Streptobacillus moniliformis Native Valve Endocarditis
We report a case of S. moniliformis native mitral valve endocarditis in a 33-year-old female who most likely acquired her infection from her pet rat. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - April 21, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Celeste Nelson, Russell A. Rawling, Paul A. Granato Tags: Case Report Source Type: news
The Canary in the Coal Mine: Clinical and Public Health Laboratories Respond to Biosafety Risks
This article presents an overview of responses to recent events and provides resources for laboratories that can be utilized to prepare and improve their biosafety programs. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - April 21, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Michael A. Pentella Source Type: news
Documenting Clinical Microbiology Impact: Performing Clinical Research to Document the Value of the Microbiology Laboratory
For those intending to achieve the maximum validity and usefulness of microbiology results, the interface between clinical medicine and diagnostic methods in laboratory medicine is a critical focus. As such, method verification studies and quality improvement projects in clinical microbiology should optimally be performed with the rigor of scientific research, even if the project intent is not clinical research. This review aims to translate the concepts of clinical research into laboratory strategies that are relevant to clinical microbiologists who are attempting to document the value of their laboratory programs. (Sourc...
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - April 6, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Hosam A. Farag Source Type: news
A special invitation to authors
The editors of Clinical Microbiology Newsletter welcome proposals for review articles on topics relevant to clinical microbiologists and infectious disease physicians. If you would like to prepare a brief manuscript on such a topic, please contact one of the Editors with your proposal (see contact information and general guidelines below) to discuss the details of the potential submission: (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - April 6, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news
Clinical Decisions: How Relevant is Modern Bacterial Taxonomy for Clinical Microbiologists?
Bacterial taxonomy has radically changed over the past three decades largely due to innovative technologies, such as 16S rRNA gene sequencing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). These changes have resulted in an explosion in the number of proposed new bacterial species that are based upon a very limited number of strains and changes to our perspectives on what constitutes a “bacterial species.” The format in which these new species have been proposed also presents challenges to both clinical and public health microbiologists. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - March 22, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: J. Michael Janda Source Type: news
Clinical Microbiology Q & A
(Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - March 22, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Christopher D. Doern, Jillian Raybould, Pamela Bailey Tags: Q & A Source Type: news
Documenting Clinical Microbiology Impact: Basic Concepts for Designing Clinical Studies and Outcome Research Using Principles of Biostatistics
While most clinical laboratorians do not consider themselves part of a formal clinical research group, many quality improvement projects and method verification studies are, or should be, performed with the rigor of scientific research, even if the project intent is not research. When describing pilot results for business plans and for documenting laboratory impact for interdisciplinary committees, planning for scientific rigor will prove to be very valuable. Clinical, operational, and quality improvement studies in laboratory medicine and clinical microbiology are becoming more data driven, outcome oriented, and evidence ...
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - March 9, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Hosam A. Farag Source Type: news
Clinical Microbiology Q & A
(Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 23, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news
40 Years of the Clinical Microbiology Newsletter
On the occasion of our retirement as editors of the Clinical Microbiology Newsletter (Newsletter), which is now in its 40th year, we are feeling a bit nostalgic. As such, we want to pay tribute to all the people who have ensured its success over the years. We want to thank our readers, who helped to make this Newsletter so successful, and the authors, who have contributed outstanding lead articles in clinical microbiology. Having worked together for so many years on the Newsletter — Betz Forbes for 12 years, Alice Weissfeld for 10 years — we were intrigued by its history. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 23, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Betty Ann Forbes, Alice S. Weissfeld Source Type: news
Digital PCR in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory: Another Tool on the Molecular Horizon
Digital PCR was first described in 1999. Improvements in instrumentation and reagents have increased its routine use in molecular pathology laboratories. For clinical microbiology laboratories, digital PCR applications could cover a broad range of purposes, from absolute pathogen quantification to the detection of rare mutations that confer resistance to antibiotics. In this review, we describe several potential applications of digital PCR in the clinical microbiology laboratory. As this method continues to evolve, digital PCR may become an important tool on the horizon for clinical and molecular microbiology laboratories....
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 9, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Eleanor A. Powell, N. Esther Babady Source Type: news
A Farewell Tribute to Retiring CMN Editors and their Contribution to Clinical Microbiology
Elsevier and the editors of Clinical Microbiology Newsletter celebrate Dr. Betty A. Forbes and Dr. Alice S. Weissfeld as they retire from their editorial responsibilities after 12 and 10 years, respectively – we value their contributions to the newsletter and to the subspecialty of clinical microbiology These two women are titans in the field of clinical microbiology. They share a wide breadth of knowledge, an unending commitment to the field of diagnostic microbiology, the highest of scientific ethi cs, a tireless work ethic, and extensive talents in teaching and mentoring, all with the kindest of hearts. (Source: Clini...
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 9, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Donna M. Wolk, Elizabeth M. Marlowe Tags: Feature Source Type: news
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Due to Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli: Possible Need for Method Improvement
We report here a case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in a pediatric patient, caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O145 carrying genotype stx2a eae ehxA. STEC O145 strains are part of Karmali's serotype B classification. Karmali et al. [1] proposed a serotype classification that divided STEC strains into five groups on the basis of reported frequency of outbreaks and disease severity in humans. Serotypes other than O157, termed non-O157 STEC, have also been implicated frequently in outbreaks and severe disease in humans [2]. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - January 18, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Mar ía José González-Abad, Mercedes Alonso Sanz Tags: Case Report Source Type: news
Impact of Reflex Algorithms on Urine Culture Utilization
Urine culture is the gold standard for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the most common causes of bacterial infection. As such, urine specimens are responsible for a major share of the workload in clinical microbiology laboratories. The inclusion of metrics, such as the catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI) rate, that factor into hospital reimbursements and concerns surrounding the attrition of clinical laboratory personnel have prompted scrutiny of urine culture utilization in many organizations. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - January 18, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Melanie L. Yarbrough Source Type: news
A special invitation to authors
The editors of Clinical Microbiology Newsletter welcome proposals for review articles on topics relevant to clinical microbiologists and infectious disease physicians. If you would like to prepare a brief manuscript on such a topic, please contact one of the Editors with your proposal (see contact information and general guidelines below) to discuss the details of the potential submission: (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - January 18, 2018 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news
