Medical Bacteriology Research Articles

Risk factors for acquiring Acinetobacter baumannii infection in the intensive care unit: experience from a Moroccan hospital.

Acinetobacter species are non-fermenting and ubiquitous Gram-negative coccobacilli, which in recent years have become the leading cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Our objective here was to study the epidemiology and risk factors associated with Acinetobacter baumannii infections in the intensive care unit (ICU). This retrospective case-control study was conducted collaboratively between the Medical Bacteriology Department and the two ICUs of the Military Hospital of Instruction Mohammed V-Rabat over a 3 month period. We included 180 patients, of whom 60 had A. baumannii infection. We observed a male predominance in both matched groups, with a sex ratio of 1.6. The median age was 67 years [interquartile range (IQR) 59.5-77]. The median length of stay in the ICU before infection was 8.5 days (IQR 5-14). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the risk factors statistically associated with A. baumannii infection at the ICU level as follows: duration of invasive procedures >7 days [odds ratio (OR)=1.02], parenteral nutrition (OR=3.514), mechanical ventilation (OR=3.024), imipenem (OR=18.72), colistin (OR=5.645), probabilistic antibiotic therapy >4 days (OR=9.063) and neoplastic pathology (OR=5.727). Based on our results, it can be inferred that shortening the duration of stay in the resuscitation setting, implementing rational use of medical devices and optimizing antibiotic therapy could decrease the incidence of these infections.

Alternatives to animal models to study bacterial infections.

Animal testing has made a significant and unequalled contribution to important discoveries and advancements in the fields of research, medicine, vaccine development, and drug discovery. Each year, millions of animals are sacrificed for various experiments, and this is an ongoing process. However, the debate on the ethical and sensible usage of animals in in vivo experimentation is equally important. The need to explore and adopt newer alternatives to animals so as to comply with the goal of reduce, refine, and replace needs attention. Besides the ever-increasing debate on ethical issues, animal research has additional drawbacks (need of trained labour, requirement of breeding area, lengthy protocols, high expenses, transport barriers, difficulty to extrapolate data from animals to humans, etc.). With this scenario, the present review has been framed to give a comprehensive insight into the possible alternative options worth exploring in this direction especially targeting replacements for animal models of bacterial infections. There have been some excellent reviews discussing on the alternate methods for replacing and reducing animals in drug research. However, reviews that discuss the replacements in the field of medical bacteriology with emphasis on animal bacterial infection models are purely limited. The present review discusses on the use of (a) non-mammalian models and (b) alternative systems such as microfluidic chip-based models and microdosing aiming to give a detailed insight into the prospects of these alternative platforms to reduce the number of animals being used in infection studies. This would enlighten the scientific community working in this direction to be well acquainted with the available new approaches and alternatives so that the 3R strategy can be successfully implemented in the field of antibacterial drug research and testing.

BactoBattle: a game-based learning companion for medical bacteriology.

A card game called BactoBattle has been developed to help medical students who have just started learning medical bacteriology to improve their learning efficacy and satisfaction, especially on the topic of antimicrobial resistance. Copies of the game were placed in the students' study room (approximately 1 set per 12 students) and made available to the students throughout the study period so that they could choose to play the game during their free time if desired. After the study period had ended, the students were asked to complete a questionnaire and a post-test. In total, 33 students completed the questionnaire, and were split into 2 groups: the player group, comprising 12 (36.4 %) students who had played the game, and the non-player group. The player group perceived that they could memorize more knowledge compared to the non-player group and indeed recorded higher post-test scores than the non-player group (10.4 vs 8.3 out of 15 points, P=0.031). However, there was no difference in learning motivation (P=0.441) or enjoyment (P=0.562) between the two groups. A majority of the players said they would continue playing the game after the study period and would recommend the game to other students. In short, the BactoBattle game can be a useful tool to improve the learning efficacy of students, but its effect on learning satisfaction remains unclear.

