Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma: What is missing?

While there are guidelines from all major liver societies for the screening and management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), many issues remain surrounding the actual practice of screening. This review discusses how to diagnose and screen HCC and more importantly, how well we diagnose and screen for HCC. Improved survival and outcomes after HCC diagnosis depend upon accurate diagnosis of cirrhosis and the timeliness of screening.

Mortality predictors of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a prospective multicenter study.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the causes of both community and healthcare-associated bacteremia. The attributable mortality of S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) is still higher and predictors for mortality and clinical outcomes of this condition are need to be clarified.

Comparison of brucellar and tuberculous spondylodiscitis patients: results of the multicenter "Backbone-1 Study".

Background Context: No direct comparison between brucellar spondylodiscitis (BSD) and tuberculous spondylodiscitis (TSD) exists in the literature.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare directly the clinical features, laboratory and radiological aspects, treatment, and outcome data of patients diagnosed as BSD and TSD.

Study Design: A retrospective, multinational, and multicenter study was used.

Comparison of colistin monotherapy and non-colistin combinations in the treatment of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter spp. bloodstream infections: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of colistin (COL) monotherapy versus non-COL based combinations in the treatment of bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to multidrug resistant Acinetobacter spp.(MDR-A).

Materials And Methods: Retrospective data of 107 MDR-A BSI cases from 27 tertiary centers in Turkey were included.

The development of pulmonary aspergillosis and pneumothorax in a patient with neutropenic systemic lupus erythematosus and successful treatment of the first case.

There are reports on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with aspergillosis; however, aspergillosis-related pneumothorax has not been reported in SLE. We present a female patient with active SLE who was administered high-dose steroids, developed an opportunistic bacterial infection and had a cavitary pulmonary lesion. Sputum cultures yielded Aspergillus fumigatus.

The interrelations of radiologic findings and mechanical ventilation in community acquired pneumonia patients admitted to the intensive care unit: a multicentre retrospective study.

Background: We evaluated patients admitted to the intensive care units with the diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) regarding initial radiographic findings.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was held. Chest x ray (CXR) and computerized tomography (CT) findings and also their associations with the need of ventilator support were evaluated.

Community-acquired pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring admission to the intensive care unit: risk factors for mortality.

Purpose: The aims of this study are to identify factors predicting mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission and to examine whether noninvasive ventilation treatment reduces mortality.

Materials And Methods: An analysis was performed on data from patients with CAP hospitalized in the ICUs of 19 different hospitals in Turkey between October 2008 and January 2011. Predictors of mortality were assessed by both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses.

Mortality indicators in community-acquired pneumonia requiring intensive care in Turkey.

Background: Severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) is a fatal disease. This study was conducted to describe an outcome analysis of the intensive care units (ICUs) of Turkey.

Methods: This study evaluated SCAP cases hospitalized in the ICUs of 19 different hospitals between October 2008 and January 2011.

Withdrawal of Staphylococcus aureus from intensive care units in Turkey.

Background: In the past, Staphylococcus aureus infections have displayed various patterns of epidemiologic curves in hospitals, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). This study aimed to characterize the current trend in a nationwide survey of ICUs in Turkey.

Methods: A total of 88 ICUs from 36 Turkish tertiary hospitals were included in this retrospective study, which was performed during the first 3 months of both 2008 (period [P] 1) and 2011 (P2).

Mediterranean spotted fever in the Trakya region of Turkey.

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is caused by a tick-borne pathogen, Rickettsia conorii subsp. conorii, belonging to the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cases with confirmed diagnosis of MSF from 2003 to 2009 in the Trakya region of Turkey.

[Evaluation of epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of candidemia in adult patients in a tertiary-care hospital].

Candida species which are currently the fourth most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections, are associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this retrospective case-control study which included adult patients was to determine the epidemiology of candidemia and to evaluate risk factors for the development of candidemia and mortality at a tertiary-care education hospital over a 1-year period. A total of 38 candidemia cases (23 were male; age range: 17-82 yrs; mean age: 61.

