Publications by authors named "Kathryn Daffinee"

We measured antibiotic penetration and bioavailability in staphylococcus biofilms using simulated humanized concentrations of fluorescent vancomycin plus or minus rifampin. Vancomycin percent recovery across biofilm layers was:upper = 46%, middle = 40%, and lower = 33%. Vancomycin plus rifampin was not significantly different (P = 0.

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Ampicillin-ceftriaxone has become a first-line therapy for Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis. We characterized the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) profiles of various E. faecalis strains and tested for synergy to better inform beta-lactam options for the treatment of E.

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The standard of care for serious Enterococcus faecalis infections is ampicillin plus ceftriaxone. Ampicillin's inconvenient dosing schedule, drug instability, allergy potential, along with ceftriaxone's high risk for Clostridioides difficile infection and its promotion of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), led our team to explore alternative options. This work aimed to understand the role of carbapenems in combination with cephalosporins in these infections.

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The emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria represents a serious and growing threat to national healthcare systems. Most pressing is an immediate need for the development of novel antibacterial agents to treat Gram-negative multi-drug resistant infections, including the opportunistic, hospital-derived pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. Herein we report a naturally occurring 1,2-benzisoxazole with minimum inhibitory concentrations as low as 6.

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is recognized as an urgent public health threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Current treatment options are scarce, particularly against carbapenem-resistant (CRAB). We simulated the impact of minocycline standard (200 mg load + 100 mg Q12h) and high (700 mg load + 350 mg Q12h) doses, polymyxin B (2.

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The local use of analgesics and antibiotics is common during the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The effect of nonantimicrobial drugs on antibacterial activity is underappreciated in clinical practice. This study focuses on the novel assessment of the combined antibacterial effects of commonly used analgesics and antibiotics against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA)-pathogen associated with most PJIs.

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Biofilm formation of multidrug and extensively drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates is poorly understood. We investigated 139 diverse clinical K. pneumoniae isolates that possess various resistance patterns to evaluate the relationship between biofilm formation and resistance.

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Infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii are difficult to treat as they are often multidrug resistant (MDR) and frequently form biofilms. We investigated the activities of minocycline, polymyxin B, meropenem, and amikacin against diverse Acinetobacter baumannii strains with biofilm formation classified as weak versus moderate/strong. At clinically achievable concentrations, minocycline prevented biofilm formation for 96% of isolates versus 54% for polymyxin B, 29% for meropenem and 29% for amikacin.

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The molecular and clinical factors associated with biofilm-forming methicillin-resistant (MRSA) are incompletely understood. Biofilm production for 182 MRSA isolates obtained from clinical culture sites (2004 to 2013) was quantified. Microbiological toxins, pigmentation, and genotypes were evaluated, and patient demographics were collected.

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