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Link: Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery.
Consensus exists that early recognition of sternal wound infection is crucial to prevent involvement and destruction of the sternal bone, which prohibits secondary sternal closure and necessitates the use of muscle flaps for wound closure. Since November 2001 to September 2005, 125 patients received a VAC system after surgical debridement. Thirty-eight patients had a superficial infection (2A) and 87 patients had a deep infection (2B). From those, 59 patients underwent secondary sternal closure after VAC therapy, whereas 28 patients needed muscle flap closure. The time of diagnosis of sternal infection had great impact on the outcome. It was made on POD 10.6�8.3 in the 2A group, and on POD 13.2�11.1 in the 2B group. In the patients from Group 2A who had a recurrence of infection, the initial diagnosis of infection was made on POD 13.1�11.1. In patients where an SC was possible the time of diagnosis was on POD 11.1�6.6 whereas POD 17.7�16.2 in the MF group. The key to successful management of sternal wound infection is early recognition and aggressive treatment with reopening of the entire wound and sternum, which seems mandatory to achieve a low recurrence rate.
Link: Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery
Sternal wound infections occur with an incidence between 0.4% and 5% in the adult as well as the pediatric population. However, in contrast to the adults established treatment options do not exist in the pediatric population. We evaluated our preliminary results with 3 neonates respectively small infants (mean age 20.3�6 days) who underwent vacuum assisted closure (VAC) therapy for the treatment of sternal wound infections with the intention to enable secondary closure and preservation of the sternal bone. The mean VAC duration was 11.3 days, ranging from 10 to 12 days. After 3 dressing changes (every 48 to 72 h) the infection resolved and a secondary closure was feasible in all three patients. Isolated specimens were Candida albicans, Staphylococus aureus and MRSA respectively. These preliminary results, that VAC therapy is a promising alternative to the current treatment options available to neonates. Especially, the preservation of the sternal bone with enables normal thoracic cage stability and growth is a clear advantage over the currently used muscle flaps.
Link: Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume
Ciprofloxacin hydrochloride-loaded microspheres were prepared by a spray-drying method using pectin and chitosan. The effects of different polymers and drug ratios were investigated. The most appropriate carriers were selected by in vitro testing. A rat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis model was used to evaluate the effects of the loaded microspheres. The drug was released rapidly from the pectin carrier but this was more sustained in the chitosan formulation. Chitosan microspheres loaded with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride were more effective for the treatment of osteomyelitis than equivalent intramuscular antibiotics.
Link: Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery.
Consensus exists that early recognition of sternal wound infection is crucial to prevent involvement and destruction of the sternal bone, which prohibits secondary sternal closure and necessitates the use of muscle flaps for wound closure. Since November 2001 to September 2005, 125 patients received a VAC system after surgical debridement. 38 patients had a superficial infection (2A) and 87 patients had a deep infection (2B). From those, 59 patients underwent secondary sternal closure after VAC therapy, whereas 28 patients needed muscle flap closure. The time of diagnosis of sternal infection had great impact on the outcome. It was made on POD 10.6�8.3 in the 2A group, and on POD 13.2�11.1 in the 2B group. In the patients from group 2A who had a recurrence of infection, the initial diagnosis of infection was made on POD 13.1�11.1. In patients where a SC was possible the time of diagnosis was on POD 11.1�6.6 whereas POD 17.7�16.2 in the MF group. The key to successful management of sternal wound infection is early recognition and aggressive treatment with reopening of the entire wound and sternum which seems mandatory to achieve a low recurrence rate. Keywords: Sternal wound infection; Vacuum assisted closure; Secondary closure; Recurrence of infection
Link: BBC NEWS
Dr Ryan Donnelly, of Queen's School of Pharmacy, said: "The ability of light to kill bacteria was first discovered about 100 ago, but because of the antibiotic era it was largely forgotten.
"It is only recently with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that this has come to the fore again and many different groups involved in treating the likes of MRSA are trying to use this technology now."
A new gel is used to put a drug where it is needed.
Dr Paul McCarron, also of Queen's, said: "I saw my son, Niall, who was playing with kiddies' slime and I was just looking at the way it flowed between his fingers.
