Effect of oral ciprofloxacin on bacterial flora of perineum, urethra, and lower urinary tract in men with spinal cord injury.

A study was performed in 25 men with spinal cord injuries undergoing intermittent catheterization whose urine had > or = 10(5) bacterial colonies/ml to determine efficacy of ciprofloxacin in eradicating susceptible organisms from urine, urethra, and perineum. Cultures were obtained prior to, during, and 5 to 7 days after administration of 500 mg twice daily for 10 days. Organisms in urine were also present in the urethra and/or perineum in 20 cases.

Direct bacterial identification from positive BacT/Alert blood cultures using MicroScan overnight and rapid panels.

Studies were conducted on a method of direct inoculation of MicroScan overnight and rapid panels from positive BacT/Alert blood culture bottles containing standard aerobic media to determine the correlation with inoculation of the corresponding panels with a standardized bacterial suspension obtained following subculture to agar. For Gram-negative organisms, 122 of 127 (96%) overnight panels and 85 of 118 (72%) rapid panels showed complete agreement with the standard method for species identification. Highest concordance (99%) occurred with Enterobacteriaceae inoculated directly into overnight panels.

Direct susceptibility testing with positive BacT/Alert blood cultures by using MicroScan overnight and rapid panels.

Studies were conducted on a method of direct inoculation of MicroScan dried overnight and of rapid panels with positive aerobic blood cultures obtained from the BacT/Alert to determine antimicrobial susceptibilities. Inocula were limited to specimens that appeared unimicrobic on Gram stain. Results were compared to those obtained from panels inoculated following subculture.

Comparative in vitro activities of four new fluoroquinolones against Streptococcus pneumoniae determined by Etest.

Clinafloxacin, levofloxacin, sparfloxacin and trovafloxacin were tested by Etest against 188 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates. Clinafloxacin and trovafloxacin were 2-4-fold more potent than sparfloxacin and 8-fold more than levofloxacin. Two isolates, both serotype 6, with high-level quinolone resistance (> or = 8 micrograms/ml) were detected.

Identification of oxacillin-susceptible and oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus using commercial latex agglutination tests.

Four hundred thirteen Staphylococcus sp. were identified by Staphaurex, Staphaurex Plus, and BACTiStaph kits using tube coagulase as reference. Among 222 coagulase-positive isolates, 56 were oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.