Funda Kocak

The diagnosis of brucellosis by use of BACTEC 9240 blood culture system

The diagnosis of brucellosis is generally made when a standard tube agglutination titer of 1/160 or more for anti-Brucella antibodies in the presence of compatible clinical signs and symptoms. However isolation of the organism from blood or bone marrow is the proof of the disease. In this study we aimed to describe the rate and duration of isolation of Brucella spp. from blood and bone marrow by use of automated blood culture system (BACTEC 9240). Between 1997 to 2001, 23 adults were diagnosed as brucellosis. Blood culture was obtained in all and simultaneous bone marrow culture in 18 and both specimens were cultured by BACTEC 9240. Brucella was isolated from blood and bone marrow cultures in 19 (82.6%) and 13 (81.2%) respectively. All positive blood cultures yielded within 7 days and bone marrow cultures in 4 days. We concluded that automated BACTEC culture systems can isolate Brucella spp. in a fast and efficient way.

Native valve endocarditis due to Pseudomonas mendocina in a patient with mental retardation and a review of literature

Pseudomonas mendocina, a Gram-negative non-fermentative rod, occurs in water and soil but is rarely recovered as a human pathogen. We report a native valve endocarditis due to Pseudomonas mendocina in a patient with mental retardation.

Infective endocarditis in Turkey: aetiology, clinical features, and analysis of risk factors for mortality in 325 cases.

OBJECTIVE In order to define the current characteristics of infective endocarditis (IE) in Turkey, we evaluated IE cases over a 14-year period in a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS All adult patients who were hospitalized in our hospital with a diagnosis of IE between 2000 and 2013 were included in the study. Modified Duke criteria were used for diagnosis. The Chi-square test, Students t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Cox and logistic regression analysis were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS There were 325 IE cases during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 47 years. Causative microorganisms were identified in 253 patients (77.8%) and included staphylococci (36%), streptococci (19%), enterococci (7%), and Brucella spp (5%). A streptococcal aetiology was associated with younger age (<40 years) (p=0.001), underlying chronic rheumatic heart disease (CRHD) (odds ratio (OR) 3.89) or a congenital heart defect (OR 4.04), community acquisition (OR 17.93), and native valve (OR 3.68). A staphylococcal aetiology was associated with healthcare acquisition (OR 2.26) or pacemaker lead-associated endocarditis (OR 6.63) and an admission creatinine level of >1.2mg/dl (OR 2.15). Older age (>50 year) (OR 3.93), patients with perivalvular abscess (OR 9.18), being on dialysis (OR 6.22), and late prosthetic valve endocarditis (OR 3.15) were independent risk factors for enterococcal IE. Independent risk factors for mortality in IE cases were the following: being on dialysis (hazard ratio (HR) 4.13), presence of coronary artery heart disease (HR 2.09), central nervous system emboli (HR 2.33), and congestive heart failure (HR 2.15). Higher haemoglobin (HR 0.87) and platelet (HR 0.996) levels and surgical interventions for IE (HR 0. 33) were found to be protective factors against mortality. CONCLUSIONS In Turkey, IE occurs in relatively young patients and Brucella spp should always be taken into consideration as a cause of this infection. We should first consider streptococci as the causative agents of IE in young patients, those with CRHD or congenital heart valve disease, and cases of community-acquired IE. Staphylococci should be considered first in the case of pacemaker lead IE, when there are high levels of creatinine, and in cases of healthcare-associated IE. Enterococci could be the most probable causative agent of IE particularly in patients aged >50 years, those on dialysis, those with late prosthetic valve IE, and those with a perivalvular abscess. The early diagnosis and treatment of IE before complications develop is crucial because the mortality rate is high among cases with serious complications. The prevention of bacteraemia with the measures available among chronic haemodialysis patients should be a priority because of the higher mortality rate of subsequent IE among this group of patients.

Comparable efficacy of tenofovir versus entecavir and predictors of response in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B: a multicenter real-life study

OBJECTIVE To compare responses to tenofovir (TDF) and entecavir (ETV) therapy. METHODS This was a multicenter retrospective study including treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who received TDF or ETV. The primary end-points were undetectable HBV-DNA at 48 weeks and serological and biochemical responses. RESULTS Out of 195 CHB patients, 90 (46%) received TDF and 105 (54%) received ETV; 72% were male, their mean age was 43±12 years, and the mean duration of treatment was 30.2±15.7 months. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seropositivity was 32% in the TDF group and 34% in the ETV group. HBeAg seroconversion rates in HBeAg-positive patients were 24% in the TDF group and 39% in the ETV group; the difference was not significant (p=0.2). The mean time to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization and rates of ALT normalization at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months were similar in the two groups (p > 0.05). The mean time to undetectable HBV-DNA levels in the TDF and ETV groups was 11.5±8.9 and 12.9±10.8 months, respectively (p=0.32). A significantly greater decline in HBV-DNA levels at 12 and 18 months was observed in the TDF group (p=0.02 and p=0.03, respectively). Seven (7%) patients on ETV therapy had virological breakthrough (p=0.01). Only one patient in each group had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance. None of the patients developed decompensation or hepatocellular carcinoma during treatment. CONCLUSIONS The two drugs appear to have similar efficacy in CHB patients. However, 7% of patients on ETV therapy had virological breakthrough, while none of the patients on TDF therapy did.

First-line monotherapies of tenofovir and entecavir have comparable efficacies in hepatitis B treatment

Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a health problem worldwide. Current treatment options for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are nucleoside or nucleotide analogues and pegylated interferons. Tenofovir and entecavir are much more commonly used as they have better efficacy, tolerability, and high genetic barriers to resistance. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the efficacies of tenofovir and entecavir in previously untreated CHB patients in a treatment cohort. Patients and methods We included CHB patients in a cohort including previously untreated HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients from 10 centers in Istanbul, Turkey. The patients were compared in terms of baseline characteristics, decrease in alanine transaminase (ALT), decrease in HBV-DNA to undetectable levels, HBeAg loss and anti-HBe development (among baseline HBeAg-positive patients), interventions to therapy because of lack of efficacy, side effects, severe side effects, and side effects that required change in treatment. Results The study included 121 patients who were administered tenofovir and 130 patients who were administered entecavir. The majority of patients were men, with mild to moderate histology in both treatment groups. The mean duration of follow-up was 18 and 20 months for tenofovir and entecavir, respectively. Patients receiving both drugs showed comparable rates of HBeAg loss, rates of undetectable HBV-DNA levels, rates of ALT normalization, ALT decrease, and decrease in HBV-DNA. Both drugs were well tolerated. Conclusion This study shows that although the baseline characteristics did not match, tenofovir and entecavir sustained comparable virological efficacies. More patients discontinued entecavir during follow-up. Both drugs provided effective viral control, with few side effects.

A case of osteomyelitis due to Leuconostoc lactis

A baby case of haematogenous rib osteomyelitis that was caused by Leuconostoc lactis was presented. The patient had high fever and an abscess formation on the right scapula. Diagnosis was made with the results of blood, bone and abscess cultures, pathological findings of the involved rib and direct bone graphies. The patient was treated succesfully with cefotaxime for 6 weeks.

Changes in acute viral hepatitis epidemiology in the Turkish adult population: A multicenter study

BACKGROUND/AIMS The present study aimed to determine the changes in the epidemiology of hepatitis in recent years in an adult Turkish population. MATERIALS AND METHODS Overall, 852 patients with acute viral hepatitis from 17 centers were included in this study. Their sociodemographic characteristics, clinical courses, treatments, and laboratory findings were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS The most commonly found microorganisms were the hepatitis B virus (55.2%) and hepatitis A virus (37.6%), and the types of acute viral hepatitis differed significantly according to the age group (p≤0.001). The most frequently reported symptom was fatigue (73.7%), and the most common complications were cholecystitis (0.4%) and fulminant hepatitis (0.4%). The median hospital stay was 9 days (range 1-373). In total, 40.8% patients with acute hepatitis B virus developed immunity. CONCLUSION In Turkey, there are significantly large adolescent and adult populations susceptible to acute viral hepatitis. Therefore, larger vaccination programs covering these age groups should be implemented.

Antibiotic consumption in Turkish hospitals; a multi-centre point prevalence study

This multi-centre study aimed to determine the antibiotic consumption in Turkish hospitals by point prevalence. Antibiotic consumption of 14 centres was determined using the DDD method. Among hospitalized patients, 44.8% were using antibiotics and the total antibiotic consumption was 674.5 DDD/1000 patient-days (DPD). 189.6 (28%) DPD of the antibiotic consumption was restricted while 484.9 (72%) DPD was unrestricted. Carbapenems (24%) and beta lactam/beta lactamase inhibitors (ampicillin-sulbactam or amoxicillin-clavulanate; 22%) were the most commonly used restricted and unrestricted antibiotics. Antibiotics were most commonly used in intensive care units (1307.7 DPD). Almost half of the hospitalized patients in our hospitals were using at least one antibiotic. Moreover, among these antibiotics, the most commonly used ones were carbapenems, quinolones and cephalosporins, which are known to cause collateral damage. We think that antibiotic resistance, which is seen at considerably high rates in our hospitals, is associated with this level of consumption.