Dr Paul McCarron got inspiration from kiddies' play slime
"I thought it had the correct flow properties, to press into a leg ulcer for example. In other words, it can be pressed in and it will slowly flow to fill the cavity.
"More importantly, whenever you remove it, it can be removed all in one go."
The gel deposits a drug into the wound or ulcer and then it is lifted out, leaving behind the drug.
The drug makes MRSA and other bugs sensitive to light - much more so than the human cells, so when a powerful light is shone on the wound, it is the bugs like MRSA that will be killed.
Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.
Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia often persists. The reasons for persistence and its outcome are poorly defined. We conducted a prospective-observational study among 245 consecutive S. aureus (MRSA: n=125; MSSA: n=120) bacteremias (>/=1 positive blood cultures (BC)) among 234 adults (18-103-y-old; median = 59 y) hospitalized during 1 January 2002-31 December 2002 at a 600-bed teaching hospital. Measurements included bacteremia duration, complication-rate (metastatic infection, relapse or attributable mortality) and outcome. Bacteremia duration was measured based on follow-up BC among 193 patients and estimated based on symptoms resolution in the rest. Measured (1-59 d; median = 2) and estimated (median = 1 d) duration correlated (r=0.885) though positive follow-up BC was often detected without fever (57/105 patients, 54.3%). Persistence (defined as bacteremia for >/=3 d) was noted in 84 cases (38.4%). Complication-rate increased steadily with bacteremia duration (6.6%, 24.0% and 37.7% in bacteremia for 1-2, 3 and >/=4 d, respectively; p=0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that bacteremia duration correlated positively with endovascular sources (p=0.006), vancomycin treatment (p=0.016), cardiovascular prosthesis (p=0.025), metastatic infections (p=0.025) and diabetes (p=0.038). It is concluded that persistent bacteremia is a feature of S. aureus infection, irrespective of oxacillin susceptibility, associated with worse outcome. Risk factors include endovascular sources, cardiovascular prosthesis, metastatic infections, vancomycin treatment and diabetes. Patients at risk may benefit from novel treatment strategies.
Link: J Bone Joint Surg Br -- Sign In Page.
An article that fee paying medical specialist can access
Link: Immunological control
Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), is a major cause of sepsis in patients who are immunosuppressed by their burns. In this study, an immunological regulation of MRSA infection was attempted in a mouse model of thermal injury. SCIDbg mice were resistant to MRSA infection, while SCIDbgMN mice (SCIDbg mice depleted of neutrophils and macrophages (Mphi)) were susceptible to the same infection. Also, thermally injured SCIDbg mice were shown to be susceptible to MRSA infection. On the other hand, the resistance of SCIDbgMN mice to the infection was completely recovered after an inoculation with Mphi from normal mice. However, anti-MRSA resistance was not shown in SCIDbgMN mice inoculated with Mphi from thermally injured mice. Mphi from MRSA-infected thermally injured mice were identified as alternatively activated Mphi, and Mphi from MRSA-infected unburned mice were characterized as classically activated Mphi. Mphi from thermally injured SCIDbg mice previously treated with 2-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) protected SCIDbgMN mice against MRSA infection. Ge-132 has been described as an inhibitor of alternatively activated Mphi generation. These results suggest that MRSA infection in thermally injured patients is controlled immunologically through the induction of anti-MRSA effector cells and elimination of burn-associated alternatively activated Mphi, which are cells that inhibit the generation of classically activated Mphi.
Link: Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
Implantation of allograft bone is an integral part of revision surgery of the hip. One major concern with its use is the risk of transmission of infective agents. There are a number of methods of processing allograft bone in order to reduce this risk. One method requires washing the tissue using pulsed irrigation immediately before implantation. We report the incidence of deep bacterial infection in 138 patients (144 revision hip arthroplasties) who had undergone implantation of allograft bone. The bone used was fresh-frozen, non-irradiated and pulse-washed with normal saline before implantation. The deep infection rate at a minimum follow-up of one year was 0.7%. This method of processing appears to be associated with a very low risk of allograft-related bacterial infection.
Link: The Effect of G-CSF in an Experimental MRSA Graft Infection in Mice..
