Gut Pathogen Colonization: A Risk Factor to Bloodstream Infections in Preterm Neonates Admitted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - A Prospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Gut pathogen colonization, where pathogens disrupt the normal gut microbiota, has been implicated in the development of bloodstream infections (BSIs). This study investigates the association between gut pathogen colonization and BSI, hypothesizing that species causing BSI primarily originated from gut.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of tertiary care hospital in Karnataka, India, from January 2021 to September 2023.

Gut Microbiome in Human Melioidosis: Composition and Resistome Dynamics from Diagnosis to Discovery.

Background: Melioidosis, attributable to the soil-dwelling bacterium , stands as a paramount global health challenge, necessitating extended courses of antibiotics. While murine studies identified the gut microbiota as a modulator of bacterial dissemination during melioidosis, the human intestinal microbiota during melioidosis remains uncharacterized. Here, we characterized gut microbiota composition and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes at diagnosis, during treatment, and postdischarge for melioidosis.

Diagnostic Potential of Serum Interleukin-6 in Predicting Bacteremia in Adult Patients with Sepsis: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: This study aimed to assess the potential of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a diagnostic marker in predicting bacteremia and to determine its association with severity and outcome among sepsis patients.

Materials And Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted, comprising a cohort of 118 patients admitted to the ICU with suspected sepsis from January 2019 to April 2020.

Results: Among the 108 patients analyzed, 60 (55.

Preventing Risks of Infections and Medication Errors in IV therapy (PRIME): a patient safety initiative.

Background: Two major avoidable reasons for adverse events in hospital are medication errors and intravenous therapy-induced infections or complications. Training for clinical staff and compliance to patient safety principles could address these.

Methods: Joint Commission International (JCI) consultants created a standardised, 6-month training programme for clinical staff in hospitals.

Hyponatremia in Melioidosis: Analysis of 10-year Data from a Hospital-Based Registry.

Introduction: Hyponatremia is a frequent finding in hospitalized patients and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. While hyponatremia is known to commonly occur in certain infections, its association with melioidosis has not been studied previously. We studied incidence and impact of hyponatremia on clinical outcomes in melioidosis.

Environmental Factors Associated With Soil Prevalence of the Melioidosis Pathogen : A Longitudinal Seasonal Study From South West India.

Melioidosis is a seasonal infectious disease in tropical and subtropical areas caused by the soil bacterium In many parts of the world, including South West India, most cases of human infections are reported during times of heavy rainfall, but the underlying causes of this phenomenon are not fully understood. India is among the countries with the highest predicted melioidosis burden globally, but there is very little information on the environmental distribution of and its determining factors. The present study aimed (i) to investigate the prevalence of in soil in South West India, (ii) determine geochemical factors associated with presence and (iii) look for potential seasonal patterns of soil abundance.

Epidemiology of sepsis and risk factors for mortality in intensive care unit: a hospital based prospective study in South India.

Objective: The present study was aimed at elucidating the epidemiology of sepsis, with a special emphasis on identifying the common bacterial aetiology, proportion of infections caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, and risk factors associated with 28-day mortality at a university hospital in South India.

Methods: A prospective study was undertaken from January 2017 to March 2018. Adult patients with the diagnosis of sepsis requiring intensive care unit (ICU) care were recruited.

Characteristics, outcome and risk factors for mortality of paediatric patients with ICU-acquired candidemia in India: A multicentre prospective study.

Background: The epidemiology, clinical profile and outcome of paediatric candidemia vary considerably by age, healthcare settings and prevalent Candida species. Despite these differences, few comprehensive studies are undertaken. This nationwide study addresses this knowledge gap.

Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in adults: An update.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the prominent cause of mortality and morbidity with important clinical impact across the globe. India accounts for 23 per cent of global pneumonia burden with case fatality rates between 14 and 30 per cent, and Streptococcus pneumoniae is considered a major bacterial aetiology. Emerging pathogens like Burkholderia pseudomallei is increasingly recognized as an important cause of CAP in Southeast Asian countries.

Spectrum of bacterial infections and predictors of mortality in adult cirrhotic patients.

Background: Bacterial infections are more frequent in patients with decompensated cirrhosis than those with compensated liver disease and account for significant morbidity and mortality in them. Once an infection develops, it induces excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines leading to organ failure and death.

Aims: This study aims to identify the clinical characteristics and outcome of bacterial infections affecting various organ systems in patients with liver cirrhosis and to determine factors associated with mortality.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies of Novel Diphenyl Ethers.

