Search

Background/aim Several questionnaires have been developed to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The aim of this study was to compare Turkish version of the Medical Outcomes Study-HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV) with Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) in people with HIV. Patients and methods A hundred and 14 patients with HIV were consecutively included. The MOS-HIV and SF-36 questionnaires were applied to all patients at the same day. MOS HIV included 35 items and assessed general health perceptions (GH), physical functioning (PF), social functioning (SF), mental health (MH), bodily pain (P), cognitive functioning, health distress, overall QoL, health transition, role functioning (RF), energy/vitality (EV), physical (Physical health summary score) and mental (MHSS) health summary scores. SF-36 included 36 items and measured eight domains of health concepts including SF, PF, P, RF, GH, role emotional, vitality (V) and MH. Correlation analysis and Bland- Altman plots were used to compare the MOS-HIV and SF-36 questionnaires. Results GH, PF, P, RF, EV, SF, and MH domains of the MOS-HIV were significantly correlated with those of SF 36. The agreement between the tests were 91.2% for PF, 92.1% for RF and pain, 94.7% for GH, 95.6% for EV, 92.1% for SF and 93.9% for MH. Conclusion Turkish version of the MOS HIV showed moderate correlations and agreement with SF 36 suggesting its use as an alternative to SF 36 in assessing QoL in these patients.

Otitis media-associated complications are widespread when it is not treated with appropriate antimicrobial treatment. Meningitis and brain abscess are the most reported intracranial complications of otitis media, usually caused by the direct spread of organisms from the contagious site. While anaerobic microorganisms are well-known in brain abscesses, they are not common in meningitis. When the clinical history and pathogenesis of otitis mediaassociated meningitis are combined, special methods to identify and cover anaerobic pathogens should be considered

Background: The prediction of disease severity in COVID-19 is valuable for providing appropriate supportive care earlier and reducing mortality. We aimed to evaluate the impact of baseline cortisol values on disease severity and assess the correlation between the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and cortisol levels. Methods: In this retrospective study, we compared the prognostic value of baseline the NLR, morning cortisol, ferritin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels among patients with severe and nonsevere COVID-19. The relationships were assessed with Spearman’s correlation. Results: Of 167 patients, 63 (37.7%) had severe disease, and their baseline cortisol levels were higher than those in the nonsevere group (18.92 µg/dL vs 13.8 µg/dL, p=0.011). The baseline cortisol level and NLR had area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53-0.71) and 0.70 (CI 95% 0.62-0.78) for the prediction of severe COVID-19, respectively. Severe disease was predicted in patients with a baseline cortisol cutoff ≥ 18.92 µg/dL (552 nmol/L) with a specificity of 75.0%, a sensitivity of 50.79%. The cutoff value for the NLR on day 1 was ≥ 6.2, with a specificity of 93.27% and a sensitivity of 32.79%. Baseline cortisol levels showed a significant weak-moderate positive correlation with the NLR and levels of CRP and ferritin on day 1 (r=0.33, r= 0.29, r= 0.28, respectively, p

Prompt and accurate diagnosis of polymicrobial bacteremia, which causes the difficulty in anti-infective treatments, poor treatment outcome and high mortality, is essential for initiating effective antimicrobial therapy. Here we present a case of bacteremia caused by two types of uncommon bacteria, Lactobacillus jenseniand and Veillonella montpellierensis in a 29-year-old pregnant woman at 33 weeks of gestation with anemia due to iron deficiency. She had no comorbidity or other chronic illnesses and was successfully treated with appropriate antibiotic use.

Introduction The human population is aging at an astonishing rate. The aim of this study is to capture a situation snapshot revealing the proportion of individuals aged 65 years and over among inpatients in healthcare institutions in Turkey and the prevalence and type of infections in this patient group in order to draw a road map. Materials and Methods Hospitalized patients over 65 years at any of the 62 hospitals in 29 cities across Turkey on February 9, 2017 were included in the study. Web-based SurveyMonkey was used for data recording and evaluation system. Results Of 17,351 patients 5871 (33.8%) were ≥65 years old. The mean age was 75.1 ± 7.2 years; 3075 (52.4%) patients were male. Infection was reason for admission for 1556 (26.5%) patients. Pneumonia was the most common infection. The median length of hospital stay was 5 days (IQR: 2–11 days). The Antibiotic therapy was initiated for 2917 (49.7%) patients at the time of admission, and 23% of the antibiotics prescribed were inappropriate. Healthcare-associated infections developed in 1059 (18%) patients. Urinary catheters were placed in 2388 (40.7%) patients with 7.5% invalid indication. Conclusion This study used real data to reveal the proportion of elderly patients in hospital admissions. The interventions done, infections developed during hospitalization, length of hospital stay, and excessive drug load emphasize the significant impact on health costs and illustrate the importance of preventive medicine in this group of patients.

