Enteric pathogens and their isolation at a cancer hospital in Pakistan.
Diarrhoeal diseases remain a major cause of mortality and morbidity in developing countries. However, due to lack of funds, supply problems and some inexperience, some laboratories have difficulty identifying a causative agent in stool samples. In the year following the opening of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore, Pakistan, the microbiology department had not isolated a single enteric pathogen. From January 1996, new culture techniques were introduced, with a resulting increase (10%) in identification of these pathogens. In addition, the introduction of formol-ether concentration made a significant contribution to the number of intestinal parasites seen. This report demonstrates how simple microbiology methods made a difference to the running of the department and, ultimately, to the patients.
Bhatti
A R
AR
Department of Microbiology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan.
Danish
F
F
Wadood
A
A
Mortlock
S
S
D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D010154:Pakistan