In-Vitro antibacterial activity of bioactive plant extracts against methicillin-resistant strains of staphylococcus aureus

Methanol extract of leaves of five different Nigerian plants were tested for activity against three drug resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus by the agar well diffusion and broth microdilution techniques. The S. aureus strains were composed of two clinical isolates and one reference strain. Promising antimicrobial activity was displayed by three of the five plants tested. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts ranged from 25 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml. The clinical isolates had comparable level of sensitivity to the three most active extracts. Both were also more susceptible to the extracts than the reference strain. Phytochemical analyses showed that secondary plant constituents were present in varied concentrations in all the extracts

Correlations between antibiotic intake and resistance of some enteric gram negative bacilli to antibiotics

Some enteric Gram negative bacteria were isolated over a three – year (2006 – 2008) period from two human populations designated as population on therapy (OD) and population not on therapy (ND). Isolates were analyzed forsusceptibility to a panel of ten antibacterial agents. Results showed that OD isolates were generally more resistant to test drugs than ND isolates but the differences were not significant at both 0.01 and 0.05 levels. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the correlation in resistances among the OD and ND isolates was systematic and significant at both 0.01 and 0.05 levels, suggesting that resistance emergence and sustenance may not be an exclusive consequence of intake and misuse of antibiotics

Transfer of Multidrug Resistance among Bacteria Isolated from Industrial Wastes

One hundred and twenty two (122) bacterial isolates belonging to the genera Micrococcus, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Actinomyces, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Brucella, Shigella, Hafnia, Proteus and Salmonella were isolated from four different industrial waste sites. Thirty five (28.68%) of these were resistant to two or more antibiotics. Of these, multiple drug resistant species of Pseudomonas and Proteus were chosen as donors in resistance transfer studies with selected susceptible environmental and clinical isolates as recipients. Results showed that the drug resistance is transferable among environmental isolates and from environmental to clinical isolates. Following treatment with sodium dodecyl sulphate in a resistance curing protocol, thirty one (88. 57%) of the resistant isolates lost resistance to all the antimicrobial drugs to which they were previously resistant. These findings suggest that the resistance may be plasmid-mediated and promiscuous. The possible public health implication of this is discussed.Keywords: Industrial wastes, Bacterial isolates, Antimicrobial resistance, Resistance transfer, Curin

Sonographic assessment of pregnancy co-existing with uterine leiomyoma in Owerri, Nigeria

Background: Uterine myomas co-existing with pregnancy could cause obstetric complications.Objectives: To assess sonographically the frequency of occurrence and effect of uterine myomas co-existing with pregnancy.Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted during a period of 23 months. A convenience sample of 816 consecutive consenting pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria was evaluated during routine prenatal ultrasound scan. The women were referred for prenatal sonography. One hundred of the subjects who had myoma co-existing with pregnancy and another 100 subjects without myoma were selected for follow-up. These groups were followed up till delivery and obstetric complications and outcomes were documented. Any changes in size and growth rate of myoma were documented.Results: Subjects with myoma co-existing with pregnancy were 12.3%. This was commoner with increasing maternal age. An increase was observed in myoma mean size from 60mm to 63mm from the 1st scan sequence to the 2nd scan sequence and a reduction from 63mm to 59mm in the 3rd scan sequence. Myoma growth rate was 0.667mm per week. Myomas inpregnancy especially large ones caused more complications during delivery when compared to pregnancies without myomas.Conclusion: Routine sonography is important in pregnancy management of uterine myomas co-existing with pregnancy.Keywords: Routine sonography; uterine myoma, pregnancy, obstetric complications

Discrepancies between the medical record and the reports of patients with acute coronary syndrome regarding important aspects of the medical history

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many critical treatment decisions are based on the medical history of patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Discrepancies between the medical history documented by a health professional and the patient's own report may therefore have important health consequences.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Medical histories of 117 patients with an ACS were documented. A questionnaire assessing the patient's health history was then completed by 62 eligible patients. Information about 13 health conditions with relevance to ACS management was obtained from the questionnaire and the medical record. Concordance between these two sources and reasons for discordance were identified.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was significant variation in agreement, from very poor in angina (kappa < 0) to almost perfect in diabetes (kappa = 0.94). Agreement was substantial in cerebrovascular accident (kappa = 0.76) and hypertension (kappa = 0.73); moderate in cocaine use (kappa = 0.54), smoking (kappa = 0.46), kidney disease (kappa = 0.52) and congestive heart failure (kappa = 0.54); and fair in arrhythmia (kappa = 0.37), myocardial infarction (kappa = 0.31), other cardiovascular diseases (kappa = 0.37) and bronchitis/pneumonia (kappa = 0.31). The odds of agreement was 42% higher among individuals with at least some college education (OR = 1.42; 95% CI, 1.00 - 2.01, p = 0.053). Listing of a condition in medical record but not in the questionnaire was a common cause of discordance.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Discrepancies in aspects of the medical history may have important effects on the care of ACS patients. Future research focused on identifying the most effective and efficient means to obtain accurate health information may improve ACS patient care quality and safety.</p

Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial to Analyze the Effects of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression on Edema Following Autologous Femoropopliteal Bypass Surgery

