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A silicone gel phantom material is described. It can be molded into any shape and it can contain internal cavities. The material is selfsealing allowing the cavities to be filled with liquids. A simple geometric phantom consisting of a rectangular solid with a single internal spherical cavity was fabricated and imaged using MRI, CT, and PET. Properties important for imaging are described.

Bite wounds, usually by dogs, cats, and human beings, affect one of two Americans during his or her lifetime and 1 to 2 million Americans annually. Despite the relative frequency of bite wounds, there are few prospective studies to define optimal care; consequently, diverse methods are used. In this article I review the incidence, bacteriology, clinical spectrum, complications, and treatment of animal and human bite wounds. The spectrum of pathogenic bacteria that cause bite infections is broader than is generally appreciated and includes both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Pasteurella multocida is found in only 20% to 25% of dog bite wounds. In choosing empiric antimicrobial therapy, clinicians must consider the diverse causative bacteria and their characteristic susceptibility patterns. Liberal irrigation and elevation of the injured part are also cornerstones of therapy. Early, aggressive medical and surgical management can minimize, if not prevent, complications.

Since pentamidine has become commercially available, there is renewed interest in using it as the initial treatment for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients. We reviewed the use of pentamidine in 24 patients with PCP to gain information on the prevalence and severity of adverse effects from this drug. Twenty out of twenty-four patients (83 percent) experienced some kind of adverse effect. Hepatic abnormalities (58 percent), nausea and vomiting (46 percent), hypoglycemia (33 percent), azotemia (25 percent), and pain at the injection site (25 percent) were the most frequently seen effects. We recommend monitoring guidelines to be applied during pentamidine therapy based on the observed frequency of specific side effects.

In a multicenter, prospective treatment study, 59 patients with complicated or uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) were treated with norfloxacin (400 mg orally twice daily) and compared with 45 patients treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Norfloxacin was relatively safe and highly effective in treating both uncomplicated UTIs (86 percent cure rate) and complicated UTIs (75 percent cure rate). Failure of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole therapy was associated with initial bacterial resistance, e.g., from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens; such multiresistant bacteria were successfully treated with norfloxacin. Thus, norfloxacin appears to extend the range of oral agents available to treat UTIs.

In two previously well nonsmokers fatal pneumonia developed with extensive abscess formation. Legionnaires' bacillus was the only pathogen isolated. These cases indicate that Legionnaires' bacillus is capable of causing extensive necrosis of the lung.

We prospectively studied 26 patients with 27 dog bite wounds who sought medical attention in the emergency department. Two distinct populations were found (Fishers Exact Test, P less than or equal to 0.001): 1) those who presented 8 hr to 12 hr post-injury were concerned about rabies or tetanus or surgical wound repair; and 2) those who presented more than 12 hr post-injury were concerned with infection. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in the bacteriology of the two groups. Of all wounds, 74% had aerobic pathogens isolated, including Streptococcus viridans (12 strains), Staphylococcus aureus (five strains), and Pasteurella multocida (eight strains); 41% had anaerobic pathogens isolated, including Bacteriodes species (five strains) and Fusobacterium species (five strains). Gram stains made from wound swabs were specific but insensitive predictor for bacterial growth. Empiric outpatient therapy with oral penicillin (17 patients) and/or dicloxacillin (four patients) was effective.

The susceptibility of 24 strains of Eikenella corrodens was determined, by the agar dilution technique, to 10 cephalosporins, as well as to clindamycin, penicillin and dicloxacillin. All strains were uniformly very susceptible to penicillin G and cefoxitin and resistant to clindamycin and dicloxacillin. Cefazolin showed good activity. Cephalexin, cephradine, and cefadroxil showed poor activity, and cefamandole's activity was relatively poor. Cephalothin, cephapirin, cefaclor, and cephaloridine showed moderate activity, with some strains relatively resistant.