PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Acinetobacter Infections”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Antibacterial sensitivity of Acinetobacter strains isolated from nosocomial infections.

Acinetobacter species can cause many types of hospital-acquired infection and play an important role in nosocomial pneumonia in intensive care units, skin and wound infections, and meningitis. They are of increasing importance because of their ability to rapidly develop resistance to the major groups of antibiotics. We aimed to determine the antibiotic sensitivity of Acinetobacter strains isolated from, and determined to be the cause of, hospital-acquired infections. A total of 156 cultures of Acinetobacter (strains of A. baumannii [136; 87.2%] and A. iwoffii [20; 12.8%]), were isolated from clinical samples taken from patients in different units of our hospital. Conventional bacterial identification methods and the Sceptor system were used. In the antibiotic sensitivity tests, A. baumannii was susceptible to imipenem (90.4%), norfloxacin (84.5%) and ciprofloxacin (65.4%), and A. iwoffii to amikacin (80.0%), ticarcillin/clavulanic acid (70.0%) and imipenem (60.0%).

Acinetobacter↗

Challenges in identifying new antimicrobial agents effective for treating infections with Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are gram-negative pathogens that target immunocompromised patients. They express a variety of determinants that confer resistance to a broad array of antimicrobial agents. Mechanisms of resistance include impaired entry through the bacterial outer membrane, production of antibiotic-modifying enzymes, active efflux, and target mutations that reduce antimicrobial affinity. It has been a challenge to identify new agents that have activity against the more resistant variants of these species. Doripenem is a carbapenem in phase 3 trials that has excellent activity against P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii. However, it lacks activity against strains that express resistance to the currently available carbapenems. Tigecycline is a newly licensed glycylcycline that lacks activity against P. aeruginosa but has encouraging activity against many A. baumannii isolates. Resistance to tigecycline can emerge during therapy, however, and is due to expression of multidrug efflux pumps.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

An outbreak of neonatal infection with Acinetobacter linked to contaminated suction catheters.

An outbreak of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter spp. infection in the neonatal unit at King Edward VIII hospital in Durban, South Africa, is described. Nine out of a total of 218 neonates were infected during the study period. The outbreak was characterized by early onset infection [median postnatal age 3 days (range 1-23 days)] in pre-term babies [median gestational age 33 weeks (range 30-35 weeks)] with an attributable mortality of 22%. The source of the outbreak, determined by ribotyping, was presumed to be contaminated suction bottles and catheters in the neonatal admission room. Five neonates were successfully treated with ciprofloxacin and amikacin. Enforcement of strict infection control practices curtailed the outbreak.

Acinetobacter↗

Attributable mortality of Acinetobacter baumannii infections in critically ill patients: a systematic review of matched cohort and case-control studies.

INTRODUCTION: There has been a continuing controversy about whether infection with Acinetobacter baumannii increases morbidity and mortality independently of the effect of other confounding factors. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of matched case-control and cohort studies examining the mortality attributable to infection with or acquisition of A. baumannii (infection or colonization). We included in our review studies that compared mortality and/or morbidity of patients with acquisition of or infection with A. baumannii (cases) with the outcomes of matched patients without A. baumannii isolation from clinical specimens (controls). The relevant studies were identified from searches of the PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases. Two independent reviewers performed the literature search, study selection, and data extraction from nine identified relevant studies. RESULTS: The attributable mortalities, in the hospital and in the intensive care unit, of patients with A. baumannii infection in six matched case-control studies included in our review ranged from 7.8% to 23% and from 10% to 43%, respectively. In addition, a statistically significantly higher mortality was reported for patients with A. baumannii acquisition; that is, colonization or infection (cases) compared with controls without such an acquisition in all four reviewed studies that reported data on this comparison. CONCLUSION: Although definitive statements about the mortality attributable to the acquisition of A. baumannii cannot be made from the available studies because of their methodological heterogeneity, the reviewed data suggest that infection with or acquisition of A. baumannii seems to be associated with increased mortality.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

