The impact of admission cystatin C levels on in-hospital and three-year mortality rates in acute decompensated heart failure.

Background: Although tremendous advances have been made in preventative and therapeutic approaches in heart failure (HF), the hospitalisation and mortality rates for patients with HF is high. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cystatin C and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and in- and out-of-hospital mortality rates in acute decompensated HF (ADHF).

Methods: Between February 2008 and November 2011, 57 consecutive patients who were admitted with ADHF were included in this prospective study.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance mechanisms of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from 12 Hospitals in Turkey.

Introduction: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important nosocomial pathogens and is also emerging in Turkish hospitals. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of MRSA isolated from Turkish hospitals.

Materials And Methods: A total of 397 MRSA strains isolated from 12 hospitals in Turkey were included to present study.

[t030 is the most common spa type among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from Turkish hospitals].

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most frequent agents causing hospital infections. S.aureus has a great ability to adapt itself to variety of conditions and successful clones can be epidemic and even pandemic by its ability spread from one continent to another.

[Evaluation of antibiotic susceptibilities and VISA-VRSA rates among MRSA strains isolated from hospitalized patients in intensive care units of hospitals in seven provinces of Turkey].

The aim of this study was to determine whether vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) and vancomycin intermediate susceptible S.aureus (VISA) strains were present among methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from patients hospitalised at intensive care units (ICU) of hospitals located at different regions of Turkey and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of teicoplanin, linezolid, tigecycline, quinupristin-dalfopristin and daptomycin, which are alternative drugs for the treatment of MRSA infections.

Does interleukin-18 play a role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy?

Background/aims: It has been suggested that the presence of inflammation may accentuate the neuropsychologic alterations in hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The aim of the study was to investigate any association between alterations in plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 and HE.

Methodology: The study population included 63 patients with cirrhosis and 20 healthy controls.

Pan-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii mediastinitis treated successfully with tigecycline: a case report.

Background: Mediastinitis due to Acinetobacter baumannii is rare.

Methods: We report a case of mediastinitis caused by pan-resistant A. baumannii in a patient with multiple comorbidities who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass and we also present a literature review.

[Evaluation of the enrichment broth cultures in the isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus].

The detection of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers and the establishment of isolation precautions are of crucial importance to prevent the development of nosocomial infections due to MRSA. Previous studies have demonstrated that the use of enrichment broths increased the rate of MRSA isolation both in clinical samples and surveillance cultures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the MRSA isolation results obtained by inoculation of surveillance cultures in enrichment broth, for the patients staying in intensive care unit of our hospital during September 2006-January 2007 period.

[Short communication: comparison of susceptibilities of Escherichia coli urinary tract isolates against fosfomycin tromethamine and different antibiotics].

The aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibilities of Escherichia coli strains isolated from urine samples, against fosfomycin tromethamine and different antibiotics in the period of October-December 2004 in a local hospital in Ankara, Turkey. A total of 120 E. coli strains isolated from urine cultures of subjects who were admitted to outpatient clinics were included to the study.