Antibiotic management of acute pharyngitis in primary care.

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health has convened the Advisory Group on Antibiotic Stewardship Programme in Primary Care (the Advisory Group) to formulate guidance notes and strategies for optimising judicious use of antibiotics and enhancing the Antibiotic Stewardship Programme in Primary Care. Acute pharyngitis is one of the most common conditions among out-patients in primary care in Hong Kong. Practical recommendations on the diagnosis and antibiotic treatment of acute streptococcal pharyngitis are made by the Advisory Group based on the best available clinical evidence, local prevalence of pathogens and associated antibiotic susceptibility profiles, and common local practice.

Effect of antibiotics on the bacterial load of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonisation in anterior nares.

Prevalence of hospital-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection or colonisation has been associated with antimicrobial consumption. The impact of antibiotic treatment on nasal colonisation is unknown. We conducted a three-month prospective study of 116 patients with extranasal MRSA infection or colonisation, whose nasal MRSA bacterial loads were determined during and after various antibiotic courses over a period of three weeks. Environmental swabs were also taken from the near patient environment. Concomitant nasal MRSA carriage was observed in 76.7% of extranasal MRSA-colonised or -infected patients. The median nasal MRSA bacterial load increased significantly from 2.78 (range 0-6.15) to 5.30 (range 2.90-8.41) log(10) cfu per swab (cfu/swab) (P<0.001) over 21 days during beta-lactam therapy. It also increased from 0 (range 0-4.00) to 4.30 (range 0-7.46) log(10)cfu/swab (P=0.039) over 14 days during fluoroquinolone therapy. Median bacterial loads were significantly higher for beta-lactam- and fluoroquinolone-treated patients on day 7 [4.78, range 0-7.30], day 14 [4.30, range 0-7.60] and day 21 [5.30, range 2.90-8.41] than controls not receiving antibiotics (P<0.05). These loads then decreased by 2-5log(10)cfu/swab 2 weeks after discontinuation of antibiotics. The environment of patients receiving beta-lactam agents (relative risk: 3.55; 95% confidence interval: 1.30-9.62; P=0.018) or fluoroquinolones (4.32; 1.52-12.31; P=0.008) demonstrated more MRSA contamination than the environment around control patients (0.79; 0.67-0.93; P=0.002). Patients on beta-lactam or fluoroquinolone therapy have increased incidence of MRSA colonisation and higher nasal bacterial loads, and appear to spread their MRSA into the near patient environment.

Globicatella bacteraemia identified by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Globicatella are streptococcus-like organisms that have been rarely isolated from clinical specimens. Their epidemiology and clinical significance remain largely unknown. AIMS: To describe two cases of Globicatella bacteraemia identified by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. METHODS: Two unidentified streptococcus-like bacteria isolated from blood cultures of patients were subject to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: Two cases of Globicatella bacteraemia were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In the first case, a gram positive coccus was isolated from the blood culture of an 80 year old woman with diabetes mellitus and nosocomial sepsis, who died the day after developing the bacteraemia. The bacterium was unidentified by conventional phenotypic tests, the Vitek (gram positive identification) and the ATB expression (ID32 Strep) systems. In the second case, a similar bacterium was isolated from the blood culture of a 92 year old woman with polymicrobial acute pyelonephritis complicated by septic shock, who subsequently recovered after antibiotic treatment. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the two isolates showed 0.5% nucleotide difference from that of G. sulfidifaciens and 0.7% nucleotide difference from that of G. sanguinis, indicating that they were Globicatella species. CONCLUSIONS: Because Globicatella is rarely encountered in clinical microbiology laboratories, it may have been overlooked or misidentified in these cases. 16S rRNA gene sequencing is a useful tool to better characterise the epidemiology and clinical significance of Globicatella.

Usefulness of the MicroSeq 500 16S rDNA bacterial identification system for identification of anaerobic Gram positive bacilli isolated from blood cultures.

Using full 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing as the gold standard, 20 non-duplicating anaerobic Gram positive bacilli isolated from blood cultures were analysed by the MicroSeq 500 16S rDNA bacterial identification system. The MicroSeq system successfully identified 13 of the 20 isolates. Four and three isolates were misidentified at the genus and species level, respectively. Although the MicroSeq 500 16S rDNA bacterial identification system is better than three commercially available identification systems also evaluated, its database needs to be expanded for accurate identification of anaerobic Gram positive bacilli.

A case of Streptococcus mitis endocarditis successfully treated by linezolid.

We report the successful treatment of infective endocarditis caused by Streptococcus mitis with linezolid in a patient with pre-existing valvular heart disease. The patient had multiple allergies to conventional antibiotics. Linezolid may provide an oral alternative in the treatment of infective endocarditis in patients with adverse drug reactions to traditional antibiotic regimens.

Pulmonary artery thrombosis in a patient with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infectious disease with both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations. Although coagulation abnormalities are common in these patients, clinically overt thromboembolic events are rarely reported. This report describes the first case of pulmonary artery thrombosis in a patient with laboratory confirmed SARS.

A case of oral myiasis due to Chrysomya bezziana.

Chrysomya bezziana is a causative agent of obligatory myiasis. We report the first case of human infestation of Chrysomya bezziana in Hong Kong in an 89-year-old woman who had previously had a stroke. One day after hospital admission for fever, a small fissure at the labial gingiva of the upper incisors and several ulcerative lesions at the hard palate were noticed during routine mouth care. A live maggot was seen protruding from the small fissure. In the following few days, a total of seven maggots were removed by forceps. Urgent computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the oral cavity showed an ulcerative soft-tissue lesion over the anterior palate, with a fistula communicating to the labial gingiva. The tissue loss was limited to the bony margin of the hard palate. The infestation was managed by manual removal of maggots and surgical debridement. Medical personnel taking care of old or debilitated patients need to bear in mind the possibility of Chrysomya bezziana infestation to be able to make a prompt diagnosis and implement relevant intervention to prevent extensive tissue destruction.