Interferencia de la hemólisis en las determinaciones serológicas / Interference of hemolysis in serological immunoassays

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[Streptococcus agalactiae infective endocarditis]. / Endocarditis por Streptococcus agalactiae.

Streptococcus agalactiae infective endocarditis Streptococcus agalactiae is an unusual cause of infectious endocarditis. We describe the clinical characteristics, therapy and evolution of this infection in four patients diagnosed between 1996 and 2003. All four cases had native valve involvement and vegetations. All the patients had severe aortic failure and three of them also developed heart failure. Valve replacement surgery was performed in all four cases. Mortality was 50%. Infectious endocarditis due to S. agalactiae is very aggressive. Early surgery should be considered to prevent valve destruction and serious complications.

Endocarditis por Streptococcus agalactiae / Streptococcus agalactiae infective endocarditis

Streptococcus agalactiae es una etiología poco común de endocarditis infecciosa. Describimos las características clínicas, tratamiento y evolución de nuestros casos diagnosticados entre 1996-2003. Encontramos 4 pacientes con válvulas nativas afectadas y vegetaciones en todos los casos. Todos presentaron insuficiencia aórtica grave, e insuficiencia cardíaca en 3 casos. El recambio valvular se efectuó en todos ellos, con una mortalidad del 50%. Las endocarditis infecciosas por S. agalactiae son muy agresivas. Para prevenir la destrucción de las valvas y serias complicaciones, debe considerarse la cirugía precoz (AU)

Streptococcus agalactiae infective endocarditis Streptococcus agalactiae is an unusual cause of infectious endocarditis. We describe the clinical characteristics, therapy and evolution of this infection in four patients diagnosed between 1996 and 2003. All four cases had native valve involvement and vegetations. All the patients had severe aortic failure and three of them also developed heart failure. Valve replacement surgery was performed in all four cases. Mortality was 50%. Infectious endocarditis due to S. agalactiae is very aggressive. Early surgery should be considered to prevent valve destruction and serious complications (AU)

Use of unmodified starches and partial removal of serum to improve Granada medium stability.

The use of 1% unmodified rice starch and 1% horse serum instead of 2% soluble starch and 5% serum in Granada medium is described. These components result in a medium of increased stability, preventing spoilage after a few days of storage at room temperature.

Specimen storage in transport medium and detection of group B streptococci by culture.

Recovery of group B streptococci (GBS) was assessed in 1,204 vaginorectal swabs stored in Amies transport medium at 4 or 21 degrees C for 1 to 4 days either by direct inoculation onto Granada agar (GA) or by culture in blood agar (BA) and GA after a selective broth enrichment (SBE) step. Following storage at 4 degrees C, GBS detection in GA was not affected after 72 h by either direct inoculation or SBE; however, GBS were not detected after SBE in the BA subculture in some samples after 48 h of storage and in GA after 96 h. After storage at 21 degrees C, loss of GBS-positive results was significant after 48 h by direct inoculation in GA and after 96 h by SBE and BA subculture; some GBS-positive samples were not detected after 24 h of storage followed by SBE and BA subculture or after 48 h of storage followed by SBE and GA subculture. Storage of swabs in transport medium, even at 4 degrees C, produced after 24 h an underestimation of the intensity of GBS colonization in most specimens. These data indicate that viability of GBS is not fully preserved by storage of vaginorectal swabs in Amies transport medium, mainly if they are not stored under refrigeration.

Absceso cerebral en paciente inmunodeprimida / Cerebral abscess in an inmunodepressed patient

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