ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are one of the most commonly encountered infections with significant mortality and morbidity. Sputum is the most frequently obtained sample for LRTI diagnosis. However, sputum samples carry the risk of being non-representative due to the risk of contamination with oral colonizers. To overcome the dilemma with respect to representative sampling, the use of a scoring system such as the Bartlett scoring system is emphasized. This study probes the bacterial profile of sputum samples among patients presenting with LRTIs and their antibiotic susceptibility profile in relation to the Bartlett scoring system. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective data for a period of three years, comprising 4960 sputum samples from patients presenting with LRTI, were collected to study the bacterial profile and antibiogram in comparison with the sputum quality analyzed by the Bartlett scoring system. RESULTS: Out of the 4960 sputum samples analyzed from patients with LRTI, 31.18% yielded the growth of bacterial pathogens, and 98.64% of the sputum samples yielding pathogenic growth had a significant Bartlett score. CONCLUSION: Sputum samples are non-invasive representative samples of lower airway infective pathologies. Sputum quality assessment by Bartlett scoring serves as a proxy marker to rule out respiratory colonization and aid culture-based diagnosis.
ABSTRACT
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Paratyphi have been imputed in the causation of enteric fever. Cardiovascular and extraintestinal Salmonella infections have been documented among immunocompromised individuals. Rarely these pathogens are ascribed in the causation of extraintestinal infections among immunocompetent hosts due to hematogenous seeding. We report a case of anterior chest wall abscess with osteomyelitis in an immunocompetent adult by Salmonella paratyphi A without any prior predisposing conditions or gastrointestinal symptoms. The patient underwent incision and drainage of the loculated pus and the involved costochondral junction was curetted. Medical management was guided by automated antibiotic susceptibility testing. Patient responded well to treatment and was discharged with no residual morbidities. Prompt diagnosis complements appurtenant treatment and thereby averts defunct consequential sequelae.
ABSTRACT
Elizabethkingia is ubiquitary aerobic bacillus abundantly found in the community as well as hospital environments. Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is an emerging nosocomial pathogen with an elemental ability to acclimate and survive in diversified environmental circumstances. Prompt diagnosis and an early therapeutic intervention are preponderant in the management of these infections. We report a case of meningitis with septicemia caused by E. meningoseptica in a 1-day-old outborn neonate. The child was stabilized with anticonvulsants and, based on laboratory findings, the neonate was started on ciprofloxacin in addition to symptomatic management. The child responded well to the treatment and was discharged on day 7 after treatment initiation. Perceptive treatment protocols backed with accurate laboratory evidence remain instrumental to avert unpropitious outcomes while combatting rare multidrug-resistant opportunistic infections.
