Disseminated melioidosis involving skin and joint: a case report

Melioidosis is an infectious disease that can cause serious morbidity and may result in death if not treated early. Its causative organism, Burkholderia pseudomallei is present in soil and water. Here, we report a case of disseminated melioidosis involving skin and joint in a farmer residing in an area where the organism has been found in the soil. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2015; 9(2): 55-5

Successful medical management of a case of Austrian syndrome—an uncommon entity in the modern antibiotic era: a case report

Abstract Background Austrian syndrome—the combination of meningitis, pneumonia and infective endocarditis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, is a rare entity. In literature only a few hundreds of cases are reported but surprisingly we did not find any report on Austrian syndrome in or from Bangladesh. Case presentation We report the case history of a middle aged Bangladeshi diabetic man, who had fever, cough, shortness of breath and altered mentation. He had tachycardia, bi-basal lung crepitations, new cardiac murmurs and meningism. Diagnostic work-up revealed Austrian syndrome. Because of the rarity of the condition, this case is reported. Conclusion A case of pneumococcal pneumonia or meningitis should raise suspicion of concomitant endocarditis and Austrian syndrome, specially if there is heart failure, as early recognition and treatment may appear life-saving

Vitamin D and bone mineral density status among postmenopausal Bangladeshi women

Background and objectives: Low vitamin D is a global problem in all age groups as is osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. The present study was carried out in an urban hospital to assess serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women (PMW) and to evaluate correlation between serum 25(OH)D levels and BMD. Methods: A single center cross-sectional study was conducted among 133 apparently healthy PMW aged 45 years and above with the history of complete cessation of menstruation over a period of more than 1 year. Serum 25(OH)D, BMD and serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were determined. Patients having both vitamin D and BMD values were analyzed for correlations. Similarly, correlation of vitamin D, iPTH and BMD were determined. Results: Among the study population, 63 (47.4%) had deficient (<20 ng/ml), 46 (34.6%) had insufficient (20-30ng/ml) and 24(18%) had sufficient (30-100ng/ml) levels of serum 25(OH)D. Among the 121 patients whose BMD was done, 52 (43.0%) and 60 (49.6%) had osteoporosis and osteopenia respectively. Serum iPTH levels were normal in 34 (89.5%) patients. The proportion of osteopenia and osteoporosis in vitamin D deficient group were 44.1% and 50.8% and in insufficient group 47.5 and 45.0%, respectively. Age had significant negative correlation with BMD value (r=-0.246, p=.005) and significant positive correlation with serum iPTH (r=0.358, p=.024). There was no statistically significant influence of serum 25(OH)D or iPTH on occurrence of osteoporosis (P=0.322 and P=0.592 respectively). Conclusion: A large proportion of postmenopausal women had low vitamin D levels and as well as osteopenia and osteoporosis. Low vitamin D level coexisted with low BMD. However, there was no correlation between serum 25(OH)D levels and BMD status. IMC J Med Sci 2018; 12(2): 44-49. EPub date: 05 March 2018 AKMSA & WMMH contributed equally to this study. Address for Correspondence: Dr. A.K.M. Shaheen Ahmed, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, BIRDEM General Hospital, 122 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Email: [email protected]

The Epidemiology of Melioidosis and Its Association with Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Melioidosis is an under-recognized fatal disease in humans, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Globally, more than 35,000 human melioidosis cases have been reported since 1911. Soil acts as the natural reservoir of B. pseudomallei. Humans may become infected by this pathogen through direct contact with contaminated soil and/or water. Melioidosis commonly occurs in patients with diabetes mellitus, who increase the occurrence of melioidosis in a population. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate to what extent diabetes mellitus affects the patient in getting melioidosis. We selected 39 articles for meta-analysis. This extensive review also provided the latest updates on the global distribution, clinical manifestation, preexisting underlying diseases, and risk factors of melioidosis. Diabetes mellitus was identified as the predominant predisposing factor for melioidosis in humans. The overall proportion of melioidosis cases having diabetes was 45.68% (95% CI: 44.8&ndash;46.57, p &lt; 0.001). Patients with diabetes mellitus were three times more likely to develop melioidosis than patients with no diabetes (RR 3.40, 95% CI: 2.92&ndash;3.87, p &lt; 0.001). The other potential risk factors included old age, exposure to soil and water, preexisting underlying diseases (chronic kidney disease, lung disease, heart disease, and thalassemia), and agricultural activities. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for melioidosis in patients with diabetes mellitus may be developed and shared with healthcare professionals of melioidosis endemic countries to reduce morbidity