title: Urokinase: a treatment for relapsing peritonitis due to coagulase-negative staphylococci.
abstract: Four consecutive patients with relapsing peritonitis due to coagulase-negative staphylococci have been successfully treated by the addition of urokinase to their treatment regime, having failed to respond to appropriate antibiotic therapy alone. The organisms isolated from each episode of peritonitis in an individual patient were shown to be identical by antibiotic sensitivity, phage typing, slime production and immunoblot analysis. The action of urokinase is unknown but it may act by fibrinolysis, allowing antibiotics access to a source of infection previously protected by fibrin. The technique described is a simple, safe and effective treatment of relapsing peritonitis due to coagulase-negative staphylococci, and its use can markedly reduce the morbidity associated with this infection.
authors.affiliation: Artificial Kidney Unit, Withington Hospital, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pickering
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bowley
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sissons
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burnie
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ralston
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ackrill
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000009:adverse effects; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014640:Vancomycin; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator