Rhino-cerebral zygomycosis (RCZ) is an acute rapidly progressive fungal infection usually occurring in patients with diabetes mellitus and ketoacidosis. Patients typically complain of pain located in the facial, nasal or orbital regions, followed by sudden blindness and cranial nerve palsy. Early diagnosis, correction of risk factors, prompt surgical removal and aggressive antifungal therapy are warranted as life-saving treatments. The following report describes a case of a lethal RCZ which occurred in an apparently healthy woman with latent non-decompensated diabetes mellitus and a fetal-type posterior (FTP) circle of Willis.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the role that psychopathological dimensions as overt aggression and impulsivity play in determining suicide risk in benign chronic pain patients (CPPs). Furthermore we investigated the possible protective/risk factors which promote these negative feelings, analyzing the relationship between CPPs and their caregivers. METHODS: We enrolled a total of 208 patients, divided into CPPs and controls affected by internistic diseases. Assessment included collection of sociodemographic and health care data, pain characteristics, administration of visual analog scale (VAS), Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11 (BIS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and a caregiver self-administered questionnaire. All variables were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A significant difference of VAS, MOAS-total/verbal/auto-aggression, HDRS-total/suicide mean scores between the groups were found. BIS mean score was higher in CPPs misusing analgesics. In CPPs a correlation between MOAS-total/verbal/auto-aggression with BIS mean score, MOAS with HDRS-suicide mean score and BIS with HDRS-suicide mean scores were found. The MOAS and BIS mean scores were significantly higher when caregivers were not supportive. CONCLUSION: In CPPs, aggression and impulsivity could increase the risk of suicide. Moreover, impulsivity, overt aggression and pain could be interrelated by a common biological core. Our study supports the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the CPPs management and the necessity to supervise caregivers, which may become risk/protective factors for the development of feelings interfering with the treatment and rehabilitation of CPPs.

Multiple-site colonization with Candida spp. is commonly recognized as a risk factor for invasive fungal infection in critically ill patients. We carried out a study to determine the relationship between Candida colonization and invasive infection in neurological patients admitted to an ICU. At admission (T0) and every three days for two weeks, different samples (pharynx swab, tracheal secretions, stomach contents, etc.) were collected for mycological surveillance. Candida mannan antigen and Candida anti-mannan antibodies were assayed. The Colonization Index (CI) and Corrected Colonization Index were calculated for each time point. Of all patients 70% was already colonized by Candida spp. at T0 and six of them had CI ≥ 0.5. Three patients developed candidemia; they had CI ≥ 0.5 before infection. Positive values of Candida mannan antigen and anti-mannan antibodies were found only in the patients with candidemia. The sensitivity and specificity of the Candida mannan test were 66.6% and 100%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of the anti-mannan antibody test were 100%. In accordance with other authors, we find the surveillance cultures are useful to monitor the Candida colonization in ICU patients. In addition, the sequential observation of anti-mannan antibodies could contribute to early diagnosis of candidiasis more than Candida mannan antigen in immunocompetent patients.

Purpose: The aims of this study are to evaluate the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in Southern Italy and the in vitro antifungal susceptibility of isolates. Methods: A surveillance program was implemented in 18 ICUs. IFI cases were recorded using a standardized form. Results: A total of 105 episodes of IFIs occurred in 5,561 patients during the 18-month study. The main infections were caused by yeasts, more than filamentous fungi (overall incidence of 16.5 cases per 1,000 admissions and 2.3 cases per 1,000 admissions, respectively). The overall crude mortality rate was high (42.8 %), particularly for mold infections (61.5 %). All yeast infections were Candida bloodstream infections. Over half (59.8 %) were caused by Candida non-albicans, with C. parapsilosis being the most common (61.8 %). In the multivariate model, trauma admission diagnosis, prolonged stay in the ICU, and parenteral nutrition were independently associated with candidemia due to C. parapsilosis [odds ratio (OR) 3.5, (1.8-5.2); OR 3.5, (1.02-3.5); OR 3.6, (1.28-6.99), respectively]. Among mold infections, 12 patients suffered from invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, with Aspergillus fumigatus as the predominant pathogen (41.7 %). One case of brain scedosporiosis was identified. Overall, azoles and echinocandins resistance was uncommon. Conclusions: Candida non-albicans species are the most frequent cause of candidemia in ICU patients. Mold infections are associated with a high mortality rate. This study confirms the importance of the epidemiological surveillance on IFIs in the ICU setting for documenting species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns to guide therapeutic choices.

Introduction: Infectious complications are the main causes of postoperative morbidity. The early timing of their promoting factors is the rationale for perioperative strategies attempting to reduce them. Our aim was to determine the effects of perioperative haemodynamic goal-directed therapy on postoperative infection rates. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library and the DARE databases were searched up to March 2011. Randomised, controlled trials of major surgery in adult patients managed with perioperative goal-directed therapy or according to routine haemodynamic practice were included. Primary outcome measure was specific type of infection. Results: Twenty-six randomised, controlled trials with a combined total of 4,188 participants met our inclusion criteria. Perioperative goal-directed therapy significantly reduced surgical site infections (pooled OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.74; P < 0.0001), pneumonia (pooled OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.92; P = 0.009), and urinary tract infections (pooled OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.84; P = 0.02). A significant benefit was found regarding total infectious episodes (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.58; P < 0.00001). Conclusions: Flow-directed haemodynamic therapy designed to optimise oxygen delivery protects surgical patients against postoperative hospital-acquired infections and must be strongly encouraged, particularly in the high-risk surgical population.

Ziconotide is a nonopioid intrathecal analgesic drug used to manage moderate to severe chronic pain. The aim of this work is to assess the safety and efficacy of intrathecal (IT) combination of ziconotide and morphine in malignant pain refractory to high doses of oral opioids. Patients with malignant pain refractory to high oral opioids doses with a mean visual analogue scale of pain intensity (VASPI) score of P70 mm were enrolled. An IT combination therapy was administered: Ziconotide was started at a dose of 2.4 lg/ day, followed by increases of 1.2 lg/day at intervals of at least 7 days, and an initial IT daily dose of morphine was calculated based on its oral daily dose. Percentage change in VASPI scores from baseline was calculated at 2 days, at 7 days, and weekly until the first 28 days. The mean percentage change of VASPI score from baseline was used for efficacy assessment. Safety was monitored based on adverse events and routine laboratory values. Twenty patients were enrolled, with a mean daily VASPI score at rest of 90 ± 7. All had a disseminated cancer with bone metastases involving the spine. The percentage changes in VASPI mean scores from baseline to 2 days, 7 days, and 28 days were 39 ± 13% (95% confidence interval [CI] =13.61–64.49, P < .001), 51 ± 12% (95% CI = 27.56–74.56, P < .001), and 62 ± 13% (95% CI = 36.03– 87.89%, P &

PURPOSE: We compared the risk factors, the diagnostic tools and the outcome of filamentous fungal infections (FFIs) in hematological patients (HAEs) and non-hematological patients (non-HAEs). METHODS: Prospective surveillance (2009-2011) of proven and probable FFIs was implemented in 23 Italian hospitals. RESULTS: Out of 232 FFIs, 113 occurred in HAEs and 119 in non-HAEs. The most frequent infection was invasive aspergillosis (76.1 % for HAEs, 56.3 % for non-HAEs), and the localization was principally pulmonary (83.2 % for HAEs, 74.8 % for non-HAEs). Neutropenia was a risk factor for 89.4 % HAEs; the main underlying condition was corticosteroid treatment (52.9 %) for non-HAEs. The distribution of proven and probable FFIs was different in the two groups: proven FFIs occurred more frequently in non-HAEs, whereas probable FFIs were correlated with the HAEs. The sensitivity of the galactomannan assay was higher for HAEs than for non-HAEs (95.3 vs. 48.1 %). The overall mortality rate was 44.2 % among the HAEs and 35.3 % among the non-HAEs. The etiology influenced the patient outcomes: mucormycosis was associated with a high mortality rate (57.1 % for HAEs, 77.8 % for non-HAEs). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological and clinical data for FFIs were not identical in the HAEs and non-HAEs. The differences should be considered to improve the management of FFIs according to the patients' setting.