Kocuria kristinae: an emerging pathogen in medical practice.

Introduction. Kocuria kristinae is becoming a growing public health challenge, especially for its ability to cause infections in immunocompromised patients. This bacterium is a Gram+coccus, catalase+, coagulase, and it is a common inhabitant of skin and oral mucosa.Aim. To investigate the spectrum of infections caused by K. K ristinae.Methodology. Between January-March 2018, we carried out a systematic search in PubMed utilizing the key search term 'Kocuria kristinae'. The selection criteria for studies were studies reporting cases of human infections due to K. kristinae, case-control and cohort studies and studies published in English or Spanish.Results. The literature search yielded 48 publications: after title, abstract and full-text analysis, 20 papers were consistent with the selection criteria. These studies were carried out in the period 2001-2017 in the USA, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Egypt, Bahrain, Serbia, India, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Mexico. K. kristinae was involved in 17 cases of central venous catheter-related bacteremia, four infective endocarditis, three acute peritonitis, one abdominal abscess, umbilical sepsis, acute cholecystitis and urinary tract infection. Additionally, K. kristinae was found in 40 % of carious cavities, although it is not clear whether they are directly involved in the development of caries. Antibiotic susceptibility testing has sometimes revealed multi-drug resistance.Conclusions. The clinical spectrum of K. kristinae infections has recently widened. The increasing spread of this underestimated bacterium and its resistance to antibiotics represent a new challenge for public health, which requires specific actions to limit it.

Controlled clinical trial on a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy for arthropathic patients.

Following a single-blind, randomized protocol, a study was performed on two groups of 24 patients suffering from highly painful, osteoarticular phlogistic and/or degenerative affections, in order to evaluate the effectiveness and the tolerability of a new controlled release naproxen formulation in comparison with standard naproxen. Controlled release naproxen was administered at the dosage of a 750 mg/day tablet for 10-15 days; the standard naproxen at the dosage of two 375 mg/day capsules for 10-15 days. The phlogosis and pain reduction and the functional recovery, resulted similarly sharp and statistically significant following the two treatments. Both drugs showed not only an excellent effectiveness but also an elevate systemic tolerability. The local tolerability appeared higher in the group treated with controlled-release naproxen, where the side effects incidence at gastroenteric level was 12%, vs 25% in the control group. Therefore, the new experimented drug appears of excellent effectiveness and a large safety margin; it can be thus considered as a drug of first choice in the symptomatic therapy of arthrosis and other rheumoarthropathies.