What happened to infectious diseases and anti-infective therapy in 2020 beyond COVID-19?

The year 2020 was the year of infectious diseases with the arrival of SARS-CoV-2, which represented a profound change in the world we knew. However, we present a brief description of some of the top infectious diseases articles from 2020 not related with SARS-CoV-2. We reviewed a selection of the most important and relevant achievements in diagnosis and therapy related to bacteremia, nosocomial pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, infections by Clostridioides difficile, my-cobacterial infections and invasive fungal infections. This year entailed a significant step forward in the indisputable value of the health care stewardship programs. © 2021, Sociedad Espanola de Quiminoterapia. All rights reserved

Taenia saginata en una adolescente

La teniasis es una parasitosis intestinal causada por la forma adulta de los cestodos (gusanos planos). En el ser humano se presentan dos especies, Taenia solium y Taenia saginata, ambas hermafroditas y que requieren un huésped intermediario para cumplir su ciclo: ganado porcino y ganado bovino respectivamente. El hombre es el huésped definitivo en el cual se desarrolla la forma adulta. La clínica principal de Taenia saginata es digestiva, mientras que Taenia solium puede afectar a otros tejidos. Se presenta el caso de una adolescente que elimina parásitos en la ropa interior y heces sin otro síntoma. Los describen como gusanos blancos, planos y móviles. En la anamnesis refiere que le gustan los chuletones de carne poco cocinada, pero sin concretar un posible foco de la infestación. Se realiza un análisis con resultado normal, excepto una eosinofilia de 9,6%. En el laboratorio de Microbiología, por visión directa tras tinción con tinta china y reacción en cadena de la polimerasa directa se confirma el diagnóstico de Taenia saginata. Tras el resultado, se le indica tratamiento con prazicuantel vía oral en dosis única (medicamento off-label), sin presentar efectos secundarios. Taeniasis is an intestinal parasitic infection due to an adult worm of tapeworms (cestodes). In humans, there are two main species: Taenia solium and Taenia saginata, both of them are hermaphrodites and require an intermediate host to complete their life circle: pigs beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata) and pork tapeworm (Taenia solium). Humans are the only definitive hosts in which the adult form develops. Taenia saginata mainly causes gastrointestinal symptoms, while Taenia solium can affect other tissues. We report the case of a teenager who found a number of adult worms on her intimate clothes and in her stools without any other symptom. The worms were described as flat, white and mobile. At the review, she said that she loved eating undercooked meat without determining the source of the infection. We detected high eosinophilia level in blood test (9, 6%). A microbiological test identified proglottids in the stool with a direct examination, and polymerase chain reaction methods established a species diagnosis of Taenia saginata. As a result, we started treatment with prazicuantel orally single dose (off-label) without presenting any side effects

Compromiso por la calidad de las sociedades científicas en España

En este artículo se resumen los objetivos, la metodología y las primeras conclusiones del proyecto «Compromiso por la calidad de las sociedades científicas en España», coordinado por el Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad, la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna y el Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud, en el que participan 48 sociedades científicas. Los objetivos de este proyecto son: disminuir la utilización de intervenciones médicas innecesarias, que son las que no han demostrado eficacia, tienen escasa o dudosa efectividad, o no son coste-efectivas; disminuir la variabilidad en la práctica clínica; difundir entre médicos y pacientes el compromiso con el uso adecuado de recursos sanitarios y, por último, promover la seguridad clínica. En el documento se incluyen 135 recomendaciones finales de «no hacer» elaboradas por 30 sociedades científicas españolas. This article summarises the objectives, methodology and initial conclusions of the project “Commitment to Quality of the Spanish Scientific Societies”, coordinated by the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine and the Aragon Institute of Health Sciences, in which 48 scientific societies participate. This project's objectives are to decrease the use of unnecessary medical interventions, which are those that have shown no efficacy, have little or questionable effectiveness or are not cost-effective; decrease variability in clinical practice; promote the commitment among physicians and patients to properly use healthcare resources; and to promote clinical safety. The document includes 135 final recommendations for what not to do, prepared by 30 Spanish scientific societies

Arthrobacter creatinolyticus: un patógeno emergente en el ser humano causante de infecciones del tracto urinario

Arthrobacter creatinolyticus is a Gram-positive aerobic coccobacillus, catalase-positive, belonging to the family Micrococcaceae, order Actinomycetales, usually found in soil and in the environment. This organism produces urease, an extracellular enzyme with many industrial applications and a potential use in anti-cancer therapy due to its cytotoxic effect.1 We have only found in the literature one case of bacteremia due to this microorganism, and none confirmed as a cause of urinary tract infection. We present a case of urinary tract infection due to A. creatinolyticus. A woman, in her ninety, came to the primary care with signs of agitation. The patient presented several pathologies as hypertension, diabetes, Parkinson''s disease and vascular dementia. She was aggressive at the time of consultation and the exploration was complicated as well as the anamnesis that was unable to stablish the presence of urethral syndrome. In addition no urine test strip or sediment analysis was done. The caregiver confirmed that the patient did not had fever but she had been agitated for the past four days. On the suspicion of urinary infection, the doctor ordered a urine culture and prescribed fosfomycin empirically. After 24 h of incubation in the chromogenic medium UTIR (Oxoid LTD, UK), >100, 000 CFU/mL of A. creatinolyticus were isolated (Fig. 1)..