Trueperella pyogenes endocarditis in a Swiss farmer: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Trueperella pyogenes (T. pyogenes) is a bacterium that colonizes the skin and mucosal surfaces of various domestic and wild animals. It rarely leads to infections in humans, with only a few descriptions available in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old Swiss farmer with a history of recurring basal cell carcinoma and metastasized pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor presented with signs of sepsis after a three-day history of general weakness, malaise and fever. Clinical and echocardiographic findings, as well as persistent bacteremia were consistent with mitral valve endocarditis caused by T. pyogenes. The patient's condition gradually improved under antibiotic treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam (empiric therapy of sepsis), and later penicillin G based on resistance testing. He was discharged after 13 days and continued outpatient antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone, resulting in a total antibiotic treatment duration of six weeks. This is the first literature review of T. pyogenes endocarditis in humans. Among nine cases of T. pyogenes endocarditis, three patients had documented contact with farm animals and five had an underlying condition that compromised the immune system. While antibiotic resistance of T. pyogenes is an emerging concern, susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics seems to persist. The mortality of T. pyogenes endocarditis described in the literature was high, with 66% of patients not surviving the disease. CONCLUSIONS: T. pyogenes is a rare causative organism of infectious endocarditis in humans and descriptions are mainly restricted to case reports. In our review of the literature, we found that both an impaired immune system and contact with farm animals might be risk factors. Growth of T. pyogenes in blood cultures is unlikely to be missed during routine analysis, as it shows marked beta-hemolysis on blood agar culture plates, which generally leads to further characterization of the bacteria. Susceptibility to penicillin, ceftriaxone, and macrolides seems to be retained and the reported mortality in the few patients with T. pyogenes endocarditis is high.

Slow Recovery of Weight Bearing After Stabilization of Long-Bone Fractures Using Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nails in Children.

Stabilization of diaphyseal long-bone fractures using elastic stable intramedullary nails (ESIN) in children promises early mobilization and rapid resumption of full weight bearing. We evaluated the duration of postoperative functional rehabilitation after ESIN, measured by the time from stabilization until first partial weight bearing, full weight bearing, and resumption of school sports. Fifty children with unstable, displaced fractures of the femur or lower leg treated with ESIN between 2002 and 2012 were included in this retrospective analysis. We classified fractures according to the pediatric comprehensive classification of fractures (PCCF). Thirty-five children sustained a femur fracture, and 15 children had a fracture of the lower leg or tibia. The surgeons in charge applied an additional plaster cast in 7 of 15 children who suffered a lower leg fracture. The postoperative time interval until full weight bearing in the group of children who had suffered transverse or short oblique femur fractures was significantly shorter (median: 4.4 weeks; range: 0.1-9.1 weeks) than that in the group who had sustained more complex fracture patterns (median: 6.8 weeks; range: 2.9-13.9 weeks; P = 0.04). Similarly, transverse and short oblique lower leg and tibia fractures required less time until full weight bearing (median: 4.1 weeks; range 2.7-6.0 weeks) than complex lower leg fractures (median: 6.1 weeks; range: 1.3-12.9 weeks; P = 0.04). ESIN proved fairly effective in restoring full weight bearing in transverse or short oblique fractures of the lower extremities but was less effective in complex fractures.

Intravenous bisphosphonates for postmenopausal osteoporosis: safety profiles of zoledronic acid and ibandronate in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous bisphosphonates are widely used for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. They are associated with transient influenza-like symptoms, predominantly after the first zoledronic acid (up to 32 %) or ibandronate (up to 5 %) administration. The experience in clinical practice suggests that the incidence of post-dose symptoms is higher than has been reported in clinical trials. We assessed the safety of annual infusions of zoledronic acid and 3-monthly injections of ibandronate in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS: In this retrospective study we analysed safety data from 272 postmenopausal women treated with zoledronic acid (n = 127; mean age 68.6 ± 9.4 years) or intravenous (IV) ibandronate (n = 145; mean age 69.1 ± 9.0 years). Safety data (including occurrence of acute-phase reactions and osteonecrosis of the jaw) were gathered in phone call interviews by using a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: The number of patients with adverse events was significantly higher in zoledronic acid as compared to ibandronate-treated patients, primarily because of a larger number of post-dose symptoms after bisphosphonate administrations (54.3 % vs. 33.1 %, p < 0.001). Except for occurrence of fever (more common after zoledronic acid infusion), other influenza-like symptoms (myalgia, arthralgia, headache) appeared in a similar proportion of patients after IV treatment (within 24-36 h). Symptoms lasted for >3 days in approximately 50 % of patients. The incidence of symptoms decreased after subsequent infusions. The rate of influenza-like symptoms was more frequent after zoledronic acid than after IV ibandronate in bisphosphonate-naïve patients but comparable in patients pretreated with oral bisphosphonates. There were no spontaneous reports of osteonecrosis of the jaw, arrhythmia or delayed fracture healing. CONCLUSION: Although IV bisphosphonates are generally safe, the occurrence of transient influenza-like symptoms after IV bisphosphonates seems to be more frequent in clinical practice than has been reported in clinical trials.