To calculate the diagnostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels for the pathologic presence of microbes in the bloodstream of patients with malignancy, in comparison with blood culture. . Blood culture (by reference method) and assay results of PCT and CRP of febrile patients, with clinical suspicion to blood infections, were collected. Statistical aspects of PCT  and CRP tests were evaluated. Data from 255 cases were gathered. The area under the curve for differentiating bacteremia from nonbacteremia for PCT (0.741) was superior to that of CRP (0.612). Amongst the different cutoffs of PCT and CRP, the cutoff of ≥1.17 ng/ml and >47 mg/l had the sensitivity of 75 and 58.3%, the best NPV of 91.5% and 81.3%, and the best specificity of 79.9% and 72.8%, respectively. . Despite statistically nonsignificant results, PCT seems to be a superior indicator to CRP for rejecting the presence of microorganism in bloodstream. For PCT, the cutoff value of 1.17 ng/ml (bacteremia from nonbacteremia) had the highest NPV value of 91.5% in malignant patients, suspicion of sepsis. 47 mg/l had the sensitivity of 75 and 58.3%, the best NPV of 91.5% and 81.3%, and the best specificity of 79.9% and 72.8%, respectively. Discussion. Despite statistically nonsignificant results, PCT seems to be a superior indicator to CRP for rejecting the presence of microorganism in bloodstream. For PCT, the cutoff value of 1.17 ng/ml (bacteremia from nonbacteremia) had the highest NPV value of 91.5% in malignant patients, suspicion of sepsis.The transient contamination of medical professional's attires including white coats is one of the major vehicles for the horizontal transmission of microorganisms in the hospital environment. This study was carried out to determine the degree of contamination by bacterial agents on the white coats in a tertiary care hospital in Nepal. Sterilized uniforms with fabric patches of 10 cm × 15 cm size attached to the right and left pockets were distributed to 12 nurses of six different wards of a teaching hospital at the beginning of their work shift. Worn coats were collected at the end of the shifts and the patches were subjected for total bacterial count and identification of selected bacterial pathogens, as prioritized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Fifty percent of the sampled swatches were found to be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. The average colony growth per square inch of the patch was 524 and 857 during first and second workdays, respectively, indicating an increase of 63.6% in colony counts. The pathogens detected on patches were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter sp. Additional bacteria identified included Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp., and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). The nurses working in the maternity department had their white coats highly contaminated with bacteria. https://www.selleckchem.com/TGF-beta.html On the other hand, the least bacterial contamination was recorded from the nurses of the surgery ward. One S. aureus isolate from the maternity ward was resistant to methicillin. This study showed that pathogens belonging to the WHO list of critical priority and high priority have been isolated from white coats of nurses, thus posing the risk of transmission to patients. White coats must be worn, maintained, and washed properly to reduce bacterial contamination load and to prevent cross-contamination of potential superbugs. The practice of wearing white coats outside the healthcare zone should be strictly discouraged.Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response to suspected or proven infection. Given its importance in terms of morbidity and mortality, a number of initiatives by several professional societies in recent years have led to the development of guidelines for the recognition and timely management of sepsis. The principal elements of the most recent guidelines are summarized in this practice point. These elements include recognition of changes in clinical condition and vital signs, such as fever, tachycardia, and changes in peripheral perfusion, which should raise concern for sepsis; initial stabilization of airway, breathing, and circulation; timely administration of empiric antimicrobial therapy; use of fluid boluses and vasoactive medications; and specific considerations in patients with underlying medical conditions, such as the use of corticosteroids for possible adrenal insufficiency due to hypothalamic-adrenal suppression. Two changes from previous guidelines are the concern for fluid overload, implying the need for clinical re-assessment after administration of each fluid bolus, and the removal of dopamine as the initial vasoactive agent for use in hypotensive paediatric patients, with recommendations for the use of epinephrine or norepinephrine as dictated by the clinical context. This practice point focuses primarily on sepsis management in older infants, children, and youth.Le sepsis est une réponse inflammatoire systémique à une infection présumée ou démontrée. Puisque c'est une cause importante de morbidité et de mortalité, plusieurs sociétés professionnelles ont lancé des initiatives ces dernières années, lesquelles ont débouché sur la rédaction de directives pour déceler le sepsis et le traiter rapidement. Les principaux aspects des directives les plus récentes sont résumés dans le présent point de pratique. Ils incluent la détection de changements à l'état clinique et aux signes vitaux qui doivent évoquer la possibilité de sepsis, tels que la fièvre, la tachycardie et des modifications de la perfusion périphérique, de même que la stabilisation initiale des voies respiratoires, de la respiration et de la circulation. Ils englobent également l'administration opportune d'une thérapie antimicrobienne, l'utilisation de bolus liquidiens et de médicaments vasoactifs et des considérations particulières chez les patients atteints de troubles médicaux sous-jacents, comme l'emploi de corticoïdes pour traiter une possible insuffisance surrénalienne découlant d'une suppression de l'axe hypothalamo-surrénalien. Deux modifications sont apportées aux directives précédentes, soit une réévaluation clinique après chaque bolus liquidien en raison de la crainte d'une surcharge hydrique et le remplacement de la dopamine comme agent vasoactif initial chez les patients pédiatriques hypotendus par de l'adrénaline ou de la noradrénaline en fonction du contexte clinique. Le présent point de pratique porte principalement sur la prise en charge du sepsis chez les nourrissons plus âgés, les enfants et les adolescents.