Specificity of personality relationships to particular forms of concurrent substance use among methadone maintenance therapy clients.

OBJECTIVE: A mainstay treatment for opioid addiction in North America is methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) - a form of opiate agonist therapy (OAT). While efficacious for treating opioid addiction, MMT fails to address the concurrent polysubstance use that is common among opioid dependent clients. Moreover, psychosocial approaches for addressing polysubstance use during MMT are lacking. Our study's goals were to validate the use of the four-factor personality model of substance use vulnerability in MMT clients, and to demonstrate theoretically-relevant relationships of personality to concurrent substance use while receiving MMT. METHOD: Respondents included 138 daily-witnessed MMT clients (65.9% male, 79.7% Caucasian), mean age (SD) 40.18 (11.56), recruited across four Canadian MMT clinics. Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis was used to establish the structural validity of the four-factor personality model of substance use vulnerability (operationalized with the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale [SURPS]) in MMT clients. SURPS personality scores were then used as predictors for specific forms of recent (past 30-day) substance use. RESULTS: Using a latent hierarchal model, hopelessness was associated with recent opioid use; anxiety sensitivity with recent tranquilizer use; and sensation seeking with recent alcohol, cannabis, and stimulant use. CONCLUSION: Personality is associated with substance use patterns and may be an appropriate target for intervention for those undergoing MMT to reduce opioid use, and potentially dangerous concurrent use of other drugs, while receiving methadone.

Efficacy of super-oxidized water fogging in environmental decontamination.

The efficacy of decontamination using Sterilox fog was assessed against meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Acinetobacter baumannii. Ceramic tiles were inoculated with the test organisms and, once dried, were subjected to Sterilox fogging using a stationary vaporizing machine sited at a distance of 3m for 10 min and then left for a further hour. In a second experiment using the same organisms, the first 10-min fogging period was followed by a directed fogging period of 30s at a distance of 1m. Organisms were cultured from the tiles, plated on to tryptone soya agar and incubated for 48 h. Initial counts of approximately 10(9) colony-forming units/mL for both organisms were reduced approximately 10(4) fold for MRSA and 10(5.8) fold for A. baumannii when using a single fogging. The second fogging resulted in 10(6.8)-fold reductions for both organisms. Sterilox fog is safe and simple to use, and can reduce levels of nosocomial pathogens by a factor of almost 10(7). It is worthy of clinical evaluation in clinical settings to determine whether it maintains its microbicidal effects against a variety of organisms on different surfaces.

Guidelines for the control of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci in hospitals.

The increase since the mid 1980s in glycopeptide resistant enterococci (GRE) raised concerns about the limited options for antimicrobial therapy, the implications for ever-increasing numbers of immunocompromised hospitalised patients, and fuelled fears, now realised, for the transfer of glycopeptide resistance to more pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus. These issues underlined the need for guidelines for the emergence and control of GRE in the hospital setting. This Hospital Infection Society (HIS) and Infection Control Nurses Association (ICNA) working party report reviews the literature relating to GRE prevention and control. It provides guidance on microbiological investigation, treatment and management, including antimicrobial prescribing and infection control measures. Evidence identified to support recommendations has been categorized. A risk assessment approach is recommended and areas for research and development identified.

Homing and adhesion molecules in autoimmune gastritis.

The pathogenesis of autoimmune gastritis is the result of lymphocyte infiltration of the gastric mucosa, however, the events leading to the selective extravasation of autoreactive lymphocytes are unclear. Here we have examined the expression of adhesion molecules in the gastric mucosa of BALB/c mice with neonatal thymectomy-induced gastritis. The overall area of vascular endothelium was not significantly different between gastritic and non-gastritic mice. However, a significant increase in the area of mucosal endothelium expressing MAdCAM-1 in gastritic mice was observed. Treatment of neonatally thymectomized BALB/c mice with a MAdCAM-1 specific monoclonal antibody (MECA 367) reduced the incidence of autoimmune gastritis from 80 to 26%. Treatment with a monoclonal antibody (R1-2) directed to the MAdCAM-1 ligand, alpha4beta7, also resulted in a reduction in the incidence of gastritis to 40%. These findings identify the alpha4beta7/MAdCAM-I interaction as a pivotal event in the initiation of autoimmune gastritis.

