Secret History: Return of the Black Death Channel 4, 7-8pm In 1348 the Black Death swept through London, killing people within days of the appearance of their first symptoms. Exactly how many died, and why, has long been a mystery. This Secret History documentary follows experts as they pick through the evidence and reveal why the plague killed on such a scale. And they ask, what might be coming next?

Medscape

Assessment and characterization of gut microbiota has become a major research area in human disease, including type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent endocrine disease worldwide. To carry out analysis on gut microbial content in patients with type 2 diabetes, we developed a protocol for a metagenome-wide association study (MGWAS) and undertook a two-stage MGWAS based on deep shotgun sequencing of the gut microbial DNA from 345 Chinese individuals. We identified and validated approximately 60,000 type-2-diabetes-associated markers and established the concept of a metagenomic linkage group, enabling taxonomic species-level analyses. MGWAS analysis showed that patients with type 2 diabetes were characterized by a moderate degree of gut microbial dysbiosis, a decrease in the abundance of some universal butyrate-producing bacteria and an increase in various opportunistic pathogens, as well as an enrichment of other microbial functions conferring sulphate reduction and oxidative stress resistance. An analysis of 23 additional individuals demonstrated that these gut microbial markers might be useful for classifying type 2 diabetes.

/pdf/a-metagenome-wide-association-study-of-gut-microbiota-in-4gng2ouuna.pdf

A metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes

Infectious Diseases Society of America.

The European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2020 is the update of similar evidence based position papers published in 2005 and 2007 and 2012. The core objective of the EPOS2020 guideline is to provide revised, up-to-date and clear evidence-based recommendations and integrated care pathways in ARS and CRS. EPOS2020 provides an update on the literature published and studies undertaken in the eight years since the EPOS2012 position paper was published and addresses areas not extensively covered in EPOS2012 such as paediatric CRS and sinus surgery. EPOS2020 also involves new stakeholders, including pharmacists and patients, and addresses new target users who have become more involved in the management and treatment of rhinosinusitis since the publication of the last EPOS document, including pharmacists, nurses, specialised care givers and indeed patients themselves, who employ increasing self-management of their condition using over the counter treatments. The document provides suggestions for future research in this area and offers updated guidance for definitions and outcome measurements in research in different settings. EPOS2020 contains chapters on definitions and classification where we have defined a large number of terms and indicated preferred terms. A new classification of CRS into primary and secondary CRS and further division into localized and diffuse disease, based on anatomic distribution is proposed. There are extensive chapters on epidemiology and predisposing factors, inflammatory mechanisms, (differential) diagnosis of facial pain, allergic rhinitis, genetics, cystic fibrosis, aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease, immunodeficiencies, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis and the relationship between upper and lower airways. The chapters on paediatric acute and chronic rhinosinusitis are totally rewritten. All available evidence for the management of acute rhinosinusitis and chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps in adults and children is systematically reviewed and integrated care pathways based on the evidence are proposed. Despite considerable increases in the amount of quality publications in recent years, a large number of practical clinical questions remain. It was agreed that the best way to address these was to conduct a Delphi exercise . The results have been integrated into the respective sections. Last but not least, advice for patients and pharmacists and a new list of research needs are included. The full document can be downloaded for free on the website of this journal: http://www.rhinologyjournal.com.

/pdf/european-position-paper-on-rhinosinusitis-and-nasal-polyps-mj734vsl7p.pdf

European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2020

Background
People who are prescribed self-administered medications typically take less than half the prescribed doses. Efforts to assist patients with adherence to medications might improve the benefits of prescribed medications, but also might increase their adverse effects.

Objectives
To update a review summarizing the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions to help patients follow prescriptions for medications for medical problems, including mental disorders but not addictions.

Search methods
We updated searches of The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), PsycINFO (all via OVID) and Sociological Abstracts (via CSA) in January 2007 with no language restriction. We also reviewed bibliographies in articles on patient adherence and articles in our personal collections, and contacted authors of relevant original and review articles.

Selection criteria
Articles were selected if they reported an unconfounded RCT of an intervention to improve adherence with prescribed medications, measuring both medication adherence and treatment outcome, with at least 80% follow-up of each group studied and, for long-term treatments, at least six months follow-up for studies with positive initial findings.

Data collection and analysis
Study design features, interventions and controls, and results were extracted by one review author and confirmed by at least one other review author. We extracted adherence rates and their measures of variance for all methods of measuring adherence in each study, and all outcome rates and their measures of variance for each study group, as well as levels of statistical significance for differences between study groups, consulting authors and verifying or correcting analyses as needed. The studies differed widely according to medical condition, patient population, intervention, measures of adherence, and clinical outcomes. Therefore, we did not feel that quantitative analysis was scientifically justified; rather, we conducted a qualitative analysis.

Main results
For short-term treatments, four of ten interventions reported in nine RCTs showed an effect on both adherence and at least one clinical outcome, while one intervention reported in one RCT significantly improved patient adherence, but did not enhance the clinical outcome. For long-term treatments, 36 of 83 interventions reported in 70 RCTs were associated with improvements in adherence, but only 25 interventions led to improvement in at least one treatment outcome. Almost all of the interventions that were effective for long-term care were complex, including combinations of more convenient care, information, reminders, self-monitoring, reinforcement, counseling, family therapy, psychological therapy, crisis intervention, manual telephone follow-up, and supportive care. Even the most effective interventions did not lead to large improvements in adherence and treatment outcomes.

