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Open Life Sciences 2024, predominantly recognized as an opportunistic pathogen affecting immunocompromised hosts, and , a widespread zoonotic bacterium, infrequently co-infect immunocompetent...
, predominantly recognized as an opportunistic pathogen affecting immunocompromised hosts, and , a widespread zoonotic bacterium, infrequently co-infect immunocompetent adults, thereby posing a distinctive diagnostic challenge. Here, we describe a case involving a 53-year-old male with a history of goat farming, who presented with persistent chest tightness, cough, and notable weight loss, absent fever. Radiological and bronchoscopic assessments showed a right hilar mass, extensive vertebral destruction, and bronchial lesions, deviating from the typical symptoms associated with either pathogen. Laboratory analyses confirmed a co-infection involving and . Initial therapy with levofloxacin and vancomycin proved ineffective; however, a subsequent treatment regimen comprising azithromycin, etimicin, minocycline, and moxifloxacin resulted in substantial clinical improvement. This case accentuates the intricacies involved in diagnosing and managing atypical co-infections in immunocompetent individuals and underscores the importance of careful microbiological testing to inform effective therapeutic strategies.
PubMed: 38911933
DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0888 -
Chinese Medicine Jun 2024Rising resistance to antimicrobials, particularly in the case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), represents a formidable global health challenge....
BACKGROUND
Rising resistance to antimicrobials, particularly in the case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), represents a formidable global health challenge. Consequently, it is imperative to develop new antimicrobial solutions. This study evaluated 68 Chinese medicinal plants renowned for their historical applications in treating infectious diseases.
METHODS
The antimicrobial efficacy of medicinal plants were evaluated by determining their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against MRSA. Safety profiles were assessed on human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Mechanistic insights were obtained through fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (FM and TEM). Synergistic effects with vancomycin were investigated using the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI).
RESULTS
Rheum palmatum L., Arctium lappa L. and Paeonia suffructicosaas Andr. have emerged as potential candidates with potent anti-MRSA properties, with an impressive low MIC of 7.8 µg/mL, comparable to the 2 µg/mL MIC of vancomycin served as the antibiotic control. Crucially, these candidates demonstrated significant safety profiles when evaluated on Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. Even at 16 times the MIC, the cell viability ranged from 83.3% to 95.7%, highlighting their potential safety. FM and TEM revealed a diverse array of actions against MRSA, such as disrupting the cell wall and membrane, interference with nucleoids, and inducing morphological alterations resembling pseudo-multicellular structures in MRSA. Additionally, the synergy between vancomycin and these three plant extracts was evident against MRSA (FICI < 0.5). Notably, aqueous extract of R. palmatum at 1/4 MIC significantly reduced the vancomycin MIC from 2 µg/mL to 0.03 µg/mL, making a remarkable 67-fold decrease.
CONCLUSIONS
This study unveil new insights into the mechanistic actions and pleiotropic antibacterial effectiveness of these medicinal plants against resistant bacteria, providing robust evidence for their potential use as standalone or in conjunction with antibiotics, to effectively combat antimicrobial resistance, particularly against MRSA.
PubMed: 38909250
DOI: 10.1186/s13020-024-00960-8 -
World Journal of Clinical Cases Jun 2024This case series investigated the clinical manifestations, diagnoses, and treatment of cerebral abscesses caused by . We retrospectively analyzed the clinical...
BACKGROUND
This case series investigated the clinical manifestations, diagnoses, and treatment of cerebral abscesses caused by . We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of three cases of cerebral abscesses caused by and conducted a comprehensive review of relevant literature.