Kidney transplant recipients are among the high-risk groups for severe COVID-19. To date, no specific antiviral agent has proved uniformly effective against SARS-CoV-2. Favipiravir, the recommended drug by the Turkish Ministry of Health, was uniformly supplied to all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by a positive nasopharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction test. The aim of our study was to retrospectively compare our kidney transplant recipients treated with favipiravir who developed COVID-19 infection versus those not treated with favipiravir during the clinical course of the disease, with a special emphasis on the occurrence of side effects and adverse events.We included 37 consecutive kidney transplant recipients with a median age of 46 years (62.2% women). Recipients included 8 with deceased donors and 29 with living related donors; median posttransplant survival was 8.0 years (IQR, 5.5-12.5 years).Twenty-six patients (70.3%) received favipiravir, and 11 (29.7%) did not. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for baseline demographic characteristics and clinical and laboratory data, except that the favipiravir-treated patients were older and had a higher requirement of oxygen treatment. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups for the course and outcome of COVID-19 infection with regard to adverse side effects/events associated with favipiravir. Laboratory data at baseline, day 7, and day 30 were also comparable between the groups.Although the efficacy of favipiravir for treatment of COVID-19 infection remains controversial, favipiravir is safe for kidney transplant recipients.

Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as another potential risk factor for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) due to the immunomodulatory effects of 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH)D]. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms such as Fok I, Bsm I, Apa I, and Taq I are also associated with different courses of viral infections. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the VDR gene polymorphism at Fok I, Taq I, Bsm I, and Apa I genotypes and the prognosis of COVID-19 in respect to vitamin D deficiency.Two-hundred ninety-seven patients with COVID-19 were enrolled. Serum 25 (OH)D levels were measured. Four variant regions of the VDR gene, FokI, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI were determined.Eighty-three percent of subjects had vitamin D deficiency, and 40.7% of the whole group had severe deficiency. Median 25 (OH)D level was 11.97 ng/ml. Vitamin D levels were not related to inflammatory markers, disease severity, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), and mortality. While disease severity was related to Fok I Ff genotype, it was Taq TT genotype for ICU admission. Moreover, the ApaI aa genotype was common among the patients who were died. None of the deceased subjects had the Fok I FF genotype.25 (OH)D levels were not related to the severity and mortality of COVID-19. VDR gene polymorphisms are independently associated with the severity of COVID-19 and the survival of patients.

M. bovis and Brucella spp. are zoonotic bacteria that can infect humans. These pathogens are usually seen in people who are primarily engaged in animal husbandry and consume infected animal products separately. Although our country is endemic for tuberculosis and brucellosis, it is rare to detect these two pathogens concomitantly. Thus, the case is instructive and unusual in terms of the coexistence of two concomitant zoonotic pathogens. Keywords: M. bovis; meningitis; brucellosis; concomitant.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) systolic performance in patients with sepsis or septic shock and possible functional alteration on in-hospital mortality. Patients and Methods: Thirty-seven consecutive patients with the diagnosis of sepsis or septic shock were included in the study. All patients underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examination. Data of patients discharged from the intensive care unit was compared with data of patients who died in the hospital. Results: Fifteen patients (40.5%) survived, while 22 patients were died in the hospital (59.5%). A significant difference was detected between survivor and non-survivor groups regarding before discharge or death level of inflammatory markers such as CRP (p=0.05) and procalcitonin (p=0.03) besides BNP (p=0.01) and SOFA (p=0.009) score. There were two patients (5.4%) with EF value less than %50 in the study population. Eight patients (21.6%) displayed hypokinesia on the apical segment, and four patients (10.8%) had TAPSE values below 17 mm. One patient (6.6%) in the survivor group, but seven patients (31.8%) in the non-survivor group had apical hypokinesia with a trend towards significance (p=0.068). One patient in the survivor group (6.6%) and three patients (13.6%) in the non-survivor group had RV systolic dysfunction (p: 0.51). Conclusion: We found a much lower rate of LV and RV systolic dysfunction in patients with sepsis or septic shock compared with previous studies. None of the myocardial dysfunction types was associated with in-hospital mortality. Apical hypokinesia was also more prevalent in non-survivors despite borderline significance.