Wound infection after prosthetic material implantation is a troublesome complication with an incidence of 2% to 10%. The effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was studied in an experimental methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) graft infection model. Thus, it was observed that wound infection could be created with this model, but G-CSF could not prevent the development of wound infection, whether it was administered systemically or locally. Teicoplanin decreased the number of colony-forming units of MRSA, and prevents wound infection in this MRSA wound infection model.
British scientists have developed a way of using diamond to help make low-friction medical implants, which could also help reduce infections due to superbugs such as MRSA. Speaking at an Institute of Physics conference in Chester, Joe Franks from Brunel University , outlined a new method of coating plastics, metals and collagen with a diamond-like carbon material. According to Franks, the invention will have important applications in aerospace, engineering and medicine.
Link: icWales - Zoobiotic may fight MRSA in Europe.
WALES' first NHS spin-out company may be on the verge of signing international licence agreements for its maggot-based antibacterial technology. Bridgend-based Zoobiotic is understood to have been approached by Polish and French drug companies that have been impressed by the treatments which could potentially fight the hospital superbug MRSA. A forthcoming television documentary will feature Polish doctors who claim that Zoo-biotic's therapy saved the life of a boy who lost his legs in a traffic accident.
Link: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.
Background. Peritonitis and exit-site infections (ESI) are major causes of morbidity in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The application of topical mupirocin to exit sites reduces such complications, and prolongs life in PD. Since the year 2000, this topical treatment has been used in our hospital on new PD patients. We analysed the results of this protocol, and studied the effects of comorbidities on the incidence of peritonitis. The variables we studied included gender, age, diabetic status, ischaemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and serum albumin. Results. The application of topical mupirocin at the exit site led to a significant reduction in the rate of peritonitis (0.443 vs 0.339 episodes per patient-year; P<0.0005) and in ESI (0.168 vs 0.156 episodes per patient-year; P<0.005), results attributed primarily by the significant (P<0.005) reduction in Staphylococcus aureus infection. There was also an unexpected lowering of Pseudomonas aeruginosa peritonitis in the mupirocin group (P<0.005). Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that only the application of mupirocin and serum albumin levels were significant predictors of peritonitis.
Link: Maggots - the new superbug weapon.
DOCTORS in the north west are using a new weapon in the war on the hospital superbug MRSA - maggots. The thought may make patients a little squeamish, but maggots are being used at hospitals in Cheshire and Greater Manchester to literally "eat" any infected flesh. Hospital bosses drafted in greenbottle fly maggots to help fight the deadly infection after discovering that the tiny larvae love to gobble up bacteria.
Link: Hastings Today
Click the link for the whole story - a case study of the problem of colonisation
Dennis Best, 72, developed the bacterial infection in his leg after an exploratory surgical procedure during a three-week stay at the Hastings hospital. An inquest last week heard the retired dry cleaning manager left the Conquest on June 29, but he developed severe swelling in his leg and was re-admitted almost a fortnight later. Tests on July 15 revealed he had contracted MRSA - which has become resistant to most antibiotics - and he died on September 9.
Link: Bedford Today
A primary care trust is taking part in a pioneering nationwide study into how maggots can help with treatment of leg ulcers and even MRSA. Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT, which covers Flitwick, Ampthill and Mid Beds, is urging patients to come forward to help with the study. As well as helping to clean up leg ulcers and other wounds, it is hoped the research will provide evidence into how the use of maggots, known as larval therapy, can assist with the treatment of hospital superbug MRSA.
Link: Bedford Today
A primary care trust is taking part in a pioneering nationwide study into how maggots can help with treatment of leg ulcers and even MRSA. Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT, which covers Flitwick, Ampthill and Mid Beds, is urging patients to come forward to help with the study. As well as helping to clean up leg ulcers and other wounds, it is hoped the research will provide evidence into how the use of maggots, known as larval therapy, can assist with the treatment of hospital superbug MRSA. Margaret Wallace, professional lead for wound care at the PCT, is leading the local study. She said: "Larval therapy has many benefits, including the ability to treat infections such as MRSA. This study should give us some hard evidence to back that up." If successful, results could see an end to cases of MRSA in hospitals across the country, including Bedford. Earlier this year the hospital was ranked second in the country for its control and prevention of the bug despite several people coming forward with horror stories of how they were infected.
