Enterococcal meningitis in an HIV positive haemophilic patient

Article Abstract:

Enterococcal meningitis is a serious infection that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It is a rare disease that has a high mortality, and can be difficult to treat because it is resistant to certain types of antibiotics. This article describes the case report of a 25-year-old man who developed enterococcal meningitis. The patient had hemophilia (an inherited blood disorder that prevents blood from clotting and causes bleeding) and was infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), (the virus that causes AIDS). The HIV attacks and destroys the immune system, which makes patients more susceptible to infections. Five years after the patient was diagnosed with HIV he began to develop symptoms of fever, cough, and a rapid heart rate. A chest X-ray was taken to rule out pneumonia, but the X-ray was normal. The patient was given cotrimoxazole and prednisolone, but his symptoms soon became worse. A spinal tap was performed to obtain a sample of cerebrospinal fluid. The sample was grown in culture and found to contain Enterococcus faecalis. Enterococci are bacteria that are normally present in the gut, but in rare cases they can cause meningitis. The patient was treated with ampicillin and rifampicin, and his symptoms improved within 36 hours. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

HIV infection, HIV infections, HIV patients, Hemophilia

---

Assessment of fetal-maternal haemorrhage in mothers with hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin

Article Abstract:

Fetal-maternal hemorrhage can be detected by the examination of blood films stained with Kleihauer's stain. This stain is specific for the detection of fetal cells in maternal blood. It is of value in the detection of hemorrhage before birth, and in monitoring risk for hemolytic disease in the newborn. However, the staining procedure is unreliable when a condition described as hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) is present in the mother. The inability to properly diagnose the presence of HPFH in the case of pregnancies where the blood type is Rh(D)-negative can result in the misuse of the appropriate antiglobulin. Overuse would represent a significant waste of a valuable and scarce product; underutilization would result in subsequent Rh(D) sensitization. Three cases are presented in which a relatively new technique, quantitative erythrocyte fluorescence immunocytometry, in a two-stage process permitted the identification of HPFH. It is the procedure of choice in the detection of Rh(D)-positive blood in Rh(D)-negative mothers with HPFH. Its high cost and technical complexity make this procedure unsuitable for routine use, where the application and use of the Kleihauer stain would provide the appropriate information. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Innovations, Maternal-fetal exchange, Physiological aspects, Fetal blood, Immunofluorescence, Fluorescent antibody technique

---

Listeria meningitis and pate

Article Abstract:

The case report is presented of a patient in remission after chemotherapy treatment for leukemia (a malignancy of white blood cells) who developed meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) due to infection with Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes). This bacterium is occasionally present in certain foods, and patients whose immune systems are impaired (as they are after chemotherapy) are instructed to avoid these foods. In Britain, suspect foods include soft cheeses, cook-chill meals, and salads. The patient, a 63-year-old man, developed meningitis after eating pate that had been produced in Belgium. His symptoms included stiff neck and seizures. Treatment with benzyl penicillin and other drugs led to gradual improvement over the next two weeks, although some memory loss remained. The strain of L. monocytogenes found in this patient, rarely seen in Britain, was the same as that identified in 16 out of 73 samples of pate tested in that country. It is concluded that pate should be added to the list of foods that should not be eaten by patients whose immune function is impaired. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Chemotherapy, Food contamination, Listeria monocytogenes, Immunodeficiency

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Energy supplementation and the nutritional status of hemodialysis patients. Vitamin and trace element status of women with disordered eating
• Abstracts: Steroid hormone abnormalities in women with severe idiopathic constipation. DNA probes for diagnosis of intestinal infection
• Abstracts: Steroid hormone abnormalities in women with severe idiopathic constipation. part 2 Evidence for motor neuropathy and reduced filling of the rectum in chronic intractable constipation
• Abstracts: Educating physicians in home health care. Use of animals in medical education. Educating physicians for population-based clinical practice
• Abstracts: Oxytocin in active-phase abnormalities of labor: a randomized study. A comparison of Doppler flow velocity waveforms, amniotic fluid columns, and the nonstress test as a means of monitoring post-dates pregnancies

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.