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Objective: The aim was to describe the microbiology of surgically treated infective native (mycotic) aortic aneurysms (INAAs), and associated survival and development of infection-related complications (IRCs). Methods: Data were pooled from 2 nationwide studies on surgically treated patients with INAAs in Sweden, between 1994 - 2016. Patients were grouped and analyzed according to culture results: 1) Staphylococcus aureus, 2) Streptococcus species (sp.), 3) Salmonella sp., 4) Enterococcus sp., 5) Gram-negative intestinal bacteria, 6) Other sp. (all other species found in culture), and 7) Negative cultures. Results: A sum of 182 patients were included, mean age 71 years (standard deviation; SD: 8.9). The median follow-up was 50.3 months (range 0 - 360). 128 (70.3%) patients had positive blood and/or tissue culture; Staphylococcus aureus n = 38 (20.9%), Streptococcus sp. n = 37 (20.3%), Salmonella sp. n = 19 (10.4%), Enterococcus sp. n = 16 (8.8%), Gram-negative intestinal bacteria n = 6, (3.3%), Other sp. n = 12 (6.6%) and Negative cultures n = 54 (29.7%). The estimated survival for the largest groups at 2-years after surgery was: Staphylococcus aureus 62% (95% Confidence interval 53.9 - 70.1), Streptococcus sp. 74.7% (67.4 - 82.0), Salmonella sp. 73.7% (63.6 - 83.8), Enterococcus sp. 61.9% (49.6 - 74.2), and Negative cultures 89.8% (85.5 - 94.1), P =.051. There were 37 IRCs (20.3%), and 19 (51.4%) were fatal, the frequency was insignificant between the groups. The majority of IRCs, 30/37 (81%), developed during the first postoperative year. Conclusion: In this assessment of microbiological findings of INAAs in Sweden, 50% of the pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sp., or Salmonella sp.. The overall 20%-frequency of IRCs, and its association with high mortality, motivates long-term antibiotic treatment regardless of microbial findings.

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of Varisolve (R) 1% polidocanol microfoam sclerosant with alternative treatments for patients with varicose veins and trunk vein incompetence. Methods: An open-label, multicentre, prospective trial of 710 patients randomized to receive either Varisolve (R) or alternative treatment (surgery or sclerotherapy). The endpoint was ultrasound-determined occlusion of trunk vein(s) and elimination of reflux, analysed against a non-inferiority hypothesis. Results: Overall, non-inferiority was demonstrated with 83.4% efficacy for Varisolve (R) compared with 88.1% for alternative treatment at three months, and the corresponding magnitudes were 78.9 and 80.4% at 12 months. Surgery was superior to Varisolve (R), but the success rate of 68.2% for Varisolve (R) (surgery 87.2%) was poor compared with 93.8% success for Varisolve (R) achieved in those randomized to Varisolve (R) or sclerotherapy. Varisolve (R) was superior to sclerotherapy at 12 months (P = 0.001). Deep vein thrombosis occurred in 11/437 (2.5%) after Varisolve (R), in 1/125 (0.8%) after sclerotherapy and in none after surgery. No pulmonary emboli were detected. Conclusion: Overall, Varisolve (R) was non-inferior to alternative treatment. Surgery was more efficacious, but Varisolve (R) caused less pain and patients returned to normal more quickly. The Varisolve (R) technique is a useful additional treatment for varicose veins and trunk vein incompetence.