Link: Oculus
The company's first proprietary technology platform, Microcyn(TM) super-oxidized water, is a non-toxic, shelf-stable anti-microbial with the potential to revolutionize the wound treatment market. It has proven effective in safely and quickly killing bacteria (including antibiotic-resistant strains such as MRSA and VRE in vitro), viruses, spores, and fungi. The company also has a promising oncology compound under development that will be entered into clinical trials for the treatment of cervical dysplasia, a pre-cancerous condition.
Link: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection in Liver Transplantation
The overall MRSA infection incidence was 1.4% (24/1770) with MRSA more common in liver (3.75%; 12/320) than kidney transplants (0.8%; 12/1450) (P < .001). The most common sites of MRSA infection were blood (42%), lung (38%), and abdomen (29%). The MRSA group had a greater percentage of prior antibiotic usage (79% vs 40%; P < .0015). The MRSA group experienced more posttransplant complications (52% vs 19%; P < .011)), and exhibited a trend toward greater length of stay in the intensive care unit (7.8 vs 4.6 days; P = .09), but not overall length of stay. Survival was similar in MRSA and non-MRSA groups (75% vs 88%; P = .17). No significant differences in mortality were noted between liver and kidney recipients infected with MRSA (P = .6). CONCLUSION: MRSA infection is associated with a higher incidence of posttransplant complications and antibiotic usage in both liver and kidney recipients compared to patients with MRSA infection.
Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.
In the field of local application of antimicrobials, a number of novel drugs and/or new drug delivery systems have been developed in recent years. The present study aimed to investigate hydroxyapatite cement (HAC) as a carrier for vancomycin in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis due to Staphylococcus aureus strains with various mechanisms of resistance. By contrast, no growth was found in the treatment group following 7 days of incubation in BHI bouillon. HAC/vancomycin-treated animals showed no histological evidence of infection on day 42. In the other groups, different stages of chronic osteomyelitis were found histologically. No local or systemic side effects due to HAC or vancomycin were seen. HAC is an effective carrier material for antibiotic compounds even in refractory infections due to MRSA or S. aureus SCVs.
Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.
Six Nigerian medicinal plants Terminalia avicennioides, Phylantus discoideus, Bridella ferruginea, Ageratum conyzoides, Ocimum gratissimum and Acalypha wilkesiana used by traditional medical practitioners for the treatment of several ailments of microbial and non-microbial origins were investigated for in vitro anti-methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity. CONCLUSION: Our results offer a scientific basis for the traditional use of water and ethanol extracts of A. wilkesiana, O. gratissimum, T. avicennioides and P. discoideus against MRSA-associated diseases. However, B. ferruginea and A. conyzoides were ineffective in vitro in this study; we therefore suggest the immediate stoppage of their traditional use against MRSA-associated diseases in Lagos, Nigeria.
Link: The Sun Newspaper Online
THE world’s biggest trial of maggots as a weapon in the war on MRSA is being launched by British doctors. The larvae — long know to clean up infected wounds by eating dead flesh — are seen as an alternative to drugs in combating the killer superbug. Medics desperate to cut down on the use of hospital antibiotics — to which the bacteria have become resistant — are appealing for 600 patients with MRSA or leg ulcers to take part in a three-year maggot trial. Dr Pauline Raynor — leading the research — said yesterday: “Of those who have volunteered so far, squeamishness does not appear to be an issue.” The maggots are tiny when applied to a wound as part of a dressing but can grow to half a centimetre after eating their fill. Their use has already been pioneered in British hospitals — where MRSA and other infections kill 5,000 people a year. Victims of MRSA have been among those receiving maggot treatment. Dr Raynor, of the University of York, said maggots only eat unhealthy tissue and pose no risk to patients. While conventional treatment can take months, maggot therapy takes just two three-day sessions.
Link: News.
