Streptococcus agalactiae left-sided infective endocarditis. Analysis of 27 cases from a multicentric cohort.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the current trends in the clinical characteristics and the prognosis of Streptococcus agalactiae infective endocarditis (IE), uncommon disease associated with high mortality. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of 27 cases of a large cohort (961 episodes) of infective endocarditis collected in seven hospitals of Andalusia (Spain) between 1984 and 2008. RESULTS: Native valves were affected in most cases (85. 2%), multiple valves were frequently involved (22.2%). The median age of the patients was 65 (51-76) years (59.3% men), with a comorbidity, according to the Charlson index, of 2.6+/-2.3. The most frequent underlying diseases were diabetes mellitus (25.9%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (14.8%), neoplasms (14.8%), urological disorders (11%) and chronic liver disease (11%). Clinical presentation was characterized by rapid worsening (median of 9 (5.7-15) days from onset of symptoms until diagnosis), a high rate of embolisms (37%) and cardiac complications (abscesses, fistulas or valve rupture) - 37% of cases. Surgery was performed in 12 patients (44.4%) and a high mortality (40.7%) was observed. CONCLUSION: S. agalactiae IE is a serious disease with aggressive course and high mortality rate and affects patients with debilitating diseases. We must be alert of the development of complications and consider early valve surgery when it is necessary.

[Human immunodeficiency virus infection in women]. / Infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana en mujeres.

From last years eighty's decade the number of women with HIV infection have significantly increased. To know the epidemiological and clinic trades in this group we studied retrospectively 476 HIV infected patients attending in a General Hospital from January 1986 to June 1993. Seventy nine (16.5%) were female and 397 male. The mean female group was 25.8 years, 61.9% were IVDUs and 30.4% heterosexual transmission. This last transmission route was more important between females than males (5%) (p < 0.001) and in 1992 the 55% of women been infected by this way. The mean CD4 count was 643 cel/ml in the female group at the diagnostic time and 21.7% developed antigenaemia without difference with the male group. 59.7% of women were no symptoms at the diagnosis time and 14.3% were AIDS, no differences with men, but more in the female group developed AIDS along following time 39.5% in front of 24.7% in the male group (p < 0.05). Disseminated Tuberculosis (DTB) (29.1%) and Wasting Syndrome (WS) (29.1%) were the more frecuent AIDS defining conditions in the female group. The more frecuent complications were: Oropharynx Candidiasis 39.1%, Esophagus Candidiasis 6.3%, WS 11%, DTB 12.65%, PCP 10.12% and Neoplasias 5.06%. Fourteen women became pregnant during HIV infection, no clinical nor immunological differences were observed in this group with the control. The treatment (66%) and following (46.8%), compliance was better between women than men. The rise of women with HIV infection, the poor development in this group described by some authors, so far gynecological aspect and vertical transmission makes HIV infection in women an major health problem.