Release of SpeA from Streptococcus pyogenes after exposure to penicillin: dependency on dose and inhibition by clindamycin.

The amount and time course of SpeA release from group A streptococci (GAS) was studied at different starting inoculate after exposure to different doses of penicillin, clindamycin or a combination of the 2. The release was related to the bacterial concentration and killing rate. A clinical GAS strain was exposed to benzylpenicillin, 2 and 1000 x MIC, clindamycin, 2 and 32 x MIC, or combinations of the 2.

Endotoxin neutralization and anti-inflammatory effects of tobramycin and ceftazidime in porcine endotoxin shock.

Introduction: Antibiotics used for treatment of severe bacterial infections have been shown to exert effects on the inflammatory response in addition to their antibacterial effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the biological effects of endotoxin in a porcine model could be neutralized by tobramycin, and whether tobramycin or ceftazidime was able to modulate the inflammatory response.

Method: Thirteen piglets were subjected to endotoxin infusion at an initial rate of 4 microgram/kg per hour, which was reduced to 1 microgram/kg per hour after 30 min.

Variation in the propensity to release endotoxin after cefuroxime exposure in different gram-negative bacteria: uniform and dose-dependent reduction by the addition of tobramycin.

An aminoglycoside in combination with a beta-lactam antibiotic is often recommended for the treatment of severe infections. The aim of the present study was to study whether cefuroxime-induced endotoxin release could be reduced by addition of tobramycin in different Gram-negative bacteria and how endotoxin release was affected by bacterial killing rate and number of killed bacteria. Three Escherichia coli strains, 1 Klebsiella, 1 Salmonella and 1 Neisseria strain were exposed in vitro to 2, 10 and 50 x minimum inhibitory concentration of cefuroxime, tobramycin or a combination of both.

Management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia treated in hospital in Sweden.

To investigate the management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated in hospital in Sweden, a multicentre retrospective cohort study was performed with medical record review of 982 patients (mean age 63 y) at 17 departments of infectious diseases at hospitals in Sweden. Information on antimicrobial therapy, demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, physical examination findings, and laboratory and microbiological test results were recorded. Outcome measures were in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS).