The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy
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J. Antimicrob. Chemother. · Jul 2012
ReviewColistin resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii: clinical reports, mechanisms and antimicrobial strategies.
Colistin is the last resort for treatment of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Unfortunately, resistance to colistin has been reported all over the world. The highest resistance rate was reported in Asia, followed by Europe. ⋯ Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies revealed that colistin monotherapy is unable to prevent resistance, and combination therapy might be the best antimicrobial strategy against colistin-resistant A. baumannii. Colistin/rifampicin and colistin/carbapenem are the most studied combinations that showed promising results in vitro, in vivo and in the clinic. New peptides showing good activity against colistin-resistant A. baumannii are also being investigated.
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J. Antimicrob. Chemother. · Jul 2012
Standardizing an in vitro procedure for the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of wound dressings and the assessment of three wound dressings.
A wide selection of wound dressings is available on the market with varying claims of antimicrobial efficacy. A valid standard method for evaluation of their antimicrobial activity in vitro has not been established. In this study we suggest a standardized time-kill assay procedure for antimicrobial activity evaluation of wound dressings in order to make studies more comparable and reproducible. We also tested two silver-containing dressings and one propolis-containing dressing against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using our proposed procedure. ⋯ Based on our findings we suggest that a time-kill assay with a 1 cm(2) dressing is used for evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of wound dressings, and that the dressings should be exposed to a standardized inoculum of 1-1.5 × 10(6) cfu/mL with Mueller-Hinton broth as the most appropriate medium. PCD requires further research to establish its clinical value.
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J. Antimicrob. Chemother. · Jul 2012
Piperacillin/tazobactam (Tazocin™) seems to be no longer responsible for false-positive results of the galactomannan assay.
Galactomannan (GM) testing is extremely useful for diagnosing invasive aspergillosis in high-risk patients, but false-positive results have been reported in patients treated with piperacillin/tazobactam. The aims of this study are to test if the recent piperacillin/tazobactam (Tazocin™; Pfizer) preparation still contains GM, and if serum GM positivity in haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients receiving piperacillin/tazobactam can be attributed to this treatment. ⋯ Although some residual GM might still be present in piperacillin/tazobactam, currently available brand piperacillin/tazobactam preparations seem no longer responsible for false-positive GM results.
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J. Antimicrob. Chemother. · Jun 2012
Perceptions and attitudes of French general practitioners towards rapid antigen diagnostic tests in acute pharyngitis using a randomized case vignette study.
This study had three objectives: (i) to assess the use of rapid antigen diagnostic tests (RADTs) and their impact on the antibiotic prescribing behaviour of general practitioners (GPs) for acute pharyngitis; (ii) to study the barriers to the use of RADTs; and (iii) to identify GPs' characteristics associated with non-compliance with French guidelines. ⋯ RADTs are a useful but not sufficient tool to reduce antibiotic prescribing in general practice. The results of this study increase understanding of the factors underlying clinical decision making for acute pharyngitis and may contribute to the development of interventions to improve practice.