Automated Scoring of Chromogenic Media for Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Use of WASPLab Image Analysis Software.

Recently, systems have been developed to create total laboratory automation for clinical microbiology. These systems allow for the automation of specimen processing, specimen incubation, and imaging of bacterial growth. In this study, we used the WASPLab to validate software that discriminates and segregates positive and negative chromogenic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) plates by recognition of pigmented colonies.

Differential diagnosis of cervical mycobacterial lymphadenitis in children.

Background And Aims: The differential diagnosis between tuberculosis (TB) and lymphadenitis caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in children is often based on epidemiologic and clinical data. The aim of this study was to identify epidemiologic and clinical variables associated with TB lymphadenitis in children attending 2 TB out-patient clinics in northern Italy during a 10-year period.

Patients And Methods: All children less than 16 years of age attending the study sites suspected of mycobacterial disease from 1999 through 2008 were included in the analysis.

Validation of the agar proportion and 2 liquid systems for testing the susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to moxifloxacin.

Moxifloxacin (MOX), an 8-methoxyquinolone compound, is now widely used for the treatment of bacterial infections and also accepted as 2nd-line drug for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. To tentatively correlate the clinical outcome with in vitro results, we sought to set up susceptibility test conditions for Mycobacterium tuberculosis against MOX by using the reference agar proportion method, the BACTEC 460 radiometric system, and the recently validated nonradiometric BACTEC MGIT 960 system. Our aim was to determine the critical MOX test concentration to be used with the abovementioned methods for routine susceptibility testing.

Long-term moxifloxacin in complicated tuberculosis patients with adverse reactions or resistance to first line drugs.

Study Objectives: To test safety and tolerability of long-term moxifloxacin in resistant tuberculosis (TB) patients and patients with intolerance to first line anti-TB drugs.

Design: Clinical evaluation of adverse events (AEs) during prolonged moxifloxacin treatment.

Setting: TB Unit of the Regional TB Reference Center, Villa Marelli Institute, Niguarda Ca'Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy

Patients And Interventions: Patients treated with moxifloxacin, 400 mg orally once daily for TB in the Villa Marelli Institute from January 2001 to December 2003 were enrolled.