Multidrug-resistant bacteria infection control: study of compliance with isolation precautions in a Paris university hospital.

Isolation practices in a university hospital were analyzed for 137 patients with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Isolation was ordered in writing by physicians for 40% and instituted by nurses for 60%; 74% were isolated. Compliance depended on physician ordering in writing (odds ratio, 36.3; 95% confidence interval, 4.8-274.9). Nurses complied best with hand washing.

[Risk behaviors of intravenous drug users: are females taking more risks of HIV and HCV transmission?]. / Les comportements à risque des usagers de drogues par voie intraveineuse: les femmes prennent-elles plus de risques de transmission des virus VIH et VHC?

BACKGROUND: This work was aimed at identifying differences in HIV and HCV risk behaviors among intravenous drug users (IDUs) according to the gender and their determinants. METHODS: IDUs over 18 years, having had sexual intercourse and able to answer the questionnaire were interviewed in 10 drug abuse treatment centers or social institutions using a questionnaire adapted from the one used in the survey of sexual lifestyle in France. RESULTS: Over 612 eligible IDUs, 595 completed the questionnaire (women: 29%);37% had multiple partners with no difference according to the gender; 14% of the women and 7% of the men reported trading sex. More women reported inconsistent condom use (46% vs. 55%) and inconsistent clean equipment use (65% vs. 73%). A younger age, independently associated to sharing equipment (men: OR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.90-0.99; women: OR = 0.92; 95% CI = 0.85-0.99) and inconsistent HIV serology testing, independently associated to inconsistent condom use (men: OR = 3.36; 95% CI = 2.02-5.60; women: OR = 10.72; 95% CI = 3.18-36.18), were the only risk markers common to both genders. For women, being HIV negative increased the risk of inconsistent condom use. Low educational level increased the risk of inconsistent clean equipment use. No risk marker among those analyzed was associated to having had multiple partners. For men, low socioeconomic status markers, a steady sexual partner or not living in couple and educational level were associated with sexual risk behaviors (inconsistent condom use and having multiple partners); low socioeconomic status markers were associated with injecting risk behaviors (inconsistent clean equipment use and sharing). CONCLUSIONS: Women were more likely to have both sexual and injecting risk behaviors; their significant risk markers are less numerous thus harm reduction could be more difficult than for men.

[Week-long hospitalization in a Department of Internal Medicine: patients and care patterns. Description and comparison with standard hospitalization]. / L'hospitalisation de semaine dans un service de Médecine Interne: service de Médecine Interne : patients et filières de soins. Description et comparaison à l'hospitalisation classique.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the inpatient and care pathway predictive factors of week hospitalization (week-end excluded = HDS) compared to classical short term hospitalization (HC). METHODS: We compared 340 HDS stays to 65 HC stays. We analyzed the major in-patient sociodemographic and medical characteristics, and their care pathways. RESULTS: HDS inpatients were younger, more living in couples, had a higher educational level, better social insurance, more cancer, less associated diagnosis, less general health impairment than HC in-patients. More chemotherapies and endoscopies were performed in HDS. Hospital physicians were more often involved in HDS admissions than in HC admissions and general practitioners were more often involved in outpatient hospital visits for advice before HDS hospitalization than before HC hospitalization. HDS hospitalizations per in-patient were more numerous than HC hospitalizations. HDS inpatients were discharged directly to their home more often. After logistic regression modeling, most of these factors remained independently associated with HDS hospitalization, except for sociodemographic characteristics, age excluded, admission rates and home discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Type of hospitalization (HDS vs. HC) was mainly determined by medical characteristics of patients and by care pathways. Limiting factors were mainly due to organization of care.

Tracheoesophageal fistula caused by mycobacterial tuberculosis adenopathy.

Tracheoesophageal fistulas resulting from a Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection are uncommon. We describe a patient with such a lesion that had the radiologic and clinic appearance of a malignant tracheoesophageal fistula. Use of an anterior cervical approach with one-stage esophageal repair along with tracheal resection and anastomosis allowed definitive diagnosis and treatment of this life-threatening complication.

Detection of Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides melaninogenicus by direct immunofluorescence.

A new diagnostic kit, which contains a polyvalent antiserum for either Bacteroides fragilis or Bacteroides melaninogenicus, was tested for reliability and specificity on 146 clinical samples of different origin. A correlation between the culture and immunofluorescence was observed for B. fragilis in 87.39% of cases and for B. melaninogenicus in 81.48% of cases. When pure cultures were tested, aerobically as well as anaerobically, false-positive reactions were observed with staphylococci and Clostridium ramosum spores. The well-defined morphology of these bacteria and spores allows for the elimination of any diagnostic error. The method is rapid, and the margin for error is limited. The test gives a semiquantitative idea of the number of bacteroides organisms present in the clinical specimens even in the presence of a mixed flora.