Phyllis Hulme's family and friends were aghast when she told them doctors planned to put maggots on her leg ulcer. "I got some horrified looks. I think they thought: she's old, she doesn't know any better, she's gone a bit gaga," said the 81-year-old, who suffers from diabetes. "But it's been marvelous. I used to feel like screaming sometimes, the pain was so bad, and the first night they were on the pain went." It may sound gruesome, but it turns out that maggots are remarkably efficient at cleaning up infected wounds by eating dead tissue and killing off bacteria that could block the healing process. Now a new generation of physicians, keen to cut back on antibiotic use, is waking up to the creatures' charms. Some believe maggots are one of the most effective ways of treating wounds infected by the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Link: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen of humans and animals, and antibiotic resistance is a public health concern. Biofilm formation is essential in virulence and pathogenesis, and the ability to resist antibiotic treatment results in difficult-to-treat and persistent infections. As such, novel antimicrobial approaches are of great interest to the scientific, medical, and agriculture communities. We recently proposed that modulating levels of the cyclic dinucleotide signaling molecule, c-di-GMP (cyclic diguanylate [3',5'-cyclic diguanylic acid], cGpGp), has utility in regulating phenotypes of prokaryotes. We report that extracellular c-di-GMP shows activity against human clinical and bovine intramammary mastitis isolates of S. aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates. We show that chemically synthesized c-di-GMP is soluble and stable in water and physiological saline and stable following boiling and exposure to acid and alkali. Treatment of S. aureus with extracellular c-di-GMP inhibited cell-to-cell (intercellular) adhesive interactions in liquid medium and reduced (>50%) biofilm formation in human and bovine isolates compared to untreated controls. c-di-GMP inhibited the adherence of S. aureus to human epithelial HeLa cells. The cyclic nucleotide analogs cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP had a lesser inhibitory effect on biofilms, while 5'-GMP had no major effect. We propose that cyclic dinucleotides such as c-di-GMP, used either alone or in combination with other antimicrobial agents, represent a novel and attractive approach in the development of intervention strategies for the prevention of biofilms and the control and treatment of infection.
Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.
The extensive use of antimicrobial drugs has led to the widespread emergence of resistant bacterial strains. One such organism, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is now found extensively in both healthcare facilities and diverse community settings such as households, correctional facilities, and athletic teams. The importance of ultraviolet radiation as an adjunctive therapy to reduce bioburden and improve wound status in patients has been documented. An in vitro study to assess the effects of different types of ultraviolet radiation on antibiotic-resistant strains was conducted to provide information that will aid in the development of rational UV irradiation medical protocols. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was found to be sensitive to both germicidal (ultraviolet C) and solar (ultraviolet A and B) ultraviolet radiation (ultraviolet C substantially more lethal). For both types of ultraviolet radiation, as the medium concentration of sodium chloride increased, the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus cells exhibited increased sensitivity.
Link: New Scientist Breaking News
A material normally used to clean up car exhaust fumes could one day be used in dressings and surgical equipment to prevent severe skin infections and blood clots. It might even help combat infections by the MRSA superbug, a newly filed patent claims. What these medical problems have in common is that they can be treated with nitric oxide (NO). This gas is able to regulate blood pressure, stop thrombosis - blood clotting in the vessels - and is a powerful antibacterial agent. However, applying NO to the right areas and at the right levels is a major challenge. "As nitric oxide is toxic in large quantities you have to be able to deliver the right amount to the right place," says Russell Morris, a chemist at the University of St Andrews in the UK. And because the gas is very reactive and quickly breaks down in the body, it is hard to find a way to deliver it to a specific site. But Morris thinks it will be possible to release NO onto the skin at precisely controlled rates using the same technology that catalytic converters use to scrub the gas from car exhaust.
Link: Guardian Unlimited
Delegates to the Learning from the Best conference will hear steps hospitals are already taking against reducing the risk of infections such as MRSA, including how University College hospital in London has in the last 12 months reduced its rate of MRSA blood infection by 60%. This was achieved by introducing a system of following up patients after surgery with a visit by the hospital's wound infection surveillance team. Peter Wilson, a consultant microbiologist at UCH, said: "We have seen a 50% drop in wound infection in some specialities." Ward staff are now also wearing alcohol hand gel bottles around the waist to improve hand hygiene, he said.
Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.
