Netilmicin in the treatment of bacterial respiratory tract infections

Netilmicin - a semisynthetic aminoglycoside - was administered to 33 patients with the acute or chronic lower respiratory tract or pulmonary infections in a daily dose of 5 mg/kg body weight for 10 days. A principle criterium of patients classification to netilmicin therapy were sensitive bacterial strains either in sputum or in BAL liquid. A significant clinical improvement was noted in 88% of the treated patients. However, elimination of pathogens from the sputum was achieved only in 52% of these patients. No improvement was observed in 4% of the treated patients. No adverse reactions were noted. Netilmicin proved safe and effective antibacterial agent in patients with respiratory infections.     

Efficacy of meropenem in the treatment of severe complicated urinary tract infections]

The clinical and bacteriological efficacies of meropenem in the treatment of 12 patients with urinary tract infection were studied. In 8 patients the drug was administered intravenously in a dose of 1 g every 8 hours and in 4 patients with the creatinine clearance below 50 ml/min it was administered in a dose of 1 g every 12 hours (the treatment course of 7 to 10 days). Meropenem was used in the monotherapy. Severe complicated urinary tract infections were mainly observed in the patients with long-term urolithiasis, subjected to repeated surgical interventions and isolating as a rule polyresistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E.agglomerans as the pyelonephritis pathogens at a titre of 5 x 10(5)-5 x 10(8) microbial cells per 1 ml of the urine susceptible to meropenem in 80 to 96 per cent of the cases. The clinical efficacy of the drug was stated in all the patients while the bacteriological efficacy amounted to 88.9 per cent.     

Use of ceftriaxone in urinary and respiratory tract infections

Efficiency of ceftriaxone (Rocephin Hoffman Laroche) was assessed in 16 children aged between 3 and 14 years and in 4 adults aged between 17 and 70 years with severe infections of the urinary and respiratory tracts caused by E. coli. S. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis or enterococci. Pyelonephritis as a sole pathology was diagnosed in 10 patients whereas in further 8 patients it complicated other diseases (nephrotic syndrome, hepatitis, cholangitis, leukemia). Pneumonia complicated nephritis leukemia or lymphoma in 8 children. Peritonitis was diagnosed in 1 adult patient. Ceftriaxone was given in a single daily dose of 50 mg/kg to all children and 2.0 g to adult patients for 7-10 days. No adverse reactions were noted. Clinical improvement was achieved in all treated patients. Cultures became negative in 17 cases after the treatment. Significant bacteremia caused by P. aeruginosa persisted in 2 patients and by E. coli in 1 patient. No toxic effects on liver, renal, pancreatic and bone marrow functioning were seen. Ceftriaxone may be safely and efficiently used for the treatment of the urinary and respiratory infections.     

A Clinical Trial of Cephaloridine

Cephaloridine, a cephalosporin derivative, was administered to 30 selected patients, including 19 with moderate to severe impairment of renal function. This antibiotic eradicated infections due to Staphylococcus pyogenes, and urinary tract infections due to a single member of the species Escherichia coli or Aerobacter aerogenes, which were sensitive to the drug on bacteriological testing. The drug failed in mixed urinary tract infections.No adverse effects were observed except for the development of superinfection in patients with urinary tract infections. No allergic reactions were noted in 10 patients who had reported previous reactions to penicillin.From these studies in patients with renal disease, approximations can be made concerning dose requirements in these special cases. Because of the apparent absence of dose-related toxic effects in humans, cephaloridine was particularly useful in the treatment of patients with renal disease and infections due to susceptible bacteria.     

Prevalence of nosocomial infections in selected hospitals

A point prevalence survey of NI in 10 hospitals has been carried out with the aim to obtain more valid results about their occurrence and to raise the interest of clinicians in this problem. Altogether data on 5,553 hospitalized patients have been evaluated. An epidemiologist along with a clinician jointly found a total 365 of NI in 344 patients a point prevalence 6.6%. The prevalence ranged between 3.6 and 10.5% for different hospitals. The highest NI prevalence was found in surgical wards (urology 19.6%, surgery 12.2%). Undesirably high prevalence of NI was observed in paediatrics (mainly diarrhoeal diseases) and neonatal (conjunctivitis) wards. Infections of the upper respiratory tract were most frequently followed by surgical wound infections and infections of the urinary tract. The occurrence of NI of surgical wounds, urinary tract infections and infections of skin was increasing, while the occurrence of infections of gastrointestinal tract and of the eye was decreasing with age. Gram-negative bacteria were more frequently isolated than Gram-positive bacteria (2:1).     

