Prognostic Risk Factors in Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial infection commonly seen in patients in intensive care units (ICU). This study aimed to analyze factors affecting prognosis of patients diagnosed with VAP. MATERIAL AND METHODS Critically ill patients with VAP were retrospectively evaluated between June 2002 and June 2011 in the ICU.

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.

Brucellosis: a retrospective evaluation of 164 cases.

Introduction: Brucellosis is a public health problem that is prevalent in several developing countries.

Methods: The clinical and laboratory characteristics of 164 cases of brucellosis in Bursa, Turkey, were retrospectively evaluated.

Results: The ages of the 164 patients ranged from 15-85 years.

Nosocomial Acinetobacter pneumonia: Treatment and prognostic factors in 356 cases.

Background And Objective: Acinetobacter baumannii and A. baumannii/calcoaceticus complex are commonly encountered pathogens in nosocomial infections. This study aimed to evaluate the treatment and prognostic risk factors in nosocomial pneumonia caused by these microorganisms.

Comparison of blood culture and multiplex real-time PCR for the diagnosis of nosocomial sepsis.

Background: In many cases of suspected sepsis, causative microorganisms cannot be isolated. Multiplex real-time PCR generates results more rapidly than conventional blood culture systems.

Methods: In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of multiplex real-time PCR (LightCycler® SeptiFast, Roche, Mannheim, Germany), and compared with blood cultures and cultures from focus of infection in nosocomial sepsis.

Investigation of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium outbreak in neonatal intensive care unit.

Enterococci are one of the major agents of community-acquired and nosocomial infections. In this study we aimed to analyze the clonal relation of the vancomycin-resistant Enterococci outbreak seen at the Neonate Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Uludag University Hospital. Vancomycin resistance gene was investigated in the Enterococcus faecium strains and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to investigate the genetic relation between outbreak strains.

Investigation of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in neonatal intensive care unit.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains lead to severe infections in immunosupressive patients, geriatric population and premature infants. 27 MRSA strains isolated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was considered as an outbreak and it was aimed to investigate the genetic and epidemiologic relation of the MRSA outbreak. MecA gene was investigated in the S.

Diagnosis of acute tonsillopharyngitis in primary care: a new approach for low-resource settings.

Background: Diagnosing GABHS (Group A-beta Hemolytic Streptococcus) tonsillopharyngitis by clinical scoring is a recommended approach in developed countries, but there is still much controversy for low resource settings.

Aim: We aimed to assess the impact of Centor criteria with the support of practical laboratory tests.

Methods: We prospectively included patients complaining sore throat (N = 282).

[Evaluation of PCR results in the diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus infections].

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpesvirus leading to latent infections, is principally responsible for infectious mononucleosis, and also plays role in the etiology of various lymphomas and post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). Laboratory diagnosis of EBV infections depends on the detection of atypical lymphocytes, heterophile antibodies, specific antibodies against viral capsid (VCA), nuclear (EBNA) and early (EA) antigens, and of the viral DNA. Since the seropositivity rate in adult population is very high (80-95%) in our country, routine serologic tests may be insufficient to characterize EBV reactivation in immunosuppressive subjects, such as transplant recipients or oncology patients.

[Comparative evaluation of in vitro activities of carbapenems against gram-negative pathogens: Turkish data of COMPACT study].

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro activities of doripenem, imipenem, and meropenem against clinical gram-negative isolates. A total of 596 clinical isolates were obtained from intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients in 10 centers over Turkey between September-December 2008. The origin of the isolates was patients with nosocomial pneumonia (42.

[In vitro susceptibility to linezolid in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus strains].

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) worldwide. Linezolid which is one of the first oxazolidinones in clinical use, has bacteriostatic activity on gram-positive bacteria including MRSA and VRE. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro susceptibilities of MRSA and VRE clinical isolates to linezolid.

[Evaluation of the fully automated BACTEC MGIT 960 system for testing susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to front line antituberculosis drugs and comparison with the radiometric BACTEC 460 TB method].

The performance of the fully automated BACTEC MGIT 960 (Becton Dickinson, Cockeysville, Md.) system for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to critical concentrations of 4 major antituberculosis drugs [streptomycin (STR), isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF) and ethambutol (EMB)] was evaluated with 100 clinical isolates and compared to that of the radiometric BACTEC 460 TB (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md.) system.

Investigation of colistin sensitivity via three different methods in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates with multiple antibiotic resistance.

Background: In recent years there has been an increase in life-threatening infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii with multiple antibiotic resistance, which has lead to the use of polymyxins, especially colistin, being reconsidered. The aim of this study was to investigate the colistin sensitivity of A. baumannii isolates with multiple antibiotic resistance via different methods, and to evaluate the disk diffusion method for colistin against multi-resistant Acinetobacter isolates, in comparison to the E-test and Phoenix system.

[Cystic echinococcosis in Turkey from 2001-2005].

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by the metacestode form of Echinococcus granulosus is a major public health problem especially in animal-raising regions of the world. In the present study, CE cases were determined during 2001-2005 by investigating different hospital and health directorship documents and Health Ministry documents, retrospectively. Our results show that there were 2534 (13.

Evaluation of leukocyte esterase and nitrite strip tests to detect spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients.

Aim: To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of leukocyte esterase and nitrite reagent strips for bedside diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).

Methods: A total of 63 consecutive patients with cirrhotic ascites (38 male, 25 female) tested between April 2005 and July 2006 were included in the study. Bedside reagent strip testing was performed on ascitic fluid and the results compared to manual cell counting and ascitic fluid culture.

[Meningitis caused by Oerskovia xanthineolytica].

Oerskovia species are Nocardia-like bacteria that have been only and rarely associated with human infections. In this report, a meningitis case caused by Oerskovia xanthineolytica was presented. A 44 years old male patient who had experienced ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (V-P shunt) due to hydrocephaly, developed meningitis.

Comparison of the E-test method with an automated bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility detection system for screening extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers.

Some automated systems used in clinical microbiology laboratories are able to detect products responsible for antimicrobial resistance. In this study, 626 isolates (436 Escherichia coli, 134 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 56 Klebsiella oxytoca strains) were examined for the presumptive detection of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production by 2 methods: the Sceptor system (BD, Sparks, MD, USA) and the E-test. ESBL production was detected in 26 E.

Increased risk of chronic hepatitis in children with cancer.

Background: There is a risk of viral hepatitis for children with cancer. Both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in countries with high prevalence cause major problems in the management of cancer patients. In this study, we evaluated the incidence and chronicity of HBV and HCV infections in children with malignant diseases receiving chemotherapy.