Clinical and microbiological characteristics of severe group A streptococcus infections and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.

We have monitored all cases of invasive group A streptococcus (GAS) infection that have occurred at the New York Hospital (New York) since 1989. Five cases of GAS infection and shock were identified between 1990 and 1991, and an additional case was recently identified at an affiliated hospital. Five of the six patients met the case definition for streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (strep TSS). Three were bacteremic, and four had aggressive soft-tissue infections. Patients with shock, for whom the mortality was higher, had fewer underlying illnesses than did patients who had GAS bacteremia without shock. Although the M1 serotype and production of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A were more common in patients with GAS infection and shock, several patients with strep TSS were infected with a nontypable strain of GAS that produced only streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B. In addition, we observed a distinctive early hemodynamic profile for patients with strep TSS that was unlike that for patients who had typical gram-negative septic shock; this profile was consistent with toxic cardiomyopathy (i.e., relatively low cardiac output, low-to-normal systemic vascular resistance, and striking reduction in ventricular performance.

Severe measles pneumonitis in adults: evaluation of clinical characteristics and therapy with intravenous ribavirin.

Between February and April 1991, six adults were admitted to the New York Hospital because of measles pneumonitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by serology and/or viral culture. Uncommon clinical features among patients with this diagnosis included thrombocytopenia, hepatitis, myositis, and hypocalcemia. All patients were markedly hypoxic (initial alveolar--arterial oxygen gradients while the patients were breathing room air, 40-61 mm Hg); four required support with mechanical ventilation. All patients received therapy with intravenous ribavirin (20-35 mg/[kg.d]) for 1 week. The respiratory status of five patients (one of whom was positive for human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) who were treated early (days 2-5 of illness) promptly improved; all abnormal parameters eventually returned to baseline. Treatment of the sixth patient, who was presumed to be HIV-infected, was initiated on hospital day 22; this patient died of progressive oxygenation failure on day 38. We conclude that life-threatening measles pneumonitis in adults may be more common that previously appreciated, regardless of the patient's immune status. Therapy with intravenous ribavirin was well tolerated by our patients and was associated with reversal of respiratory compromise.

Circulating Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with acute Lyme disease: results of blood cultures and serum DNA analysis.

To determine the usefulness of blood culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis in detecting circulating Borrelia burgdorferi or its DNA, blood and serum from untreated patients with acute Lyme disease were examined. None of the cultures of blood or serum from the 7 patients tested demonstrated spirochetes. Similarly, all patient serum samples, assayed in two laboratories, were negative for B. burgdorferi DNA using PCR amplification. These results suggest that in patients with acute Lyme disease, spirochetes, spirochete DNA, or both circulate early, only intermittently, or at low levels and that neither culture nor PCR testing of blood or serum, as currently done, appears likely to prove generally useful in the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Immunochemotherapy for visceral leishmaniasis: a controlled pilot trial of antimony versus antimony plus interferon-gamma.

Twenty-four Kenyan patients with visceral leishmaniasis were treated for 30 days with either conventional therapy (daily pentavalent antimony, n = 14) or experimental immunochemotherapy (daily antimony plus interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma] every other day, n = 10). All 24 patients responded clinically to treatment, and microscopic splenic aspirate scores rapidly decreased in both groups. As judged by splenic aspirate culture results, IFN-gamma-treated patients responded more quickly (50% versus 22% culture-negative after one week and 75% versus 58% culture-negative after two weeks). While not statistically significant, these differences raise the possibility that combination therapy using IFN-gamma, which was safe and well-tolerated, may accelerate the early parasitologic response in patients with visceral leishmaniasis.