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Aggressive nature of meningitis cases calls for heightened awareness among clinicians

2012-10-18

(Press-News.org) More than 200 patients have been diagnosed with fungal meningitis following spinal epidural injections with contaminated methylprednisolone from a compounding pharmacy. In a clinical observation being published early online today in Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers provide details about the clinical care, deterioration, and ultimately the death of one of the index cases in this outbreak. The authors took care of a 51-year-old patient who initially sought emergency medical care for occipital headaches radiating to the face one week after having an epidural steroid injection in her neck. The otherwise healthy patient returned to the emergency room the next day with troublesome neurological symptoms. Over the next several days, her health continued to deteriorate rapidly, until she died 10 days later. An autopsy revealed severe brain and spinal cord damage. The researchers conclude that the patient was contaminated with Exserohilum species, a species of fungi with a short, unknown incubation time. Clinicians and the public should be aware of the signs and symptoms of fungal meningitis following joint or bone injections, because in this outbreak, rapid diagnosis and treatment may be necessary to prevent serious complications and death.

### The article, Fatal Exserohilum Menengitis and CNS Vasculitis after Cervical Epidural Methylpredisolone Injection, is available for free at http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1384432. The lead author, Jennifer Lyons, is available for interviews and can be reached through David March at 410-955-1534 or dmarch1@jhmi.edu.

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From the twitching whiskers of babes: Naptime behavior shapes the brain

2012-10-18

VIDEO: Sample video clips of individual, dual, and multiple whisker twitches are shown, as is an example of a mystacial pad movement. See Figure 1A to orient the whiskers on the... Click here for more information. The whiskers of newborn rats twitch as they sleep, and that could open the door to new understandings about the intimate connections between brain and body. The discovery reinforces the notion that such involuntary movements are a vital contributor to the development ...

Treating vascular disorders with a cell-based strategy

2012-10-18

A new approach for generating large numbers of circulatory system cells, known as vascular endothelial cells (VECs), from human amniotic-fluid-derived cells (ACs) is reported in a study published by Cell Press October 18th in the journal Cell. The strategy, which shows promise in mice, opens the door to establishing a vast inventory of VECs for promoting organ regeneration and treating diverse vascular disorders. "Currently, there is no treatment available for a broad range of patients with vascular diseases, including patients who have suffered heart attack, stroke, ...

Norovirus outbreaks in nursing homes associated with increase in hospitalizations, risk of death

2012-10-18

CHICAGO – In a study that included more than 300 Medicare-certified nursing homes, rates of hospitalization and death were substantially increased during outbreaks of norovirus gastroenteritis vs. non-outbreak periods, according to a study appearing in the October 24/31 issue of JAMA. The study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at the ID (infectious disease) Week meeting. "In the United States, nursing homes annually provide care to approximately 3.3 million residents' and 22 percent of all deaths occur in these settings. Gastroenteritis ...

Rethinking toxic proteins on the cellular level

2012-10-18

Histones are proteins needed to assemble DNA molecules into chromosomes. They have long represented a classic balancing act in biology; too few histone molecules result in DNA damage, while too many histones are toxic to the cell. New research at the University of Rochester is causing a fundamental shift in the concept of histone balance and the mechanism behind it. Previous studies of Drosophila embryos showed massive amounts of histones located on lipid droplets, the structures associated with fat storage. While it had been speculated that the lipid droplets provide ...

Researchers elucidate transport pathway of immune system substances

2012-10-18

To transport substances from the site of their production to their destination, the body needs a sophisticated transport and sorting system. Various receptors in and on the cells recognize certain molecules, pack them and ensure that they are transported to the right place. One of these receptors is Sortilin. It is present in the cells of the nervous system, the liver, and the immune system. Studies by Stefanie Herda and Dr. Armin Rehm (Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, MDC, Berlin-Buch and Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin) and the immunologist Dr. Uta Höpken ...

Food vs. fuel: Is there surplus land for bioenergy?

2012-10-18

Braunschweig/ Leipzig. An interdisciplinary team of 11 scientists from seven European countries and the USA have discussed the concept to utilize so called surplus land for the production of feedstock for bioenergy. They identified environmental, economic and social constraints but also options for efficient use of surplus land for bioenergy. The study provides a scientific background in support of a reassessment of land available for bioenergy feedstock production. Their findings were published in the open access journal BioRisk. Increasing demand for bioenergy feedstock ...

Italian Health Minister joins international call for secondary fracture prevention

2012-10-18

A newly released IOF report for World Osteoporosis Day, 'Capture the Fracture – A global campaign to break the fragility fracture cycle', clearly outlines the care gap which is leaving millions of fracture patients undiagnosed and without treatment for osteoporosis or assessment for falls risk. IOF CEO Judy Stenmark stated, "An adult who has experienced a first fragility fracture – often at the wrist or vertebrae – is at double the risk of having a fracture as compared to someone who hasn't fractured. Despite this red flag indicating osteoporosis and high risk of subsequent ...

Antibiotic shows promise in treating extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis

2012-10-18

WHAT: When tested in patients hospitalized with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) unresponsive to previous treatment, linezolid, an antibiotic used to treat severe bacterial infections, proved largely effective when added to the patients' ongoing TB treatment regimen. Also, few patients developed resistance to the drug. These promising findings were tempered, however, by the fact that 82 percent of the patients who received linezolid experienced significant adverse events that may have been related to the drug. Findings from the study appear in the ...

A little science goes a long way

2012-10-18

PULLMAN, Wash. - A Washington State University researcher has found that engaging elementary school students in science for as little as 10 hours a year can lead to improved test scores in math and language arts. Samantha Gizerian, a clinical assistant professor in WSU's Department of Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology, saw improved test scores among fourth-grade students in South Los Angeles after students from the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science gave 10 one-hour presentations on science. "A lot of students say things like, ...

Criminal punishment and politics: Elected judges take tougher stance prior to elections

2012-10-18

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY'S HAAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS –The last few months leading up to an election can be a critical, political game changer. One right or one wrong move can quickly change a candidate's standing at the polls. New research suggests that judges who are elected, rather than appointed, respond to this political pressure by handing down more severe criminal sentences – as much as 10 percent longer –in the last three months before an election compared with the beginning of their terms. "We can't say if more severe sentencing is better for society or ...

Online First article posted to www.annals.org

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