Red yeast rice is believed to be a useful alternative in the management of dyslipidaemia. However, the comparative effectiveness of red yeast rice and simvastatin for the management of dyslipidaemia is unknown. This review assesses the efficacy and safety of red yeast rice versus simvastatin in dyslipidaemia.
Dengue is a vector-borne infection, which contributes to significant morbidity and mortality in endemic areas. It manifests rapidly within 2 wk from febrile, critical to recovery phase. The point-of-care test (POCT) comprises the non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen, IgM and IgG, which aids rapid diagnosis, leading to timely treatment. Despite the high specificity of various POCTs, a few false-positive NS1 cases have been reported. We report the first case of false-positive NS1 antigen in pregnancy. A 24-y-old female in her second trimester of pregnancy presented with fever and chills for 9 d and a non-productive cough for 3 d. The dengue POCT showed NS1 antigen positive, IgM and IgG negative. Her symptoms were resolved with treatment of urinary tract infection with cefuroxime. Urine culture subsequently yielded Escherichia coli. Her recovery and delivery were uneventful. Her NS1 antigen was persistently positive for 18 d. The confirmatory real time-PCR for dengue and pan-Flaviviruses was negative.
Talaromycosis typically occurs as an opportunistic infection among immunocompromised individuals. Infection caused by species other than T. marneffei is uncommon. While most reported cases describe infection in the lungs, we report an extremely rare intracranial Talaromyces species infection. This 61-year-old with end-stage renal disease who was unwell for the previous two months, presented with fever and worsening confusion lasting for three days. Lumbar puncture was suggestive of meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture was later confirmed to be Penicillium chrysogenum. The patient was co-infected with Group B Streptococcus sepsis. He improved with amphotericin B and ceftriaxone and was discharged with oral itraconazole for four weeks. However, he died of unknown causes two weeks later at home. Talaromyces species infection in the central nervous system is uncommon. This case highlighted a rare but life-threatening fungal meningitis. Among the four reported cases worldwide, none of the patients survived.