The Identification of Bacteria from Biomembrane Effluent at Cikacembang River, Majalaya, Bandung Regency

Biological treatment is one of the effective treatment methods for degrading organic compounds by utilizing microorganisms to treat complex compounds in the effluent water into simpler substances. Thus microorganisms have important roles in biological process. Bacteria that are used can be in the form of non-indigenous bacteria of waste environment or indigenous bacteria. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to identify bacteria species within Biomembrane effluent (wastewater treatment reactor in Cikacembang River) using analytical method by performing series of biochemistry tests according to Manual for Identification of Medical Bacteriology (Cowan, 1974). Bacteria identification on this Biomembrane effluent was conducted because it was indicated that those bacteria have potencies to degrade wastes in river water. In addition, we also calculated the bacterial growth rate. The isolated bacteria belonged to Gram positive bacteria in which two bacteria were categorized as the member of Bacillus genus, while another bacterium was categorized as the member of the Corynebacterium genus. In this research, it was successfully identified several species of the isolated bacteria, namely Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus licheniformis, and Corynebacterium striatum that had growth rate of 139.28 mg/l/h, 130.35 mg/l/h, and 112.13 mg/l/h, respectively.

Express method for determining the sensitivity of pathogens of bacterial complications in COVID-19 to bacteriophages

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a catastrophic increase in the resistance of bacterial strains to antibacterial drugs. The spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to the overuse of antibiotics, which has led to an even greater spread of resistant strains in hospitals. Given the accumulated positive experience in using bacteriophages, it is advisable to use them in patients after determining the sensitivity of each strain of isolated bacteria to bacteriophages. Since Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequently isolated bacteria in complicated forms of COVID-19, it became necessary to determine the sensitivity of these and other gram-negative bacteria to the corresponding bacteriophages.
 AIM: This study aims to reduce the time for determining the sensitivity of an isolated microorganism culture to bacteriophages by developing an express method.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study used 30 strains of pan-resistant Gram-negative microorganisms from the collection of the Museum of the Laboratory of Medical Bacteriology of the Pasteur Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in St. Petersburg: Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=10), Escherichia coli (n=10), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=10), and also preparations of bacteriophages manufactured by JSC NPO Microgen: Bacteriophage Klebsiella polyvalent purified; Bacteriophage coliproteus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage.
 RESULTS: Of the strains studied, 4 out of 10 studied K. pneumoniae strains, 6 out of 10 E. coli strains, and 7 out of 10 P. aeruginosa strains were susceptible to polyvalent bacteriophage preparations. Reliable results were obtained 3 hours after the sensitivity of isolated cultures to bacteriophages was established, which is undoubtedly the most important finding of the study.
 CONCLUSION: The developed method for determining the sensitivity of gram-negative bacteria to bacteriophages enables reducing the study time by 6 times (up to 3 hours), which affects the timing of etiotropic therapy selection with bacteriophages for each patient.

On-site verification of the CBEU method using UriSelect4 chromogenic medium at the National Institute of Hygiene (INH) of Lomé.

The Cytobacteriological Examination of Urine (CBEU) is one of the most requested microbiological analyses in the medical bacteriology laboratory. According to the ISO 15189 standard, Medical Biology Laboratory (MBL) must validate the techniques before their use. It is in this perspective that, within the Medical Bacteriology Laboratory of the INH of Lome, we have carried out the on-site verification of the CBEU method using UriSelect4 chromogenic medium at the INH of Lomé. The biological material was composed of reference bacterial strains and clinical bacterial strains isolated at INH. Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) with 5​M model was used to perform risk analysis and performances as repeatability, intermediate fidelity/reproducibility, sensitivity and inter-operator variability were evaluated using references strains and different operators. "Comité Français d'Accréditation" (COFRAC) SH GTA 04 was used as reference. Single-factor ANOVA was used to analyze the data. Operating procedures, Patients preparation, Samples and Preparation of culture media were identified as main critical points with a criticality index of 8, 9, 9 and 12 respectively. The use of uriselect4 to perform ECBU was shown to be repeatable and reproducible. The sensibility of Uriselect4 to detect urinary infection was 100% with negligible inter-operator variability. This study performed on-site verification of Uriselect4 at the bacteriology lab of INH of Lome and identified some critical points to master. The overall performance criteria from COFRAC SH GTA 04 were conform.

Using gamification to improve engagement and learning outcomes in medical microbiology: the case study of 'BacteriaGame'.

