Cluster of five children with acute encephalopathy associated with cat-scratch disease in south Florida.

Between August 12 and September 27, 1994, five children in South Florida were hospitalized at a single hospital because of encephalopathy, presenting as status epilepticus, associated with cat-scratch disease (CSD). Diagnoses were confirmed by using an indirect fluorescent antibody test to detect antibody to Bartonella henselae, the causative agent of CSD. These cases represent the first cluster of CSD encephalopathy cases to be recognized in the United States. The patients lived within 7 miles of each other and all reported contact with pet or stray cats before developing regional lymphadenopathy and encephalopathy. All recovered fully. A high proportion of 124 cats from the local area were seropositive (62%) or bacteremic (22%). This study suggests that B. henselae can be associated with geographically focal clusters of CSD encephalitis and should be considered in the evaluation of children with acute encephalopathy.

Selective bowel decontamination with quinolones and nystatin reduces gram-negative and fungal infections in orthotopic liver transplant recipients.

Gram-negative and fungal infections are the most important cause of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation, especially in the first postoperative month. From February 1989 to February 1990, all liver transplant recipients at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, were placed on a selective bowel decontamination regimen employing oral quinolones and nystatin beginning at the time they were put on the active waiting list for transplantation and continuing until the fourth postoperative week. The incidence of gram-negative and fungal infections for these patients was compared against a historical control group. Selective bowel decontamination was well tolerated and highly effective in reducing early serious gram-negative and fungal infections. This regimen may also reduce mortality.

Chronic fatigue and depression in the ambulatory patient.

Fatigue, pain, and emotional upset remain the most common problems affecting humanity and for which we still know so very little. Chronic fatigue syndrome is most likely a number of as yet unproven various undifferentiated illnesses that are exceedingly difficult to distinguish from depression. There probably is a subset of patients with CFS who do have true immune dysfunction and persistent viral infection, and this particular group of patients should be further investigated. This group is the minority of patients who present with chronic fatigue. Although chronic fatigue syndrome may be the result of an organic illness in psychologically susceptible individuals, it remains most important to assess underlying psychologic factors that then need to be addressed. These factors may very likely have a profound effect on immune function, but more research is needed in this area. The diagnostic evaluation of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome should initially focus on causes for fatigue other than Epstein-Barr viral infection. Significant underlying medical conditions should be ruled out, and extensive inquiry into symptoms suggestive of depression and anxiety should be aggressively pursued. Treatment should include psychiatric support and counseling, good nutrition, adequate rest, and a gradual increase in activity. Anti-inflammatory agents and serotonin-replenishing antidepressants are helpful when muscle pain and tenderness are a major part of the patient's symptoms. Psychoactive drugs are useful when indicated. Low doses of antidepressants such as doxepin (10-25 mg at night) are generally well tolerated and have shown efficacy in numerous patients, although there are no reports of controlled trials.

A multivariate analysis of risk factors for cytomegalovirus infection in liver-transplant recipients.

Thirty-three consecutive liver-transplant recipients were prospectively studied over a 37-mo period for evidence of cytomegalovirus infection. Sixteen (48%) episodes of cytomegalovirus infection were identified; 9 were primary infections and 7 were recurrent infections. Beginning with patient 8, gamma-globulin prophylaxis was routinely administered to most patients. Twelve potential risk factors for cytomegalovirus infection were evaluated and included pretransplant cytomegalovirus serological status of donor and recipient; recipient's age, sex, race, and liver disease; number and type of blood products transfused; type and intensity of immunosuppression; and occurrence of rejection. The Cox proportional hazards model identified positive donor cytomegalovirus serology as the single most important risk factor for subsequent development of cytomegalovirus infection, regardless of recipient cytomegalovirus serological status. In addition, use of gamma-globulin prophylaxis seemed to be protective against the occurrence of disseminated cytomegalovirus disease.

