Enhance the awareness of infectious and infection-related optic neuritis to improve early diagnosis and treatment outcomes / 中华眼底病杂志

Infectious and infection-related optic neuritis is an important type of optic neuritis. Infectious optic neuritis is caused by direct spread of pathogenic organism to optic nerve from local infection or blood transmission. Infection-related optic neuritis is caused by pathogens-induced immune allergic reaction. They present with atypical clinical features of optic neuritis, including progressive vision loss, persistent eye pain or headache, ineffectiveness or even worse of glucocorticoid therapy. Fundus manifestations include optic disc swelling with peripapillary hemorrhage or neuro-retinitis, and the feature of concurrent uveitis. When these patients first visit ophthalmic clinics, they often lack signs of systemic infection, thus it is easy to misdiagnose them as other types of optic neuropathy and mistakenly treat them. In particular, high-dose glucocorticoid therapy can lead to very serious consequences. Therefore, how to correctly diagnose infectious and infection-related optic neuritis in the early stages are very important for ophthalmologists and need to be seriously kept in our mind.

Enhance the awareness of infectious and infection-related optic neuritis to improve early diagnosis and treatment outcomes / 中华眼底病杂志

Infectious and infection-related optic neuritis is an important type of optic neuritis. Infectious optic neuritis is caused by direct spread of pathogenic organism to optic nerve from local infection or blood transmission. Infection-related optic neuritis is caused by pathogens-induced immune allergic reaction. They present with atypical clinical features of optic neuritis, including progressive vision loss, persistent eye pain or headache, ineffectiveness or even worse of glucocorticoid therapy. Fundus manifestations include optic disc swelling with peripapillary hemorrhage or neuro-retinitis, and the feature of concurrent uveitis. When these patients first visit ophthalmic clinics, they often lack signs of systemic infection, thus it is easy to misdiagnose them as other types of optic neuropathy and mistakenly treat them. In particular, high-dose glucocorticoid therapy can lead to very serious consequences. Therefore, how to correctly diagnose infectious and infection-related optic neuritis in the early stages are very important for ophthalmologists and need to be seriously kept in our mind.

Acquired anterior staphyloma after corneal ulcer associated with the use of crack / Estafiloma anterior adquirido após úlcera de córnea associado a uso de crack

ABSTRACT We describe an unusual case of acquired anterior staphyloma in a patient addicted to crack cocaine. At the beginning of his crack cocaine abuse, he noticed redness and irritation of his eyes. Over the next 4 months, the patient also noticed the onset of decreasing visual acuity in his right eye (OD). Initially, his visual acuity was light perception in OD, and slit-lamp examination revealed a corneal infiltrate with a peripheral perforation and an iris prolapse. The patient was hospitalized to ensure compliance with the prescribed treatment and was advised to undergo therapeutic keratoplasty; however, the patient left the hospital against medical advice and was lost to follow-up for the next 6 months. He returned with complaints of photophobia and the inability to close his right eyelids. At this time, his cornea had developed an anterior staphyloma and required a sclerokeratoplasty. Following surgery, the patient was again lost to follow-up.

RESUMO Descrevemos um raro caso de estafiloma anterior adquirido em um paciente viciado em crack. No início do uso do crack, paciente observou hiperemia e irritação nos seus olhos. Durante os próximos 4 meses, evoluiu com piora progressiva da visão em seu olho direito (OD). Inicialmente, sua visão no OD era de percepção luminosa e ao exame de biomicroscopia observava-se um importante infiltrado corneano com uma perfuração periférica e hérnia de íris. O paciente foi hospitalizado para garantir seu correto tratamento e indicado ceratoplastia terapêutica; no entanto, o paciente abandou o hospital e ficou 6 meses sem acompanhamento. Após esse período, paciente retornou queixando-se de importante fotofobia e inabilidade em ocluir o OD. Neste momento, sua córnea havia desenvolvido um importante estafiloma anterior e necessitou de uma escleroceratoplastia no OD. Após a cirurgia, mais uma vez o paciente abandonou o tratamento e perdeu o seguimento pós-operatório.