The fight against antibiotic resistance has become a true global public health challenge of gargantuan proportions. Amongst the myriad of approaches being explored to tackle this predicament, one strategy involves enhancing prescriber knowledge and in particular their basic knowledge of medical bacteriology. Yet, as we well know in medical microbiology teachings, traditional lectures can be arduous, attempting to cram in a vast array of information in a limited time. An alternative solution to improve student engagement and enhance learning outcomes is to utilize educational games in complementary approach. Such games are an effective means of inspiring students to learn, encouraging self-assessment, and injecting diversity into the teaching process. To this end, we have developed and evaluated an educational card game, the 'BacteriaGame,' aimed at our medical students in medical bacteriology. Designed for students at the basic level, it serves as activity at the end of their apprenticeship to their bacteriology education. Additionally, it can also be used as a review tool by more advanced students, with teachers able to impart additional knowledge as the game progresses. We also use it in continuous training of medical laboratory staff. In this study, we evaluated the game at various stages of medical education, collecting feedback and analysing its impact on knowledge acquisition, comparing it to traditional lectures. Feedback from the majority of students revealed that the rules were clear, the game was enjoyable, and neither too lengthy nor too challenging. The integration of 'BacteriaGame' into their future training piqued their interest. In terms of learning outcomes, we discovered a significant increase in knowledge acquisition among those who used the game (P<.05). 'BacteriaGame' is now published by the French Society of Microbiology (SFM) and distributed in all medical and pharmacy schools thanks to a funding of the French Health Ministry. An English edition of the game is also available for international use as a physical copy to be purchased from the SFM. This will allow a large-scale distribution to colleagues who would like to use this game in their teaching.

MCQ corner

1. Selenocysteine is coded by UGA UAG UAA AUG Ans: A. UGA Explanation Selenocysteine (SeCys/SeC) is the 21st amino acid and is found in thioredoxin reductase, glutathione peroxidase, 5’-deiodinase, and selenoprotein P. It is an exceptional case where a stop codon codes for an amino acid. The other stop codons are UAA and UAG. The ability of the protein synthetic apparatus to identify a selenocysteine-specific UGA codon involves the selenocysteine insertion element, a stem-loop structure in the untranslated region of the mRNA.[1] 2. A child with diarrhea for 2 days came to your out-patient department (OPD). On examination, the signs of dehydration were marked and the child was treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS). Glucose absorption was facilitated by which receptors? SGLT1 SGLT2 GLUT4 Sodium–hydrogen antiporter Ans: A. SGLT1 Explanation Absorption of glucose from the intestinal lumen to intestinal cells is by the cotransport mechanism. It is an active transport system and can transport against the concentration gradient.[2] 3. Skeletal derivative of the second pharyngeal arch is Malleus Incus Stapes Maxilla Ans: C. Stapes Explanation Maxilla, malleus, and incus are derived from the first arch.[3] 4. Blastocyst makes contact with a uterus on <3 days 5–7 days 8–11 days 15–16 days Ans: B. 5–7 days Explanation Contact of the blastocyst with endometrium occurs at the time of implantation. Implantation occurs at around 5-7 days.[4] 5. The father of antiseptic surgery is Louis Pasteur Robert Koch Julius Petri Joseph Lister Ans. D. Joseph Lister Explanation Louis Pasteur – the father of microbiology, Robert Koch – the father of microbiology (with Louis Pasteur), and the father of medical bacteriology, Julius Petri – invented the Petri dish.[5] 6. Following were the findings in a Glucose tolerance test (GTT). Fasting blood glucose <75 mg/dl; all blood samples show low blood glucose; urine glucose – nil. The possible diagnosis is Alimentary glycosuria Diabetes mellitus Hypopituitarism Diabetes insipidus Ans. C. Hypopituitarism Explanation In alimentary glycosuria, there will be a peak in the first sample after glucose load and sugar will appear in urine. In diabetes mellitus, fasting and the next two samples will show higher values than the normal reference range and the sample does not return to baseline at the end of the test. In hypopituitarism, there is hypoglycemia and the patient feels fatigued and stressed. In diabetes insipidus, GTT is mostly unaffected.[6] 7. A 10-year-old boy with a history of atopy presented with seasonal recurrent bilateral conjunctivitis and complained of blurred vision for the past 1 week. On lid eversion, giant papillae were seen. All of the following could be seen by slit-lamp examination except: Vascular pannus and punctate epithelial erosions involving the superior cornea. An oval epithelial ulceration with underlying stromal opacification in the central cornea Limbal follicles Conjunctival symblepharon Ans. D. Conjunctival symblepharon Explanation A conjunctival symblepharon is seen in the case of autoimmune disorders such as Sjogren’s syndrome, sarcoidosis, lichen planus, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, etc.[7] 8. Which of the following breast lesion is a noninvasive malignancy? Tubular carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma Intraductal carcinoma of the comedo type Infiltrating ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma Medullary carcinoma, including atypical medullary lesions Ans. B. Intraductal carcinoma of the comedo type Explanation A comedo-type ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), also known as comedocarcinoma insitu, is the high-grade subtype of DCIS. It completely fills and dilates the ducts and lobules in terminal duct lobular units with plugs of high-grade tumor cells with central necrosis “comedonecrosis.”[8] 9. In patients who develop a documented episode of deep-vein thrombosis, the most significant long-term sequelae are: Claudication Recurrent foot infections Development of stasis ulcer Pulmonary embolization Ans. C-Development of stasis ulcer Explanation Chronic symptoms may occur after 6 weeks or beyond. Pulmonary embolization is the most common complication but is seen as an acute complication.[9] 10. Identify the test from the diagram. Rothera’s test Benedict’s test Barfoed’s test Seliwanoff’s test Ans. A. Rothera’s testFigure 1: Purple permanganate coloured ring [Ferro-penta cyanine complex] at the junction of two fluidsExplanation Rothera’s test was done to identify the presence of ketone bodies in a urine sample. Benedict’s test will contain a green/yellow/orange/brick red precipitate at the bottom. Barfoed’s test has a red scum at the top of the fluid and a little red precipitate at the bottom. Seliwanoff’s test will have a cherry red color.[10] Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Cutaneous allergy and polymorphism of the tuberculosis pathogen

