Where all your ID needs are met! Sort of.
I am probably not the only one who doubts the utility of the physical exam in the diagnosis of disease. Indeed, when looking at the imaging modalities that we have at hand, including CT, MRI, PET, Echo, ultrasound, and how quickly we can get any of these studies now, the physical exam seems to be
If you don’t get the joke, there is a movie called Meet the Fockers and I am always afraid of saying the wrong thing. The same thing applies to Faget’s sign. Also known as Sphygmothermic dissociation. This is essentially a counterargument to the Liebermeister’s rule (which is in the running for the most epic named
Galactomannan is a component of the cell wall of both Aspergillus spp and Penicillium spp. This component is secreted during the growth phase of the fungus, and higher galactomannan levels are correlated with fungal load in tissues. This is the general structure of the galactomannan: The test of choice is a sandwich ELISA. The double-sandwich
The timely diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is incredibly important. Non-invasive modalities of diagnosis such as beta-D glucan and galactomannan can take a few days to come back and much of the time, we rely on chest imaging to guide treatment decision. The classic finding that has been attributed to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis has been
Lyme disease is a difficult beast to diagnose. I think most people know some of the characteristics, including the fact it is a vector-borne illness that causes a characteristic rash (EM) that can lead to CNS disease, cardiac disease, and large joint arthritis. While the clinical characteristics are known, there is some difficulty in diagnosing
This is a topic that can be confusing, given the different numbers of assays and treatment algorithms that exist. Different hospitals have their own algorithm so this makes this a bit confusing when going from one shop to the next. In general, testing (at least nowadays) tends to fall into 2 general categories: Enzyme immunoassay
This is the cell wall of fungi. It is not inert and, the cell wall undergoes a consistent process of assembly and remodeling during cell growth. Glucan is the most abundant polysaccharide, and it is made up of glucose polymers linked by carbon at the first and third position: Back in the day (roughly the
Retrospective study from South Korea evaluating the predictive value of BD glucan in the age of mold active triazole prophylaxis. They recruited patients that underwent induction chemotherapy, SCT, or GVHD treatment that had BD glucans throughout their stay while on posa or micafungin prophylaxis. They defined a positive BD glucan as 2 or more BDG
Dr. Germophile 