Vitek 2 device

Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibacterials were determined by Vitek-2 device (BioMerieux, France) using VITEK-2 AST N-101 and AST N-102 cards: amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMC), ampicillin/sulbactam (SAM), cefuroxime (CXM), cefoxitin (FOX), cefotaxime (CTX), ceftriaxone (CRO), ceftazidime (CAZ), cefoperazone/sulbactam (CFS), cefepime (FEP), ertapenem (ETP), imipenem (IPM), meropenem (MEM), tetracycline (TET), tigecycline (TGC), ciprofloxacin (CIP), chloramphenicol (CHL), gentamicin (GEN), tobramycin (TOB), amikacin (AMK), trimethoprim (TMP), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT), nitrofurantoin (NIT), and colistin (CST). Results were interpreted according to the 2014 European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Recommendations (http://www.eucast.org/clinical_breakpoints/). E.coli strains ATCC 25922 and ATCC 35218 were used for quality control.

The suspected isolates that illustrated gram negative short coccobacilli from oxidase and catalase positive small colonies were examined for production of urease and H₂S. On Columbia agar (Sigma-Aldrich, Saint Louis, USA), the strains were recognized by the Vitek 2 device (bioMérieux SA F-69280 Marcy l’Etoile France), via GN cards (bioMérieux SA F-69280 Marcy l’Etoile France) as indicated in the company’s guidelines. Concisely, the bacterial suspension was prepared and balanced by McFarland standards (0.5 to 0.63). Vitek®2 cards were inoculated, and the cards were then submitted to the machine to for proper identification.

A clinical strain of C. albicans was isolated from a silicon catheter and identification was performed with the Vitek^® 2 device (bioMerieux, Paris, France). The microbiological experiments were conducted in Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece (IRB 22049/6-5-2022) and the purely pharmacological investigations were carried out in the 1st Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies were conducted at the Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.