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Biomedical subjects

E J Shaw

Publications and source records attributed to E J Shaw.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Intravenous feeding in a gastroenterological unit: a prospective study of infective complications.

We have assessed the bacteriological safety of a system of intravenous feeding by culturing catheters on removal, swabs taken from the catheter's skin entry sites, and samples of infusion fluid. Among 38 treatment periods using 51 catheters over 1551 patient days, septicaemia due to Staphylococcus aureus was observed in one treatment period and bacteraemias due to Staphylococcus albus and Diphtheroid species in two others. The Staph. aureus and the diphtheroids probably gained access via the skin entry site along the outside of the catheter. The origin of the Staph. albus was uncertain. Parenteral nutrition over extended periods can be a safe procedure if aseptic precautions are taken. The importance of the catheter's skin entry site as a source of contaiminating organisms is emphasised.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Diagnosis of gonorrhoea in women.

The results of Gram stains and cultures from 145 women with uncomplicated ano-genital gonorrhoea are presented. The site which gave the highest yield of gonococci was the cervix. Equally good results were obtained with Stuart's transport medium and direct plating in the clinic. Positive results from rectal specimens alone were obtained from 8.4% of the 119 women in whom the rectum was examined. In 89 women the results of rectal specimens taken through a proctoscope were compared with those of swabs passed blindly up the anal canal. When Stuart's transport medium was used swabs taken through a proctoscope gave better results than the swabs taken blindly; the latter gave more positive results when direct plating was used. Thus when Stuart's medium is used a proctoscope is essential for the collection of rectal samples. Up to three sets of investigations were carried out where necessary, but 95% of the 145 cases were diagnosed on the results of the first set. However, only 54% of those patients diagnosed at their first visit had positive Gram-stain results. Further refinement of culture results is unlikely to improve diagnostic yield; what is needed is better, rapid diagnosis in the clinic.

Anal Canal↗
PubMed1979

Continuous-flow fluoroimmunoassay of serum gentamicin, with automatic sample blank correction.

We describe the continuous-flow automation of a quenching fluoroimmunoassay for determination of the antibiotic gentamicin in serum. In the flow system, sample is mixed with fluorescein-labeled gentamicin, followed by antiserum, and after a short incubation the fluorescence is measured. The intrinsic blank signal of each sample is corrected for during its single passage through the system by pumping antiserum discontinuously, so as to divide the final stream into sections corresponding to conventional separate assay and blank mixtures. Analyses time for each sample is 6 min, and 20 samples can be run per hour. Sensitivity, precision, and accuracy are adequate for clinical purposes, and assays of patients' samples correlate satisfactorily with the results of manual quenching and polarization fluoroimmunoassays, and plate diffusion bioassay.

Fluorescence↗
PubMed1978

Changes in antibiotic sensitivity in strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 1952-78.

Two hundred strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from outpatients with infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues were tested for sensitivity to penicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, sodium fusidate, methicillin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin. One hundred and sixty-three (81.5%) of the strains were resistant to penicillin and 16 (8%) resistant to tetracycline. Incidence of resistance to other antibiotics was low. No strain was resistant to chloramphenicol, gentamicin, or methicillin. When compared with results of earlier studies, there was an increase in the incidence of resistance to penicillin and tetracycline, but no appreciable increase in resistance to other antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1978

Prophylactic intraperitoneal povidone-iodine in alimentary tract surgery.

In controlled experiments intraperitoneal povidone-iodine significantly reduced the mortality of mice (p less than 0.01) and rats (p less than 0.01) with induced peritonitis. Povidone-iodine irrigation of the rat colon before and after anastomosis did not interfere with healing or inhibit peritoneal adhesion formation. However, a newly formulated povidone-iodine solution containing increased PVP significantly reduced adhesion formation in a controlled study in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

A new heterophile antigen: man distinguished from higher apes and other mammals.

Human cell membranes acquired an antigenic substance from the bovine serum in culture medium. The antigen was named the heterologous membrane antigen (HM Ag). Cross-reactive antigen was found in sera of all mammals tested, except for man. The distribution of the HM Ag serologically distinguished man from other mammals.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Effect of noxythiolin on experimental peritonitis.

The intraperitoneal instillation of noxythiolin in the treatment of peritonitis is widespread in clinical practice despite contradictory evidence as to its efficacy. In this light the value of noxythiolin was reappraised by studying its effect in guinea-pigs and mice with induced bacterial peritonitis. Treatment with a 1% solution of noxythiolin reduced the mortality rate of mice by 14% (P less than 0.1). The guinea-pig model proved unreliable giving inconsistent mortality rates throughout. Further studies are required to determine the optimum dose and concentration of noxythiolin while the search for more effective intraperitoneal antiseptics should continue.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Water beds - a potential source of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Water beds in use in this hospital were found to be contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The addition of sodium hypochlorite, giving a final concentration of 200 parts/10(6) available chlorine, was found to be effective in preventing microbial contamination over a 6-month study period.

