Effect of delayed entry of blood culture bottles in BACTEC automated blood culture system in the context of laboratory consolidation.

Delayed entry of blood culture bottles is frequent in consolidated laboratories. A retrospective study evaluated time from insertion to detection and total detection time as a function of preincubation time, and we prospectively looked for false negative results. 69,604 blood culture bottles were reviewed for preincubation time, incubation time and total detection time.

Use of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis to Determine the Source of Methicillin-Resistant Bacteremia.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) has historically been considered the gold standard in fingerprinting bacterial strains in epidemiological studies and outbreak investigations; little is known regarding its use in individual clinical cases. The current study detailed two clinical cases in which PFGE helped to determine the source of their methicillin-resistant (MRSA) bacteremia. Patient A was found to have MRSA bacteremia after trauma in her pelvic area.

Pneumocystis pneumonia outbreak among renal transplant recipients at a North American transplant center: Risk factors and implications for infection control.

Background: Pneumocystis pneumonia is a severe opportunistic fungal infection. Outbreaks among renal transplant recipients have been reported in Europe and Japan, but never in North America.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study among adult renal transplant recipients at a Canadian center, using a 3:1 matching scheme.