We investigated 117 patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy, percutaneous nephrostomy, ureterorenoscopy, the push-back or push-bang procedure for ureteral stones, Double-J* ureteral stenting plus extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), ESWL alone or cystoscopy. Blood samples obtained before, during and 1 hour after the procedure were cultured and assayed for endotoxin and tumor necrosis factor. Also, culture was done of the urine preoperatively and postoperatively, and the stones when they could be retrieved. There was a temporal relationship among bacteremia, endotoxemia and elevation of tumor necrosis factor. An unexpected finding was peroperative endotoxemia in a significant number of patients with stones. Risk factors noted for postoperative bacteremia, endotoxemia and/or elevation of tumor necrosis factor included preoperative endotoxin level, type of procedure, presence of preoperative bacteriuria and pyuria. With respect to the procedure the risk was greatest after the push-back method and least after cystoscopy (push-back method greater than percutaneous nephrolithotomy/percutaneous nephrostomy greater than Double-J stenting plus ESWL greater than ureterorenoscopy greater than ESWL greater than cystoscopy). If the risk factors are measured preoperatively it may be possible to identify the risk of postoperative bacteremia/endotoxemia and, therefore, septic shock postoperatively. Our patients appear to be a good clinical model to investigate the problems related to septicemia.

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of detected cases of streptococcal TSS over the 14 years since the first case was recognized here. There was a wide range of invasive forms of infection, a high fatality rate even in fit young adults, and a rapid course from onset to death. There was a high association of TSS with aggressive streptococcal infection producing local tissue necrosis.

Infective episodes in immunocompromised children with indwelling central venous catheters were studied prospectively for one year. Culture of catheter hubs and skin at catheter entry sites during the first six months suggested that hub contamination was important in the pathogenesis of catheter colonization. The incidence of catheter-related bacteraemia, and possible catheter-related bacteraemia, fell by 56.5% following alterations in the protocol for manipulative care of catheters, from 5.82 per 1000 catheter days in the first six months to 2.53 per 1000 catheter days in the subsequent six months. A firm diagnosis of catheter-related bacteraemia was made simply and economically by a pour-plate quantitative blood culture technique. Attempts at eradication of catheter-related bacteraemia without removal of the catheter were successful in all cases.

Streptococcus pyogenes is an uncommon cause of community-acquired pneumonia and there have been few recent specific accounts of the condition. To describe the current nature of this disease in the UK, data was gathered on patients with clinical pneumonia from whom Streptococcus pyogenes was cultured principally from blood or other relevant normally sterile sites. In the Harrogate and Northallerton districts of North Yorkshire, pneumonia accounted for nine (20%) cases and a quarter of all deaths in a complete sequence of 45 patients with Streptococcus pyogenes bacteraemia detected during the 16-year-period 1981-1996. An analysis is presented of those cases together with eight recent cases from counties York, Durham and Isle of Wight during 1995-1997. Of the total 17 cases, nine occurred in women and eight in men; the age range was 30-92 years. The organism was isolated from blood culture in 15 (88%) patients. Eight (47%) patients died, five within 1 day of hospitalisation. Fourteen (82%) cases occurred in the winter months October to March, including all the fatal cases and all eight in which a clinical 'viral' prodrome was observed. Predisposing medical or surgical conditions were present in 65% of the patients. Major complications included septicaemia, pleural reaction, shock, pulmonary cavitation, osteomyelitis and metastatic abscesses. Seven serotypes of Streptococcus pyogenes were encountered, with M-type 1 predominating (the cause in 60% of cases). All infections were community acquired; two small clusters of fatal pneumonia were seen.

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