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Fulltext Contact dermatitis presenting as non-healing wound: case report

Leelavathi M, Le Y, Tohid H, Hasliza A

Asia Pac Fam Med, 2011 May 15;10(1):6.
PMID: 21575147 DOI: 10.1186/1447-056X-10-6

Topical antiseptics are commonly used in the management of minor wounds, burns, and infected skin. These agents are widely used by health professionals and are often self-prescribed by patients as they are easily available over-the-counter. This case illustrates a 73 year old man who presented with a non-healing wound on his right forearm for 4 weeks. The wound started from an insect bite and progressively enlarged with increasing pruritus and burning sensation. Clinically an ill-defined ulcer with surrounding erythema and erosion was noted. There was a yellow crust overlying the center of the ulcer and the periphery was scaly. Further inquiry revealed history of self treatment with a yellow solution to clean his wound for 3 weeks. Patient was provisionally diagnosed to have allergic contact dermatitis secondary to acriflavine. Topical acriflavine was stopped and the ulcer resolved after treatment with non-occlusive saline dressing. Skin patch test which is the gold standard for detection and confirmation of contact dermatitis showed a positive reaction (2+) to acriflavine. Acriflavine is widely used as a topical antiseptic agent in this part of the world. Hence, primary care physicians managing a large variety of poorly healing wounds should consider the possibility of contact allergy in recalcitrant cases, not responding to conventional treatment. Patient education is an important aspect of management as this would help curb the incidence of future contact allergies.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents, Local
Fulltext Biofilm in endodontics: A review

Jhajharia K, Parolia A, Shetty KV, Mehta LK

J Int Soc Prev Community Dent, 2015 Jan-Feb;5(1):1-12.
PMID: 25767760 DOI: 10.4103/2231-0762.151956

Endodontic disease is a biofilm-mediated infection, and primary aim in the management of endodontic disease is the elimination of bacterial biofilm from the root canal system. The most common endodontic infection is caused by the surface-associated growth of microorganisms. It is important to apply the biofilm concept to endodontic microbiology to understand the pathogenic potential of the root canal microbiota as well as to form the basis for new approaches for disinfection. It is foremost to understand how the biofilm formed by root canal bacteria resists endodontic treatment measures. Bacterial etiology has been confirmed for common oral diseases such as caries and periodontal and endodontic infections. Bacteria causing these diseases are organized in biofilm structures, which are complex microbial communities composed of a great variety of bacteria with different ecological requirements and pathogenic potential. The biofilm community not only gives bacteria effective protection against the host's defense system but also makes them more resistant to a variety of disinfecting agents used as oral hygiene products or in the treatment of infections. Successful treatment of these diseases depends on biofilm removal as well as effective killing of biofilm bacteria. So, the fundamental to maintain oral health and prevent dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis is to control the oral biofilms. From these aspects, the formation of biofilms carries particular clinical significance because not only host defense mechanisms but also therapeutic efforts including chemical and mechanical antimicrobial treatment measures have the most difficult task of dealing with organisms that are gathered in a biofilm. The aim of this article was to review the mechanisms of biofilms' formation, their roles in pulpal and periapical pathosis, the different types of biofilms, the factors influencing biofilm formation, the mechanisms of their antimicrobial resistance, techniques to identify biofilms.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents
Fulltext Review of the medicinal effects of tualang honey and a comparison with manuka honey

Ahmed S, Othman NH

Malays J Med Sci, 2013 May;20(3):6-13.
PMID: 23966819 MyJurnal

Tualang honey (TH) is a Malaysian multifloral jungle honey. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the number of studies published in medical databases regarding its potential health benefits. The honey is produced by the rock bee (Apis dorsata), which builds hives on branches of tall Tualang trees located mainly in the north-western region of Peninsular Malaysia. This review collates the results of the various studies of TH that range from research on tissue culture to randomised control clinical trials. Findings thus far show that, TH has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimutagenic, antitumor, and antidiabetic properties, in addition to wound-healing attributes. Some of its properties are similar to the well-researched Manuka honey (New Zealand and/or Australian monofloral honey). Distinct differences include higher phenolics, flavonoids, and 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural (HMF). Compared with Manuka honey, TH is also more effective against some gram-negative bacterial strains in burn wounds.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents
Fulltext Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Bioactivities of Cananga odorata (Ylang-Ylang)

Tan LT, Lee LH, Yin WF, Chan CK, Abdul Kadir H, Chan KG, et al.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2015;2015:896314.
PMID: 26294929 DOI: 10.1155/2015/896314

Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata Hook. F. & Thomson) is one of the plants that are exploited at a large scale for its essential oil which is an important raw material for the fragrance industry. The essential oils extracted via steam distillation from the plant have been used mainly in cosmetic industry but also in food industry. Traditionally, C. odorata is used to treat malaria, stomach ailments, asthma, gout, and rheumatism. The essential oils or ylang-ylang oil is used in aromatherapy and is believed to be effective in treating depression, high blood pressure, and anxiety. Many phytochemical studies have identified the constituents present in the essential oils of C. odorata. A wide range of chemical compounds including monoterpene, sesquiterpenes, and phenylpropanoids have been isolated from this plant. Recent studies have shown a wide variety of bioactivities exhibited by the essential oils and the extracts of C. odorata including antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anti-inflammatory, antivector, insect-repellent, antidiabetic, antifertility and antimelanogenesis activities. Thus, the present review summarizes the information concerning the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities of C. odorata. This review is aimed at demonstrating that C. odorata not only is an important raw material for perfume industry but also considered as a prospective useful plant to agriculture and medicine.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents
Status of the effectiveness of contact lens disinfectants in Malaysia against keratitis-causing pathogens

Abjani F, Khan NA, Jung SY, Siddiqui R

Exp Parasitol, 2017 Dec;183:187-193.
PMID: 28919333 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2017.09.007

The aim of this study was (i) to assess the antimicrobial effects of contact lens disinfecting solutions marketed in Malaysia against common bacterial eye pathogens and as well as eye parasite, Acanthamoeba castellanii, and (ii) to determine whether targeting cyst wall would improve the efficacy of contact lens disinfectants. Using ISO 14729 Stand-Alone Test for disinfecting solutions, bactericidal and amoebicidal assays of six different contact lens solutions including Oxysept®, AO SEPT PLUS, OPTI-FREE® pure moist®, Renu® fresh™, FreshKon® CLEAR and COMPLETE RevitaLens™ were performed using Manufacturers Minimum recommended disinfection time (MRDT). The efficacy of contact lens solutions was determined against keratitis-causing microbes, namely: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Acanthamoeba castellanii. In addition, using chlorhexidine as an antiamoebic compound and cellulase enzyme to disrupt cyst wall structure, we determined whether combination of both agents can enhance efficacy of marketed contact lens disinfectants against A. castellanii trophozoites and cysts, in vitro. The results revealed that all contact lens disinfectants tested showed potent bactericidal effects exhibiting 100% kill against all bacterial species tested. In contrast, none of the contact lens disinfectants had potent effects against Acanthamoeba cysts viability. When tested against trophozoites, two disinfectants, Oxysept Multipurpose and AO-sept Multipurpose showed partial amoebicidal effects. Using chlorhexidine as an antiamoebic compound and cellulase enzyme to disrupt cyst wall structure, the findings revealed that combination of both agents in contact lens disinfectants abolished viability of A. castellanii cysts and trophozoites. Given the inefficacy of contact lens disinfectants tested in this study, these findings present a significant concern to public health. These findings revealed that targeting cyst wall by using cyst wall degrading molecules in contact lens disinfecting solutions will enhance their efficacy against this devastating eye infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents, Local/pharmacology*
Fulltext Antimicrobial quaternary ammonium organosilane cross-linked nanofibrous collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering

Dhand C, Balakrishnan Y, Ong ST, Dwivedi N, Venugopal JR, Harini S, et al.

Int J Nanomedicine, 2018;13:4473-4492.
PMID: 30122921 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S159770

Introduction: In search for cross-linkers with multifunctional characteristics, the present work investigated the utility of quaternary ammonium organosilane (QOS) as a potential cross-linker for electrospun collagen nanofibers. We hypothesized that the quaternary ammonium ions improve the electrospinnability by reducing the surface tension and confer antimicrobial properties, while the formation of siloxane after alkaline hydrolysis could cross-link collagen and stimulate cell proliferation.
Materials and methods: QOS collagen nanofibers were electrospun by incorporating various concentrations of QOS (0.1%-10% w/w) and were cross-linked in situ after exposure to ammonium carbonate. The QOS cross-linked scaffolds were characterized and their biological properties were evaluated in terms of their biocompatibility, cellular adhesion and metabolic activity for primary human dermal fibroblasts and human fetal osteoblasts.
Results and discussion: The study revealed that 1) QOS cross-linking increased the flexibility of otherwise rigid collagen nanofibers and improved the thermal stability; 2) QOS cross-linked mats displayed potent antibacterial activity and 3) the biocompatibility of the composite mats depended on the amount of QOS present in dope solution - at low QOS concentrations (0.1% w/w), the mats promoted mammalian cell proliferation and growth, whereas at higher QOS concentrations, cytotoxic effect was observed.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that QOS cross-linked mats possess anti-infective properties and confer niches for cellular growth and proliferation, thus offering a useful approach, which is important for hard and soft tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology*
Metformin-coated silver nanoparticles exhibit anti-acanthamoebic activities against both trophozoite and cyst stages

Anwar A, Soomaroo A, Anwar A, Siddiqui R, Khan NA

Exp Parasitol, 2020 Aug;215:107915.
PMID: 32461112 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2020.107915

Acanthamoeba castellanii is an opportunistic protozoan responsible for serious human infections including Acanthamoeba keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Despite advances in antimicrobial therapy and supportive care, infections due to Acanthamoeba are a major public concern. Current methods of treatment are not fully effective against both the trophozoite and cyst forms of A. castellanii and are often associated with severe adverse effects, host cell cytotoxicity and recurrence of infection. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic approaches for the treatment and management of Acanthamoebic infections. Repurposing of clinically approved drugs is a viable avenue for exploration and is particularly useful for neglected and rare diseases where there is limited interest by pharmaceutical companies. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems offer promising approaches in the biomedical field, particularly in diagnosis and drug delivery. Herein, we conjugated an antihyperglycemic drug, metformin with silver nanoparticles and assessed its anti-acanthamoebic properties. Characterization by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and atomic force microscopy showed successful formation of metformin-coated silver nanoparticles. Amoebicidal and amoebistatic assays revealed that metformin-coated silver nanoparticles reduced the viability and inhibited the growth of A. castellanii significantly more than metformin and silver nanoparticles alone at both 5 and 10 μM after 24 h incubation. Metformin-coated silver nanoparticles also blocked encystation and inhibited the excystation in Acanthamoeba after 72 h incubation. Overall, the conjugation of metformin with silver nanoparticles was found to enhance its antiamoebic effects against A. castellanii. Furthermore, the pretreatment of A. castellanii with metformin and metformin-coated silver nanoparticles for 2 h also reduced the amoebae-mediated host cell cytotoxicity after 24 h incubation from 73% to 10% at 10 μM, indicating that the drug-conjugated silver nanoparticles confer protection to human cells. These findings suggest that metformin-coated silver nanoparticles hold promise in the improved treatment and management of Acanthamoeba infections.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents, Local/pharmacology
Fulltext A quaternary ammonium silane antimicrobial triggers bacterial membrane and biofilm destruction

Daood U, Matinlinna JP, Pichika MR, Mak KK, Nagendrababu V, Fawzy AS

Sci Rep, 2020 07 03;10(1):10970.
PMID: 32620785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67616-z

To study the antimicrobial effects of quaternary ammonium silane (QAS) exposure on Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus bacterial biofilms at different concentrations. Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus biofilms were cultured on dentine disks, and incubated for bacterial adhesion for 3-days. Disks were treated with disinfectant (experimental QAS or control) and returned to culture for four days. Small-molecule drug discovery-suite was used to analyze QAS/Sortase-A active site. Cleavage of a synthetic fluorescent peptide substrate, was used to analyze inhibition of Sortase-A. Raman spectroscopy was performed and biofilms stained for confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Dentine disks that contained treated dual-species biofilms were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Analysis of DAPI within biofilms was performed using CLSM. Fatty acids in bacterial membranes were assessed with succinic-dehydrogenase assay along with time-kill assay. Sortase-A protein underwent conformational change due to QAS molecule during simulation, showing fluctuating alpha and beta strands. Spectroscopy revealed low carbohydrate intensities in 1% and 2% QAS. SEM images demonstrated absence of bacterial colonies after treatment. DAPI staining decreased with 1% QAS (p

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology*
Novel functional antimicrobial and biocompatible arabinoxylan/guar gum hydrogel for skin wound dressing applications

Khan MUA, Raza MA, Razak SIA, Abdul Kadir MR, Haider A, Shah SA, et al.

J Tissue Eng Regen Med, 2020 10;14(10):1488-1501.
PMID: 32761978 DOI: 10.1002/term.3115

It is a challenging task to develop active biomacromolecular wound dressing materials that are biocompatible and possesses antibacterial properties against the bacterial strains that cause severe skin disease. This work is focused on the preparation of a biocompatible and degradable hydrogel for wound dressing application using arabinoxylan (ARX) and guar gum (GG) natural polymers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed that both ARX and GG interacted well with each other, and their interactions further increased with the addition of crosslinker tetraethyl orthosilicate. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs showed uniform porous morphologies of the hydrogels. The porous morphologies and uniform interconnected pores are attributed to the increased crosslinking of the hydrogel. Elastic modulus, tensile strength, and fracture strain of the hydrogels significantly improved (from ATG-1 to ATG-4) with crosslinking. Degradability tests showed that hydrogels lost maximum weight in 7 days. All the samples showed variation in swelling with pH. Maximum swelling was observed at pH 7. The hydrogel samples showed good antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) in PBS, good drug release profile (92% drug release), and nontoxic cellular behavior. The cells not only retained their cylindrical morphologies onto the hydrogel but were also performing their normal activities. It is, therefore, believed that as-developed hydrogel could be a potential material for wound dressing application.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology*
Isolation of Moraxella catarrhalis from sputum specimens of Malaysian patients

Ahmad N, Cheong YM, Tahir HM

Malays J Pathol, 1994 Jun;16(1):63-7.
PMID: 16329578

Moraxella catarrhalis has gained reputation as a pathogen in the lower respiratory tract especially in patients with underlying chronic lung diseases. It is considered significant when isolated from sputum specimens of adults with respiratory tract infections. A study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Moraxella catarrhalis isolated in sputum specimens and beta-lactamase production of these isolates. Sputum specimens sent to the Bacteriology division, Institute for Medical Research from April 1990 until April 1993 were screened for Moraxella catarrhalis. A total of 1678 sputum specimens were processed and Moraxella catarrhalis was isolated from 15 (0.89%) of the sputum specimens. Six out of 15 (40%) were isolated from patients with chronic lung disease. Eight out of 15 (47%) were beta-lactamase producers. Moraxella catarrhalis isolated in good-quality sputum must not be disregarded and should be looked for especially in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Beta-lactamase production should be tested on all isolates so that appropriate treatment can be given. All the isolates in this study were sensitive to cotrimoxazole.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology
Fulltext The role of natural antioxidants in cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity

Abd Rashid N, Abd Halim SAS, Teoh SL, Budin SB, Hussan F, Adib Ridzuan NR, et al.

Biomed Pharmacother, 2021 Dec;144:112328.
PMID: 34653753 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112328

Cisplatin is a potent platinum-based anticancer drug approved by the Food Drug Administration (FDA) in 1978. Despite its advantages against solid tumors, cisplatin confers toxicity to various tissues that limit its clinical uses. In cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity, few mechanisms have been identified, which started as excess generation of reactive oxygen species that leads to oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage and apoptosis in the liver. Various natural products, plant extracts and oil rich in flavonoids, terpenoids, polyphenols, and phenolic acids were able to minimize oxidative stress by restoring the level of antioxidant enzymes and acting as an anti-inflammatory agent. Likewise, treatment with honey and royal jelly was demonstrated to decrease serum transaminases and scavenge free radicals in the liver after cisplatin administration. Medicinal properties of these natural products have a promising potential as a complementary therapy to counteract cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity. This review concentrated on the protective role of several natural products, which has been proven in the laboratory findings to combat cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use
High prevalence of qacA/B carriage among clinical isolates of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Malaysia

Shamsudin MN, Alreshidi MA, Hamat RA, Alshrari AS, Atshan SS, Neela V

J Hosp Infect, 2012 Jul;81(3):206-8.
PMID: 22633074 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2012.04.015

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 60 meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from Malaysia to three antiseptic agents - benzalkonium chloride (BZT), benzethonium chloride (BAC) and chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) - were determined. All isolates had MICs ranging from 0.5 to 2 mg/L. Antiseptic resistance genes qacA/B and smr were detected in 83.3% and 1.6% of the isolates, respectively. Carriage of qacA/B correlated with reduced susceptibility to CHG and BAC. This is the first report of the prevalence of qacA/B and smr gene carriage in Malaysian MRSA isolates, with a high frequency of qacA/B carriage. The presence of these antiseptic resistance genes and associated reduced susceptibility to antiseptic agents may have clinical implications.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents, Local/pharmacology*
Fulltext Effect of nonsurgical periodontal therapy verses oral hygiene instructions on type 2 diabetes subjects with chronic periodontitis: a randomised clinical trial

