Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diabetic Foot Patients: A Shift in the Infectious Agent Profile Toward Nonfermentative Gram-Negative Bacilli.

Background: Diabetes foot infection is a very important public health problem that causes serious health problems, mortality, and high health expenditures, and is one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus. There are concerns that approaches such as limited personal visits to doctors, avoidance of hospitals, and restrictions on nonemergency surgical procedures during the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic pose a threat to those with diabetic foot problems, including diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), ischemia, and infection, resulting in increased limb loss and mortality.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in 14 tertiary care hospitals from various regions of Turkey.

Evaluation of candidemia risk factors and species distribution in intensive care units among patients with and without COVID-19.

Objectives: To assess the risk variables related to the types of candidemia for each patient, who was admitted into the intensive care unit regardless of the patient with or without complete diagnosis of COVID-19, during the period of March 2019 to December 2022.

Methods: The evaluation comparison of demographic and clinical data of COVID-19 positive and negative patients with candidemia confirmed in blood, 113 cases were assessed. Variables such as gender, age, age of hospitalization, history of hospitalization, concurrently infection, The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation-II scores, comorbidity checking, intubation, central venous catheter use, parenteral nutrition use, steroid use, antibiotic use, lymphopenia, and laboratory variables were evaluated.

Association of Serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) Levels and Disease Severity in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) as a possible biomarker in determining disease severity in patients with moderate and severe COVID-19.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study included moderate or severe COVID-19 patients; critically ill patients who were followed up in the intensive care unit were not included. KL-6 level and routine laboratory test measurements were performed on the first day of admission.

Antibiotic Use among Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 and Treated in Three Different Clinics.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine and compare the rates of empirical antibiotic use and duration between the chest diseases clinic (CDC), infectious disease clinic (IDC), and internal medicine clinic (IMC) among patients hospitalized because of COVID-19.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in a single university hospital. The study included all patients aged 18 years and older hospitalized with a PCR-confirmed COVID-19 between May 30, 2021, and August 30, 2021.

The Effects of Antimicrobial Resistance and the Compatibility of Initial Antibiotic Treatment on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Diabetic Foot Infection.

We aimed to determine pathogen microorganisms, their antimicrobial resistance patterns, and the effect of initial treatment on clinical outcomes in patients with diabetic foot infection (DFI). Patients with DFI from 5 centers were included in this multicenter observational prospective study between June 2018 and June 2019. Multivariate analysis was performed for the predictors of reinfection/death and major amputation.

Foot self-care in diabetes mellitus: Evaluation of patient awareness.

Aims: To assess diabetic patients' knowledge and practices regarding foot care.

Methods: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional study in 1030 patients between November 2017 and February 2018.The descriptive survey instrument was developed by the investigators.

Development and validation of a modified quick SOFA scale for risk assessment in sepsis syndrome.

Sepsis is a severe clinical syndrome owing to its high mortality. Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score has been proposed for the prediction of fatal outcomes in sepsis syndrome in emergency departments. Due to the low predictive performance of the qSOFA score, we propose a modification to the score by adding age.

Community acquired infections among refugees leading to Intensive Care Unit admissions in Turkey.

Objectives: Data on the impact of refugees on Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are lacking in the literature, in particular for community-acquired (CA) infectious diseases, for which they are known to be at higher risk. We did a descriptive, multicenter study to analyze CA infections among refugee patients requiring ICU admission.

Methods: Inclusion criteria were adult refugee patients admitted to an ICU due to CA infections.

Predictors of fatality in pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection among adults.

Background: The fatality attributed to pandemic influenza A H1N1 was not clear in the literature. We described the predictors for fatality related to pandemic influenza A H1N1 infection among hospitalized adult patients.

Methods: This is a multicenter study performed during the pandemic influenza A H1N1 [A(H1N1)pdm09] outbreak which occurred in 2009 and 2010.

Mortality indicators in pneumococcal meningitis: therapeutic implications.

Background: The aim of this study was to delineate mortality indicators in pneumococcal meningitis with special emphasis on therapeutic implications.

Methods: This retrospective, multicenter cohort study involved a 15-year period (1998-2012). Culture-positive cases (n=306) were included solely from 38 centers.

