ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 disease caused by SARS COV -2 is highly contagious. Many bacterial infections were found among patients with COVID 19 infection. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of secondary bacterial infections in patients infected with COVID 19 infection attending a tertiary care hospital. Methods: Various samples were collected from COVID 19 positive patients showing signs and symptoms of bacterial infection and were subjected to culture examination. Results: In the present study, 47 (6.48%) out of total 725 COVID positive patients were positive for secondary bacterial infections. Klebseilla species followed by Escherichia coli were the most commonly isolated organisms. Pneumonia followed by Urinary tract infection were the most commonly encountered infections in our study. Conclusion: Prevalence of secondary bacterial infections in patients with COVID-19 infection attending our hospital is low. Majority of secondary bacterial infections were seen among admitted patients attributable to longer hospital stays, use of steroid and invasive procedures in such patients.
ABSTRACT
Brucellosis is a major zoonotic disease, the incidence of which is usually underestimated. The early diagnosis of human brucellosis continues to challenge clinicians because of its non-specific clinical features, slow growth rate in the blood culture, and the complexity of its serodiagnosis. Although the growth rate is slow, culture detection of circulating Brucella organisms remains a diagnostic cornerstone. The unique property of Brucella is to give urease test positive within 4 hours. So, we aimed our study to judge applicability of standard urease test done directly from blood culture bottles indicated positive by BACTEC 9050 for early diagnosis of brucellosis. Materials & Methods: The blood cultures indicated positive by BACTEC 9050 & having suspicion of Brucella infection were subjected to urease test. All the bottles were also sub-cultured over solid media for isolation & identification of bacteria. Result & Discussion : Out of total 50 bottles, 10 were found urease test positive within 4 hours of incubation (mean time 48 min) & all of these 10 bottles also revealed growth of Brucella spp. on subsequent subculture. Remaining 40 bottles, which were negative for urease test, revealed growth of other bacteria or didn't reveal any growth. The overall mean time for diagnosis of Brucellosis by blood culture & subsequent urease test was 74 hours with 100 % Positive predictive value. Conclusion : The rapid urease reaction was found to be the best and cost effective option to identify the Brucella spp. It can give positive reaction from the direct inoculation of blood from the blood culture bottle within 4 hours after indication of blood culture positivity by automated blood culture system; & thus it significantly reduces the time for preliminary identification of Brucella infection. This might also help to increase the rate of diagnosis for the Brucella spp
ABSTRACT
Parasites in India are a run-of-the-mill phenomenon. Protozoa, sporozoa, cestodes, nematodes and even trematodes – all have discovered a comfortable niche in the Indian soils. Literature spills with cases of all these parasites in varying degrees of their occurrence in the Indian subcontinent. The case being reported here, is out of the aforementioned league. The uncustomary nature of the parasite recovered from the gall bladder of a patient mandates its discussion here. An adult male with jaundice, cholangitis, cholecystitis, gall bladder calculi and, a worm ….Ascaris ?, Fasciola ?, ….let us unfold the diagnostic dilemma.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Human brucellosis, a zoonotic disease is common in India. In spite of high prevalence, the disease usually remains under diagnosed or misdiagnosed.Aim: To evaluate & establish the significance of blood culture for diagnosis of brucellosis.Materials & Method: A study of 10 patients of brucellosis diagnosed by blood culture were evaluated retrospectively, for the various clinical & laboratory profiles, during the period of 2014-17. Results: All the ten patients, positive for brucellosis by blood culture were having history of fever. Other clinical presentations were - abdominal pain (n=6,60%), vomiting (n=5,50%), headache (n=1,10 %), generalized body ache (n=1,10%), anorexia (n=1,10%), joint pain (n=1,10%), cough (n= 1,10%), mild splenomegaly (n=2,20%), mild hepatomegaly (n=1,10%), mild to gross hepatosplenomegaly (n=3,30%). In all the cases, Brucella spp. were recovered from patient's blood culture & identified within 7 days of sample collection. The time-to- detection of BACTEC blood culture system (positive indication) was 3-5 days. Conclusion: A high level of clinical suspicion & proper blood culture remains the gold standard for early diagnosis of brucellosis.