[Evaluation of the Rapid-ATB system for testing the sensitivity of staphylococci to antibiotics. Comparison with the agar dilution reference method].

International audienceRapid ATB Staph is a new, automated, four-hour procedure for testing the susceptibility to antibiotics of staphylococci. Results obtained with this method were compared to those recorded using agar dilution. For all tested antibiotics as a group (5 on 201 strains, 8 on 100 strains), overall agreement between the two sets of results was 96%. 1,809 susceptibility tests were performed, with only 24 minor discrepancies (1.3%) mainly involving cotrimoxazole, and 50 major discrepancies (2.7%) mainly involving doxycycline and chloramphenicol. Rapid ATB Staph clearly demonstrates the heterogeneous oxacillin-resistance of staphylococci as well as their inducible resistance to erythromycin. Our results show that this new system is a very accurate means for testing the susceptibility to antibiotics of staphylococci

Zooplankton community structure in a highly turbid environment (Charente estuary, France): Spatio-temporal patterns and environmental control

Zooplankton assemblages were studied from January 2007 to January 2008 along the salinity gradient of the Charente estuary (France). A Lagrangian survey was performed monthly at five sampling stations defined by salinity (freshwater, 0.5, 5, 15 and 25) in order to collect zooplankton and measure the main environmental parameters (concentrations of suspended particulate matter, particulate organic carbon, chlorophyll a and phaeopigments). A combination of multivariate cluster analysis, species indicator index and canonical correspondence analysis was used to relate the spatio-temporal patterns of the zooplankton assemblages with environmental drivers. The estuary was divided into three different zones by means of environmental parameters while four zooplankton assemblages were identified along the salinity gradient. The Charente estuary appeared as one of the most turbid systems in Europe, with suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration reaching 3.5 g l-1 in the Maximum Turbidity Zone (MTZ). Algal heterotrophy and microphytobenthos resuspension from the wide mudflats could be responsible for the relatively high chlorophyll a concentrations measured within this MTZ. Salinity and SPM affected significantly the spatial distribution of zooplankton species while temperature and river flow seemed to control their temporal variations. From a zooplanktonic viewpoint, the highly turbid Charente estuary seemed to match an "ecotone-ecocline" model: the succession of species assemblages along the salinity gradient matched the concept of ecocline while the MTZ, which is a stressful narrow area, could be considered as an ecotone. Although such ecoclinal characteristics seemed to be a general feature of estuarine biocenoses, the ecotone could be more system-specific and biological compartment-specific. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Treatment of typhoid fever using ofloxacin. Clinical experience and determination of antibiotic diffusion into the mesenteric lymph nodes

Nine patients with typhoid fever were given ofloxacin in a daily dosage of 400 mg for ten days. All patients recovered with no relapses. No case of Salmonella typhi carriage was recorded. Diffusion of ofloxacin into mesenteric lymph nodes was studied in four patients. Mean concentration was 1.46 micrograms/g after four 200 mg doses. According to our results, ofloxacin could be considered as one of the alternatives for treating typhoid fever

Treatment of typhoid fever using ofloxacin. Clinical experience and determination of antibiotic diffusion into the mesenteric lymph nodes

Nine patients with typhoid fever were given ofloxacin in a daily dosage of 400 mg for ten days. All patients recovered with no relapses. No case of Salmonella typhi carriage was recorded. Diffusion of ofloxacin into mesenteric lymph nodes was studied in four patients. Mean concentration was 1.46 micrograms/g after four 200 mg doses. According to our results, ofloxacin could be considered as one of the alternatives for treating typhoid fever

Treatment of typhoid fever using ofloxacin. Clinical experience and determination of antibiotic diffusion into the mesenteric lymph nodes

Nine patients with typhoid fever were given ofloxacin in a daily dosage of 400 mg for ten days. All patients recovered with no relapses. No case of Salmonella typhi carriage was recorded. Diffusion of ofloxacin into mesenteric lymph nodes was studied in four patients. Mean concentration was 1.46 micrograms/g after four 200 mg doses. According to our results, ofloxacin could be considered as one of the alternatives for treating typhoid fever