A mathematical model to estimate the probability of blood cultures positive for pyogenic streptococci.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the possible use of time to positivity (TTP) of blood cultures (BCs) collected at the Emergency Department (ED) to estimate the probability of pyogenic streptococci versus other Gram positive cocci in pairs and chains, such as , other viridans group streptococci or enterococci.

Methods: All patients 18 years of age or older evaluated at the ED from whom BCs were collected and were positive for Gram positive cocci in pairs and chains at the microscopic examination, were included in the study. The BCs included were collected by venipuncture, were mono-microbial and were the first bottles that flagged positive in each set.

Evaluation of Bacterial Viability for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Impact of Thawing Temperature and Storage Time.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) represents a promising therapeutic tool under study for several purposes and is currently applied to the treatment of recurrent infection. However, since the use of fresh stool was affected by several issues linked to donor screening, the development of a frozen stool bank is a reliable option to standardize FMT procedures. Nevertheless, different environmental factors impact microbial viability.

Clinical Evaluation and Comparison of Two Microfluidic Antigenic Assays for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Virus.

Given the ongoing pandemic, there is a need to identify SARS-CoV-2 and differentiate it from other respiratory viral infections in various critical settings. Since its introduction, rapid antigen testing is spreading worldwide, but diagnostic accuracy is extremely variable and often in disagreement with the manufacturer's specifications. Our study compared the clinical performances of two microfluidic rapid antigen tests towards a molecular assay, starting from positive samples.