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Background: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common healthcare associated infection and is highly prevalent in Europe and North America. Limited data is available on the prevalence of CDI in Asia. However, secular increases in prevalence of risk factors for CDI suggest that it may be emerging as a major cause of morbidity, highlighting the urgent need for a systematic study of the prevalence of CDI in Asia. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed/Medline and Embase for publications from Asia between 2000–16 examining prevalence of CDI. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to calculate the pooled prevalence of CDI in Asia and to identify subgroups and regions at high risk. Results: Our meta-analysis included 51 studies from throughout Asia including 37,663 patients at risk among whom confirmed CDI was found in 4,343 patients. The pooled proportion of confirmed CDI among all patients with diarrhea was 14.8% with a higher prevalence in East Asia (19.5%), compared with South Asia (10.5%) or the Middle East (11.1%). There were an estimated 5.3 episodes of CDI per 10,000 patient days, similar to rates reported from Europe and North America. Infections due to hypervirulent strains were rare. CDI-related mortality was 8.9%. Conclusions: In a meta-analysis of 51 studies, we observed similar rates of CDI in Asia in comparison to Europe and North America. Increased awareness and improved surveillance of Clostridium difficile is essential to reduce incidence and morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to reconstruct the politics of in/visibility, according to political theorist Hannah Arendt. The reflections of Arendt on stateless aliens in inter-war Europe are interpreted, and a conceptual background is provided by situating the politics of visibility within Arendt's more theoretical-philosophical writings on politics. It investigates the relevance and currency of the Arendtian politics of in/visibility. It is argued that technologically advanced regimes have invited particular groups of aliens such as illegal migrants to adopt counterstrategies of individual self-obscuration.

Background: This study evaluated the frequency, the indications and techniques of vascular clamping during liver resection and during thermal destruction therapies, as currently used by hepatic surgeons throughout Europe., Methods: A web-based questionnaire was distributed among 621 physicians, including all members of the European Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and the European Surgical Association., Results: The overall response rate was 50%. During liver resection, vascular clamping is never applied by 10%, on indication by 71%, and routinely by 19%. Routine clamping is particularly performed by high-volume and senior surgeons and appears to be associated with longer ischaemia times. Intermittent inflow occlusion is the clamping method of choice for more than 65% of surgeons and total ischaemia times are usually limited to 15-30 min. During thermal ablation, vascular clamping is never used by 57%, on indication by 37%, and routinely by 7%; it is particularly applied for large tumours and for tumours close to large vessels, and ischaemia times are shorter., Conclusions: Vascular clamping during liver resection is frequently used; during thermal ablation it is preserved for larger tumours or tumours in the vicinity of large vessels. Complete inflow occlusion is the most frequently used technique, with a distinct preference for intermittent clamping., (Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel)