Society For Microbiology Research Articles

Evolution of the Resistance Profile of Klebsiella Species to Antibiotics Over Ten Years at the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital, Cameroon

Aims: This study aimed to study the resistance profile of Klebsiella species to antibiotics, highlighting their resistance phenotypes at the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital (YUTH). Study Design: We carried out a retrospective and prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Bacteriology unit, Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital, from January 2010 to December 2020. Methodology: Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusions method on Muller Hinton agar according to the AST committee of the French Society of Microbiology (CASFM, 2020). The data was digitized and analyzed using descriptive statistics to understand the antibiotic resistance patterns of Klebsiella species. Results: During this study, we identified 589 strains of Klebsiella species. Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumoniae was the most frequent sub-specie identified (64.69%). Blood and urine specimens were the samples that were frequently encountered. Children under 10 and adults over 60 were the most infected groups of patients. The majority of the samples analysed came respectively from the Intensive Care Units (21.22%), Paediatrics (14.60%), and Medicine (12.56%). The Klebsiella species isolated showed a high resistance rate to beta-lactams (72%), phenolics (62.30%), and quinolones (60.41%). Over the years, we have observed a gradual decline in the resistance rate to aminoglycosides, going from 87.80% in 2010 to 11.11% in 2020 with amikacin, which remains the most active. Resistance to colistin, which is one of the last therapeutic resort antibiotics, showed very alarming resistance rates of 63.63% with low rates in 2016 (0%) and 25% in 2018. Klebsiella species retained good sensitivity to the piperacillin-tazobactam, as well as to imipenem and nitrofurantoin with low resistance rates for these last two antibiotics (8.33% and 15% respectively). Conclusion: Based on our findings, which indicate a significant level of resistance among Klebsiella species to commonly prescribe antibiotics, it is crucial for both the health authorities in Cameroon and specifically at the YUTH to take prompt actions.

Development of learning objectives to support undergraduate virology curriculum guidelines.

It has become increasingly important for microbiology educators to help students learn critical concepts of the discipline. This is particularly true in virology, where current challenges include increasing rates of vaccine hesitancy, misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, and controversy surrounding research on pathogens with pandemic potential. Having students learn virology can attract more people to the field and increase the number of people who can engage in meaningful discourse about issues relating to the discipline. However, the limited number of virologists who teach undergraduates, combined with the fact that many institutions lack stand-alone virology courses, results in virology often being taught as a limited number of lectures within an undergraduate microbiology course (if it is covered at all), which may or may not be taught by an individual trained as a virologist. To provide a framework to teach virology to undergraduate students, a team of virology educators, with support from the American Society for Virology (ASV), developed curriculum guidelines for use in a stand-alone undergraduate virology course or a virology section within another course (D. B. Kushner et al., J Virol 96:e01305-22, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01305-22). These guidelines are available at the ASV website (https://asv.org/curriculum-guidelines/). To assist educators in implementing these guidelines, we created examples of measurable learning objectives. This perspective provides details about the virology curriculum guidelines and learning objectives and accompanies the perspective by Boury et al. in this issue of the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (25:e00126-24, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00126-24) about the recent revision of the microbiology curriculum guidelines overseen by the American Society for Microbiology.

Updated ASM Curriculum Guidelines describe core microbiology content to modernize the framework for microbiology education.

Curricular guidelines promote standardized approaches to coverage of essential knowledge and skills in undergraduate education. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Microbiology were developed in 2012. Continuous, rapid growth of knowledge in science and a dynamic, changing world necessitate updates to these guidelines. As such, ASM formed a task force in the summer of 2022. The task force assessed the 2012 ASM Curriculum Guidelines considering advancements in technology, an understanding of an expanded role of microbes, and a broader scope addressing relevant social and environmental aspects of microbiology. Language in the updated guidelines was also modified to better include eukaryotic microbes, viruses, and other acellular microbes. The task force formed working groups, each aimed at revising specific sections of the 2012 ASM Curriculum Guidelines. The revisions to the ASM Curriculum Guidelines were reviewed by subject matter experts and education stakeholders. Feedback from this peer review was incorporated into the updated guidelines, and further comments were solicited from the ASM Conference of Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE) attendees in November 2023 before these guidelines were finalized. In this article, we describe the rationale and development of updated ASM Curriculum Guidelines which identify foundational concepts that will serve to improve microbial literacy and that can be expanded upon to address more advanced and specialized topics.