Further tests are reccomemended
The antibiotic release from and the bacteria growth inhibition by antibiotic-loaded acrylic bone cement hip spacers were studied. The cement used was Palacos R, and it was loaded with either one antibiotic powder (gentamicin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, or synercid) [monoantibiotic case] or two antibiotic powders (gentamicin vancomycin or gentamicin teicoplanin) [biantibiotic case] and then tested against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Antibiotic elution and bacteria growth were measured every 24 h simultaneously by fluorescence polarization immunoassay and photometrically, respectively. The gentamicin vancomycin combination achieved the longest growth inhibition on S. epidermidis and MRSA (mean of 20 and 14 days, respectively).
Link: Eureka
This new approach to wound care has been developed by UK laboratory Depeche Mode (which was set up in 1979 before the band of the same name launched). Research Director Sujata Jolly is available to discuss Depeche Mode's work. She describes the issue of wound care, and the slowness or reluctance of injuries to heal as a "very big problem" which prompted her to look for an alternative to bandages and dressings. "It's a new concept in wound healing," said Jolly. "If you cover a wound week after week then the skin is going to get soggy and it's going to break down. This residue sits on the wound and it's highly alkaline. The wound just gets bigger." Depeche Mode's system is a spray that encourages the skin to heal itself naturally by creating an invisible web across the wound. Amino acids and proteins that mimic those made by blood, rapidly speed up the cell growth to fill any holes. It basically speeds and assists the scabbing process. The spray is called Youki "we wanted people to be able to remember the name," says Jolly. Youki is currently being trialled in private hospitals in the UK by staff specializing in wound management. Wounds are only washed once, at the start of the healing process, then not allowed to get wet at all. "You need to spray several times to build up a protective film," says Jolly. "There has to be something to cover the wound, you still have to protect it. The barrier it creates is breathable." Jolly argues that by not changing dressings you're not disturbing the wound and Youki accelerates the healing process and minimizes scarring.
Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.
Maggot therapy is a simple and highly successful method for cleansing infected and necrotic wounds. The use of maggots has become increasingly important in the treatment of non-healing wounds, particularly those infected with the multidrug-resistant pathogen, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The increasing challenge concerning the treatment of MRSA infections and the recent finding of vancomycin-resistant strains of MRSA have elicited the search for novel antibacterial compounds and, in particular, investigations into the potent antibacterial mechanism(s) behind maggot therapy
Link: MRSA - Information about MRSA.
Smith & Nephew are dedicated to helping people regain their lives. mrsa.uk.com is an educational website discussing a highly topical issue, MRSA.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been
hitting the headlines in recent months. Is this just a case of
media hype or should we all be concerned about the possible
risks of MRSA?mrsa.uk.com aims to bring you the answers to these and
many other questions. It provides clear and reliable
information about MRSA - what it is, how it is transmitted,
how it affects people and how it is treated. It also outlines
what you can do to reduce the risk of acquiring it.
ic Berkshire
A WONDER drug for the treatment of superbug MRSA has been developed by a Maidenhead-based pharmaceutical company. Following revelations by the Express last week that one third of medical staff at Wexham Park and Heatherwood hospitals are not washing their hands, and that MRSA is spreading, the Maiden-head lab called to offer their services. The laboratory Depeche Mode believe their water-based spray called Youki the Wound Healer accelerates healing and reduces scarring.
HighWire -- Medline Abstract
After 7 years' routine use of prophylactic mupirocin ointment at the catheter exit site in non-selected chronic peritoneal dialysis patients, MuRSA was found in 25% of SA strains isolated or in 2.7% of the patients. Compared with our previous study, 3 years earlier, there is no significant increase in the MuRSA prevalence in peritoneal dialysis patients who routinely apply mupirocin ointment at the catheter exit site.
