[Comparison of antimicrobial use density (AUD) of carbapenem antibacterial agents and investigation of the drug susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 3 hospitals in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan].

The optimal use of anti-Pseudomonas agents is an important issue in the prevention of a tolerance against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We evaluated the effect of antimicrobial use density (AUD) of carbapenem on drug susceptibility. The AUD of the four carbapenems, imipenem (IPM/CS), panipenem (PAPM/BP), meropenem (MEPM), and biapenem (BIPM), was examined at three hospitals in Ibaraki Prefecture, between April and September 2004.

Surveillance of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in hospitals in Ibaraki prefecture.

We surveyed the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) in six hospitals in Ibaraki prefecture. Three hundred and fifty-five fecal specimens were examined and 18 Enterococcus intermediately resistant to vancomycin were isolated. All of them were vanC genotypes (16 vanC-1 and 2 vanC-2 genotypes) and susceptible or intermediately resistant to ampicillin, teicoplanin, linezolid, and quinupristin-dalfopristin.

[Human immunodeficiency virus infection].

Decisions regarding initiation or changes in antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV-1 infection should utilize plasma HIV RNA(viral load) assay and drug resistance assay. These laboratory tests give the physician important information about the virologic and immunologic status of the patient and risk of disease progression to AIDS. Testing for drug resistance to antiretroviral drugs may help to maximize the benefits of antiretroviral therapy.