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Biomedical subjects

T S Elliott

Publications and source records attributed to T S Elliott.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Gastrointestinal carriage rate of Clostridium difficile in elderly, chronic care hospital patients.

The carriage rate of Clostridium difficile in patients at a chronic care hospital was determined by two point prevalence surveys at 6-monthly intervals. In the first survey C. difficile or its toxin was present in stool samples from five symptomless patients on three of the four wards studied. All of these colonized patients had been in hospital for at least 2 months, but there was no relationship between carriage of the organism and antibiotic use. When the survey was repeated 6 months later, no symptomless carriers were found but one symptomatic patient had C. difficile and its toxin present in the stool. The results suggest that C. difficile should always be considered as a possible cause of diarrhoea in long-stay hospitalized patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Campylobacter pylori infection in children.

Two children with antral nodular hyperplasia and active chronic gastritis associated with Campylobacter pylori are reported. The organism was observed by scanning electron microscopy and cultured from antral biopsies obtained at endoscopy from each patient. Anti-C. pylori IgG was detected in high titre in both patients together with serum IgM in one patient. Treatment with ampicillin and a bismuth preparation resulted in total resolution of symptoms. Repeated endoscopy with antral biopsy and culture, as well as the absence of acute inflammatory changes, confirmed the eradication of the organism. Correlation of positive bacteriological cultures and serological tests with the clinical improvement related to therapy supports a causative role for C. pylori in antral lymphoid hyperplasia and antral gastritis in children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The effect of antibiotics on bacterial colonisation of vascular cannulae in a novel in-vitro model.

An in-vitro model for studying semi-quantitatively the bacterial colonisation of the external and internal surfaces of peripheral intravascular cannulae is described. Using this model, we studied the effect of ciprofloxacin, teicoplanin and fusidic acid on cannula colonisation by Staphylococcus epidermidis. Exposure of colonised cannulae to sub-MICs of ciprofloxacin and fusidic acid reduced bacterial attachment, whereas sub-MIC levels of teicoplanin had little effect. Pre-exposure of S. epidermidis to sub-MICs of ciprofloxacin and fusidic acid also reduced slime production and colonisation. In comparison, pre-exposure of S. epidermidis to teicoplanin 1.0 mg/L did not influence colonisation, whereas at 0.1 mg/L it was reduced. The model allowed investigation of bacterial colonisation of cannulae and offers a screening system for the assessment of potential agents for the prophylaxis and treatment of these infections.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1987

The response of Escherichia coli to ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin.

The action of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin on two strains of Escherichia coli was studied by diverse methods including electronmicroscopy, viable counting and continuous turbidimetric monitoring. During the first few hours of exposure to inhibitory concentrations of the drugs, the opacity of bacterial cultures continued to increase for a period that was inversely proportional to the drug concentration. This change corresponded to the appearance of filamentous bacteria, swollen forms and some lysis. There was subsequently a gradual drop in opacity during which extensive lysis occurred. As judged by viable counts of bacteria washed free of drug, cell death occurred within 30 min of first exposure to the drugs and continued over a 3-h period. Ultrastructure studies demonstrated that lysis was preceded by the formation of vacuoles, predominantly at the poles of the cells. At these sites, breaks in the cell walls eventually occurred, resulting in extrusion of the cytoplasmic contents.

Cell Wall↗
PubMed1986

Regulation of bile acid synthesis via direct effects on the microsomal membrane.