Beds↗
PubMed1977

Estimation of serum gentamicin by quenching fluoroimmunoassay.

A new type of non-isotopic immunoassay, applied to the determination of serum gentamicin, is reported. The method is based on partial quenching of fluorescence observed when fluorescein-labelled gentamicin is bound by anti-gentamicin serum. The fluorescence intensity of the labelled gentamicin in an unseparated immunoassay incubation mixture therefore serves to indicate the extent of binding, which is related to the amount of competing unlabelled gentamicin present. Precision and accuracy are shown to be similar to those of the best existing methods for gentamicin, while the new assay is more rapid and technically simpler, and avoids the use of expensive radio-chemicals with their attendant health hazard. Assays of patient samples correlate with established bioassay and polarisation fluoroimmunoassay methods.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1977

A double trial of amoxycillin in the treatment of gonorrhoea.

A double blind comparison of two regimens of amoxycillin plus probenecid in the treatment of uncomplicated anogenital gonorrhoea is reported. Forty-three (86-0%) of 50 patients treated with 1 g amoxycillin plus 1 g probenecid and followed-up for 14 days were regarded as cured, and 51 (94-4%) of 54 patients treated with 3 g amoxycillin plus 1 g probenecid were regarded as cured. Fifty-nine per cent of 69 isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were sensitive to amoxycillin (minimum inhibitory concentration less than or equal to 0-05 mg/ml). Although there was no statistical difference between the results of the two regimens it is concluded that the larger dose of amoxycillin plus probenecid is required where only 60% of gonococci are sensitive to amoxycillin.

Amoxicillin↗
PubMed1977

Transfer of invertase production from a wild strain of Escherichia coli.

A wild type strain of E. coli which produced an invertase capable of hydrolysing sucrose and raffinose transmitted this ability at high frequency to a recipient strain. E. coli C. The ability to ferment both sucrose and raffinose was lost both in the wild type parent and recombinant strains by treatment with ethidium bromide.

Enzyme Induction↗
PubMed1976

Bacteraemia in a London teaching hospital 1966-75.

Analysis of blood-cultures done at St. Bartholomew's Hospital over the decade 1966-75 has revealed a five-fold increase in the incidence of bacteraemia. This increase was particularly prominent in patients with non-malignant disease. The predominance of bacteraemia caused by gram-negative organisms declined in recent years, whereas bacteraemia due to gram-positive organisms, anaerobes, and Candida spp. increased. A recent increase in the number of blood-cultures performed was associated with the introduction of commercially prepared bottles. This led to a higher rate of investigation of patients who ultimately proved to have negative results, and also to a higher incidence of contamination which exceeded the positivity-rate.

Candidiasis↗
PubMed1976

Polarisation fluoroimmunoassay of gentamicin.

A polarisation fluoroimmunoassay has been developed for the routine determination of gentamicin levels in serum. The method employs fluorescein-labelled gentamicin which is easily, reproducibly and economically prepared and has excellent shelf-life. The assay is fast (minimum incubation time 2 min) and requires 1.25 mul of serum. There is no separation step prior to readout of results. Recovery experiments reveal no serum effects. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation are of the order of 10% or less. Estimations of gentamicin levels in patient serum samples correlate closely with those obtained by bioassay (r = 0.93) and radioimmunoassy (r = 0.97).

Biological Assay↗
PubMed1976

Escherichia coli in a maternity ward.

The Escherichia coli isolated from faecal and nasal swabs from all babies present in a maternity ward were serotyped and their anbitiotic resistance patterns and fermentation characteristics with six carbohydrates were determined. These were compared with E. coli isolated from hands and clothing of attendants and samples of ward air. The results suggest that mothers may be the primary source of E. coli in the ward but the colonized babies themselves provide the main reservoir of nursery E. coli. As most of these serotypes of E. coli were found on the attendant's hands or clothing or in the air, it is difficult to assess transmission routes for E. coli, particularly as some strains appear to possess a greater inherent ability to colonize babies than others. By the use of markers other than O antigens it was possible to characterize strains to a far greater extent.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1976

The influence of antibiotic treatment on resistance patterns of coliform bacilli in childhood urinary-tract infection.

The occurrence of coliform bacilli carrying resistance-transfer factors (R factors) in children was studied. The frequency of R+ coliform bacilli as causes of urinary-tract infection acquired outside hospital was found to be similar to that in adults from the same geographical area and in the same years. The frequency of R+ coliform bacilli in the faeces in our children was also similar to that in the adult population, and oral chemotherapy produced similar changes in the faecal flora.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Absence of bacterial resistance to povidone iodine.

Povidone iodine is now being increasingly used in hospitals as an antiseptic. The possible habituation of bacteria to iodine was studied by serial passage of two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two strains of Escherichia coli, two strains of Klebsiella aerogenes, and one strain of Serratia marcescens in subinhibitory concentrations. After 20 passages, no significant change was observed in the minimal inhibitory concentration, minimal bactericidal concentration, and killing times between parent strains and 20th subcultures under standardized conditions.

Bacteria↗