HighWire -- Medline Abstract
A 40-year-old man was admitted with a diagnosis of MRSA aortic valve endocarditis. He was treated conservatively with clindamycin and vancomycin for three days, but embolism occurred into the brain and the right lower limb, and urgent aortic valve replacement was performed. Resecting an aortic annular abscess resulted in a huge defect of the root. The defect was reconstructed with a combined patch: a Dacron graft lined with pericardium using vancomycin-containing fibrin glue. Although complete healing of the infected leg wound was slow, no prosthetic valve endocarditis has been detected in the 11 months since operation.
this is devon
A revolutionary new cream which could combat the MRSA superbug in hospitals is to be produced and marketed in North Devon. And the Westward Ho! entrepreneur who is bringing its production to the region said: "It will really put North Devon on the map." Businessman Alan Smith, who runs Duckhaven Stud, Westward Ho!, recognised the potential of the skin cream when its inventor Brian Bennett - a retired lorry driver from Nuneaton - knocked on his door.
And he said the boost to North Devon's economy would begin with 25-30 new jobs immediately, but is likely to mushroom as the new company, Hygieia, gets set to expand to international proportions. Inventor Brian Bennett hit the national headlines after developing the cream to treat his wife's dermatitis. He gave pots of it away to neighbours and friends for the treatment of other skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
The impact of methicillin resistance on morbidity and mortality of patients suffering from severe Staphylococcus aureus infections remains highly controversial. We analyzed a retrospective cohort of 97 patients with methicillin-susceptible and 74 patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Initial empiric antibiotic therapy was appropriate for every patient
Fairly complex report that concludes that the SA part of MRSA is the the major problem
HighWire -- Medline Abstract
In situ replacement of infected vascular grafts is an accepted alternative to total graft excision and extraanatomic replacement. Its success relies upon the ability of the newly inserted graft to resist recurrent infection. This study compares the efficacy of two methods used to reduce the risk of graft reinfection: rifampicin soaking versus silver bonding of grafts.
BioMed Central
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE, are an increasing problem world-wide, causing intractable wound infections. Complex phytochemical extracts such as tea tree oil and eucalypt-derived formulations have been shown to have strong bactericidal activity against MRSA in vitro. Polytoxinol (PT) antimicrobial, is the trade name of a range of antimicrobial preparations in solution, ointment and cream form.
Methods - We report the first use of this drug, administered percutaneously, via calcium sulphate pellets (Osteoset,TM), into bone, to treat an intractable MRSA infection of the lower tibia in an adult male.
Results and Discussion - Over a three month period his symptoms resolved with a healing response on x-ray and with a reduced CRP.
News Medica Net
Bee stings may provide a solution to overcome the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in bacteria according to new research presented Monday by Belfast scientists at the Society for General Microbiology’s 155th Meeting at Trinity College Dublin. A small protein found in bee venom called melittin can break open the protective skin which surrounds all cells, including cells in our own bodies, and the membranes which enclose bacteria. “This new approach could give us a whole new type of antibiotic, very different in action from conventional antibiotics, against which bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant,” says Alison Qua, a researcher at Queen’s University. “We are searching for new derivatives of melittin, which can still attack bacteria, but without bursting and killing our own cells.”
AN Edinburgh student may have discovered a way to beat deadly bacterial infections such as the MRSA superbug - using "clever" slime. Heriot-Watt University graduate Charlotte Hamilton’s slippery theory has seen her shortlisted for the UK’s science and technology Oscars. The 21-year-old former Tynecastle High pupil believes she has found a way to trick bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics into weakening their first line of defence.
Ms Hamilton, who is currently working in a city shoe outlet after completing her studies, reckons her findings could one day help to tackle MRSA and other bacterial infections. Ms Hamilton was studying a protective slime surrounding bacteria, known as "biofilm", which prevents antibiotics from reaching the organism. Crucially, she discovered that bacteria are able to release compounds which disperse the slime of rival bacteria.
HighWire
Continual cleansing a treatment method for MRSA patients?
Yahoo
Ondine Biopharma Corporation (TSX-V:OBP - News; "Ondine") has concluded an agreement with University College London ("UCL") for an exclusive option on technology developed at UCL in the area of the PhotoDynamic Disinfection treatment of topical, multiple methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and related wound infections
NeLH Medicine in the News Project;
' How tea tree oil can wipe out the hospital superbug' was the headline in the Mail. The NHS are not so sure and explain why here
A short introduction from Dave Roberts
This 12 minute introduction will help you grasp the key facts and the key issues surrounding drug resistant staph aureus (mersa, mursa)
