Clinical manifestations and radiographic findings are unreliable guides to the selection of antimicrobial therapy for lower respiratory infections. Laboratory evaluation is necessary to identify the etiologic agent. Multiple oral antibiotics are…
Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) that may require hospitalization include acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB), community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), which includes ventilator-associated pneumonia…
Antipseudomonal penicillins retain most of the antibacterial activity of penicillin and aminopenicillins. This group of penicillins has added activities against many gram-negative rods, including P. aeruginosa. Similar to the earlier penicillins,…
We retrospectively evaluated the charts of 112 patients with diabetic foot infection to determine if early aggressive surgical intervention improves outcome. All patients were classified into two groups on the basis of the timing of surgical…
The complex interaction between plasma and tissue concentrations of drug has significant implications for therapies that use beta-lactam antibiotics. This comparative, triple-crossover, open-label study enrolled 12 healthy adult male volunteers to…
Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia. At present there is no "gold” standard for diagnosis and there is no easily accessible means of rapid diagnosis available. The best indication of acute C. pneumoniae infection is…
Superficial fungal infections of the foot (tinea pedis and onychomycosis) are common among elderly patients. Although most authorities believe that patients with diabetes mellitus have an increased predisposition to dermatophytic infections, some…
Characteristic clinical findings of fever, cough, and rhonchi, together with a new infiltrate on chest films and documentation of a pathogen, establish a diagnosis of infectious pneumonia. Several factors have had an impact on the approach to…
Characteristic clinical findings of fever, cough, and rhonchi, together with a new infiltrate on chest films and documentation of a pathogen, establish a diagnosis of infectious pneumonia. Several factors have had an impact on the approach to…
Executive Summary: 1. Foot infections in patients with diabetes cause substantial morbidity and frequent visits to health care professionals and may lead to amputation of a lower extremity. 2. Diabetic foot infections require attention to local…
Prompt clinical diagnosis and timely treatment are the hallmarks of the proper care of diabetic patients with foot infections. The importance of careful clinical foot examination cannot be overemphasized. When infection is suspected, effort should be…
Treatment of serious infections caused by gram-negative bacilli with beta-lactam antimicrobial agents can induce Class I beta-lactamase production. This phenomenon can result in resistant microorganisms, and has been postulated to be a cause of…
Necrotizing fasciitis due to Group A streptococcus has been observed with increasing frequency over the past decade. Appropriate management requires rapid recognition of this life-threatening infection and expeditious antimicrobial therapy as well as…
Dogs and cats are the 2 most common household pets. However, they may be a direct or indirect source of human infections. This article aims to familiarize physicians with some common and uncommon bacterial, rickettsial, parasitic, and fungal zoonotic…
Determination of the etiologic pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia has been problematic because of the lack of reliable rapid laboratory diagnostic tools as well as the controversy concerning diagnostic criteria. In the studies reviewed here, a…
The significance of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has led to the publication of guidelines from numerous international organisations. Because the macrolide class of antimicrobials is active against most of the key pathogens associated with CAP,…
We describe 6 patients who had bacteremic community-acquired pneumonia and unsuspected Legionella pneumophila coinfection. We reviewed case records of patients who were diagnosed as having a recent Legionella infection on the basis of either the…
Staphylococcus and streptococcus are bacteria commonly found on the skin and in the mucous membrane. These bacteria are frequently associated with mild cutaneous infections but may invade to cause deeper infections including necrotizing soft-tissue…
The evaluation of foot infections in patients with diabetes requires a careful physical examination. Wound culture; a probeto-bone test; and imaging studies, such as plain radiography and MRI, should be performed when indicated. Patients with…
