Publications by authors named "Meltem Avci"

Background: Blood culture-negative endocarditis (BCNE) is a diagnostic challenge, therefore our objective was to pinpoint high-risk cohorts for BCNE.

Methods: The study included adult patients with definite endocarditis. Data were collected via the Infectious Diseases International Research Initiative (ID-IRI).

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Purpose: OXA-48 producing Klebsiella pneumoniae is an emerging threat and outbreaks due to specific sequence types have been commonly reported. Here, we report an outbreak due to multidrug-resistant ST395 K. pneumoniae ST395.

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Myroides spp. are low-grade opportunistic pathogens. There were only a few outbreaks due to Myroides spp.

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Infective endocarditis is a growing problem with many shifts due to ever-increasing comorbid illnesses, invasive procedures, and increase in the elderly. We performed this multinational study to depict definite infective endocarditis. Adult patients with definite endocarditis hospitalized between January 1, 2015, and October 1, 2018, were included from 41 hospitals in 13 countries.

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Purpose: In this multicentre, retrospective, matched cohort study we aimed to evaluate the outcomes of neutropenic fever cases that were treated with daptomycin or a glycopeptide (vancomycin or teicoplanin).

Methods: Data and outcomes of adult (aged > 18-years old) patients with neutropenic fever [(1) without clinical and radiological evidence of pneumonia, (2) who were treated with daptomycin or a glycopeptide (teicoplanin or vancomycin) for any reason and for at least 72 h] were extracted from the hospital databases. Matching was performed with all of the three following criteria: (1) underlying disease, (2) reason for starting daptomycin or glycopeptide (microbiologic evidence vs.

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In this multicenter prospective cohort study, it was aimed to evaluate the bacterial and viral etiology in community-acquired central nervous system infections by standart bacteriological culture and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Patients hospitalized with central nervous system infections between April 2012 and February 2014 were enrolled in the study. Demographic and clinical information of the patients were collected prospectively.

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Objective: Neuroimaging abnormalities in central nervous system (CNS) brucellosis are not well documented. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of imaging abnormalities in neurobrucellosis and to identify factors associated with leptomeningeal and basal enhancement, which frequently results in unfavorable outcomes.

Methods: Istanbul-3 study evaluated 263 adult patients with CNS brucellosis from 26 referral centers and reviewed their 242 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 226 computerized tomography (CT) scans of the brain.

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Background: The Thwaites and Lancet scoring systems have been used in the rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). However, brucellar meningoencephalitis (BME) has similar characteristics with TBM. The ultimate aim of this study is to infer data to see if BME should be included in the differential diagnosis of TBM when these two systems suggest the presence of TBM.

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Background/aim: To evaluate the efficacy of entecavir (ETV) among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) nucleos(t)ide-naive and -experienced patients in clinical practice.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study 85 CHB patients who had been receiving ETV and who attended our clinic since 2007 were included. Fifty patients were nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA)-naïve.

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Aim: Zygomycosis is a severe angioinvasive infection caused by Zygomycetes. We retrospectively investigated 16 cases of zygomycosis.

Materials And Methods: The data of patients, who had been followed between 2004 and 2010 in 8 tertiary-care teaching hospitals, were reviewed.

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In this paper a disseminated persistent Nocardia cyriacigeorgica infection in an immunocompetent patient is described. The patient's long-term treatment, as well as its implications for managing similar cases in the future, is emphasized. Presenting with high fever, multiple nodules, and ulcerative cutaneous lesions of body sites, the patient was treated with various antimicrobials.

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The most common microorganisms isolated from septic arthritis are Staphylococcus aureus and streptoccocci. Septic arthritis due to Salmonella spp. are rare and the most commonly isolated species are S.

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Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the levels of procalcitonin (PCT), IL-8 (interleukin-8), MIF (macrophage migration inhibitory factor), osteoprotegerin (OPG), hs-CRP and D-dimer during fever above 38.3°C due to various causes.

Material And Methods: Blood samples taken from a total of consecutive 65 hospitalized patients during fever were prospectively tested for hsCRP, PCT, IL-8, OPG, MIF and D-dimer.

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Objective: To describe the clinical presentations, laboratory findings, prevalence and pattern of complications and the response to treatment of brucellosis in a 12-year period in a Turkish research hospital.

Materials And Methods: Between 1996 and 2008, 231 patients were diagnosed with brucellosis and treated in our clinic. Medical records of 189 of the 231 patients with at least one demonstrable complication of the disease were reviewed for anamnesis, diagnosis, complications, treatment and clinical outcomes.

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Purpose: The antibiotic restriction policy has been validated nationwide since February 2003 by the Ministry of Health because the excessive consumption of antimicrobials causes a high cost. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic use of antibiotics in Aegean Region hospitals and to assess the impact of this nationwide antibiotic restriction policy. This new policy is based on justification that the infectious disease (ID) physicians should be primarily responsible for the prescription of antimicrobials.

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The aim of this retrospective study is to determine the frequency, type, microbiological characteristics and outcome of HAIs in the elderly (age ≥ 65) and to compare the data with younger patients in a Turkish Training and Research Hospital. From January 2008 to December 2009, the infection control team analyzed HAIs among 60,585 hospitalized patients (20,109 aged ≥ 65 and 40,747 aged between 18 and 64 years) with a total number of 419,017 patient days. A total of 825 HAIs episodes were detected in 607 patients, of which 395 episodes were in 301 elderly patients.

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Background: Splenectomy is a treatment procedure for ITP which is being used for more that 50years and is still considered as the best option for the treatment of the condition. The facts that frequent monitoring is not required and that medical treatment is not indicated following splenectomy in most cases are among the major advantages of the procedure.

Aim Of The Study: To compare the conventional dose steroid and high dose steroid treatments as run-in regime for splenectomy in patients diagnosed with ITP.

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A case of 19 years old female patient with 24 large primary cerebral hydatid cysts, in different localisations is presented. Cysts were removed unruptured by five separate operations in 6 months. The patient was observed to be in good health 1 year after the last operation.

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