Assessment of Antibiogram of Multidrug-Resistant Isolates of Enterobacter aerogenes after Biofield Energy Treatment

What is it about?

Enterobacter aerogenes (E. aerogenes) has been reported as the versatile opportunistic pathogen associated with the hospital infections worldwide. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment on multidrug resistant clinical lab isolates (LSs) of E. aerogenes. The MDR isolates of E. aerogenes (i.e., LS 45 and LS 54) were divided into two groups, i.e., control and treated. Samples were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), biochemical study, and biotype number using MicroScan Walk-Away® system, on day 10 after the biofield treatment. The antimicrobial sensitivity assay showed 14.28% alteration out of twenty eight tested antimicrobials with respect to the control. The cefotetan sensitivity changed from intermediate (I) to inducible β-lactamase (IB), while piperacillin/tazobactam changed from resistant to IB in the treated LS 45. Improved sensitivity was reported in tetracycline, i.e., from I to susceptible (S) in LS 45, while chloramphenicol and tetracycline sensitivity changed from R to I in treated LS 54. Four-fold decrease in MIC value was reported in piperacillin/tazobactam, and two-fold decrease in cefotetan and tetracycline in the biofield treated LS 45 as compared to the control. MIC results showed an overall decreased MIC values in 12.50% tested antimicrobials such as chloramphenicol (16 µg/mL) and tetracycline (8 µg/mL) in LS 54. The biochemical study showed an overall 45.45% negative reaction in the tested biochemical in both the treated isolates as compared to the control. A change in biotype number was reported in MDR isolates (LS 45 and LS 54), while in LS 54, altered biotype number, i.e., 0406 0374 as compared to the control (7770 4376), with identification of the new species as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia with brown color as special characteristic. The study findings suggest that Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment on clinical MDR isolates of E. aerogenes has the significant effect on altering the sensitivity of antimicrobials, decreasing the MIC values, changed biochemical reactions, and biotype number.

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Why is it important?

Enterobacter is a genus of Gram-negative, rod shaped, facultative anaerobic, and non-spore forming microbes of family Enterobacteriaceae. Enterobacter aerogenes (E. aerogenes) is well known opportunistic bacteria emerged as nosocomial pathogen in intensive care unit patients [1]. E. aerogenes was initially named as Aerobacter aerogenes, which was later in 1960 included in the genus Enterobacter. Since 1990s, E. aerogenes has been increasingly reported for resistant against different antimicrobials, leads to emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates [2]. In the last 5 years, clinical isolates of this species have shown natural resistant against aminopenicillins, often showed resistance against β-lactams antibiotics. Resistance mechanisms in β-lactams mostly involve enzymatic degradation and plasmid-mediated broad spectrum β-lactamases [3]. However, membrane permeability, enzyme degradation, and p-glycoprotein efflux pump also contribute it to enhance the level of resistance against carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, quinolones, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol [4,5]. Enterobacter species are responsible for high morbidity and mortality rate in recent years due to nosocomial infections and other health care settings [6]. Due to extended resistance of Gram-negative bacteria against almost all antibiotics, early initiation of drug therapy is required, nowadays colistin, and polymyxin antibiotic have been preferred as an alternative drugs against Gram-negative pathogens [7,8]. Recent update on colistin antibiotic, a drug of 21st century reports it’s associated adverse effects and serious toxicity issues such as neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity [9]. Despite several new drug discoveries of broad spectrum drugs or combination therapies, associated toxicities are still a serious complication. Recently, an alternate treatment therapy approach called biofield healing therapies or therapeutic touch is reported with effectively inhibiting the growth of bacterial cultures [10]. The biofield is a cumulative outcome of measurable electric and magnetic field, exerted by the human body [11]. It generates through some internal processes in the human body such as blood flow, lymph flow, brain functions, and heart function. The energy mainly exists in different forms such as potential, kinetic, magnetic, electrical, and nuclear energy produced from different sources. The energy field that surrounds and penetrates the human body is collectively defined as biofield and the extent of energy associated with biofield is termed as biofield energy. Biofield treatment includes energy therapies that interact with patient’s biofield and lead to improve people’s health and wellbeing. Mr. Trivedi’s possesses unique biofield energy, which has been experimentally studied in various research fields. Mr. Trivedi’s unique biofield treatment is also known as The Trivedi Effect®. Recently, Mr. Trivedi’s biofield has made significant breakthrough and results in living organisms and nonliving materials in a different manner. In life sciences, biofield treatment has altered the antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of pathogenic microbes. In some bacteria, genus as well as species was found to be altered [12-14]. Mr. Trivedi’s biofield treatment has also well scientifically studied in different areas such as materials science research [15-18], biotechnology research [19,20], and agriculture research [21-23]. Due to paucity of information and considering biofield energy as an alternate treatment approach, the present work was undertaken to evaluate the impact of Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment on antimicrobials susceptibility, biochemical reactions pattern, and biotype of MDR isolates of E. aerogenes.

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