Don't bug me: the problem of bacterial contamination of blood components--challenges and solutions.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M R Jacobs.
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BACKGROUND: Platelet transfusion-associated sepsis is usually due to donor skin flora introduced into the unit during phlebotomy. An unusual case of a platelet component contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is reported. CASE REPORT: A 54-year-old man, terminally ill with progressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, developed fever and hypotension during a platelet transfusion. He was receiving multiple antibiotics, including vancomycin. Blood cultures taken soon after transfusion were negative. An aliquot taken from the platelet pool grew MRSA at a count of 1.6 x 10(8) CFUs per mL. One of the individual bags constituting the pool showed MRSA at a count of 5.1 x 10(8) CFUs per mL. The patient died soon after the platelet transfusion. This case was reported to the FDA and submitted to the BaCon Study. The identity of the isolate and its methicillin resistance were confirmed by the CDC as part of the BaCon Study protocol. The source of contamination of the implicated unit could not be established with certainty. CONCLUSION: The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms poses additional challenges for the diagnosis and treatment of transfusion-associated sepsis. Measures to prevent or intercept the transfusion of contaminated platelets should be developed.
The ability of sequential subcultures in subinhibitory concentrations of gemifloxacin, trovafloxacin, ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin to select resistant mutants was studied in 16 pneumococci [eight with ciprofloxacin MICs (mg/L) 0.25-1; four with 8-16; four with 16-32]. Subculturing was done 50 times, or until mutants with elevated MICs (> or = 4 x) to the selecting drug emerged. Subculturing in gemifloxacin selected six resistant mutants (gemifloxacin MICs 2 mg/L); trovafloxacin selected nine (trovafloxacin MICs 2-4 mg/L); ciprofloxacin selected 11 (ciprofloxacin MICs 8-128 mg/L); gatifloxacin selected 13; and moxifloxacin selected 12 (gatifloxacin or moxifloxacin MICs 2-16 mg/L). DNA sequencing showed that most mutants had mutations in ParC at Ser-79 or Asp-83 and in GyrA at Ser-81 or Glu-85; some mutants also had mutations in ParE or GyrB. Some new mutations were found in ParE or GyrB that have not yet been reported; GyrB mutation might be associated with moxifloxacin resistance. Both DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV were thought to be the target of gemifloxacin; gemifloxacin also selected mutants with single modifications in gyrA, parC or parE alone among derived mutants by repeated exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of fluoroquinolones. In the presence of reserpine, most mutants had lower MICs of ciprofloxacin and gemifloxacin (4-32 x), and gatifloxacin (4-8 x), suggesting an efflux mechanism; none had lower trovafloxacin and moxifloxacin MICs. All quinolones tested selected for resistance; judicious use and proper dosing will be necessary to avoid resistance selection of newer broad-spectrum fluoroquinolones.
Pneumococcal isolates (n = 148) from various countries (mostly from the USA) were tested by a primer set for PCR. Thirty-eight (86.4%) of the 44 penicillin G-susceptible isolates (MIC < or = 0.06 mg/L) had unaltered pbps, while six isolates (13.6%) had either one or two alterations in pbps. Of 47 penicillin G-resistant strains (MIC > or = 2 mg/L), 41 isolates (87.2%) had all three pbps altered, six isolates (12.8%) had altered pbp1a + 2x. Various combinations of altered pbp were seen in penicillin G-intermediate isolates. Prevalence of macrolide resistance genes mef(A) and erm(B) in isolates was clearly reflected by their MICs. All isolates were positive for lytA. The primers were useful for screening for Streptococcus pneumoniae and beta-lactam resistance, and for detection of common macrolide resistance determinants.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the bacteriologic and clinical efficacy of high dose amoxicillin/clavulanate (90/6.4 mg/kg/day) against common bacterial pathogens causing acute otitis media (AOM), including penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP). METHODS: In this open label multicenter study, 521 infants and children with AOM [mean age, 18.6 months; age < 24 months, n = 375 (72%)] were treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate 90/6.4 mg/kg/day in two divided doses for 10 days. Bilateral otitis media, previous episodes of AOM, antibiotic treatment within 3 months and day-care attendance were recorded in 60.1, 35.7, 50.2 and 38.2% of the children, respectively. Tympanocentesis was performed before the first dose and repeated on Days 4 to 6 for all children with S. pneumoniae at 22 centers and for all children with any pathogen at 3 centers. Clinical response was assessed at end of therapy. RESULTS: Pathogens were isolated from 355 (68%) of 521 enrolled children; 180 children underwent repeat tympanocentesis and were bacteriologically evaluable. Baseline pathogens were S. pneumoniae (n = 122 enrolled/93 bacteriologically evaluable), Haemophilus influenzae (n = 160/51), both (n = 37/32) and others (n = 36/4). Pathogens were eradicated from 172 (96%) of 180 bacteriologically evaluable children. Overall 122 (98%) of 125 isolates of S. pneumoniae were eradicated, including 31 (91%) of 34 PRSP isolates (penicillin MICs 2 to 4 micrograms/ml). Seventy-eight (94%) of 83 isolates of H. influenzae were eradicated. Symptoms and otoscopic signs of acute inflammation were completely resolved or improved on Days 12 to 15 in 263 (89%) of 295 clinically evaluable children with bacteriologically documented AOM. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of bacteriologic outcome on Days 4 to 6 and clinical outcome on Days 12 to 15, we found that high dose amoxicillin/clavulanate (90/6.4 mg/kg/day) was highly efficacious in children with AOM, including those most likely to fail treatment, namely children < 24 months of age and those with infectious caused by PRSP.