Best Practice No 174. Best practice guidelines for the examination of specimens for the diagnosis of parasitic infections in routine diagnostic laboratories.

Although most routine microbiology diagnostic laboratories process specimens for the diagnosis of parasitic infections, there are no best practice guidelines either for processing or for referral to specialist centres. Microscopy for parasites is most often requested on faecal samples, but urine, sputum, liver aspirates, duodenal aspirates, bile, corneal scrapings, contact lens fluid, and tissue are also encountered. Diagnosis of certain parasitic infections requires serology or polymerase chain reaction. These are undertaken in specialist laboratories, which should be consulted for expert advice on diagnosis and management of parasitic infections. Clinical Pathology Accreditation UK (CPA) has defined standards for assessing the quality of service provided by laboratories, but these do not include scientific and technical aspects. The Association of Medical Microbiologists has recently published Standards for laboratory practice in medical microbiology, which covers scientific and technical aspects, mainly bacteriological examination of specimens in routine diagnostic microbiology laboratories. These guidelines are complementary to the CPA standards and aim to ensure a consistent and high quality of service. This article provides best practice guidelines for the diagnosis of parasitic infections.

Best Practice No 175. Guidelines for virological and non-viral serological examination of specimens in routine diagnostic microbiological laboratories.

Viral examination is routinely carried out in most routine diagnostic microbiology laboratories. Most often, this comprises the detection of viral antigens and antibodies, and less commonly the isolation of viruses and the detection of viral nucleic acids. However, there are no standards or guidelines available for processing these specimens in routine diagnostic laboratories or for referral to specialist virology centres or units. Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) has defined standards for assessing the quality of service provided by laboratories, but these do not include the scientific and technical aspects of provision of service. The Association of Medical Microbiologists has recently published Standards for Laboratory practice in medical microbiology, which covers scientific and technical aspects of provision of microbiology service, mainly bacteriological examination of specimens in routine diagnostic microbiology laboratories. These guidelines are complementary to the CPA guidelines and aim to ensure a consistent and high quality service. This article presents guidelines for the examination of specimens for the diagnosis of viral infections.

Detection of mycobacteria in bone marrow biopsy specimens taken to investigate pyrexia of unknown origin.

AIMS: To investigate the value of bone marrow biopsy in the diagnosis of mycobacterial infection. METHODS: The culture results of 433 bone marrow samples taken between 1983 and 1992 were reviewed. The histopathology reports on bone marrow trephine specimens of culture positive samples and all those on HIV positive patients sent in 1992 were also reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty one specimens yielded Mycobacterium spp, 47 were obtained from HIV positive patients. Of the isolates, 42 were Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI), five were M tuberculosis (MTB), and the remaining four comprised a variety of atypical mycobacteria. All MAI positive samples were obtained from HIV positive patients, with the bone marrow being the only culture positive specimen in one third. Bone marrow yielded MTB only in patients from whom it was also isolated in other specimens. Eleven of 47 trephine specimens from positive bone marrow showed granulomata and nine showed acid-fast bacilli. No acid-fast bacilli were seen in the absence of granulomata. CONCLUSION: Bone marrow biopsy for mycobacterial culture should be reserved for severely immunosuppressed patients and should not be advocated for immunocompetent patients with suspected tuberculosis. Bone marrow biopsy still has a role in the investigation of pyrexia of unknown origin in HIV positive patients, despite the advent of mycobacterial blood culture techniques, particularly if these can be processed safely in automated systems.

Phylogeny of human intestinal spirochaetes inferred from 16S rDNA sequence comparisons.

The sequence of 1383 nucleotides of the DNA encoding 16S rDNA was determined for strains of human intestinal spirochaetes, comprising an unnamed isolate and "Brachyspira aalborgi" NCTC 11492. A phylogenetic tree was inferred from aligned sequence comparisons between the intestinal spirochaetes, representatives of the Spirochaetales and Escherichia coli. The type strain of Brachyspira aalborgi, though related to the Serpulina spp. at approx. 96.5% sequence similarity was distinct and separated from the unnamed human intestinal isolate, HIS Oman, N26. The latter formed a separated and novel lineage that bisected the Spirochaetales.

