Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease
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Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Nov 2012
ReviewPharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of 'old' polymyxins: what is new?
'Old' colistin and polymyxin B are increasingly used as last-line therapy against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. For intravenous administration, colistin is dosed as its inactive prodrug colistin methanesulfonate (sodium), while polymyxin B is used as its sulfate (active antibacterial). ⋯ As simply increasing polymyxin dosage regimens is not an option for optimizing their PK/PD due to nephrotoxicity, combination therapy with other antibiotics has great potential to maximize the efficacy of polymyxins while minimizing emergence of resistance. We must pursue rational approaches to the use of polymyxins and other existing antibiotics through the application of PK/PD principles.
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Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Nov 2012
Human metapneumovirus in Jordan: prevalence and clinical symptoms in hospitalized pediatric patients and molecular virus characterization.
Respiratory viral infections account for significant morbidity and mortality especially in young children worldwide. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) causes illnesses ranging from mild respiratory problems to bronchiolitis and severe pneumonia. From January to December 2007, 220 nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from children younger ≤ 13 years old hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infection to detect hMPV by revese transcription-polymerase chain reaction and to clone and sequence the hMPV-positive samples. ⋯ Human metapneumovirus was seasonally distributed; most infections with hMPV were reported in the late winter and early spring. The peak of hMPV incidence was in February (10/28; 35.7%). Sequencing of purified plasmid DNA was performed in forward and reverse direction to confirm the results of hMPV-positive samples which scored 97% identity to hMPV type A genome isolate NL/17/00 and showing C-T variation that had no effect on the amino acid sequence F(Phe)-F(Phe).