Comparison between five PCR techniques for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.

OBJECTIVE: Since the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 appeared, there have been numerous techniques that have been developed for the diagnosis or monitoring of infection, both direct and serological techniques. Choosing a good diagnostic tool is essential for epidemiological control. The objective was to compare five commercialized RT-PCR techniques in real time, in sensitivity, specificity and agreement for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: Five commercial RT-PCR kits for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 were compared. Eight known positive samples were taken and subjected to seven different dilutions or concentrations, and another 135 negative samples were used to determine sensitivity, specificity, and agreement values. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for the Palex, Roche and GeneXpert techniques with respect to Seegene were identical, corresponding to 98.21%, 100%, 100% and 99.26% respectively. For Becton Dickinson the sensitivity was 89.28%, the specificity of 100%, the PPV of 100% and the NPV of 95.74%. The agreement using the Kappa index for Palex, Roche and GeneXpert was 0.9892, while the agreement for Becton Dickinson was with a Kappa index of 0.9215. CONCLUSIONS: All commercial RT-PCR kits had high sensitivities and specificities, as well as PPV, NPV, and concordance.

[Antimicrobial susceptibility of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from patients in Córdoba (Spain)]. / Sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos de Enterococcus faecalis aislados de pacientes en la provincia de Córdoba (España).

Enterococcus faecalis is a pathogenic microorganism. The aim of this investigation was to study the antibiotic susceptibility of the strains isolated in Cordoba in a 20-month period (January 2004 to August 2005). Susceptibility rates to betalactamics were 98% to ampicillin and 99% to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid; high-dose aminoglycosides (streptomycin 1000 microg and gentamycin 500 microg) obtained 56% and 76%, respectively. We found no strains resistant to glycopeptides (vancomycin and teicoplanin) or to linezolid.

Evaluation of the GenoType Mycobacteria Direct assay for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and four atypical mycobacterial species in clinical samples.

We evaluated GenoType Mycobacteria Direct (GTMD), a novel commercial assay based on nucleic acid sequence-based amplification technology, for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. kansasii, and M. malmoense directly from clinical specimens. A total of 134 respiratory and extrapulmonary samples from 65 patients were processed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values for GTMD were 92, 100, 100, and 77%, respectively. The GMTD technique is useful, reliable, and rapid when used during the normal routine of a clinical laboratory.

Sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos de Enterococcus faecalis aislados de pacientes en la provincia de Córdoba (España) / Antimicrobial susceptibility of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from patients in Córdoba (Spain)

Enterococcus faecalis es un microorganismo patógeno para el hombre. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la sensibilidad a diferentesantibióticos de los aislamientos obtenidos en la provincia de Córdoba en un periodo de 20 meses, de enero de 2004 a agosto de 2005. Losporcentajes de sensibilidad para los betalatámicos fueron del 98% a ampicilina y del 99% a amoxicilina-ácido clavulánico. Los aminoglucósidosestreptomicina y gentamicina, probados a altas dosis (estreptomicina 1000 µg y gentamicina 500 µg), obtuvieron un porcentaje desensibilidad del 56% y el 76%, respectivamente. No se encontró ninguna cepa resistente a glucopéptidos (vancomicina y teicoplanina) ni alinezolid

Enterococcus faecalis is a pathogenic microorganism. The aim of this investigation was to study the antibiotic susceptibility of the strains isolatedin Córdoba in a 20-month period (January 2004 to August 2005). Susceptibility rates to betalactamics were 98% to ampicillin and 99%to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid; high-dose aminoglycosides (streptomycin 1000 µg and gentamycin 500 µg) obtained 56% and 76%, respectively.We found no strains resistant to glycopeptides (vancomycin and teicoplanin) or to linezolid

[Streptococcus pneumoniae: antibiotic resistance and serotypes in a two-year period]. / Streptococcus pneumoniae: resistencia antibiótica y serotipos en un periodo de dos años.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main etiologic agent in community-acquired pneumonia, meningitis in adults and acute medium otitis in children. Our aim was to study antimicrobial susceptibility and serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated in our medium. We evaluated 83 strains in a period of two years: 41% of the strains were invasive, and 47% of the strains were resistant to penicillin, 42.1% to erythromycin, 16.8% to cefotaxime, 34.9% to tetracycline and 16.8% to chloranphenicol. All studied strains were susceptible to vancomycin. We found 28 different serotypes. The most frequently found serotypes were 19, 6, 9, 23, 3, 15, and NT. The S. pneumoniae strains which showed the highest penicillin resistance belong to serotype 19. Multiresistant strains belong to serotypes 19, 6, 23 and NT.

[Microorganisms isolated from outpatient urine samples and antimicrobial susceptibility over a 12-year period]. / Microorganismos aislados de muestras de orina procedentes de la comunidad y patron de sensibilidad en un periodo de 12 anos.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of microorganisms isolated from urine samples from outpatients and the resistance of the pathogens isolated to antimicrobial agents used in the province of Cordoba, Spain, which has a Health Area of approximately 776,000 inhabitants. It was a retrospective descriptive study covering a 12-year period (1992-2003). All samples were sent from primary care to the microbiology laboratory. The laboratory techniques and criteria for evaluation were the same in all cases. Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated of the Gram-negative bacteria (64%), while Enterococcus faecalis was the most frequently isolated of the Gram-positive bacteria (6.9%). A decrease in susceptibility of the isolates to the most empirically used antimicrobial drugs was observed.

