Antibiogram Typing and Biochemical Characterization of Klebsiella pneumoniae after Biofield Treatment

What is it about?

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a common nosocomial pathogen causing respiratory tract (pneumoniae) and blood stream infections. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates of K. pneumoniae infections are difficult to treat in patients in health care settings. Aim of the present study was to determine the impact of Mr. Trivedi’s biofield treatment on four MDR clinical lab isolates (LS) of K. pneumoniae (LS 2, LS 6, LS 7, and LS 14). Samples were divided into two groups i.e. control and biofield treated. Control and treated groups were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), biochemical study and biotype number using MicroScan Walk-Away® system. The analysis was done on day 10 after biofield treatment as compared with control group. Antimicrobial sensitivity assay showed that there was 46.42% alteration in sensitivity of tested antimicrobials in treated group of MDR K. pneumonia isolates. MIC results showed an alteration in 30% of tested antimicrobials out of thirty after biofield treatment in clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. An increase in antimicrobial sensitivity and decrease in MIC value was reported (in LS 6) in case of piperacillin/tazobactam and piperacillin. Biochemical study showed a 15.15% change in biochemical reactions as compared to control. A significant change in biotype numbers were reported in all four clinical isolates of MDR K. pneumoniae after biofield treatment as compared to control group. On the basis of changed biotype number after biofield treatment, new organism was identified as Enterobacter aerogenes in LS 2 and LS 14. These results suggest that biofield treatment has a significant effect on altering the antimicrobial sensitivity, MIC values, biochemical reactions and biotype number of multidrug-resistant isolates of K. pneumoniae.

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Why is it important?

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is Gram-negative, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobic, and nonmotile bacterium, belongs to family Enterobacteriaceae. It is a common human pathogen associated with nosocomial and community infections [1]. K. pneumoniae isolates causes several infections such as pneumonia, septicemia, wound infections, and urinary tract infections, which ultimately lead to morbidity and mortality especially in immunocompromised patients, and patients of intensive care units, pediatrics and surgical wards [2]. K. pneumoniae acquire resistance against existing antimicrobials by multiple mechanism results in increased multidrug-resistant (MDR) of K. pneumoniae that leads to serious problem in hospital settings and health concern. Emergence of resistance occurs not only in MDR isolates but also exist in pan-drug resistant (PDR) isolates of K. pneumoniae. PDR refers to the resistant strains those are specifically resistant to 7 antimicrobial agents such as cefepime, imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin-tazobactam, and levofloxacin [3]. Apart from this, the extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing Klebsiella from a patient has been identified which causes serious threat worldwide [4,5]. Continuous use of antibiotics leads to resistance in microorganisms via. different pathways mediated by plasmids, transposons, and gene cassettes in integrons [6,7]. Carbapenem is usually preferred for the infection caused by MDR isolates of K. pneumoniae but recently carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae was also reported [8]. Due to dramatically increase in drug resistant in K. pneumoniae, very few treatment options are available. Alternative approaches are available but altering the sensitivity pattern of antimicrobials using biofield is not available against MDR microorganism, apart from existing allopathic system of medicine. Biofield treatment may be an alternative approach to alter the susceptibility pattern of K. pneumoniae. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are commonly practiced in healthcare sector and about 36% of Americans regularly uses some form of CAM [9]. CAM include numerous energy therapies, biofield therapy, is one of the energy medicine widely used worldwide to improve the human health. The energy exists in various forms that can be produced from different sources such as potential, electrical, kinetic, magnetic, and nuclear energy. However, electromagnetic field defines as when electrical signals fluctuate will generate magnetic field with respect to time. The cumulative effect of bio-magnetic and electric field that surrounds the human body is defined as biofield. The biofield energy can be monitored by using electromyography (EMG), electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) [10]. According to Lucchetti et al. biofield energy has shown significant effect on growth of bacterial cultures [11]. Mr. Trivedi has the ability to harness the energy from environment or universe and can transmit into any living or nonliving object(s) around the Universe. The objects always receive the energy and responding into useful way via biofield energy and the process is known as biofield treatment. Mr. Trivedi’s unique biofield treatment is also known as The Trivedi Effect®. Mr. Trivedi’s biofield treatment was extensively studied in different fields such as in material science [12,13], agricultural science [14-16], and in biotechnology [17]. Further, the biofield treatment has considerably altered the susceptibility of antimicrobials and biotype of microbes [18-20]. By considering the above mentioned facts and literature reports on biofield treatment, the present work was undertaken to evaluate the impact of biofield treatment on antimicrobials susceptibility, biochemical reactions pattern, and biotype of MDR isolates of K. pneumoniae.

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