of Sideritis romana L. subsp. purpurea (Tal. ex Benth.) Heywood, an endemic of the Western Balkan

A comprehensive study on essential oil and different solvent extracts of Sideritis romana L. subsp. purpurea (Tal. ex Benth.) Heywood (Lamiaceae) from Montenegro is reported. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the essential oil revealed a total of 43 components with bicyclogermacrene (23.8%), germacrene D (8%), (E)-caryophyllene (7.9%) and spathulenol (5.5%) as the major ones. Sesquiterpenoid group was found to be the most dominant one (64.8%), with 19.9% of the oxygenated forms. In the crude methanol extract of the investigated plant, obtained by Sohhlet exraction, the total phenol content was 14.7 ± 0.4 mg of GA/g, the total flavonoids were 0.29 ± 0.03% expressed as hyperoside percentage, whereas the total tannins content was 0.22 ± 0.04% expressed as pyrogallol percentage. For the antimicrobial activity determination, the following microorganisms have been used: methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA (American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 29213)) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA (clinical strain)), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), carbapenem-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae (clinical strain), carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (clinical strain) and Candida albicans (ATCC 14053). The essential oil showed high potency against MSSA and MRSA, both at high (~5 × 10 5 CFU/mL) and low (~5 × 10 3 CFU/mL) inoculum. With respect to MSSA, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value was 0.307 mg/mL, with bactericidal activity obtained at 0.615 mg/mL, while, in the case of MRSA, the MIC and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were 0.076 and 0.153 mg/mL, respectively. Regarding anti-Candida albicans activity, the MIC value was 2.46 mg/mL without reaching fungicidal activity. In addition to the observed essential oil efficacy, different solvent extracts were analyzed for their antimicrobial activity. Similarly to the essential oil, thehighest efficacy was observed against both MSSA and MRSA strains, at high and low inoculums, in the case of the 1,2-dichloroethane and methanol extracts. A potent fungicidal activity has been also found for the n-hexane and 1,2-dichloroethane extracts. It can be concluded that Sideritis romana L. subsp. purpurea (Tal. ex Benth.) Heywood provides a wide range of application in different fields such as phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology or pharmacognosy

Gastro-oesophageal reflux and "epileptic" attacks: casually associated or related? Efficiency of antireflux surgery. A case report

Although a possible link between gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and obstructive sleeping apnoea has already been reported in the literature, there has never been any suggestion of an association with epilepsy, and epileptic attacks have not so far been included among gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms. We report the case of a patient with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease associated with a sliding hiatus hernia, a short oesophagus and oesophagitis, who for the last ten years had not only presented the typical symptoms of gastrooesophageal reflux, but also symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea and epileptic-like attacks occurring occasionally and only during sleep. Partial posterior fundoplication was performed and considerably reduced the reflux symptoms, and in addition brought about a drastic decrease in the number of epileptic-like attacks. Our case suggests that epileptic-like episodes in patients with obstructive sleeping apnoea may well be linked to the simultaneous presence of GORD associated with hiatus hernia, and surgical treatment of GORD may bring about an improvement of the neurological problems

Clinical and in vitro efficacy of colistin plus vancomycin and rifampin against colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii causing ventilator-associated pneumonia

We present the case of a patient with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by a pan-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii successfully treated with the combination colistin plus vancomycin plus rifampin, whose in vitro activity was investigated by checkerboard method and killing testing. Furthermore, the serum bactericidal activity (SBA) was assessed. Our case shows that an innovative regimen consisting of colistin plus antimicrobials active only against Gram-positive microorganisms might represent a valid therapeutic option for severe infections caused by colistin-resistant A. baumannii

Severe bloodstream infection due to KPC-producer e coli in a renal transplant recipient treated with the double-carbapenem regimen and analysis of in vitro synergy testing a case report