Thirty-two macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pyogenes isolates were found among 594 clinical isolates collected from 1990 to 1998 in Santiago, Chile, for an overall prevalence of 7.2%. Among the 32 resistant isolates, 28 (87.5%) presented the M phenotype and 4 (12. 5%) presented the MLS(B) phenotype. Serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis showed genetic diversity among the resistant isolates.
The activity of the ketolide ABT-773 against Haemophilus and Moraxella was compared to those of 11 other agents. Against 210 Haemophilus influenzae strains (39.0% beta-lactamase positive), microbroth dilution tests showed that azithromycin and ABT-773 had the lowest MICs (0.5 to 4.0 and 1.0 to 8.0 microg/ml, respectively), followed by clarithromycin and roxithromycin (4.0 to >32.0 microg/ml). Of the beta-lactams, ceftriaxone had the lowest MICs (</=0.004 to 0.016 microg/ml), followed by cefixime and cefpodoxime (0.008 to 0.125 and </=0.125 to 0.25 microg/ml, respectively), amoxicillin-clavulanate (0.125 to 4.0 microg/ml), and cefuroxime (0. 25 to 8.0 microg/ml). Amoxicillin was only active against beta-lactamase-negative strains, and cefprozil had the highest MICs of all oral cephalosporins tested (0.5 to >32.0 microg/ml). Against 50 Moraxella catarrhalis strains, all of the compounds except amoxicillin and cefprozil were active. Time-kill studies against 10 H. influenzae strains showed that ABT-773, at two times the MIC, was bactericidal against 9 of 10 strains, with 99% killing of all strains at the MIC after 24 h; at 12 h, ABT-773 gave 90% killing of all strains at two times the MIC. At 3 and 6 h, killing by ABT-773 was slower, with 99.9% killing of four strains at two times the MIC after 6 h. Similar results were found for azithromycin, with slightly slower killing by erythromycin, clarithromycin, and roxithromycin, especially at earlier times. beta-Lactams were bactericidal against 8 to 10 strains at two times the MIC after 24 h, with slower killing at earlier time periods. Most compounds gave good killing of five M. catarrhalis strains, with beta-lactams killing more rapidly than other drugs. ABT-773 and azithromycin gave the longest postantibiotic effects (PAEs) of the ketolide-macrolide-azalide group tested (4.4 to >8.0 h), followed by clarithromycin, erythromycin, and roxithromycin. beta-Lactam PAEs were similar and shorter than those of the ketolide-macrolide-azalide group for all strains tested.
Activities of HMR 3787 and RU 64399 were compared to those of three macrolides, telithromycin, and clindamycin against 175 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates and 121 Streptococcus pyogenes isolates. HMR3787 and telithromycin were the most active compounds tested against pneumococci. Telithromycin and RU 64399 were equally active against macrolide-susceptible (MICs, 0.008 to 0.06 microg/ml) and -resistant S. pyogenes isolates, but HMR 3787 had lower MICs for ermB strains.
Agar dilution MIC methodology was used to compare the activity of BMS 284756 with those of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, trovafloxacin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, clindamycin, and metronidazole against 357 anaerobes. Overall, the respective MICs at which 50% of the isolates tested were inhibited (MIC(50)s) and MIC(90)s (in micrograms per milliliter) were as follows: BMS 284756, 0.5 and 2.0; ciprofloxacin, 2.0 and 16.0; levofloxacin, 1.0 and 8.0; moxifloxacin, 0.5 and 4.0; trovafloxacin, 0.5 and 2.0; amoxicillin-clavulanate, 0.5 and 2.0; piperacillin-tazobactam, 0.25 and 8.0; imipenem, 0.06 and 1.0; clindamycin, 0.25 and 8.0; and metronidazole, 1.0 and >16.0. BMS 284756 is a promising new quinolone with excellent antianaerobic activity.
