Active clinical trials for "Communicable Diseases"

STUDY HYPOTHESIS : An infection prevention program adapted for the nursing home context can reduce by 5% the number of infections (urinary, upper and lower respiratory and gastrointestinal) in elderly residents in nursing homes. STUDY DESIGN : The proposal is for an interventional cluster (nursing home) study comprising 2 randomized groups: group 1 (interventional), comprising 25 nursing homes implementing a specific infection prevention program; and group 2 (control), 25 nursing homes continuing to implement their routine prevention measures.

The purpose of this multicentre prospective trial is to determine the incidence and risk factors for surgical wound infections. Also the investigators will evaluate consequences of wound infections to the patients, and extra costs caused by wound infections.

There has been an increase in incidence in sexually transmitted infections in HIV infected patients in the last years. In this study the investigators will prospectively evaluate the prevalence of symptomatic and asymptomatic infections with N. gonorrhea and Ch. trachomatis as well as the seroprevalence of Herpes simplex Type 2 infection in HIV-infected patients attending the clinic for infectious diseases at the Berne University Hospital. In addition, participants will be asked to fill out a questionnaire on sexual behaviour and sexual health. Study hypothesis: STI prevalence is high in certain risk-groups to justify screening in regular intervals.

Group A streptococcus (GAS) causes a variety of human infections. It is also an uncommon but serious cause of postpartum infections. In contrast to group B streptococcus (GBS) infection, which causes illness and death in newborns disproportionately more often than it does in mothers, perinatal GAS infection primarily affects mothers . Invasive GAS infection is defined by the isolation of GAS from a normally sterile site (e.g., blood) or by the isolation of GAS from a nonsterile site in the presence of the streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotizing fasciitis. A postpartum case of invasive GAS is defined as isolation of GAS during the postpartum period, in association with a clinical postpartum infection (e.g., endometritis) or from either a sterile site or a wound infection. Because of the burden and severity of invasive GAS infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hosted a meeting in to formulate guidelines for responding to postpartum and postsurgical GAS infections. However, we could not find any recommendations for long-term follow-up of patients who had GAS infection subsequent to delivery or gynaecological procedures, or further recommendations regarding subsequent delivery or gynaecological invasive procedures. It is possible that women who had GAS as a cause of vaginal infection may have a tendency to be carriers of this organism, but this has never been proven. We believe it is of importance to determine if women who have had one infection may be long-term carriers which may pose a risk during future pregnancies. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the incidence of long term gynaecological carrier state of patients who had GAS invasive infection following delivery, and to provide guidelines for follow-up and treatment of such patients. The proposed study may answer the question whether this endogenous GAS origin represents chronic GAS carrier state, similar to the known GBS carrier state. As some of these patients had severe infections (sometimes life threatening) a protocol for long-term follow up and management is necessary in case an invasive procedure is done (IUD insertion, endometrial biopsy, curettage or delivery) in order to prevent recurrent infection. The information collected in the study will enable us to afford recommendations for follow up and prophylaxis in the future. .

International studies have repeatedly documented a substantial prevalence of sexual risk behaviors and high rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) ranging from 5%-56% amongst long-distance truck drivers ("truckers") living in diverse international settings including India, Bangladesh, South Africa, China, Laos and Thailand. The prevalence of sexual risk factors and STI/HIV in US drivers is unknown. This proposal will provide both qualitative and quantitative data on HIV risk behaviors by interviewing and testing truckers working for established long-distance trucking firms, the sector which accounts for most of the jobs in the trucking and warehousing industry in the United States. The data obtained from this study will be used to inform the development of an HIV prevention intervention for long-haul truck drivers.

The purpose of this study is to describe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalization rates and to begin to address the utilization of outpatient resources for RSV medically-attended lower respiratory tract infections (MALRI) in 32-35 week gestational age (GA) premature infants who are less than 6 months of age and do not receive treatment.

This study was designed to provide early access to and evaluate the safety of TPV/r in PI-experienced patients with HIV-1 infection.

This study will determine the amount of liver scarring (fibrosis) or liver damage in people infected with 1) hepatitis B virus (HBV, a virus that can infect the liver); 2) HIV (the virus that causes AIDS); 3) both HBV and HIV; and 4) neither HBV nor HIV. Liver fibrosis and liver damage can have many causes, including alcohol, certain medicines, exposure to some contaminated foods and infections with viruses that affect the liver (such as HBV). About 25 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV and about 50 million with chronic HBV, yet very little information is available on how many people are infected with both viruses and the medical implications of co-infection. Participants in Uganda s Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP) or Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) clinic who are 18 years of age or older may be eligible for this study. People enrolled in the study come to the clinic for at least one visit and may be asked to return yearly. During the visit, participants undergo the following procedures: Questionnaire and a short interview about their health and quality of life. Physical examination and blood draw. The blood is tested for HBV and other factors that may suggest liver disease. Blood drawn at previous clinic visits or from other studies may also be tested. Liver evaluation using a FibroScan, a medical device that uses elastic waves to measure liver stiffness in a process similar to ultrasound scanning. For this test, the subjects lies flat on the back with the arm extended out. The tip of the machine s probe is covered with gel and placed on the skin between the ribs at the level of the right lobe of the liver. The machine produces a little tap on the skin that sends a wave out and checks how fast the wave moves. The speed of the wave indicates the amount of scarring in the liver.

The purpose of this study is to determine the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) among a group of African American women who have sex with women (AA WSW). The first study hypothesis is that AA WSW are at risk for acquiring and transmitting STI, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The second study hypothesis is that AA WSW participate in multiple high-risk sexual activities that may facilitate transmission of STIs, including HIV.

This study will investigate the clinical variables that may be used to predict who among the solid organ transplant recipients will develop cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease after completing antiviral prophylaxis.