To describe the characteristics of mycobacterial infection in Mexico, we reviewed records from patients who were seen at the AIDS Clinic of the National Institute of Nutrition in Mexico City from 1983 to 1992. Of 460 AIDS patients, 118 (25.6%) were found to have mycobacterial infections by positive Ziehl-Neelsen stain, culture, or both. Cultures were completed for 66 of the 118 stain-positive specimens. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was the most common species found (n = 13), followed by M. avium complex (n = 12); 21 infections were identified a nonspecific mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (MOTT) and 20 infections were from species other than tuberculosis. Susceptibility testing was performed in only two tuberculosis cases, with one strain showing multidrug resistance. We conclude that mycobacterial infection is common among our AIDS population, and MOTT may be at least as common as M. tuberculosis. Previous reports of the rarity of MOTT could be related to the lack of adequate diagnostic methods in developing countries.

Additionally, high epidemiologic risk status was associated with age at sexual debut, weak family function (living alone, having a loose bond with their biological father), loose connection in schools and to their neighborhoods (having difficulty getting along with teachers, and having fewer social interactions), and having more sexually active friends (who contracted sexually transmitted diseases, and frequently using condoms). ConClusions: The disparity noted between self-perceived and epidemiological risks for contracting HIV in our study underscore the need for effective HIV educational programs targeting young AA and their parents. The implication of ecosystemic processes at different levels within the risk statusparticularly family and school functioning, and parental social support indicate that ecodevelopmentally-based interventions may be valuable in preventing the risk of HIV transmission among AA adolescents.

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This retrospective cohort study reviews the incidence of bacteremia in 48 patients undergoing hemodialysis using subclavian vein dialysis catheters (SDC) as temporary vascular access. Twelve (25%) of these patients had catheter-related bacteremia, and the most frequently isolated organisms were coagulase-negative staphylococci. Three patients developed right-sided endocarditis and one of them died due to pulmonary embolism. The presence of possible risk factors for SDC-related bacteremia, including duration of catheterization and number of hemodialysis procedures, were not statistically different when patients with and without bacteremia were compared, with the exception of a significantly lower incidence of bacteremia among those patients receiving antibiotic therapy at the time of catheter insertion. The use of resterilized catheters was not a risk factor. Specific guidelines for SDC insertion and care were established and followed, after which the infection frequency was reduced to 7.5% (1 episode per 45.5 patient-weeks of catheter use) in this high-risk population.

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