Decreased infections in cardiac transplant recipients on cyclosporine with reduced corticosteroid use.

Fifty patients undergoing orthotopic cardiac transplantation were monitored over 34 months for evidence of infection. Four separate immunosuppressive protocols were used during the course of the study; the most recent protocol (protocol 4) employed significantly lower overall steroid dosages than the earlier protocols (protocols 1,2, and 3). All immunosuppressive regimens used cyclosporine, and azathioprine was added in the last three protocols. Statistical techniques to compare the occurrence of infection in protocols 1,2, and 3 v protocol 4 showed that patients in protocol group 4 (n = 21) had significantly more time free of pneumonia (P = .02) and major infections (P = .04) and marginally more time free of symptomatic cytomegalovirus infection (P = .08) than patients in protocol groups 1, 2, and 3 (n = 29). The median incidence of major infection per month was lower for protocol group 4 (P = .02). The time free of viral infection did not differ significantly between the two groups (P = .75) nor did the median incidence of rejection per month (P = .19). The authors conclude that reduction of steroid dosages in cardiac transplant patients receiving cyclosporine is associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of clinically important infections.

The immunocompromised host.

Infection still remains the most common immediate cause of death in the immunocompromised host. Because of the decreased host defenses leading not only to an increased susceptibility to a variety of opportunistic pathogens (in particular the fungi) but also to a decreased host inflammatory response and resultant clinical findings, infections in these patients are difficult to diagnose. Skin lesions occur in up to a third of infections in compromised hosts and can often be the first presentation of a systemic illness. The broad scope of dermatologic manifestations of infection in compromised patients is reviewed based on four presumed underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and on the vast array of potential pathogens that have been reported to date in the literature.

Peritonitis in children with nephrotic syndrome.

In a retrospective review of 214 children with nephrotic syndrome seen at Children's Medical Center and Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas throughout the 20-year period from 1967 to 1986, 62 cases of primary peritonitis were identified in 37 patients (17.3% rate). Streptococcus pneumoniae was the major pathogen, accounting for 38% of the cases. An additional 27% of patients had negative culture results but were clinically responsive to penicillin. Gram-negative organisms were cultured from only 3% of patients; 5% were caused by alpha-streptococci and 2% each by enterococcus and anaerobes. In 23% of cases the cause was unknown. Our findings differ from the recent trend in the literature in which Gram-negative organisms associated with these infections are increasingly implicated. The incidence and bacteriology of peritonitis do not appear to have changed significantly during the 20-year period. Clinically, peritonitis was characterized by abdominal pain (98%), fever (95%), rebound tenderness (85%), and nausea and vomiting (71%). A total of 79% of patients were either in relapse or receiving steroid therapy at the time peritonitis was diagnosed; 13% had infiltrates visible on their chest radiographs. Based on our data, it seems reasonable to initiate antimicrobial therapy in nephrotic children with suspected peritonitis using a combination of penicillin plus either an aminoglycoside or a cephalosporin. This regimen should continue until culture results are available, unless Gram-positive diplococci are identified in a Gram-stained specimen of peritoneal fluid, in which case penicillin alone should suffice.

A multivariate analysis of the risk of cytomegalovirus infection in heart transplant recipients.

Thirty-four consecutive heart transplant recipients were studied over a two-year period for evidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Twenty-three episodes of CMV infection were identified; 19 of these occurred within 120 d after transplantation and were statistically analyzed. Fifteen potential risk factors were evaluated, including the following: pretransplant CMV serological status of donor and recipient; recipient's age, sex, race, and cardiac disease; number and type of blood products transfused; type and intensity of immunosuppression; occurrence of rejection; and leukopenia. The Cox proportional hazards model identified both greater than average steroid dosage and positive recipient CMV serology as significant risk factors for CMV infection (P = .014 and .048, respectively). In a separate analysis, however, only greater than average steroid dosage was associated with clinically significant CMV infection (P = .005).