Evaluation of different monitoring methods of surface cleanliness in operating rooms.

Objectives: to evaluate different monitoring methods for detecting the presence of organic or biological matter before and after the cleaning and disinfection processes of the operating room.

Methods: this is a cross-sectional study based on visual inspection, adenosine triphosphate levels and microbiological culture for the assessment of cleaning and disinfection.

Results: 93.

Direct matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and real-time PCR in a combined protocol for diagnosis of bloodstream infections: a turnaround time approach.

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are serious infections associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Every hour delay in initiation of an effective antibiotic increases mortality due to sepsis by 7%. Turnaround time (TAT) for conventional blood cultures takes 48h, forcing physicians to streamline therapy by exposing patients to broad-spectrum antimicrobials.

Fatal case of donor-derived colistin-resistant carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae transmission in cardiac transplantation.

Herein we report a fatal case of donor-derived transmission of XDR-resistant carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) in cardiac transplantation. A 59-year-old male patient with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy underwent heart transplantation. On day 5 post-operation, blood cultures from the donor were positive for colistin-resistant carbapenemase-producing K.

Evaluation of a rapid immunochromatographic test for detection of distinct variants of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) in Enterobacteriaceae.

The rapid detection of KPC-producing Enterobacteriaceae by microbiology laboratories has been required for infectious control programs. Herein we evaluated the performance of a novel immunochromatographic test for detecting KPC-2-, KPC-3-, KPC-4-, KPC-6-, KPC-7-, KPC-8-, and KPC-11-producing isolates and the influence of different growth media on the test performance.

Assessment of Combined Polymyxin B and Minocycline Therapy against Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC)-Producing K. pneumoniae.

The multidrug resistance profiles of carbapenemase (KPC) producers have led to increased clinical polymyxin use. Combination therapy with polymyxins may improve treatment outcomes, but it is uncertain which combinations are most effective. Clinical successes with intravenous minocycline-based combination treatments have been reported for infections caused by carbapenemase-producing bacteria.

Fast and reliable bacterial identification direct from positive blood culture using a new TFA sample preparation protocol and the Vitek® MS system.

A simple and reliable protocol using 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was developed to identify bacteria directly from blood cultures on the Vitek® MS system. Results presented a correlation of 99% for Gram-negative bacteria at species level, and 86.

Differentiation of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) variants by pyrosequencing.

A fast and reliable protocol using the pyrosequencing technique was developed to identify 11 different types of the KPC enzyme. A total of 65 blaKPC positive bacterial isolates were tested and characterized. In the end, the pyrosequencing proved to be a powerful tool for epidemiological studies of KPC producer isolates.

Oral infection by the Human Papilloma Virus in women with cervical lesions at a prison in São Paulo, Brazil.

Unlabelled: Carcinoma of the head and neck is the 6th cause of death by cancer in the world. In recent decades the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in the etiology of this disease.

Objective: To characterize the types of HPV detected in the oral mucosa in women with cytological abnormalities suggesting intraepithelial squamous lesions in the uterine cervix.

Rapid detection of carbapenemase genes by multiplex real-time PCR.

Objectives: To develop a single multiplex real-time PCR assay to detect six different genetic types of carbapenemases already identified in Enterobacteriaceae (KPC, GES, NDM, IMP, VIM and OXA-48).

Methods: A total of 58 bacterial isolates were tested. Thirty were previously characterized as resistant to carbapenems and documented by PCR and sequencing analysis to carry the following genes: bla(KPC) type, bla(GES) type, bla(IMP) type, bla(VIM) type, bla(OXA-48) and bla(NDM-1).

[Environmental contamination during a vancomycin-resistant Enterococci outbreak at a hospital in Argentina].

Introduction: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolates (VRE) have caused numerous outbreaks in intensive care units (ICUs). A contaminated hospital environment, the hands of health care workers (HCW), and carrier patients may play important roles in perpetuating the chain of transmission in these outbreaks. The aims of this study were to report the first VRE outbreak in our center and assess the role of environmental contamination and HCW hands in the spread of new cases of enterococcal infection.

Evaluation of the susceptibility profiles, genetic similarity and presence of qnr gene in Escherichia coli resistant to ciprofloxacin isolated in Brazilian hospitals.

Increasing quinolone resistance has been reported worldwide, mainly among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli. The objectives of this study were to determine the susceptibility profile, the genetic relatedness, and the prevalence of the qnr gene among ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from distinct Brazilian hospitals. A total of 144 ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli were isolated from 17 Brazilian hospitals between January/2002 and June/2003.

Rapid detection and identification of metallo-beta-lactamase-encoding genes by multiplex real-time PCR assay and melt curve analysis.

Metallo-beta-lactamase enzymes (MbetaL) are encoded by transferable genes, which appear to spread rapidly among gram-negative bacteria. The objective of this study was to develop a multiplex real-time PCR assay followed by a melt curve step for rapid detection and identification of genes encoding MbetaL-type enzymes based on the amplicon melting peak. The reference sequences of all genes encoding IMP and VIM types, SPM-1, GIM-1, and SIM-1 were downloaded from GenBank, and primers were designed to obtain amplicons showing different sizes and melting peak temperatures (Tm).