Antimicrobial resistance in bacterial respiratory tract pathogens is a rapidly evolving and increasingly disconcerting problem. Major factors that have contributed to resistance are inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for viral infections and the use of antibiotics with poor activity. The treatment of respiratory tract infections is significantly affected by resistance in organisms such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. Resistance to beta-lactams, sulfonamides, and macrolides continues to rise. Evidence-based guidelines, founded on clinical and bacteriological outcomes, are imperative to treat patients effectively, to limit the spread of these pathogens, and to minimize further development of resistance. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters have recently been shown to correlate with clinical outcome, and offer a more rational approach to predicting antimicrobial efficacy and determining clinically relevant susceptibility breakpoints.
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The prevalence, resistance patterns and serotypes of antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains recovered from Greek carriers under 24 months of age were studied. From February 1997 to April 1998, nasopharyngeal cultures were performed in 1,269 children (ages 2-23 months, median 11 months) living in various areas of central and southern Greece. Resistance (including both intermediate and resistant isolates) to one or more antimicrobial agents was found in 132 of the 421 (31%) Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates, as follows: penicillin, 9% intermediate, 7.6% resistant; cefotaxime, 5.2% intermediate, 0.5% resistant; erythromycin, 0.7% intermediate, 18.1% resistant; clindamycin, 0.2% intermediate, 12.4% resistant; tetracycline, 0.7% intermediate, 16.4% resistant; chloramphenicol, 12.4% resistant; and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 3.8% intermediate, 14.3% resistant. The MICs of penicillin for 66% of the penicillin-nonsusceptible pneumococci were 1-4 microg/ml. Multidrug resistance was found in 64% of penicillin-nonsusceptible and 37% of penicillin-susceptible strains. Sixty-two percent of the penicillin-susceptible, multidrug-resistant strains belonged to serotype 6B and were resistant to all five non-beta-lactam agents tested. This notable serotype 6B resistance pattern was described for the first time in a previous study performed from December 1995 to February 1996 in the city of Patras, southwestern Greece. Seventy-two percent of antibiotic-resistant isolates belonged to serotypes 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F and 23F. These results document the spread of resistant pneumococcal strains in central and southern Greece, many of which are multidrug resistant.
Microdilution MICs of levofloxacin against twelve anaerobes ranged between 0.5-8.0 microg/ml and those of clindamycin and metronidazole between 0.008-2.0 and 0.25->16.0 microg/ml, respectively. Combination of levofloxacin with clindamycin and/or metronidazole in time-kill tests led to synergy at levofloxacin concentrations at or below the MIC in 7/12 strains.
The antimicrobial susceptibility to beta-lactam and non-beta-lactam agents of 1100 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered in 1997 from 16 centres in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela and West Indies was studied using E-test and disk diffusion methods. A total of 23.6% of isolates had raised penicillin MICs (16.7% intermediate and 6.9% resistant). The susceptibility of the other agents tested, from most active to least active, were, amoxycillin/clavulanate (99.5% susceptible); chloramphenicol (93.2%); cefotaxime (91.7%); erythromycin (87.1%); tetracycline (74.6%); trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) (55.4%); and cefaclor (52.8%). The highest proportion of strains resistant to penicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracycline and TMP-SMZ was found in strains from Mexico while resistance to these agents was lowest in strains from the West Indies. Prevalence of penicillin resistance (including intermediate and resistant isolates) in each of the countries, from highest to lowest was, Mexico (40.8%); Chile (31.3%); Panama (23.0%); Venezuela (21.9%); Argentina (19.1%); Brazil (12.9%); and West Indies (7.1%). Based on current levels of antimicrobial resistance of S. pneumoniae in Latin American and Caribbean countries, continued surveillance efforts are necessary in order to guide clinical empiric treatment and provide for judicious use of antimicrobial agents.
In 1996, 19 isolates of serotype 6B Streptococcus pneumoniae with a unique resistance pattern were found in carriers attending daycare centres in Patras, Southwestern Greece. These isolates were penicillin susceptible but resistant to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. Subsequently, isolates with the same characteristics were found in 23 additional carriers in central and southern Greece in 1997-98 as well as in 19 carriers in central Italy in 1997, and in seven carriers in southern Israel in 1998. Carriers were all children under 6 years of age, attending daycare centres or outpatient hospital visits. The relatedness of the isolates was determined on representative isolates from the three countries by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of SmaI digests of chromosomal DNA. Most Greek isolates were identical to each other, while isolates from Italy and Israel showed one to three band differences, with all isolates being closely related to each other as well as to the isolates from Greece. We have therefore documented the presence of this unique clone of S. pneumoniae in these three countries and have named this the 'Mediterranean' clone. While isolates appear to have a common origin, their source and direction of spread are unknown. However, isolates from Italy showed the most diversity, suggesting that this clone had been present in that country for a longer period than it had been in Greece.
