Does ciprofloxacin prophylaxis during chemotherapy induce intestinal microflora resistance to ceftazidime in children with cancer?

To determine the susceptibility and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ceftazidime, the commonly used empirical antibiotic in patients with febrile neutropenia, in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from the intestinal microflora of pediatric patients with cancer, who received ciprofloxacin prophylaxis during chemotherapy, children younger than 18 years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoma scheduled to undergo chemotherapy were randomized to receive oral ciprofloxacin 20 mg/kg/day or placebo from the beginning of their chemotherapy. Rectal swab cultures were taken before (R0) and at 1 (R1), 2 (R2), and 3 (R3) weeks during the intervention. The antimicrobial susceptibilities and MICs of ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin were determined via the E test.

Is zinc concentration in toxic phase plasma related to dengue severity and level of transaminases?

Objective: To determine the relationship between plasma zinc values and the severity of dengue viral infection (DVI) and DVI-caused hepatitis.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted during 2008-2010 in hospitalized children aged <15 years confirmed with DVI. Complete blood count, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and zinc values (mcg/dL) were determined twice: first during the toxic phase (Zn1) and secondly two weeks after recovery (Zn2).

In vitro activity of colistin against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from patients in Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand.

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-PA) infection creates problems for therapy. Previous studies have found MDR-PA is susceptible to colistin. We studied the in vitro susceptibility of MDR-PA to colistin and determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).

Ciprofloxacin reduces occurrence of fever in children with acute leukemia who develop neutropenia during chemotherapy.

Background: Fluoroquinolones reduce occurrence of fever in adult cancer patients who develop neutropenia, but there has been no randomized controlled trial in children, and there are only a few studies considering resistance in intestinal floral after ciprofloxacin has been used.

Methods: Children younger than 18 years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoma scheduled to undergo chemotherapy were randomized to receive oral ciprofloxacin 20mg/kg/day or placebo from the beginning of their chemotherapy. Rectal swab cultures were taken before and at 1 and/or 2 weeks after the intervention.

Gut microbiota of children living in rural south Thailand and urban Singapore.

Background: An imbalanced prevalence of allergic diseases occurs in the region of South East Asia. It has been suggested that a change in lifestyle associated with improved hygiene and modernization has altered the composition of human gastrointestinal microbiota, and hence susceptibility to allergy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the differences between fecal microbiota in children living in areas with contrasting socioeconomic development.

In vitro activity of fosfomycin-gentamicin, fosfomycin-ceftazidime, fosfomycin-imipenem and ceftazidime-gentamicin combinations against ceftazidime-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The effects of antimicrobial combinations against ceftazidime-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from hospitalized patients were investigated. Using the checkerboard titration method, combination of fosfomycin-gentamicin, fosfomycin-ceftazidime, fosfomycin-imipenem and ceftazidime-gentamicin was synergistic against 4, 11, 38 and 39% of 22, 18, 29 and 18 strains tested respectively and additive effect of the combinations against the strains tested was 41, 33, 14 and 44%, respectively. Antagonistic effects against the isolates were noted when fosfomycin was combined with gentamicin (27%), ceftazidime (22%) and imipenem (7%).