下呼吸道感染耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌的分布与耐药性

目的了解耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌的流行情况,分析耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌的耐药性,比较耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌与环丙沙星敏感铜绿假单胞菌的耐药性差异。方法选择贵阳医学院第三附属医院2011年6月至2014年11月下呼吸道感染标本中分离出的231株耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌与环丙沙星敏感铜绿假单胞菌,按照《全国临床检验操作规程》进行微生物病原菌鉴定。采用Kirby-Bauer琼脂扩散法进行药敏试验,结果使用SPSS 17.0软件进行统计分析。结果下呼吸道感染标本中共分离出铜绿假单胞菌231株,其中耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌检出率25.54%。从科室分布看,神经外科分离率最高,占47.46%,其次ICU、呼吸内科与消化内科分别占18.64%、13.56%、10.17%;下呼吸道感染耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌菌株与环丙沙星敏感铜绿假单胞菌菌株对头孢曲松、阿米卡星、亚胺培南、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦、头孢哌酮/舒巴坦等19种抗菌药物的耐药率分别为95.65%,71.83%;42.86%,7.69%;17.39%,2.70%;33.33%,11.02%;22.22%,8.00%。下呼吸道感染耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌菌株耐药率明显高于环丙沙星敏感铜绿假单胞菌菌株,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论耐环丙沙星铜绿假单胞菌表现为多重耐药性,给临床治疗带来很大的困难。因此严格掌握抗菌药物的选用是延缓病原菌对抗菌药物耐药的有效方法。     

Change in antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli urinary tract isolates at a single institution over a period of 10 years

Urinary tract infections are common. Few published studies have demonstrated the change in Escherichia coli urinary isolate antimicrobial susceptibility over time within a given area and (or) population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in susceptibility of E. coli clinical isolates obtained from urine specimens at a single institution over a period of 10 years. The microbiology laboratory information system at St. Boniface Hospital (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) was searched retrospectively from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2009, for all E. coli isolates from either a midstream or catheter urine source that had susceptibility testing performed. Only one isolate per patient was included during the entire study period. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out with either a Microscan instrument (pre-April 2004) or a Vitek instrument (May 2004 onwards). In total, 7353 E. coli urinary isolates were included for evaluation. Ciprofloxacin susceptibility declined significantly, from 99% in 2000 to 85% in 2009 (p < 0.0001). A small but statistically significant decline in susceptibility was also observed for ampicillin, cefazolin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, and nitrofurantoin. These data suggest that certain antimicrobials recommended for the treatment of urinary tract infections (ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) may no longer be optimal.     

826株临床分离葡萄球菌的鉴定和耐药性研究

目的：研究葡萄球菌感染病原菌的分类、分布特点及对常用抗生素的耐药性。方法：应用MicroScan WalkAway-40全自动微生物分析仪对临床标本中分离的826株葡萄球菌进行鉴定和药敏试验。结果：826株葡萄球菌感染中,其中金黄色葡萄球菌(SA)294株占35．6％,表皮葡萄球菌为主的凝固酶阴性细菌(CNS)532株占65．4％。葡萄球菌分离株主要来源于呼吸道(46％)和泌尿道(23．7％)。MRS的产生率分别为金黄色葡萄球菌77．9％,表皮葡萄球菌80．3％,溶血葡萄球菌74．8％,腐生葡萄球菌82．5％,其他78．5％。MRSA、MRCNS对青霉素G、氨苄西林、苯唑西林几乎全部耐药,对万古霉素、阿米卡星、利福平、头孢哌酮／舒巴坦仍敏感,但发现3例万古霉素低敏株。结论：葡萄球菌感染仍以呼吸道和泌尿道为主,MRS菌株高达70％以上,万古霉素、阿米卡星、利福平、头孢哌酮／舒巴坦仍是治疗的首选药物。     

Treatment of Infections with Colistimethate Sodium (Coly-Mycin)

Colistimethate sodium (Coly-Mycin) was used in the treatment of 17 patients: 13 had urinary tract infections (two of these had positive blood cultures), three had respiratory tract infections, and one patient had both urinary and respiratory tract infections. In nine of the 17 a foreign body—either a carcinoma, a catheter, or a stone—complicated the infection.The dosage used was 1.1-2.3 mg./lb./day with a maximum in one case of 2.4 g. given over an eight-day period. The organisms so treated included Pseudomonas, six; Aerobacter, six and E. coli, two. Both Pseudomonas and Aerobacter were encountered in three cases.On bacteriological grounds, six patients were cured, eight relapsed, and in three the infecting agent was replaced by another organism. The best responses were obtained in those patients with Pseudomonas infection. Side effects included nausea, vomiting, vertigo, paresthesias, and pain at the site of injection.Colistimethate sodium has a place in the treatment of Gram-negative infections excluding Proteus organisms.     

Volunteer and clinical studies with carfecillin: a new orally administered ester of carbenicillin.

Blood and urine levels of carbenicillin were measured in 10 healthy volunteers and four patients with renal failure after single and multiple oral dose of carfecillin. Urinary levels after 1000-mg doses in healthy subjects were considered sufficient for treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa urinary infections, but the serum levels were too low for chemotherapy of systemic infections with this organism even in severe renal failure. Urinary infections were treated in 35 inpatients with a seven-day course of carfecillin. The infection was eradicated in 21 cases (60%). In 12 cases the pathogen was Ps. aeruginosa, which was eradicated from eight patients (67%). Many patients had severe urinary tract disease. Side effects were virtually absent.     

Urinary tract infections treated with single dose of short-acting sulphonamide.

In a prospective study 29 patients with urinary tract infections caused by sulphonamide-sensitive organisms were treated with a single oral dose of the short-acting sulphonamide sulphafurazole. Twenty-seven (93%) of the 29 patients--and possibly all 29--were cured of their infections. There was no difference in the recurrence rates after single-dose treatment and treatment for 10 days or more. Six out of eight strains of Escherichia coli causing early recurrences were sensitive to sulphonamides. These results suggest that uncomplicated infections may safely and successfully be treated by a single oral dose of a short-acting sulphonamide.     

Restrictive antibiotherapy after renal transplantation.

Forty-two patients were followed up after 44 renal transplantations in an effort to evaluate possible benefits from the following protocol: systematic microbiologic and clinical surveillance, early and aggressive research for the cause of suspected infections, refusal to use prophylactic antibiotherapy, and selection of treatment according to the established cause of the infection. During 18,030 days of follow-up 124 infections were recorded, of which 110 were bacterial, 11 viral and 3 protozoal. Eighty originated in the urinary tract, 17 in skin wounds and 10 in the lower respiratory tract. Septicemia occurred three times, and one death due to infection was recorded. In the treatment of bacterial infections patients received antibiotics for 2486 days. Ampicillin (given for 816 days) and "minor" drugs such as sulfonamides and urinary antiseptics (given for 1036 days) were used 74.5% of the time, whereas gentamicin was used only 2.6% of the time (64 days). Combined antibacterial therapy was needed 1.2% of the time (29 days). A restrictive policy regarding anti-biotherapy seems to be beneficial to renal transplant recipients.     

Gastrointestinal and urinary tract pathogenic infections among HIV seropositive patients at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal and urinary tract pathogenic infections are aggravating the incidence and progression of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) more especially in the developing countries. This study was conducted to assess the common gastrointestinal and urinary infections among HIV/AIDS patients at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Ghana between April and December 2008. FINDINGS: This work reports on gastrointestinal and urinary tract pathogenic infections among 500 HIV seropositive and 300 HIV seronegative patients. There was a 35% (175/500) prevalence of intestinal parasites among HIV seropositive patients compared to 4.3% (13/300) in HIV seronegative patients. Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium accounted for 19% (95/500) and 14% (70/500) respectively, while Schistosoma mansoni, Strongyloides stercoralis and hookworm together accounted for 2% (10/500) of intestinal parasitic infections among the HIV seropositive patients. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in urinary parasitic infection between HIV seropositive 1% (2/500) and seronegative patients 0.7% (2/300). Most, 60 (86%) out of 70, of the urinary tract infection among the HIV seropositive patients was due to bacteria with E. coli being the most predominant isolate, 28 (47%) out of 60. There was no significant difference in infections based on age and gender. CONCLUSION: G. lamblia and Cryptosporidium were the most common gastrointestinal parasites detected while bacteria accounted for majority of the urinary tract infections among the HIV seropositive patients at the hospital.     

