New Diagnostic Possibilities for Neonatal Sepsis

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (06) ◽  
pp. 575-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chryssoula Tzialla ◽  
Cristian Achille ◽  
Lina Bollani ◽  
Mauro Stronati ◽  
Alessandro Borghesi ◽  
...  

AbstractProgress in neonatal care has decrease morbidity and mortality due to neonatal sepsis (NS). Although diagnosis of sepsis continues to rely on blood culture, this method is too slow and limited by false-negative results. There are numerous sepsis biomarkers that have been evaluated for the early diagnosis of NS, but, to date, there is no single ideal biomarker, though novel biomarkers are becoming more sophisticated and specific in their clinical applications. This review provides an overview of the current diagnostic approaches available or under development for diagnosing NS.

1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 2479-2482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Heininger ◽  
Marlies Binder ◽  
Sibylle Schmidt ◽  
Klaus Unertl ◽  
Konrad Botzenhart ◽  
...  

Critically ill patients often develop symptoms of sepsis and therefore require microbiological tests for bacteremia that use conventional blood culture (BC) techniques. However, since these patients frequently receive early empirical antibiotic therapy before diagnostic procedures are completed, examination by BC can return false-negative results. We therefore hypothesized that PCR could improve the rate of detection of microbial pathogens over that of BC. To test this hypothesis, male Wistar rats were challenged intravenously with 106 CFU of Escherichia coli. Blood was then taken at several time points for detection of E. coliby BC and by PCR with E. coli-specific primers derived from the uidA gene, encoding β-glucuronidase. In further experiments, cefotaxime (100 or 50 mg/kg of body weight) was administered intravenously to rats 10 min after E. colichallenge. Without this chemotherapy, the E. coli detection rate decreased at 15 min and at 210 min after challenge from 100% to 62% of the animals with PCR and from 100% to 54% of the animals with BC (P, >0.05). Chemotherapy decreased the E. coli detection rate at 25 min and at 55 min after challenge from 100% to 50% with PCR and from 100% to 0% with BC (P, <0.05). Thus, at clinically relevant serum antibiotic levels, PCR affords a significantly higher detection rate than BC in this rat model. The results suggest that PCR could be a useful adjunct tool supplementing conventional BC techniques in diagnosing bacteremia.


2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theerapong Krajaejun ◽  
Srisurat Imkhieo ◽  
Akarin Intaramat ◽  
Kavi Ratanabanangkoon

ABSTRACT Human pythiosis is an emerging and life-threatening infectious disease caused by the fungus-like organism Pythium insidiosum. High rates of morbidity and mortality for patients with pythiosis are exacerbated by the lack of early diagnosis and an effective treatment. Here, we developed and evaluated an immunochromatographic test (ICT) for the diagnosis of human pythiosis, in comparison to a standard serological test of immunodiffusion (ID). Culture filtrate antigen of P. insidiosum was used to detect human anti-P. insidiosum antibody. Sheep anti-human immunoglobulin G-colloidal gold conjugate was used to generate an ICT signal. Thirty-three sera from patients with vascular (n = 27), ocular (n = 4), and cutaneous (n = 2) pythiosis and 181 control sera from healthy blood donors (n = 100), as well as patients with a variety of infectious (n = 56) and noninfectious (n = 25) diseases, were included in the test evaluation. The turnaround time for generating a result by the ICT was less than 30 min, while that for ID was ∼24 h. Based on the results for all sera of pythiosis patients and the control groups, the ICT showed 88% sensitivity and 100% specificity and ID showed 61% sensitivity and 100% specificity. By both tests, false-negative results for sera from all ocular pythiosis patients were obtained. In addition, the ID test yielded false-negative results for sera from eight patients with vascular pythiosis and one patient with cutaneous pythiosis. It was concluded that the ICT is a rapid, user-friendly, and reliable serological test for the early diagnosis of vascular and cutaneous pythiosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiling Wang ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
Jing Zhao ◽  
Yanjie Li ◽  
Yushu Ai

In this note we analyze the problems in the nucleic acid testing (NAT) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and we also give some suggestions for improving the accuracy of NAT diagnosis. NAT testing is considered to be the diagnostic “gold standard”; at present there are few reviews on NAT for SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, many false-negative results always appear in the procedure of detecting, which has affected early diagnosis of the disease and brought a great challenge to mitigation and containment of the pandemic. In conclusion, comprehensive analyses of serological and imaging findings should be performed to guide the formulation of an accurate clinical diagnosis, treatment plan, and monitoring therapeutic efficacy, in an effort to achieve early diagnosis, containment, and treatment of the disease, thereby effectively reducing progression of the pandemic. This article presents a literature overview of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing, aiming to provide support for clinicians.


1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (02) ◽  
pp. 273-278
Author(s):  
Kenneth K Wu ◽  
John C Hoak ◽  
Robert W Barnes ◽  
Stuart L Frankel

SummaryIn order to evaluate its daily variability and reliability, impedance phlebography was performed daily or on alternate days on 61 patients with deep vein thrombosis, of whom 47 also had 125I-fibrinogen uptake tests and 22 had radiographic venography. The results showed that impedance phlebography was highly variable and poorly reliable. False positive results were noted in 8 limbs (18%) and false negative results in 3 limbs (7%). Despite its being simple, rapid and noninvasive, its clinical usefulness is doubtful when performed according to the original method.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 413-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Farouk Allam

Due to the international spread of COVID-19, the difficulty of collecting nasopharyngeal swab specimen from all suspected patients, the costs of RT-PCR and CT, and the false negative results of RT-PCR assay in 41% of COVID-19 patients, a scoring system is needed to classify the suspected patients in order to determine the need for follow-up, home isolation, quarantine or the conduction of further investigations. A scoring system is proposed as a diagnostic tool for suspected patients. It includes Epidemiological Evidence of Exposure, Clinical Symptoms and Signs, and Investigations (if available). This scoring system is simple, could be calculated in a few minutes, and incorporates the main possible data/findings of any patient.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pegah Shakib ◽  
Mohammad Reza Zolfaghari

Background: Conventional laboratory culture-based methods for diagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae are time-consuming and yield false negative results. Molecular methods including real-time (RT)-PCR rapid methods and conventional PCR due to higher sensitivity and accuracy have been replaced instead traditional culture assay. The aim of the current study was to evaluate lytA gene for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the cerebrospinal fluid of human patients with meningitis using real-time PCR assay. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 30 clinical specimens were collected from patients in a period from September to December 2018. In order to evaluate the presence of lytA gene, conventional and real-time PCR methods were used without culture. Results: From 30 sputum samples five (16.66%) isolates were identified as S. pneumoniae by lytA PCR and sequencing. Discussion: In this research, an accurate and rapid real-time PCR method was used, which is based on lytA gene for diagnosis of bacteria so that it can be diagnosed. Based on the sequencing results, the sensitivity for detection of lytA gene was 100% (5/5).


Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Silvia De Feo ◽  
Viviana Frantellizzi ◽  
Giuseppe De Vincentis

Background: We present the case of a 55-year-old woman, admitted to the Infectious Disease Department of Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, in mid-March 2020, with suspicion of COVID-19 infection. Objective: The rRT-PCR was negative and the following CT scan, performed to exclude false-negative results and help diagnosis, was inconclusive. Methods: It was decided to submit the patient to 99mTc-HMPAO-labelled leukocyte scan. Results: This exam led to the diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Conclusion: In the present pandemic scenario, 99mTc-HMPAO-labelled leukocyte scan represents a reliable imaging technique for differential diagnosis with COVID-19 in patients with confusing clinical signs, possible false-negative rRT-PCR results and inconclusive CT scan.


Author(s):  
Hyoung-Jin Moon ◽  
Won Lee ◽  
Ji-Soo Kim ◽  
Eun-Jung Yang ◽  
Hema Sundaram

Abstract Background Aspiration testing before filler injection is controversial. Some believe that aspiration can help prevent inadvertent intravascular injection, while others cite false-negative results and question its value given that the needle position always changes somewhat during injection procedures. Objectives To test the relation of false-negative results to the viscosity of the material within the needle lumen and determine whether a less viscous material within the needle lumen could decrease the incidence of false-negative results. Methods In vitro aspiration tests were performed using 30-G and 27-G needle gauges, two cross-linked hyaluronic acid fillers, normal saline bags pressurized at 140 and 10 mmHg to mimic human arterial and venous pressures, and three needle lumen conditions (normal saline, air, and filler). Testing was repeated three times under each study condition (72 tests in total). For in vivo correlation, aspiration tests were performed on femoral arteries and central auricular veins in three rabbits (4–5 aspirations per site, 48 tests in total). Results In vitro and in vivo testing using 30-G needles containing filler both showed false-negative results on aspiration testing. In vitro and in vivo testing using needles containing saline or air showed positive findings. Conclusions False-negative results from aspiration testing may be reduced by pre-filling the needle lumen with saline rather than a filler. The pressurized system may help overcome challenges of animal models with intravascular pressures significantly different from those of humans. The adaptability of this system to mimic various vessel pressures may facilitate physiologically relevant studies of vascular complications.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document