Background: Patients who undergo autologous femoropopliteal bypass surgery develop postoperative edema in the revascularized leg. The effects of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) to treat and to prevent postreconstructive edema were examined in this study. Methods: In a prospective randomized trial, patients were assigned to one of two groups. All patients suffered from peripheral arterial disease, and all were subjected to autologous femoropopliteal bypass reconstruction. Patients in group 1 used a compression stocking (CS) above the knee exerting 18 mmHg (class I) on the leg postoperatively for 1 week (day and night). Patients in group 2 used IPC on the foot postoperatively at night for 1 week. The lower leg circumference was measured preoperatively and at five postoperative time points. A multivariate analysis was done using a mixed model analysis of variance. Results: A total of 57 patients were analyzed (CS 28; IPC 29). Indications for operation were severe claudication (CS 13; IPC 13), rest pain (10/5), or tissue loss (7/11). Revascularization was performed with either a supragenicular (CS 13; IPC10) or an infragenicular (CS 15; IPC 19) autologous bypass. Leg circumference increased on day 1 (CS/IPC): 0.4%/2.7%, day 4 (2.1%/6.1%), day 7 (2.5%/7.9%), day 14 (4.7%/7.3%), and day 90 (1.0%/3.3%) from baseline (preoperative situation). On days 1, 4, and 7 there was a significant difference in leg circumference between the two treatment groups. Conclusions: Edema following femoropopliteal bypass surgery occurs in all patients. For the prevention and treatment of that edema the use of a class I CS proved superior to treatment with IPC. The use of CS remains the recommended practice following femoropopliteal bypass surgery

Prevalence and burden of HBV co-infection among people living with HIV:A global systematic review and meta-analysis

Globally, in 2017 35 million people were living with HIV (PLHIV) and 257 million had chronic HBV infection (HBsAg positive). The extent of HIV-HBsAg co-infection is unknown. We undertook a systematic review to estimate the global burden of HBsAg co-infection in PLHIV. We searched MEDLINE, Embase and other databases for published studies (2002-2018) measuring prevalence of HBsAg among PLHIV. The review was registered with PROSPERO (#CRD42019123388). Populations were categorized by HIV-exposure category. The global burden of co-infection was estimated by applying regional co-infection prevalence estimates to UNAIDS estimates of PLHIV. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the odds of HBsAg among PLHIV compared to HIV-negative individuals. We identified 506 estimates (475 studies) of HIV-HBsAg co-infection prevalence from 80/195 (41.0%) countries. Globally, the prevalence of HIV-HBsAg co-infection is 7.6% (IQR 5.6%-12.1%) in PLHIV, or 2.7 million HIV-HBsAg co-infections (IQR 2.0-4.2). The greatest burden (69% of cases; 1.9 million) is in sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, there was little difference in prevalence of HIV-HBsAg co-infection by population group (approximately 6%-7%), but it was slightly higher among people who inject drugs (11.8% IQR 6.0%-16.9%). Odds of HBsAg infection were 1.4 times higher among PLHIV compared to HIV-negative individuals. There is therefore, a high global burden of HIV-HBsAg co-infection, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Key prevention strategies include infant HBV vaccination, including a timely birth-dose. Findings also highlight the importance of targeting PLHIV, especially high-risk groups for testing, catch-up HBV vaccination and other preventative interventions. The global scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for PLHIV using a tenofovir-based ART regimen provides an opportunity to simultaneously treat those with HBV co-infection, and in pregnant women to also reduce mother-to-child transmission of HBV alongside HIV

Brucellosis as an Emerging Threat in Developing Economies:Lessons from Nigeria

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, has a large proportion of the world's poor livestock keepers, and is a hotspot for neglected zoonoses. A review of the 127 accessible publications on brucellosis in Nigeria reveals only scant and fragmented evidence on its spatial and temporal distribution in different epidemiological contexts. The few bacteriological studies conducted demonstrate the existence of Brucella abortus in cattle and sheep, but evidence for B. melitensis in small ruminants is dated and unclear. The bulk of the evidence consists of seroprevalence studies, but test standardization and validation are not always adequately described, and misinterpretations exist with regard to sensitivity and/or specificity and ability to identify the infecting Brucella species. Despite this, early studies suggest that although brucellosis was endemic in extensive nomadic systems, seroprevalence was low, and brucellosis was not perceived as a real burden; recent studies, however, may reflect a changing trend. Concerning human brucellosis, no studies have identified the Brucella species and most reports provide only serological evidence of contact with Brucella in the classical risk groups; some suggest brucellosis misdiagnoses as malaria or other febrile conditions. The investigation of a severe outbreak that occurred in the late 1970s describes the emergence of animal and human disease caused by the settling of previously nomadic populations during the Sahelian drought. There appears to be an increasing risk of re-emergence of brucellosis in sub-Saharan Africa, as a result of the co-existence of pastoralist movements and the increase of intensive management resulting from growing urbanization and food demand. Highly contagious zoonoses like brucellosis pose a threat with far-reaching social and political consequences

Isolation And Characterization Of The Bacterial Flora Of Soy Milk Sold In Nsukka Market

A total of five bacterial isolates designated A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 were obtained from twelve locally produced soy milk samples purchased from different locations in Nsukka town. The soy milk samples comprised seven unrefrigerated and five refrigerated samples. All samples were 24h-old according to information gathered from the sellers. Using conventional microbiological and biochemical procedures, the isolates were presumptively identified as Aeromonas spp, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella spp, Pseudomonas spp and Staphylococcus aureus. The total viable bacterial counts in the beverage ranged from 3.4 x 108—7.5 x 108 cfu/ml. The highest number of viable cells was recorded with Staphylococcus aureus, which also had the highest percentage frequency (100%), as it occurred in all the soy milk samples studied. Aeromonas spp had the lowest percentage frequency, occurring in only two samples. Generally, there were relatively higher bacterial numbers in the unrefrigerated than in the refrigerated soy milk samples. Results of the study highlight the laxity in hygiene on the part of the producers of the beverage since majority of the isolates are members of the human body flora. Keywords: Aeromonas spp, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella spp, Pseudomonas spp and Staphylococcus aureusPlant Product Research Journal Vol. 12 2008: pp. 23-2