The prevalence of potential pathogenic bacteria in nasopharyngeal samples from individuals with a respiratory tract infection and a sore throat: implications for the diagnosis of pharyngotonsillitis

Background. Treatment failure in patients with pharyngotonsillitis after a traditional course of penicillin V is a common finding. Several factors have been proposed to explain the failure rate, but the presence of aetiological agents other than group A β-haemolytic streptococci has attracted little attention. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to investigate if a nasopharyngeal sample could suggest the aetiology of a sore throat in patients with a respiratory tract infection. Methods. The prevalence of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis) in nasopharyngeal samples from 618 healthy individuals was compared with that from 108 patients with a respiratory tract infection and a sore throat. Results. The prevalence of H.influenzae was higher in patients with a sore throat than in healthy individuals of the same age. For the adult patients with a sore throat, the prevalence was 27.5% compared with 2.7% for the healthy carriers (P < 10–7). The corresponding figures for schoolchildren were 31.3% versus 6.1% (P = 0.004) and for pre-school children 37.8% versus 13.2% (P = 0.0003). Conclusions. If H.influenzae is found in a nasopharyngeal sample from a patient with a respiratory tract infection and a sore throat, it might be the aetiological agent

A randomized, controlled study to evaluate the steroid sparing effect of essential fatty acid supplementation in the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis. Veterinary Dermatology

Abstract A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled multicentre clinical trial of 12 weeks&apos; duration was undertaken in 60 dogs with atopic dermatitis to evaluate the steroid sparing effect of essential fatty acid supplementation. The dogs were randomly assigned to receive either a combination of borage seed oil and fish oil or a placebo, in addition to prednisolone tablets. All dogs received a standardized basal diet. Owners of the dogs recorded pruritus daily using a 10 cm visual analog scale and the dosage of prednisolone was established based on the pruritus score, according to written instructions. The dosage of prednisolone and the use of any concurrent treatment (shampoo and /or ear-cleanser) were recorded by the owner on a daily basis. The investigators graded the skin lesions at days 0, 42 and 84. The use of prednisolone during the test period was lower in the active group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.32). The test period was sequentially divided into 43-84, 50-84, 57-84, 64-84, 71-84 and 78-84 days. On day 64, the difference between the active group and the placebo group reached statistical significance ( P = 0.04) with an increasing difference towards the end of the study. A statistically significant reduction in the pruritus scores and the total clinical scores from day 0 to day 84 was apparent in both groups ( P &lt; 0.0001). At the end of the study, both the pruritus score and the total clinical score were lower in the active group. Our findings indicate a steroid sparing effect of essential fatty acid supplementation in canine atopic dermatitis and, furthermore, that there is a time lag before the effect is attained