Perspectives on the future of ecology, evolution, and biodiversity from the Council on Microbial Sciences of the American Society for Microbiology.

The field of microbial ecology, evolution, and biodiversity (EEB) is at the leading edge of understanding how microbes shape our biosphere and influence the well-being of humankind and Earth. To that end, EEB is developing new transdisciplinary tools to analyze these ecologically critical, complex microbial communities. The American Society for Microbiology's Council on Microbial Sciences hosted a virtual retreat in 2023 to discuss the trajectory of EEB both within the Society and microbiology writ large. The retreat emphasized the interconnectedness of microbes and their outsized global influence on environmental and host health. The maximal potential impact of EEB will not be achieved without contributions from disparate fields that unite diverse technologies and data sets. In turn, this level of transdisciplinary efforts requires actively encouraging "broad" research, spanning inclusive global collaborations that incorporate both scientists and the public. Together, the American Society for Microbiology and EEB are poised to lead a paradigm shift that will result in a new era of collaboration, innovation, and societal relevance for microbiology.

Hepatitis C virus detection in hospital emergency departments.

The prevalence of active hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is higher in hospital emergency departments (EDs) than in the general population. Numerous patients who seek emergency care are unaware that they have detectable viremia, yet they fall outside established ED protocols for HCV screening. Often they belong to groups with difficult access to health care who use the ED as their point of entry to the system. The aim of this consensus paper was to develop an approach to guide ED detection of HCV infection in all Spanish hospitals. Experts from the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES), the Spanish Association for Study of the Liver (AEEH), and the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) met to establish criteria to guide health care professionals' decisions. The experts' review of the literature and discussion in consensus-building meetings resulted in evidence-based recommendations that consider the following aspects: 1) the population to target for HCV screening in the ED, 2) how to inform patients of the process, 3) how to carry out HCV screening, 4) how to order an HCV test, and 5) additional issues such as bundling HCV with other viral tests for comprehensive diagnosis, recording results in medical records, and implementing ways to retain and follow all patients with positive results. This consensus report provides guidelines and tools to facilitate emergency physicians' work and ensure effective detection of HCV infections and subsequent incorporation of patients into the health care system.

Delafloxacin, an alternative treatment for levofloxacin-resistant staphylococci in osteoarticular infections: To use or not to use?

Susceptibility of delafloxacin on 199 osteoarticular levofloxacin-resistant staphylococci strains was reported in 49% and 1% using SSTI S. aureus breakpoint (0.25 mg/L) and general S. aureus breakpoint (0.016 mg/L) respectively. Fifty percents levofloxacin-resistant staphylococci showed resistance to delafloxacin using CA-SFM/EUCAST recommendations. Microbiological societies should define new breakpoints especially for CoNS.

Microbial culture collections: Stanley Morris Martin, the first international conference (Ottawa 1962), and beyond.

Culture collections originated in the 19th century, but it was not until 1962 that the first international conference was held at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. Microbes-like epidemics-know no borders. Collectors were concerned with public health as well as science. For the 1962 meeting, 266 scientists came from 25 countries. They recommended a special section for collections within the International Association of Microbiological Societies. By 1970, it became the World Federation of Culture Collections, which still coordinates collections worldwide. Canadian microbiologist Stanley Morris Martin (1920-2007) who had handled local arrangements for the Ottawa meeting became the inaugural president, serving from 1970 to 1976. Originally an expert on enzymes, Martin embraced his role within the international network and championed peaceful uses of microbes and the establishment of collections in developing countries. But after his retirement, he seemed to disappear. Drawing upon scientific contributions, newspapers, and interviews, this article explores the conference, its programme, challenges, and legacy. It also tracks the long-forgotten career of Stanley Martin.

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in Tertiary Care Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal

Introduction: Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is the most common nosocomial infection among intensive care unit (ICU) patients and lack of much information in Nepal. So, the aim of this study was to determine prevalence and bacteriological profile of VAP with special reference to multi-drug resistant (MDR), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA), Metallo-β-Lactamase(MBL), Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase(ESBL)-producing bacterial strains. Methods: A total 150 tracheal specimens were studied during June 2011 to May 2012 at Department of Microbiology, TUTH as described by American Society for Microbiology (ASM). Combination disk method was done for the detection of ESBL and MBL producing isolates. Results: Prevalence of VAP was found to be 34%. Acinetobactereal coaccticusbaumannii complex (44%) was the commonest isolate, followed by Klebsiellapneumoniae (22%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12%). Among MDR Gram negative bacteria (GNB), 39% were MBL and 33% were ESBL-producers. All GNB (61) were sensitive to Polymyxin B and Colistinsulphate, whereas, 48% were found resistant to Carbapenems. Prevalence of MRSA was 75%, which were all sensitive to Vancomycin. Conclusion: High prevalence of VAP, MDR along with MRSA or ESBL or MBL producing strains was found in the study. Thus, suitable control measures must be adopted to cope up this alarming situation with genetic characterization.

