Daptomycin vs. glycopeptides in the treatment of febrile neutropenia: results of the Izmir matched cohort study.

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. microbiologic evidence, clinical infection vs. clinical infection and empirical therapy vs. empirical therapy) and (3) neutropenic status. RESULTS: Overall 128 patients [(69/123) (56.1%) in the daptomycin cohort (D) and 59/123 (48%) in the glycopeptide cohort (G)] had a resolution of fever at the end of 72 h antibiotic treatment (p = 0.25). There was no significant difference in cured, improved and (cured + improved) rates between (D) and (G) cohorts as well as fever of unknown origin cases or microbiologically confirmed infections or clinically defined infections subgroups (p > 0.05). There was also no significant difference (p > 0.05), in terms of persistent response in the (D) versus (G) cohorts, CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that although not better, daptomycin efficacy is comparable to vancomycin if used as empiric therapy in the treatment of adult febrile neutropenia. We conclude that daptomycin may be used at least as a salvage therapy alternative to glycopeptides in the treatment of adult febrile neutropenia cases. A large, randomized-controlled trial may further consolidate the evidence related to this question.

[Investigation of bacterial and viral etiology in community acquired central nervous system infections with molecular methods]. / Toplum kökenli santral sinir sistemi enfeksiyonlarinda bakteriyel ve viral etiyolojinin moleküler yöntemlerle degerlendirilmesi.

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. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of the patients were examined by standart bacteriological culture methods, bacterial multiplex PCR (Seeplex meningitis-B ACE Detection (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Listeria monocytogenes, Group B streptococci) and viral multiplex PCR (Seeplex meningitis-V1 ACE Detection kits herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV1), herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV2), varicella zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus 6 (HHV6)) (Seeplex meningitis-V2 ACE Detection kit (enteroviruses)). Patients were classified as purulent meningitis, aseptic meningitis and encephalitis according to their clinical, CSF (leukocyte level, predominant cell type, protein and glucose (blood/CSF) levels) and cranial imaging results. Patients who were infected with a pathogen other than the detection of the kit or diagnosed as chronic meningitis and other diseases during the follow up, were excluded from the study. A total of 79 patients (28 female, 51 male, aged 42.1 ± 18.5) fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. A total of 46 patients were classified in purulent meningitis group whereas 33 were in aseptic meningitis/encephalitis group. Pathogens were detected by multiplex PCR in 41 patients. CSF cultures were positive in 10 (21.7%) patients (nine S.pneumoniae, one H.influenzae) and PCR were positive for 27 (58.6%) patients in purulent meningitis group. In this group one type of bacteria were detected in 18 patients (14 S.pneumoniae, two N.meningitidis, one H.influenzae, one L.monocytogenes). Besides, it is noteworthy that multiple pathogens were detected such as bacteria-virus combination in eight patients and two different bacteria in one patient. In the aseptic meningitis/encephalitis group, pathogens were detected in 14 out of 33 patients; single type of viruses in 11 patients (seven enterovirus, two HSV1, one HSV2, one VZV) and two different viruses were determined in three patients. These data suggest that multiplex PCR methods may increase the isolation rate of pathogens in central nervous system infections. Existence of mixed pathogen growth is remarkable in our study. Further studies are needed for the clinical relevance of this result.

Cranial imaging findings in neurobrucellosis: results of Istanbul-3 study.

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. RESULTS: A normal CT or MRI scan was seen in 143 of 263 patients (54.3 %). Abnormal imaging findings were grouped into the following four categories: (a) inflammatory findings: leptomeningeal involvements (44), basal meningeal enhancements (30), cranial nerve involvements (14), spinal nerve roots enhancement (8), brain abscesses (7), granulomas (6), and arachnoiditis (4). (b) White-matter involvement: white-matter involvement (32) with or without demyelinating lesions (7). (c) Vascular involvement: vascular involvement (42) mostly with chronic cerebral ischemic changes (37). (d) Hydrocephalus/cerebral edema: hydrocephalus (20) and brain edema (40). On multivariate logistic regression analysis duration of symptoms since the onset (OR 1.007; 95 % CI 1-28, p = 0.01), polyneuropathy and radiculopathy (OR 5.4; 95 % CI 1.002-1.013, p = 0.044), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/serum glucose rate (OR 0.001; 95 % CI 000-0.067, p = 0.001), and CSF protein (OR 2.5; 95 % CI 2.3-2.7, p = 0.0001) were associated with diffuse inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, 45 % of neurobrucellosis patients had abnormal neuroimaging findings. The duration of symptoms, polyneuropathy and radiculopathy, high CSF protein level, and low CSF/serum glucose rate were associated with inflammatory findings on imaging analyses.

The emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 395 non-susceptible to carbapenems and colistin from Turkey.

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. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first outbreak of K. pneumoniae ST395 harbouring blaOXA-48 genes in our country. METHODS: The strains were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility, extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase production, plasmid-mediated colistin, high-level aminoglycoside, and quinolone resistance. Also multidrug efflux pumps and porin coding genes were investigated. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), wzi typing and plasmid analysis were used for the epidemiological relationships. RESULTS: All strains were positive for blaOXA-48 with at least one of the ß-lactamase genes (blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaSHV) and harboured IncL plasmids. 16 of 20 (80%) isolates carried qnrA. All isolates were positive for aac(6')-1b, acrAB-tolC, ompK35, and ompK36 genes but none of them harboured 16s rRNA methyltransferase, mcr-1-5, qepA, oqxAB, and mdtK genes. All strains had the same PFGE pattern, that is, wzi type K2 and found to be ST395 with MLST. CONCLUSION: The association of ST395 with OXA-48-producers could be an emerging threat for Turkey and continuous monitoring is crucial to prevent the spread of these powerful strains.

Comparative levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor, procalcitonin, osteoprotegerin, interleukin-8, hs-C reactive protein, D-dimer in febrile neutropenia, newly diagnosed cancer patients, and infectious fever.

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. Of these patients, there were 26 patients presenting with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia who had no infectious agents found; 23 patients, who had a malignancy with a febrile episode which was neither a microbiologically documented infection nor a chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, and 16 patients who did not have a malignancy and were considered to have a clinically and microbiologically documented infection. RESULTS: IL-8 and D-dimer levels were higher in patients with febrile neutropenia than in the other two groups. Although MIF and OPG were higher in patients with newly diagnosed cancers, there were no differences among the three groups regarding PCT and hs-CRP values. CONCLUSION: High serum IL-8 and D-dimer levels can be useful markers to identify hospitalized chemotherapy-induced neutropenia patients. MIF and OPG were found to be higher in patients with newly diagnosed cancer.

Clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to complications of brucellosis: an experience of 12 years.

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. RESULTS: The decreasing order of the complications was: hematological, 104 (55%); osteoarticular, 70 (37%); hepatobiliary, 59 (31%), and gastrointestinal, 23 (12%). The most common laboratory findings were anemia, lymphomonocytosis, elevated sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, and elevated aminotransaminases. CONCLUSION: The hematological, osteoarticular and hepatobiliary manifestations were predominant. Bursitis, synovitis, glomerulonephritis, cutaneous lesion and deep vein thrombosis were the rare complications observed in our study. In clinical practice, brucellosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis in the presence of infrequent complications.

[Septic arthritis of hip due to Salmonella Typhi in a patient with multiple sclerosis]. / Multipl Sklerozlu Bir Olguda Salmonella Typhi'ye Bagli Kalça Eklemi Artriti.

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.Choleraesuis and S.Typhimurium. However the number of septic arthritis cases due to S.Typhi is low in literature. In this report, septic arthritis of hip due to S.Typhi in a multiple sclerosis patient who was under steroid therapy, was presented. A 25-year-old female patient was admitted to our clinic with the complaints of fever, left hip pain, standing and walking disability for 10 days. Her anamnesis revealed that she had had a multiple sclerosis attack and underwent triple pulse steroid therapy. Laboratory findings were as follows; WBC count: 16.300/mm3 (70% polymorphonuclear leukocyte), hemoglobin: 10.6 g/dl, erythrocyte sedimentation rate: 140 mm/hour, CRP: 28.7 g/L, AST: 86 U/L and ALT: 77 U/L. In lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging, trochanteric bursitis and generalized myositis were detected in left hip joint compatible with septic arthritis. S.Typhi was isolated from patient's blood and operational tissue samples. Serum Salmonella TO and TH titers were found as 1/400 and 1/200, respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by disk diffusion method, and the isolate was found susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulphametoxazole. The patient was treated by surgery and also by two weeks parenteral (2 x 400 mg) and 6 weeks oral (2 x 500 mg) ciprofloxacin treatment. Six months follow-up of the patient revealed that clinical, radiological and laboratory findings were normal. As far as the national literature was considered, this was the first S.Typhi septic arthritis case involving the hip joint and demonstrating bacterial growth both in blood and operational tissue. The presentation of the infection as arthritis plus diffuse myositis and bursitis, is also noteworthy.

