Acinetobacter Baumannii - Article Review

Background Acinetobacter baumannii is a pleomorphic aerobic gram-negative bacillus (similar in appearance to Haemophilus influenzae on Gram stain) commonly isolated from the hospital environment and hospitalized patients. A baumannii is a water organism and preferentially colonizes aquatic environments. This organism is often cultured from hospitalized patients sputum or respiratory secretions, wounds, and urine. In a hospital setting, Acinetobacter commonly colonizes irrigating solutions and intravenous solutions. Acinetobacter species have low virulence but are capable of causing infection. Most Acinetobacter isolates recovered from hospitalized patients, particularly those recovered from respiratory secretions and urine, represent colonization rather than infection. Acinetobacter infections are uncommon but, when they occur, usually involve organ systems that have a high fluid content (eg, respiratory tract, CSF, peritoneal fluid, urinary tract), manifesting as nosocomial pneumonia, infections associated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), or catheter-associated bacteruria. The presence of Acinetobacter isolates in respiratory secretions in intubated patients nearly always represents colonization. Acinetobacter pneumonias occur in outbreaks and are usually associated with colonized respiratory-support equipment or fluids. Nosocomial meningitis may occur in colonized neurosurgical patients with external ventricular drainage tubes. A baumannii is a multiresistant aerobic gram-negative bacillus sensitive to relatively few antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter is not a new or emerging phenomenon, but A baumannii has always been an organism inherently resistant to multiple antibiotics. Pathophysiology In the uncommon situations in which Acinetobacter causes actual infection, the athological changes that occur depend on the organ system involved. The pathological changes, as observed in patients with pneumonia, are indistinguishable from those caused by other noncavitating aerobic gram-negative bacilli that cause nosocomial pneumonias. Similarly, Acinetobacter urinary tract infections are clinically indistinguishable from catheter-associated bacteremias caused by other aerobic gram-negative bacilli. Frequency International Acinetobacter commonly colonizes patients in the intensive care setting. Acinetobacter colonization is particularly common in patients who are intubated and n those who have multiple intravenous lines or monitoring devices, surgical drains, or indwelling urinary catheters. Acinetobacter infections are uncommon and occur almost exclusively in hospitalized patients. Mortality/Morbidity   Although Acinetobacter is primarily a colonizer in the hospital environment, it occasionally causes infection. Mortality and morbidity resulting from A baumannii infection relate to the underlying cardiopulmonary immune status of the host rather than the inherent virulence of the organism. ЂÃ'ž Mortality and morbidity rates in patients who are very ill with multisystem disease are increased because of their nderlying illness rather than the superimposed infection with Acinetobacter. Race Acinetobacter infection has no known racial predilection. Sex Acinetobacter infection has no known sexual predilection. Age Acinetobacter infection has no known predilection for age. Other Problems to Be Considered The main differential diagnostic problem presented by Acinetobacter is to differentiate colonization from infection. In the presence of pulmonary infiltrates in ICU patients, CAPC)-associated peritonitis, meningitis, wound infection, or catheter-associated bacteruria, the differential iagnoses include other aerobic gram-negative bacilli that colonize or infect these fluids, ie, Enterobacter species, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Flavobacterium meningosepticum, and Serratia marcescens. Because Acinetobacter is predominantly a colonizing organism, the burden of proof is on the clinician to demonstrate its pathogenic role in a given situation.

MMP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MMP - Essay Example 40% of the whole study sample will be composed of students who do not drink alcohol. Data will be collected through the survey techniques including face-to-face interviews, observation, and questionnaires. The study will focus on the drinking lifestyles or trends and its effects in the institutions of higher learning including. Through regression analysis, the data collected is analyzed to ascertain the effect of over indulgence in alcoholic beverages on students’ life, health, social life, and academic performance. The results from the drinking group are analyzed and compared with the control results of non-drinking students. The study should confirm that there is a great deal of dangers and effects of students consuming alcohol in campus. It affects their health since some of them are extremely addicted and cannot do without it. This makes them chronically ill with the conditions such as liver cirrhosis. Alcohol also leads to poor performance of students since some of them attend lectures when drunk; hence, they can barely understand anything at all. It is a cause of poor study life since one rarely has the time to sit down and read. Alcohol consumption lowers concentration to an extremely critical level. Alcohol has a great deal of dangers and effects in the institutions of higher learning. It not only affects the consumer but also the people around him or her. It makes daily learning difficult to those who are addicted to drinking. It can also affect the general learning process of an institution. This is a research project that was held to find out the relationship between the consumption of alcohol and the illnesses reported by the university students. It was found that those who drink heavily experience a wide range of chronic health problems; those who drink acutely suffer from less serious health conditions, such as mild

Investment Advice for Microsoft Research Proposal

Investment Advice for Microsoft - Research Proposal Example Microsoft - major industry player - is headed by Mr. Steven A. Balmer, Microsoft’s 49-year old Chief Executive Officer (CEO).   The company’s co-founder, the illustrious Mr. Bill Gates, also sits in the Board of Directors and acts as its Chief Technological Architect.   As at end of the fiscal year 2005, Mr. Balmer along with the other directors of the company received an average annual salary of about $1.0 million each. As a global company, Microsoft operates in various countries across the world.   The headquarter is located at One Microsoft Way in Redmond, Washington D.C.   Direct competitors of Microsoft include other formidable companies such as Google Inc., International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and Oracle Corp.   In terms of sales, Microsoft came in second to IBM as at end-June 2005.   However, Microsoft has posted the highest net income as compared to other industry players. Based on the above financial highlights, it can be seen that sales of Microsoft are steadily accelerating as evidenced by the moderate sales growth in the last three years.   In the same way, the income the company generated as at end-June 2005 has recovered from the decline in the previous year.   The sales and income posted by Microsoft are well above the industry average in 2005. Similarly, Microsoft has consistently proven its ability to convert sales into income in the past three years as seen in the company’s net profit margin.   Its 3-year average of 28% is higher than the industry average of only 23.5%. In terms of liquidity, Microsoft is highly liquid since it has more than sufficient current assets to cover its current liabilities.   As such it has a high current ratio that sends a positive signal to investors.