Protein-mediated adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to silicone implant polymer.

Investigation was made of the role of protein A and clumping factor in the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to the silicone polymer used for manufacture of cerebrospinal fluid shunting systems. The two proteins were judged to contribute non-specifically to adhesion. S. aureus was also shown to be capable of hydrophobic binding, but this was found to be distinct from the demonstrated protein-mediated adhesion.

Heterogeneity of human intestinal spirochaetes demonstrated by one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins visualised by (35)S-methionine labelling and Coomassie blue staining.

The relatedness of strains of a human intestinal spirochaete was investigated by comparison of electrophoretic protein profiles produced by Coomassie Blue staining of proteins separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of lysed organisms and by examination of autoradiographs following PAGE of lysed (35)S-methionine-labelled organisms. A wide diversity of strains was revealed by both techniques but clustering of strains was different by the two methods. These findings support the view that the human intestinal spirochaetes comprise a group of bacteria of considerable heterogeneity.

Debate-guidelines for GRE control-the case for optimism.

Although at first sight the spread of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GREs) appears to be following the same unrelenting path as that of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, closer inspection of the Literature indicates success of certain interventions, particularly the control of antibiotic usage. There are grounds for optimism that assiduous application of antibiotic control and other infection control measures may further reduce the prevalence of GREs.

The value of nasal mupirocin in containing an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an orthopaedic unit.

An outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) occurred in two adjacent orthopaedic wards following the admission of a known carrier. The outbreak was not contained by ward closure or by standard infection control measures. Eventually several nasal carriers were identified and treated with nasal mupirocin, following which the outbreak ended.

Infection control and the Internet.

The Internet can be enormously valuable for infection control workers. It provides access to policy documents and discussion groups debating everyday problems, and is a comprehensive source of information on infection-related topics. Here we discuss some of the more useful Internet connections.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in three adjacent health districts of south-east England 1986-91.

The experiences with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) of two contiguous Health Districts during 1986-91 and of a third mutually adjacent District in south-east England during 1989-91 were compared. Although the three Districts were in many ways similar, the nature of the problems posed by MRSA differed. The Districts had dealt with MRSA independently but had evolved similar strategies for coping with the organism. In two Districts a gradual relaxation of case-finding and of infection control precautions applied to individual patients and outbreaks, was followed by a reduction in the number of new patient-isolates identified from routine bacteriology specimens. Standardization of MRSA isolation rates for patient throughput and for length of hospital stay showed the examination of crude total isolates to provide misleading comparisons of relative risks of acquiring MRSA in different specialties. It was also found that patients discharged from specialties with short inpatient stays were more likely to have MRSA detected after discharge by their physicians working in the local community served by the hospitals but there was no evidence of spread outside hospital. It is suggested that good all-round standards of infection control practice are more important than specific radical policies in dealing with endemic MRSA.

Trying to control MRSA causes more problems than it solves.

Despite occasional reports of local success, the steadily increasing prevalence of strains of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin (MRSA) shows that attempts to limit their spread do not work. In this commentary we suggest that efforts to control the spread of methicillin-resistance are counterproductive, and that energies should instead be directed towards the control of outbreaks of disease and preventing the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Spectrum of antimicrobial activity and user acceptability of the hand disinfectant agent Sterillium Gel.

