Lars F. Westblade
A5022980048- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Antibiotics Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy
- Respiratory viral infections research
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Gut microbiota and health
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Urinary Tract Infections Management
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Infective Endocarditis Diagnosis and Management
- Streptococcal Infections and Treatments
- Neutropenia and Cancer Infections
- Enterobacteriaceae and Cronobacter Research
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Renal Transplantation Outcomes and Treatments
Cornell University
2016-2025
Weill Cornell Medicine
2016-2025
NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital
2017-2024
New York Hospital Queens
2017-2024
Emory University
2013-2024
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
2014-2024
Presbyterian Hospital
2016-2024
The Rogosin Institute
2023
Creative Commons
2016-2023
Columbia University
2023
Patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frequently require mechanical ventilation and have high mortality rates. However, the impact of viral burden on these outcomes is unknown.We conducted a retrospective cohort study patients COVID-19 from 30 March 2020 to April at 2 hospitals in New York City. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) load was assessed using cycle threshold (Ct) values reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay applied...
Abstract The origin of most bacterial infections in the urinary tract is often presumed to be gut. Herein, we investigate relationship between gut microbiota and future development bacteriuria infection (UTI). We perform microbial profiling using 16S rRNA gene deep sequencing on 510 fecal specimens from 168 kidney transplant recipients metagenomic a subset urine supernatant specimens. report that 1% relative abundance Escherichia an independent risk factor for UTI Enterococcus bacteriuria....
Abstract In less than nine months, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) killed over a million people, including >25,000 in New York City (NYC) alone. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 highlights clinical needs to detect infection, track strain evolution, and identify biomarkers of disease course. To address these challenges, we designed fast (30-minute) colorimetric test (LAMP) for infection from naso/oropharyngeal swabs large-scale shotgun...
Significance Orthopedic implant infections require long-term antibiotic therapy and surgical debridement to successfully retain the implant; however, therapeutic failure can lead removal. Here an injectable PEG-based hydrogel that adheres exposed tissue fracture surfaces is engineered deliver antimicrobial enzyme lysostaphin infected, implant-fixed, mouse femoral fractures. Lysostaphin encapsulation within enhances stability while providing enhanced antibiofilm activity serving as a...
A surge of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presenting to New York City hospitals in March 2020 led a sharp increase blood culture utilization, which overwhelmed the capacity automated instruments. We sought evaluate utilization and diagnostic yield cultures during COVID-19 pandemic determine prevalence common etiologies bacteremia inform approach relieve overutilization. performed retrospective cohort analysis 88,201 from 28,011 at multicenter network within order volume,...
Urinary tract infections are one of the most common in humans. Here we tested utility urinary cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to comprehensively monitor host and pathogen dynamics bacterial viral infections. We isolated cfDNA from 141 urine samples a cohort 82 kidney transplant recipients performed next-generation sequencing. found that is highly informative about composition microbiome, antimicrobial susceptibility, growth dynamics, allograft injury, response infection. These different layers...
ABSTRACT Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) is gaining momentum as a tool for bacterial identification in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Compared with conventional methods, this technology can more readily and conveniently identify wide range organisms. Here, we report findings from multicenter study to evaluate Vitek MS v2.0 system (bioMérieux, Inc.) aerobic Gram-positive bacteria. A total 1,146 unique isolates, representing 13...
The increase in the prevalence and impact of infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is a global health concern. Therefore, rapid accurate methods to detect these organisms any clinical microbiology laboratory, including those resource-limited settings, are essential prevent contain their spread. It also important differentiate between serine- metal-dependent carbapenemases elaborated isolates for epidemiologic, infection control prevention, therapeutic purposes....
Molecular testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the gold standard diagnosis of disease 2019 (COVID-19), but clinical performance these tests still poorly understood, particularly with regard to course, patient-specific factors, and viral shedding. From 10 March 1 May 2020, NewYork-Presbyterian laboratories performed 27,377 SARS-CoV-2 molecular assays from 22,338 patients. Repeat was 3,432 patients, which 2,413 had initial negative 802 positive results.
Abstract The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused thousands of deaths worldwide, including >18,000 in New York City (NYC) alone. sudden emergence this pandemic highlighted a pressing clinical need for rapid, scalable diagnostics that can detect infection, interrogate strain evolution, and identify novel patient biomarkers. To address these challenges, we designed fast (30-minute) colorimetric test (LAMP) SARS-CoV-2 infection from naso/oropharyngeal...
Highly accurate testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the point of care (POC) is an unmet diagnostic need in emergency and time-sensitive outpatient settings. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) technology gold standard SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. We performed a multisite U.S. study comparing clinical performance first Food Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized POC RT-PCR detection 20 min, cobas Liat influenza A/B nucleic acid test, to most widely used...
Posttransplant diarrhea is associated with kidney allograft failure and death, but its etiology remains unknown in the majority of cases. Because altered gut microbial ecology a potential basis for diarrhea, we investigated whether posttransplant dysbiosis. We enrolled 71 recipients serial fecal specimen collections first 3 months transplantation profiled microbiota using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene V4-V5 deep sequencing. The Shannon diversity index was significantly lower 28 diarrheal...
Patients with bacteremia due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) experience delays until appropriate therapy and high mortality rates. Rapid molecular diagnostics for carbapenemases new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors may improve outcomes.
The molecular mechanisms underlying the clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and what distinguishes them from common seasonal influenza virus other lung injury states such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, remain poorly understood. To address these challenges, we combine transcriptional profiling 646 nasopharyngeal swabs 39 patient autopsy tissues to define body-wide transcriptome changes in response COVID-19. We then match data with spatial protein...
The rapid pace of name changes medically important fungi is creating challenges for clinical laboratories and clinicians involved in patient care. We describe two sources change which have different drivers, at the species versus genus level. Some suggestions are made here to reduce number changes. urge taxonomists provide diagnostic markers taxonomic novelties. Given instability phylogenetic trees due variable taxon sampling, we advocate maintain genera largest possible size. Reporting...
BackgroundIn 2021, four patients who had received solid organ transplants in the USA developed encephalitis beginning 2–6 weeks after transplantation from a common donor. We describe an investigation into cause of these patients.MethodsFrom Nov 7, to Feb 24, 2022, we conducted public health involving 15 agencies and medical centres USA. tested various specimens (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, intraocular serum, tissues) donor recipients by serology, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, metagenomic...