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Biomedical subjects

L G Reimer

Publications and source records attributed to L G Reimer.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Effect of sodium polyanetholesulfonate and gelatin on the recovery of Gardnerella vaginalis from blood culture media.

Sodium polyanetholesulfonate (SPS) is used as a routine supplement to blood culture media to enhance recovery of microorganisms, but it inhibits the growth of Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Streptobacillus moniliformis. Comparative clinical blood culture studies at the University of Colorado Hospital suggested that SPS also inhibits the growth of Gardnerella vaginalis. We inoculated 16 blood culture isolates of G. vaginalis into 11 blood culture media containing SPS or sodium amylosulfate, with and without gelatin. In the absence of gelatin, only brain heart infusion and thiol broths with SPS supported the growth of more than five strains of G. vaginalis, whereas all media except Bactec 6B and 7C and brucella broths recovered most isolates with SPS and gelatin or with sodium amylosulfate alone. We conclude that SPS inhibits the growth of G. vaginalis in blood culture media but that this inhibition is medium dependent and can be overcome by supplementation of most media with gelatin.

Benzenesulfonates↗
PubMed1985

Approach to the analysis of body fluids for the detection of infection.

Sterile body fluids represent an important source for the diagnosis of infectious diseases because they can be sampled by sterile methods that bypass the normal bacterial flora so heavily colonizing the body surface. Thus when these specimens are received, full advantage should be taken to perform complete microscopic and cultural tests for viral, bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases. In many cases the evaluation can be tailored to the types of organisms that are likely to infect particular body cavities. Ideally, the workup could also be based on the history, clinical presentation, and preliminary examination of the patient, but under most circumstances it may be more appropriate for the laboratory to proceed with a more complete workup of these vital specimens than physicians request. Specimens should be transported promptly to the laboratory and should be viewed quickly by Gram's or acridine orange stain and, in selected situations, also by acid-fast stain, direct fluorescence for legionellosis, and direct wet mount for parasites. Results of these studies should be called in without delay to the responsible physician. Cultures should also be inoculated as soon as possible. Nonspecific tests, including the cell count and protein, glucose, lactic acid, and LDH levels, may provide valuable clues to the presence of infection. Direct antigen detection does not replace traditional microscopic and cultural evaluation of these specimens but may have supplemental value.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1984

Gardnerella vaginalis bacteremia: a review of thirty cases.

The authors documented thirty cases of bacteremia, all in gynecologic and obstetric patients, over a four-year period at a university hospital. Sixteen of the patients had polymicrobial infections. Most of the patients recovered completely whether or not antimicrobial therapy directed against Gardnerella vaginalis was given. G vaginalis bacteremia may occur more often than has been reported.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Effect of pyridoxal on growth of nutritionally variant streptococci and other bacteria on sheep blood agar.

Supplementation of sheep blood agar with pyridoxal hydrochloride or pyridoxamine dihydrochloride aided recovery of nutritionally variant streptococci; however, it was found to prevent recovery of 6 of 173 (3%) primary isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes and to adversely affect laboratory recognition of other streptococci. Pyridoxal hydrochloride or pyridoxamine dihydrochloride should not be a routine supplement in all sheep blood agar.

Agar↗
PubMed1983

Controlled evaluation of hypertonic sucrose medium at a 1:5 ratio of blood to broth for detection of bacteremia and fungemia in supplemented peptone broth.

The value of hypertonic media in the detection of bacteremia and fungemia is controversial, since prior clinical trials have yielded conflicting results with different media. Earlier, we showed that the addition of 10% sucrose to supplemented peptone broth at a 1:10 ratio of blood to broth yielded better recovery of Staphylococcus epidermidis, the Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and yeasts. To evaluate the effect of 10% sucrose on blood cultured at a 1:5 ratio, we compared the yield and speed of detection of clinically important microorganisms from adult patients in 5,839 blood samples cultured in supplemented peptone broth with 0.03% sodium polyanetholesulfonate with and without 10% sucrose. The atmosphere of incubation (open venting units), 1:5 ratio of blood to broth, and methods of processing were the same for both bottles. Recovery of facultative gram-positive (P less than 0.02) and gram-negative (P less than 0.02) bacteria was improved, but the recovery of anaerobic gram-negative bacteria was both reduced (P less than 0.01) and delayed (P less than 0.02) by sucrose. The total yield of microorganisms including fungi, however, was increased with sucrose. The effect of sucrose on blood cultures appears to depend on the ratio of blood to broth as well as on the medium used and strains of microorganisms encountered.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1981

Cryptic epidemic of Q fever in a medical school.

Pregnant sheep used in perinatel research were the source of a large outbreak of Q fever in 1980 among the faculty and staff of a medical school. Complement-fixation tests with phase II Coxiella burnetii antigen were positive in 81 persons, of whom 58 (71.6%) had Q fever during the first eight months of 1980. Microagglutination and/or indirect immunofluorescence tests of 485 sera were positive in an additional 56 persons. Only 41 of the 137 seropositive persons were involved in caring for or working with sheep; the remaining 96(70.1%) persons were located along the routes followed by sheep carts or had been exposed to sheep in other ways. Early in the outbreak few patients sought medical help. Later, most patients reported promptly and responded favorably to therapy with tetracycline. Sheep were removed from the campus in July 1980; cases ceased one month later. Other medical centers engaged in research with pregnant sheep should be alert to the risk of Q fever.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of 44 antimicrobial agents against three standard control strains in broth with and without human serum.

