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Biomedical subjects

M Emmerson

Publications and source records attributed to M Emmerson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

A microbiologist's view of factors contributing to infection.

Why some patients develop postoperative surgical wound infection and others do not remains a mystery. There are many risk factors for infection, and mathematical scoring systems are often good predictors of infection; yet, some patients with a plethora of risk factors fail to develop surgical site infections. Even patients with established abdominal infection do not automatically develop wound infection. Early experimental work, now confirmed in the clinical setting, dictates that bacteria must be in the wound to cause infection; the minimal infecting dose will depend on the environmental conditions in the wound. The presence of foreign bodies, trauma, hematoma, etc., will enhance the effect of the inoculum; therefore, surgical debridement and careful surgery are necessary to reinforce the host defenses. Some bacteria, e.g., Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, have a greater propensity to cause infection, so extensive infection-control practices are necessary to prevent or contain these pathogens. To minimize the risk of surgical site infection, individual patient risk factors must be identified and modified whenever possible. The patient should be prepared for the operation and appropriate skin antiseptics should be used on the operative site. The patient should be considered for perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis and, if appropriate, bowel preparation should be carried out. Care and attention to the theater operating environment is important, especially for cases in which airborne transmission of bacteria should be controlled, e.g., ultraclean air systems for implant surgery. In elective surgery, the source of bacteria that cause infection is either the patient's normal flora (e.g., skin or bowel), i.e., endogenous, or the surgical staff or environment, i.e., exogenous. Surgical expertise and theater discipline are essential components in the fight against surgical sepsis.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1994

Nosocomial staphylococcal outbreaks.

Staphylococcus aureus is the most frequently isolated single bacterial species from surgical wounds. During 1954-59, S. aureus phage 80/81 was responsible for more than 20% of staphylococcal epidemics in British hospitals. With the introduction of methicillin came satisfactory treatment of staphylococcal infection, though strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were quickly discovered. Outbreaks of MRSA infection usually start with the transfer or admission of either a patient or healthcare worker colonized or infected with MRSA from another hospital or the community. Long-stay patients act as reservoirs for MRSA which spread via several modes of transmission. Hospital outbreaks of MRSA infection are difficult to control and may require stringent containment measures entailing considerable expense. Infection control is dependent on staff education programmes and surveillance. In the event of an MRSA epidemic, infection control staff may need to solicit the help of a team of trained specialists to implement intensive surveillance programmes, to identify and isolate MRSA carriers and eradicate the carriage of MRSA. Antibiotics are widely used for the prevention of infection, but control should be exercised as excessive antibiotic use has been identified as a risk factor for outbreaks of infection.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1986

An evaluation of five serological tests for the detection of antibody to bovine herpesvirus 1 in vaccinated and experimentally infected cattle.

More than 300 bovine sera from a previously reported vaccination and challenge trial were tested for antibodies to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1) by five serological assays: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgM and IgG, passive haemagglutination (PHA), and two methods of virus neutralisation (VN). In a statistical comparison of ELISA (IgG), PHA and VN results, the assays showed highly significant correlations (P less than 0.01). The sensitivities of ELISA and 24-hour neutralisation tests were similar, in contrast to passive haemagglutination and one hour neutralisation which failed to detect BHV1 antibodies in some low titre sera.

Animals↗