Two hundred and fourteen episodes of polymicrobial bacteremia in 182 cancer patients in a period of 6 years in a 360-bed National Cancer Institute were analyzed for etiology, risk factors and ...outcome. Variables were compared with 187 episodes of monomicrobial bacteremias in 147 cancer patients to find statistical significance among risk factors, etiology and outcome. Urinary catheters and breakthrough bacteremia were the only risk factors associated with polymicrobial in comparison to monomicrobial bacteremia (
P < 0.05). Concerning etiology,
Enterococcus faecalis,
Candida spp.,
Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were more commonly isolated in polymicrobial than in monomicrobial bacteremic episodes. Polymicrobial bacteremia presented more frequently with septic shock (22.9% vs. 9.0%,
P < 0.05) and/or organ complications (25.2% vs. 11.8%,
P < 0.05). However, mortality due to bacteremia did not significantly differ between polymicrobial and monomicrobial, but when polymicrobial bacteremia with and without coagulase negative staphylococci were compared, mortality in polymicrobial bacteremia without staphylococci was higher (10% vs. 4.7%,
P < 0.04).
20 patients with proven or suspected fungal infections were treated with the amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC) with a daily dose of 5 mg/kg for 1-25 days. 6 patients died during the therapy due to ...fungal infection (3) or underlying disease (3). One patient was not evaluable. 13 patients were cured and improved. ABLC was administered in patients with renal disease avoiding the use of conventional amphotericin B (AmB) because of nephrotoxicity or after failure with AmB. Except for hypokalemia persisting after AmB in 5 patients, no systemic adverse reaction appeared. ABLC is a promising, well-tolerated and effective drug for the therapy of fungal infections after the failure of a previous antifungal therapy or after toxic reactions due to AmB.
A total of 134 episodes of staphylococcal bacteremia (SBE) appearing among 9987 admissions, and 979 episodes of bacteremia in cancer patients within 5 years, were analyzed for risk factors, clinical ...course and outcome; 64 were monomicrobial and 70 polymicrobial. The most frequent risk factors were acute leukemia, catheter insertion, long-lasting neutropenia, and prior prophylaxis with quinolones. There was no significant difference between polymicrobial and monomicrobial SBE in risk factors. The two groups differed only in the source of bacteremia (gastrointestinal and respiratory-tract infections were more common in monomicrobial SBE) and etiology-Staphylococcus aureus appeared more frequently in monomicrobial than in polymicrobial bacteremia (20.3% compared to 4.3%, P < 0.05). More complications (14.3%) such as abscesses, endocarditis, etc. appeared in the group of polymicrobial SBE (P < 0.05). No difference was observed in clinical course and outcome between monomicrobial and polymicrobial SBE. The incidence of SBE has increased since 1991, when quinolones were first used in prophylaxis in afebrile neutropenia at our center; however, the infection-associated mortality in monomicrobial SBE was low (4.3%).
The authors analyzed 27 breakthrough bacteremias occurring during ofloxacin prophylaxis in afebrile neutropenia over 7 years in 9989 admissions and 979 bacteremic and fungemic episodes in a National ...Cancer Center in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. The most frequently isolated organisms in breakthrough bacteremias were gram-positive (71.3%), mainly coagulase-negative staphylococci (41.3%), enterococci (9.2%) and Corynebacteria (9.2%), followed by gram-negative rods-Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.2%) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (9.2%). The outcome of breakthrough bacteremias during ofloxacin prophylaxis was not associated with the underlying disease, neutropenia, catheter insertion or resistance, but only with multiple risk factors. A higher failure rate was observed in those patients having a catheter infected with a resistant organism and during neutropenia. No patients with Hickman catheter were included in the study. Patients with mixed breakthrough bacteremia due to gram-negative and gram-positive organisms had higher failure rates than those with monomicrobial bacteremia. Catheter extraction and rapid institution of intravenous antibiotics in combination should be administered in breakthrough bacteremia.
Strip seeding of grasslands Kohoutek, A; Komarek, P; Odstrcilova, V ...
Zemedelske Informace - UZPI (Czech Republic),
2002
7
Book
Strip seeding of suitable grass species and varieties can increase concentration of water-soluble sugars in dry matter and thus improve the conditions for conservation of forage by ensiling. The ...technology of strip seeding increases the prosperity of grassland establishment by more effective elimination of competition and allelopathy from the original grass stand.
