Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes and outcome of kidney function after catheter ablation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PAF). Methods: A total of 146 patients with PAF underwent primary atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation were enrolled from January 2013 to December 2014 and followed up. The subjects were divided into the AF recurrence and AF non recurrence groups. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated and serum creatinine levels were detected before ablation and during follow-up. Renal failure was defined as ≥ 25% decline in eGFR. Kaplan-Meier survival curves was applied for the incidence of renal failure. Cox proportional hazards models were conducted to assess the relationship between recurrence of AF and renal failure. Results: After (16.3±11.8) months of follow-up, the eGFR in patients with no recurrence of AF was higher than that in patients with recurrence. eGFR and ΔeGFR in patients with no AF recurrence differed significantly from those in patients with recurrence [(114.15±18.24) ml·min^-1·1.73m^-2 vs. (98.64±24.09) ml·min^-1·1.73m^-2, and (7.42±6.36) ml·min^-1·1.73m^-2 vs. (-11.40±10.19) ml·min^-1·1.73m^-2, all P<0.001]. The incidence of the renal failure was significantly lower (4.41% vs. 16.67%, P<0.05) and the survival prognosis was significantly better in patients with no recurrence than those in patients with recurrence (χ²=5.965, log-rank P=0.05). The multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age, baseline eGFR, recurrences of AF and diabetes were independent predictors of the renal failure, with the HR 1.152, 1.086, 13.442 and 6.076, respectively. Conclusions PAF patients with no recurrence after ablation had a better renal function than those with recurrence, and the recurrence of AF is associated with the deterioration of kidney function in patients with PAF.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the drug resistance of Comamonas testosteroni (C. testosteroni) by the Kirby-Bauer (K-B) method without Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) explanation or the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method with the standard CLSI explanation to evaluate the sensitivity of K-B method in detection of C. testosteroni.
 METHODS: K-B method and MIC method was used to determine the sensitivity of C. testosteroni to Piperacillin, Cefepime, Piperacillin/tazobactam, Imipenem, Meropenem, Amikacin, Gentamicin, Tobramycin, Ceftazidime and Ciprofloxacin. The interpretation standard for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was temporary used for the K-B method. The coincident rate was compared between the two methods.
 RESULTS: The complete or partial coincident rate for K-B method and MIC method to detect Piperacillin and Cefepime was 97.4% or 2.6%; the complete coincidence rate to detect Piperacillin/tazobactam, Imipenem and Meropenem was 100%; the complete or partial coincident rate to detect Amikacin, Gentamicin and Tobramycin 94.7% or 5.3%; the complete or partial coincident rate to detect Ceftazidime was 97.4% or 2.6%; the complete or partial coincident rate to detect Ciprofloxacin 86.8% or 10.6%, and the full non-coincidence rate was 2.6%.
 CONCLUSION The results of drug sensitive test from the two methods are highly consistent. We suggest that the microbiology labs do not report the interpretive results for C. testosteroni with K-B method but report the test results.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cefepime ; Cephalosporins ; Comamonas testosteroni ; Imipenem ; Meropenem ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Penicillanic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; Piperacillin ; Piperacillin, Tazobactam Drug Combination ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Thienamycins