Background: The well-known antibacterial agent Triclosan (TCL) that targets bacterial enoylacyl protein reductase has been described to inhibit human fatty acid synthase (FASN) via the enoylacyl reductase domain. A Literature survey indicates that TCL is selectively toxic to cancer cells and furthermore might indeed reduce cancer incidence in vivo. A recent study found that TCL inhibits FASN by acting as an allosteric protein-protein interface (PPI) inhibitor.

Limiting ventilator-associated complications in ICU intubated subjects: strategies to prevent ventilator-associated events and improve outcomes.

: Intubation is required to maintain the airways in comatose patients and enhance oxygenation in hypoxemic or ventilation in hypercapnic subjects. Recently, the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) created new surveillance definitions designed to identify complications associated with poor outcomes. : The new framework proposed by CDC, Ventilator-Associated Events (VAE), has a range of definitions encompassing Ventilator-Associated Conditions (VAC), Infection-related Ventilator-Associated Complications (IVAC), or Possible Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia - suggesting replacing the traditional definitions of Ventilator-Associated Tracheobronchitis (VAT) and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP).

Fatal meningitis with negative cryptococcal antigen test in a HIV-non-infected patient.

Cryptococcus gattii predominantly causes central nervous system and pulmonary infection in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with substantial morbidity. We report a case of rapidly fatal meningitis by C. gattii in an HIV-non-infected man with CD4 lymphopenia who tested negative for cryptococcal antigen.

Mid-Regional Pro-Adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) as a Biomarker for Sepsis and Septic Shock: Narrative Review.

Early identification and diagnosis of sepsis and septic shock is vitally important; despite appropriate management, mortality and morbidity rates remain high. For this reason, many biomarkers and screening systems have been investigated in accordance with the precision medicine concept. A narrative review was conducted to assess the role of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) as a biomarker for sepsis and septic shock.

Improved detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei from non-blood clinical specimens using enrichment culture and PCR: narrowing diagnostic gap in resource-constrained settings.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of enrichment culture and PCR for improved case detection rates of non-bacteraemic form of melioidosis in limited resource settings.

Methods: Clinical specimens (n = 525) obtained from patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital of South India with clinical symptoms suggestive of community-acquired pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infections, superficial or internal abscesses, chronic skin ulcers and bone or joint infections were tested for the presence of Burkholderia pseudomallei using conventional culture (CC), enrichment culture (EC) and PCR. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of CC and PCR were initially deduced using EC as the gold standard method.

Comparing Assay Performance of ELISA and Chemiluminescence Immunoassay in Detecting Antibodies to Hepatitis B Surface Antigen.

Introduction: Antibodies to Hepatitis B surface Antigen (Anti-HBs) levels are measured as markers for immune response to vaccination and in decision making for post-exposure prophylaxis against Hepatitis-B. Several immunoassay formats are used to measure Anti-HBs, thus carrying the possibility of variation in measured levels between different assays. This study compares the performance of Chemiluminescence Immunoassay (CLIA) against Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in measuring Anti-HBs titer by looking into concordance between the two test reports.

Screening of vulvovaginal infections during pregnancy in resource constrained settings: Implications on preterm delivery.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of clinical and microbiological investigations available in limited resource settings for an effective diagnosis of vaginal infections/abnormal vaginal microbiota among pregnant women. As an outcome of the study we intended to find the association of various vaginal infections during pregnancy with preterm delivery. Pregnant women presenting for routine antenatal care at an antenatal clinic in south India were enrolled in the study.

Risk Factors for Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight Among Pregnant Indian Women: A Hospital-based Prospective Study.

Objectives: The present study was undertaken to study the maternal risk factors for preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) with a special emphasis on assessing the proportions of maternal genitourinary and periodontal infections among Indian women and their association with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: A hospital-based prospective study comprising 790 pregnant women visiting the obstetrics clinic for a routine antenatal check-up was undertaken. Once recruited, all study participants underwent clinical and microbiological investigations for genitourinary infections followed by a dental check-up for the presence of periodontitis.

Seroprevalence of Burkholderia pseudomallei among Adults in Coastal Areas in Southwestern India.

Background: Although melioidosis, is an important disease in many Southeast Asian countries and Australia, there is limited data on its prevalence and disease burden in India. However, an increase in case reports of melioidosis in recent years indicates its endemicity in India.

Aims And Methods: A population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of B.

Clinical and economic outcomes of Acinetobacter vis a vis non-Acinetobacter infections in an Indian teaching hospital.

Context: Acinetobacter infections are a major nosocomial infection causing epidemics of infection in the Intensive Care Units (ICU).

Aims: This study estimates the clinical and economic outcomes of Acinetobacter infections and compares them with those of non-Acinetobacter bacterial infections.

Settings And Design: Prospective cross-sectional observational study carried out for 6 months in the medicine ICU of a tertiary care hospital.