Detection of point mutations associated with antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Excessive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in hospitals has led to the emergence of highly resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To reduce the selection pressure for resistance, it is important to determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacteria so that hospital patients can be treated with more narrow-spectrum and target-specific antibiotics. This study describes the development of a technique for detecting point muations in the fluoroquinolone resistance-determining region of the gyrA and parC genes as well as the efflux regulatory genes mexR, mexZ and mexOZ that are associated with fluoroquinolone and aminoglycoside resistance.

Stability provided by the sternum and rib cage in the thoracic spine.

Study Design: Multidirectional flexibility tests were conducted on 10 human thoracic spines with intact rib cage.

Objectives: To determine the amount of stability the rib cage imparts to the thoracic spine and to show the amount of stability lost by a sternal fracture.

Summary Of Background Data: There is no published study of biomechanical testing of human cadaveric specimens with the rib cage intact.