In recent years, there has been a profound revolution in the science of microbes. The world of these creatures, which seemed primitive and stable, turned out to be much more complex when studied in depth. On the basis of precise observations and facts, which have been accumulated over 50 years, it has become clear that it is necessary and possible to put this material in order and formulate a new doctrine, the doctrine of microbial variability. This new doctrine, a new interpretation of some of the already known phenomena, significantly expands our horizon, supplementing and deepening everything that was created by the founders of medical bacteriology. On the basis of the new doctrine, much in the clinic, i.e., in life, is illuminated differently.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing: Evaluation of the conformity of 3 medical bacteriology laboratories of Togo according to EUCAST/CA-SFM guidelines.

ABSTRACT Objective: Faced with the emergence of antibiotic resistance, the quest for reliable susceptibility test results is becoming a necessity in medical bacteriology laboratories. The aim of this study was to evaluate the conformity of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing of three (03) medical bacteriology laboratories in Togo. Methodology and results: The conformity of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing was evaluated according to the EUCAST/CA-SFM V1.0 March 2017 guidelines. In addition, the turbidity of prepared inocula was assessed using 0.5 McFarland standard. Compliance rates recorded ranged from 27.78% to 41.05% with an average of 32.61%. At the pre-analytical phase, average compliance was low (16.67%). However, it was higher in the analytical phase (72.84%). As for the compliance rates for the quality control performance, it was very low (8.33%), ranging from 0% to 25%. The concentration of 30 inocula prepared in 2 laboratories were high compared to the threshold recommended by EUCAST (0.5 Mc Farland), 0.83 Mc Farland and 0.86 Mc Farland respectively. Conclusion and application of results: The data generally showed a low compliance rate with the requirements of the EUCAST/CA-SFM and particularly high inocula concentrations. This may have a negative impact on the sensitivity profile of bacteria. Great efforts must be made by the 16795 Katawa et al., J. Appl. Biosci. Vol: 162 2021 Antimicrobial susceptibility testing: Evaluation of the conformity of 3 medical bacteriology laboratories of Togo according to EUCAST/CA-SFM guidelines. laboratories, notably in terms of equipment, staff training on the reference system and technological and documentary monitoring, in order to increase the quality level of these laboratories. Keywords: Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, Conformity, EUCAST/CA-SFM, Togo.