European society of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases guidelines for antimicrobial stewardship in emergency departments (endorsed by European association of hospital pharmacists)

ScopeThis European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases guideline provides evidence-based recommendations to support a selection of appropriate antibiotic use practices for patients seen in the emergency department (ED) and guidance for their implementation. The topics addressed in this guideline are (a) Do biomarkers or rapid pathogen tests improve antibiotic prescribing and/or clinical outcomes? (b) Does taking blood cultures in common infectious syndromes improve antibiotic prescribing and/or clinical outcomes? (c) Does watchful waiting without antibacterial therapy or with delayed antibiotic prescribing reduce antibiotic prescribing without worsening clinical outcomes in patients with specific infectious syndromes? (d) Do structured culture follow-up programs in patients discharged from the ED with cultures pending improve antibiotic prescribing? MethodsAn expert panel was convened by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and the guideline chair. The panel selected in consensus the four most relevant antimicrobial stewardship topics according to pre-defined relevance criteria. For each main question for the four topics, a systematic review was performed, including randomized controlled trials and observational studies. Both clinical outcomes and stewardship process outcomes related to antibiotic use were deemed relevant. The literature searches were conducted between May 2021 and March 2022. In April 2022, the panel members were formally asked to suggest additional studies that were not identified in the initial searches. Data were summarized in a meta-analysis if possible or otherwise summarized narratively. The certainty of the evidence was classified according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria. The guideline panel reviewed the evidence per topic critically appraising the evidence and formulated recommendations through a consensus-based process. The strength of the recommendations was classified as strong or weak. To substantiate the implementation process, implementation trials or observational studies describing facilitators/barriers for implementation were identified from the same searches and were summarized narratively. RecommendationsThe recommendations on the use of biomarkers and rapid pathogen diagnostic tests focus on the initiation of antibiotics in patients admitted through the ED. Their effect on the discontinuation or de-escalation of antibiotics during hospital stay was not reported, neither was their effect on hospital infection prevention and control practices. The recommendations on watchful waiting (i.e. withholding antibiotics with some form of follow-up) focus on specific infectious syndromes for which the primary care literature was also included. The recommendations on blood cultures focus on the indication in three common infectious syndromes in the ED explicitly excluding patients with sepsis or septic shock. Most recommendations are based on very low and low certainty of evidence, leading to weak recommendations or, when no evidence was available, to best practice statements. Implementation of these recommendations needs to be adapted to the specific settings and circumstances of the ED. The scarcity of high-quality studies in the area of antimicrobial stewardship in the ED highlights the need for future research in this field.

Back to Basics: Blood Culture Contamination Reduction Across a Multicenter Academic Health System

Background: Blood culture contamination is common in healthcare and contributes to diagnostic uncertainty, unnecessary treatments and follow-up testing, increased length of stay, higher rates of reportable healthcare-associated infections and events, over utilization of resources and staff including consultative care, and undue emotional stress to patients. The national benchmark for institutional blood culture contamination rates as recommended by The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) is < 3 %. Our institution’s overall rate was 8.9% with the highest burden being from our Emergency Department (ED) locations. We formed a multidisciplinary team aimed to reduce these rates through efforts centered around education and simplification of the collection process. Method: Working closely with and gathering feedback from nursing staff, nurse educators, and supply chain, we developed a blood culture collection kit that included all items necessary for blood culture collection thus eliminating the need for nurses to gather these items individually prior to collection. Additionally, simple step-by-step educational materials (Fig. 1) detailing the collection technique were provided. Education was presented at nursing huddles and skills fairs prior to kit roll-out. Blood culture kits were then stocked in place of individual blood culture collection bottles in all ED stock rooms in August 2022. Result: The 12-week pre-intervention period found 249 contamination events from 4265 total collections deriving a contamination rate of 5.8% across our health system’s four ED locations. During a 12-week post-intervention period following kit roll-out, 116 contamination events occurred from 3629 total collections deriving a contamination rate of 3.2% across our four ED locations. Given our results, we ultimately rolled this out to all units in all locations of our health system. When including all time from kit rollout to present (August 2022 to November 2023, 16 months), there were 1077 contamination events from 43379 total collections deriving an overall contamination rate of 2.5%. When compared to the 16 months prior to the kit rollout (April 2021 to July 2022) there were 1803 contamination events in 49335 total collections (3.7% contamination rate) deriving an overall percent reduction of 32.1%. Conclusion: We were able to decrease our health system’s blood culture contamination rate through simple interventions aimed at reducing the mental burden on nursing staff by developing a blood culture collection kit and educational materials. Since implementation of the kits, we have continued to maintain lower contamination rates as evident by our 16 month follow up period.

