Pulmonary nocardiosis (PN) is an infrequent and severe infection due to Nocardia spp., microorganisms that may behave both as opportunists and as primary pathogens. The aim of this study and review was to evaluate the clinical features, evolution and prognostic factors of PN.The study group comprised 10 consecutive patients with pulmonary nocardiosis acquired in a community setting, diagnosed and followed in a tertiary teaching hospital.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), neoplastic disease and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were the most frequent predisposing factors. Four patients were receiving corticosteroid treatment. Clinical course was chronic and diagnosis was delayed 3 weeks or more in seven of the patients. Lobar or multilobar condensation was the most frequent radiographic pattern. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed: 100% sensitivity for amikacin; 83% for imipenem; 71% for cefotaxime; and 71% for trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. The disease remained localized in the lung in five cases, with a trend toward chronicity in one with bronchiectasis. In the other five, the disease disseminated, affecting subcutaneous tissue, the central nervous system and the kidney. Three patients died, one with disseminated disease and two who were receiving corticosteroid therapy.The following conclusions were reached: 1) pulmonary nocardiosis is difficult to diagnose, diagnosis is frequently delayed and a high level of suspicion is, thus, required in patients with underlying diseases or chronic corticosteroid therapy; 2) there is frequent dissemination and high mortality; and 3) antimicrobial combinations with proven synergy, such as imipenem and amikacin, are recommended for initial therapy. Eur Respir J 1997; 10: 1542-1546

Mycobacterial infection, mainly by M. tuberculosis, has an important impact on kidney transplant recipients, particularly during the first year after surgery. Diagnosis often presents some difficulties, and a delay in treatment represents a determinant factor for the evolution, with a risk of death or permanent damage in renal function. Therefore, early diagnosis is mandatory. When the Mantoux reaction is positive, antituberculous prophylaxis seems advisable.

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Objective: to evaluate the conditions of functional health literacy of an elderly diabetics group. Method: cross-sectional and descriptive study, with diabetic's elderly assisted in the SUS (N=114). The social and health conditions were evaluated as well as functional health literacy by S-TOFHLA test (short version); the simple proportions, average, standard deviation and Pearson's Chi-square were described by SPSS software (20.0) with α=5% value. Results: the mean age was 67.4 years, 74.0% of the elderly were women, had up to four years of schooling; 29.8% had a long-standing illness, 64.0% reported having high blood pressure, 47.4% smoke or were smokers, 73.7% had low functional health literacy, which was associated with schooling p=0.001. Conclusions: the low functional health literacy could be a self-care conditioning and can be infl uenced by low schooling because it implies to have skills to understand and make decisions aimed at self-management of health. Key words: Health Literacy; Elderly; Diabetes; Gerontological Nursing, Collective Health. RESUMO Objetivo: foi avaliar as condições de letramento funcional em saúde de um grupo de idosos diabéticos. Método: estudo seccional e descritivo, com idosos diabéticos assistidos no SUS (N = 114). Avaliaram-se os condicionantes sociais e da saúde, bem como de letramento funcional em saúde pelo teste S-TOFHLA (versão-breve); descreveram-se as proporções simples, média, desvio-padrão e teste do Qui-quadrado de Pearson pelo software SPSS (20.0) com valor α = 5%. Resultados: a média da idade foi 67,4 anos, 74,0% dos idosos eram mulheres, possuíam até 4 anos de escolaridade; 29,8% tinham a doença de longa data, 64,0% relataram ter hipertensão arterial, 47,4% eram ou foram fumantes, 73,7% apresentaram baixo letramento funcional em saúde, que se mostrou associado com a escolaridade p=0,001. Conclusões: o baixo letramento funcional em saúde pode ser condicionante do autocuidado e pode ser infl uenciado pela baixa escolaridade, pois implica em ter habilidades para compreender e tomar decisões voltadas à autogestão da saúde. Descritores: Alfabetização em Saúde; Idoso; Diabetes; Enfermagem Gerontológica, Saúde Coletiva. RESUMENObjetivo: fue evaluar las condiciones de alfabetización funcional en la salud de un grupo de ancianos diabéticos. Método: estudio seccional y descriptivo, con ancianos diabéticos asistidos en el SUS (N = 114). Se evaluaron las condicionantes sociales y de la salud, así como de alfabetización funcional en la salud por la prueba S-TOFHLA (versión breve); se describieron las proporciones simples, media, desviación estándar y prueba del Chi-cuadrado de Pearson por el software SPSS (20.0) con valor α = 5%. Resultados: la media de edad fue 67,4 años, 74,0% de los ancianos eran mujeres, poseían hasta 4 años de escolaridad; 29,8% tenían la enfermedad desde hacía mucho tiempo, 64,0% relataron tener hipertensión arterial, 47,4% eran o fueron fumadores, 73,7% presentaron baja alfabetización funcional en salud, que se mostró asociada con la escolaridad p=...

Mycobacterium genavense is a relatively new species of nontuberculous mycobacterium reported to cause disseminated infections in patients with AIDS and later on in non-HIV immunosuppressed patients. We describe clinical and laboratory features and response to therapy in 7 patients, three of them with HIV infection and four non-HIV—three organ transplant recipients and one with hyper-IgE syndrome—in Valencia, Spain, in a ten years period. We then summarize the published cases of M. avium complex infection, with invasion of peripheral blood, liver, spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and lungs. In clinical samples a large number of acid-fast bacilli were observed. M. genavense grew only from liquid media and after a prolonged incubation period. Its identification was accomplished through molecular methods. Patients were treated with prolonged combinations of antimicrobial agents. There was clinical favourable outcome in 4 patients.