Medical Bacteriology and Medical Genetics, 1880–1940: A Call for Synthesis

Between 1880 and 1920 the medical quest to unearth the causes of disease saw two pathbreaking discoveries. One was the bacteriological revolution – the identification of specific germs as causal agents of specific diseases (anthrax, tuberculosis, diphtheria, cholera and so on), and the simultaneous effort to develop disinfection techniques and immunisation measures to combat these diseases. The other was the rediscovery of Mendel’s laws of heredity and the resulting emergence of medical genetics, where an entire set of medical maladies (deafness, blindness, bodily deformities, haemophilia, Huntington’s chorea, feeble-mindedness and many mental diseases) were identified – rightly or wrongly – as genetically determined. The ‘germ theory of disease’ and the ‘gene theory of disease’ shared striking, all-too-often overlooked similarities. Both theories built on shared epistemological assumptions that influenced their explanatory mechanisms and their overall conceptual frameworks; both mobilised similar visual and linguistic vocabulary; both appropriated – and enforced – prevailing cultural and gender norms; and both enshrined broadly parallel hygienic practices. Reflecting similar social concerns, medical bacteriology and medical genetics acquired kindred scientific and societal configurations, which this paper highlights and scrutinises.

The present &amp; the past: a review of newly accessioned bacterial strains into the UK’s National Collection of Type Cultures

The National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) is a bacterial culture collection which is taxonomically and biologically diverse. NCTC holds approximately 6000 different strains from over 900 different species; among them strains originally isolated in the 19th century, strains for use as controls as stipulated EUCAST and ISO guidelines, type strains on which the description of bacterial species are based and other strains from a variety of backgrounds. The remit of NCTC is to provide authentic bacterial cultures of medical and veterinary interest to the scientific community, to support and enhance the reproducibility of scientific research and to improve global public health. To fulfil this remit, remain scientifically relevant and to preserve the legacy of contemporary medical bacteriology for future scientists, NCTC accessions strains of clinical significance: such as recently circulating and outbreak strains, diagnostic escape mutants and strains with novel antimicrobial resistance profiles. In 2018, 166 bacterial strains were accessioned into the NCTC and made available to the scientific community. These include NCTC 14052: a reference strain for emergent hyper-virulent K. pneumoniae, 4 type strains of newly described bacterial species, 82 strains accessioned from the Murray Collection of pre-antibiotic era Enterobacteriaceae and 8 strains with antimicrobial resistance mechanisms previously unrepresented in the collection, including NCTC 14208: a N. gonorrhoeae isolated from an instance of combined ceftriaxone and azithromycin treatment failure. Through literature review we have highlighted their value to the scientific community, both in their own right and in the context of bacterial strains already held by the NCTC.

DNA-based bioassay of legionella pneumonia pathogen using gold nanostructure: A new platform for diagnosis of legionellosis.

The specific diagnosis of hard-growing bacteria is one of the most important concerns of medical bacteriology. Legionella pneumophila is one of the most important bacteria in hard growth. In spite remarkable trends in bacteriology, now day, culture is the gold standard for detection of L. pneumophila. This work is an attempt to quantification of L. pneumophila bacteria using a bioassay. The fabrication of a new electrochemical DNA-based bioassay using gold nano architecture combined with as a transducer substrate combined with toluidine blue (TB) as a redox marker was performed successful. Also, the mixture of beta‑cyclodextrin and dopamine as Poly (dopamine‑β‑Cyclodextrin) was used to proper a biointerface for stabilization of gold nanoparticles optimum immobilize of pDNA sequence (5-SH-TCGA TAC TCT CCC CGC CCC TT T TGTATCGACG-3). So, a specific thiolated pDNA was immobilized on the transducer substrate and DNA hybridization was followed by C-DNA sequence (5-ACA AAA GGG GCG GGG AGA GTA-3) using square wave voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. At the optimum conditions, linear range was 1 μM to 1 ZM and low limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 1 Zepto-molar. L. pneumophila were sensitively distinguished by the planned DNA sensor. Finally, the engineered DNA based bioassay could be used for identifying the L. pneumophila samples from patients or environments.

The eminence status of bacterial pigments under different aspects

Several bacteria such as Flavobacterium, Serratias, Chromobacterium and Streptomyces that produce different pigments are playing a significant role in various fields of sciences. Alternatively, current knowledge about bacterial pigments is limited to medical bacteriology, for instance their importance in virulence factors and protective features, however recently the investigators have revealed the supplementary consequence of pigments in food, textile and pharmaceutical aspects.

How old are bacterial pathogens?

