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Biomedical subjects

R C Pritchard

Publications and source records attributed to R C Pritchard.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Clinching the diagnosis--sputum and other specimens in respiratory tract infection.

Routine sputum culture in microbiology laboratories is frequently a source of dissatisfaction to microbiologists and clinicians alike. Care should be taken to ensure that the investigations requested are appropriate and that an adequate specimen is collected. Co-operation between the microbiologist and the clinician is required if the laboratory's facilities are to be properly exploited for the etiological diagnosis of respiratory tract infection. In clinical conditions such as lung abscess and atypical pneumonia sputum is not an appropriate specimen for the laboratory to work on and early consideration should be given to obtaining lower respiratory tract secretions free of oropharyngeal contamination.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1980

Reporting practices of microbiology laboratories.

Results of investigations on typical specimens were circulated to Australian microbiologists, who were asked to draft reports on the basis of the data provided. Many laboratories were found simply to report the results of their activities without explanations. This was true whether the finding was that of a Gram-negative rod in a postoperative sputum or an anaerobic diphtheroid in a blood culture. There was diversity of views as to what constituted probable contamination in a urine specimen. Often no clearcut verdict was given, nor did the report indicate when no conclusion was possible. Remedial measures are discussed.

Australia↗
PubMed1979

Consumer survey on microbiology reports.

5 typical microbiology reports were circulated to the medical staff of a 900-bed teaching hospital and they were asked for their interpretations. Approximately 160 completed replies were received and it was clear that the reports were often misinterpreted; one report (isolation of a gram-negative rod from sputum) was misinterpreted by four doctors out of five. The reasons for this failure of communication seem to be the use of jargon and unfamiliar names of bacterial species, and use of ill-defined reporting conventions. The omission of a clear-cut conclusion from many reports also contributed to misunderstanding. These deficiencies in reporting practices result in unnecessary antibiotic therapy and unnecessary work for the laboratory, since clinicians are more likely to ask for a repeat of a test with a doubtful interpretation. Communications with clinicians would be more effective if microbiologists ensured that each report is free of jargon, states what conclusion can be drawn from the test, and makes recommendations, where appropriate, for antibiotic therapy.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Subcutaneous zygomycosis due to Saksenaea vasiformis in an infant.

A case of localized, subcutaneous infection in the cheek of a three-month-old girl that was caused by the zygomycete Saksenaea vasiformis is reported. This is the fourth report of infection in Australia that was due to this fungus and, in contrast to all but one of the few previous reports in the literature, a cure was effected by surgical debridement alone.

Abscess↗