Risk factors for infection by Acinetobacter baumannii in intubated patients with nosocomial pneumonia.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiology of infection by Acinetobacter baumannii in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: Three medical-surgical ICUs in teaching hospitals. PATIENTS: We followed up 707 mechanically ventilated patients and 148 episodes of VAP with etiologic diagnosis. RESULTS: A baumannii was isolated in 12 (8.1%) episodes in 148 patients. Five of these episodes were directly responsible for death. Using logistic regression analysis, the risk of VAP due to A baumannii was found to be high in patients with neurosurgery (odds ratio [OR]=10.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.55 to 64.90), ARDS (OR=9.73; 95% CI=1.60 to 59.24), head trauma (OR=5.17; 95% CI=0.88 to 30.34), and large-volume pulmonary aspiration (OR=2.90; 95% CI=0.80 to 10.53). CONCLUSIONS: Intubated patients who develop pneumonia and have any of the above factors are at an increased risk of Acinetobacter infection.

Acinetobacter↗

A novel genus of virulent phage targeting Acinetobacter baumannii: Efficacy and safety in a murine model of pulmonary infection.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a notable opportunistic pathogen responsible for severe hospital-acquired infections, with multidrug-resistant strains posing significant treatment challenges. Phage therapy, which employs bacteriophages as natural bacterial antagonists, has gained renewed attention as a promising solution to combat antibiotic-resistant infections. In this study, we isolated and characterized a novel virulent phage, vB_AbaS_qsb1, which specifically lyses A.baumannii. Phylogenetic and genomic analyses indicate that vB_AbaS_qsb1 is the founding member of a previously unreported genus, which we propose to name Acinibactriovirus, with Acinibactriovirus lysinus as the type species. vB_AbaS_qsb1 demonstrated robust stability across diverse temperature and pH ranges, a short latent period, and no known virulence or antibiotic resistance genes within its 54,713 bp dsDNA genome. Safety assessments showed that high-dose vB_AbaS_qsb1 induced no adverse effects in mice, with histopathology confirming its safety profile. Therapeutic experiments further indicated that vB_AbaS_qsb1 provided at least 50% protection against A.baumannii-induced pneumonia, significantly reducing bacterial loads and inflammation markers, while maintaining high phage titers in lung tissue.This study introduces vB_AbaS_qsb1 as a promising candidate for phage therapy against A.baumannii, offering both innovative insights and a valuable framework for future isolation, genomic characterization, and efficacy evaluation of phages targeting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Animals↗

Comparison of three typing methods in hospital outbreaks of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus infection.

During a period of 11 months Acinetobacter baumanii was isolated from 27 patients and 21 environmental samples in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in one surgical unit of a University Hospital. The isolates were characterized by biotyping, antibiograms and plasmid profiles and compared with co-isolates. Plasmid fingerprinting distinguished three outbreaks, whereas other typing methods were less sensitive and discriminatory. Although plasmid profiles seem to be a simple and reproducible marker for epidemiological studies with acinetobacter strains, it might be useful to combine at least two typing methods since plasmids are unstable genetic structures, and not all strains possess plasmids.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

Hospital infection with Acinetobacter spp.: an increasing problem.

During the last few years, among nosocomial pathogens, Acinetobacter spp. have given rise to an increasing number of nosocomial infections. Acinetobacter strains are widely distributed in nature; in hospitals, the human skin is the likely source for most outbreaks of hospital infections. The organism has been frequently found in the inanimate environment, especially in moist situations and it has been isolated from various types of opportunistic infections (septicaemia, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia, skin and wound sepsis and urinary tract infection). For epidemiological studies, various typing methods such as biotyping, bacteriocin typing and serology have been developed. More recently electrophoretic patterns of cell-envelope proteins and plasmid analysis have proved useful in differentiating outbreak strains. Antibiogram typing may be useful but the antibiotic resistance of Acinetobacter spp. has changed rapidly within the last few years and thus antibiotyping must be complemented by other typing systems. New methods such as electrophoretic analysis of isoenzymes, definition of plasmidotype profiles or restriction endonuclease digestion of chromosomal DNA are under investigation.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

Evaluation of Acinetobacter baumannii infection and colonization, and antimicrobial treatment patterns in an urban teaching hospital.