Raman RP, Taiyeb-Ali TB, Chan SP, Chinna K, Vaithilingam RD

BMC Oral Health, 2014;14:79.
PMID: 24965218 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6831-14-79

40 subjects with type 2 diabetes and moderate to severe CP were randomly distributed to groups receiving either NSPT or OHI. Periodontal parameters, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were evaluated at baseline, 2- and 3-months intervals.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents, Local/therapeutic use
Methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus with high-level antiseptic and low-level mupirocin resistance in Malaysia

Ghasemzadeh-Moghaddam H, van Belkum A, Hamat RA, van Wamel W, Neela V

Microb Drug Resist, 2014 Oct;20(5):472-7.
PMID: 24841796 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2013.0222

The prevalence and spread of mupirocin and antiseptic resistance among colonizing and infectious Staphylococcus aureus were determined. S. aureus isolated from anterior nares and infection sites of patients hospitalized in the largest tertiary care referral hospital in Malaysia was investigated for mupirocin and antiseptic susceptibility testing, and for PCR detection of mupA, qacA/B, and smr genes. Twelve isolates showed resistance to mupirocin by disk diffusion, of which 10 (3.8%) harbored the mupA gene. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranged from 64 to 768 μg/ml for mupA positive and below 46 μg/ml for negative isolates. The mupA was more common among ST239 isolates (70%). The qacA/B was carried in 67 out of 95 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (70.5%) and 3 out of 164 methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (1.8%), while smr was carried in 6 out of 95 MRSA (6.3%) strains. MICs ranged from 3.9 to 15.6 μg/ml for benzethonium chloride (BTC) and benzalkonium chloride (BKC), and from 10.3 to 20.7 μg/ml for chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG). Isolates with qacA/B and smr or qacA/B alone showed higher MIC (20.7 μg/ml for CHG and 15.6 μg/ml for BTC and BKC) than the isolates that lacked antiseptic resistance genes (10.3 μg/ml for CHG and 3.9 μg/ml for BTC and BKC). In 16 cases, ST239 was isolated from the infection site and the nares simultaneously, and shared identical resistance patterns (qacAB or qacAB+smr), suggesting possible endogenous infection. Spread of low-level mupirocin resistance expressing ST239 MRSA and high-level resistance expressing emerging ST1, co-existing with antiseptic-resistant genes showing elevated MICs, should be monitored for effective infection control.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents, Local/pharmacology*
Probiotic potential and biotherapeutic effects of newly isolated vaginal Lactobacillus acidophilus 36YL strain on cancer cells

Nami Y, Abdullah N, Haghshenas B, Radiah D, Rosli R, Khosroushahi AY

Anaerobe, 2014 Aug;28:29-36.
PMID: 24818631 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2014.04.012

Lactobacillus acidophilus is categorized as a probiotic strain because of its beneficial effects in human health and prevention of disease transmission. This study is aimed to characterize the probiotic potential of L. acidophilus 36YL originally isolated from the vagina of healthy and fertile Iranian women. The L. acidophilus 36YL strain was identified using 16S rDNA gene sequencing and characterized by biochemical methodologies, such as antibiotics susceptibility, antimicrobial activity, and acid and bile resistance. The bioactivity of the secretion of this strain on four human cancer cell lines (AGS, HeLa, MCF-7, and HT-29) and one normal cell line (HUVEC) was evaluated by cytotoxicity assay and apoptosis analysis. This newly isolated strain was found to exhibit notable probiotic properties, such as admirable antibiotic susceptibility, good antimicrobial activity, and favorable resistance to acid and bile salt. The results of bioactivity assessment demonstrated acceptable anticancer effects on the four tested cancer cell lines and negligible side effects on the assayed normal cell line. Our findings revealed that the anticancer effect of L. acidophilus 36YL strain secretions depends on the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. L. acidophilus 36YL strain is considered as a nutraceutical alternative or a topical medication with a potential therapeutic index because of the absence of cytotoxicity to normal cells, but effective toxicity to cancer cell lines.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/metabolism
Evaluation of biological activities of Alpinia mutica Roxb. and its chemical constituents