Authors' conclusions
For short-term treatments several quite simple interventions increased adherence and improved patient outcomes, but the effects were inconsistent from study to study with less than half of studies showing benefits. Current methods of improving adherence for chronic health problems are mostly complex and not very effective, so that the full benefits of treatment cannot be realized. High priority should be given to fundamental and applied research concerning innovations to assist patients to follow medication prescriptions for long-term medical disorders.

Interventions for enhancing medication adherence.

Specimens obtained from eight children with necrotizing fasciitis (NF) were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. A total of 21 isolates were recovered, 13 anaerobic and 8 aerobic or facultatives. The facultative organism Streptococcus pyogenes was present alone in two (25%) instances, and mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were isolated in six (75%). The predominant isolates were Peptostreptococcus spp. (6 isolates, including 3 Peptostreptococcus magnus). S. pyogenes (4), Bacteroides fragilis group (3), Clostridium perfringens (2), Escherichia coli (2), and Prevotella spp. (2). Organisms similar to the ones isolated from the NF aspirates were recovered in the blood of all patients except one. These included S. pyogenes (3 isolates). B. fragilis group (2), E. coli (1), and P. magnus (1) and Clostridium perfringens (1). All patients underwent surgical fasciotomy, and four required skin grafting. Antimicrobials were administered to all children. Despite extensive resection and intense supportive therapy, three patients died from sepsis accompanied by shock acidosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. These findings illustrate the polymicrobial aerobic-anaerobic flora of NF in children.

Aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of necrotizing fasciitis in children.

A survey of the isolation of Clostridium spp. from 1543 specimens sent to anaerobic microbiology laboratories revealed 113 isolates from 107 specimens (7.0% of all specimens) from 96 children. The isolates comprised 43 (38%) unidentified Clostridium spp., 37 (33%) C. perfringens, 13 (12%) C. ramosum, five (4%) C. innocuum, six (5%) C. botulinum, three (3%) C. difficile, two (2%) C. butyricum, and one isolate each of C. bifermentans, C. clostridiiforme, C. limosum and C. paraputrificum. Most clostridial isolates were from abscesses (38), peritonitis (26), bacteraemia (10), and chronic otitis media (7). Predisposing or underlying conditions were present in 31 (32%) cases. These were immunodeficiency (12), malignancy (9), diabetes (7), trauma (7), presence of a foreign body (6) and previous surgery (6). The clostridia were the only bacterial isolates in 14 (15%) cases; 82 (85%) cases had mixed infection. The species most commonly isolated with clostridia were anaerobic cocci (57); Bacteroides spp. (B. fragilis group) (50), Escherichia coli (22), pigmented Prevotella or Porphyromonas spp. (18) and Fusobacterium spp. (10). Most Bacteroides and Escherichia coli isolates with clostridia were from abdominal infections and skin and soft tissue infections adjacent to the rectal area; most pigmented Prevotella and Porphyromonas isolates were from oropharyngeal, pulmonary, and head and neck sites. Antimicrobial therapy was given to all patients, in conjunction with surgical drainage in 34 (35%). Only two patients died. These data illustrate the importance of Clostridium spp. in paediatric infections.

Clostridial infection in children

• The presence of β-lactamase—producing bacteria in clinical specimens was investigated in 185 children with orofacial or respiratory tract infections. All of these patients failed to respond to antimicrobial therapy, including penicillins, that was administered to 148 (80%) of them. β-Lactamase—producing aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were detected in 75 (40.5%) of the 185 children. The β-lactamase—producing strains included all 11 strains of the Bacteroides fragilis group, 30 (45.4%) of the 66 strains of the Bacteroides melaninogenicus group, five (41.7%) of the 12 strains of Bacteroides oralis , and 41 (97.6%) of 42 strains of Staphylococcus aureus . All β-lactamase—producing Bacteroides strains were resistant to penicillin as compared with the non-β-lactamase—producing strains. Clinical cure was achieved after surgical drainage and a change in antimicrobial therapy in most of the patients. In treatment of orofacial and respiratory tract infections, the clinician should consider the presence of β-lactamase—producing Bacteroides sp and S aureus as a possible cause of clinical failure with various penicillin therapies. ( Arch Otolaryngol 1984;110:228-231)

β-Lactamase—Producing Bacteria Recovered After Clinical Failures With Various Penicillin Therapy

The bacteriology of salivary gland infections.

The presence of encapsulated and abscess-forming organisms belonging to the Bacteroides melaninogenicus group was investigated in 25 children with acute tonsillitis, and in 23 children without tonsillar inflammation (control). Encapsulated organisms of the B melaninogenicus group were found in 23 of 25 children with acute tonsillitis as compared with five of 23 controls. Subcutaneous inoculation into mice of the Bacteroides strains isolated from patients with tonsillitis produced abscesses in 17 of 25 instances, as compared with nine of the 23 of the controls. Group A streptococci were recovered from the tonsils of five children with tonsillitis and from four of the control group. These findings suggest a possible pathogenic role for the B melaninogenicus group in acute tonsillar infection in children.

Itzhak Brook

Papers

Aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of necrotizing fasciitis in children.

Clostridial infection in children

β-Lactamase—Producing Bacteria Recovered After Clinical Failures With Various Penicillin Therapy

The bacteriology of salivary gland infections.

Bacteroides melaninogenicus. Its recovery from tonsils of children with acute tonsillitis.