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V Asensi

Publications and source records attributed to V Asensi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Post-surgical enterococcal meningitis: clinical and epidemiological study of 20 cases.

Enterococcal post-surgical meningitis is an uncommon disease. 20 episodes of nosocomial post-surgical enterococcal meningitis diagnosed between 1994 and 2003 were retrospectively studied. During the period of study 20 cases of post-surgical enterococcal meningitis (60% female, mean age 55+/-18 y, range 16-78 y) were reviewed. The mean time between admission at the hospital and surgery was 26 (SD = 15) d (range 7-61 d). The most frequent underlying diseases were: intracerebral haemorrhage (55%), brain neoplasms (25%), head trauma (15%) and hydrocephalus (5%). 11 patients had previously received antibiotic treatment. The isolates identified were Enterococcus faecalis (n = 18) (90%), E. faecium (1) and E. durans (1). 11 patients had polymicrobial infections. The treatment most frequently used was vancomycin alone or with other antibiotics (11). In 5 patients intrathecal vancomycin (20 mg/d) was also added. The mortality rate was not different in intrathecally treated patients. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) devices were removed in 8 patients. Four patients died due to the infection. Mortality was significantly associated with lack of removal of the CSF devices (p = 0.04). Enterococcal spp. are a cause of nosocomial meningitis associated with neurosurgical procedures and the presence of neurological devices.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Consensus conference on chronic viral hepatitis and HIV infection: updated Spanish recommendations.

Chronic hepatitis B and C represent a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients worldwide. New treatment options against both hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses have prompted us to update previous recommendations for the management of coinfected individuals. Fifteen topics (nine related to HCV, five to HBV and one to both viruses) were selected for this purpose. A panel of Spanish experts in the field was invited to review these areas and propose specific recommendations, which were scored according to the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) grading system. These guidelines represent a comprehensive and updated overview on the management of hepatitis B and C in HIV-infected patients.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed2002

Eikenella corrodens brain abscess after repeated periodontal manipulations cured with imipenem and neurosurgery.

Eikenella corrodens is a facultatively anaerobic gram-negative rod that colonizes the oral cavity and very rarely produces central nervous system (CNS) infections. Frontal lobe abscesses are occasionally associated with a dental source of infection. We report a case of an adult man with overzealous dental cleaning habits who developed a right frontal brain abscess caused by E. corrodens. He underwent neurosurgical drainage of the pus and was successfully treated with imipenem 4 g/i.v./day for 4 weeks with no complications. Repeated periodontal trauma could explain the Eikenella brain abscess in this case.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2001

[Postsurgical meningitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii: study of 22 cases and review of the literature].

BACKGROUND: Postsurgical Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis is associated with relevant morbidity and mortality. It has been related to neurosurgery, intraventricular catheters (IC) or CSF fistula. Thus, features, epidemiology and clinical course of this infection were studied. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 22 episodes of nosocomial postsurgical Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis. Twenty episodes occurred in males. The mean age of patients was 46 years (range: 16-83 years). RESULTS: All patients were admitted to the ICU. In 50% of patients a history of intraventricular hemorrhage was recorded, 36% had had a skull fracture and the remaining patients had a brain tumor. In 18 cases the portal of entry was considered to be IC, in two an epidural catheter, and in two a CSF fistula. Patients showed a clinical picture indistinguishable from other types of meningitis, fever being the most common symptom (100%). CSF findings were consistent with bacterial meningitis. In one case the microorganism was recovered from blood. Fifteen patients recovered, three died as a direct result of the infection, and the remaining patients relapsed. Non recovery of patients was significantly associated with non removal of catheter (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Postsurgical Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis occurs frequently in patients previously colonized with this microorganism in other sites and is enhanced by the presence of an IC. Catheter removal is essential for recovery of patients.

