Development of immunochromatographic colloidal gold test strip for rapid detection of Haemophilus influenzae in clinical specimens.

AIMS: A simple and fast test strip for simultaneous detection of Haemophilus influenzae, based on the theory of colloidal gold immunochromatography was developed. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, monodispersional colloidal gold and gold-labelled polyclonal antibody (AbP6Line) specific to the linear antigenic determinant OMP6 of H. influenzae were prepared, and identified by UV-visible spectroscopy (200-700 nm) and transmission electron microscopy. The test strip was assembled on a plastic backing containing a sample pad, a conjugate pad, an absorbent pad and a nitrocellulose membrane, on which test and control lines were stuck. The strip showed us specific recognization of H. influenzae and did not identify other common respiratory pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Legionella pneumophila. It was shown that the detection limit of the test strip was as low as 1 × 106 CFU per ml and the whole process can be completed within 10 min. The strips could be stored at 4°C for at least 6 months without losing sensitivity or specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The test strip was specific, simple and convenient for rapid detection of H. influenzae presenting good stability and reproducibility. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The test strip provides a simple, convenient and specific tool for the on-site surveillance and diagnosis of H. influenzae infection in clinical samples.

The effect of early detection of anterolateral thigh free flap crisis on the salvage success rate, based on 10 years of experience and 1072 flaps.

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of early exploration of anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flap compromise in head and neck reconstruction and to correlate this with the salvage success rate. The perioperative data of 1051 patients with 1072 ALT flap reconstructions were reviewed retrospectively for the period January 2002 to December 2012. Outcome measures included ethnicity, defect type, incidence and timing of flap compromise, type of flap compromise, causes of vascular occlusion, and salvage rate. The success rate of free flap reconstruction was 97.3% (1043/1072). Of the 29 failures, 21 were complete and eight were partial failures (10-40% of the flap). Venous occlusions occurred in 39 flaps (83.0%) and arterial occlusions in five flaps (17.0%). Six cases were detected within 8h postoperatively, 13 at 8-16 h postoperatively, seven at 16-24h postoperatively, and 18 at 24-48 h postoperatively, with respective salvage rates of 66.7%, 61.5%, 28.6%, and 22.2%; three cases detected after 48 h failed. The salvage rate at ≤16 h (62.2%) was much higher than that at >16 h (21.4%, P=0.0039). Early detection, re-exploration, and effective handling of the flap crisis increases the rate of flap salvage tremendously.