Antimicrobial susceptibility of microorganisms isolated from sputum culture of patients with cystic fibrosis: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a serious concern.

INTRODUCTION: Infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Antimicrobial resistance of the bacterial spp. particularly methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus has caused a lot of attention. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia-complex as well as their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in CF patients in an Iranian referral pediatrics Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From March 2011 until February 2012, 172 samples were collected at the Children Medical Center (CMC), an Iranian referral hospital in Tehran, Iran. Sputum specimens were cultured for the following bacterial pathogens: P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, B. cepacia complex. Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations. RESULTS: In our study, 54% of the patients (n = 93) harbored at least once S. aureus, 30% (n = 52) P. aeruginosa, and 2% (n = 3) Burkholderia cepacia. In 40 patients (23%), none of these organisms was grown. An increasing colonization rate of P. aeruginosa in the second decade of life was found. In contrast, the colonization rate of S. aureus was constant in both decades of life. Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was detected in 40 isolates (43%). Among MRSA, no resistance against vancomycin, linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin occurred. The susceptibility of P. aeruginosa isolates to meropenem, imipenem, doripenem, levofloxacin and polymixin B were more than 90%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MRSA has been rising. Since its impact on clinical outcomes, optimal prevention and treatment strategies are unclear, further studies to expand the knowledge about the infection control strategies and MRSA treatment are highly recommended.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and rickets in children with cholestasis in Iran.

This study was aimed to determine prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and rickets in children with cholestatic liver diseases. Forty eight children with established cholestatic liver disease who referred to gastrointestinal clinic of Children Medical Center (Tehran, Iran) between April 2010 and March 2011 were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Laboratory analysis including calcium, phosphate, albumin, total and direct bilirubin, aminotransferases, alkalinephosphatase (ALP), prothrombin time (PT), parathyroid hormone (PTH), total protein determined by routine laboratory techniques. Mean age of participants was 299.1 ± 676.8 days (range 2-3600 days) whereas twenty one were female (43.8%) and 27 (56.3%) were male. Twenty two (45.8%) had evidences of rickets in X-ray evaluation. Three children with rickets and two with normal X-ray had vitamin D deficiency while ten in rickets group and 16 in normal group had vitamin D insufficiency. The main underlying diseases were anatomical biliary atresia in cases with rickets and idiopathic in other group. Rickets and vitamin D deficiency should be considered in chronic cholestatic children.