Comparative evaluation of conventional and real-time PCR assays for detecting Bacteroides fragilis in clinical samples.

A conventional PCR and a real-time PCR for detecting Bacteroides fragilis were evaluated against clinical specimens. Analytical sensitivities were 100 and 40 fg of DNA, respectively. Detection limits were 100 and 10 CFU/ml, respectively.

Two cases of infections due to multidrug-resistant Bacteroides fragilis group strains.

Bacteroides fragilis group strains are still considered susceptible to most antimicrobial agents used for the treatment of infections caused by anaerobic organisms. We describe two cases of infections due to isolates simultaneously resistant to clindamycin, tetracycline, cefoxitin, piperacillin-tazobactam, and imipenem and, in one of the two cases, to metronidazole. Such infections, although still rare, do exist and tend to complicate treatment.

In vitro activities of tigecycline against recently isolated Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria in Greece, including metronidazole-resistant strains.

The in vitro activity of tigecycline was compared with those of benzylpenicillin, piperacillin + tazobactam, cefoxitin, imipenem, metronidazole, clindamycin, and tetracycline against 249 Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria (158 Bacteroides fragilis group, 27 non-fragilis Bacteroides spp., 44 Prevotella spp., and 20 miscellaneous), recently isolated from 8 general hospitals in Athens, Greece.

External Iliac artery stent mucormycosis in a renal transplant patient.

A Mucorales infection of an external iliac artery stent in a renal transplant patient is described. Following a kidney transplantation operation and an acute rejection of the transplant, an aneurysm developed at the site of the arterial ligation and three stents were inserted. Two months following insertion of the stents, recurrent episodes of peripheral thromboembolism occurred.