Biomedical subjects

S J Seligman

Publications and source records attributed to S J Seligman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1981

Lumbar puncture-induced meningitis.

A retrospective study was done to evaluate the risk of lumbar puncture-induced meningitis. Fourteen percent (23/165) of patients with bacteremia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitis, and groups A and B streptococci had spontaneous meningitis (without a preceding lumbar puncture). In contrast, only 0.8% (7/924) of patients with blood culture containing other organisms had spontaneous meningitis and 2.1% (3/140) of these patients had clinical courses consistent with lumbar puncture-induced meningitis. However, the 2.1% incidence in the latter group is not significantly different from 0.8%, the expected incidence of spontaneous meningitis. It is suggested that if lumbar puncture-induced meningitis does occur, it is rare enough to be clinically insignificant.

Adult↗

PubMed1981

Reduction in antibiotic costs by restricting use of an oral cephalosporin.

Antibiotic cost control programs are important; however, they may be difficult to implement if they include intensive involvement of infectious diseases specialists. In a large municipal hospital, review of antibiotic cost data indicated that 31 percent of the total antibiotic expenditure was for an oral cephalosporin, cephalexin. The requirement that an antibiotic justification form be completed did not decrease use of the drug. However, the requirement that the prescribing physician telephone an infectious diseases specialist resulted in marked restriction of the oral cephalosporin and was accompanied by a 29 percent reduction (adjusted for inflation) in total antibiotic costs. Since comparatively few telephone requests were made and since the decision process to use an oral cephalosporin is comparatively simple, marked reduction in antibiotic costs was achieved with relatively little effort by the infectious disease expert.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1980

Skin wound closure. The effect of various wound closure methods on susceptibility to infection.

A continuous subcuticular polyglycolic acid suture with buried knots protected by a paint-on plastic dressing is shown to be resistant to surface contamination with Staphylococcus aureus in mice and is suggested to be superior to percutaneous skin sutures in infectability and to a tape closure in security.

Animals↗

PubMed1980

Quantitative culture of intravenous catheters and other intravascular inserts.

Quantitative cultures were done on 149 intravenous catheters and 40 additional intravascular inserts. Intradermal and intravascular segments of the insert were cultured separately. The inserts were immersed in broth and flushed. The number of colony-forming units (cfu) per insert was estimated by surface culture of serial dilution of the broth. Nonquantitative culture of undiluted broth was also done. Since all inserts associated with bacteremia had at least 10(3) cfu, inserts greater than 10(3) cfu were considered infected. Staphylococcus epidermidis was more likely than more virulent organisms to colonize an insert without causing bacteremia. The inserts in one bacteremic patient were infected from a distant bloodstream focus; however, in the majority of patients, quantitative intradermal cultures suggested that the insertion site was the portal of entry. In bacteremic patients, either a positive quantitative or a nonquantitative culture identified an infected insert. However, only 33% of positive nonquantitative insert cultures from nonbacteremic patients were confirmed by quantitative insert culture.

Catheterization↗

PubMed1978

Frequency of resistance to kanamycin, tobramycin, netilmicin, and amikacin in gentamicin-resistant gram-negative bacteria.

In vitro evaluation of 66 epidemiologically distinct, gentamicin-resistant, gram-negative isolates from four hospitals revealed that 92% were kanamycin resistant, 44% were netilmicin resistant, 41% were tobramycin resistant, and 6% were amikacin resistant. Combined resistance to gentamicin, tobramycin, and netilmicin occurred in 30% of the strains. Although the resistance percentage to amikacin was the lowest of the three newer agents, two strains were resistant to all of the aminoglycosides tested.

Amikacin↗

PubMed1975