beta-Lactamases have been identified as the major cause of antimicrobial resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in Escherichia coli. The activities of ampicillin-sulbactam and amoxicillin-clavulanate as well as a range of beta-lactam antibiotics were studied with 87 clinical E. coli isolates from patients of the University Malaya Medical Center using the disc diffusion technique. Susceptible, intermediate and resistant categories were established based on the diameter of zones of inhibition set by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). The isolates were then classified into 6 phenotypes according to the criteria stated in the methodology: S (susceptible to all beta-lactams); TL (resistant to aminopenicillins; amoxicillin-clavulanate susceptible and susceptible or intermediate to ampicillin-sulbactam); TI (resistant to aminopenicillins and ampicillin-sulbactam; susceptible to amoxicilin-clavulanate); TH-IRT (resistant to aminopenicillins; intermediate or resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanate; resistant to ampicillin-sulbactam); ESBL (resistant to aminopenicillins and oxyimino cephalosporins; positive results with the double-disc diffusion test); and CP (resistant to aminopenicillins, beta-lactam-beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations, oxyimino cephalosporins and cephamycins). Results showed that the TL phenotype was the commonest (40.2% of the isolates) followed by S (31%), TH-IRT (16.1%), ESBL and CP (3.4% each) and TI (2.3%). One isolate showed both ESBL and CP phenotypes while two isolates were classified as inconclusive. Representatives from each phenotype were further analysed for the presence of beta-lactamases which revealed a predominance of TEM and SHV enzyme producers. PCR-SSCP analysis of the SHV gene from all the ESBL and CP isolates revealed the predominance of SHV 5-type enzyme which was concurrent with our previous studies.
Phenotype ; Extended-spectrum beta lactamase ; sultamicillin ; Escherichia coli ; Ceruloplasmin

Infants of mothers with Graves’ disease (GD) may develop central hypothyroidism (CH) due to exposure of the foetal hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis to higher-than-normal thyroid hormone concentrations, primary hypothyroidism (PH) due to transplacental passage of maternal thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb), antithyroid drugs (ATD) or thyroid dysgenesis secondary to maternal uncontrolled hyperthyroidism. We describe two infants with PH and four infants with CH born to mothers with poorly controlled Graves' disease. All infants required levothyroxine and had normal developmental milestones. While national guideline consensus for high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) on neonatal screening is well-established, thyroid function tests (TFTs) should be serially monitored in infants with low TSH on screening, as not all mothers with Graves’ disease are diagnosed antenatally.
Infant ; Hypothyroidism ; Congenital Hypothyroidism