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.

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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.

Objective: To study the aerobic and anaerobic microbiologic characteristics of superficial suppurative thrombophlebitis. Design: Retrospective review of microbiologic and clinical data. Setting: Navy Hospital in Bethesda, Md. Results: Sixty-one isolates, 36 aerobic and 25 anaerobic, were isolated from samples obtained from 42 patients. Aerobic bacteria only were found in 26 (62%) patients; anaerobic only, in 11 (26%); and mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, in five (12%). The predominant aerobic bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (n=9), Escherichia coli (n=7), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=4), and Klebsiella sp (n=3). The most frequently recovered anaerobic bacteria were Peptostreptococcus sp (n=8), Propionibacterium acnes (n=6), Bacteroides fragilis group (n=5), Prevotella intermedia (n=3), and Fusobacterium nucleatum (n=3). Propionibacterium acnes and Peptostreptococcus sp were associated with cannula-related superficial suppurative thrombophlebitis; B fragilis and Enterobacteriaceae, with abdominal surgery or pathology; and S aureus and P aeruginosa and Citrobacter sp, with burns. Conclusion: These data illustrate the importance of anaerobic bacteria in superficial suppurative thrombophlebitis. (Arch Surg. 1996;131:95-97)

Aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of superficial suppurative thrombophlebitis.

Treatment of non-streptococcal tonsillitis with metronidazole

Rate of eradication of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci in children with pharyngo-tonsillitis by amoxicillin and cefdinir

Glossal abscess is infrequent in children. Anaerobic bacteria are rarely recovered from this infection and never have been reported in children or adolescents. A 15-year-old patient presented with a tongue abscess following trauma. Aspirate of the abscess yielded polymicrobial anaerobic flora: Prevotella melaninogenica, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Peptostreptococcus micros. The patient recovered following incision and drainage and 14 days of antimicrobial therapy with clindamycin. This report illustrates the recovery of anaerobic bacteria from glossal abscess in an adolescent.

Recovery of anaerobic bacteria from a glossal abscess in an adolescent.

Cefamandole, cefoxitin, cefotetan, ceftizoxime, imipenem plus cilastatin, and ampicillin plus sulbactam were compared in the eradication of subcutaneous abscess in mice caused by Bacteroides fragilis group organisms and Escherichia coli alone or in combination. The abscesses were examined 5 d after inoculation. B. fragilis group reached log10.1-11.0 organisms per abscess and E. coli log11.6-12.5. Imipenem plus cilastatin significantly reduced (in 6.9-10.6 logs) the number of E. coli and all members of B. fragilis group alone or in all combinations. Ampicillin plus sulbactam reduced the numbers of all B. fragilis group (in 4.2-7.2 logs) but was less effective against E. coli (reduction of 1.8-4.2 logs). Cefoxitin was effective in significantly reducing (in 4.9-6.2 logs) the number of E. coli and all members of B. fragilis group alone or in all combinations. Cefotetan was effective against B. fragilis (reduction of 5.1-6.6 logs) and E. coli alone or in combination but did not reduce the number of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides vulgatus, and Bacteroides ovatus. Ceftizoxime was effective against only B. ovatus (reduction of 3.7-5.8) and E. coli (reduction of 6.0-8.1 logs); it did not reduce the number of other organisms. Cefamandole was effective against only E. coli and was not effective against any member of the B. fragilis group. These in vivo data confirm the in vitro activity of these antimicrobials.

Itzhak Brook

Papers

Aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of superficial suppurative thrombophlebitis.

Treatment of non-streptococcal tonsillitis with metronidazole

Rate of eradication of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci in children with pharyngo-tonsillitis by amoxicillin and cefdinir

Recovery of anaerobic bacteria from a glossal abscess in an adolescent.

In vitro susceptibility and in vivo efficacy of antimicrobials in the treatment of Bacteroides fragilis-Escherichia coli infection in mice