Background and objective Occupation-related injuries (ORIs) are undesirable and harmful situations among healthcare workers (HCWs) and may have serious consequences. In this study, we aimed to identify and analyze ORI incidences, risk groups, and the outcomes of a training program to prevent them. Materials and methods Between January 2011 and December 2019, HCWs who applied for infection prevention and control (IPC) due to ORIs (percutaneous needlestick and sharp-object injury or contact with blood or body fluids) were included in the study. Their characteristic features, vaccine histories, injury types, viral serologies, and administered prophylaxis were recorded. After 2014, a periodic ORI training program was started. We used joinpoint regression analysis to compare the ORI incidences before and after the education program. Results During the nine-year study period, 965 ORIs were registered. The mean age of HCWs was 39.3 +/- 8.4 years, and 67.9% of them were female. The total injury incidence for all professions was 34.1 (95% CI: 33.1-37.5) per 1,000 HCWs. The injury incidences were significantly higher in nurses compared to other HCWs (p

Objective: This study aimed to identify the effect of tocilizumab (TCZ) on clinical outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients. Material and Methods: We included hospitalized COVID-19 patients with an initial WHO scale ≥4. We matched the patients with baseline characteristics by using propensity scores. Then, we selected patients with C-reactive protein levels above 30 and showing an upward trend. We assessed the effect of TCZ in patients on clinical outcomes by using Mann – Whitney U and Chi-square tests. Results: Of 200 patients who had an initial WHO scale ≥ 4, 42 (21%) were given TCZ in addition to standard of care (SOC). Twentyfive patients (50%) needed mechanical ventilation (MV) in the TCZ group, compared with 35 (21%) of 158 patients with SOC (p

Cryptococcus neoformans is generally observed with immunosuppressive conditions. Rarely, it may be seen in immunocompetent individuals and presented with non-specific conditions. We described an immunocompetent case of cryptococcal meningitis presented with multiple cerebral infarcts. Despite the late diagnosis and emergence of hydrocephalus during treatment, the patient was recovered without any sequelae. In immunocompetent patients, the conventional diagnostics tests may be negative because of the low fungal load. If it is available, the Biofire FilmArray meningitis panel has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly spread worldwide to become a pandemic. This study aimed to define the predictors of critical illness development within 28 days postadmission.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study including 477 PCR-positive COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Istanbul from March 12 to May 12, 2020. The development of critical illness, e.g., invasive mechanical ventilation and/or death, was followed for a period of 28 days postadmission. Demographic characteristics, number of comorbidities, illness severity at admission defined by the WHO scale, vital signs, laboratory findings and period of admission to the hospital were independent variables. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed, and the C-index was calculated.ResultsThe median (IQR) age of the cohort was 55.0 (44.0-67.0) years, and 50.1% were male. The most common presenting symptoms were cough, dyspnea and fatigue. Overall, 65.2% of the patients had at least one comorbidity. Hydroxychloroquine was given to 99.2% of the patients. Critical illness developed in 45 (9.4%; 95% CI: 7.0%-12.4%) patients. In the multivariable analysis, age (HR: 1.05, pConclusionsAge, comorbidity number, WHO scale, LDH and procalcitonin were independently associated with critical illness development. Mortality from COVID-19 seems to be decreasing as the pandemic advances.summaryWe analyzed 477 confirmed COVID-19 patients for the development of critical illness, e.g., invasive mechanical ventilation and/or death within 28 days postadmission. Age, comorbidity number, WHO scale, LDH and procalcitonin were independently associated with critical illness development.

Aim: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious heart disease with high mortality and morbidity. Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended for patients at risk of infective endocarditis before dental procedures. This Turkish online descriptive survey aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness levels of dentists and dental students regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for patients at risk of infective endocarditis. Method: Data on participants’ demographics and responses regarding dental treatments and heart diseases requiring prophylaxis as well as antibiotic dosage, duration, and administration time were collected between February 1 and June 30, 2016 in Turkey. For each correct answer one point was given. A score of >4 was considered successful. Results: In total, 584 dentists and 199 dental students participated in the questionnaire survey. The rate of ad- ministration of antibiotic prophylaxis against infective endocarditis was found as 92.59%. Overall success rates of dental procedures requiring prophylaxis and knowledge regarding heart diseases were 90.3% and 72.6%, respectively. Knowledge levels regarding the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for heart diseases and antibiotic do- sage and duration were greater in women, those with ?5 years of professional experience, dentists, and those working at dental faculties (p5 years of experience (p

WOS: 000468097700002 PubMed ID: 30844434 The latest report of the OECD Health Policy Studies stated that in2015 the highest rates of antimicrobial resistance (around 35% inTurkey, Korea and Greece) were seven times higher than the lowestrates among its member countries. As the OECD country with thehighest rate of resistance (38.8%), despite a 15-year hospital anti-biotic restriction programme, Turkey is in urgent need of revisingits policies and drawing an effective action plan to reverse thecurrent trend. In this commentary we review previous measurestaken to tackle antimicrobial overuse and resistance in Turkey and discuss their effectiveness.

