Unusual Case of Newborn with Salmonella Revealed with Rapid Diagnostics

by the bioMérieux Connection Editors A 4-week-old infant was admitted to pediatric ICU at the Lifespan Academic Medical Center in Providence, RI. The baby had a high fever, light sensitivity, tenderness in the neck and head, and was irritable and lethargic, with nausea and no appetite. It was difficult to awaken the child from sleep. …

Multi-Drug Resistant E. coli Rampant in Nursing and Long-Term Care Facilities

By the bioMérieux Connection Editors The May 2017 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control contained an eye-opening paper on the incidence of antibiotic resistant pathogens in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. “Prevalence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria among nursing home residents: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” by Sainfer Aliyu et al., selected 12 …

An Underappreciated Innovation, Zapping Microbes With Lasers Has Helped Identify Pathogens Faster Since 2013

By the bioMérieux Connection Editors In late 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted 510(k) de novo clearance to the first mass spectrometer for identifying disease-causing bacteria and yeast for clinical use in the U.S. market.  The technology is called Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight mass spectrometry, or MALDI-TOF MS, and it uses a …

Continued Success of Small Hospital’s “Bug Squad” a Wake-Up Call for Healthcare Facilities Still Lagging in Antibiotic Stewardship

By the bioMérieux Connection Editors St. Luke’s Magic Valley (SLMV) Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho, provides a model case for how a small hospital can dramatically reduce overuse of antimicrobial drugs when the microbiology lab and pharmacy work collectively and continuously with the clinical staff on stewardship. St. Luke’s “Bug Squad” program saved the …