[Effect of oral Rifampin in prophylaxis of Staphylococcus Aurous nasocarriers of hemodialysis patients]

Background: patients on hemodialysis exhibit higher susceptibility of infection because of decreased immunity. Several microbial pathogens are responsible for the variety of infections. Staphylococcus aurous is one of the most important bacterial agents that specially colonized the skin, nasal mucosa and pharynx. The nasal carriage rate is estimated to be about 42% to 60% in similar studies that is greater than then general population [20% - 40%]. Staphylococcus aurous is one of the most important causes of shunt infection, exit site infection, bacteremia, septicemia, bone and joint infection in hemodialysis patients

Material and methods: we conducted a clinical trial before and after treatment in which culture specimens were collected from anterior nasal nares of hemodialysis patients and were cultured

Results: in a total of 74 patients, 35 cases were culture positive [47/3%]. Rifampin 300mg twice daily was prescribed for patient with positive culture for 5 days. In five month follow up, 21 cases had negative culture after 1 month and 19, 18, 16 and 14 specimens had negative culture for the further evaluation, respectively [90/4%, 85/7%, 76/1%, 66/6%]

Conclusions: there was not a significance difference between the duration of hemodialysis and the colonization rate of staphylococcus aurous [p >0.05]

[Prevalence of hepatitis C among diabetes mellitus patients in Zahedan]

Several clinical studies have recently claimed that HCV infection could trigger the onset of diabetes mellitus [DM]. In order to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus [HCV] among patients with type 1, 2 diabetes mellitus [DM] and investigate the influence of several epidemiological factors on HCV infection, we conducted this study. In this case-control study we evaluated 505 diabetic patients [135 male, 370 female with the mean age of 54.5 years] who had referred to Diabetic clinic in Boo-Ali hospital [a teaching hospital in south east of Iran] in 2004. Serologic testing for anti- HCV was done using a third-generation commercial Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA] and Real-time-PCR [HCV RNA] in order to confirm the anti-HCV positive samples. Diabetic patients [were divided in two groups according to their HCV antibody status and were analyzed for the following variables: age, sex, type of diabetes, duration of disease, mode of therapy, late diabetic complication, previous blood transfusions, intravenous drug addiction, hospital admissions and major surgical procedures. Then results were compared with the findings from blood donors. HCV infection was detected in one patient who had history of hospitalization and blood transfusion. However, a higher prevalence of HCV infection was not observed in diabetic patients in comparison with blood donors [P=0.46]. There was no correlation between HCV and diabetic type, duration, age, sex [P>0.05]. Upon the results of our study, we conclude that HCV infection is not a trigger factor for DM; therefore it should not be listed among the various extrahepatic manifestations of this viral infection. Although, further studies, possibly multicentre, are needed to estimate prevalence of HCV in diabetic patients

Cystic tuberculous pericarditis a rare form

Tuberculous pericariditis is the most common cause of chronic pericarditis, especially in developing countries. Cystic tuberculous pericarditis is an exceedingly rare type of tuberculosis. Authors discuss clinical manifestations and radiological findings in a patient with cystic tuberculous pericarditis in whom diagnosis was confirmed by pericardial biopsy