In 1990 there was a sudden increase in the incidence of colonization and infection due to Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) in our intensive care units (ICUs). The isolates were multiply resistant to beta-lactam and aminoglycoside antibiotics, but remained susceptible to imipenem, amikacin, and ampicillin-sulbactam. We examined the frequency of infection and colonization with AB and the effects of increased imipenem and amikacin therapy on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We also used disease-matched controls to determine the clinical and financial impacts of treating colonization. All patients with at least one AB isolate from January-December 1992 were identified retrospectively and classified as infected or colonized based on published Centers for Disease Control criteria; the control group was selected from a computerized medical records data base matching primary diagnostic codes (102 patients both groups). The 102 patients yielded 140 isolates, 124 resistant AB and 16 sensitive AB. Thirty three patients were infected, 69 colonized. Mortality correlated with APACHE II scores. Patients acquired the organism approximately 2 weeks after admission; they had a mean ICU stay of 27.35 days, compared with 5.53 days for controls. Patients with positive AB cultures required significantly more use of ventilators than those with negative AB cultures. They also had significantly longer hospital stay, more bed transfers, greater duration and number of antibiotics, and higher hospital and pharmacy charges. Unnecessary treatment for colonization with either imipenem or amikacin resulted in a substantial decrease of P. aeruginosa susceptibility to each agent. The financial impact of treating colonization was significant and is a potential area for cost avoidance. Our results emphasize the need to extubate and move patients to non-ICU beds as soon as possible to decrease the risk of nosocomial infection. It also highlights the need to avoid treating colonization, thus avoiding unnecessary antibiotic therapy.

Acinetobacter↗

[Epidemiologic consistency of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods for the study of Acinotobacter baumannii infections].

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most frequent causative agents of nosocomial infections outbreaks. Consequently, a rapid and specific typing method that can identify epidemic strains is important in preventing their dissemination. To evaluate PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based methods as epidemiological markers, epidemiologic concordance (EC) and the discriminatory power (D) of two of those methods: 1) arbitrary primed-PCR (AP-PCR), and 2) repetitive extragenic palindrome sequence-based PCR (REP-PCR), were analyzed. The results were compared with that of ribotyping using EcoRI, BglII and ClaI as restriction enzymes. These methods were applied to 69 A. baumannii isolates that included: 15 epidemiological unrelated isolates, 31 recovered from two outbreaks, and 23 obtained from endemic infections. Considering the unrelated isolates, D of ribotyping, AP-PCR and REP-PCR were 0.915, 0.904 and 0.847, respectively. The three methods showed the same EC with respect to the two analyzed outbreaks (100% and 83%, respectively), and the epidemic strains were uniformi differentiated from the co-transferred ones. Ribotyping classified the 23 isolates recovered from endemic infections in 4 different strains, while AP-PCR and REP-PCR identified 3 of them. Although, the 3 methods identified the most frequent disseminated strain. The mayor advantages of REP-PCR versus AP-PCR were reproducibility, and easier optimization. These advantages, in addition to the similar EC of the 3 methods, confirm REP-PCR as an appropriate marker to be used when rapid information about epidemiological A. baumannii infection analysis is required.

Acinetobacter↗

Rifampicin/imipenem combination in the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections.

BACKGROUND: In the setting of a large endemic of Acinetobacter baumannii infections, treatment of those due to carbapenem-resistant strains, susceptible only to colistin, has become a major problem in our hospital during the past years. Successful results have been reported using colistin, but clinical experience with this antibiotic is limited. In our experimental studies using these strains in a mouse pneumonia model, the best results were observed with a combination of rifampicin and imipenem. METHODS: From July 2000 to September 2001, we performed a pilot study with patients suffering from serious infections due to carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii. Patients were treated with a rifampicin/imipenem combination and followed up prospectively. Cultures were repeated during and after treatment, and in vitro activity of rifampicin was monitored. Genotyping of these strains was performed by means of PFGE. RESULTS: Ten patients were selected: four with ventilator-associated pneumonia, and six with other infections (one catheter-related bacteraemia, five surgical infections). Three patients died, two of whom were considered therapeutic failures. In five of the seven patients who were cured, other procedures were also performed such as surgical drainage or catheter removal. In vitro development of high resistance to rifampicin was shown in seven (70%). PFGE demonstrated that initial isolates and high-resistant strains belonged to the same clones. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study argue against the use of a rifampicin/imipenem combination for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii infections. However, combinations of rifampicin with other antibiotics merit further studies.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

A pseudo-outbreak of respiratory infection with Acinetobacter species.

