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Abstract. Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common nosocomial infections in Thailand and worldwide. The clinical spectrum ranges from annoy- ing diarrhea to severe life-threatening disease. Enzyme-linked immunofluorescent assay for cytotoxins A/B (cytotoxins A/B ELFA), which has been widely used in our institute, generally is considered as having low sensitivity for diagnosis of CDI. The study was a prospective evaluation of a novel two-step diagnostic algorithm, in which the first step involved concurrent cytotoxins A/B ELFA and enzyme immunoassay for glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH EIA) for CDI, followed by PCR assay of tcdA and tcdB in samples with discordant results. Of the 91 adult patients (37 males and 54 females, mean age of 60.0 ± 19.5 years) with suspected CDI hospitalized at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand from December 2012 to February 2013, 22 were diagnosed with CDI by the gold standard PCR test for tcdA and tcdB, among whom 21 were positive by GDH EIA, accounting for a sensitivity of 95%. Of the 69 patients without CDI, GDH EIA was negative in 46 patients, accounting for a specificity of 67%. The positive predic- tive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of GDH EIA was 48%, 98% and 74%, respectively, whereas sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of cytotoxins A/B ELFA was 73%, 96%, 84%, 92% and 92%, respectively. Some 30% of specimens required the more expensive PCR assay. However, this two-step protocol detected 20% more patients with CDI than the currently used cytotoxins A/B ELFA method.

Trichosporonosis is an emerging invasive opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised patients. We report 5 catheter related blood stream infections caused by Trichosporon species over a five-year period at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. All the patients were immunocompromised, had received broad-spectrum antibiotics and had a central venous catheter or arterial line inserted for a mean duration of 16.2 days (range 10-30 days). Four patients developed disseminated infection and only 2 survived, giving a mortality rate of 60%. Because of the prevalence of Trichosporon catheter related blood stream infections at our institute, health care providers should have a high index of suspicion for Trichosporon species infections in patients with risk factors and prolonged presence of a central venous catheter.

Streptococcus suis may be the second most common cause of adult streptococcal meningitis. The clinical and epidemiological data of S. suis meningitis are occasionally reviewed. To date, there have been only two large case series from Hong Kong and the Netherlands. We describe twelve cases of S. suis meningitis who were admitted to Chulalongkorn University Hospital, Bangkok, during a 6-year period between 1997 and 2002. A comparative review of case reports of S. suis meningitis in Thailand, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands is presented and revealed no significant differences between the three series. However, the cases from Thailand and Hong Kong had a significantly greater number of associated skin and soft tissue infections. Clinically, S. suis meningitis may appear acute or with a more chronic course.