Background The most common infections among renal transplant patients are urinary tract infections (UTI). Our main objective in this study is to determine the incidence of UTIs in patients who have undergone renal transplantation in our hospital, to identify the causative microbiological agents, risk factors and determine the effects of UTI on short-term graft survival. Methods Urinary tract infections, which developed within the first year of renal transplantation, were investigated. Patients were compared regarding demographic, clinical, laboratory characteristics and graft survival. Results 102 patients were included in our study. Fifty-three patients (53%) were male and 49 (48%) were female. Sixty-seven urinary tract infection attacks in 21 patients (20.5%) were recorded. Age (p = 0.004; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.032–1.184), longer indwelling urinary catheter stay time (p = 0.039; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.013–1.661) and urologic complications (p = 0.006; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.001–0.320) were found as risk factors for UTI development in the first year of transplantation. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most frequently isolated microorganisms. Of these bacteria, 63.2% were found to be extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) positive. Multidrug resistant microorganisms (MDROs) were more frequent in male patients (32 episodes in males vs. 14 episodes in females, p = Conclusion Our study results represent the high incidence of UTI with MDROs in KT recipients. Infection control methods should be applied even more vigorously especially in male transplant patients since a higher incidence of UTI caused by resistant microorganisms was reported in male patients.

Purpose: The risk factors of colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) associated nephrotoxicity are important. Our study attempts look into the prevalence of CMS-associated nephrotoxicity in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and related risk factors. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted between September 2010 and April 2012 on 55 patients who underwent CMS treatment. Nephrotoxicity risk was defined based on the Risk Injury Failure Loss End-stage kidney disease criteria. Results: Fifty-five patients included in the study. A total of 22 (40%) patients developed nephrotoxicity. The correlation was detected between nephrotoxicity and patients over 65 with a high Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score. APACHE II score was revealed an independent risk factor for nephrotoxicity. Conclusion: Advanced age and a high APACHE II score are significant risk factors in the development of nephrotoxicity at ICUs following CMS use. Patient selection and close monitoring are critical when starting CMS treatment.

Delftia acidovorans is usually a nonpathogenic environmental organism, which is rarely clinically significant. This article documents a case of D acidovorans-associated pneumonia in a B cell lymphoblastic leukemia patient. The authors also provide a review of the literature regarding D acidovorans infection and discuss how unusual pathogens may be clinically significant in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients., Delftia acidovorans is an aerobic, nonfermenting Gram-negative bacillus. It is usually a nonpathogenic environmental organism and is rarely clinically significant. Although D acidovorans infection most commonly occurs in hospitalized or immunocompromised patients, there are also several reports documenting the infection in immunocompetent patients. The present article describes a B cell lymphoblastic leukemia patient with D acidovorans pneumonia who was successfully treated with antibiotic therapy. The present report indicates that unusual pathogens may be clinically significant in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. D acidovorans is often resistant to aminoglycosides; therefore, rapid detection of this microorganism is important.

Objectives: Previously, in an animal study we showed that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could decrease deoxycholate amphotericin B (DAmB) induced renal tubular apoptosis. In this clinical study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of NAC in preventing acute kidney injury (AKI) in febrile neutropenic patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis treated with DAmB.Patients and Methods: Thirty-three patients were included in the study. 17 patients were randomly placed into the DAmB group and 16 were randomly placed into the DAmB plus NAC group.Results: The characteristics of patients, durations and cumulative doses of DAmB, concurrent nephrotoxic drugs and basal serum creatinine (SCr) levels of patients were similar. Occurrence of a 1.5 fold or greater increase in the concentration of basal SCr and serum electrolytes were observed prospectively. The overall AKI was found in 13 patients (76.4%) in DAmB group and 6 patients (37.5%) in combination group (P = 0.024). No significant difference was observed in hypokalemia incidence between the groups (87.5 % in combination vs. 94.1 % in DAmB only groups).Conclusion: This clinical pilot study showed that NAC may be a promising anti-oxidant agent to decrease DAmB-induced AKI in febrile neutropenic patients.Keywords: Amphotericin