The antimicrobial efficacy of alcohol-based hand gels has been shown to be significantly less than liquid hand rubs probably because of a lower concentration of alcohol. Sterillium Gel is the first hand gel with 85% ethanol. Its antimicrobial efficacy and user acceptability was studied. Bactericidal activity was tested according to prEN 12054 against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus hirae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli (suspension test) and EN 1500 (15 volunteers; four replicates), fungicidal activity according to EN 1275 against Candida albicans and spores of Aspergillus niger (suspension test) and tuberculocidal activity against Mycobacterium terrae using the DGHM suspension test. Virucidal activity was determined in suspension tests based on reduction of infectivity with and without interfering substances (10% fetal calf serum; 0.3% erythrocytes and 0.3% bovine serum albumin). Ninety-six healthcare workers in hospitals in France and the UK used the gel for four weeks and assessed it by filling out a questionnaire. The gel was bactericidal (a reduction factor of > 10(5)-fold), tuberculocidal (reduction factor > 10(5)) and fungicidal (reduction factor > 10(4)) in 30 s. Irrespective of interfering substances the gel inactivated orthopoxvirus and herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 in 15 s, adenovirus in 2 min, poliovirus in 3 min and papovavirus in 15 min by a factor of > 10(4)-fold. Rotavirus and human immunodeficiency virus were inactivated in 30 s (without interfering substances). Under practical use conditions it was as effective in 30 s as the reference alcohol in 60 s. Most users described the tackiness, aggregation, skin feeling after use and smell as positive or acceptable. A total of 65.6% assessed the new gel to be better than a comparator irrespective of its type (gel or liquid). Overall Sterillium Gel had a unique spectrum of antimicrobial activity. It is probably the first alcohol-based hand gel to pass EN 1500 in 30 s. Due to the excellent acceptance by healthcare workers it may significantly improve compliance for hand hygiene and thereby help to reduce the incidence of nosocomial infection.

False-positive Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare cultures with the Bactec 460 TB system.

Isolation of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare from a number of specimens cultured with the Bactec 460 TB system was suspected to be due to carry-over contamination. The analysis of culture records and of the typing results confirmed this hypothesis. The problem seems to have been eliminated after replacement of the needle heater and increase of the needle temperature. We recommend that a number of precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of reporting false positive mycobacterial cultures.

Molecular epidemiology of multi-resistant Escherichia coli.

In this case-control study multi-resistant Escherichia coli isolates were characterized on a molecular level and risk factors for their development were identified. Thirty-two multi-resistant E. coli strains were isolated from the urine of 13 patients attending a renal clinic for chronic urinary tract infection (UTI) and from different sites of 11 terminally ill patients with nosocomial infections hospitalized on five different wards. All 32 isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole and produced beta-lactamase. All strains contained plasmids of 2-110 MDa of which a 50 MDa and a 100 MDa plasmid were present in 81% of the strains. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis demonstrated 17 genotypes among 32 strains which indicates a polyclonal outbreak with some geographic clustering. Monitoring of patients over the study period showed that either the resident genotype remained the same and that these retained strains underwent changes in their plasmid contents, or that they were replaced by a different genotype after several months of therapy for chronic UTI. Univariate analysis indicated that multi-resistant E. coli develop in the presence of long-term selective ciprofloxacin pressure at a dosing regimen of 250 mg bid for more than 20 days and that treatment with a broad spectrum antimicrobial for more than three days favours the selection of multi-resistant E. coli in the flora of terminally ill patients with multiple disorders.

Aetiology and treatment of acute bacterial infection of the external eye.

The microbial flora of 738 patients with acute bacterial conjunctivitis, corneal ulceration, blepharitis, dacryocystitis, and discharging sockets has been investigated. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae were the main pathogens isolated. Str. viridans was associated with conjunctivitis in patients aged under 1 year. moraxella sp. was isolated on only one occasion. Overall, 40% of specimens were associated with Staph. epidermidis or mixed skin flora, which also occurred with cultures of the normal eye. Clostridium welchii was isolated on 3 occasions but was not associated with bullae or gas gangrene. The least overall resistance, of 6%, was to chloramphenicol, but no one antibiotic was effective against all pathogens. Gentamicin remains the antibiotic of choice for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.

Prevalence, disclosure and interpretations of sexual activities in a sample of Canadian college-aged blood donors.

This study assessed the prevalence, level of disclosure, and interpretations of sexual activities in a sample of 123 college-aged blood donors in Montreal, Quebec. Within six months of their donation, participants completed an anonymous questionnaire designed to assess sexual definitions, levels of disclosure to sexual partners, as well as prevalence of various blood safety behavioural risks. Responses indicated that (1) there was a lack of consensus regarding what constitutes 'sex', (2) levels of sexual disclosure varied widely, and (3) participants engaged in numerous blood safety behavioural risk activities. These results are discussed with respect to their implications for how people think about sex, particularly in the blood donation context. Suggestions to improve specific blood donor screening questions are also presented.