Pseudomonas aeruginosa meningitis/ventriculitis in a UK tertiary referral hospital

BACKGROUND

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a rare cause of meningitis and ventriculitis but is generally associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

AIM

We sought to determine the epidemiology, risk factors and outcome of meningitis and ventriculitis due to P. aeruginosa at our institution in order to inform preventive strategies and treatment guidelines.

METHODS

Retrospective study of all patients with a positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture admitted to a tertiary care hospital over 18 years. Clinical details, demographic, microbiological and antibiotic data were obtained from laboratory and medical records.

RESULTS

Twenty-four episodes occurred in 21 patients over 18 years. Pyrexia (75%), fluctuating mental status (50%) and headache (41%) were the most frequent presenting symptoms. Nineteen of the 21 patients had previously undergone a neurosurgical procedure and seven had extra-ventricular devices in situ. Twelve (57%) patients had P. aeruginosa isolated from another site prior to their episode. Most (89%) CSF samples demonstrated a neutrophilia; the CSF protein, when measured, was raised in all cases. Gram-negative bacilli were visible on CSF microscopy in only three isolates. There were relatively low rates of resistance to most antimicrobials tested and combination treatment of intravenous with intrathecal antibiotics was often used. No patients died within 28 days.

CONCLUSION

Pseudomonas aeruginosa meningitis and ventriculitis are predominantly nosocomial and related to prior neurosurgery. It can be difficult to diagnose as CSF Gram-film and meningism are insensitive markers. Appropriate empirical treatment, neurosurgical prophylaxis and surveillance can aid in managing this infection.

Epidemiology of ROP in the Stockholm area of Sweden

A prospective, population-based study of the epidemiology of ROP in a well-defined geographical area of Sweden was performed. Two hundred and sixty children with a birth weight of 1500 g or less, and surviving for at least eight weeks, were included in the study. ROP was seen in 40.4% of the children. We suggest that prematurely born children with a gestational age of 32 weeks or less ought to be screened for ROP.

Oesophageal variceal band ligation using a saeed six-shooter multiband ligator; experience at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria: case report

BACKGROUND

Oesophageal varices are common sequelae of cirrhosis, which when they bleed can be difficult to control. Oesophageal variceal band ligation, being the best modality for controlling variceal bleeding has not been common practice in West Africa, a region recognized to have a high prevalence of liver diseases. We present a case of band ligation of the varices of a patient that presented to our hospital with variceal haemorrhage, secondary to liver cirrhosis.

METHOD

We started by presenting a summary of the presentation of a 31 year old man at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and how we established the diagnosis of grade IV bleeding oesophageal varices. The subject had four bands applied to the oesophageal varices using a saeed six shooter oesophageal Multi-band ligator (North Carolina, USA) using a forward-viewing GIF P30 gastroscope (Tokyo, Japan) with the bands mounted on an Opti-vu barrel-shaped piece. He had a total of three sessions after which he was maintained on propranolol.

RESULT

The last recheck endoscopy demonstrated obliterated varices after which he was maintained on propranolol.

CONCLUSION

We present a case of successful variceal band ligation of a cirrhotic with extensive oesophageal varices presenting in a resource-constraint medical setting.

Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in children and adolescents with IDDM. A population-based multicentre study

Vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy can be prevented if it is diagnosed before becoming too advanced. Since diabetic retinopathy has been reported to occur only rarely before the end of pubertal development, children and adolescents are seldom included in screening programmes. We invited 780 children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus diagnosed before the age of 15.0 years (disease duration of < 12 years) and who were older than 9.0 years at the time of examination from eight regions of Sweden. Retinal examination was performed with stereoscopic fundus photograph. The photograph were rated according to a modified Airlie House classification. The dropouts (223/780, 28.6%) were significantly older and with a longer duration of diabetes than the examined children (p < 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). Photographs from 557 patients aged (median [interquartile range]:14.6 [12.4-17.0]) years and with a diabetes duration of 8.0 (5.5-9.9) years were evaluated. Retinopathy was demonstrated in 81 patients (14.5%):66 with background retinopathy, 2 with microaneurysms and hard exudates, 12 with preproliferative retinopathy, 1 with proliferative retinopathy. Preproliferative retinopathy was diagnosed in a 12.8-year-old girl in pubertal stage 3 and an 11.8-year-old boy in pubertal stage 2, and proliferative retinopathy was found in a 21.5-year-old girl. Retinopathy was demonstrated in 6% and 18% of patients in pubertal stages 1 and 5, respectively. The overall prevalence of retinopathy in this population may even be higher since the dropouts were older and had a longer duration of diabetes. Since background and preproliferative retinopathy were found in children before puberty, we recommend including children and adolescents in screening programmes for diabetic retinopathy from the age of 10 years.

Complications in IDDM are caused by elevated blood glucose level: the Stockholm Diabetes Intervention Study (SDIS) at 10-year follow up

Blood glucose values close to normal reduce the microvascular complications of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The Stockholm study of this effect continued after the initial 7.5-year period in order to see what happened when intensively treated patients were left to control their own treatment while treatment was intensified in the control group. Forty-three patients with insulin-dependent diabetes randomised to intensified conventional treatment (ICT) and 48 patients randomised to standard treatment (ST) were followed-up for 10 years. Vascular complications, treatment side-effects and well-being were studied. Risk factors for complications were sought. HbA1c (normal range 3.9-5.7%) was reduced from 9.5 +/- 1.4% (mean +/- SD) in the ICT group and 9.4 +/- 1.2% in the ST group to a mean (during 10 years) of 7.2 +/- 0.6% and 8.3 +/- 1.0%, respectively (p < 0.001). Serious retinopathy (63 vs 33%, p = 0.003), nephropathy (26 vs 7%, p = 0.012) and symptoms of neuropathy (32 vs 14%, p = 0.041) were more common in the ST group after 10 years. HbA1c and age were the only risk factors for complications. Self-reported well-being increased to a greater degree and severe hypoglycaemia was more common in the ICT group. Cognitive function after 10 years was similar in both treatment groups, and was not related to the number of severe hypoglycaemic episodes. Intensified insulin treatment leads to reduced long-term complications and increased well-being without causing undue side-effects.

Capillary loss and leakage after five years of intensified insulin treatment in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Ninety-six patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were randomized to intensified conventional treatment (n = 44) or regular treatment (n = 52) programs and followed for 5 years. Hemoglobin A1c was reduced from 9.5% +/- 0.1% to 7.2% +/- 0.1% in the intensified conventional treatment group and from 9.4% +/- 0.2% to 8.7% +/- 0.1% in the regular treatment group (mean +/- standard error) (P less than 0.001). Capillary loss and leakage of fluorescein as evaluated with fluorescein angiography increased significantly in the regular treatment group (P less than 0.05; P less than 0.01) but not in the intensified conventional treatment group. Capillary loss (P less than 0.01) and leakage (P less than 0.001) were related to metabolic control as measured by Hb A1c but not to duration of diabetes or smoking habits. Capillary loss (P less than 0.05) but not leakage was related to the initial diastolic blood pressure.