Biomedical subjects

Kurt D Reed

Publications and source records attributed to Kurt D Reed.

39 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Leptotrichia amnionii sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from the amniotic fluid of a woman after intrauterine fetal demise.

A novel bacterium was isolated and characterized from the amniotic fluid of a woman who experienced intrauterine fetal demise in the second trimester of pregnancy. The bacterium was a slow-growing, gram-negative anaerobic coccobacillus belonging to the genus LEPTOTRICHIA: Unlike Leptotrichia sanguinegens, the isolate did not grow in chopped-meat glucose broth or on sheep blood agar upon subculturing. The isolate was characterized by sequencing and analyzing its 16S rRNA gene. The 1,493-bp 16S ribosomal DNA sequence had only 96% homology with L. sanguinegens. Several phylogenetic analyses indicated that L. amnionii is a distinct species and most closely related to L. sanguiegens.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Second case of infective endocarditis caused by Gemella sanguinis.

BACKGROUND: A 69-year-old man presented with a history of spiking fevers and symptoms of transient expressive aphasia and a left hemispheric cerebrovascular accident. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed thickened mitral leaflets. A subsequent transesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated vegetations on both mitral leaflets and severe mitral regurgitation by color flow imaging. A gram-positive coccus was isolated from the blood culture of this patient. METHODS: The bacterium was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of its 16S rRNA gene with the broad range eubacterial primers, FD1 and RD1, followed by sequencing of the PCR product. The obtained sequence was compared to all sequences deposited in GenBank and the ribosomal database project II. A phylogenetic tree was created to determine the relatedness of this bacterium to other bacterial species. RESULTS: The phylogenetic tree created from the 1389 bp 16S rDNA sequence indicated that the endocarditis was due to Gemella sanguinis, a member of the normal oral flora and a rare cause of bacteremia. CONCLUSION: This report describes the second case of endocarditis caused by G. sanguinis. A history of periodontal disease and tooth abscess in this patient suggests that the oropharynx was the probable origin of the Gemella bacteremia. We propose that G. sanguinis should be added to the list of Gemella species that can cause endocarditis.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

An update on the epidemiology, pathogenesis and management of infective endocarditis with emphasis on Staphylococcus aureus.

The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) is thought to be around 4/100,000 person years in the general population, and 15/100,000 over the age of 50 years. The risk of acquiring IE is higher among patients with valvular heart disease (e.g., rheumatic valves, bicuspid aortic valves, myxomatous degeneration, etc.), congenital heart disease (e.g., coarctation, patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, etc.), prosthetic cardiac valves, and among intravenous drug abusers. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common infective agents of IE, and most commonly originates from nosocomial sources, e.g., intravenous and arterial catheters, pacemaker leads, and prosthetic valves. Endocarditis caused by S aureus has a mortality rate of approximately 20% to 40%. In up to 40% of patients, IE caused by S aureus is associated with embolic complications. The risk of death increases with the development of complications. The epidemiology and microbiology of S aureus are changing rapidly, and resistance to antibiotics, especially methicillin, is becoming more widespread. In this review we will focus on the epidemiology, microbiology, and pathogenesis of S aureus IE, and also summarize the current guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis of this clinical condition.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