Actinomycosis with antibiotic resistance
Dear Greater Glasgow NHS Board,
Dear Greater Glasgow NHS Board,
Freedom of Information Enquiries
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS Board 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 Greater Glasgow NHS Health Board 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
Yours faithfully,
C N Bruce
Dear Mr Bruce
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
FOI Request: Our ref 12831: Testing for Actinomyces: Acknowledgement
We refer to your request for information, shown below in your email.
Your enquiry is being treated under our procedures for responding to
requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act
2002.
We are dealing with your request and will endeavour to reply to you within
20 working days or fewer. If you wish to know how matters are proceeding
with your request, please do not hesitate to contact us quoting our
reference 12831.
Yours sincerely,
Kay Dougans
Freedom of Information Officer
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Corporate HQ
J B Russell House
Gartnavel Royal Hospital Campus
1055 Great Western Road
Glasgow G12 0XH
[NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde request email]
Telephone 0141 201 4460 (64460)
Dear Mr Bruce
Thank you for your request received on 13 June 2017 for the provision of
information relating to testing for actinomyces as indicated in your email
below.
We are treating your request under our procedures for responding to
requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act
2002.
I can confirm that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) holds the
information as described by you.
Below are the questions you asked and NHSGGC’s response in italics and
bold.
1. Do the NHS vans that transport samples have a vacuum chamber
contained within for such delicate samples?
[The NHS vans do not have vacuum chambers contained within.
Samples are transported in commercially available transport swabs
(Transwabs) which contain Amiestransport medium with charcoal which is
designed to preserve delicate organisms and neutralise any toxins
produced].
2. What conditions are the samples held in once arriving at the
Clinical Testing Laboratory
[The samples are put onto the appropriate agar as soon as
possible and incubated in a specialised anaerobic incubator which is a
chamber whereby the normal air has been replaced with a gas mixture that
does not contain oxygen].
3. Does the Clinical Testing Laboratories have a vacuum chamber for
such delicate samples.
[The Clinical Laboratory has an anaerobic cabinet (See response
to Question 2 above)].
4. Does the Clinical Testing Laboratories use an electron microscope
to identify pathogens.
[The Microbiology Laboratory does not use or need an electron
microscope to identify pathogens].
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?
[Microbiology does not send samples for electron microscopy].
6. 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”
[Microbiology cultures are incubated for three weeks. It may be
the case in the example you have stated that the laboratory issued a
report at seven days and would only issue a subsequent report if growth is
obtained between seven days and 21 days. If the culture result at 21
days was still “No Growth” then no update report is printed].
7. 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 Greater Glasgow
NHS Health Board from 2000 to 2016
[Please find attached an excel spreadsheet with the number of
cases and antibiotic resistance. Please note in the spreadsheet R =
Resistant and S = Sensitive. The information was extracted from the
single Microbiology Laboratory Information system which was introduced in
stages across NHSGGC Microbiology between May 2012 to March 2014,
therefore under Section 17 of the FOlSA, I am required to tell you that
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde does not hold the information which you are
seeking prior to May 2012. The information we have provided is from the
following:-
South Glasgow and Children’s Hospital (specimens from 10 May
2012 to 18 June 2017)
Clyde sector (specimens from 19 November 2013 to 18th June
2017)
North sector (specimens from 26 March 2014 to 18 June 2017)].
I hope this information is helpful. If you are not satisfied with our
response to your request, you have a right to request a review of this
decision within 40 working days of receiving this response. The procedure
for consideration of a review is detailed in the attached note. The note
also describes your right to pursue the matter with the Scottish
Information Commissioner if, following a request for review, you remain
dissatisfied with the decision of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. If
following appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner you still remain
dissatisfied with the outcome, you have a right of appeal to the Court of
Session on a point of law against the decision of the Scottish Information
Commissioner.
If you wish us to review this decision, please complete the form enclosed
and return it to the Head of Administration, NHS Greater Glasgow and
Clyde, Corporate HQ, J B Russell House, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, 1055
Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 0XH.
Elizabeth Watt | Freedom of Information Officer | NHS Greater Glasgow &
Clyde
Corporate HQ | J B Russell House | Gartnavel Royal Hospital
1055 Great Western Road | Glasgow | G12 0XH
e: [1][NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde request email] t: 0141 201 4460 w:
[2]www.nhsggc.org.uk
When replying please use [3][NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde request email]
From: Dougans, Kay On Behalf Of FOI BOARD HQ
Sent: 13 June 2017 12:21
To: '[FOI #411673 email]'
Subject: FOI Request: Our ref 12831: Testing for Actinomyces:
Acknowledgement
Dear Mr Bruce
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
FOI Request: Our ref 12831: Testing for Actinomyces: Acknowledgement
We refer to your request for information, shown below in your email.
Your enquiry is being treated under our procedures for responding to
requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act
2002.
We are dealing with your request and will endeavour to reply to you within
20 working days or fewer. If you wish to know how matters are proceeding
with your request, please do not hesitate to contact us quoting our
reference 12831.
Yours sincerely,
Kay Dougans
Freedom of Information Officer
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Corporate HQ
J B Russell House
Gartnavel Royal Hospital Campus
1055 Great Western Road
Glasgow G12 0XH
[4][NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde request email]
[5][email address]
Telephone 0141 201 4460 (64460)
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