Search results for "harm"
showing 10 items of 13866 documents
In vitro activity of anidulafungin in combination with amphotericin B or voriconazole against biofilms of five Candida species
2016
Objectives: To evaluate the in vitro activity of anidulafungin combined with amphotericin B or voriconazole against Candida spp. biofilms. Methods: Four Candida albicans, four Candida tropicalis, four Candida glabrata, two Candida parapsilosis and two Candida orthopsilosis blood isolates were tested by the microdilution chequerboard method combined with the XTT metabolic assay. Biofilm MIC was defined as the lowest concentration producing 50% metabolic inhibition with respect to control (BMIC50). Concentrations in the combinations ranged from 1/8xBMIC(50) to 4xBMIC(50) found for each antifungal tested alone. Results: Anidulafungin plus amphotericin B acted synergistically against C. albican…
(1,3)-β-d-Glucan-based antifungal treatment in critically ill adults at high risk of candidaemia: an observational study.
2016
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of a strategy that uses serum (1,3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) results for antifungal treatment of ICU patients at high risk of invasive candidiasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Adult patients admitted to the ICU from January 2012 to June 2014 were included if they exhibited sepsis at the time of BDG testing and they met Candida score components ≥3. A retrospective analysis of collected data was performed. RESULTS In total, 198 patients were studied. Of 63 BDG-positive patients, 47 with candidaemia and 16 with probable Candida infection, all [31.8% (63/198)] received antifungal therapy. Of 135 BDG-negative patients, 110 [55.5% (110/198)] did not receive antifungal therapy…
In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Frankincense Oils from Boswellia sacra Grown in Different Locations of the Dhofar Region (Oman)
2020
Frankincense essential oils from Boswellia sacra have been commonly used to treat microbial infections from as early as the 11th century. The main feature of the plant is its gum resin, from which it is possible to obtain essential oils. In the present study, we focused on the comparative study of the oils extracted from the resins of three different Boswellia sacra cultivars (Najdi, Sahli and Houjri). From each of frankincense resin three successive essential oil samples (Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3) were obtained. Houjri gum resin gave the lowest percentage (5%) of total essential oil content but showed the maximum number of volatile components in all three grades. Najdi Grade 2 essential o…
Identification of New Antimicrobial Peptides from Mediterranean Medical Plant Charybdis pancration (Steinh.) Speta
2020
The present work was designed to identify and characterize novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from Charybdis pancration (Steinh.) Speta, previously named Urginea maritima, is a Mediterranean plant, well-known for its biological properties in traditional medicine. Polypeptide-enriched extracts from different parts of the plant (roots, leaves and bulb), never studied before, were tested against two relevant pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. With the aim of identifying novel natural AMPs, peptide fraction displaying antimicrobial activity (the bulb) that showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) equal to 30 µ
Early adjustment of empirical antibiotic therapy of bloodstream infections on the basis of direct identification of bacteria by matrix-assisted laser…
2020
Abstract Introduction To assess the potential added value of rapid MALDI-TOF MS-based identification of bacteria in positive blood cultures to the information provided by Gram staining for adequate empirical antibiotic treatment adjustments in patients with bloodstream infections (BSI). Methods We conducted a retrospective, single-center, pre-post quasi-experimental study. In the pre-MALDI-TOF MS phase of the study antibiotic adjustments were made on the basis of Gram stain results, whereas in the MALDI-TOF MS phase they were based on information provided by Gram staining and MALDI-TOF MS results. No antimicrobial stewardship program for BSI was in place within the study period. Antibiotic …
Antibiotic Resistance of Gram-Negative Bacteria from Wild Captured Loggerhead Sea Turtles
2020
Sea turtles have been proposed as health indicators of marine habitats and carriers of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, for their longevity and migratory lifestyle. Up to now, a few studies evaluated the antibacterial resistant flora of Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and most of them were carried out on stranded or recovered animals. In this study, the isolation and the antibiotic resistance profile of 90 Gram negative bacteria from cloacal swabs of 33 Mediterranean wild captured loggerhead sea turtles are described. Among sea turtles found in their foraging sites, 23 were in good health and 10 needed recovery for different health problems (hereafter named wea…
Draft genome sequence and biofilm production of a carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpR405) sequence type 405 strain isolated in Italy
2021
Rapid identification and characterization of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains is essential to diagnose severe infections in patients. In clinical routine practice, K. pneumoniae is frequently identified and characterized for outbreak investigation. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis or multilocus sequence typing could be used, but, unfortunately, these methods are time-consuming, laborious, expensive, and do not provide any information about the presence of resistance and virulence genes. In recent years, the decreasing cost of next-generation sequencing and its easy use have led to it being considered a useful method, not only for outbreak surveillance but also for rapid ide…
Molecular epidemiology and drug-resistance mechanisms in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated in patients from a tertiary hospital in …
2020
Abstract Objectives The aim of this study has been to characterize carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates and to determine the resistance mechanisms involved, the clonal relationship between strains and clinical and demographical data of the infected patients. Methods Clinical and demographical data from patients were collected and statistically analysed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed and resistance genes were detected both phenotypically and genotypically. Conjugation assays were performed to show horizontal transferability of resistance genes. Clonal relationship was also studied. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to obtain information regard…
Dosing of caspofungin based on a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic index for the treatment of invasive fungal infections in critically ill patients on …
2017
Abstract Introduction The study objective was to evaluate the efficacy of different dosages of caspofungin in the treatment of invasive candidiasis and aspergillosis, in relation to the probability of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target attainment, using modelling and Monte Carlo simulations in critically ill adult patients on continuous haemodiafiltration. Methods Critically ill adult patients on continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration treated with caspofungin were analysed. A population PK model was developed. Four caspofungin dosing regimens were simulated: the licensed regimen, 70 mg/day, 100 mg/day or 200 mg/day. A PK/PD target was defined as the ratio between the area unde…
No effect of vancomycin MIC ≥ 1.5 mg/L on treatment outcome in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia
2018
International audience; The vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) has been shown to affect the outcome of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteraemia. In this study, the outcomes of patients with MSSA bacteraemia with a vancomycin MIC ≥ 1.5 mg/L were assessed. A prospective cohort of patients with MSSA bacteraemia in two tertiary-care hospitals was collected. The vancomycin MIC was determined by Etest. Staphylococcus aureus strains were categorised as low (<1.5 mg/L) or high (≥1.5 mg/L) vancomycin MIC. First- and second-line treatments were recorded and classified as optimal, appropriate and inappropriate. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. A total o…