Acinetobacter Infections↗
PubMed2001

Hepatocellular carcinoma in HIV-infected patients with chronic hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic hepatitis C is frequently seen in HIV-positive subjects infected through needle sharing or transfusion of contaminated blood products. Progression to end-stage liver disease seems to occur faster in these patients. As the life expectancy of HIV-infected persons has dramatically improved since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapies, cirrhosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may be recognized at an increasing rate in patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: We identified the main features of HIV-infected individuals with end-stage liver disease due to HCV infection and diagnosed with HCC in three HIV/AIDS referral centers, and compared these features to those of a control group of patients with HCV-related HCC but without HIV infection. RESULTS: Seven HIV-infected patients were identified. Of these, six were <45 yr of age and had been intravenous drug users. The mean time between exposure to HCV and the development of HCC was estimated to be 17.8 yr. Two subjects were coinfected with hepatitis B and delta viruses, respectively. Only one individual had been diagnosed of an AIDS-defining condition before the diagnosis of HCC was made. However, all subjects had < 500 CD4+ T cells at the time of HCC diagnosis. Five died within the first 4 months of follow-up. Patients in the control group (n = 31) were significantly older (68.9 +/- 8.9 vs 42.2 +/- 10.4; p < 0.001) and the duration of HCV infection was significantly longer (28.1 +/- 10.9 vs 17.8 +/- 2.7; p < 0.05) than in those with HIV-HCV coinfection. CONCLUSIONS: HCC seems to occur at a younger age and after a shorter period of HCV infection in subjects coinfected with HIV. Thus, treatment of CHC should be encouraged in HIV-positive patients, and in those with HCV-related cirrhosis the periodic monitoring of alpha-fetoprotein and abdominal ultrasonography should be recommended.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1999

[The prognostic value of cytomegalovirus antigenemia and viremia for the development of cytomegalovirus disease and the survival of AIDS patients].

OBJECTIVES: To analyse risk factors for morbidity and survival associated with blood cytomegalovirus (CMV) detection with the antigenemia method among AIDS patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: CMV antigenemia and CMV blood cultures in 277 AIDS patients IgG-CMV sero-positive with a CD4 level lower than 200 x 10(6)/l under antiretroviral monotherapy were analysed. We consider cases the 116 patients with one or more positive blood samples tested for pp65 antigenemia or CMV culture. They were matched with 161 control patients with negative antigenemia or viremia. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis pointed out a significant positive association for blood CMV reactivation with the following variables: CMV disease development and CMV urine detection, sex-acquired HIV infection, CD4+ < 50 x 10(6)/l and matched time from AIDS diagnosis to CMV blood culture correlated with positive antigenemias. Quantitative antigenemia title showed predictive value for risk of CMV disease although 23% of retinitis patients had persistent undetectable antigenemia. CMV invasive disease developed in 48% of cases and 11% of controls (relative risk [RR]: 7.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.2-14.7). Mortality after 12 months of follow-up was 73% vs 52% respectively (p < 0.001). Time survival curves after CD4+ count adjusting remained significantly lower for case patients (median, 127 days vs 355 days; p < 0.01 by log-rank test). Increased death rate was found in patients with CMV disease (74%), followed by patients with CMV antigenemia but no disease (70%) and patients without antigenemia or CMV disease (mortality 49%). CONCLUSIONS: CMV blood detection in AIDS patients may be considered as a bad prognosis marker for CMV morbidity and survival. This risk increases with higher CMV antigenemias. Therefore, pre-emptive anti-CMV therapy should be considered in this restricted population.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1999

[Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection: the clinical, neuroimaging, virological and evolutive characteristics in 35 patients].

BACKGROUND: The clinical, neuroimaging, virologic and evolutive characteristics of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in 35 AIDS patients are studied. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PML was diagnosed by clinical and neuroimaging criteria in 32 patients and by autopsy in other three. The detection of JC virus (JCV) was done by PCR and further hybridization of the amplified DNA in peripheral blood lymphocytes, urine and CSF. RESULTS: 127 of 930 HIV positive patients were admitted by neuropsychiatric symptoms and of them 35 (SD 27.6%) by PML. The PML patients had a mean CD4 lymphocytes count of 75.3 (82.0)/x 10(6)/l and a HIV viral load of 330,698 (538,971) copies of RNA/ml. Thirty patients did not receive any anti-retroviral therapy or only transcriptase inhibitors monotherapy and five triple anti-retroviral therapy, including a proteases inhibitor. Multiple hypodense lesions on CT (53.1%) and T2 hyperintense lesions on MRI (58.3%) were the most frequent neuroimaging findings. JCV was detected in 20/21 (95.2%) LMP patients: 18/19 detections in lymphocytes, 6/8 in CSF and 4/6 in urine. The mean survival without and with antiretroviral therapy were 3.0 (0.47) and 21.4 (4.4) months (p < 0.001) in 34 patients followed. PML progressed to death in 31/34 patients (91.2%), and remained stable in 3/34 (8.8%). A patient was lost for follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The application of clinical and neuroimaging criteria and the detection of JCV in CSF are useful for high presumption diagnosis of PML without brain biopsies. JCV detection in lymphocytes and in urine have a much lower predictive value. The evolution and survival of this disease can improve with triple anti-retroviral therapy including a protease inhibitor.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1999

