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Purpose: Chronic wounds are frequently caused by, or super-infected with, a broad spectrum of bacteria. To guide treatment, healthcare providers need to know the bacterial spectrum and antimicrobial resistance rates to be anticipated. As these data are largely missing for Sierra Leone, we performed a microbiological study on chronic wound infections., Methods: Wound swabs were analysed for bacteria using culture-based methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done with Vitek2® automated system and EUCAST clinical breakpoints. Selected resistance phenotypes were confirmed by molecular methods (e.g. mecA/C) and genotyping., Results: Of 163 included patients, 156 (95.7%) had a positive wound culture. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 75), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 42), Proteus mirabilis (n = 31), Staphylococcus aureus-related complex (n = 31) were predominant. Among Gram-negative rods, resistance rates were high for piperacillin/tazobactam (3-67%), cefotaxime (19-71%), and ciprofloxacin (13-60%). Among isolates of the S. aureus-related complex, 55% were methicillin resistant (CC8, PVL-negative)., Conclusion: The high antimicrobial resistance rates in bacteria from chronic wounds strongly speaks against the use of empirical systemic antibiotic therapy if patients do not show signs of systemic infections, and supports the strategy of local wound care., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world. Timely and well-coordinated referrals are necessary to reduce delays in providing adequate care for women with obstetric complications. This study describes factors affecting timely and adequate referral of women with obstetric complications in rural areas of Sierra Leone as viewed by health workers in rural health facilities., Design: Qualitative research with semi-structured interviews using open-ended questions. Data were analysed by systematic text condensation., Setting: Interviews were held in nine peripheral health units in rural Sierra Leone., Participants: 19 health workers including nurses, midwives and clinical health officers participated in nine interviews., Results: From the interviews, four major themes describing possible factors of delay in referral of women in need of emergency obstetric care emerged: (1) communication between healthcare workers; (2) underlying influences on decision-making; (3) women's compliance to referral and (4) logistic constraints.Several factors in rural Sierra Leone are perceived to complicate timely and adequate referral of women in need of emergency obstetric care. Notable among these factors are fear among women for being referred and fear among healthcare workers for having maternal deaths or severe obstetric complications occurring at their own facilities. Furthermore, decision-making of healthcare workers whether to refer a woman or not is negatively influenced by a hierarchical culture with high power distance between healthcare workers., Conclusion: Factors identified that complicate timely and adequate referral of women in need of emergency obstetric care must be considered in efforts to reduce maternal mortality. Possible interventions that may reduce delay in referral include increased communication by mobile phones between health workers for advice and feedback regarding referrals, involvement of influential stakeholders to increase women's compliance to referral, and consistent use of standardised management protocols., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: To assess if combined fluorescence- and radio-guided occult lesion localization (hybrid ROLL) is feasible in patients scheduled for surgical resection of non-palpable (18)F-FDG-avid lesions on PET/CT., Methods: Four patients with (18)F-FDG-avid lesions on follow-up PET/CT that were not palpable during physical examination but were suspected to harbor metastasis were enrolled. Guided by ultrasound, the hybrid tracer indocyanine green (ICG)-(99m)Tc-nanocolloid was injected centrally in the target lesion. SPECT/CT imaging was used to confirm tracer deposition. Intraoperatively, lesions were localized using a hand-held gamma ray detection probe, a portable gamma camera, and a fluorescence camera. After excision, the gamma camera was used to check the wound bed for residual activity., Results: A total of six (18)F-FDG-avid lymph nodes were identified and scheduled for hybrid ROLL. Comparison of the PET/CT images with the acquired SPECT/CT after hybrid tracer injection confirmed accurate tracer deposition. No side effects were observed. Combined radio- and fluorescence-guidance enabled localization and excision of the target lesion in all patients. Five of the six excised lesions proved tumor-positive at histopathology., Conclusion: The hybrid ROLL approach appears to be feasible and can facilitate the intraoperative localization and excision of non-palpable lesions suspected to harbor tumor metastases. In addition to the initial radioguided detection, the fluorescence component of the hybrid tracer enables high-resolution intraoperative visualization of the target lesion. The procedure needs further evaluation in a larger cohort and wider range of malignancies to substantiate these preliminary findings., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMNIM. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Conventional sentinel node (SN) mapping is performed by injecting a radiocolloid followed by lymphoscintigraphy (and SPECT/CT imaging). An extra intraoperative injection with blue dye can then allow for optical identification of the SN. In order to improve the current clinical standard, the hybrid tracer indocyanine green (ICG)-(99m)Tc-nanocolloid was introduced, a tracer that is both radioactive and fluorescent. This feasibility study aimed to evaluate the value of a multimodal-based SN biopsy in vulvar cancer., Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients with vulvar cancer (29 groins) scheduled for SN biopsy were peritumorally injected with ICG-(99m)Tc-nanocolloid followed by lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT/CT imaging to identify the SNs. In thirteen patients, shortly before the start of the operation, blue dye was intradermally injected around the lesion. SNs were harvested using a combination of radiotracing, fluorescence imaging, and optical blue dye detection. A portable gamma camera was used before and after SN excision to confirm excision of the preoperatively defined SNs., Results: Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT/CT imaging visualized drainage to 39 SNs in 28 groins. During the operation, 98% (ex vivo 100%) of the SNs were radioactive. With fluorescence imaging 96% of the SNs (ex vivo 100%) could be visualized. Only 65% of the SNs had stained blue at the time of excision., Conclusion: ICG-(99m)Tc-nanocolloid can be used for preoperative SN identification and enables multimodal (radioactive and fluorescent) surgical guidance in patients with vulvar cancer. The addition of fluorescence-based optical guidance offers more effective SN visualization compared to blue dye., (© 2013.)

Introduction: Indocyanine green (ICG)-(99m)Tc-nanocolloid is a novel hybrid fluorescent radioactive tracer for sentinel node (SN) biopsy. This study has aimed to evaluate the added value of this novel versatile tracer in a series of patients with different malignancies., Material and Methods: Twenty patients (with penile carcinoma, oral cavity tumors, melanoma) were consecutively included between March-May 2012. Planar lymphoscintigraphy was performed 15 min and 2h after injection of ICG-(99m)Tc-nanocolloid followed by SPECT/CT. Blue dye (1 ml) was injected in 14 patients in surgery room. Intraoperatively, SNs were localized using a gamma probe and visualized by optical SN-detection using blue dye and fluorescence imaging. Finally, a portable gamma camera was used to confirm complete SN removal., Results: At least one SN was identified by SPECT/CT in all patients. All SNs (total 68, 100%) were excised using a combination of radio- and fluorescence guidance: 89.7% were intraoperatively localized with the gamma probe. The remaining SNs, located near the injection site, were localized using fluorescence imaging. During the surgery, 97% of the SNs were fluorescent while only 39.2% were stained blue. Ex vivo, all SNs were both radioactive and fluorescent. The SN was positive in 5 patients., Conclusion: Synchronous radio- and fluorescence guided SN biopsy is feasible using ICG-(99m)Tc-nanocolloid. This hybrid approach combines the beneficial properties of both modalities. Adding fluorescence imaging improves optical SN detection compared to blue dye. It has been shown to be especially useful in the localization of SNs near the injection site., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEMNIM. All rights reserved.)