Only few molecular studies have addressed the age of bacterial pathogens that infected humans before the beginnings of medical bacteriology, but these have provided dramatic insights. The global genetic diversity of Helicobacter pylori, which infects human stomachs, parallels that of its human host. The time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) of these bacteria approximates that of anatomically modern humans, i.e. at least 100 000 years, after calibrating the evolutionary divergence within H. pylori against major ancient human migrations. Similarly, genomic reconstructions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of tuberculosis, from ancient skeletons in South America and mummies in Hungary support estimates of less than 6000 years for the tMRCA of M. tuberculosis Finally, modern global patterns of genetic diversity and ancient DNA studies indicate that during the last 5000 years plague caused by Yersinia pestis has spread globally on multiple occasions from China and Central Asia. Such tMRCA estimates provide only lower bounds on the ages of bacterial pathogens, and additional studies are needed for realistic upper bounds on how long humans and animals have suffered from bacterial diseases.

Medicinske struke preventivne medicine na području Timočke Krajine - medicinska bakteriologija u periodu od 1922. do 2013. godine - Rajačka škola zdravlja

In his work author writes about the beginning, development and work of medical bacteriology, later called microbiological and parasitology, over the past 94 years. The author describes the work of the Standing bacteriological station established in 1922 in Zajecar, led by dr Kosta Todorović, and serves the famous bacteriologist, professor of Kiev. dr Vsevolod Ljubinski, which had great significance both for the development of medical bacteriology in the area of the Timok region and for the development of other branches of preventive medicine, particulary epidemiology and hygiene. The largest contribution to medical bacteriology, between the two world wars in the House Public Health in Zajecar, and later, after World War II, in Hygiene, now at the Institute for Public Health 'Timok' in Zajecar, was the discovery of infectious and parasitic diseases, particularly syphilis and malaria, and intestinal infectious diseases. In his article, the author describes the working conditions, equipment, contents and methods of bacteriological, or micorobiological diagnostics and lists the doctors who took part in it. In addition to the contribution of bacteriological, ie microbiologically, serological and parasitological diagnostics, is a significant contribution to the development of serological and virological diagnosis in certain diseases and the use of susceptibility testing for the treatment of infectious diseases. Bacteriology of the Institute in Zajecar contributed to the development of microbiological diagnostics and establishment of micorbiologocal services and opening of microbiological laboratory at Bor, Negotin, Kladovo and Knjazevac, training of doctors and laboratory technicians, and be helped in the organization of laboratory work and processing of samples of different materials taken and subjected to microbiological serological analysis. The work has a historical and medical importance and represents a modest contribution to the history of preventive medical professions in Timok region.

Robert Heinrich Herman Koch

Robert Heinrich Herman Koch

English

Due to the great deal of attention given to patient&rsquo;s security, it is necessary to reduce non-conformities in pre-analytical phase, so the laboratories of medical bacteriology that can ensure the quality of examination results can contribute to diagnosis and prescription of treatment and patient safety. It is important that these laboratories collect and exploit statistics of the non-conformities rates which occur during pre-analytical phase in order to implement improvement plans. This study was done in a period of 10 months in a laboratory of bacteriology in a university hospital center. It aims to control the nonconformity rates of the biological samples found, show their nature and causes and to assess their criticality. Results obtained showed that overall rate of non-conformities identified in the year 2012 were 2.5% (310 samples from 12 398). 61% of the recorded errors concerned both the identification of biological samples and patient&#39;s identity. 29% was on conveyance and 10% on the quality and quantity of samples. The setting up of the corrective and preventive actions plan was done by the application of Pareto law. The adoption of the Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) approach was meant for the risks analysis linked to these dysfunctions at pre-analytic phase. Anomalies of heterogeneity during this pre-analytic phase of the studied laboratory suggest the requirement of more rigorous methodology and exploitation of the projected indicators with suitable technologies to assess non-conformity and to follow quality improvements. Finally, to improve exams quality in laboratories, an organization and a quality action plan are proposed to ensure the management and control of the non-conformities occurring during the pre-analytic phase. Key words: Non-conformities, pre-analytical phase, medical bacteriology, risks, quality improvement, management.

