Actinomycosis (with antibiotic resistance) Species/Genus Testing Conditions and Incidence

The request was partially successful.

Dear Western Isles NHS Board,

Freedom of Information Enquiries

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from NHS Western Isles Health Board, and/or/including information from Clinical Testing Laboratories and Sample Collection Vehicle Conditions

I ask for information regarding for testing for the following bacterium species affecting Humans – Actinomyces israelii and Actinomyces gerencseria and other Actinomyces Genus which are antibiotic resistant. Also can the following be tested for -Propionibacterium propionicus which can often minic Acinomycisis infections

The Actonomyces Bacterium degrade extreme quickly upon exposure to oxygen thus rendering testing impossible.

“Cultures should be placed immediately under anaerobic conditions and incubated for 48 hours or longer; the isolation and definitive identification of actinomycetes may require 2-3 weeks” - From

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/21...

To this regard

Question 1
Do the NHS vans that transport samples have a vacuum chamber contained within for such delicate samples?

Question 2
What conditions are the samples held in once arriving at the Clinical Testing Laboratory

Question 3
Does the Clinical Testing Laboratories have a vacuum chamber for such delicate samples.

Question 4
Does the Clinical Testing Laboratories use an electron microscope to identify pathogens.

Question 5
The woman who I believe I passed Actinomycosis to (via sexual intercourse or via oral sex) only had Actinomycosis identified by use of an electron Microscope at Infectious Diseases and Communicable Laboratories in Edinburgh.
Are suspected cases of Actinomycoses infections, Maxiofacial, Thoracic, Pelvic and Gastroenteral routinely sent to Infectious and Communicable Diseases Laboratories in your area?

Question 7
To my knowledge Culture Testing for Actinomycois infections require up to three weeks. Please explain why NHS Laboratories only test cultures for one week in total? Quote from my own test result 24/02/17 - “Culture – No Growth. Culture will be incubated for 7 days in total. No further report will be issued unless culture becomes positive”

Question 8
In the UK Actinomycosis with antibiotic resistance incidence is quoted on NHS website as 1:300000. In Holland and Germany the incidence is quoted as 1:100000. In Pelvic Actinomycosis in the UK (female infections) the IUD is blamed as causation in 10% of cases yet in the USA it is (One Tenth of One Percent).

Please provide the figures of cases of Actinomycosis with antibiotic resistance identified in both men and women in NHS Forth Valley from 2000 to 2016

Please provide the information in the form of written reply or to my email address below

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under your Section 16 obligations, as to how I can refine my request to be included in the scope of the Act.

In any case, if you can identify ways that my request could be refined please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as stipulated by the Act.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or phone and I will be happy to clarify what I am asking for, my details are outlined below.

Yours faithfully,

C N Bruce

Foi-Requests(westernisleshealthboard) (NHS WESTERN ISLES),

Please accept this email as confirmation that NHS Western Isles has received

NHS Western Isles / 37 South Beach Street / Stornoway / Isle of Lewis / HS1 2BB
[email address] / Tel: 01851 708031 / Fax: 01851 702036

________________________________________
From: C N Bruce <[FOI #399127 email]>
Sent: 04 April 2017 16:40
To: Foi-Requests(westernisleshealthboard) (NHS WESTERN ISLES)
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Actinomycosis (with antibiotic resistance) Species/Genus Testing Conditions and Incidence

Dear Western Isles NHS Board,

Freedom of Information Enquiries

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from NHS Western Isles Health Board, and/or/including information from Clinical Testing Laboratories and Sample Collection Vehicle Conditions

I ask for information regarding for testing for the following bacterium species affecting Humans – Actinomyces israelii and Actinomyces gerencseria and other Actinomyces Genus which are antibiotic resistant. Also can the following be tested for -Propionibacterium propionicus which can often minic Acinomycisis infections

The Actonomyces Bacterium degrade extreme quickly upon exposure to oxygen thus rendering testing impossible.

“Cultures should be placed immediately under anaerobic conditions and incubated for 48 hours or longer; the isolation and definitive identification of actinomycetes may require 2-3 weeks” - From

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/21...

To this regard

Question 1
Do the NHS vans that transport samples have a vacuum chamber contained within for such delicate samples?

Question 2
What conditions are the samples held in once arriving at the Clinical Testing Laboratory

Question 3
Does the Clinical Testing Laboratories have a vacuum chamber for such delicate samples.

Question 4
Does the Clinical Testing Laboratories use an electron microscope to identify pathogens.

Question 5
The woman who I believe I passed Actinomycosis to (via sexual intercourse or via oral sex) only had Actinomycosis identified by use of an electron Microscope at Infectious Diseases and Communicable Laboratories in Edinburgh.
Are suspected cases of Actinomycoses infections, Maxiofacial, Thoracic, Pelvic and Gastroenteral routinely sent to Infectious and Communicable Diseases Laboratories in your area?

Question 7
To my knowledge Culture Testing for Actinomycois infections require up to three weeks. Please explain why NHS Laboratories only test cultures for one week in total? Quote from my own test result 24/02/17 - “Culture – No Growth. Culture will be incubated for 7 days in total. No further report will be issued unless culture becomes positive”

Question 8
In the UK Actinomycosis with antibiotic resistance incidence is quoted on NHS website as 1:300000. In Holland and Germany the incidence is quoted as 1:100000. In Pelvic Actinomycosis in the UK (female infections) the IUD is blamed as causation in 10% of cases yet in the USA it is (One Tenth of One Percent).

Please provide the figures of cases of Actinomycosis with antibiotic resistance identified in both men and women in NHS Forth Valley from 2000 to 2016

Please provide the information in the form of written reply or to my email address below

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under your Section 16 obligations, as to how I can refine my request to be included in the scope of the Act.

In any case, if you can identify ways that my request could be refined please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as stipulated by the Act.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or phone and I will be happy to clarify what I am asking for, my details are outlined below.

Yours faithfully,

C N Bruce

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #399127 email]

Is [NHS Western Isles request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Western Isles NHS Board? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

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show quoted sections

Foi-Requests(westernisleshealthboard) (NHS WESTERN ISLES),

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Bruce

Please find attached NHS Western Isles response to your FOI request.

Regards
Margaret

NHS Western Isles / 37 South Beach Street / Stornoway / Isle of Lewis / HS1 2BB
[email address] / Tel: 01851 708031 / Fax: 01851 702036

________________________________________
From: C N Bruce <[FOI #399127 email]>
Sent: 04 April 2017 16:40
To: Foi-Requests(westernisleshealthboard) (NHS WESTERN ISLES)
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Actinomycosis (with antibiotic resistance) Species/Genus Testing Conditions and Incidence

Dear Western Isles NHS Board,

Freedom of Information Enquiries

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from NHS Western Isles Health Board, and/or/including information from Clinical Testing Laboratories and Sample Collection Vehicle Conditions

I ask for information regarding for testing for the following bacterium species affecting Humans – Actinomyces israelii and Actinomyces gerencseria and other Actinomyces Genus which are antibiotic resistant. Also can the following be tested for -Propionibacterium propionicus which can often minic Acinomycisis infections

The Actonomyces Bacterium degrade extreme quickly upon exposure to oxygen thus rendering testing impossible.

“Cultures should be placed immediately under anaerobic conditions and incubated for 48 hours or longer; the isolation and definitive identification of actinomycetes may require 2-3 weeks” - From

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/21...

To this regard

Question 1
Do the NHS vans that transport samples have a vacuum chamber contained within for such delicate samples?

Question 2
What conditions are the samples held in once arriving at the Clinical Testing Laboratory

Question 3
Does the Clinical Testing Laboratories have a vacuum chamber for such delicate samples.

Question 4
Does the Clinical Testing Laboratories use an electron microscope to identify pathogens.

Question 5
The woman who I believe I passed Actinomycosis to (via sexual intercourse or via oral sex) only had Actinomycosis identified by use of an electron Microscope at Infectious Diseases and Communicable Laboratories in Edinburgh.
Are suspected cases of Actinomycoses infections, Maxiofacial, Thoracic, Pelvic and Gastroenteral routinely sent to Infectious and Communicable Diseases Laboratories in your area?

Question 7
To my knowledge Culture Testing for Actinomycois infections require up to three weeks. Please explain why NHS Laboratories only test cultures for one week in total? Quote from my own test result 24/02/17 - “Culture – No Growth. Culture will be incubated for 7 days in total. No further report will be issued unless culture becomes positive”

Question 8
In the UK Actinomycosis with antibiotic resistance incidence is quoted on NHS website as 1:300000. In Holland and Germany the incidence is quoted as 1:100000. In Pelvic Actinomycosis in the UK (female infections) the IUD is blamed as causation in 10% of cases yet in the USA it is (One Tenth of One Percent).

Please provide the figures of cases of Actinomycosis with antibiotic resistance identified in both men and women in NHS Forth Valley from 2000 to 2016

Please provide the information in the form of written reply or to my email address below

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under your Section 16 obligations, as to how I can refine my request to be included in the scope of the Act.

In any case, if you can identify ways that my request could be refined please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as stipulated by the Act.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or phone and I will be happy to clarify what I am asking for, my details are outlined below.

Yours faithfully,

C N Bruce

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #399127 email]

Is [NHS Western Isles request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Western Isles NHS Board? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections