Carbapenemase intrudes K. pneumoniae in local clinical isolates

To determine the sensitivity pattern of the isolates under study against commonly used antimicrobials. The study was carried out at the Department of Microbiology, University of Health Sciences Lahore. Two hundred Clinical isolates [n=200] of Enterobacteriaceae were collected from various tertiary care hospitals of Lahore. The isolates were identified by their morphology and cultural characteristics. API 20E was used for their biochemical profile. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was employed for their susceptibility according to CLSI 2009 guidelines. Modified Hodge Test was used for testing carbapenemase production. Further confirmation was done using EDTA disk potentiation method. Susceptibility pattern of two hundred isolates showed multidrug resistance pattern. All the isolates showed least resistance to Imipenem and Meropenem [0.5%] followed by Amikacin [24%] and Tetracycline [61%]. Only one strain of K. pneumoniae was found to be resistant to carbapenems and it was confirmed to be carbapenemase producer by Modified Hodge Test, and metallo [3-lactamase producer by EDTA disk potentiation method. Carbapenemase has intruded local isolates of K. pnuemoniae. It can result in outbreak of carbapenem resistant strains as it can spread through vertical as well as horizontal transmission. The carbapenem resistant isolates must be contained in order to prevent its further spread among other members of Enterobacteriaceae and other bacteria

Rapid isolation of mycobacteria-need of the hour in our settings

To compare Bactec MGIT 960 with LJ media in terms of time taken for the initial isolation of mycobacteria. A total of 100 AFB [acid fast bacillus] positive sputum samples were processed and inoculated in both the Lowenstein Jensen [LJ] media and mycobacterium growth indicator tube [MGIT] tubes. Of the 100 samples, positive growth was obtained from all the samples on both the MGIT and LJ media. In MGIT 53% samples grew in 4 days, 30% in 5 days and 17% in 6 days [Mean=4.6 days] while on LJ media, 44% grew in 30 days, 20% in 35 days and 36% in 44 days [Mean=37 days]. Significant difference was observed between two systems with a p-value of less than 0.05. Bactec MGIT 960 is a much faster and efficient system for the initial isolation of mycobacteria

Anti bacterial activity of Nigella sativa against clinical isolates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] continues to be one of the commonest pathogens encountered in clinical as well as laboratory practice. It has become a major health problem worldwide. Newer antimicrobials/agents are urgently needed to combat this problem MRSA resistance to various anti-staphylococcal agents. In the back-drop of this difficult situation Nigella sativa commonly known as black seed [ethanolic extract] was aimed at to evaluate if it had any anti-staphylococcal activity. The extract was prepared by reflux extraction method. Disc diffusion and in agar dilution methods were performed to assess the antibacterial activity. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 was used as the standard reference strain. All tested strains of MRSA were sensitive to N. sativa extract at a concentration of 4 mg/disc while the extract had an MIC range of 0.2-0.5 mg/ml. The results indicated that N. sativa has inhibitory effect on MRSA. This finding warrants necessity of further investigation of this product of folk medicine