Bacterial Colonization Incidence before and after Indwelling Double-J Ureteral Stents

The upper urinary tract stenting allows to restore the ureteral patency in various situations. However, one of the main disadvantages of stenting is bacterial contamination, which can be a source of persistent infections that hardly respond to antibiotic therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the local spectrum of bacterial pathogens and their susceptibility to antibiotics in order to optimize antibacterial therapy after upper urinary tract stenting. A prospective observational study was conducted in which 140 urine samples were examined (70 before stenting and 70 after stenting). Bacterial growth was detected in 37 patients (52.8%) before stenting and in 43 patients (61.4%) after stenting. E. coli (13 (28.8%)) and Streptococcus spp. (8 (17.6%)) strains were more commonly detected before stenting; P. aeruginosa (15 (31.2%)) and E. coli (8 (16.6%)) were usually revealed after stenting. The proportion of P. aeruginosa strains after stenting grew from 4.4% up to 31.2%. E. coli strains were resistant to ampicillin (92.3% before and 100% after stenting). Three strains of E. coli (23.1%) and six strains of P. aeruginosa (40%) were multidrug-resistant. Determination of the bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics and identification of antibiotic-resistant forms of bacteria is a factor in reducing the risk of complications and optimizing antibiotic therapy during the upper urinary tract stenting

Elemental Composition of Infusions of Herbs (Tisanes) of North Ossetia (the Caucasus)

Herbal infusions are consumed worldwide owing to their beneficial properties. Cultivated or obtained from the wild, herbal raw plant materials may contain trace elements at various levels. This study relates to the release of beneficial and potentially toxic trace elements from herbal preparations during infusion. The elemental contents of seven commercially available herbal tea products were determined prior to and following two modes of infusion. Teabags (of equal herb content) were infused in 200 mL of boiling bottled water “Holy Spirit” for 15 and 45 min, in glass beakers. The total content of 57 elements including heavy metals, rare earth elements, as well as Th and U, were determined by ICP-MS and ICP-AES. The metals present in the highest concentrations were K, Ca, P, and S. Potassium, Mg, Co, Ni, As, Rb, and Cs had the highest extractability, whereas Ga, Ge, Se, Zr, Nb, Te, Er, Yb, W, Tl, and U had the lowest extractability