Infections and systemic lupus erythematosus / Infecções e lúpus eritematoso sistêmico

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the incidence of infections in a population of systemic lupus erythematosus individuals and the characteristics of infections regarding original site, as well as to study the possible associations between infections and treatment. Methods An analytical retrospective study using data from medical charts of systemic lupus erythematosus patients from a single university hospital. A total of 144 patients followed up for five years were included. Data collected comprised age of patients and age at onset of lupus, sex and ethnicity, disease duration before the study period, medications, cumulative dose of prednisone, occurrence of infections and their original site. Results The most frequent infections were urinary tract infections (correlated to use of prednisone − p<0.0001 and cyclophosphamide − p=0.045), upper airways infections (correlated to use of prednisone − p=0.0004, mycophenolate mofetil − p=0.0005, and cyclosporine − p=0.025), and pneumonia (associated to prednisone − p=0.017). Conclusion Prednisone was the drug more often associated with presence of infections, pointing to the need for a more judicious management of this drug.

RESUMO Objetivo Determinar a incidência de infecções em uma população com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico e a caracterização das mesmas quanto aos locais de origem, assim como estudar possíveis associações das infecções com a terapêutica utilizada. Métodos Estudo retrospectivo analítico utilizando dados de prontuários de indivíduos com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico de um único hospital universitário. Foram investigados 144 pacientes acompanhados pelo período de 5 anos. Os dados coletados incluíam idade do paciente e idade de início do lúpus, sexo e etnia, tempo de duração da doença antes do período do estudo, medicamentos administrados, dose cumulativa de prednisona, ocorrência de infecções e seu local de origem. Resultados As infecções mais observadas foram as do trato urinário (correlacionadas com o uso de prednisona − p<0,0001, e ciclofosfamida − p=0,045), infecções das vias aéreas superiores (correlacionadas com o uso de prednisona − p=0,0004, micofenolato de mofetila − p=0,0005 e ciclosporina − p=0,025) e pneumonia (correlacionadas ao uso de prednisona − p=0,017). Conclusão A prednisona foi o medicamento mais associado com a presença de infecções, apontando para a necessidade de um manejo mais judicioso desse medicamento.

Weather parameters and nosocomial bloodstream infection: a case-referent study / Parâmetros meteorológicos e infecção hospitalar de corrente sanguínea: estudo caso-referência

OBJECTIVE To evaluate if temperature and humidity influenced the etiology of bloodstream infections in a hospital from 2005 to 2010. METHODS The study had a case-referent design. Individual cases of bloodstream infections caused by specific groups or pathogens were compared with several references. In the first analysis, average temperature and humidity values for the seven days preceding collection of blood cultures were compared with an overall “seven-days moving average” for the study period. The second analysis included only patients with bloodstream infections. Several logistic regression models were used to compare different pathogens and groups with respect to the immediate weather parameters, adjusting for demographics, time, and unit of admission. RESULTS Higher temperatures and humidity were related to the recovery of bacteria as a whole (versus fungi) and of gram-negative bacilli. In the multivariable models, temperature was positively associated with the recovery of gram-negative bacilli (OR = 1.14; 95%CI 1.10;1.19) or Acinetobacter baumannii (OR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.16;1.37), even after adjustment for demographic and admission data. An inverse association was identified for humidity. CONCLUSIONS The study documented the impact of temperature and humidity on the incidence and etiology of bloodstream infections. The results correspond with those from ecological studies, indicating a higher incidence of gram-negative bacilli during warm seasons. These findings should guide policies directed at preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections. .