Comparaison de deux modes de prophylaxie de l'infection urinaire chez l'enfant avec le triméthoprime--sulfaméthoxazole.

Two types of prophylaxis of urinary tract infection with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) were studied in 72 children with recurrent urinary tract infections or vesicoureteral reflux or both. Daily prophylaxis only was used in 36 children and thrice-weekly prophylaxis only in 25 others, and 11 children received successively both types of prophylaxis. The same dosage was used in all cases: 2 mg/kg of TMP and 10 mg/kg of SMZ, given at bedtime. With daily prophylaxis the infection rate over 556 patient-months was 5.4 cases per 1000 patient-months, compared with 285.4 cases in the year before prophylaxis; side effects were noted in 11% of the patients during treatment. With thrice-weekly prophylaxis the infection rate over 381 patient-months was 15.7 cases per 1000 patient-months, compared with 313.6 cases in the year before prophylaxis; only 3% of the patients receiving this treatment had a side effect that was possibly drug-related. These results indicate that effective prophylaxis of urinary tract infection in children can be obtained with these two types of treatment.     

Rates of, and risk factors for, severe infections in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases receiving biological agents off-label

Introduction

The purpose of this observational study was to analyze the rates, characteristics and associated risk factors of severe infections in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) who were treated off-label with biological agents in daily practice.

Methods

The BIOGEAS registry is an ongoing Spanish prospective cohort study investigating the long-term safety and efficacy of the off-label use of biological agents in adult patients with severe, refractory SAD. Severe infections were defined according to previous studies as those that required intravenous treatment or that led to hospitalization or death. Patients contributed person-years of follow-up for the period in which they were treated with biological agents.

Results

A total of 344 patients with SAD treated with biological agents off-label were included in the Registry until July 2010. The first biological therapies included rituximab in 264 (77%) patients, infliximab in 37 (11%), etanercept in 21 (6%), adalimumab in 19 (5%), and 'other' agents in 3 (1%). Forty-five severe infections occurred in 37 patients after a mean follow-up of 26.76 months. These infections resulted in four deaths. The crude rate of severe infections was 90.9 events/1000 person-years (112.5 for rituximab, 76.9 for infliximab, 66.9 for adalimumab and 30.5 for etanercept respectively). In patients treated with more than two courses of rituximab, the crude rate of severe infection was 226.4 events/1000 person-years. A pathogen was identified in 24 (53%) severe infections. The most common sites of severe infection were the lower respiratory tract (39%), bacteremia/sepsis (20%) and the urinary tract (16%). There were no significant differences relating to gender, SAD, agent, other previous therapies, number of previous immunosuppressive agents received or other therapies administered concomitantly. Cox regression analysis showed that age (P = 0.015) was independently associated with an increased risk of severe infection. Survival curves showed a lower survival rate in patients with severe infections (log-rank and Breslow tests < 0.001).

Conclusions

The rates of severe infections in SAD patients with severe, refractory disease treated depended on the biological agent used, with the highest rates being observed for rituximab and the lowest for etanercept. The rate of infection was especially high in patients receiving three or more courses of rituximab. In patients with severe infections, survival was significantly reduced. Older age was the only significant predictive factor of severe infection.     

Clinical results of the treatment of bacterial infections in children with ceftazidime

Ceftazidime (Fortum-Glaxo) was administrated to 19 children with urinary tract infections and to 21 children with pneumonia. Clinical symptoms of the infections resolved in 17 children (89%) with the urinary tract infections treated with ceftazidime within 4 days. The remaining children (11%) recovered after 7 days of therapy. Clinical symptoms of pneumonia resolved in 19 children (90%) within 7 days of the treatment. A significant improvement was achieved in the remaining 2 children after 10 days of the treatment.     

