Publications by authors named "Alkan S"

Objectives: Both vancomycin (VAN) and teicoplanin (TEI) augment the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) when combined with piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP). We aimed to compare the risk of AKI among patients receiving TZP-VAN versus TZP-TEI.

Methods: This was a prospective, multinational, multicentre cohort study conducted in 12 centres from Turkiye, Italy and Spain between June 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by the larval stage of the parasite is a global health problem. This study aimed to assess cases of CE admitted to our General Surgery Department retrospectively, as there is no known similar publication concerning surgical treatment of abdominal cystic echinococcosis in Çanakkale province.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed laboratory and radiological findings alongside clinical and demographic features, treatments, and outcomes of cases undergoing surgical treatment for abdominal cystic echinococcosis in our department between 2012 and 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

spp. are ubiquitous, and people are frequently exposed to their spores in the environment and hospital settings. Despite frequent inhalation of the spores, infection is infrequent in humans, except in immunosuppressed hosts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Infantile hypotonia with psychomotor retardation and characteristic facies-1 (IHPRF1, MIM#615419) is a rare, birth onset, autosomal recessive disorder caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous truncating variants in gene (MIM#611549) resulting in a loss-of-function effect.

Methods: We enrolled a new IHPRF1 patients' cohort in the framework of an international multicentric collaboration study. Using specialized pathogenicity predictors and structural analyses, we assessed the mechanistic consequences of the deleterious variants retrieved on NALCN structure and function.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

and genes encode proteins forming transmembrane channels, Na/K/ATPase transporter, and voltage-gated calcium channels, respectively. Pathogenic variants in these genes are associated with hemiplegic migraines, movement disorders, and developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.We report a child presenting epileptic encephalopathy with cognitive and behavioral troubles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a pathogen that colonizes medical equipment and causes nosocomial infections due to its ability to form biofilms, has high mortality rates. This study investigated the risk factors related to mortality in patients who were diagnosed with S. maltophilia bacteremia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the occurrence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in immunocompetent critically ill patients who have bacterial infections in their respiratory tract.
  • Out of 34 patients, 79.4% experienced CMV reactivation, particularly those with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and sepsis, although the differences in CMV DNA levels weren't statistically significant.
  • The findings suggest that CMV reactivation is linked to longer hospital stays and extended mechanical ventilation but does not correlate with increased mortality rates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is an important public health problem due to its diverse clinical presentations, diagnostic complexities, and significant impact on patient outcomes and public health. Our study aimed to understand the sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics as well as diagnostic and treatment modalities of adult patients with EPTB. This is a multicentric retrospective study that covers patients with EPTB cases followed up from January 2015 to December 2022 among tuberculosis (TB) dispensaries and Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology clinics of 15 hospitals located in various regions of Turkey.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections. Although culture is the gold standard diagnostic method, bacterial growth in blood cultures may not always occur due to various factors. We aimed to investigate demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings that may have predictive significance for bacteremia in brucellosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate the real-life efficacy and safety of glecaprevir /pibrentasvir in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, as well as to identify the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the follow-up and treatment of patients.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted retrospectively with the participation of researchers from universities or training and research hospitals. It included patients with chronic hepatitis C who were over 18 years of age, treatment-naïve or treatment-experienced, had detectable HCV RNA and were receiving glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how COVID-19 impacted diabetes-related clinical emergencies, revealing a notable increase in such emergencies during the pandemic compared to before it.
  • Data from 269 endocrinology consultations between March 2018 and March 2022 indicated significant rises in diabetes conditions like ketoacidosis and hyperglycemia during the COVID-19 period.
  • The findings suggest that the pandemic worsened diabetes management and outcomes, particularly for type 2 diabetes patients, highlighting an urgent need for improved care strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Given the multisystem nature of COVID-19 and its potential neuro-psychiatric effects along with the recognized role of systemic inflammation in the prognosis of both COVID-19 and psychiatric disorders, it is imperative to assess psychiatric symptoms in COVID-19 patients. This study sought to investigate the value of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) scores, levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms assessed within the initial 24 hours following COVID-19 diagnosis as potential predictors of the clinical trajectory of COVID-19.