Comparison of conventional dose steroid treatment and high dose steroid treatment as run-in regime for splenectomy in immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

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. METHODS: The conventional dose steroid (1mg/kg, n=20) and high dose steroid treatments (30mg/kg, n=30) were applied to 50 cases with ITP between 1998 and 2008 in our clinic. RESULTS: High dose steroid produced higher platelet count on days 3, 5, and 7 compared to conventional dose steroid. There were no differences between the groups in terms of adverse effects. Treatments were discontinued after the operation by rapidly reducing the dose. Postoperative values regarding response to splenectomy were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both higher and earlier responses obtained with high dose steroid may be significant in reducing hospitalization period of patients and eliminating life-threatening platelet values within the shortest time possible.

A Healthcare-Associated Outbreak of Urinary Tract Infections Due to Myroides odoratimimus.

Myroides spp. are low-grade opportunistic pathogens. Outbreaks due to Myroides spp. have rarely been described in the literature to date. We report a healthcare-associated outbreak of urinary tract infections (UTIs), caused by Myroides odoratimimus, in a Turkish hospital. As of March 2019 until May 2019, 6 strains of M. odoratimimus were isolated from the urine samples of patients, all of whom were hospitalized in intensive care units. After identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing using the VITEK 2 system, MALDI-TOF-MS and 16S rRNA-based sequencing methods were performed for confirmation and species-level identification. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed in order to investigate the clonal relatedness of the isolates. All the patients were immunocompromised and underwent urinary catheterization. None of the patients had urinary neoplasm, surgery, or calculi. VITEK 2 and MALDI-TOF-MS systems revealed that the isolates belonged to the Myroides genus; however, the aforementioned systems neglected to identify the isolates at the species level. The isolates were all successfully identified as M. odoratimimus through 16S rRNA-based sequencing. The isolates were resistant to every antibiotic tested. All isolates had an indistinguishable PFGE pattern, thus indicating cross-transmission between cases. Although M. odoratimimus is rarely isolated from human specimens, clinicians should be aware of its ability to cause UTIs and infectious outbreaks.

A healthcare-associated outbreak of urinary tract infections due to Myroides odoratimimus.

Myroides spp. are low-grade opportunistic pathogens. There were only a few outbreaks due to Myroides spp. described in the literature to date. We report a healthcare-associated outbreak of urinary tract infections caused by Myroides odoratimimus in a Turkish hospital. From March to May 2019, six strains of M. odoratimimus were isolated from the urine samples of patients hospitalized in the intensive care units (ICUs). After identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing with VITEK 2 system, MALDI-TOF-MS and 16S rRNA based sequencing methods were performed for confirmation and species level identification. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to investigate clonal relatedness of the isolates. All the patients were immunocompromised and underwent urinary catheterization. None of them had urinary neoplasm, surgery or calculi. VITEK 2 and MALDI-TOF-MS systems revealed that the isolates belong to the Myroides genus but lacked to identify the isolates at the species level. 16S rRNA based sequencing successfully identified all the isolates as M. odoratimimus. The isolates were resistant to all antibiotics tested. All isolates had indistinguishable PFGE pattern indicating cross-transmission between cases. Although M. odoratimimus is rarely isolated from human specimens, clinicians should be aware of its ability to cause UTIs and outbreaks.

Multiple cerebral hydatid cysts. Report of a case with 24 pieces.

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. This case is the first case presented that contains such high number of cysts to our knowledge. The importance of MRI examination in localizing the cysts and designing the operative plan is emphasized. Interestingly, albendazole, which is an antiparasitic drug, was reported to be ineffective by infectious disease department of our hospital, because of large diameter of the cysts, in this case.

Efficacy of entecavir treatment among chronic hepatitis B nucleos(t)ide-naïve and -experienced patients.

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. Factors including sex, positive HBeAg, baseline HBV DNA level, baseline alanine aminotransferase level, and prior lamivudine (LAM) resistance were evaluated in terms of their predictive role in treatment response, which was defined as a serum HBV DNA decrease of <31.4 copies/mL. RESULTS: Resistance was detected in 18 (51.4%) of 35 lamivudine-experienced patients. Virological response (VR) was achieved in 48 (96.0%) of NA-naive patients, while 16 (45.7%) of NA-experienced patients achieved VR. LAM-resistant patients had significantly lower response rates (P < 0.001). More responders with a low initial viral load achieved VR at the end of the 12-month follow-up period compared to those with a high initial viral load (91.7% vs. 70.0%, P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: ETV has greater efficacy in NA-naïve patients and in NA-experienced patients without prior LAM resistance. The rate of VR achievement at 12 months was higher in patients who initially had a low viral load with ETV treatment.

Tuberculous and brucellosis meningitis differential diagnosis.

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. METHOD: BME and TBM patients from 35 tertiary hospitals were included in this study. Overall 294 adult patients with BME and 190 patients with TBM were enrolled. All patients involved in the study had microbiological confirmation for either TBM or BME. Finally, the Thwaites and Lancet scoring systems were assessed in both groups. RESULTS: The Thwaites scoring system more frequently predicted BME cases (n = 292, 99.3%) compared to the TBM group (n = 182, 95.8%) (P = 0.017). According to the Lancet scoring system, the mean scores for BME and TBM were 9.43 ± 1.71 and 11.45 ± 3.01, respectively (P < 0.001). In addition, TBM cases were classified into "probable" category more significantly compared to BME cases, and BME cases were categorized into the "possible" category more frequently. CONCLUSIONS: When the Thwaites or Lancet scoring systems indicate TBM, brucellar etiology should also be taken into consideration particularly in endemic countries.

Long-term treatment of persistent disseminated Nocardia cyriacigeorgica infection.

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. Under combined therapy, empyema and arthritis, leading to disseminated nocardiosis, were seen. The overall treatment course was 28 months. It can be concluded that the choice of the antibiotics and optimal duration of treatment are uncertain; therefore the treatment of nocardiosis requires expertise.

Evaluation of patients with zygomycosis.

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. Demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, and clinical signs and symptoms of the patients, as well as diagnostic methods, data obtained by radiological imaging methods, and the therapies, were recorded. Therapeutic approaches, antifungal agents and duration of use, and the characteristics of the cases were identified. RESULTS: The study included 11 female and 5 male subjects. The most common symptoms and clinical signs were fever (n = 9) and retro- orbital pain (n = 7). Rhinocerebral zygomycosis was the most common form. The mean time elapsed for diagnosis was 14.26 + 13.96 (range: 2-52) days. Antifungal therapy was given to 15 patients (94%). In addition to antifungal therapy, 12 patients underwent surgical intervention 1 to 4 times. The mean duration of receiving antifungal therapy was 61.4 + 58.02 (range: 1-180) days. The median duration of treatment was 62.5 (range: 42-180) days in survivors. CONCLUSION: Zygomycosis is an infectious disease with high mortality despite antifungal therapy and surgical interventions.

Hospital acquired infections (HAI) in the elderly: comparison with the younger patients.

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. The incidence of HAIs per 1000 patient days was 2.49 in the elderly and 1.64 in the younger patients' group (p<0.001). The most common site of infection in the elderly patients was the urinary tract, whereas in non-elderly group this was the lower respiratory tract. The incidence density of urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, surgical site, skin and soft tissue infections, primary bacteremia, and prosthesis infections were significantly higher in the elderly group (p<0.05). Gram-negative species were the most frequently isolated agents in both groups. There were no significant differences between the groups in the frequency of isolated pathogens or antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Overall, the fatality rate was found 16.8%. The elderly patients were more likely to have crude mortality rates (22% vs. 12%; p<0.01). The death was most often related to pneumonia, primary bacteremia or intravascular catheter infections in both groups.

Evaluation of the therapeutic use of antibiotics in Aegean Region hospitals of Turkey: a multicentric study.

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. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight university and government hospitals were included in the study. The criteria of the Council for Appropriate and Rational Antibiotic Therapy (CARAT) were considered. Both patient-based and antibiotic-based analyses were performed. For the analysis of inappropriate use, logistic regression was modeled. RESULTS: Therapeutic use was determined in 540 patients by a total of 29 ID physicians.In the study, 30.2% of the patients were given antimicrobials and empirically started antibiotics accounted for 79% cases of therapeutic antibiotic use, and 60% of those were inappropriate (P = 0.001). The appropriate use of ID level antibiotics (P = 0.000) were very compatible with other antimicrobial groups. CONCLUSION: The study shows that the Turkish government's new intervention policy on antimicrobial prescribing has been effective.