Successful intrathecal ethanol block for intractable spasticity of AIDS-related progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of intrathecal ethanol block to relieve intractable spasticity in AIDS-related progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) when long-term intrathecal baclofen infusion cannot be used. METHODS: A 33-year-old man with AIDS-related PML developed very severe spastic paraparesis (Ashworth rigidity score, 4) and painful muscle spasms. The patient was unable to sit in his wheelchair and remained bed bound. Combined oral baclofen and tizanidine at therapeutical doses were used without any effect on the spasticity. The patient refused the placement of an intrathecal catheter for long-term baclofen infusion. A single intrathecal ethanol (6 ml) injection in the L2-L3 intervertebral space with the patient placed in a lateral Trendelenburg (40 C) position was performed. RESULTS: The procedure was very effective in improving the stiffness (Ashworth rigidity score. 2, after the technique) and the muscle spasms disappeared. No side effects during or after the injection were observed. CONCLUSION: Intrathecal ethanol block is a last but very useful choice for treatment of intractable spasticity in PML and other neurologic disorders in AIDS patients when other oral treatments have failed and intrathecal baclofen infusion is not suitable.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1999

Cytomegalovirus antigenemia surveillance in the treatment of cytomegalovirus disease in AIDS patients.

OBJECTIVE: Surveillance of quantitative cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigenemia among AIDS patients with CMV treated complications in order to determine its value in assessing the response to treatment and survival. METHODS: A longitudinal follow-up of antigenemia measurement at diagnosis, after induction therapy with ganciclovir or foscarnet, and every 3 months during maintenance therapy was carried out in 25 patients with CMV retinitis and in 8 with extraocular CMV disease. Positive antigenemia was defined as the presence of any amount of immunofluorescent pp65-positive leukocytes/10(5) cells. RESULTS: Mean antigenemia values were: 77+/-148/10(5) leukocytes at retinitis diagnosis; 45+/-114 after induction therapy; and 7+/-18 and 1.5+/-4 after 6 months and one year of therapy, respectively. Patients achieving undetectable antigenemia increased from 44% at baseline to 68% at postinduction and 80% during follow-up. Seven patients (28%) who remained free of relapses presented significant minor baseline antigenemias and became negative after induction therapy. Patients with extraocular disease showed erratic antigenemia values and absent therapeutic response. CMV blood cultures before and after induction therapy were positive in 39% and 21% of patients, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly longer survival for patients with retinitis when compared to those with extraocular complications, and for patients with negative antigenemia after induction in comparison with those who failed to achieve it. CONCLUSIONS: Low basal antigenemia and antigenemia clearance after induction therapy are variables directly related to good response to treatment and survival. Continuous surveillance of antigenemia during treatment could permit designing of individual strategies to obtain a better response.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1997

Bactericidal effect of ADP and acetic acid on Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis is a ubiquitous soil bacterium used for measuring the beta-lysin activity and in other bioassays. We observed a complete bactericidal effect of ADP on B. subtilis at concentrations of 50-100 microM at pH values <5.5, which disappeared at pH values above 6. The effect was also found for acetic acid at concentrations >17.4 microM and similar pH values. ATP, adenosine, and HCl were not bactericidal. We used BCECF-AM, a pH-sensitive probe, and found that the killing of B. subtilis was due to a change in the intracellular pH caused by the passage across the cell membrane of these weak organic acids when incubated with B. subtilis at pH values near the pK. More experiments are needed to determine the biological meaning of these in vitro findings.

Acetic Acid↗
PubMed1997

[Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia as a complication after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography].

BACKGROUND: The present was performed to describe the characteristics of bacteremias by Pseudomonas aeruginosa following cholangiopancreatography and the methods of prevention and treatment of the same. METHODS: Twelve different episodes of bacteremia by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were retrospectively studied in patients submitted to endoscopic cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) from 1993-1997. RESULTS: Three point six percent of the patients undergoing ERCP presented episodes of bacteremias by the microorganism in the 48 hours following the procedure. Except for one case, the patients presented obstructive disease in the form of calculi or neoplasms at the level of the biliary tree. In three cases, sphincterotomy had been carried out which was followed by clinical manifestations of hemorrhage in one case. Three patients (25%) died as a consequence of bacteremia and a hepatic abscess was developed in one case. The bacteremia appeared in successive outbreaks from 1993-1997. CONCLUSIONS: Bacteremia by Pseudomonas aeruginosa following ERCP is more frequent in patients with obstructive disease of the biliary tract and has an important additional morbimortality. It is associated with incorrect endoscopic disinfection. The use of drugs with an antipseudomonal spectrum should be considered as preendoscopic prophylaxis.

Adult↗