Ribavirin is not effective against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever: observations from the Turkish experience.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral infection associated with a high mortality rate. Ribavirin is the only drug used in the treatment of this disease. Studies investigating the effectiveness of ribavirin in CCHF have been retrospective and to date have included only a small number of cases.

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).

Influenza B-associated encephalopathy in two adults.

Influenza virus is associated with a variety of neurological complications, of which the most commonly encountered are seizures and encephalopathy. Acute encephalitis and postinfectious encephalopathy have been reported infrequently in association with influenza A and B virus infections. We describe two previously healthy adults who presented with encephalopathy with a virologically documented influenza B infection.

Comparison of tuberculin skin testing and QuantiFERON-TB Gold-In Tube test in health care workers.

The purpose of this prospective, cross-sectional observational study was to compare the tuberculin skin testing (TST) with QuantiFERON-TB Gold-In Tube (QTF-GIT) for the detection of latent tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers (HCWs). The study included 78 volunteers who are HCWs at the same tertiary care teaching hospital for chest diseases and tuberculosis. Participants with active tuberculosis, immunodefficiency or malnutrition were not included.

Nosocomial infections and risk factors in the intensive care unit of a teaching and research hospital: a prospective cohort study.

Background: To evaluate the incidence, risk factors and etiology of nosocomial infections (NIs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital in order to improve our infection control policies.

Material/methods: A 1-year prospective cohort study of nosocomial infection (NI) surveillance was conducted in our ICU in 2008.

Results: Out of 1134 patients hospitalized in the ICU for a period of 6257 days, 115 patients acquired a total of 135 NIs distributed as follows: 36.

A case of gynecomastia due to entecavir.

Hepatitis B is an important health problem all over the world as well as in our country. Entecavir is a nucleoside analog used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. We present a case of a 55-year-old male patient who developed unilateral gynecomastia while under treatment with entecavir.

An adult onset Still's disease mimicking pneumonia.

Adult onset Still's disease is a rare systemic inflammatory disease of unknown origin. It is common to involve liver and spleen, and less often lungs. A 24-year-old man presenting with spiking fever, pulmonary infiltrations, and pleural effusion on the right side mimicking pneumonia.

The evaluation of the Quantiferon-TB Gold test in pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

In our study we evaluated the Quantiferon-TB Gold (QFT-G) test and compared it with tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity in 44 pulmonary and 21 extrapulmonary tuberculosis cases in whom active tuberculosis infection was suspected on clinical, microbiologic and radiologic grounds. QFT-G positivity was 75% in pulmonary tuberculosis and 76.2% in extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

Angio-oedema as an unusual tolerable side effect of voriconazole therapy.

Voriconazole (VRC) has not previously been reported to cause angio-oedema. Here, we report a case of angio-oedema associated with VRC therapy. A 37-year-old woman with relapsing invasive vertebral aspergillosis received intravenous VRC and developed angio-oedema 10 days after starting therapy.

Ecthyma gangrenosum without bacteremia in a previously healthy man: a case report.

Introduction: Ecthyma gangrenosum is known as a characteristic lesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis and is usually seen in immunocompromised patients.

Case Presentation: A previously healthy 63-year-old man was admitted with sloughy necrotic ulcerations of the skin over his sternum. He was afebrile and in good condition.

A case of herpes simplex hepatitis with hepatic nodules in an immunocompetent patient.

Herpes simplex hepatitis is a rare cause of acute hepatitis in immunocompetent patients. Herpes hepatitis presents with nonspecific symptoms like fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain. Elevated transaminase values with leukopenia, relatively low bilirubin level and mucosal herpetic lesions often provide clues to the diagnosis.

[Antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from sterile body sites].

Antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae has become an important issue in the last years. Penicillin resistance rates vary among countries and among different regions in countries. It is important to know penicillin resistance rates among isolates, in planning empirical antimicrobial therapy in pneumococcal infections.

The coexistence of hepatitis A and infectious mononucleosis.

Hepatitis A is an acute, self-limited disease that spreads predominantly by the fecal-oral route. Hepatitis A characteristically has an acute, sudden influenza-like onset with a prominence of myalgia, headache, fever and malaise. Infectious mononucleosis is an acute illness characterized clinically by sore throat, fever and lymphadenopathy.