Streptococcus pneumoniae: resistencia antibiótica y serotipos en un periodo de dos años / Streptococcus pneumoniae: Antibiotic resistance and serotypes in a two-year period

Streptococcus pneumoniae es el principal agente etiológico en la neumonía extrahospitalaria, la meningitis en adultos y la otitis media agudaen los niños. Nuestro objetivo ha sido determinar la resistencia antibiótica y los serotipos de las cepas de S. pneumoniae aisladas en nuestromedio. Se evaluaron un total de 83 cepas en un periodo de dos años. El 41% correspondieron a muestras procedentes de infeccionesinvasoras. El 47% de las cepas fueron resistentes a la penicilina, el 42,1% a la eritromicina, el 16,8% a la cefotaxima, el 34,9% a la tetraciclinay el 16,8% al cloranfenicol. Todas las cepas estudiadas fueron sensibles a la vancomicina. Se encontraron 28 serotipos diferentes. Losserotipos 19, 6, 9, 23, 3, 15 y NT fueron los más frecuentes. Las cepas de S. pneumoniae que presentan mayor porcentaje de resistencia ala penicilina pertenecen al serotipo 19. Las cepas multirresistentes pertenecen a los serotipos 19, 6, 23 y NT

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main etiologic agent in community-acquired pneumonia, meningitis in adults and acute medium otitis inchildren. Our aim was to study antimicrobial susceptibility and serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated in our medium. Weevaluated 83 strains in a period of two years: 41% of the strains were invasive, and 47% of the strains were resistant to penicillin, 42.1% toerythromycin, 16.8% to cefotaxime, 34.9% to tetracycline and 16.8% to chloranphenicol. All studied strains were susceptible to vancomycin.We found 28 different serotypes. The most frequently found serotypes were 19, 6, 9, 23, 3, 15, and NT. The S. pneumoniae strains whichshowed the highest penicillin resistance belong to serotype 19. Multiresistant strains belong to serotypes 19, 6, 23 and NT

Microorganismos aislados de muestras de orina procedentes de la comunidad y patrón de sensibilidad en un periodo de 12 años / Microorganisms isolated from outpatient urine samples and antimicrobial susceptibility over a 12-year period

El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la prevalencia de los microorganismos aislados de muestras de orina procedentes de la comunidaden la provincia de Córdoba (un área sanitaria de 776.000 habitantes aproximadamente), y además determinar las tasas de resistencia a losdiferentes antimicrobianos empleados en Atención Primaria. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo que abarca un periodo de 12años (1992-2003). Todas las muestras fueron remitidas desde los Centros de Salud al Laboratorio de Microbiología del Hospital UniversitarioReina Sofía. Todos los procedimientos analíticos se realizaron siguiendo el proceder habitual del laboratorio. Escherichia coli fue el microorganismoque se aisló con mayor frecuencia entre los gramnegativos, con una media en los doce años del 64%, y Enterococcus faecalis fueel que se aisló con mayor frecuencia entre los grampositivos, con una media del 6,9% del total de microorganismos. Observamos una disminuciónen la sensibilidad de los aislamientos a los antimicrobianos de mayor uso empírico

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of microorganisms isolated from urine samples from outpatients and the resistance of thepathogens isolated to antimicrobial agents used in the province of Córdoba, Spain, which has a Health Area of approximately 776,000 inhabitants.It was a retrospective descriptive study covering a 12-year period (1992-2003). All samples were sent from primary care to themicrobiology laboratory. The laboratory techniques and criteria for evaluation were the same in all cases. Escherichia coli was the most frequentlyisolated of the Gram-negative bacteria (64%), while Enterococcus faecalis was the most frequently isolated of the Gram-positivebacteria (6.9%). A decrease in susceptibility of the isolates to the most empirically used antimicrobial drugs was observed

Artritis séptica por Neisseria meningitidis / Septic arthritis caused by Neisseria meningitidis

No disponible

Staphylococcus aureus resistentes a la meticilina procedentes de muestras clínicas en la provincia de Córdoba / Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus from clinical samples in Córdoba (Spain)

El mayor número de cepas de Staphylococcus aureus resistentes a la meticilina (SARM) y el aumento de aislamientos con sensibilidad reducida a los glucopéptidos se han convertido en un importante problema en la epidemiología de los microorganismos grampositivos que pueden conducir a la muerte. En nuestro hospital se han estudiado todos los aislamientos de S. aureus entre los años 1995 y 2001. El 24,23 por ciento de un total de 4531 resultó ser resistente a la meticilina en ese periodo. El mayor porcentaje de cepas SARM, de todos los tipos de muestras clínicas investigadas, se halló en los exudados purulentos. El aumento de SARM que se ha producido en nuestro hospital es de casi un 20 por ciento en los últimos años. Estas cepas son un importante problema en nuestra zona y su prevalencia sigue aumentando, asi como la multirresistencia, por lo que resultan necesarios la vigilancia y el control de este tipo de bacterias en nuestros hospitales (AU)

[Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus from clinical samples in Cordoba (Spain)]. / Staphylococcus aureus resistentes a la meticilina procedentes de muestras clínicas en la provincia de Córdoba.

Increases in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains and in isolates with reduced susceptibility to glucopeptides have become an important problem in the epidemiology of Gram-positive microorganisms. All the consecutive S. aureus collected in our hospital from 1995 to 2001 were studied. Of the 4531 isolates 24.23% were methicillin resistant in this period. The highest number of methicillin-resistant strains were found in wound exudates. In recent years an almost 20% increase in MRSA has occurred in our hospital. As MRSA strains are an important problem in our area and their prevalence is on the rise, as is multiresistance, the monitoring and control of MRSA strains in our hospitals is necessary.