Methods: This study involved 64 patients admitted to our COVID-19 ward with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 pneumonia, all of whom underwent a psychiatric evaluation within 24 hours of admission.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Given the limited studies on types of vaccination and infection rates among health care workers (HCWs) in Türkiye, we analyzed the demographic, clinical, and vaccination characteristics as well as the attitudes of HCWs who have been infected with COVID-19.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed demographic and clinical data on breakthrough COVID-19 infections in HCWs from hospital surveillance data collected between April 5, 2020, and November 1, 2022. The comparison was based on four subgroups that consisted of unvaccinated, one-shot-vaccinated, homologous vaccinated, and heterologous vaccinated individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: To identify possible drug-drug interactions in patients taking medications for other comorbidities while on antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: The study enrolled patients with chronic hepatitis B aged ≥60 years who were treated with antiviral therapy in five hospitals in Turkey between January 1 and March 1, 2023. The Lexicomp® Drug Interactions program was used to identify possible drug-drug interactions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study analyzed 331 patients with primary brain abscesses (PBAs) from 39 centers in 16 countries, focusing on infection causes, risk factors, and mortality outcomes over a 12-year period.
  • Study results showed that the majority of patients were middle-aged men (average age 46.8), with symptoms like headaches and fever; Gram-positive cocci were the most common pathogens.
  • Key factors influencing mortality at 42 days included intravenous drug use and malignancy, while factors affecting 180-day mortality included temporal lobe involvement and the presence of unidentified bacteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: This study aimed to identify factors that influence the mortality rate of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data from 23 centers across 15 countries, spanning the period of March 2020 to December 2021, were retrospectively collected. The study population comprised patients who developed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis while being treated for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • PCR and antigen tests (AgT) are important for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2, but traditional PCR can't determine if the virus is infectious; subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) may be a better indicator.
  • A study analyzed 109 PCR positive samples, finding that 76.14% also tested positive for AgT and various sgRNAs, with significant correlations between sgRNA and AgT positivity.
  • The results showed that higher cycle threshold (Ct) values were associated with lower AgT positivity, indicating that AgT may help assess infectiousness alongside sgRNA detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The present retrospective study aimed to investigate the value of blood parameters in predicting mortality in patients with below-knee amputation (BKA). A total of 178 patients with BKA were included in the present study. The patients were divided into two groups, namely the exitus group (n=136; 76.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rise in cases of mucormycosis, particularly in India, prompting a study to analyze factors affecting mortality in COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) among patients in mainly Asian and some African countries.
  • - The study included 162 CAM patients, primarily older males, with a high prevalence of diabetes and rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis; results indicated a 39% mortality rate influenced by advanced age, use of rituximab, and diabetic ketoacidosis as significant risk factors.
  • - Findings suggest that surgical debridement improves survival rates, and combining antifungal treatments with surgery significantly enhances outcomes for CAM patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To assess the risk variables related to the types of candidemia for each patient, who was admitted into the intensive care unit regardless of the patient with or without complete diagnosis of COVID-19, during the period of March 2019 to December 2022.

Methods: The evaluation comparison of demographic and clinical data of COVID-19 positive and negative patients with candidemia confirmed in blood, 113 cases were assessed. Variables such as gender, age, age of hospitalization, history of hospitalization, concurrently infection, The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation-II scores, comorbidity checking, intubation, central venous catheter use, parenteral nutrition use, steroid use, antibiotic use, lymphopenia, and laboratory variables were evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL) was recognized as a distinct entity in the fourth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification for hematolymphoid neoplasms (WHO-HAEM4); however, its de novo presentation has been removed from the upcoming 5th edition classification (WHO-HAEM5). We present a case of a 65-year-old man with leukocytosis, fatigue, and no organomegaly by imaging. Bone marrow examination showed a prolymphocytoid population comprising 78% of the marrow elements.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing and are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in older adults. Identifying associated factors for ESBL production may contribute to more appropriate empirical treatment.

Materials And Methods: This was a prospective observational study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of hematologic findings and the relationship between hemogram parameters and brucellosis stages in patients.

Methods: This multi-center study included patients older than 16 years of age who were followed up with a diagnosis of brucellosis. Patients' results, including white blood cell, hemoglobin, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, mean platelet volume, platelet and eosinophil counts were analyzed at the initial diagnosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF