Tag Archives: Microbiology comments
Pathology stewardship – an essential element of AMS
Poor antimicrobial prescribing decisions often are triggered by laboratory results that create red herrings or worse. Inappropriate/ poor specimen collection and/or a request form that provides no context to the investigation often sets the ball rolling. Inappropriate workup and reporting of contaminant or colonising isolates may then follow (it may be impossible for the lab […]
Magical thinking- do antibiotics improve chronic wound healing?
We’ve previously addressed this topic here. It’s certainly the case that chronic skin ulcers (leg or elsewhere) drive an enormous amount of antibiotic prescribing, perhaps because these ulcers are so hard to heal and a degree of therapeutic impatience occurs. The annual survey of chronic wounds last year in our health district indicated that 28% of inpatients […]
Micro lab comments: candidaemia and candiduria
Candidal bloodstream infection represents a high risk infection, even for immunocompetent patients. Mortality is significant even for IV line-associated candidaemia. Blood cultures are seldom contaminated by fungi and any patient with an isolate must be subjected to careful clinical assessment. Our comment serves to give a few reminders that follow on from the liaison between the […]
Micro comments: Clostridium difficile testing
Here are our local Pathology North (NSW) comments together with their rationale: Positive CDI test result comment (no test of clearance required!): The duration of contact precautions following recovery are controversial. Patients will continue to excrete C. difficile for weeks following recovery and can represent a cross infection risk. However continent patients with formed stool who […]
Microlab comment: beta-haemolytic streptococci isolated from blood
Here is another one used for uncomplicated bloodstream infection events: Infections due to these species of streptococci are usually rapidly responsive to appropriate antibiotic therapy which can be of short duration with no minimum IV requirement as endocarditis is not a usual consideration. Penicillin resistance has not been documented and flucloxacillin is just as active (see […]
Micro comments unpacked: Gram negative bacteraemia
Here is an example comment from Pathology North which is added to positive blood culture reports when a Gram negative coliform species ( Enterobacteriacae eg. E. coli) has been isolated: The comment’s rationale is to promote short course treatment and also to prompt oral antibiotic switching in a timely manner. It also prompts consideration of source […]
Essential clinical care of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (SAB)
Updated 8/5/20. A. Healthcare-associated events (2018, HNE LHD ) 60 healthcare-associated SAB cases occurred with 7% due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and age-adjusted 30 day mortality of 9%. SAB relapse within 15-90 days occurred in 2.1% of adult events 7% of paediatric events. Principle sites common: ● Vascular access device (e.g. intravenous cannula, central […]
AIMED - Let's talk about antibiotics 
Anaerobic susceptibility data – Australia and New Zealand – updated 2019
This posting summarises all the work that can be found – I would welcome advice about any additional studies. Image: Bacteroides fragilis Gram stain from http://microbe-canvas.com/. Australia Teng-JC et al. Victoria-wide data 2018: 416 isolates (Gram pos and neg), almost all were metronidazole, meropenem and augmentin susceptible. 75% of Gram neg isolates were clindamycin susceptible. […]