Six-year multicenter study on short-term peripheral venous catheters-related bloodstream infection rates in 727 intensive care units of 268 hospitals in 141 cities of 42 countries of Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and Western Pacific Regions: International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) findings.

Background: Short-term peripheral venous catheter-related bloodstream infection (PVCR-BSI) rates have not been systematically studied in resource-limited countries, and data on their incidence by number of device days are not available.

Methods: Prospective, surveillance study on PVCR-BSI conducted from September 1, 2013, to May 31, 2019, in 727 intensive care units (ICUs), by members of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC), from 268 hospitals in 141 cities of 42 countries of Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and Western Pacific regions. For this research, we applied definition and criteria of the CDC NHSN, methodology of the INICC, and software named INICC Surveillance Online System.

Investigation of an algorithm for anti HCV EIA reactivity in blood donor screening in Turkey in the absence of nucleic acid amplification screening.

Purpose: In this study we aimed to propose an algorithm for initial anti HCV EIA reactive blood donations in Turkey where nucleic acid amplification tests are not yet obligatory for donor screening.

Methods: A total of 416 anti HCV screening test reactive donor samples collected from 13 blood centers from three cities in Turkey were tested in duplicate by Ortho HCV Ab Version 3.0 and Radim HCV Ab.

Growing OXA-23 type strains among carbapenem-resistant and tigecycline as an alternate combination therapy.

Background/aim: The increasing prevalence and global spread of difficult-to-treat carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has become a serious problem. The aim of this study is to investigate the resistance patterns and tigecycline sensitivity of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains.

Investigation of 1377C/T polymorphism of the Toll-like receptor 3 among patients with chronic hepatitis B.

The immunopathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has not been clarified yet. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are a receptor family that initiates immunity with exogenous-endogenous ligands and plays a role in the pathogenesis of infections. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of TLR 3 1377C/T (rs3775290) polymorphism and its role in patients with CHB.

Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Clinical Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates With Different Genotypes.

Background: The treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii infections is difficult. Carbapenems, sulbactam, and colistin are the most effective antibiotics.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibilities of genotypically different A.

[A case of malaria with uveitis, hyperglycemia, and rasha in a Turkish radiologist who went to Africa].

Malaria is still an important health problem worldwide, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Turkey, the most common type of malaria is Plasmodium vivax, and endemic regions are South-Eastern Anatolia and Çukurova. Due to globalization and tourism, travel-associated infection due to P.

An investigation of pulmonary findings of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever patients.

Aim: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) generally affects many organs. In this study a retrospective evaluation of the pulmonary findings of CCHF patients was made.

Materials And Methods: The records of patients were retrospectively analysed.

[Comparison of GeneXpert® vanA/vanB PCR system and culture methods in the surveillance of vancomycin-resistant enterococci].

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are important agents of hospital infections worldwide. Early recognition of VRE colonization is important in the control of hospital infections. The aim of this study was to compare a real-time PCR (Rt-PCR) system and culture methods in the detection of VRE colonization.

Sonographic findings in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

Objectives: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has been endemic in Turkey since 2002. Some radiologic findings are considered common by clinicians and radiologists. In this regard, we aimed to assess the sonographic findings in patents with CCHF in a pilot study to obtain basic knowledge for planning further controlled studies.

Antibody responses and viral load in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever: a comprehensive analysis during the early stages of the infection.

This study was performed to assess viral load, viral nucleocapsid (N), and glycoprotein precursor (GPC) antibodies in consecutive samples obtained from Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever patients to reveal viral replication kinetics and antiviral immune responses during the early stages of the infection. Among 116 samples from 20 individuals, 43.9% and 76.

Plasmodium falciparum malaria case originating from Uganda.

Malaria is the fifth infection leading to death in the world. Plasmodium species is the malarial parasite that infects human cells. The five species of the human Plasmodium parasites are P.

[Epidemiological and microbiological evaluation of nosocomial infections caused by Candida species].

Nosocomial infections due to candida species are increasingly gaining importance. In this study, we aimed to determine the risk factors associated with nosocomial candida infections and also to determine the species and antifungal sensitivity of candida strains. Candida spp.

[Can mannose-binding lectin and plasma level of soluble urokinase receptor be used in diagnosis and treatment monitorization of brucellosis patients?].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and plasma soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (SuPAR) levels in monitoring the treatment in patients with brucellosis, by comparing their levels before and after treatment with the values obtained from healthy control group. Thirty brucellosis patients (mean age: 25.8 ± 12.

[Evaluation of antibiotic susceptibilities and VISA-VRSA rates among MRSA strains isolated from hospitalized patients in intensive care units of hospitals in seven provinces of Turkey].

