Biomedical subjects

W K Woelk

Publications and source records attributed to W K Woelk.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Pseudo-outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a high rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at our institution was due to laboratory misclassification and to evaluate the effect of this misclassification. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated all S. aureus isolates identified at our institution during a 60-day period in 1997. Automated susceptibility test results (using the Vitek system) from our clinical microbiology laboratory and an independent laboratory were compared with oxacillin agar screen plate results at both laboratories. Isolates with discordant results for susceptibility to oxacillin were tested by broth microdilution minimal inhibitory concentrations and for the presence of the mecA gene. RESULTS: Eighteen (72%) of the 25 organisms (obtained from 17 patients) found to be resistant to oxacillin by the Vitek system at our institution were susceptible by the oxacillin agar screen. Discordant isolates tested by broth microdilution minimal inhibitory concentrations and for the mecA gene were found to be oxacillin susceptible and mecA gene negative. Thus, at our hospital, almost three fourths of the organisms initially identified as methicillin-resistant S. aureus by the Vitek system were actually susceptible to oxacillin. This misclassification resulted in needless infection control measures and unnecessary vancomycin use. CONCLUSION: Hospitals that use only automated susceptibility testing for S. aureus should periodically validate their results with additional testing.

Cross Infection↗

PubMed1977

Cranial zygomycosis caused by Saksenaea vasiformis. Case report.

A previously healthy youth who had sustained severe head trauma and had received steroids and broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents developed a cranial zygomycotic infection with Saksenaea vasiformis. This is the first time this zygomycete has been implicated as a disease agent. Early identification of the fungal infection and subsequent vigorous medical and surgical therapy led to recovery.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Cell wall-deficient bacterial variant cultural surveillance. A useful laboratory aid.

A cell wall-deficient variant of Corynebacterium species was isolated from the blood of a patient with a chronic febrille illness of unkown etiology. He was given antimicrobial therapy, to which both variant and reverted bacterial forms of this organism were sensitive, and he recovered. Cultural surveillance for cell wall-deficient organisms was not only helpful in confirming the presence of infection in our patient but also in following his clinical course once antimicrobial therapy had been instituted.

Aged↗

PubMed1975

Primary meningococcal pneumonia.

Three cases of pneumonia caused by Neisseria meningitidis group Y are reported. From the results of these cases, the following conclusions were made. N. meningitidis probably can cause serious infection without preceding blood stream invasion. Primary meningococcal pneumonia is not rare; it has no distinctive clinical presentation; and it may not be recognized by routine expectorated sputum cultures. In addition, it may be associated with recent influenzal and adenoviral infections. Lastly, meningococci of the serogroup Y are capable of causing serious disease. Antimicrobial susceptibility studies showed that all three group Y isolates were sensitive to sulfadiazine and rifampin as well as to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, and chloramphenicol.

Adenoviridae Infections↗