View clinical trials related to Communicable Diseases.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to review patients with E. coli infections at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) from September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2007 to determine if these infections have arisen in the community rather than in hospitals or nursing homes. The occurrence of such resistant isolates could be devastating if they were associated with bloodstream infection, such as sometimes accompanies a urinary tract infection, since antibiotic resistant E. coli is not suspected in isolates coming from the community. Therefore, the aims of this study are to: 1. Review whether extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms (E. coli, Klebsiella species and Proteus species) are hospital-acquired, healthcare-associated, or community-associated. 2. Investigate the prevalence of ESBL-positive E. coli in foodstuffs (beef, poultry, turkey, and pork), as a potential source for ESBL producers in the community. 3. Compare the clonal relationship of the genome and resistance plasmids carried by the ESBL-producing isolates (healthcare-associated, community-associated, and of animal origin) and study the associations of ESBL-mediated resistance with resistance to other classes of antimicrobials.
The purpose of this program evaluation is to determine whether the Health Love Workshop, a group-level HIV behavioral intervention, reduces HIV-related sex risk behaviors and increases HIV protective behaviors of African American women and women of African descent. The intent of this program is to support an evaluation of the efficacy of the intervention and to provide feedback to the implementing organization to increase intervention effectiveness.
The overall objective of GRACE is to combat the resistance of drugs that kill bacteria and other germs (antimicrobial) through integrating centres of research excellence and using the study of the entire DNA in a cell (genomics) to most appropriately investigate and manage community-acquired LRTI. Grace-01 is the first study to be undertaken as part of GRACE and the aims of this study are to describe the presentation, diagnosis, investigation, management and outcomes for people with cough / chest infection in general medical practice in 13 primary care networks in 12 countries in Europe.
This study will examine the phototoxicity, a reaction to light that is like exaggerated sunburn, which occurs in people who take medications such as voriconazole, a medication used to fight fungus. Sunscreens might protect the skin from the reaction. Although phototoxicity from voriconazole is not completely understood, it may be related to how that medication is metabolized in the liver by enzymes called cytochrome P450 enzymes-and mainly by one known as 2C19. A way to evaluate phototoxicity is through microarrays, which measure how much each gene is expressed in cells from tissues such as skin. Patients ages 8 and older who are scheduled to begin taking or who currently take voriconazole may be eligible for this study. Also, patients ages 18 to 45 in good health who have skin tone known as Type 2, which usually burns and tans only slightly following sun exposure, may be eligible. All patients will visit the Dermatology Clinic. They will complete two questionnaires, on medical history and medications, as well as the skin response to sunlight, and donate about 3 teaspoons of blood. Patients who are scheduled to take voriconazole will visit the clinic four times, that is, two visits 2 consecutive days before beginning the medication and two visits on 2 consecutive days after taking it for at least 7 days. Each visit will take 1 to 2 hours. Patients about to take voriconazole will have a blood test and undergo a physical exam of the skin test site, on the buttocks. Researchers will take photographs of the specific site and do tests to measure skin reaction to ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light will be shined on 15 small areas of the skin, each 1 x 1 centimeters. After 24 hours, any redness that occurs on the skin will be checked. Afterward, patients will begin taking voriconazole according to directions by the researchers. At 10 or more days later, patients will visit the clinic. Sunscreen will be applied and 1 hour later after administration of voriconazole, a blood sample will be drawn to check the level of medication. Then UV light will be shined on 23 areas of skin 1 x 1 centimeters. More photographs will be taken of test sites to record changes in skin redness. On the next day, the skin response will be evaluated. Participants in the control group will be asked to avoid UV radiation by wearing hats and clothing, and using sunscreen. They will be given the doxycycline, an antibiotic, and undergo procedures with UV light shined on small areas of the skin, on the buttocks. Control participants will have 7 study days, with visits lasting from 1 to 3 hours and probably not exceeding 8 hours. They will have two shave biopsies on Study Day 2 and on Study Day 7 to determine how the skin has responded to UV light exposures. ...
The purpose of this study is to help define the role of antibiotics in the treatment of pediatric skin infections caused by community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). The investigators hypothesize that treatment with cephalexin, a penicillin-like antibiotic to which CA-MRSA would be expected to be resistant, does not result in poorer outcomes than treatment with clindamycin, an antibiotic to which CA-MRSA is most often susceptible.
This phase I trial is studying the side effects of giving carboplatin and paclitaxel together with pegfilgrastim in treating patients with stage III or stage IV ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, primary peritoneal, or carcinosarcoma cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Colony-stimulating factors, such as pegfilgrastim, may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help the immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy. Giving carboplatin and paclitaxel together with pegfilgrastim after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery.
This study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Tuberculosis Research Centre and YRG-Care in Chennai, India, will examine how treatment of lymphatic filariasis in HIV-infected patients influences the amount of HIV virus in the blood and the progression of HIV infection to AIDS. Filarial infections are common in Chennai, and it is important to understand whether treatment of filariasis affects the course of HIV disease. The information gained from this study could be used to modify treatments for people both with HIV and filarial infections. Patients 18 years of age and older who are receiving treatment for HIV infection at the Government Hospital HIV clinic or YRG-Care may be eligible for this study. Two groups of patients will be recruited - patients with both HIV and filarial infections, and patients who have HIV infection alone, without filariasis. Candidates are screened with a medical history and review of medical records, physical examination, and blood and stool tests. Women have a urine pregnancy test. Within one month of screening, all participants receive a single dose of diethylcarbamazine and albendazole, a drug regimen commonly used to treat filarial infection. Patients are followed closely for the first 2 weeks after treatment to check for side effects. They are then seen at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the treatment dose for a physical examination and blood test.
Study to evaluate the effects of AUGMENTIN 1gm in the treatment of Skin and Soft tissue infections
Information from this study is needed to plan an eventual trial of a GAS vaccine in India if and when one is available. A GAS vaccine is currently a priority of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), and this project has been approved by the Joint Working Group (US and Indian Delegates) of the Vaccine Action Program, a joint effort of the ICMR and NIAID to implement cooperative efforts between the two countries on mutual objectives in vaccine development. Currently, several GAS vaccines are in development, supported by NIAID, and other sources, and one candidate is in phase one clinical trial authorized by the FDA. Information on the antigenic structure of GAS isolated in India will be needed for planning vaccine composition. It is the view of the Indian Ministry of Health and Indian Council for Medical Research that eventual prevention and control of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in India, now a heavy burden on the children will require a GAS vaccine, which requires both access to primary health care and a vaccine if and when it is available. Information on incidence is needed to determine the size of a future vaccine cohort in order to obtain a statistically significant result on vaccine efficacy. Although unrelated to vaccine development, information on the incidence of GAS pharyngitis is needed in India to implement primary and secondary acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) prevention programs as were implemented in the USA and Europe forty years ago. A vaccine trial is not part of this study, nor is there any intervention, other than antibiotic treatment of all children volunteers who develop GAS pharyngitis or impetigo. An additional point should be made about the importance of obtaining epidemiological data on streptococcal disease in India, and on the emm types of GAS that cause infections. The population of India is over one billion people, representing nearly twenty five percent of the world's population. Information on GAS epidemiology from India is scant to say the least, and it is sorely needed. We now know that streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and fasciitis that have occurred in the U. S., Europe, Australia, and Japan, with greater frequency in recent years are caused by several genetically similar emm types of GAS. The implication of such genetic and epidemiologic data is that these genetically related strains have spread worldwide, Current information from India is far too limited to know if these virulent strains of GAS occur in India, and if they do, to what extent might they be the cause of frequent invasive disease in hospitalized patients. Equally important, we do not know if a potentially high virulent GAS strain is currently emerging in some locale(s) in India, and what possible threat it might become, if it were to be transported to other worldwide geographic regions. Although not a specific aim of this proposal, the surveillance conducted to accomplish the aims of this protocol will provide essential information on the possible emergence of an unexpected emm type with pathogenic potential. ...
This study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Tuberculosis Research Centre in Chennai, India, will examine how helminth and filarial infections affect the immune response to mycobacteria (the bacteria that causes tuberculosis). Helminths are parasitic worms that infect the gut, and filaria are worms that circulate in the blood and infect various tissues. The findings of this study may affect how tuberculosis is assessed in Chennai, where filarial and helminth infections are common in the population. Patients between 6 and 65 years of age with helminth or filarial infections who do not have active tuberculosis, cancer, AIDS, or other immunosuppressive illness may be eligible for this study. Participants will be recruited from villages in the Chingleput District of Chennai, India. Participants will complete a medical history and physical examination. They will have a blood test to determine red blood cell count and to detect filarial infection, a stool examination to detect helminth infection, and a tuberculin skin test for tuberculosis. Patients with a positive tuberculin test will be treated for tuberculosis and any filarial or helminth infections that may have been detected. Patients whose tuberculin test is negative will be invited to participate in the second part of the study-to determine whether people with either filarial infections or helminth infections, or both, respond to tuberculosis bacteria in the same way as people who do not have these infections. Participants will undergo a review of their medical history, a physical examination, and a blood test to assess red blood cell levels and to look for evidence of filarial or helminth infection. They will then be randomly assigned to receive either albendazole and DEC (anti-helminth and anti-filarial drugs) or a placebo (look-alike tablets that do not contain an active ingredient). Two months later, patients will receive a second dose of the same tablets (placebo or active drug) they took previously, and after another 4 weeks they will be re-tested for tuberculosis. After 6 months (at the end of the study) all participants will receive anti-helminth and anti-filarial drugs and will have a repeat tuberculin skin test. Blood and stool samples will be collected twice in the 6-month period after the initial treatment to determine the levels of antibody against the parasites, to measure the level of infection with filaria, and to measure the level of red blood cells.