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J A Cuadros

Publications and source records attributed to J A Cuadros.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

In vitro susceptibility of recent antibiotic-resistant urinary pathogens to ertapenem and 12 other antibiotics.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of complicated urinary tract infections may require the use of a parenteral antibiotic with potent activity against the most common urinary pathogens. Ertapenem is a broad-spectrum 1beta-methyl carbapenem with a long plasma half-life that allows administration of a single daily dose. METHODS: The purpose of this work was to test the in vitro susceptibility to ertapenem, ampicillin, cefazolin, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, co-amoxiclav, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, gentamicin, amikacin, fosfomycin, ciprofloxacin and co-trimoxazole of 482 strains of urinary pathogens of the family Enterobacteriaceae isolated from patients in the community of Madrid (40% from males). The distribution was as follows: Escherichia coli (n = 315), Proteus mirabilis (n = 42), Klebsiella spp. (n = 14) and AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae (n = 111). The strains studied were selected based on their resistance to quinolones and aminoglycosides, and their production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) or AmpC-type beta-lactamases. RESULTS: All the strains were susceptible to ertapenem, imipenem and amikacin. The MIC(90) of ertapenem ranged from a minimum of 0.03 mg/L for Proteus vulgaris and a maximum of 1 mg/L for Enterobacter spp. Ertapenem was the most active of all drugs tested in all cases. On comparing antibiotic resistance among ESBL-producing strains of E. coli (n = 35) and E. coli strains not producing ESBLs (n = 280), statistically significant differences were obtained for ciprofloxacin (P = 0.002) and gentamicin (P = 0.011). Regarding ertapenem, only a slight increase in MIC(50) was seen, the value being 0.015 mg/L for strains not producing ESBLs versus 0.03 mg/L for ESBL-producing strains. CONCLUSIONS: In view of its significant antibiotic potency against antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, ertapenem may constitute a good therapeutic alternative in urinary infections caused by these pathogens.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Evaluation of the Etest for penicillin susceptibility testing of Neisseria meningitidis.

Susceptibility to penicillin of 30 strains (one isolate per patient) of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from blood (N = 19) or cerebrospinal fluid (N = 11) was studied by two methods. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) obtained with the Etest were compared to those obtained by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards agar dilution method. Twenty meningococci (67%) relatively resistant to penicillin were identified by both methods. The mean MIC from the reference method was 0.32 micrograms/ml (range, 0.2-1) and by the Etest method was 0.35 micrograms/ml (range, 0.19-1.25). All MICs obtained by the Etest method were within one dilution of the MICs obtained by the reference method. Because of the increase in penicillin MIC of meningococcal isolates in Spain, we evaluated the performance of the Etest as an alternative method for penicillin-susceptibility testing of N. meningitidis. The Etest is a simple and accurate method for determining the susceptibility of N. meningitidis to penicillin.

Colony Count, Microbial↗

Long-term efficacy of a program to control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The long-term efficacy of a program to control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was evaluated in a 350-bed university hospital. Three periods were monitored: pre-epidemic (January 1989-November 1989), outbreak (December 1989-June 1990) and control program (July 1990-December 1992) periods. Control measures included cohort isolation, patient care measures and therapy (oral cotrimoxazole plus fusidic acid ointment) of MRSA carriage in patients, roommates and personnel. A total of 117 MRSA-infected patients were detected. For each period respectively, MRSA incidence (number of cases per 1,000 patient-days) was 3.2, 8.2 and 2.0 in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 0.08, 0.23 and 0.26 in the general wards. During the outbreak there was a 2.7-fold overall increase of baseline MRSA incidence (p < 0.02). The crude mortality was 68% and the attributable mortality was estimated to be 50%. The program was estimated to have prevented 76% (CI95 28-91, p < 0.0001) of expected MRSA cases and 85% (CI95 62-94, p < 0.0001) of expected fatalities due to MRSA in the ICU, but it had no significant effect in the general wards. The program did not control vancomycin consumption.

Carrier State↗

[Antibiotic sensitivity of strains of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci isolated recently].

The present study investigated the sensitivity of 35 group A beta-hemolytic streptococci strains, isolated from clinical samples in 1988 and 1989, to 12 antibiotics. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of each antibiotic were measured by the agar dilution method. All strains were sensitive to penicillin G, ampicillin, oxacillin, cefazolin, cefotaxime, erythromycin, clindamycin, vancomycin and ciprofloxacin. It was concluded that, in our area, Streptococcus pyogenes still has an excellent sensitivity to penicillin G and to other antibiotics which may be a therapeutic alternative in allergic patients or an empiric treatment in infections likely to be produced, among other organisms, by S. pyogenes.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Dermatophytosis in a urban setting: prospective study of 135 cases].

During a period of one year all patients referred to the Dermatology department with the diagnosis of dermatophytosis were studied to determine the incidence. Etiology, and epidemiology of these infections in the northeast of Madrid. We have evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the direct examination with 10% KOH with respect to the culture as well as the correlation between the clinical diagnosis and the result of the mycologic examination. The annual incidence was 8.4 cases per 10,000 inhabitants and the most frequent causal agents in a total number of 135 patients were Epidermophyton floccosum in 48 (35.5%), Microsporum canis in 36 (26.6%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes in 28 (20.7%) and Trichophyton rubrum in 12 (8.8%). In 5 patients there were simultaneous infection by two different agents. In a third part of the cases a previous contact with animals was reported. The direct examination had a specificity of 98% and a sensitivity of 83%. The diagnosis in the nonungual infections was confirmed in the 54% of the cases. The incidence of dermatophytosis in our geographical area is high. Due to the similarities with other diseases, the mycologic examination by microscopy or culture is essential.

Adolescent↗

[Bacteremia caused by Bacteroides. An analysis of 50 episodes].

During the 32 months between October 1984 and May 1987 there were 72,800 admissions in our center; 31,523 blood cultures were undertaken and in 3,831 of them (11.5%) at least one significant organism was recovered; 6.7% of blood cultures yielded anaerobic bacteria, and 3.1% Bacteroides spp. In the 1,478 instances of bacteremia recorded during that period, the relative frequencies of bacteremia by anaerobic bacteria and by Bacteroides were 8.6% and 3.9%, respectively. In overall 50 Bacteroides bacteremias (47 due to Bacteroides fragilis and 3 to Bacteroides spp), 32 (64%) were hospital acquired and 14 (28%) postsurgical. Their most common source was the abdominal cavity (25, 50%), followed by the skin and soft tissues (7, 14%), feminine pelvis (4, 8%), miscellaneous (8, 16%), and unknown (7, 14%). Fifteen bacteremias (30%) were polymicrobial, 20 (40%) were associated with septic shock, and 15 (30%) with renal failure. Overall mortality rate was 52%, and that directly attributable to bacteremia was 32%. Poor prognostic predictors included the source from a perforated viscus, septic shock, renal failure or gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and the absence of adequate antimicrobial therapy.

Adolescent↗