Creation of a Multi-Year Pediatric Candidemia Antibiogram in Georgia Identifies Changing Epidemiology and Resistance Trends

Background: Invasive candidiasis, including candidemia, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in medically complex and immunocompromised children. Understanding the epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida infections could help guide empiric antifungal therapy. Methods: This fungal antibiogram was created at a large quaternary children’s health system in Georgia. Blood isolates positive for Candida spp. from 2019 through 2023 were included. The number and percentage of isolates for each Candida spp was recorded by year and then as the combined 5-year total. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) antifungal interpretative criteria were used, and we only included one unique Candida spp isolate per patient. Due to the limited number of isolates, the combined 5 years of isolates were used to create the fungal antibiogram. Data are shown as percent susceptible using CLSI interpretative criteria and number of isolates. Results: Between 2019 and 2023 there were 124 unique blood isolates of Candida spp identified. The most common isolates were C. albicans (33%), C. parapsilosis (27%), C. glabrata (14%) and C. tropicalis (11%). Over the 5 years of the study, the percentage of C. albicans isolates decreased from 47% to 21%. The change in epidemiology was not driven by a single Candida species but varied from year to year. For C. albicans, susceptibility was 100% for fluconazole and micafungin. For C. parapsilosis, susceptibility to fluconazole and micafungin was 97% and 94%, respectively. Fluconazole susceptibility was lowest for C. glabrata (88%) and C. krusei (0%). Using CLSI epidemiological cutoff values (ECV) to evaluate the amphotericin B results, none of the isolates had results greater than the CLSI ECVs. Comparing 2019 and 2023, the percentage of Candida blood isolates resistant to fluconazole increased from 5% to 18.5%. Conclusion: C. albicans was the most frequently identified cause of candidemia in children, but there was a gradual increase in fungemia caused by other Candida spp. over the past 5 years including Candida with fluconazole resistance. Overall, our findings demonstrate high susceptibility rates to fluconazole and echinocandins in Candida spp. blood isolates. Further research is needed to identify risk factors for antifungal resistant candidemia in pediatric patients.Disclosure: Mark Gonzalez: Honoria for a one time consulation with NaviDx consulting in May of 2022. Honoria from the American Society for Microbiology for writing of a chapter in the Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook.

Progress and Prospects of Microplastic Biodegradation Processes and Mechanisms: A Bibliometric Analysis.

In order to visualize the content and development patterns of microplastic biodegradation research, the American Chemical Society (ACS), Elsevier, Springer Link, and American Society for Microbiology (ASM) were searched for the years 2012-2022 using Citespace and VOSvivewer for bibliometrics and visual analysis. The biodegradation processes and mechanisms of microplastics were reviewed on this basis. The results showed a sharp increase in the number of publications between 2012 and 2022, peaking in 2020-2021, with 62 more publications than the previous decade. The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Northwest A&F University (NWAFU), and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) are the top three research institutions in this field. Researchers are mainly located in China, The United States of America (USA), and India. Furthermore, the research in this field is primarily concerned with the screening of functional microorganisms, the determination of functional enzymes, and the analysis of microplastic biodegradation processes and mechanisms. These studies have revealed that the existing functional microorganisms for microplastic biodegradation are bacteria, predominantly Proteobacteria and Firmicutes; fungi, mainly Ascomycota; and some intestinal microorganisms. The main enzymes secreted in the process are hydrolase, oxidative, and depolymerization enzymes. Microorganisms degrade microplastics through the processes of colonization, biofilm retention, and bioenzymatic degradation. These studies have elucidated the current status of and problems in the microbial degradation of microplastics, and provide a direction for further research on the degradation process and molecular mechanism of functional microorganisms.

