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Abstract: Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus is the first agent responsible for nosocomial bacteremia in France. About 40% of the strains are resistant to methicillin (MRSA). The epidemiology of these infections has changed in the last fifteen years whereas therapeutics options have slightly progressed. Current knowledge and key points: Hospital-acquired MRSA bacteremia are more and more frequent while community-acquired strains recently appeared. Factors influencing the emergence of these infections were identified thanks to numerous clinical studies, as well as patients risk factors for developing these infections and their complications. At the same time, intermediate sensitive and resistant MRSA strains to glycopeptides appeared. Conversely, the best antibiotic strategy is still unclear in absence of good clinical studies. The interest of antibiotics combinations and of glycopeptides serum-concentrations control is still a matter of debate. Finally, the number of new active molecules remains limited. Perspectives: The frequency and severity of MRSA bacteremia are quite worrying in our country. The epidemiology of these infections must be known by every clinicians in order to prevent them. The therapeutic strategy has to be better define and need for new anti-infectious agents is critic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Henoch-Schönlein purpura is a vasculitis usually with a benign course. Abdominal symptoms occur in 70% of cases, with possible intussusception or intestinal perforation. There is no clear evidence of the efficacy of a treatment in complicated cases of Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Corticosteroids improve abdominal pain but they do not have any effect on renal involvement or prevention of relapses. Intravenous immunoglobulins have been efficient in some cases with recurrent abdominal symptoms or progressive renal lesions. We report the case of a 19-year-old patient with severe abdominal involvement and early renal manifestations of Henoch-Schönlein disease, rapid and sustained improvement was obtained by intravenous immunoglobulins given during 48 hours.

This is a retrospective study of the records of 17 patients who suffered from infectious endocarditis with positive blood cultures, and concerns the possibilities of predicting immediate infectious signs in patients:--by testing each of the antibiotics used for the minimal inhibitory concentration;--by determining the peak of the serum bactericidal activity of patients. All the patients were under observation, as outpatients, for more than a year and proved completely cured of their infectious endocarditis. A satisfactory minimal inhibitory concentration does not necessarily prevent an infectious evolution in the immediate future. The determination of the peak serum bactericidal activity does not reflect faithfully and instantaneously the anti-infectious action of the treatment; this is shown by the excellent and rapid evolution 13 times out 20 although serum bactericidal activity was considered insufficient (less than 1/8). This level of 1/8 is not a guarantee of therapeutic efficiency. Finally the antiinfectious treatment has been, in the majority of cases, determined by clinical signs and in very few cases by serum bactericidal activity results.

Peritoneal mesothelioma ranks second in frequency after pleural mesothelioma. A well-established clinical entity since 1960, mesothelioma is increasingly frequent due to improvements in diagnostic methods and to the fairly wide industrial use of asbestos, a well-known carcinogenic substance for mesothelial cells. The diagnosis of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma rests on a corpus of convergent data. Treatment consists of surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The mean survival from the time of diagnosis is 8-10 months.