Isolation of Streptobacillus moniliformis from the blood of a child with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

This is an unusual report of isolation of Streptobacillus moniliformis from the blood of a male child with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. No history of rat bite was there, but rats were present in the house. The possible source of infection may be food or water contaminated with rat excreta. Whether this bacteria can cause opportunistic infection in leukaemic patients, need to be evaluated further.

Bacterial nosocomial pneumonia in Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

AIMS: To determine the incidence, risk factors, mortality and organisms causing nosocomial pneumonia (NP) in intubated patients in Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). MATERIALS & METHODS: All patients with endotracheal (ET) tube with or without mechanical ventilation (MV) in a PICU of a tertiary care teaching hospital were included in this prospective study. Clinical parameters and investigations were evaluated in patients who developed nosocomial pneumonia (NP). Colonisation of the ET tube tip was studied by culture and the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients had an ET tube inserted and fifty-nine of these underwent MV. ET tube tip colonisation was seen in 70 out of 88 ET tubes inserted. The incidence of NP in patients with ET tube was 27.54% (7.96/100 days of ET intubation). NP developed only in patients undergoing MV. The main risk factors for developing NP were - duration of MV and duration of stay in the PICU. Age, sex, immunocompromised status and altered sensorium did not increase the risk of NP. The mortality in cases with NP was 47. 37%. E. coli and Klebsiella were the commonest organisms isolated from the ET tube tip cultures with maximum susceptibility to amikacin and cefotaxime. CONCLUSIONS: NP developed only in patients undergoing MV. Duration of MV and duration of stay in the PICU increased the risk of developing NP.

Urinary catheter related nosocomial infections in paediatric intensive care unit.

The present prospective study was carried out in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Mumbai. The objective was to determine the incidence, risk factors, mortality and organisms responsible for urinary catheter related infections (UCRI). Colonization and/or bacteriuria was labelled as urinary catheter related infection (UCRI). Forty-four patients with 51 urinary catheters were studied. Incidence of UCRI was 47.06%. Age, female sex and immunocompromised status did not increase the risk of UCRI. Duration of catheter in-situ and duration of stay in the PICU were associated with higher risk of UCRI. The mortality was not increased by UCRI. Commonest organism isolated in UCRI was E. coli, which had maximum susceptibility to nitrofurantoin and amikacin.

Bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in catheter related nosocomial infections.

This prospective study was carried out over a period of 6 months in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital. The aim of the study was to determine the organisms causing catheter related nosocomial infections in the PICU and to study their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Patients with endotracheal intubation, indwelling urinary catheters and central venous catheters (CVC)/venous cutdown catheters were included in the study. Colonization of the endotracheal tube, urinary catheter related infections (UCRI) and colonization of the CVC/venous cutdown catheters was studied. E. coli was the commonest organism colonizing the endotracheal tube tip with maximum susceptibility to cefotaxime and amikacin. E. coli was also was the commonest organism causing UCRI with maximum susceptibility to nitrofurantoin and amikacin. Acinetobacter was the commonest organism colonizing the CVC/venous cutdown catheters with maximum susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. All these sites of catheter related infections considered together, E. coli and Klebsiella were the commonest nosocomial organisms. Both had maximum susceptibility to amikacin. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was isolated only from one culture. All the organisms had a poor susceptibility to cefazolin and amoxycillin. A knowledge of the resident microbial flora and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern is necessary for formulating a rational antibiotic policy in an ICU.