Recovery of beta-lactamase producing bacteria in pediatric infections

The presence of beta-lactamase producing bacteria (beta LPB) was investigated in specimens obtained from 1469 children who presented with infections of the skin and soft tissue (648), upper respiratory tract (514), pulmonary sites (137), surgical sites (113), and other (57). Of 4989 bacterial isolates recovered, 910 (18%) were beta LPB, 492 (54%) aerobes, and 418 (46%) anaerobes. The beta LPB were recovered in 751 (51%) of the children. The most frequently recovered beta LPB was Staphylococcus aureus, which was recovered in 356 (47%) patients. Most isolates were recovered from patients with skin and soft-tissue infections (68% of patients), upper respiratory tract infections (49%), and pulmonary infections (35%). Bacteroides fragilis group was isolated in 35% of patients with beta LPB, mostly from surgical infections (98% of patients), pulmonary infections (36%), skin and soft-tissue infections (25%), and upper respiratory tract infections (20%). Twenty-five percent of the Bacteroides melaninogenicus group produced beta-lactamase. These organisms were recovered in 15% of patients with beta LPB. They were recovered in upper respiratory tract infections (38% of patients), pulmonary infections (22%), and skin and soft-tissue infections (7%). Other beta LPB were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8% of total patients with beta LPB), Escherichia coli (4%), Bacteroides oralis (3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (3%), Haemophilus influenzae (2%), Proteus (1%), and Branhamella catarrhalis (1%). The role of beta LPB in the failure of penicillin to eradicate many of the infections is discussed.     

Imipenem in the treatment of patients with severe surgical infection]

The clinical efficacy and safety of intravenously administered imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of 45 patients with severe bacterial septicemia due to intra-abdominal abscesses, respiratory and urinary tract as well as skin, soft tissue and bone infections was studied in the prospective and open trial. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of imipenem has been assessed on the basis of 909 bacterial strains isolated from patients treated and non-treated with imipenem/cilastatin. Among them were 526 Gram-negative, 370 Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and 13 Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides sp.). Pathogen susceptibility to imipenem was determined with a disc-diffusion technique using Merck, Sharp Dohme sensitive discs containing 10 mcg of imipenem. Highly sensitive to imipenem were 96.8% of Gram-negative 82.7% of Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and 100% of Bacteroides sp. All patients, in whom evident foci of infection e.g. intra-abdominal abscesses were discovered, were operated on. The dosage of imipenem/cilastatin ranged from 1.5 to 2.0 g/24 h. Clinical cure and bacteriological elimination was achieved in 39 (86.7%) of patients while 6 (13.3%) showed marked clinical improvement. Before and during therapy, aerobic and anaerobic cultures were taken from accessible sites. All specimens were worked up using conventional bacteriological techniques. Before during and after therapy, samples for hematology, biochemistry and urinanalysis were obtained. Adverse clinical effects were noted in 2 (4.4%) patients. One had nausea and vomiting which were probably related to rapid infusion and disappeared after increasing the administration time, and one had transient diarrhea. In conclusion, imipenem/cilastatin was a well tolerated and effective drug in the treatment of life-threatening surgical infections.     

Evaluation of usefulness of OWD and OIEP in diagnosis of epidemically occurring infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae]

Blood serum samples of 3593 persons clinically suspected of infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae were tested. Of these, patients with pneumoniae constituted 66.5%, upper respiratory tract infection--24.0% and with symptoms localized outside the respiratory system--9.5%. These studies were performed by application of complement fixation test (OWD) and immunoelectroprecipitation (OIEP) methods, accepting as a diagnostically significant--titer 1:60 or higher and/or occurrence in OIEP reaction with serum diluted 1:2 or more. Among patients studied prevailed children in the age of 3 to 16 years (61.6%). Mycoplasmosis was detected in these patients in 1071 out of 2236 cases (47.9%). Compatible results in both tests were obtained in 90.6% patients, whereas OWD only in 3.0% and OIEP only in 6.4% cases. Simultaneous application of both tests increased detectability of infections caused by M. pneumoniae by 3% in relation to OIEP and by 6.4% in relation to OWD.     

Cefepime (maxipime) in the treatment of severe urinary tract infection]

Comparative susceptibility of microflora isolates from patients with complicated urinary tract infections to cefepime, other cephalosporins, amikacin, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin was studied. Isolates in the diagnostic titers (5 x 10(4)-5 x 10(8)) from the patients treated with cefepime as etiotropic monotherapy were identified. The treatment course was 7 to 14 days. The daily dose was 1 to 2 g. The clinical and bacteriological efficacies of the cefepime therapy equaled to 93.2 and 85.4% respectively.