The impact of antibiotic pre-treatment on diagnostic yield of CT-guided biopsy for spondylodiscitis: A multi-centre retrospective study and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Patients with suspected spondylodiscitis often undergo CT-guided biopsy to identify a causative microbiological organism. Antibiotic pre-treatment has been postulated as a cause for a negative biopsy, although previous clinical studies have been heterogenous with a meta-analysis suggesting no effect. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of antibiotic pre-treatment on microbiological yield.

Five-year experience of corneal scrapes at Wellington Eye Department, New Zealand.

Aim: To determine the causative organisms of bacterial keratitis in Wellington and to identify the antibiotic sensitivities of each bacterium isolated. These results will then be compared with certain patient characteristics and clinical outcomes.

Methods: Corneal scrapes collected between 2001 and 2005 were retrospectively analysed and collated on a database.