CASE SUMMARY
Case 1 presented with a history of left otitis media and exhibited high fever, confusion, and vomiting as primary symptoms. Postoperative pus culture indicated a brain abscess caused by infection. Case 2 experienced dizziness for two days as the primary symptom. Postoperative pus culture suggested an intermediate streptococcal brain abscess. Case 3: Enhanced head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging revealed occupancy of the left temporal lobe, initially suspected to be a metastatic tumor. However, a postoperative pus culture confirmed the presence of a brain abscess caused by infection. The three cases presented in this case series were all patients with community-acquired brain abscesses resulting from angina caused by Streptococcus group infection. All three patients demonstrated sensitivity to penicillin, ceftriaxone, vancomycin, linezolid, chloramphenicol, and levofloxacin. Successful treatment was achieved through stereotaxic puncture, drainage, and ceftriaxone administration with a six -week course of antibiotics.
CONCLUSION
Preoperative enhanced head MRI plays a critical role in distinguishing brain tumors from abscesses. Selecting the correct early diagnostic methods for brain abscesses and providing timely intervention are very important. This case series was in accordance with the CARE guidelines.
PubMed: 38898852
DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i17.3243 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Jun 2024BACKGROUND PAECILOMYCES: and Penicillium are considered as rare opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised hosts, and pneumonia caused by Paecilomyces and Penicillium...
BACKGROUND PAECILOMYCES: and Penicillium are considered as rare opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised hosts, and pneumonia caused by Paecilomyces and Penicillium is rare. In this study, we present first case of severe pneumonia with pleural effusion caused by co-infection of Paecilomyces variotii (P. variotii) and Penicillium oxalicum (P. oxalicum) in a 66-year-old female with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old woman patient presented to hospital for nausea, poor appetite, and vomiting for one day. On the second day of admission, blood culture and renal puncture fluid culture grew multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (imipenem/cilastatin sensitive), and she received combination therapy with imipenem/cilastatin (1 g, every 8 h) and vancomycin (0.5 g, every 12 h). On the fourth day, she developed symptoms of respiratory failure. Pulmonary computed tomography (CT) showed an increase in pneumonia compared to before, with minor pleural effusion on both sides. Two fungi were isolated repeatedly from BALF culture, which were confirmed as P. variotii and P. oxalicum by Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Her pleural effusion was completely absorbed, pneumonia symptoms have significantly improved and discharged with receiving liposomal amphotericin B treatment for four weeks. CONCLUSIONS: It is worth noting that clinicians and laboratory personnel should not simply consider Paecilomyces and Penicillium species as contaminants, especially in immunocompromised patients. Early fungal identification and antifungal drug sensitivity are crucial for clinical drug selection and patient prognosis.
Topics: Humans; Female; Penicillium; Pleural Effusion; Middle Aged; Aged; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Coinfection; Paecilomyces; Pneumonia; Mycoses; Immunocompromised Host; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antifungal Agents
PubMed: 38898444
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09496-6 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Jun 2024Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is a significant health concern in children worldwide. In this study, we aimed to analyze the clinical features, antibiotic...
BACKGROUND
Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is a significant health concern in children worldwide. In this study, we aimed to analyze the clinical features, antibiotic resistance, and risk variables for poor outcomes in patients with IPD in Hangzhou.
METHODS
A retrospective single-centre study was performed using the pediatric intensive care (PIC) database from 2010 to 2018. The clinical characteristics, laboratory data, antimicrobial resistance, and risk factors for in-hospital mortality and sepsis in patients with IPD in intensive care units (ICUs) were analyzed systematically.
RESULTS
A total of 178 IPD patients were included in the study. The majority of the IPD children were 2-10 years old. Antimicrobial resistance tests of S. pneumoniae isolates revealed high resistance to erythromycin, tetracycline and compound sulfamethoxazole (SMZ-Co). All the isolates were sensitive to vancomycin, linezolid, moxifloxacin, telithromycin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin. IPD patients may experience poor outcomes, including death and sepsis. The in-hospital mortality was 3.93%, and 34.27% of patients suffered from sepsis. Temperature (OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.62-8.87; P = 0.0021), Partial Pressure of Oxygen in Arterial Blood (PaO) (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-1.00; P = 0.0266), and albumin (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.99; P = 0.0329) were found to be independent risk factors for sepsis in children with IPD.
