Varicella Zoster
Varicella Zoster VZV = an alpha herpes virus; 90% of adults have evidence of infection; spread via droplet excreted from the throat of patients with chicken pox OR via contact with vesicle fluid in chicken pox or shingles.
Category Infectious Disease
Vibrio infection
OVERVIEW organisms: Vibrio vulnificus and other species CLINICAL FEATURES tropical environments sea water borne cut to skin -> cellulitis -> necrotizing cellulitis profound multi-organ failure RISK FACTORS raw oyster consumption liver disease iron overload INVESTIGATIONS tissue culture blood cultures MANAGEMENT…
Waterborne Diseases
Waterborne Disease: major killer of the paediatric patient in the developed world
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an environmental global emerging Gram-negative MDRO that is most commonly associated with respiratory infections in humans
Spinal epidural abscess
Spinal epidural abscess is considered a neurosurgical emergency; morbidity and mortality is worse with delayed diagnosis, and the worse the neurological deficit at the time of surgery the worse the outcome
Nosocomial Pneumonia
Nosocomial or hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is defined as pneumonia that is not incubating at the time of admission to hospital and develops in a patient hospitalised for >48 hours.
Steroids and Septic Shock Literature Summaries
Bone R.C. et al (1987) “A controlled clinical trial of high dose methylprednisolone in the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock” NEJM, 317:653-658 PMID 3306374 RCT n = 382 with sepsis and organ dysfunction methylprednisolone (30mg/kg) vs placebo-> no…
Minimum Inhibitory Concentration
Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) is lowest concentration of an antimicrobial that will inhibit the visible growth of a microorganism following overnight incubation, usually reported as mg/L
Antibiotic Timing
The mantra for timing of antibiotics for serious infections is 'hit hard, early and appropriately'. Despite the strong biological plausibility of a need for early antibiotics in patients with serious bacterial infections the importance of antibiotic timing is controversial
Why Don’t We Wash Our Hands?
"Why don't we wash our hands?" is a SMACCtalk that explores why hand hygiene targets remains such a challenge for healthcare workers.
Blood Culture Bottles
Blood Culture Bottles: tubes for sampling blood for microbiological cultures; detection of circulating microorganisms in bacteraemia and septicaemia
Hans Reiter
Hans Conrad Julius Reiter (1881-1969) was a German physician and social hygienist. Associated with Reiter Syndrome - known now as Reactive arthritis