Bacteriology in British India: Laboratory Medicine and the Tropics by Pratik Chakrabarti (review)

Reviewed by: Bacteriology in British India: Laboratory Medicine and the Tropics by Pratik Chakrabarti Christoph Gradmann Pratik Chakrabarti. Bacteriology in British India: Laboratory Medicine and the Tropics. Rochester, N.Y.: University of Rochester Press, 2012. x + 304 pp. Ill. $90.00 (9781-58046-408-6). Medical bacteriology has long been regarded as the most practical among those basic medical sciences that contributed to the laboratory revolution in medicine. Where physiologists’ authority rested on laboratories, bacteriologists impressed with being able to make laboratory science work outside of such places—be it as microbiological diagnosis, inspecting sewage, or fighting tropical diseases. In particular the analysis of campaigns for the control of tropical infections has resulted in a historiography that dwells on the image of bacteriology as a technological resource of colonialism. More recently, tropical medicine has been approached in a different dimension, as facilitating colonial laboratories, places which through [End Page 693] their social, cultural, and biological specificity furthered the development of science in the colonizing countries. Pratik Chakrabarti takes yet another step and inquires less into the implementation of bacteriology in India but into its apprehension by Indians. Existing notions of tropicality got transformed through the application of bacteriology by local scientist into a “a mode of knowledge that combined causation and cure within a single paradigm to provide a new moral force in resolving the myriad of realities of what were known as colonial pathologies” (p. 23). This approach echoes Bruno Latour’s The Pasteurization of France, yet in an openly critical way. The lack of complexity that Latour’s account of European microbiology has been criticized for has, as Chakrabarti maintains, even graver consequences in a colonial setting. Still, Chakrabarti buys into the same basic framework of studying science and society as being connected in a moral regime. The book is so to say Pasteurian in yet another way. It centers on activities of the Indian branches of the Pasteur Institute’s international network. These are followed from the late nineteenth into the mid-twentieth century. This is done in a series of investigations into different activities rather than by employing chronology. The first chapter explores the moral charging of bacteriology as a civilizing force in a colonial setting. It turned out to be more distinct as in Great Britain that is used as a case for comparison. The second chapter takes another step and investigates how a French science became embedded into India. It did so by reinterpreting tropicality. The tropics became somewhat less tropical while bacteriology was charged with the notion of a civilizing force that India needed. The third chapter is devoted to the adaption of a method, animal experimentation. Being a morally contested practice in Europe, it turned out to be less so in a colonial context. Methods traveled, their critics did not. Instead the segregated character of colonial society “sanitized” moral criticism. While some animals became the object of widespread devotion, the use of others in the pursuit of building colonial institutions went unchecked. The following chapter on snake venoms and antitoxins takes up the example of a prominent health issue well suited to market the Pasteurians’ toolbox and antiserum in particular. The fifth chapter explores how India became the stage for a complicated alignment of British and French traditions in vaccinology. The French tradition—favoring live vaccines based on attenuated strains—collided with the British tradition, which relied on anti-infective qualities of blood and killed vaccines. This was further complicated by ideas of stronger immunizing powers of European blood as compared to that of Indians and of tropical nature elevating the dangerousness of germs. The last chapter takes up two interconnected issues: the conception of India as the home of cholera and the strange unpopularity of the very scientific methodology that had defined it as a bacterial infection. It was the Bay of Bengal as the assumed home of cholera that had made India an object of curiosity for European hygiene. Still, Robert Koch’s medical bacteriology, and more specifically the abstract description of diseases that it entailed, turned out to be difficult to align with Indian science and society. It favored a framing of diseases through local conditions rather than through...

Color Atlas of Medical Bacteriology, 2ndedition

Written by Luis M. de la Maza, MD, PhD, Marie T. Pezzlo, MA, MT(ASCP)SMCM, Janet T. Shigei, MS, MT(ASCP), CLS, Grace L. Tan, MT(ASCP), Ellena M. Peterson, PhD, MT(ASCP) 353 pages. Washington, DC, ASM Press, 2013. $169.95. ISBN-13: 978-1555814755 I found the Color Atlas of Medical Bacteriology, 2nd edition , to be a rich compilation of information, photographs, and illustrations that can aid clinical microbiologists on the bench. The authors’ extensive work on this text is evident; they have done a remarkable job of compiling high-quality color photos. After a brief preface, which discusses the traditional history of medical bacteriology, the authors acknowledge that bacteriology is more of a dynamic art than a science. This second edition provides updated photo illustrations of Gram stains, colony morphologies and biochemical tests and reactions frequently encountered in clinical microbiology laboratories. The authors have expanded the text by adding 2 additional chapters related to antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility testing, as well as novel molecular technologies and their incorporation into the routine clinical microbiology workflow. The text is divided into 40 chapters; each begins with a …