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Corticosteroids for acute and subacute cough following respiratory tract infection: a systematic review.

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Cough associated with acute respiratory tract infection (RTI) is one of the most common problems managed in primary care. Despite minimal evidence for the use of antibiotics, they continue to be prescribed at great cost and are a significant cause of emerging bacterial resistance.

OBJECTIVES: To carry out a systematic review of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effect of corticosteroid therapy in otherwise-healthy adults with acute RTI.

METHODS: Seven electronic databases and five ongoing trial registers were searched. Studies were eligible if they compared the use of any corticosteroid treatment against a control group in adults with an acute (<3 weeks) or subacute (<8 weeks) cough associated with an RTI but no asthma. Primary outcomes were differences in mean cough and other symptom scores. Secondary outcomes included adverse effects, subsequent diagnosis of asthma and patient satisfaction.

RESULTS: Four trials (335 participants) investigating the effects of inhaled corticosteroids were identified. None investigated the use of oral corticosteroids. Results were mixed, with two reporting equivalence and two reporting benefits for mean cough score (P = 0.012) and cough frequency (P = 0.047). One reported additional benefits in non-smokers. Adverse events were rare and there were no data on patient satisfaction or the subsequent diagnosis of asthma. Most trials were of unclear risk of bias. Study outcomes were too heterogeneous to meta-analyse.

CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of inhaled corticosteroids for acute RTI in adults. However, some trials have shown benefits, suggesting the need for further high-quality, adequately powered trials.

Circulation of respiratory viruses among pilgrims during the 2012 Hajj pilgrimage.

The Hajj is the oldest and largest annual mass gathering in the world and may increase the risk of spreading respiratory viruses.

Methods. We performed a prospective survey among a cohort of pilgrims departing from Marseille, France, to Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for the 2012 Hajj season. Nasal swabs were collected from participants and tested for 11 respiratory viruses by real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR).

Results. Of 165 participants sampled before departing to the KSA, eight (4.8%) were positive for at least one virus (five rhinovirus, one influenza C, one adenovirus, and one enterovirus). Seventy symptomatic pilgrims underwent additional nasal swabs during their pilgrimage in the KSA, of which 27 (38.6%) were positive for at least one virus (19 rhinovirus, six influenza A, one influenza C, one respiratory syncytial virus B, one metapneumovirus, one adenovirus, and one enterovirus). This was significantly higher than the 4.8% who were positive before departing for the KSA (P<.001). Of 154 pilgrims sampled before leaving the KSA, 17 (11%) were positive for at least one virus (13 rhinovirus, three adenovirus, two influenza B, and one enterovirus), which was also significantly higher than the percentage of positive pilgrims (4.8%), before departing for the KSA (P=.040).

Conclusions. This study suggests a rapid acquisition of respiratory viruses among pilgrims during their stay in the KSA, most notably rhinovirus, and highlights the potential of spreading these infections in the pilgrims' home countries upon their return.

A Guide to Utilization of the Microbiology Laboratory for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases: 2013 Recommendations by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).

The critical role of the microbiology laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis calls for a close, positive working relationship between the physician and the microbiologists who provide enormous value to the health care team.

This document, developed by both laboratory and clinical experts, provides information on which tests are valuable and in which contexts, and on tests that add little or no value for diagnostic decisions. Sections are divided into anatomic systems, including Bloodstream Infections and Infections of the Cardiovascular System, Central Nervous System Infections, Ocular Infections, Soft Tissue Infections of the Head and Neck, Upper Respiratory Infections, Lower Respiratory Tract infections, Infections of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Intraabdominal Infections, Bone and Joint Infections, Urinary Tract Infections, Genital Infections, and Skin and Soft Tissue Infections; or into etiologic agent groups, including Tickborne Infections, Viral Syndromes, and Blood and Tissue Parasite Infections.

Each section contains introductory concepts, a summary of key points, and detailed tables that list suspected agents; the most reliable tests to order; the samples (and volumes) to collect in order of preference; specimen transport devices, procedures, times, and temperatures; and detailed notes on specific issues regarding the test methods, such as when tests are likely to require a specialized laboratory or have prolonged turnaround times. There is redundancy among the tables and sections, as many agents and assay choices overlap.

The document is intended to serve as a reference to guide physicians in choosing tests that will aid them to diagnose infectious diseases in their patients.

Emerging drugs on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has proven to be a prominent pathogen in hospitals and in the community, which is capable of causing a variety of severe infections. Until now, there has been a limited antimicrobial armamentarium for use against MRSA, of which glycopeptides and linezolid are the main agents used.

Areas covered: This review assesses current treatment and the agents being developed for MRSA infections. A search was conducted in PubMed for English-language references published from 2000 to 2013, using combinations of the following terms: 'MRSA', 'MRSA therapy', 'gram (+) infections therapy', 'new antibiotics', 'vancomycin', 'staphylococcus resistance', 'oritavancin', 'ceftaroline', 'linezolid' and 'tigecycline'. The clinicalTrials website was also searched with keywords regarding the new antibiotic agents against MRSA infections.

Expert opinion: There are a number of new agents, the place of which in therapeutic regimens is yet to emerge. New glycopeptides, such as dalbavancin and oritavancin, with long half-lives, enabling once-weekly dosing, and oral agents, such as iclaprim, may provide a treatment approach for outpatient therapy. A decision must be made regarding the most suitable agent for an individual patient, the site of infection and the place of therapy.

Pulmonary computed tomography scan findings in chronic granulomatous disease.

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Chronic granulomatous disease is a phagocyte defect, characterised by recurrent infections in different organs due to a defect in NADPH oxidase complex. This study was performed to investigate pulmonary problems of CGD in a group of patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) scan.

METHODS: Computed tomography scan was performed in 24 patients with CGD. The findings of the CT scan were documented in all of these patients.

RESULTS: Areas of consolidation and scan formation were the most common findings, which were detected in 79% of the patients. Other abnormalities in order of frequencies were as follows: small pulmonary nodules (58%); mediastinal lymphadenopathy (38%); pleural thickening (25%); unilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (25%); axillary lymphadenopathy (21%); bronchiectasis (17%); abscess formation (17%); pulmonary large nodules or masses (8%); and free pleural effusion (8%).

CONCLUSION: The pulmonary CT scans of the patients with CGD demonstrated a variety of respiratory abnormalities in the majority of the patients. While recurrent respiratory infections and abscesses are considered as prominent features of CGD, early diagnosis and precise check-up of the respiratory systems are needed to prevent further pulmonary complications.

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