CONCLUSION
Pediatric IPD deserves attention in China. Appropriate surveillance and antibiotic selection are crucial in managing resistant strains. Early identification of high-risk individuals with risk factors contributes to the development of appropriate treatment strategies.
Topics: Humans; China; Pneumococcal Infections; Child; Male; Risk Factors; Retrospective Studies; Female; Child, Preschool; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Infant; Hospital Mortality; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Sepsis; Adolescent; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Drug Resistance, Bacterial
PubMed: 38898407
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09493-9 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024The aim of this study was to develop a vancomycin population pharmacokinetic model in adult obese patients and propose covariate-based dosing individualization in order...
AIM
The aim of this study was to develop a vancomycin population pharmacokinetic model in adult obese patients and propose covariate-based dosing individualization in order to maximize the achievement of the newly recommended PK/PD target, according to a revised consensus guideline from 2020.
METHODS
Therapeutic drug monitoring data from initial vancomycin therapy (first 3 days of treatment) in adult obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m) patients from 2013 to 2022 were analyzed using a non-linear mixed-effects modeling method, and Monte Carlo simulations were then used to find the optimal dosage maximizing the PK/PD target attainment.
RESULTS
A total of 147 vancomycin serum levels obtained from 138 patients were included in the analysis. Based on the covariate model diagnosis among all tested variables, no reliable predictor of vancomycin volume of distribution (Vd) was identified, while clearance (CL) was positively correlated with eGFR and lean body mass. Creatinine-based eGFR predicted vancomycin CL better than cystatin C-based eGFR. The median (interquartile range) value from conditional modes of individual estimates of Vd, CL, and elimination half-life in our population was 74.0 (70.5-75.4) L, 6.65 (4.95-8.42) L/h, and 7.7 (6.0-10.0) h, respectively.
CONCLUSION
We proposed dosing individualization based on the covariate found in order to maximize the achievement of the newly recommended PK/PD target of the AUC/MIC ratio of 400-600. Clinical pharmacy/pharmacology interventions may lead to an improvement in vancomycin dosing with a reflection in PK/PD target attainment.
PubMed: 38895623
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1364681 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1357345.].
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1357345.].
PubMed: 38894996
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1429799 -
Cureus May 2024Background and objective Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common infectious disease affecting people of various ages and genders and are prevalent in different...
The Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Uropathogenic Bacterial Profile With Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns Among the Community and Hospitalized Patients During COVID Waves.
Background and objective Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common infectious disease affecting people of various ages and genders and are prevalent in different geographical locations. However, the way Gram-positive and Gram-negative (UTI) germs react to antibiotic treatment varies significantly. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the frequency of secondary bacterial superinfection, leading to a spike in ongoing recommendations for antibiotic treatment, both therapeutic and preventative. In this study, we aimed to assess uropathogenic bacterial resistance and shed light on how COVID-19 epidemic waves influence the evolution of bacterial resistance. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted, assessing the different isolates of the uropathogen in all COVID-19 waves by using convenience sampling from August 2020 till the end of 2023. The VITEK-2 compact system employing industry-standard bacteriological tests to identify the bacteria and confirm their antibiotic susceptibility was utilized. Results Of the total 3877 patients, 381 (9.8%) and 3483 (89.8%) had positive and negative microbial growth, respectively. Of the 381 (9.8%) positive cases, 130 (34%) were male and 251 (65%) were female; 138 (43.3%) patients in the age range of 15-40 years developed sporadic UTIs attributed to Gram-negative bacteria. Alternatively, patients over 40 years had the highest prevalence rate (n = 180, 56.6%). The most common strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were and with278 (88.8%) and 13 (20.9%) cases respectively. People with Gram-negative bacteria who were not hospitalized were very resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (n = 219, 69.1%), cefotaxime (n = 193, 60.9%), ampicillin (n = 192, 60.6%), and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (176, 55.5%). While high sensitivity to meropenem (n = 14, 4.4%) and imipenem (n = 13, 4.1%) was observed, hospitalized individuals had higher levels of resistance and great sensitivity to the same antibiotics. S. . were commonly present. Hospitalized patients were less sensitive to benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, and oxacillin, and there was a big rise in resistance to cefoxitin in the community. Conclusions In this study, Gram-negative germs among females were predominantly observed with extremely high multi-drug resistance (MDR). The most effective antibiotics against Gram-positive germs included linezolid, vancomycin, and nitrofurantin, while those against Gram-negative bacteria were meropenem and amikacin. Clinicians should be regularly updated and informed about antibiotic selection through routine monitoring of uropathogenic bacteria's susceptibility. Moreover, we recommend changes to the local antibiotic policy regarding the selection of UTIs; further multicentric and high-volume studies are required to gain deeper insights into the topic.