We describe an apparent outbreak of respiratory infection with Acinetobacter species involving 14 patients over 8 days. Epidemiological investigation revealed two consecutive pseudo-outbreaks of infection caused by two consecutive, unrelated laboratory errors in the processing of sputum, nasopharyngeal, and endotracheal aspirates.

Acinetobacter↗

Equine myositis and septicemia caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus infection.

Myositis and septicemia caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were diagnosed in a mare. The infection was characterized clinically by ventral swelling and edema, diarrhea, listlessness, and rectal temperature of 39.4 C. The mare was treated symptomatically for 2 days but died on the 3rd day. Conditions seen at necropsy were myositis, enteritis, typhlitis, colitis, and hepatitis. Lymph nodes were moderately enlarged throughout the body. Gross lesions in musculature were edema, scarring, petechiae, and an occasional exxhymosis. The enteritis was catarrhal, with excessive mucus and moderate hyperemia. The typhlitis and colitis were hemorrhagic. The swollen liver had a diffuse mottled pale and red pattern. Microscopic lesions in skeletal muscle consisted of petechiation, necrosis, scarring, and edema. Cardiac muscle was also scarred and necrotic, but edema was not prominent. Periacinal necrosis was found in the liver. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus was isolated from myocardium and liver.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

Update on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii infections in the healthcare setting.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii are of great concern for hospitalized patients, especially with multidrug-resistant strains. This review focuses on recent data that may help us to understand the emergence, spread, and persistence of antibiotic resistance, and summarizes the optional treatment feasible for these resistant bacteria. RECENT FINDINGS: Multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii are increasingly causing nosocomial infections; multidrug-resistant clones are spreading into new geographic areas, and susceptible strains are acquiring resistance genes. New extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases are emerging, leading to pan-resistant strains. Current studies focus on the effect of antibiotics on gene expression in P. aeruginosa biofilms and their contribution to resistance to therapy. Treatment options for multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii infections are limited in most cases to carbapenems. Sulbactam is a treatment option for pan-resistant A. baumannii, and or renewed use of an old drug, colistin, is being entertained for pan-resistant A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa. Immunotherapy is a promising new modality being explored. Prevention of emergence of resistance through combination therapy and pharmacokinetic strategies are studied. SUMMARY: The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii and their genetic potential to carry and transfer diverse antibiotic resistance determinants pose a major threat in hospitals. The complex interplay of clonal spread, persistence, transfer of resistance elements, and cell-cell interaction contribute to the difficulty in treating infections caused by these multidrug-resistant strains. In the absence of new antibiotic agents, new modalities of treatment should be developed.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

Bacteriological, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of hospital-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii infection in a teaching hospital.

Over an 18 month period, the bacteriological, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of nosocomial Acinetobacter baumannii infections in a teaching hospital were studied. Typing studies were performed on 38 strains isolated from 36 patients. Twenty-two of the strains were isolated during the three outbreaks. Surgery, catheterization, mechanical ventilation, and antibiotic therapy for adult patients and respiratory distress syndrome, mechanical ventilation, and prematurity for paediatric patients were the main risk factors identified. All isolates were resistant to penicillins (except ampicillin-sulbactam), cephalosporins, gentamicin, and aztreonam but susceptible to carbapenems and colistin. Resistance to tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin-sulbactam, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and amikacin was variable. Antibiotyping, arbitrarily-primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) and the pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) indicated the epidemiological relationship. The outbreak strains, demonstrated genetic distinction between our three outbreaks and isolates from specific areas in the hospital.

Acinetobacter Infections↗