WOS: 000386954300001, PubMed: 27809934, Background: The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in Turkey and to study related factors. Methods: This multicenter study was carried out between January 01 and April 15, 2015 in Turkey in 57 centers. Adults were enrolled and studied in three groups. Group 1: Inactive HBsAg carriers, Group 2: CHB patients receiving antiviral therapy, Group 3: CHB patients who were neither receiving antiviral therapy nor were inactive HBsAg carriers. Study data was collected by face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire, Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Hepatitis B Quality of Life (HBQOL). Values equivalent to p < 0.05 in analyses were accepted as statistically significant. Results: Four thousand two hundred fifty-seven patients with CHB were included in the study. Two thousand five hundred fifty-nine (60.1 %) of the patients were males. Groups 1, 2 and 3, consisted of 1529 (35.9 %), 1721 (40.4 %) and 1007 (23.7 %) patients, respectively. The highest value of HRQOL was found in inactive HBsAg carriers. We found that total HBQOL score increased when antiviral treatment was used. However, HRQOL of CHB patients varied according to their socio-demographic properties. Regarding total HBQOL score, a higher significant level of HRQOL was determined in inactive HBV patients when matched controls with the associated factors were provided. Conclusions: The HRQOL score of CHB patients was higher than expected and it can be worsen when the disease becomes active. Use of an antiviral therapy can contribute to increasing HRQOL of patients.

OBJECTIVE: More than 95% of all urinary tract infections are caused by a single bacterium. Although E. coli is the most common bacterium causing community-acquired infections, Klebsiella spp., enteric gram-negative bacteria and S. saprophyticus have been also identified. This study evaluated the microorganisms isolated from the urine cultures of patients admitted to our outpatient clinics in 2010 and assessed E. coli resistance and the frequency of extended-spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 7145 urine cultures were obtained from patients admitted to all clinics between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010. The double-disk synergy test was used to identify the presence of ESBL producers. RESULTS: The most frequently isolated microorganisms were E. coli (60.6%), Enterococcus spp. (10.3%), Klebsiella spp. (7.3%), Pseudomonas spp. (4.8%), and Streptococcus spp. (3.3%). E. coli strains were more resistant to ciprofloxacin (45.12%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (44.8%) and amoxicillin-clavulanate (31.6%), but they were less likely to be resistant to meropenem (0%), imipenem (0.2%), and amikacin (0.7%). The frequency of ESBL-producing E. coli strains was 14%. CONCLUSION: The choice of antibiotic treatment influences the overall success of treatment and the development of resistance, and it is also closely related to the cost of the treatment. As a result, there is a need to review the current treatment protocols. As resistance rates show regional differences, it is necessary to regularly examine regional resistance rates to determine the appropriate empiric antibiotic treatment and reduce costs.

An 87 -year-old female who was undergoing peritoneal dialysis presented with peritonitis caused by Alcaligenes faecalis and Pantoea agglomerans in consecutive years. With the following report we discuss the importance of these unusual microorganisms in peritoneal dialysis patients.

The reduction of amphotericin B (AmB)-induced renal tubular apoptosis and nephrotoxicity by N -acetylcysteine (NAC) in a murine model was evaluated. Four groups of rats were treated with AmB for 5 days, and each group concomitantly received two doses of 30, 60, or 120 mg of NAC/kg of body weight/day or sterile water for 5 days. Groups that received concomitant NAC at any dose had significantly decreased levels of apoptosis compared to that in animals receiving AmB only (48.8% versus 27.4, 23.6, or 23.5%, respectively; P < 0.001).

We present a case of giant mitral valve vegetation in a 66-year-old woman whose clinical status deteriorated rapidly without allowing time for surgery. She died due to a septic embolism and multiorgan failure. Our aim is to stress that the risk of embolic complications is high in cases of large vegetations. The mortality rates are high and these patients should be managed immediately, Biz burada klinik durumu cerrahi müdahaleye fırsat vermeden kötüleşen ve septik emboli ve çoklu organ yetmezliğine bağlı ölen 66 yaşında mitral kapakta dev vejetasyonu olan bayan hastayı sunuyoruz. Amacımız büyük vejetasyonları olan vakalarda embolik komplikasyon riskinin ve mortalite oranlarının yüksek olduğunu, çok hızlı müdahale edilmesi gerektiğini vurgulamaktır.