Methods such as real time (RT)-PCR have not been developed for the rapid detection and diagnosis of Dermatophilus (D.) congolensis infection. In the present study, a D. congolensis-specific SYBR Green RT-PCR assay was evaluated. The detection limit of the RT-PCR assay was 1 pg of DNA per PCR reaction. No cross-reaction with nucleic acids extracted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus, or Austwickia chelonae was observed. Finally, the RT-PCR assay was used to evaluate clinical samples collected from naturally infected animals with D. congolensis. The results showed that this assay is a fast and reliable method for diagnosing dermatophilosis.
Actinomycetales/*isolation & purification ; Actinomycetales Infections/diagnosis/microbiology/*veterinary ; Animals ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Fluorescent Dyes/*diagnostic use ; Horse Diseases/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Horses ; Limit of Detection ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods/veterinary ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sheep ; Sheep Diseases/*diagnosis/microbiology

Background: and Purpose Ischemic stroke is a common cause of death worldwide. In clinical practice it is observed that many individuals who have experienced an ischemic stroke also suffer from simultaneous comorbidities such as heart failure, which could be directly associated with a worse clinical prognosis. Therefore, this study analyzed outcomes in terms of the severity of the event, inhospital mortality, duration of hospital stay, and inhospital recurrence of the episode, in order to determine the implications resulting from the presentation of both pathologies. Methods: This was a retrospective-cohort, hospital-based study. Results: The study included 110 subjects with heart failure (exposed) and 109 subjects without heart failure (nonexposed). The incidence of inhospital mortality was 27.27% in exposed patients and 9.17% in nonexposed patients (p<0.001), and the presence of heart failure increased the risk of death by 92% (p=0.027). According to scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the median severity was worse in exposed than nonexposed patients (16.1 vs. 9.2, p=0.001). The median hospital stay was 9 days in subjects with heart failure and 7 days in nonexposed patients (p=0.011). The rate of inhospital stroke did not differ significantly between exposed and nonexposed patients (1.82% vs. 0.92%, p=0.566). Conclusions Individuals with heart failure who suffer from an acute ischemic stroke show worse clinical outcomes in terms of mortality, event severity, and duration of hospital stay.

Background: and Purpose Ischemic stroke is a common cause of death worldwide. In clinical practice it is observed that many individuals who have experienced an ischemic stroke also suffer from simultaneous comorbidities such as heart failure, which could be directly associated with a worse clinical prognosis. Therefore, this study analyzed outcomes in terms of the severity of the event, inhospital mortality, duration of hospital stay, and inhospital recurrence of the episode, in order to determine the implications resulting from the presentation of both pathologies. Methods: This was a retrospective-cohort, hospital-based study. Results: The study included 110 subjects with heart failure (exposed) and 109 subjects without heart failure (nonexposed). The incidence of inhospital mortality was 27.27% in exposed patients and 9.17% in nonexposed patients (p<0.001), and the presence of heart failure increased the risk of death by 92% (p=0.027). According to scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the median severity was worse in exposed than nonexposed patients (16.1 vs. 9.2, p=0.001). The median hospital stay was 9 days in subjects with heart failure and 7 days in nonexposed patients (p=0.011). The rate of inhospital stroke did not differ significantly between exposed and nonexposed patients (1.82% vs. 0.92%, p=0.566). Conclusions Individuals with heart failure who suffer from an acute ischemic stroke show worse clinical outcomes in terms of mortality, event severity, and duration of hospital stay.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant validity of the Filipino Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (F-KOOS) among community-dwellers with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The study also examined the suitability of the F-KOOS in terms of relevance and ease of understanding Methods: This psychometric study utilized a cross-sectional design. Participants (>50 years old) with knee pain and soreness were recruited from the community and were medically diagnosed with knee OA according to the American College of Rheumatology clinical criteria. Participants were instructed to report for two sessions approximately two weeks apart. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics of participants and suitability in answering F-KOOS. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were determined through intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Cronbach alpha, respectively. Discriminant validity was examined by comparing those with and without knee OA using independent t-test (p<0.05) per F-KOOS subscale. Results and Discussion: A total of 53 participants (35 females, 18 males) with a mean age of 69.67+5.83 years old were included in the study. The domains of the KOOS in the pre-test and re-test range from 0.30 to 0.78 (p<0.05), indicating good test-retest reliability between two assessment points. All domains of the F-KOOS had high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha of > 0.7) ranging from 0.87 to 0.96. Discriminant validity of all domains of F-KOOS between participants diagnosed with and without knee OA showed p-values <0.01 which indicate a significant difference between both groups. In terms of preference, out of 40 participants who answered the survey, 55-85% expressed ease and satisfaction in answering F-KOOS. Conclusion The study demonstrated that the F-KOOS has an acceptable test-retest reliability, good internal consistency, and discriminant validity in individuals with knee OA. The study further determined that the use of the F-KOOS is appropriate, relevant, and easy to understand in the community setting.
Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Outcome Assessment, Health Care