The aim of this study was to determine whether vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) and vancomycin intermediate susceptible S.aureus (VISA) strains were present among methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from patients hospitalised at intensive care units (ICU) of hospitals located at different regions of Turkey and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of teicoplanin, linezolid, tigecycline, quinupristin-dalfopristin and daptomycin, which are alternative drugs for the treatment of MRSA infections.

[The effectiveness of hand hygiene products on MRSA colonization of health care workers by using CHROMagar MRSA].

The aims of this study were; to investigate the hand hygiene compliance of the health care workers (HCWs) during their routine patient care, to determine the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) hand colonization of the HCWs, to investigate the effect of different hand hygiene products on MRSA colonization and to evaluate the effectiveness of chromogenic agar for detecting MRSA. HCWs were investigated during their routine patient care and hand cultures were taken before and after hand wash/hygiene. Two different techniques were used to obtain the hand cultures: fingertip method (CHROMagar MRSA containing HygiSlide); and direct swab method and then inoculation to CHROMagar MRSA media.

[Protozoal antigen positivity in diarrheal patients admitted to emergency service: a point prevalence study].

Intestinal parasites are the important etiological agents of water and food related diarrhea cases which are frequently seen during summer/early autumn seasons in developing countries. This point prevalence study was aimed to determine the protozoal antigen positivity rate in diarrhea cases admitted to the emergency service in one single day. A total of 198 diarrheal patients (90 male, 108 female; age range: 1-82 years, mean age: 29 years) who were admitted to the emergency service of Ankara Training and Research Hospital were included in the study.

[Evaluation of vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolide and tigecycline susceptibilities of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus strains by E-test].

The aim of this study was to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of vancomycin, teicoplanin, tigecycline and linezolid in 100 methicillin-resistant staphylococci [21 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 79 methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococcus (MR-CNS)] isolated as agents of nosocomial infection from patients at Ankara Training and Research Hospital between June 2005-March 2007. The MIC values for vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid and tigecycline were tested by E-test method (AB Biodisk, Sweden). For 21 MRSA strains MIC50 and MIC90 values were as follows: vancomycin 0.

Clinical and laboratory findings of a sandfly fever Turkey Virus outbreak in Ankara.

Sandfly fever (SF) is an arthropod-borne disease, which has not yet been reported from Ankara. In the summer of 2007, the disease started to be seen in our region, surprisingly causing severe clinical presentations. This report reviews the clinical and laboratory findings of patients with sandfly virus infection of disease outbreaks in 2008 and 2009.

Acute kidney injury due to rhabdomyolysis in H1N1 influenza infection.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is rarely reported in the clinical course of H1N1 infection and this condition is strongly related with increasing of mortality risk. However, there are no sufficient data about the development of AKI due to H1N1 infections. The recent reports were documented for elevation of creatinine phosphokinase levels in the course of influenza infection, but rhabdomyolysis was rarely reported.

[Assessment of diagnostic methods for the catheter-related bloodstream infections in intensive care units].

The majority of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI) are associated with central venous catheters (CVCs) and most of them develop in patients staying at intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of this study was to assess the performance of different methods for the diagnosis of CR-BSI in neurology and neurosurgery ICUs of our hospital. This prospective study was carried out between January 2007 and January 2008 and all of the patients were followed daily for CR-BSI after the insertion of CVCs.

Human herpesvirus 6 infection in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection occurs worldwide and can be reactivated from latency during periods of immunosuppression, especially after organ transplantation. No previous study has evaluated the influence of dialysis type on HHV-6 infection. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of HHV-6 antibodies in hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

[Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus carriage rates in a neonatal intensive care unit].

This study was aimed to determine the rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) carriage in a neonatal intensive care unit in a Training and Research Hospital in Ankara, Turkey. A total of 135 newborns were included in the study. Following 5 days stay in intensive care unit, samples were taken from nose and umbilicus for the detection of MRSA and cultivated in mannitol-salt agar and oxacillin-resistance screening agar (ORSAB), respectively.

[Evaluation of oxacillin resistance screening agar and chromogenic MRSA agar media for the detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates].

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains which are the most frequent causes of hospital acquired infections, are also currently encountered with increasing frequency in community acquired infections. Therefore rapid and accurate identification of MRSA strains is essential in both implementation of infection control measures and prevention of the nosocomial spread of this microorganism. The aim of this study was to determine the specifisity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values of two commercial media, one was Oxacillin Resistance Screening Agar Base (ORSAB; Oxoid, England) and the other was chromogenic MRSA agar (BBL CHROMagar MRSA; BD, Paris, France), for the identification of MRSA strains.

Acupuncture for depression and myalgia in patients with hepatitis: an observational study.

Background: Depressive symptoms and myalgia are commonly seen in patients with chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture treatment on depressive symptoms and myalgia in patients with hepatitis.

Methods: Of 44 patients with hepatitis screened for depression and myalgia, 28 were enrolled and included in the study.