Multiple-aetiology enteric infections involving non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli--FoodNet, 2001-2010.

We describe multiple-aetiology infections involving non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) identified through laboratory-based surveillance in nine FoodNet sites from 2001 to 2010. A multiple-aetiology infection (MEI) was defined as isolation of non-O157 STEC and laboratory evidence of any of the other nine pathogens under surveillance or isolation of >1 non-O157 STEC serogroup from the same person within a 7-day period. We compared exposures of patients with MEI during 2001-2010 with those of patients with single-aetiology non-O157 STEC infections (SEI) during 2008-2009 and with those of the FoodNet population from a survey conducted during 2006-2007. In total, 1870 non-O157 STEC infections were reported; 68 (3.6%) were MEI; 60 included pathogens other than non-O157 STEC; and eight involved >1 serogroup of non-O157 STEC. Of the 68 MEI, 21 (31%) were part of six outbreaks. STEC O111 was isolated in 44% of all MEI. Of patients with MEI, 50% had contact with farm animals compared with 29% (P < 0.01) of persons with SEI; this difference was driven by infections involving STEC O111. More patients with non-outbreak-associated MEI reported drinking well water (62%) than respondents in a population survey (19%) (P < 0.01). Drinking well water and having contact with animals may be important exposures for MEI, especially those involving STEC O111.

Inhibition of leukocyte sticking and infiltration, but not rolling, by antibodies to ICAM-1 and LFA-1 in murine endotoxin-induced uveitis.

PURPOSE: Cell-adhesion molecules are critical elements in intravascular rolling and sticking of leukocytes during acute inflammation. In this process, selectins are thought to be involved in initial adhesion and rolling, and integrin-Ig superfamily interactions are believed primarily to mediate stronger adhesion and transendothelial migration. This study clarifies the role of two adhesion molecules, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and leukocyte functional antigen (LFA)-1, in endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). METHODS: Intravital microscopy was used to record the movement and location of leukocytes in the irises of mice with uveitis induced by intravitreal injection of 250 ng Escherichia coli endotoxin. Each mouse concurrently received an intraperitoneal injection of monoclonal neutralizing antibodies for ICAM-1, LFA-1, or both or control irrelevant antibodies. RESULTS: Mice treated with endotoxin and control antibodies had an inflammatory response that was clearly present at the 6- and 24-hour time points and was mostly resolved by 48 hours. Mice that received anti-ICAM-1 or anti-LFA-1 had significantly fewer cells infiltrating their irises at 6 and 24 hours. Detailed analysis of the 6-hour time point recordings revealed that neither anti-ICAM-1 nor anti-LFA-1 significantly reduced the number of leukocytes rolling on venule endothelial surfaces, but the treatments reduced the number of firmly adherent cells. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm previous reports that ICAM-1 and LFA-1 are important mediators of EIU. The dynamic in vivo images clearly support the hypothesis that integrin-mediated cell adhesion is more critical for the firm adhesion of sticking cells than for leukocyte rolling.

Clinical breast evaluation skills of house officers and students.

Current health care reform is placing primary care physicians in an increasingly significant role as the front-line providers of women's health care. It is critical that primary care physicians as well as surgeons develop the knowledge base, physical examination skills, and interpersonal skills necessary to care for patients with breast cancer. This study uses a standardized patient breast case in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) format to objectively assess clinical breast evaluation skill performance by house officers and medical students. Performance of USC medical students, exposed to a uniform clinical breast evaluation curriculum, were compared with MSIVs from four other medical schools, and postgraduate year I and II categorical surgical residents. USC medical students were found to maintain performance between an initial surgical OSCE breast station and a delayed clinical practice exam (CPX) reexam as MSIVs (breast exam, P = 0.21; patient-physician interaction, P = 0.67). USC MSIVs had statistically significantly higher performance on the CPX breast station when compared with other MSIVs (T = 11.701, two-tailed test, P = 0.0001). House officers demonstrated significantly poorer skills than medical students (P = 0.03). An incoming housestaff group showed improvement with clinical breast evaluation checklists and orientation as part of their intern orientation program and ongoing curriculum.

Another go at the experiment.

A number of states have experimented with legislation that would allow unlicensed international medical graduates to become physician assistants. These attempts have failed. The authors conducted a pilot evaluation study in California in response to legislative efforts. They examined the medical knowledge of a group of unlicensed international medical graduates and compared their clinical skills with those of a control group of recent graduates from a physician assistant training program. The unlicensed international medical graduates were below standard in medical knowledge and clinical skills and failed to make critical diagnoses in the tests with standardized patients. The authors conclude that unlicensed international medical graduates need additional training to be incorporated into the U.S. health care system as physician assistants.