Publications by authors named "R A Weingarten"
Accurate and reproducible antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of polymyxin antibiotics is critical, as these drugs are last-line therapeutic options for the treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. However, polymyxin AST in the routine laboratory remains challenging. In this study, we evaluated the performance of an automated broth microdilution (BMD) system (Sensititre, ThermoFisher) compared to that of agar dilution (AD) for colistin and polymyxin B AST of 129 , Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii complex clinical isolates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aims to evaluate a group of people with schizophrenia undergoing outpatient treatment and who participate in a mutual support intervention, compared to another group of people with the same diagnosis, but attending only the usual outpatient treatment. This is a prospective study, with two measurements between six months. The mutual support group was initially composed of 16 people and the treatment as usual group was composed of 15 people.
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- In 2016, an investigation was launched following a cluster of Sphingomonas infections in hospitalized patients, highlighting plumbing systems as potential reservoirs for pathogens.
- Whole-genome DNA sequencing revealed that while some Sphingomonas koreensis isolates from patients were unrelated, a majority showed high genetic similarity and multi-drug resistance, indicating a persistent strain in the hospital's plumbing system.
- The study concluded that S. koreensis is an opportunistic pathogen that poses ongoing risks in healthcare settings, prompting targeted remediation efforts based on genetic analysis and microbial culturing.
Article Synopsis
- - The hospital serves as a significant reservoir for carbapenem-resistant bacteria, with comprehensive sampling revealing high levels of carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) in wastewater and manholes, despite low patient infection rates.
- - Whole-genome sequencing of isolates showed diverse species and plasmids, indicating both shared and unique genetic traits between environmental and patient populations, representing a possible source for the spread of resistance genes.
- - While most findings suggested effective infection control practices, a likely case of transmission from the cleaning environment to a patient emphasizes the ongoing need for enhanced monitoring and control strategies in hospitals to combat CPOs.
Current antimicrobial susceptibility testing has limited screening capability for identifying empirical antibiotic combinations to treat severe bacterial infections with multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms. We developed a new antimicrobial susceptibility assay using automated ultra-high-throughput screen technology in combination with a simple bacterial growth assay. A rapid screening of 5170 approved drugs and other compounds identified 25 compounds with activities against MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae.
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