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M J Gribble

Publications and source records attributed to M J Gribble.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Pyuria: its relationship to bacteriuria in spinal cord injured patients on intermittent catheterization.

Observations made during a study of intermittently catheterized spinal cord injured patients suggested that leukocyte counts yield higher results in aliquots of terminal-catheter urine (TCU) than in midstream-catheter urine (MCU) or suprapubic aspirate (SPA). The purpose of this study was to confirm that observation, to examine the relationship of leukocyte counts in TCU, MCU, and SPA to the leukocyte excretion rate (LER), and of pyuria to bacteriuria in this population. We collected sets of urine specimens obtained by SPA and intermittent catheterization (for leukocyte counts and quantitative culture) and timed urine collections (for LER determination). Fifty-two patients were studied for an average of five days. Leukocyte counts were performed in 241 SPA, 250 MCU, and 236 TCU specimens, and LER in 131 timed collections. The mean of the logarithm of leukocyte counts differed significantly between TCU and both MCU and SPA (p less than .0001). The difference between TCU and MCU was greater than 150 leukocytes/mm3 for 25% of paired specimens (mean 624 leukocytes/mm3, median 15 leukocytes/mm3). The statistical correlation between LER and leukocyte counts in all catheter specimens was significant; however, SPA and MCU frequently underestimated LER and TCU overestimated LER. Estimates of pyuria do not clearly separate bacteriuric from abacteriuric specimens. In spinal cord injured patients on intermittent catheterization, aliquots of catheter urine are not suitable for estimation of pyuria, and estimation of pyuria is not a feasible screening test for bacteriuria.

Bacteriuria

Evaluation of diagnostic criteria for bacteriuria in acutely spinal cord injured patients undergoing intermittent catheterization.

To evaluate diagnostic criteria for bacteriuria in acutely spinal cord injured patients undergoing intermittent catheterization, we studied paired urine specimens obtained by suprapubic aspiration and intermittent catheterization. Culture of suprapubic aspirate was used to define presence or absence of bacteriuria. Fifty patients were studied for an average of 5 consecutive days; bacteriuria occurred within the study period in 47 (94%). Low-level bacteriuria was frequent; thus, the traditional diagnostic criterion, greater than or equal to 10(5) cfu/ml of midcatheter urine, had unacceptably low sensitivity (gram-positive organisms 0.45; gram-negative organisms 0.65) for bacteriuria documented by suprapubic aspiration. The best diagnostic criterion for gram-positive bacteriuria was between greater than or equal to 10(1) cfu/ml (sensitivity 0.91, specificity 0.86) and greater than or equal to 10(2) cfu/ml (sensitivity 0.85, specificity 0.93). For gram-negative bacteriuria, greater than or equal to 10(1) cfu/ml was optimal (sensitivity 0.96, specificity 0.96); a more practical criterion, greater than or equal to 10(2) cfu/ml, retained excellent sensitivity (0.91). Suprapubic or flank pain and/or tenderness occurred in five of 47 bacteriuric subjects; nonspecific symptoms, possibly associated with bacteriuria, were seen in an additional 28 subjects. We conclude that, in this unique population, a criterion of greater than or equal to 10(2) cfu/ml of midcatheter urine should be used for diagnosis of bacteriuria.

Bacteria

Clostridium difficile in Crohn's disease.

Clostridium difficile has been detected in the stools of some patients with relapse of Crohn's disease. The authors looked prospectively for present or previous exposure to C. difficile cytotoxin in 10 patients with mild to severe Crohn's disease. None of 25 stool samples from these 10 patients was positive for C. difficile cytotoxin. These negative stool ultrafiltrates had mild cytotoxin neutralizing activity, but this finding did not differ from that in 30 cytotoxin-negative stools from patients with other diarrheal diseases. Serum from these patients also showed no cytotoxin neutralizing activity. Review of the literature reveals that C. difficile can cause complications ranging from diarrhea to toxic megacolon in a small but variable proportion of patients with Crohn's disease. There is no evidence that C. difficile plays a part in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Adult

Prospective randomized trial of piperacillin monotherapy versus carboxypenicillin-aminoglycoside combination regimens in the empirical treatment of serious bacterial infections.

Piperacillin as a single agent was compared in a prospective randomized trial with carboxypenicillin-aminoglycoside combinations in empirical therapy of serious bacterial infections. The difference in the clinical response rates with piperacillin (77% of 26 infection episodes) and combination therapy (75% of 24 infection episodes) were not statistically significant. Fewer adverse effects occurred in the piperacillin-treated group (42%) than in the combination-treated group (71%) (P = 0.0399 by Fisher's exact test), although neither nephrotoxicity nor hypokalemia alone was significantly less frequent in patients receiving piperacillin. However, the emergence of resistant organisms during therapy was more frequent among patients receiving piperacillin alone (42% of patients) than among patients receiving combination therapy (17% of patients) (P = 0.465 by Fisher's exact test). Moreover, emergence of resistance accounted for 5 of 9 patients with treatment failure, superinfection, or both when piperacillin was used as a single agent, compared with 2 of 10 similar patients in the combination group (P = 0.1299 by Fisher's exact test). The use of piperacillin as a single agent in the treatment of serious bacterial infections is not advocated, and the addition of an aminoglycoside to prevent emergence of resistance during empirical therapy of such infections is strongly recommended.

Adult

Characterization of the hemolytic activity of Staphylococcus aureus strains associated with toxic shock syndrome.

The hemolytic activity of 32 vaginal isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from patients with typical toxic shock syndrome (TSS) was contrasted with that of 50 vaginal isolates from patients without TSS, using a standardized inoculum (10(5) CFU) on 5% sheep blood agar after 48 h of incubation under 30% CO2. Additionally, 7 nongenital isolates from patients with nonmenstrual TSS and 57 strains of nongenital control isolates were included for comparison. Vaginal TSS strains were significantly less hemolytic than non-TSS S. aureus strains of either genital (P less than 0.001) or nongenital (P less than 0.01) origin. Vaginal TSS S. aureus strains were also less hemolytic than were nongenital TSS S. aureus strains (P less than 0.02). This reduced hemolytic activity of genital TSS S. aureus strains may provide a useful marker for screening and further delineation of toxigenic S. aureus associated with menstrually related TSS.

Female

Erythromycin.

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Absorption

Campylobacter infections in pregnancy. Case report and literature review.

Campylobacter fetus is a major cause of venereally transmitted abortion and sterility in ungulates, and a recently recognized, common enteric pathogen in man. The role of the organism as a cause of human fetal wastage has not been delineated. We present a case of bacteremic campylobacter infection in a pregnant woman, and review the published cases of campylobacteriosis in pregnancy and the perinatal period. Systemic maternal infection may present either as prolonged febrile illness or fulminant sepsis, and transplacental spread may result in abortion, stillbirth, or early neonatal meningitis. Enteritis that occurs in infants born to women with campylobacter diarrhea may represent fecal-oral spread at or near the time of delivery. With improved microbiologic techniques and greater awareness by physicians, the prevalence and importance of campylobacteriosis in pregnancy should become better appreciated.

Adult