BACKGROUND: We performed surveillance cultures of the surfaces of X-ray cassettes to assess contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). METHODS: The surfaces of 37 X-ray cassettes stored in a radiology department were cultured using mannitol salt agar containing 6 microg/mL oxacillin. Suspected methicillin-resistant staphylococcal colonies were isolated and identified by biochemical testing. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis was performed to determine the clonal relationships of the contaminants. RESULTS: Six X-ray cassettes (16.2%) were contaminated with MRSA. During the isolation procedure, we also detected 19 X-ray cassettes (51.4%) contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus (MRSH), identified as yellow colonies resembling MRSA on mannitol salt agar. PFGE analysis of the MRSA and MRSH isolates revealed that most isolates of each organism were identical or closely related to each other, suggesting a common source of contamination. CONCLUSIONS: X-ray cassettes, which are commonly in direct contact with patients, were contaminated with MRSA and MRSH. In hospital environments, contaminated X-ray cassettes may serve as fomites for methicillin-resistant staphylococci.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Diagnostic Equipment/*microbiology ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Humans ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects/*isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Oxacillin/pharmacology ; Staphylococcus haemolyticus/drug effects/*isolation & purification

Acute gastrointestinal dilation is a medical condition in which the stomach and intestine become overstretched by excessive gas content. In laboratory monkeys, cases of bloating involving gastrointestinal dilation are rarely seen, and the cause thereof is not clearly defined. Two rhesus monkeys in the Korea National Primate Research Center were found to suffer from acute gastrointestinal dilation. One of the monkeys showed severe gastric bloating after recovering from general anesthesia with isoflurane, where after it died suddenly. During necropsy, severe congestion of the lung was observed. The other monkey showed gastrointestinal dilation and died after treatment. During necropsy, severe dilation of the large intestine was observed. Severe congestion was detected in small and large intestines. Histopathologically, erythrocytes were found to fill the alveoli and alveolar capillaries of the lung. In stomach, epithelial cells were found to be sloughed from the mucosal layer, and erythrocytes were found to fill the blood vessels of the submucosal and mucosal layers. In small and large intestines, epithelial cells were also found to be sloughed from the mucosal layer, and inflammatory cells were found to have infiltrated in the submucosa (only large intestine) and mucosa. Microbiologically, Enterococcus faecalis and the pathogenic Staphylococcus haemolyticus, which do not form gas in the gastrointestinal tract, were detected in the gastrointestinal contents of both monkeys. These results suggest that the cause of the acute gastrointestinal dilation in these monkeys was not infection by gas-forming bacteria, but rather multiple factors such as diet, anesthesia, and excessive water consumption.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Bacteria ; Blood Vessels ; Capillaries ; Diet ; Drinking ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Epithelial Cells ; Erythrocytes ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Gastrointestinal Contents ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Haplorhini ; Intestine, Large ; Intestines ; Isoflurane ; Korea ; Lung ; Macaca mulatta ; Mucous Membrane ; Primates ; Staphylococcus haemolyticus ; Stomach

Vancomycin-induced agranulocytosis is a rare side effect, but the increased use of vancomycin may disclose a more frequent occurrence. And it is a life-threatening complication, especially in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. We describe a 62-year-old patient with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), who developed agranulocytosis after 3 weeks intraperitoneal administration of vancomycin for treatment of peritonitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus. The agranulocytosis was resolved with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) therapy and by the discontinuation of vancomycin. But, the patient developed subsequent rhinocerebral mucormycosis with invasion to skull base associated prolonged neutropenic period and expired in spite of surgical resection and intravenous administration of amphotericin. This case serves as a reminder to clinicians that patients receiving long-term treatment with vancomycin should have their white blood cell count monitored and vancomycin-induced agranulocytosis should be corrected promptly.
Administration, Intravenous ; Agranulocytosis* ; Amphotericin B ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Leukocyte Count ; Methicillin Resistance ; Middle Aged ; Mucormycosis* ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Peritonitis* ; Skull Base ; Staphylococcus haemolyticus ; Vancomycin

To analyze the clinical characteristics of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) associated peritonitis in the tertiary hospitals and to discuss the preventive and therapeutic strategy.
 Methods: The clinical characteristics, pathogens, resistance and outcomes of 126 CAPD associated peritonitis in 104 patients from Jan, 2013 to June, 2016, were retrospectively analyzed.
 Results: Among the patients, the incidence rates of abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea and emesis were 104 (82.54%), 56 (44.44%), 49 (38.89%), and 31 (23.60%), respectively. Among them, 88 patients suffered peritonitis once, other 16 patients suffered multiple peritonitis or recurrent peritonitis for 38 times. Among the 38 times, the numbers for recurrent, repeated or catheter-associated peritonitis were 2, 2, or 3, respectively. Peritoneal fluids from 103 cases were cultured, and 64 cases were positive in bacteria, with a rate of 62.14%. A total of 70 strains of bacteria were separated, including 42 strains of gram-positive bacteria, 21 strains of gram-negative bacteria, and 7 strains of fungus. The most common gram-positive pathogens were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus, while Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most common gram-negative bacteria. Candida albicans was the major fungal pathogens. Gram-positive cocci showed resistance to gentamycin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, vancomycin and linezolid, with a rate at 20.00%, 36.11%, 5%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. The gram-negative bacilli were resistent to cefoperazone/sulbactam, gentamycin, cephazolin, and ceftazidime, with a rate at 6.25%, 10.53%, 64.29%, and 15.38%, respectively. There were no imipenem, amikacin, piperacillin/tazobactam-resistant strains were found.
 Conclusion: The most common pathogen causing CAPD associated peritonitis is gram-positive bacteria. It is crucial to take the anti-infection therapy for CAPD associated peritonitis early. The positive rates for bacterial culture need to be enhanced through improvement of methods. At the same time, doctors could improve the outcome of CAPD associated peritonitis by adjusting the medication according to the drug sensitivity results.
Abdominal Pain ; epidemiology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Candidiasis ; epidemiology ; Catheters ; adverse effects ; microbiology ; Diarrhea ; epidemiology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Escherichia coli ; Fever ; epidemiology ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mycoses ; epidemiology ; Penicillanic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; adverse effects ; Peritonitis ; complications ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Piperacillin ; Piperacillin, Tazobactam Drug Combination ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Staphylococcus haemolyticus ; Vomiting ; epidemiology