Uropathogens and empiric antibiotics for the treatment of urinary tract infections in spinal cord injured patients at rehabilitation center, Thai Red Cross Society during 2001 to 2005.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in spinal cord injured patients. The authors investigated the epidemiology of bacteria associated with UTI to select an appropriate antibiotic for empirical treatment of UTI before obtaining a bacterial culture.

Objective: To determine the prevalence, as well as the causative bacteria and their susceptibility pattern of urinary tract infection in spinal cord injured patients hospitalized to the Rehabilitation Center, Thai Red Cross Society, Samutprakarn, Thailand from January 2001 to December 2005.

Accuracies of Leuconostoc phenotypic identification: a comparison of API systems and conventional phenotypic assays.

Background: Commercial diagnostics are commonly used to identify gram-positive bacteria. Errors have been reported mostly at the species level. We have found certain phenotypic criteria used in API systems which significantly misidentify Leuconostoc, an emerging human pathogen, at the genus level.