How can you tell the difference between Actinomyces and Nocardia?

The key difference between actinomyces and nocardia is that Actinomyces is a genus of actinobacteria comprised only of facultative anaerobic bacteria, while Nocardia is a genus of actinobacteria comprised only of strict aerobic bacteria.

What is gram-positive rods in sputum?

If the test results from your sputum Gram’s stain are abnormal, it means that bacteria and white blood cells have been detected. The bacteria found will be Gram-positive or Gram-negative. Common Gram-positive bacteria detected by the test include: Staphylococcus. Streptococcus.

What diseases are caused by gram-positive rods?

Gram-positive cocci: Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive, catalase-positive, coagulase-positive cocci in clusters. S. aureus can cause inflammatory diseases, including skin infections, pneumonia, endocarditis, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, and abscesses.

Is Nocardia AFB positive?

Nocardia organisms are Gram-positive rods, which in old cultures or clinical specimens may appear as branching chains resembling fungal hyphae.

Is Actinomyces gram-positive?

Actinomyces and P propionicum are irregular, nonspore-forming, Gram-positive rods. Actinomyces contains 19 species (Table 34-1), of which A israelii and A gerencseriae are the most common human pathogens.

How do you treat gram-positive rods?

Most infections due to Gram-positive organisms can be treated with quite a small number of antibiotics. Penicillin, cloxacillin, and erythromycin should be enough to cover 90 per cent of Gram-positive infections.

Does a positive sputum culture mean pneumonia?

If your results were not normal, it may mean you have some kind of bacterial or fungal infection. Your provider may need to do more tests to find the specific type of infection you have. The most common types of harmful bacteria found in a sputum culture include those that cause: Pneumonia.

How do you get rid of gram-positive bacteria?

Telavancin. Telavancin is a once-daily, intravenous, lipoglycopeptide antibiotic approved in the USA for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections due to Gram-positive pathogens and has recently received approval for the treatment of HAP caused by these pathogens.

How can you differentiate between Nocardia and Mycobacterium?

The laboratory diagnosis is based on microscopy and culture isolation, but Nocardia can be mistaken for Mycobacterium, as they not only grow in specific media for mycobacteria, but also form partially acid-fast beaded branching filaments, similar to those formed by rapidly growing mycobacteria18.

Why is Nocardia gram-positive?

Nocardia species are found worldwide in soil rich in organic matter. In addition, they are oral microflora found in healthy gingiva, as well as periodontal pockets. Most Nocardia infections are acquired by inhalation of the bacteria or through traumatic introduction….

Nocardia
Genus:	Nocardia Trevisan 1889
Species

Which bacteria are actinomycetes?

Actinomycetes are Gram-positive mycelial bacteria, known to produce a wide variety of industrially and medically relevant compounds (antibiotics, chemotherapeutics, fungicides, herbicides and immunosuppressants).