Cost of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in Turkey.

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the direct medical costs and outcomes of patients with stroke.

Material And Methods: The records of the patients admitted with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke to the University of Trakya, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology were reviewed retrospectively in year 2007. Direct medical costs (total costs, radiological, laboratory, medicine, and other) were calculated, additionally cost per life saved and per life-year saved were calculated for stroke patients.

CTX-M type extended spectrum beta-lactamases in Escherichia coli isolates from community acquired upper urinary tract infections at a university in the European part of Turkey.

Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli has been an emerging etiologic agent in the community acquired infections. We investigated the occurrence of ESBL producing E. coli isolated from patients admitted with community acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) to the hospital of the Trakya University, Turkey during 2006.

Negative serology: could exclude the diagnosis of brucellosis?

Two cases of brucellar spondylodiscitis of the lumbar area were presented. Although both cases showed typical radiological changes, serological tests could not detect Brucella agglutinating antibodies. One of the patients was bacteremic and Brucella spp.

[Staphylococcus aureus hepatic abscess associated with cervical lymphadenitis].

Pyogenic liver abscesses usually develop secondary to biliary tract and intraabdominal infections and members of the Enterobacteriaceae family are usually implicated as the etiologic agents. In this report a case of hepatic abscess devoloped secondary to cervical lymphadenitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, was presented. Twenty-one years old male patient was admitted to the hospital with complaints of fever, swelling and pain at the right side of the neck and difficulty in swallowing.

Brucellosis triggering hemolytic anemia in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

Objectives: To present a case of acute brucellosis triggering acute hemolytic anemia in a subject with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.

Clinical Presentation And Intervention: A 17-year-old male patient presented with fever, malaise and jaundice. His blood and bone marrow cultures yielded Brucella species.

Spondylodiscitis due to an emergent fungal pathogen: Blastoschizomyces capitatus, a case report and review of the literature.

The study includes a case report and a literature review. The main objective of this study is to present a case of spondylodiscitis due to a fungal pathogen, Blastoschizomyces capitatus and to review the published literature on this emergent fungus in etiology of spondylodiscitis, and osteomyelitis. Osteoarticular involvement due to B.

Acute onset myositis associated with brucellosis, quite a rare diagnosis.

Brucellosis is a zoonosis that is transmissible to humans. It is a disease with multi-systemic involvement caused by the genus Brucella. Neurological complications, including meningitis, meningo-encephalitis, myelitis-radiculoneuritis, brain abscess, epidural abscess and meningo-vascular syndromes, are rarely encountered.

[Retrospective evaluation of the cases prediagnosed as viral encephalitis in Trace University Hospital between the period of 2000-2005].

In this study, a total of 17 adult patients ((> or =18 years old; 12 male, 5 female) with encephalitis followed up in neurology and infectious diseases clinics of Trace University Hospital between the years 2000-2005 were retrospectively analyzed. The most common signs and symptoms were confusion (n: 13; 76.4%), nausea and vomiting (n: 13; 76.

[Short communication: Evaluation of the flu vaccine administered to health care workers in Trakya University Hospital in 2006].

After the detection of human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus in Eastern Turkey in January 2006, Turkish Ministry of Health has had declared "National Plans of Activity for Pandemic Influenza". All health-care facilities were recommended to develop contingency plans. Then the essential activities were started in August 2006 in Trakya University, Faculty of Medicine (Edirne, Trace region of Turkey), and institutional education about pandemic influenza and preventive measures was implemented to health care workers (HCWs).

Acute viral cholecystitis due to hepatitis A virus infection.

Acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is frequent in developing countries. Although some gallbladder abnormalities are defined during the course, an acute cholecystitis is extremely rare. We here report 2 additional cases of cholecystitis due to acute HAV infection and review the previously reported 2 cases.