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J S Venglarcik

Publications and source records attributed to J S Venglarcik.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Assessment of medical students' knowledge regarding human immunodeficiency virus transmission: comparisons by gender, residence, and training level.

As the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection increases, health care practitioners are being called upon to counsel and educate patients regarding the complications associated with HIV infection. In addition, the anxiety levels of health care workers reveal that similar educational efforts must be initiated early in the training of health care professionals. In this study we surveyed 341 first and second year medical students from three medical schools to assess their levels of knowledge about how HIV infection is and is not transmitted. Results were analyzed overall, by site, by gender, and by the respondents' locality (urban or rural). Analysis revealed that knowledge regarding HIV transmission varied dramatically among these first and second year medical students. Place of residence, gender, and class rank did not appear to be factors affecting these students' knowledge. We recommend that caution be exercised in assuming that prospective physicians possess current knowledge on how HIV infection is transmitted.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1983

pH-dependent oxacillin tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus.

A proportion of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus exhibit resistance to bactericidal activity of certain antibiotics, despite normal susceptibility to inhibition. This phenomenon is termed "tolerance." The methodology used to determine tolerance varies greatly. To clarify the relationship between laboratory methodology and tolerance, we determined the minimal bactericidal concentrations and minimal inhibitory concentrations for 20 clinical isolates by two methods. Inocula were prepared by either 3-h growth of the organism in Mueller-Hinton broth or overnight (22 to 24 h) cultures in Trypticase soy broth (BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, Md.). All inocula were plated for colony counts and tested for pH. An American Type Culture Collection (Rockville, Md.) reference strain was included in all tests for standardization. Tolerance was defined by the strictest criterion, i.e., a minimal bactericidal concentration/minimal inhibitory concentration ratio of greater than or equal to 100. With the first method, none of the 20 isolates displayed tolerance (mean inoculum pH, 7.15). When inocula were grown in Trypticase soy broth with overnight incubation, 35% (7 of 20) showed tolerance (mean inoculum pH, 6.22). There was a significant association between the decreased bactericidal capacity at high oxacillin concentrations and overnight incubation in Trypticase soy broth (P less than 0.01). We suggest that tolerance in staphylococci is in some way related to the pH value of the inoculating culture. Such pH-induced tolerance may have a clinical corollary in sequestered infections where the pH is acidic.

Hydrogen-Ion Concentration↗