Mustahil NA, Sukari MA, Abdul AB, Ali NA, Lian GE

Pak J Pharm Sci, 2013 Mar;26(2):391-5.
PMID: 23455212

Phytochemicals investigation on rhizomes of Alpinia mutica has afforded five compounds namely 5,6-dehydrokawain (1), flavokawin B (2), pinostrobin (3) and pinocembrin (4) together with β-sitosterol (5). All crude extracts of the plant demonstrated strong cytotoxicity against CEMss (human T4 lymphoblastoid) cancer cells with IC50 values less than 19 μg/mL, while flavokawin B (2) was the most cytotoxic isolate with IC50 value 1.86±0.37 μg/mL. Most of the crude extracts and isolated compounds showed weak activity in antimicrobial and diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity tests.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology
Fulltext An epidemiological and clinical analysis of cutaneous adverse drug reactions seen in a tertiary hospital in Johor, Malaysia

Choon SE, Lai NM

Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol, 2012 Nov-Dec;78(6):734-9.
PMID: 23075643 DOI: 10.4103/0378-6323.102367

BACKGROUND: The prevalence, clinical patterns, and causative drugs of cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADR) vary among the different populations previously studied.
AIM: To determine the prevalence, the clinical patterns of drug eruptions, and the common drugs implicated, particularly in severe cADR such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) and drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) in our population.
METHODS: We analyzed the database established for all cADR seen by the department of Dermatology from January 2001 till December 2010.
RESULTS: A total of 362 cADR were seen among 42 170 new clinic attendees, yielding an incidence rate of 0.86%. The most common reaction pattern seen was maculopapular eruption (153 cases) followed by SJS/TEN (110 cases) and DRESS (34 cases). Antibiotics was the most commonly implicated drug group (146 cases) followed by anticonvulsants (81 cases) and antigout drugs (50 cases). The most frequently implicated drug was allopurinol (50 cases). Carbamazepine, allopurinol, and cotrimoxazole were the three main causative drugs of SJS/TEN accounting for 21.8%, 20.9%, and 12.7%, respectively, of the 110 cases seen, whereas DRESS was mainly caused by allopurinol (15 cases). Mortality rates for TEN, SJS, and DRESS were 28.6%, 2.2%, and 5.9%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The low rate of cADR with a high proportion of severe reactions observed in this study was probably due to referral bias. Otherwise, the reaction patterns and drugs causing cADR in our population were similar to those seen in other countries. Carbamazepine, allopurinol, and cotrimoxazole were the three main causative drugs of SJS/TEN in our population.
Study site: department of dermatology in Hospital Sultanah Aminah

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/adverse effects
Fulltext Hospital-acquired vancomycin-resistant enterococci: now appearing in Kuala Lumpur Hospital

Zubaidah AW, Ariza A, Azmi S

Med J Malaysia, 2006 Oct;61(4):487-9.
PMID: 17243529 MyJurnal

Hospital-acquired vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were first reported in the late 1980s and have since been an increasing problem worldwide. Kuala Lumpur Hospital thus far, to the best of our knowledge has been spared from this pathogen. We describe the first confirmed case of Enterococcus faecium exhibiting the van A phenotype in our hospital, in a patient with chronic renal failure who was successfully treated with linezolid. The microbiology laboratory plays an important role in the identification and detection of VRE.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use
Dermacyn irrigation in reducing infection of a median sternotomy wound

Mohd AR, Ghani MK, Awang RR, Su Min JO, Dimon MZ

Heart Surg Forum, 2010 Aug;13(4):E228-32.
PMID: 20719724 DOI: 10.1532/HSF98.20091162

Sternal wound infection is an infrequent yet potentially devastating complication following sternotomy. Among the standard practices used as preventive measures are the use of prophylactic antibiotics and povidone-iodine as an irrigation agent. A new antiseptic agent, Dermacyn super-oxidized water (Oculus Innovative Sciences), has recently been used as a wound-irrigation agent before the closure of sternotomy wounds.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents, Local/therapeutic use*
Fulltext Problem based review: The patient with a pyrexia of unknown origin

Woolley AK, Hedger NA, Veettil RP

Acute Med, 2013;12(2):107-10.
PMID: 23732136

Pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) is a frequent presentation to the Acute Medical Unit, and is a source of significant morbidity, both the psychological burden of an uncertain diagnosis and prognosis and untreated complications of the underlying pathology. We present a problem based review of the management of PUO, illustrated by a patient who recently presented to our unit with fever and systemic malaise after returning from abroad and in whom no cause could be found for more than two months. We describe a structured approach making use of complex modern techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) which ultimately provided the diagnosis for our patient.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use

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