Transplant recipients are at high risk of infections caused by multidrug resistant microorganisms. Due to the limited thera- peutic options, innovative antimicrobial combinations against carbape- nem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae causing severe infections are necessary. A 61-year-old woman with a history of congenital solitary kidney underwent renal transplantation. The postoperative course was compli- cated by nosocomial pneumonia due to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and pan-sensitive Escherichia coli, successfully treated with antimicrobial therapy. On postoperative day 22, diagnosis of surgical site infection and nosocomial pneumonia with concomitant bacteremia due to a Kle- bisella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producer E coli was made. The patient was treated with the double-carbapenem regimen (high dose of merope- nem plus ertapenem) and a potent synergistic and bactericidal activity of this un-conventional therapeutic strategy was observed in vitro. Despite a microbiological response with prompt negativity of blood cultures, the patient faced a worse outcome because of severe hemorrhagic shock. The double-carbapenem regimen might be considered as a rescue therapy in those subjects, including transplant recipients, in whom previous antimicrobial combinations failed or when colistin use might be discouraged. Performing in vitro synergy testing should be strongly encouraged in cases of infections caused by pan-drug resistant strains, especially in high-risk patients

Sense of smell in chronic rhinosinusitis: A multicentric study on 811 patients

Introduction: The impairment of the sense of smell is often related to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with or without nasal polyps (CRSwNP, CRSsNP). CRSwNP is a frequent condition that drastically worsens the quality of life of those affected; it has a higher prevalence than CRSsNP. CRSwNP patients experience severe loss of smell with earlier presentation and are more likely to experience recurrence of their symptoms, often requiring revision surgery. Methods: The present study performed a multicentric data collection, enrolling 811 patients with CRS divided according to the inflammatory endotype (Type 2 and non-Type 2). All patients were referred for nasal endoscopy for the assessment of nasal polyposis using nasal polyp score (NPS); Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test were performed to measure olfactory function, and SNOT-22 (22-item sinonasal outcome test) questionnaire was used to assess patients' quality of life; allergic status was evaluated with skin prick test and nasal cytology completed the evaluation when available. Results: Data showed that Type 2 inflammation is more common than non-type 2 (656 patients versus 155) and patients suffer from worse quality of life and nasal polyp score. Moreover, 86.1% of patients with Type 2 CRSwNP were affected by a dysfunction of the sense of smell while it involved a lesser percentage of non-Type 2 patients. Indeed, these data give us new information about type-2 inflammation patients' characteristics. Discussion: The present study confirms that olfactory function weights on patients' QoL and it represents an important therapeutic goal that can also improve patients' compliance when achieved. In a future - and present - perspective of rhinological precision medicine, an impairment of the sense of smell could help the clinician to characterize patients better and to choose the best treatment available

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Introduzione

Introduzione al volume "Il sociologo, le sirene e gli avatar" che è è dedicato al rapporto tra ricerca qualitativa e nuove tecnologie (Web 2.0 in particolare). Se la Rete ha favorito la contaminazione tra pratiche di ricerca di taglio “qualitativo” e “quantitativo”, complessità e caratteristiche della Rete pongono i sociologi di fronte alla necessità di inventare nuovi paradigmi o adeguare quelli già esistenti

La medicina specialistica: una panoramica europea

This essay aims at delivering an overview of the European organization of the secondary care, namely that provided by specialist doctors. For this purpose five countries have been analyzed: France, German, United Kingdom, Sweden and Spain, adding also a brief mention to the Italian situation. Starting from a widespread needing of reforming the healthcare systems in order to match both the economic, epidemiologic and technologic challenges, this work outline the general transition towards models which tend to privilege the territorial services and the home care, empowering the primary care, in which several health professionals, and among them also specialist doctors, are called to work, guaranteeing also the continuity through the whole healthcare pattern of patients

La medicina specialistica: una panoramica europea

This essay aims at delivering an overview of the European organization of the secondary care, namely that provided by specialist doctors. For this purpose five countries have been analyzed: France, German, United Kingdom, Sweden and Spain, adding also a brief mention to the Italian situation. Starting from a widespread needing of reforming the healthcare systems in order to match both the economic, epidemiologic and technologic challenges, this work outline the general transition towards models which tend to privilege the territorial services and the home care, empowering the primary care, in which several health professionals, and among them also specialist doctors, are called to work, guaranteeing also the continuity through the whole healthcare pattern of patients