Journal of clinical microbiology
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Mar 1997
Comparative StudyDoing it right the first time: quality improvement and the contaminant blood culture.
The aim of the project was to determine whether the rate of contaminant blood cultures could be reduced by using a team of dedicated phlebotomists. Comparisons were made between adult patients requiring blood cultures for suspected bacteremia on medical and surgical units before and after the introduction and withdrawal of a dedicated blood culture team. ⋯ Therefore, in our experience, the rate of contaminant blood cultures can be reduced in a teaching hospital by using a team of dedicated phlebotomists. Calculations made with our data and those published by others suggest that cost savings from reducing false-positive blood cultures are greater than the cost of the blood culture team.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Dec 1996
Analysis of PCR as a tool for detection of JC virus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid for diagnosis of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
Two polyomaviruses, JC virus (JCV) and BK virus (BKV), affect humans. JCV is the causative agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), and detection of JCV in the central nervous system (CNS) is a prerequisite for confirmation of the disease. BKV is generally not associated with neurological disease, but involvement of BKV in patients with CNS disorders has been reported. ⋯ Among 84 HIV-negative patients, 6 (7%) had detectable JCV DNA in their CSF, confirming PML in patients with clinical conditions of T-cell lymphoma, chronic lymphatic leukemia, status postliver transplantation, congenital immunodeficiency, sarcoidosis, and immunodeficiency of unknown origin. The specificity of the PCR was confirmed by a clinical follow-up study which showed full agreement between the detection of JCV DNA in CSF and clinically manifest PML. The described PCR is a rapid, reproducible, and easily performed assay.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Oct 1996
Rapid identification of Toscana virus by nested PCR during an outbreak in the Siena area of Italy.
The sand fly-transmitted Toscana virus is recognized as an etiologic agent of an aseptic meningitis with a long convalescence. This infection has been reported overall in many tourists or in a seronegative population circulating in endemic Mediterranean areas (Italy, Portugal, Egypt, and Cyprus). We report a cluster of acute Toscana virus infections in the local population during the summer of 1995. Twenty-one clinical cases of meningitis were investigated for the presence of Toscana virus by nested PCR performed on the S segment of the virus RNA extracted from cerebrospinal fluid samples.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jul 1996
Comparative StudyComparison of amplicor and 32-kilodalton PCR for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sputum specimens.
The commercial PCR test Amplicor was compared with the 32-kDa PCR for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from 76 sputum specimens from Egyptian patients. Both tests performed with rather equal efficacy (resolved sensitivity of 88.9% for both tests; specificity of 98.0% for Amplicor and 93.9% for 32-kDa PCR). PCR was found to be useful in detection of auramine fluorescent stain-positive, culture-negative specimens.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Jun 1996
Comparative StudyDiagnosis by AMPLICOR PCR of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in urine samples from women and men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics.
Screening of urine specimens from men for Chlamydia trachomatis infection by a commercial PCR assay (AMPLICOR C. trachomatis Test; Roche Diagnostic Systems, Inc., Branchburg, N. J.) is a sensitive and specific noninvasive diagnostic assay. Since screening of women for C. trachomatis infection with the AMPLICOR C. trachomatis Test has been limited to use with endocervical swab specimens, we conducted an evaluation of the AMPLICOR C. trachomatis Test for the detection of C. trachomatis using female urine samples and compared the results of those obtained by in vitro culture and PCR of endocervical swab specimens. ⋯ Of 415 matched female urine and endocervical swab specimens, there were 49 confirmed infections; 30 (61.2%) specimens were positive by culture of the endocervical swab specimen, 40 (81.6%) were positive by confirmed endocervical swab specimen PCR, 43 (87.8%) were positive by confirmed urine PCR, and all 49 (100%) were positive by either endocervical swab specimen PCR or urine PCR. For men, the resolved sensitivity of the urine PCR was 88%, and the sensitivity of culture was only 50.7%. These results indicate that urine PCR is highly sensitive for the detection of C. trachomatis in both women and men and provides a noninvasive technique for routine screening for chlamydial infection.