In the context of a large epidemic of CDI associated with the emergence of a novel strain, 1.5% of patients who received PAP as their sole antibiotic treatment developed CDI. In situations in which the only purpose of PAP is to prevent infrequent and relatively benign infections, the risks may outweigh the benefits in some elderly patients.

BackgroundIn 2000, the World Health Organization estimated that, in developing and transitional countries, unsafe injections accounted for respectively 5%, 32% and 40% of new infections with HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Safe injection campaigns were organized worldwide. The present study sought to measure the progress in reducing the transmission of these viruses through unsafe injections over the subsequent decade.MethodsA mass action model was updated, to recalculate the number of injection-related HIV, HCV and HBV infections acquired in 2000 and provide estimates for 2010. Data about the annual number of unsafe injections were updated. HIV prevalence in various regions in 2000 and 2010 were calculated from UNAIDS data. The ratio of HIV prevalence in healthcare settings compared to the general population was estimated from a literature review. Improved regional estimates of the prevalence of HCV seropositivity, HBsAg and HBeAg antigenemia were used for 2000 and 2010. For HIV and HCV, revised estimates of the probability of transmission per episode of unsafe injection were used, with low and high values allowing sensitivity analyses.ResultsDespite a 13% population growth, there was a reduction of respectively 87% and 83% in the absolute numbers of HIV and HCV infections transmitted through injections. For HBV, the reduction was more marked (91%) due to the additional impact of vaccination. While injections-related cases had accounted for 4.6%–9.1% of newly acquired HIV infections in 2000, this proportion decreased to 0.7%–1.3% in 2010, when unsafe injections caused between 16,939 and 33,877 HIV infections, between 157,592 and 315,120 HCV infections, and 1,679,745 HBV infections.ConclusionFrom 2000 to 2010, substantial progress was made in reducing the burden of HIV, HCV and HBV infections transmitted through injections. In some regions, their elimination might become a reasonable public health goal.

This study documented the clinical and healthcare burden of rCDI: 34% of patients with rCDI needed admission, 28% developed severe CDI, and 4% developed a complication. Secular changes in the severity of recurrences could reflect variations in the predominant strain, or better management.

Purpose The aim of this cohort study was to describe the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for thrombocytopenia in the intensive care unit (ICU) and to evaluate the impact of thrombocytopenia on mortality with further comparisons amongst major diagnostic categories. Methods Patients admitted to the ICU from 1997-2011 for cardiac, medical, surgical, and trauma conditions were included. The presence of a platelet count\ 100 9 10 9 ÁL -1 on admission day or its appearance during ICU stay were considered as prevalent and incident thrombocytopenia, respectively. Risk factors for thrombocytopenia and the influence of thrombocytopenia on mortality were also analyzed. Results This study included 20,696 patients. Prevalent and incident thrombocytopenia occurred in 13.3% and 7.8% of patients, respectively, with associated mortality rates of 14.3% and 24.7%, respectively, compared with 10.2% in the group with normal platelet count (P \ 0.001). After adjustments, thrombocytopenia remained associated with an increased risk of mortality (odds ratio 1.25; 95% confidence interval 1.20 to 1.31; P \ 0.001). The greatest impact of thrombocytopenia on mortality was observed in the cancer, respiratory, digestive, genitourinary, and infectious diagnostic categories. Independent risk factors included age, female sex, admission platelet counts and hemoglobin, mechanical ventilation, days of hospitalization prior to ICU admission, liver cirrhosis, hypersplenism, coronary bypass grafting, intra-aortic balloon pump placement, acute hepatitis, septic shock, and pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. Conclusions Thrombocytopenia in the ICU is associated with an independent risk of mortality that varies greatly depending on diagnostic admission category.Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article

HCAP is associated with worse outcomes than CAP. MDR pathogens were implicated in only a small fraction of HCAP cases. In our study, unlike CAP, non-respect of current HCAP guidelines had no adverse effect on the ultimate outcome. Strategies for the empirical management of HCAP should be tailored to the local epidemiological context.

The implementation of the APSS-initiated strategy was associated with a positive impact on antimicrobial use and spending, LOS and inappropriate prescriptions. The high rate of accepted interventions may have contributed to these results.

ObjectiveSince 1999, substantial efforts have been made by the international community to reduce the risks associated with unsafe injections, through ministries of health, international donors, the World Health Organization and the Safe Injection Global Network. The present study attempted to measure the progress, or lack thereof, made over the 2000–2010 decade in reducing unsafe injections in ten regions of the world corresponding to developing and transitional economies.MethodsData about the number of injections per person per year and the proportion of re-use of syringes and needles were obtained for 2010, mainly from population surveys, and compared with previous estimates for 2000 which had used various sources of information including injection safety assessments, population surveys and published studies on injection practices.ResultsFrom 2000 to 2010, in developing countries and transitional economies, the average number of injections per person per year decreased from 3.40 to 2.88, while the proportion of re-use of injection devices dropped from 39.8% to 5.5%. Combining both factors the number of unsafe injections per person per year decreased from 1.35 to 0.16. Even if substantial progress has been made, the Eastern Mediterranean region remains problematic, with 0.57 unsafe injections per person per year. In sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, people now receive on average only 0.04–0.05 unsafe injections per year.ConclusionSubstantial progress has been made in reducing the number of unsafe injections in developing countries and transitional economies, essentially through a reduction in the re-use of injection devices. In some regions, elimination of unsafe injections might become a reasonable goal.

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