ABSTRACT
The bacteriological profile of epidural catheters was studied in 88 patients. Skin swabs before catheterization and before removal of catheter with their controls were cultured in TSB Medium. The catheter hub, the portion at the skin puncture site and at the tip were cultured in TSB Medium. The 1cm of the catheter bit just before the tip was cultured in TGB medium for anaerobes.Both, the skin controls swabs and the anaerobic culture, were negative. From the remaining, 56 positive cultures were obtained. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the predominant organism in 52% followed by staphylococcus aureus 25%. The remaining 23% was shared by Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, and E. coli. All the positive cultures from skin prior to epidural catheterization had turned sterile by 48 hours, indicating continued bactericidal action of the disinfectant. The likely source of positive skin cultures at 48 hours is hair follicles.The catheter tip culture was positive in 9 specimen, none of which resulted in the formation of epidural abscess. In 3 cases the cultures of skin puncture site and the tip were identical indicating tracking-in of the organisms.
ABSTRACT
Background and Methodolgoy: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) has not been reported as an opportunistic pathogen among patients with AIDS in the Indian subcontinent. Blood samples were cultured for mycobacteria using BACTEC 460TB system from 71 HIV seropositive and 33 seronegative patients, tested at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagam between August 2001 and December 2002. Results: MAC and M. simiae were isolated from three patients each. All the six patients with mycobacteremia were AIDS cases. Clinically, none of them was diagnosed as a case of mycobacteremia. However, laboratory results confirmed the dissemination of MAC and M. simiae among these patients. Conclusion: These results confirm that disseminated MAC and M. simiae disease exist among AIDS patients in India also.