Rats treated with ethinylestradiol (5 mg kg-1 day-1 for 5 days) secrete de novo synthesized bile acids at a markedly reduced rate (-57%). Administration of the nonionic detergent Triton WR-1339 to estradiol-treated rats rapidly restored the rate of secretion of de novo synthesized bile acids to control levels. In contrast, when Triton was administered to control rats, the secretion rate of bile acids was unaffected. The reduction in bile acid synthesis displayed by estradiol-treated rats was similar to the 50% decrease in the activity of hepatic microsomal 7 alpha-hydroxylase. The activity of 7 alpha-hydroxylase was also restored to control levels by the administration of Triton to estradiol-treated rats. We examined the possibility that estradiol acts directly on the hepatic microsomes. Adding increasing amounts of estradiol to microsomes obtained from control rats resulted in decreasing activities of 7 alpha-hydroxylase. The inhibition by estradiol of 7 alpha-hydroxylase obtained in vitro occurred with amounts of estradiol that were found to accumulate in the liver via in vivo treatment. Double-reciprocal analysis showed that at and below 50 micrograms of estradiol/0.5 mg of protein uncompetitive inhibition was displayed. Additional experiments showed that adding Triton to microsomes obtained from estradiol-treated rats increased the activity of 7 alpha-hydroxylase to control levels. In contrast, Triton did not increase the activity of 7 alpha-hydroxylase when it was added to control microsomes. These data show for the first time that the estrogenic steroid estradiol acts directly on the microsomes and inhibits both the activity of 7 alpha-hydroxylase and the rate of bile acid synthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Gram-negative bacillary meningitis in neonates: a glimmer of therapeutic success.

A combination of gentamicin and ceftazidime was used to treat four neonates with Gram-negative bacillary meningitis. The causative organisms were Escherichia coli (3 cases) and Enterobacter agglomerans (1 case). The laboratory findings, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ceftazidime levels and bactericidal activity demonstrated that penetration of the cephalosporin into the cerebrospinal fluid was adequate. The antibiotics caused no side effects and all the patients responded well. On follow up none of the patients exhibited neurological deficits.

Ceftazidime↗
PubMed1985

Bacteriology and ultrastructure of the bladder in patients with urinary tract infections.

Tissue obtained by biopsy of the bladder from 33 patients with various urinary tract symptoms was studied by conventional bacteriological techniques and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All the patients had recurrent urinary tract symptoms which had not completely responded to antibiotic therapy. Eleven of the patients had greater than or equal to 10(8) colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria/1 urine; six had between 10(6) and 10(7) CFU/1, and 16 were abacteruric. Bacteria were isolated, however, from the tissue obtained by biopsy from eight of the 16 patients with sterile urine and bacteria were seen on the uro-epithelium in 14 of these patients. By comparison, in all samples of tissue obtained from the 11 patients with greater than or equal to 10(8) CFU/1 of urine bacteria were seen on the uro-epithelium and from nine of these, bacteria were subsequently grown. Fastidious organisms were not isolated from any of the patients. The uro-epithelium of all those studied was also shown to be grossly disrupted with increased disturbance and loss of the epithelial cells when compared with tissue obtained from uninfected patients. The degree of uro-epithelial disturbance was greatest in patients with histories of urinary tract infections lasting more than 4 months. The findings suggest that bacteriological examination of the urine does not always reflect bacterial infection on the bladder surface nor disruption of the uro-epithelium. The changes on the bladder surface may explain the patients' symptoms. In view of the results, a scheme is proposed that explains the development of symptoms in patients with urinary tract and bladder infections.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

A morphological study of bacterial colonisation of intravenous cannulae.

In an investigation of bacterial colonisation of intravascular cannulae, 16 peripheral venous cannulae of the Venflon variety and 24 chronic haemodialysis cannulae were studied after removal from patients. Studies of colonisation included semi-quantitative microbiological culture and scanning electronmicrographic (SEM) observations. The microbiological findings indicated colonisation of the intravascular portion of the catheter in 4 of 16 Venflon cannulae and 18 of 26 haemodialysis cannulae, largely with skin commensal organisms. The results of the SEM studies were in broad agreement with the microbiological observations. Surface defects on the cannulae were shown to be associated with microbial colonisation which occurred either as isolated colonies or in association with a cellular fibrinous matrix. These observations are illustrated and discussed.

Bacillus↗