Standard minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations are not established for most antimicrobial agents against strains of bacteria commonly used for quality control in susceptibility testing. The effects of cation and human serum supplementation of broth on the values are also unknown. Therefore, we performed 10 minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration determinations for 44 antimicrobial agents against the standard control strains Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 in Mueller-Hinton broth and in Mueller-Hinton broth supplemented with calcium, magnesium, and 50% pooled human serum. Agreement of replicates was within one twofold dilution 97% of the time. Supplemented Mueller-Hinton broth gave higher minimum inhibitory concentrations for 24 antibiotics against S. aureus, for 17 drugs against E. coli, and for 12 drugs against P. aeruginosa, whereas it gave lower minimum inhibitory concentrations for 1 antibiotic against S. aureus, for 5 against E. coli, and for 5 against P. aeruginosa. Results for minimum bactericidal concentrations were similar. Added serum did not further affect the increased resistance of P. Aeruginosa to aminoglycosides encountered with cation supplementation of broth. These results provide expected values for the quality control strains when minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations are determined in these two Mueller-Hinton media.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1981

Concentrations of kanamycin and amikacin in human gallbladder bile and wall.

The concentrations of amikacin and kanamycin were determined in the serum, gallbladder bile, and gallbladder wall of 20 patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy. Of 20 patients, 14 received 500 mg of amikacin intramuscularly and 6 received 500 mg of kanamycin intramuscularly at various times before surgery. In patients receiving kanamycin, detectable levels appeared in bile within 90 min after drug administration, and in five of six patients concentrations ranged from 1.9 to 23 micrograms/ml. Levels of kanamycin in gallbladder wall ranged from 8.0 to 14 micrograms/g. In patients receiving amikacin, detectable levels appeared in bile within 48 min after drug administration and ranged from 1.3 to 7.5 micrograms/ml in 12 of 14 patients. Levels of amikacin in gallbladder wall ranged from 4.7 to 34 micrograms/g. The presence of an obstructed cystic duct did not preclude the entry of either antibiotic into gallbladder bile, and this may reflect passage of antibiotic through the gallbladder wall rather than accumulation via bile secretion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Growth of nutritionally variant streptococci on common laboratory and 10 commercial blood culture media.

Nutritionally variant streptococci fail to grow on routine sheep blood agar plates. Moreover, these strains are a recognized cause of culture-negative endocarditis. We tested the ability of chocolate and brucella blood agars, sheep blood agar with a staphylococcal streak, sheep blood agar with 0.001% pyridoxal, and 10 commercial blood culture media from two manufactures to grow these bacteria. Of the original 25 strains tested, 16 were recovered on chocolate agar, 21 were recovered on brucella blood agar and 21 were recovered on sheep blood agar with a staphylococcal streak. Sheep blood agar with pyridoxal grew all 22 strains tested. Supplemented peptone, thioglycolate, and thiol broths grew all strains, but brain heart infusion and three tryptic soy broths supported five or fewer strains. The addition of 5 ml of human blood improved recovery to 100% in all media except tryptic soy broths. Unless supplemented wih pyridoxal, common laboratory agars were inadequate for recovering all strains of variant streptococci upon subculture of blood culture bottles. As used clinically, the blood culture media that we studied other than tryptic soy broths should reliably grow these bacteria.

Blood↗
PubMed1980

Comparison of in vitro activity of moxalactam (LY127935) with cefazolin, amikacin, tobramycin, carbenicillin, piperacillin, and ticarcillin against 420 blood culture isolates.

To compare the in vitro activity of moxalactam (LY127935), a new broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, with cefazolin, amikacin, tobramycin, carbenicillin, piperacillin, and ticarcillin, each drug was tested against 420 bacterial isolates from the blood of septic patients. Standard broth dilution methods were used to determine minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations. LY127935 was as active as the aminoglycosides against aerobic gram-negative organisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and was at least 10-fold more active than the other beta-lactam agents against these bacteria. LY127935 was the most active agent tested against Bacteroides fragilis; its activity against all other anaerobic bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus was similar to those of the other agents tested. All streptococci, however, grew at higher concentrations of LY127935 than any other drug, and Streptococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes were not inhibited at the highest concentration tested (minimum inhibitory concentration, > 64 microgram/ml). Although a greater proportion of blood culture isolates were susceptible to LY127935 than to any other drug tested, LY127935 does not have a sufficiently broad spectrum of in vitro activity to be recommended safely alone for empirical treatment of sepsis of unknown etiology.

Amikacin↗
PubMed1975

Growth of asthmatic children during treatment with alternate-day steriods.

The effects of specific doses of alternate-day treatment with prednisone on linear growth were evaluated in children with severe asthma. It was found that even the control patients who did not receive steroid therapy had heights that were significantly lower than those of normal children of the same age and sex. The average severity of growth suppression in children who received alternate-day or intermittent treatment with steriods did not differ from that of asthmatic control patients. However, evaluation of individual patterns of growth during the follow-up period revealed that children who received small doses of alternate-day treatment (mean dose of prednisone, 9 mg. q.o.d.; range, 2.5 to 14 mg.) had acceleration of growth, whereas children who received larger treatment doses (mean dose of prednisone, 30 mg. q.o.d.; range, 18 to 58 mg.) had further suppression of growth during the period of study. Additionally, patients who had previously been treated with daily corticosteroids failed to demonstrate "catch-up" growth after introduction of an alternate-day program (mean dose of prednisone, 17 mg. q.o.d.).

Age Factors↗