Comparative efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens

Background: Due to the increasing rate of hospital-acquired infections, it is essential to select appropriate disinfectant agents. In this study, the efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens was compared. Methods: High level disinfectants (Steranios 2, Deconex HLDPA, and Microzed Quatenol) were tested for their antibacterial effects by determining their minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 10673. Results: E. faecalis, as gram-positive bacterium, was more susceptible to high level disinfectants compared to gram-negative B.cepacia. The MIC = MBC values of 2 Steranios, Deconex HLDPA and Microzed Quatenol against E. faecalis and B.cepacia were 0.31, 9.77, 2.2 mg/L and 9.8, 78.13, 70.31 mg/L, respectively. Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, the most effective disinfectants against both E. faecalis and B.cepacia were Steranios 2, Microzed Quatenol, and Deconex HLDPA in order. Considering the importance of these bacterial strains in healthcare-associated infections, the use of these effective disinfectants is recommended in the hospitals. © 2020 The Author(s)

Comparative efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens

Background: Due to the increasing rate of hospital-acquired infections, it is essential to select appropriate disinfectant agents. In this study, the efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens was compared. Methods: High level disinfectants (Steranios 2, Deconex HLDPA, and Microzed Quatenol) were tested for their antibacterial effects by determining their minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 10673. Results: E. faecalis, as gram-positive bacterium, was more susceptible to high level disinfectants compared to gram-negative B.cepacia. The MIC = MBC values of 2 Steranios, Deconex HLDPA and Microzed Quatenol against E. faecalis and B.cepacia were 0.31, 9.77, 2.2 mg/L and 9.8, 78.13, 70.31 mg/L, respectively. Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, the most effective disinfectants against both E. faecalis and B.cepacia were Steranios 2, Microzed Quatenol, and Deconex HLDPA in order. Considering the importance of these bacterial strains in healthcare-associated infections, the use of these effective disinfectants is recommended in the hospitals. © 2020 The Author(s)

A single-center non-blinded randomized clinical trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of PhR160 spray in the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia

7-16COVID-19 is an emerging pandemic that caused a very widespread infection with more than 1000000 cases in Iran within a year. The main cause of mortality among patients with COVID-19 is pulmonary failure. In Iranian Traditional Medicine, essences have been used for curing pulmonary diseases. Pinen-Hydronoplacton-Ribonucleic acid (PHR) is an inhaler spray made of seven different plants, which all are used by humans and have desirable pharmacological features for treating pulmonary symptoms of COVID-19 patients. This study was conducted to assess the safety and effectiveness of PHR160 spray in improving pulmonary symptoms of COVID-19 patients. This was a single-centre, non-blinded randomized clinical trial with two parallel groups in two different wards of Baqiyatallah hospital, Tehran, Iran. Participants were 63 male patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia, divided into 2 groups of 32 in the intervention group and 31 in the control group. The intervention group received 5 days of PHR160 spray, 10 puffs each day, 300 micrograms in each puff in addition to the routine treatment. Oxygen saturation was measured by a pulse oximeter, every six hours and recorded daily. This study showed that administration of PhR 160 in patients of COVID-19 was safe, and it significantly increased the arterial oxygen saturation percentage in COVID-19 patients. In addition, it decreased hospitalization duration, dyspnea score, and cough score significantly in the patients. The statistical modelling test, with adjusting the age and respiratory rate for baseline and 4 days of the intervention, shows that the oxygen saturation percentage mean was significantly more in the intervention group by 5.14 units (p<0.001)

Role of orfD Pseudomonas aeruginosa H103 Gene in Glucose Uptake

Abstract: Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram negative non facultative bacterium and one of the members of normal flora in different sites of body in healthy humans. This bacterium can resist in fluids and hospital environments for a long time. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has two systems for glucose uptake: a low affinity oxidative pathway and a high affinity phosphorylative pathway. The orfBCD genes are located over two million base pair upstream of the genes involved in the high affinity uptake system. Although the role of these genes are unknown by now, they may have a role in regulation of glucose uptake. In the present study, the role of orfD gene in glucose uptake in P.aeruginosa has been investigated. Method: orfD fragment were cloned in pUCP20 as vector and the recombinant plasmid transferred into WMA200 strain of P.aeruginosa, a mutant strain of P.aeruginosa with a chromosomal deletion of orfBCD. So we compared the rate of glucose uptake by P.aeruginosaWMA200, P.aeruginosaWMA200/pUCP20/orfD and P.aeruginosa H103 as wild type strain of P.aeruginosa by using labeled glucose under conditions at low substrate concentration and low cell density. Results: Carbohydrate uptake patterns differed considerably among three strains. The wild type is able to uptake glucose at a faster rate than the mutant; however, the mutant complemented with orfD shows an intermediate uptake comparing to the wild type and the mutant. Conclusion: orfD gene has an important role in carbohydrate uptake in P.aeruginosa strains however further studies are required to determine the involved mechanism. Keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Glucose uptake, OrfB, OrfC, Orf

Plasmid Profile of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its Relation with Antibiotic Resistance in Hospital Isolates

Abstract: Introduction: P.aeruginosa is one of the causes of nosocomial infections with an unusual resistance to antibiotics. The source of resistance in this bacterium may be chromosomal or plasmid. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial susceptibility patterns with the presence of plasmids in P. aeruginosa isolates. Method: In this study, 140 P.aeruginosa isolates were collected from hospitals in Urmia/Iran. The susceptibility patterns were determined against antibiotics. Plasmids were extracted by alkaline lysis method, electrophoresed and investigated by a UV transilluminator. Single digestion of plasmids with EcoR1 and HincII were performed and the restriction patterns were compared using a ladder. Results: The rates of resistances to antibiotics were as follows: gentamicin 49.3%, cephalothin 99.3%, ticarcillin 100%, ceftizoxime 79.3%, co-trimoxazole 97.7%, amikacin 35%, carbenicillin 67.1%, ceftriaxone 65.7%, ciprofloxacin 58.6%, piperacillin 52.8%, imipenem 1.4%, kanamycin 65.7%, ofloxacin 72.1% and ampicillin 100%. In Whole, 65.7% of isolates harbored plasmids. Restriction enzyme analysis of plasmids showed unique pattern for all of plasmid positive isolates. All the plasmid positive isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone and kanamycin. The plasmid source of resistance to ceftriaxone was proved by plasmid elimination and transformation in E.coliDH5α and the plasmid source of resistance to kanamycin was proved by plasmid elimination. Also there was a significant correlation between the presence of plasmid in isolates and resistance to some of antibiotics. Conclusion: There was a high frequency of plasmids in P.aeruginosa isolates, indicating that plasmids have an important role in transferring of resistance genes in this bacterium. Keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, plasmid pattern, Antibiotic resistanc