Evaluation of automated microscopy sediment analysis in urinary tract infection screening: a practical insight in adjusting fixed cut-off values for urine culture.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to evaluate a procedure in which urine culture was only being performed based on fixed cut-off values of urine sediment analysis with intention to prevent unnecessary negative urine cultures.

Methods: From January 2018 to August 2018, all urine samples from patients visiting the urology outpatient department were analyzed. Urine culture was only performed if urine sediment contained more than 130 bacteria per microliter and/or more than 50 leukocytes per microliter.

Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for High- Resolution Typing of Enterococcus faecium.

Enterococcus faecium, a common inhabitant of the human gut, has emerged in the last 2 decades as an important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen. Since the start of the 21st century, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) has been used to study the molecular epidemiology of E. faecium.

Cross-border dissemination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Euregio Meuse-Rhin region.

Because the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) differs among the 3 countries forming the Euregio Meuse-Rhin (EMR) region (Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands), cross-border healthcare requires information about the spread of MRSA in the EMR. We investigated the emergence, dissemination, and diversity of MRSA clones in the EMR by using several typing methods. MRSA associated with clonal complexes 5, 8, 30, and 45 was disseminated throughout the EMR.