Role of Xpert MTB/RIF in Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of sputum-scarce, suspected Pulmonary TB patients.

Setting: A prospective observational study conducted in Medical college hospital, in a high-TB- prevalence region of northern Telangana, India.

Objective: To know the diagnostic role of Xpert MTB/RIF assay in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in sputum-scarce, suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients.

Design: Study period was between October 2014 and March 2017.

Trends in antibiotic resistance among major bacterial pathogens isolated from blood cultures tested at a large private laboratory network in India, 2008-2014.

Objective: There have been no long-term studies on trends in antibiotic resistance (ABR) on a national scale in India. Using a private laboratory network, the ABR patterns of organisms most commonly associated with bacteremia, obtained from patients across India between 2008 and 2014, were examined.

Methods: A retrospective study of patient blood cultures collected over a 7-year period (January 1, 2008-December 31, 2014) was conducted.

Utility of MPT64 antigen test for differentiating mycobacteria: Can correlation with liquid culture smear morphology add further value?

Context: Clinical presentation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections may or may not be the same, but the treatment is always different. Hence accurate differentiation between MTBC and NTM is of utmost importance.

Aims: To assess in parallel, the utility of MPT64 antigen immunochromatography assay (MPT64 ICT) and bacillary morphology on liquid culture smear, for rapid differentiation between MTBC and NTM in clinical isolates.

Identifying Candida and other yeast-like fungi: utility of an identification algorithm in resource limited setting.

Aim: The increasing recovery rates of unusual yeasts with innate drug resistance make accurate identification crucial for successful therapy and infection control measures. The current study was undertaken to study the utility of CHROMagar Candida (CC) and evaluate an identification algorithm, using germ tube test (GT), CC and a commercial identification kit, API ID 32C.

Settings And Design: The prospective study was carried out at a private laboratory in Mumbai, India.

Fatal Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection by Aeromonas hydrophila.

Aeromonas infections in healthy individuals are self limiting, but those in patients with immuno-compromised conditions are frequently associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The current case report describes a fatal case of necrotizing soft tissue infection by Aeromonas hydrophila in an immuno-competent patient.