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Biomedical subjects

H Malnick

Publications and source records attributed to H Malnick.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Haemophilus paraphrophilus infection: a pitfall in laboratory diagnosis.

Many clinical laboratories have difficulty in identifying a group of organisms which are catalase negative, oxidase positive, Gram negative rods. We describe a case of purulent sacroiliitis due to Haemophilus paraphrophilus where the organism was initially misidentified as Eikenella corrodens leading to inappropriate antimicrobial chemotherapy. We review the strains of H. paraphrophilus and E. corrodens that were identified by the National Collection of Type Cultures over the last ten years. Only 21 of 100 strains identified as E. corrodens were submitted as E. corrodens. Seven strains submitted as possible E. corrodens were identified as H. paraphrophilus. Several different species of Gram negative rods may produce pitting on agar and this seems to be poorly recognised. However, further tests are available to facilitate correct identification of these strains.

Adult

Isolation of Protomonas extorquens (the 'red phantom') from a patient with AIDS.

We report the isolation of a pigmented, slowly growing, environmental organism with pink colonies from the blood of a patient with AIDS. The organism was characterised biochemically and by protein 'fingerprinting' as Protomonas extorquens biovar 3. This is the first report of isolation of this organism from a patient with AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Description of a medium for isolating Anaerobiospirillum spp., a possible cause of zoonotic disease, from diarrheal feces and blood of humans and use of the medium in a survey of human, canine, and feline feces.

Anaerobiospirillum spp., motile, spiral anaerobic bacteria, have been implicated as a cause of diarrhea and bacteremia in humans. Anaerobiospirillumlike organisms and Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens were reported from 17 cases of diarrhea. Sixteen of the patients did not have any underlying disorders and recovered from the infection; the other one, who had a heart defect, did not. The formulation of a selective medium for Anaerobiospirillum spp. has enabled a survey of human, cat, and dog feces as possible sources for these anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobiospirillum spp. were not isolated from 527 "normal" human feces but were found in both cat and dog feces. We also describe biochemical tests and API ZYM results of A. succiniciproducens and anaerobiospirillumlike organisms.

Adult

In vitro susceptibility of Capnocytophaga species to antimicrobial agents.

A total of 33 clinical isolates of Capnocytophaga spp. were susceptible to 4-quinolone antimicrobial agents. The antipseudomonal penicillins tested were equally active against all isolates, as were cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, ceftizoxime, cefotaxime, latamoxef, and ceftazidime. Most isolates were resistant to trimethoprim, and some were resistant to aztreonam. Most regimens for the empirical treatment of septic episodes in immunocompromised patients are suitable for the treatment of Capnocytophaga spp. infections.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Identification of Brevibacterium from clinical sources.

Coryneform bacteria of the genus Brevibacterium occur on the normal skin surface, but reports of human infection with this genus are lacking. A number of cultures of coryneform bacteria sent to the National Collection of Type Cultures for identification have been identified as Brevibacterium spp on the basis of their cell wall composition and ability to produce methane-thiol from L-methionine. We describe a rapid method for the detection of methane-thiol and confirmatory tests which differentiate Brevibacterium from morphologically similar genera.

Bacteriological Techniques

Capnocytophaga ochracea infection: two cases and a review of the published work.

Bacteria of the genus Capnocytophaga are recently recognised pathogens which may cause oral disease and subsequent septicaemia in the immunocompromised host. We present two cases of infection caused by Capnocytophaga ochracea; a soft tissue infection in an immunologically normal patient and an episode of septicaemia in a child with leukaemia. The microbiology, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial susceptibility of the genus capnocytophaga are reviewed.

Bacterial Infections

Anaerobiospirillum species isolated from humans with diarrhoea.

Flagellated anaerobic motile spiral bacteria were isolated from the faeces of two patients with diarrhoea. They were recovered by the microaerophilic culture method used to detect campylobacters but demanded anaerobic conditions for subculture. Electron microscopy and other investigations showed them to be closely related to Anaerobiospirillum succiniproducens first described in beagle dogs and subsequently in three humans with bacteraemia.

Adult

Test reproducibility of the API (20E), Enterotube, and Pathotec systems.

Thirty-three strains of bacteria (30 Enterobacteriaceae and one strain each of Aeromonas formicans, A. hydrophila, and Plesiomonas shigelloides) were tested three times in each of 27 conventional tests and in the API, Enterotube, and Pathotec systems. The results obtained were analysed for test reproducibility within each kit, correlation of the kit tests with the equivalent conventional media, and the identification of the strains by the kits. Difficulties in evaluation and comparison of identifications are discussed. A practical evaluation of the kits was also made.

Bacteriological Techniques

Strains of Pseudomonas putrefaciens from clinical material.

Eight strains of Pseudomonas putrefaciens have been received from among 466 strains of Pseudomonas submitted to the Computer Trials Laboratory for identification over the last eight years. Two of the strains of P. putrefaciens from patients with otitis media and otitis externa respectively appear to have played a pathogenic role. The biochemical characteristics of these eight strains were compared with those of seven culture collection strains.

Anti-Bacterial Agents