Perspectives on the future of host-microbe biology from the Council on Microbial Sciences of the American Society for Microbiology.

Host-microbe biology (HMB) stands on the cusp of redefinition, challenging conventional paradigms to instead embrace a more holistic understanding of the microbial sciences. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Council on Microbial Sciences hosted a virtual retreat in 2023 to identify the future of the HMB field and innovations needed to advance the microbial sciences. The retreat presentations and discussions collectively emphasized the interconnectedness of microbes and their profound influence on humans, animals, and environmental health, as well as the need to broaden perspectives to fully embrace the complexity of these interactions. To advance HMB research, microbial scientists would benefit from enhancing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to utilize expertise in diverse fields, integrate different disciplines, and promote equity and accessibility within HMB. Data integration will be pivotal in shaping the future of HMB research by bringing together varied scientific perspectives, new and innovative techniques, and 'omics approaches. ASM can empower under-resourced groups with the goal of ensuring that the benefits of cutting-edge research reach every corner of the scientific community. Thus, ASM will be poised to steer HMB toward a future that champions inclusivity, innovation, and accessible scientific progress.

Defining the value of medical microbiology consultation.

Medical microbiologists are invaluable to the clinical microbiology laboratory and the healthcare system as a whole. However, as medical microbiologists do not regularly generate relative value units, capturing and quantifying the value provided is challenging. As hospital budgets tighten, justification of staffing becomes a necessity. To aid in providing tangible data, the Personnel Standards and Workforce subcommittee of the American Society for Microbiology conducted a multi-center study across seven medical centers to document clinical consultations and their impact. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide detailed evaluation of the consultative value provided by medical microbiologists.

'Queer in Microbiology': a Microbiology Society members' endeavour for creating a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ microbiologists.

The past decade has seen growing awareness of the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ scientists, including discrimination in the workplace and the lack of representation. Initiatives such as 500 Queer Scientists, Pride in STEM and the Microbiology Society's LGBTQIA+ events have been instrumental in promoting inclusivity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM). The Microbiology Society and its members have played a pivotal role in these efforts and summarized here are their initiatives towards safer and more inclusive scientific and research environments. Starting with a series of interviews and blog posts about the experiences of LGBTQIA+ microbiologists in research, the Society has promoted the organization of networking and social events and developed guidelines for creating more inclusive scientific conferences. These initiatives have not only improved the representation and visibility of LGBTQIA+ individuals in microbiology, but have also served as a blueprint for similar efforts in other scientific areas. Nevertheless, despite improvements in some areas, full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ scientists is still hindered by societal and institutional policies around the world. Here, we propose novel measures to support and empower LGBTQIA+ microbiological communities within learned societies.

A scientist and a world-class personality: Nikolai Petrovich Elinov (1928–2017)

The essay is dedicated to Nikolai Petrovich Elinov, an eminent scientist with a global reputation, who has made a substantial contribution to the development of medical microbiology, mycology, and biotechnology in the Russian Federation. N. P. Elinov is a professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Honored Scientist of the RSFSR, and rector of the Leningrad Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute. He is an active member of the St. Petersburg Engineering Academy and the New York Academy of Sciences, author of 10 textbooks, 8 handbooks, 10 monographs, over 400 articles in domestic and foreign journals, and holds 70 patents for inventions. Professor N. P. Elinov is widely recognized in the scientific community for his work in areas such as biology of aposporous yeast, chemistry and biotechnology of microbial polysaccharides, and others. He has established a school of students and followers, including 50 candidates and 9 Doctors of Science. Under his guidance, the microbiology department laid the foundations for engineering and microbiological training of specialists. As the rector of LCFI, Nikolai Petrovich contributed to the organization of the country’s only faculty for training biotechnology engineers, leading the university to top positions in preparing specialists for the pharmaceutical industry. In 1968, Nikolai Petrovich became a member of the International Commission on Yeast Organisms of the International Union of Microbiological Societies. His name was included in the book “2000 Outstanding Scientists of the Late 20th Century” (1998) by the Cambridge International Biographical Center (UK), where he was recognized as a specialist in microbiology and biotechnology. This essay, based on archival materials, publications, articles, and colleagues’ memories, reveals the key milestones in the life and scientific achievements of Nikolai Petrovich Elinov.

