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.

Are public library books contaminated by bacteria

We describe 3 adolescents who developed infections due to anaerobes at pierced body sites: the nipple, the umbilicus, and the nasal septum. Anaerobes (Prevotella intermedia and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius) were recovered from pure culture of specimens obtained from 1 patient with nipple infection and were mixed with aerobic bacteria in cultures of specimens obtained from 2 patients (Streptococcus aureus, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Prevotella melaninogenica were recovered from a patient with nasal septum infection, and Bacteroides fragilis and Enterococcus faecalis were recovered from a patient with umbilical infection). The infection resolved in all patients after removal of the ornaments and use of antimicrobial drug treatment.

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Recovery of Anaerobic Bacteria from 3 Patients with Infection at a Pierced Body Site

Beta-lactamase producing bacteroides species recovered from children: possible clue to failure of penicillin treatment.

This report presents 2 children (boys, 11 and 9 years old) who had post-traumatic nasal septal abscesses. Cultures for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria revealed Peptostreptococcuus magnus and a beta-lactamase-producing Prevotella intermedia in the first patient, and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Streptococcus intermedius, and Prevotella melaninogenica in the second patient. Anaerobic bacteria may play a role in nasal septal abscesses.

Recovery of Anaerobic Bacteria from a Post-Traumatic Nasal Septal Abscess A Report of Two Cases

The bacterial flora of the external ear canals and posterior auricular skin surfaces were investigated in a group of 26 divers after 25 dry-suit dives in harbor water and 20 dry-suit dives in clear test tank test. A control group of 16 divers wore rubber hoods 19 times for a similar period (25 to 30 min) but did not dive. The protective effect of 2% acetic acid was tested by instilling it in the left ear of 14 divers and 8 nondivers. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes, alpha-hemolytic streptococci, and enteric gram-negative rods were the predominant isolates from skin and ear samples. After the divers dove or after they wore hoods without going in the water, there was a substantial increase in the number of these organisms on the skin (46.9%) or in the external ears (43.8%) of the divers. However, an increase in the bacterial counts in the external ear canals occurred in only 13.6% of the individuals treated prophylactically with acetic acid drops. Although no gram-negative rods were recovered from the skin or external ear canals of divers in clear tank water, 23 strains were isolated after the dives in harbor water. Identical gram-negative isolates also were recovered from the harbor water. Gram-negative organisms also were recovered from three newly acquired skin lacerations, where they persisted for at least 24 h. Our data show the acquisition of gram-negative rods when dives were made in polluted water. The data also demonstrate the increase in bacterial counts that occurs when rubber diving rods are worn (in or out of water) and that this increase can be controlled by pretreatment of ears with acetic acid.

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Itzhak Brook

Papers

Are public library books contaminated by bacteria

Recovery of Anaerobic Bacteria from 3 Patients with Infection at a Pierced Body Site

Beta-lactamase producing bacteroides species recovered from children: possible clue to failure of penicillin treatment.

Recovery of Anaerobic Bacteria from a Post-Traumatic Nasal Septal Abscess A Report of Two Cases

Effect of Diving and Diving Hoods on the Bacterial Flora of the External Ear Canal and Skin