PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

P D Sparham

Publications and source records attributed to P D Sparham.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Comparative in-vitro activity of five fluoroquinolones against mycobacteria.

Fifty distinct strains of mycobacteria were investigated to determine their in-vitro susceptibility to five new fluoroquinolones (norfloxacin, pefloxacin, ofloxacin, enoxacin and ciprofloxacin). Ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were found to be the most active, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 1.25 mg/l or less to all strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. xenopi, M. kansasii and BCG tested. All agents showed little activity against M. malmoense and M. avium-intracellulare complex with MIC values of greater than 2.5 mg/l.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus from sputum in cystic fibrosis.

The success in the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus of different methods of sputum processing was investigated in 60 specimens collected from 14 patients with cystic fibrosis during a seven-month period. Fifty specimens (83%) from 11 patients yielded Staph. aureus by one or more methods. Direct plating of purulent portions of sputum on to media designed for general use in respiratory infections gave unsatisfactory results (35% yield of Staph. aureus). Some increase in isolations was obtained with preliminary liquefaction of sputum; but the best results were given by the addition of a medium selective for staphylococci (mannitol salt agar, BBL) or by initial sonication of sputum (each 83% yield). Seven of the 11 strains of Staph. aureus were thymidine-dependent and otherwise atypical in laboratory characteristics; these were isolated from patients who had received co-trimoxazole.

Adolescent