Exploration of the integration of microbiology and immunology emerging topics into undergraduate medical education

ABSTRACT Purpose Medical school educators face challenges determining which new and emerging topics to incorporate into medical school curricula, and how to do so. A study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the integration of emerging topics related to microbiology and immunology in the undergraduate medical curriculum (UME). Methods An anonymous survey with 17 questions was emailed to medical school faculty who teach immunology and/or microbiology through the DR-Ed listserv, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Connect listserv, and attendees of the Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs (AMSMIC) Educational Strategies Workshop. Participants were asked about experiences, perceptions, and the decision-making process regarding integrating emerging topics into UME. Results The top emerging topics that were added to the curriculum or considered for addition in the last 10 years included COVID-19, Zika virus, mRNA vaccines, and Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). Most respondents reported lectures and active learning as the major methods for topic delivery, with most faculty indicating that formative assessment was the best way to assess emerging topics. Content experts and course directors were the most cited individuals making these decisions. Top reasons for incorporating emerging topics into curricula included preparing students for clinical treatment of cases, followed by demonstrating the importance of basic science, and opportunities to integrate basic science into other disciplines. Challenges for incorporating these topics included making room in an already crowded curriculum, followed by content overload for students. Conclusions This study describes the rationale for integrating emerging topics related to microbiology and immunology into UME, and identifies the current new and emerging topics, as well as the main methods of integration and assessment. These results may be used by medical educators to inform curricular decisions at their institutions. Future studies will include developing innovative learning modules that overcome barriers to integration.

Analysis of justification for author order and gender bias in author order among those contributing equally.

First-author publications are important for early career scientists to secure funding and educational opportunities. However, an analysis published in eLife in 2019 noted that female authors are more likely to be placed second even when both authors report they have contributed equally. American Society for Microbiology announced in response that they would require submissions to include a written justification of author order. In this paper, we analyze the resultant data and show that laboratories are most likely to use some combination of alphabetical order, seniority, and chance to determine author order. However, the prevalence of these methods varies based on the research team's geographic location. These findings highlight the importance of equal contributor statements to provide clarity for readers, funding agencies, and tenure committees. Furthermore, this work is critically important for understanding how these decisions are made and provides a glimpse of the sociology of science.

Prophylactic Antibiotics before Gynecologic Surgery: A Comprehensive Review of Guidelines.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) refer to infections in the incision, organ, or postoperative space. As common healthcare-associated infections, SSIs correlate with prolonged hospital stay, additional procedures, ICU stay, and higher mortality rates. Around 8-10% of gynecologic surgery patients may experience infectious complications, influenced by microbial contamination, surgical nature, and patient factors. The goal of this narrative review is to compare and merge recommendations from globally published guidelines concerning the utilization of antibiotics in the perioperative phase. A comparative descriptive/narrative review of the guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RANZCOG), European Society of Gynecologic Oncology (ESGO), Société Française d' Anésthesie et de Réanimation (SFAR), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), and Hellenic Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (HSOG) was conducted. For hysterectomy, first/second-generation cephalosporins are suggested, with metronidazole as an option. Laparoscopy without entering the bowel or vagina typically does not require prophylaxis. Uterine evacuation and hysteroscopy may involve doxycycline or azithromycin based on risk factors, whereas, for vulvectomy, cefazolin is recommended. Urogynecology procedures may include cefazolin with metronidazole. In cases of penicillin allergy, cephalosporins are suggested, and, for obese patients, adjusted doses are advised. Additional doses may be needed for prolonged procedures or excessive blood loss. Timing recommendations are 15-60 min before incision, adjusting for specific antibiotics. Clear indications exist for certain surgeries like hysterectomy, termination of pregnancy, and urogynecologic procedures. Conversely, procedures such as intrauterine device insertion, hysteroscopy, and laparoscopy typically do not necessitate antibiotic prophylaxis. For several other procedures, the evidence is inconclusive, while considering dose, timing, and indications can mitigate infectious complications and provide benefits for the healthcare system.

Pediatric Community-Acquired Brain Abscesses: A Single-center Retrospective Study.

The European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases recommends 3rd generation cephalosporins and metronidazole for empirical treatment of community-acquired brain abscesses. In 53 retrospectively analyzed pediatric patients with community-acquired brain abscesses at a German University Hospital Staphylococcus aureus was identified as a relevant pathogen (21%). Therefore, it may be reasonable to cover S. aureus when selecting empirical therapy.