OBJETIVO Avaliar se temperatura e umidade influenciam a etiologia das infecções na corrente sanguínea em hospital, no período de 2005 a 2010. MÉTODOS O estudo teve delineamento caso-referência. Casos individuais de infecções de corrente sanguínea por patógenos ou grupos de interesse foram comparados com diferentes referências. Na primeira etapa, valores médios de temperatura e umidade, para os sete dias que precederam a coleta de culturas de sangue, foram comparados com a “média-móvel de ordem 7” para todos os dias do período do estudo. A segunda etapa incluiu somente os casos com culturas positivas. Foram realizadas análises por regressão logística para avaliar a influência dos parâmetros meteorológicos imediatos sobre a etiologia dessas infecções, ajustando os resultados para dados demográficos, tempo e unidade de internação. RESULTADOS Temperatura e umidade mais elevadas foram associadas às infecções de corrente sanguínea causadas por bactérias como um todo (versus fungos) e por bacilos Gram-negativos. Nos modelos multivariados, a temperatura foi positivamente associada com o isolamento nas culturas de bacilos Gram-negativos (OR = 1,14; IC95% 1,10;1,19) ou A. baumannii (OR = 1,26; IC95% 1,16;1,37), mesmo após ajuste para dados demográficos e de internação. Associação inversa foi identificada por umidade. CONCLUSÕES O estudo documentou o impacto de temperatura e umidade sobre incidência e etiologia de infecções da corrente sanguínea. Os resultados são coerentes com os relatados em estudos ecológicos, apontando para maior incidência de bacilos Gram-negativos durante as estações quentes. Esses achados devem orientar as estratégias direcionadas à prevenção e controle de infecções relacionadas à assistência à saúde. .

Doenças infecciosas e perda auditiva / Infectious diseases and hearing loss

A perda auditiva pode ocorrer por causa genética, congênita ou adquirida. Os agentes infecciosos são os fatores etiológicos mais comuns de perdas auditivas congênitas ou adquiridas. O déficit auditivo pode ser decorrente de dano na orelha externa e média, causando perda auditiva condutiva leve/moderada, ou da orelha interna, causando perda auditiva neurossensorial moderada/profunda. Infecção da orelha interna durante a gestação por toxoplasmose, rubéola, sífilis, citomegalovírus e herpes são as causas mais frequentes de surdez congênita. Em relação ao lactente e pré-escolar, a surdez profunda pode ser uma complicação de meningite. Na infância, as infecções bacterianas da orelha média são responsáveis pela maioria das perdas auditivas leves. Contudo, há interferência no desenvolvimento normal da fala mesmo com perda auditiva leve. Infecções virais que merecem destaque na infância e na fase adulta por estarem associadas a dano na orelha interna com perda auditiva moderada/profunda são aquelas causadas por herpes simples, varicela-zoster, enterovírus, Episten-Barr, influenza, paramixovírus e HIV. Pacientes com perda auditiva devem receber avaliação e acompanhamento audiológico para diagnóstico e tratamento adequados. Na infância, o tratamento precoce de qualquer perda auditiva pode estar associado a desfechos mais abrangentes, como a qualidade da fala adquirida.

Hearing loss can occur due to genetic, congenital or acquired causes. The Infectious agents are the most common etiologic factors of congenital or acquired hearing loss. The hearing loss can result from damage to the external and middle ear, causing mild or moderate conductive hearing loss, or to the inner ear, causing moderate/deep neurosensory hearing loss. Inner ear infection during pregnancy for toxoplasmosis, rubella, syphilis, cytomegalovirus and herpes are the most common causes for congenital deafness. In relation to the infant and preschool children, the profound deafness can be a complication of meningitis. In childhood, bacterial infections of the middle ear are responsible for most of the mild hearing loss. However, there is interference in the regular development of speech even with mild hearing loss. Viral infections in childhood and adulthood that are worth mentioning, as they are associated to the inner ear damage with moderate/deep hearing loss, are those caused by herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, enterovirus, Episten-Barr, influenza, paramyxovirus and HIV. Patients with hearing loss should receive audiologic evaluation and monitoring for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. In childhood early treatment of any hearing loss may be linked to broader outcomes such as quality of acquired speech.