Changes in botanical composition of grassland after renovation Hanzes, L; Ilavska, I; Vyskumny Ustav Travnych Porastov a Horskeho Polnohospodarstva, Banska Bystrica (Slovak Republic)
Acta Fytotechnica et Zootechnica (Slovak Republic),
(Dec 2002), Volume:
5, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Control of the botanical composition of a sward heavily infested with tufted hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa L. (P. Beauv.)). A trial was established at a site of an altitude of 1,300 m on ...grassland within the area of Nizke Tatry National Park (NAPANT) in 1997 and research was conducted over 1998-2000. Changes in the botanical composition were investigated after mechanical treatment of the sward, followed by drilling and sowing a grass-clover mixture. The sward was utilised by 2 cuts and the botanical composition was determined by the method of projective dominance before cuts. Mechanical and biological interventions influenced significantly the composition of phytocoenosis. A proportion of D. caespitosa decreased from 56% in the original sward to 8-18% in the third experimental year. Consequently, there were changes in the proportions of botanical groups, and diversity of valued forage species increased. From the viewpoint of feeding value, characteristics of the treated swards ranged from less valuable to semi-cultural ones. Efficiency of the sward improvement techniques used during research was satisfactory. Treatment 1 (rotary tilling of whole surface area prior to sowing, broadcasting) was found to be the most efficient in terms of the botanical composition changes of the sward and its feeding value. However, a long-term effect of the treatments may be expected only if adequate grassland management practices are applied
The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the effect of mineral fertiliser on the above- and under-ground biomass production of permanent grassland. The experiment site was located in mountain ...production area at an altitude of 960 m. In the grassland of Festuco-Cynosuretum association, 3 fertiliser treatments (PK, N90+PK, N180+PK) were compared with the control (no fertilisation) over 1992-1998. To assess primary production, sward was cut three times and biomass root samples were also taken at the date of cutting. The positive effect of mineral fertilization on an increase in the above-ground dry matter (DM) production was confirmed. Mean DM production has increased by 68.6%, 154.2% and 224.9% in the PK, N90 and N180 treatments, respectively, in comparison to the N0 treatment. There were statistically significant differences between treatments. The amount of under-ground biomass increased moderately by fertilisation. However, the effect of fertilisation on the under-ground biomass was not significant. At the same time changes in an R:S ratio were observed. The widest ratio was found in the control (1.58) and the narrowest one in the N180 treatment (0.52). An R:S ratio in the N0 treatment was lower by 40.5%, 57.6% and 67.1% compared with the PK, N90 and N180 treatments.
In a mountain region of the Slovak Republic (altitude 960 m, cold and wet climatic region, total annual rainfall 900 mm, over a growing season 500 mm, mean annual daily air temperature 4 degree C, ...over a growing season 9.5 degree C) changes in botanical composition of overdrilled grassland (2000-2001) were investigated after the cessation of eight-year fertilizer application at PK, N90 and N180 treatments. The botanical composition of the sward was determined by a method of projective dominance of species prior to the 1st cut. Two years of withdrawn phosphorus and potassium fertilizers application (PK treatment) resulted in marked changes in the botanical composition of the sward: the proportion of grasses increased (from 34 to 52 %) while that of legumes decreased by 19 %. The cessation of fertilizer nitrogen application (treatments N90 and N180) showed a notable impact in the N180 where the herb proportion rose by 11% at the expense of grasses. The 15 % decrease in the proportion of grasses resulted mostly from the declined presence of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) in the sward. In 1999 (the last year of fertilizer application), 45 % of cocksfoot was recorded in sward. However, in 2000 (the second year of eliminated fertilizer application), only 6% proportion of cocksfoot was found at the N180 treatment
Floristicke zlozenie poloprirodneho travneho porastu po preruseni mineralneho hnojenia Ilavska, I.,Vyskumny ustav travnych porastov a horskeho polnohospodarstva, Banska Bystrica (Slovak Republic). Vyskumne pracovisko Poprad; Rataj, D; Hanzes, L ...
Acta Fytotechnica et Zootechnica (Slovak Republic),
(Dec 2003), Volume:
6, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The effects of fertiliser application at the rates of P30K60 (treatment PK), N90P30K60 (treatment N90) and N180P30K60 (treatment N180) on changes in the botanical composition of seminatural grassland ...in a region of the Nizke Tatry mountains (The Low Tatras), Slovakia were investigated over 8 experimental years. Afterwards fertilizing was discontinued and the frequency of cutting was reduced from 3 to 2 cuts. The two-year stoppage of PK fertilizer application resulted in a legume proportion decrease from 41 to 27%. Consequently, the proportion of grasses in the sward increased by 12% during the two years. More substantial changes in botanical groups in the sward previously fertilized with N(+PK) were observed in treatment N180. Two years after the cessation of fertilizer application, only a slight decline (7%) in the proportion of grasses and a 5% increase in that of legumes were found in treatment N90. In treatment N180, however, a 20% decline in the proportion of grasses and a 16% increase in that of other herbs were recorded, and a larger area of bare ground was observed.
