Tag: Gram negative bacteremia

MDRO, DTR, WTF? Defining drug-resistance in Gram Negative Organisms

Gram negatives are a nightmare. Or at least, they are becoming a nightmare with all new patterns of resistance, beta-lactamases and carbapenamases, and plasmid-encoded resistances bringing forth the new generation of beta-lactam and beta-lactamase combinations that I find difficult to keep up with. The definitions of multi-drug resistant organisms tend to be more geared towards

Continue reading

What To Do With Stenotrophomonas?

If you get nothing from this, just remember: TMP-SMX, fluroquinolones, minocycline. These tend to be good antibiotic options for this bug. Also, make sure if you isolate this from a trach or a endotracheal tube that there are signs of infection before you proceed with treatment as this can colonize plastic! Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a

Continue reading

What Do You Need To Know About Blood Culture

Blood cultures are the gold standard for evaluating patients with suspected bacteremia. They are an indispensable tool in evaluating diseases such as infective endocarditis, septic shock, meningitis, and pneumonia. By far, it is relatively simple to interpret the results (its either positive or negative) though whether it represents a clinically relevant entity or contamination is

Continue reading