PubMed: 38894805
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60613 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The Enterococcus genus is a common cause of nosocomial infections, with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) posing a significant treatment challenge.
Characterization and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Species Isolated from Nosocomial Infections in a Saudi Tertiary Care Hospital over a Ten-Year Period (2012-2021).
INTRODUCTION
The Enterococcus genus is a common cause of nosocomial infections, with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) posing a significant treatment challenge.
METHOD
This retrospective study, spanning ten years (2012 to 2021), analyzes antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of species from clinical samples in a Saudi Arabian tertiary care hospital.
RESULT
A total of 1034 Enterococcus isolates were collected, 729 from general wards and 305 from intensive care unit (ICU) patients. VRE accounted for 15.9% of isolates. was the most common species (54.3% of isolates and 2.7% of VRE), followed by (33.6% of isolates and 41.2% of VRE). exhibited the highest resistance to ciprofloxacin (84.1%), ampicillin (81.6%), and rifampicin (80%), with daptomycin (0.6%) and linezolid (3.1%) showing the lowest resistance. In , ciprofloxacin resistance was highest (59.7%), followed by rifampicin (20.1%) and ampicillin (11.8%). Daptomycin (0%), linezolid (1.5%), and vancomycin (2.7%) had the lowest resistance. VRE cases had higher mortality rates compared to vancomycin-sensitive enterococci (VSE).
CONCLUSION
Eight different strains of were identified. was the most commonly identified strain, while had the highest percentage of VRE. VRE cases had a significantly higher mortality rate than VSE cases.
PubMed: 38893716
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14111190 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Flavonoids are an abundant class of naturally occurring compounds with broad biological activities, but their limited abundance in nature restricts their use in...
Flavonoids are an abundant class of naturally occurring compounds with broad biological activities, but their limited abundance in nature restricts their use in medicines and food additives. Here we present the synthesis and determination of the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of twenty-two structurally related flavonoids (five of which are new) by scientifically validated methods. Flavanones (-) had low inhibitory activity against the bacterial growth of MRSA 97-7. However, (C5,7,3',4' = OH) and (C5,7 = OH; C4' = SCH) had excellent bacterial growth inhibitory activity against Gram-negative (MIC = 25 µg/mL for both), while Chloramphenicol (MIC = 25 µg/mL) and (C5,7,3' = OCH; 4' = OH) showed inhibitory activity against Gram-positive (MIC = 25 µg/mL). From the flavone series (-), (C5,7,3',4' = OH), (C5,7,4' = OH; 3' = OCH) and (C5,7,4' = OH) showed good inhibitory activity against Gram-positive MRSA 97-7 (MIC = 50, 12, and 50 µg/mL, respectively), with being more active than the positive control Vancomycin (MIC = 25 µg/mL). (C5,7= OH; 4' = OCH) showed high inhibitory activity against and (MIC = 25 and 15 µg/mL, respectively). These data add significantly to our knowledge of the structural requirements to combat these human pathogens. The positions and number of hydroxyl groups were key to the antibacterial and antioxidant activities.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antioxidants; Flavonoids; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Escherichia coli; Listeria monocytogenes; Flavanones; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
PubMed: 38892186
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115999