Evaluation of Dual Therapy in Real Life Setting in Treatment-Naïve Turkish Patients with HCV Infection: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study.

Background: Before the introduction of direct-acting antivirals in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients, the combination of peginterferon alpha and ribavirin was the standard therapy. Observational studies that investigated sustained virological response (SVR) rates by these drugs yielded different outcomes.

Aims: The goal of the study was to demonstrate real life data concerning SVR rate achieved by peginterferon alpha plus ribavirin in patients who were treatment-naïve.

[Evaluation of Candida colonization in intensive care unit patients and the use of Candida colonization index].

Parallel to the developments in the field of diagnosis and treatment, an increase in the incidence of fungal infections and the number of patients who are in the risk group for the development of opportunistic fungal infections have been observed in the recent years. Among the hospitalized patients, those most at risk in terms of fungal infections are intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The rate of Candida colonization of mucous membranes in hospitalized patients may reach to 80%, and this may predispose to the establishment of severe infections especially in patients under risk.

Assessment of the requisites of microbiology based infectious disease training under the pressure of consultation needs.

Background: Training of infectious disease (ID) specialists is structured on classical clinical microbiology training in Turkey and ID specialists work as clinical microbiologists at the same time. Hence, this study aimed to determine the clinical skills and knowledge required by clinical microbiologists.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between June 1, 2010 and September 15, 2010 in 32 ID departments in Turkey.

Efficacy and tolerability of antibiotic combinations in neurobrucellosis: results of the Istanbul study.

No data on whether brucellar meningitis or meningoencephalitis can be treated with oral antibiotics or whether an intravenous extended-spectrum cephalosporin, namely, ceftriaxone, which does not accumulate in phagocytes, should be added to the regimen exist in the literature. The aim of a study conducted in Istanbul, Turkey, was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of ceftriaxone-based antibiotic treatment regimens with those of an oral treatment protocol in patients with these conditions. This retrospective study enrolled 215 adult patients in 28 health care institutions from four different countries.