Rapid detection of methicillin resistant staphylococci from the nasal screening swabs by mannitol salt agar with cefoxitin and oxacillin disks

To assess the reliability of Manitol salt agar [MSA] for directly identifying Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] and Methicillin Resistant Coagulase negative Staphylococci, [MRCoNS] in nasal swabs for screening purposes using cefoxitin and oxacillin disks. Descriptive and Quasi-experimental. The study was done in the two surgical units of Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi and all the samples were processed at the Department of Microbiology, Armed forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi during July 2007. A total of eighty four duplicate swabs were taken from the anterior nares of various staff members of the two surgical units and were directly inoculated on Mannitol salt agar with Cefoxitin disc 30 micro g [MSAFOX] and oxacillin disc 1 micro g [MSAOX]. All the samples were simultaneously inoculated on blood and MacConkey agar for conventional testing, using standard conditions, and confirmed as MRSA or MRCoNS by oxacillin disk diffusion technique. The staphylococcal isolates were later confirmed as MRSA/MRCoNS by polymerase chain reaction [PCR] for mec A gene analysis. There were 45 staphylococci which revealed mec A gene [40 MRCoNS and 5 MRSA] by PCR. Both the disks with MSA effectively identified the methicillin resistance. MSA with cefoxitin could identify 40 methicillin resistant staphylococci [35 MRCoNS and 5 MRSA] where as MSA with oxacillin could identify 39 methicillin resistant staphylococci [34 MRCoNS and 4 MRSA]. There was no significant difference between the two disks in sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and overall efficacy of the procedures. MSA with cefoxitin 30 micro g and oxacillin 1 micro g appear to be highly accurate, easy to perform and beneficial for quick and reliable detection of methicillin resistant staphylococci from the nasal carriers in a routine microbiology laboratory

CD5-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

CD5-positive B-ALL is a rare variant of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukenia [ALL]. In literature, only three cases have been reported so far. This fourth case report describes a young lady who was diagnosed as ALL [L-2] ib bibe marrow examination and was found to be CD5 positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on immunophenotyping. Cytogenetic analysis revealed translocation t[9:22]

8[th] October 2005 earthquake - an experience of diagnostic laboratory services in disaster

An earth quack measuring 7.6 on Richter scale with its epicenter located at 19 km north east of Muzaffarabad struck eight districts of northern areas of Pakistan, and adjacent areas of India. An estimated death toll of about 73,338 was reported. Around +3.5 million people were affected by natural disaster. Such a large number of population required special attention in the form of winterized shelters, heating, medical care, food, water and sanitation. This situation posed a unique challenge for health services including provision of diagnostic laboratory services for short term as well as long term basis. Laboratory services were established at various locations as a part of medical care to provide diagnostic facilities as well as blood transfusion services. This article presents few important lessons learnt in this aspect of medical care