PURPOSE: The decay accelerating factor (DAF or CD55) and the membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis (MIRL or CD59), two complement regulatory proteins that protect self cells from autologous complement-mediated injury, are attached to corneal and cqonjunctival epithelial cells by glycosylphos-phatidylinositol (GPI) anchors. We sought to 1) determine the frequency with which bacteria recovered from patients with infections of the eye elaborate factors that can remove these surface proteins from ocular cells, 2) determine the spectrum of bacteria from other sites that have similar effects, and 3) establish the time interval required for reconstitution of the two regulators. METHODS: Culture supernatants of 18 ocular isolates [P. aeruginosa (n = 3), S. marcescens (n = 1), S. epidermidis (n = 9), and S. aureus (n = 5)], and > 100 other clinical specimens isolated in the hospital's microbiology laboratory [P. mirabilis (n = 1), S. aureus (n = 65), S. epidermidis (n = 24), B. cereus (n = 12), H. influenzae (n = 15), and Enterobacter sp. (n = 21)] were incubated at 37 degrees C for various times with conjunctival epithelial cells, conjunctival fibroblasts or HeLa cells and the release of DAF and CD59 proteins from the surfaces of the cells analyzed by 2-site immunoradiometric assays and by Western blotting. The kinetics of recovery of DAF and CD59 expression on the cells was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: DAF and/or CD59 release from the cell monolayers varied from < 5% to > 99% at as much as a 1:81 dilution of the supernatant from some bacteria. On conjunctival epithelial cells, more than 8 hr was required for 44% recovery of DAF expression and for 50% recovery of CD59 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Bacteria produce phospholipases and/or other enzymes which can efficiently remove DAF and CD59 from ocular cell surfaces. This phenomenon may correlate with their in vivo pathogenicity.
Agar and microdilution (in air), Etest (in air and CO(2)) and disc diffusion (in air and CO(2)) susceptibility testing methods were used to investigate the activity of gemifloxacin against 200 pneumococci. MIC(50)s were 0.016-0.03 mg/L and MIC(90)s 0.125-0.25 mg/L for all methods. With agar dilution as reference, 187/200 strains gave essential agreement with microdilution and 196 with Etest (air and CO(2)). Disc zones were a few millimetres narrower in CO(2) than in air. With discs in CO(2), all ciprofloxacin-susceptible strains yielded zone diameters 26 mm; values in air were 28 mm. Zones for ciprofloxacin-resistant strains in CO(2) were mostly 21-26 mm; zones in air were a few millimetres wider, but mostly <31 mm.
Chequerboard titrations were used to test the activity of trovafloxacin, alone and in combination with clindamycin or metronidazole, against 156 Gram-positive or Gram-negative anaerobes, including 47 Bacteroides fragilis group, 36 Prevotella spp., 26 fusobacteria, 21 peptostreptococci and 26 clostridia. MIC50/MIC90 values (mg/L) of each drug alone against all 156 strains were: trovafloxacin, 0.5/1; clindamycin, 0.25/2; metronidazole, 1/2. Synergy (FIC indices </= 0.5) was seen in two strains with trovafloxacin plus clindamycin, and seven with trovafloxacin plus metronidazole. All other combinations were additive (FIC indices >0. 5-2.0); no antagonism (FIC indices >4.0) was seen. In addition, synergy was tested by time-kill methodology for each of the above combinations against 12 Gram-positive or Gram-negative strains. Results indicated that synergy (defined as a >/= 2 log(10) decrease in cfu/mL at 48 h compared with the more active drug alone) was found between trovafloxacin at or below the MIC and both clindamycin and metronidazole at or below the MIC in one strain each of Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium varium, Peptostreptococcus asaccharolyticus and Clostridium bifermentans. Synergy between trovafloxacin (</=MIC) and metronidazole alone was seen in one strain each of Bacteroides distasonis, Prevotella bivia, Fusobacterium mortiferum, P. asaccharolyticus and C. bifermentans. In many cases of synergy, including those at the trovafloxacin MIC, regrowth after 48 h, which was commonly seen with trovafloxacin alone, was inhibited, and 99.9% killing was observed with the combination after 48 h, but not with trovafloxacin alone.