[A New Case of Fournier's Gangrene Caused by Actinotignum schaalii]. / Actinotignum schaalii'nin Etken Oldugu Yeni Bir Fournier Gangreni Olgusu.

Actinotignum schaalii (formerly known as Actinobaculum schaalii) is an anaerobic or facultative anaerobic gram-positive bacillus that can be found commensally in the urogenital region. It can be overlooked because it grows slowly and is difficult to identify with classical microbiology laboratory techniques. Colonies become visible after 48-72 hours of incubation on blood agar in anaerobic or CO2-rich media. While it typically causes urinary tract infection in older individuals, cases of bacteremia, vertebral osteomyelitis, endocarditis and cellulitis have been reported. Fournier's gangrene caused by A.schaalii has been reported very rarely so far. Fournier's gangrene has been defined as necrotizing fasciitis of the external genitalia, perineal and perianal region. Diabetes, immunosuppression, peripheral vascular disease, urethral anomalies, chronic alcoholism and smoking are important predisposing factors. In addition, approximately 25% of the cases have no known or identifiable etiology. The bacteria causing the infection may originate from skin, urogenital or intestinal microbiota. In this case report, a new case of Fournier's gangrene caused by A.schaalii was presented. A 65-year-old male patient admitted to the emergency department with the complaints of pain, swelling, redness in the left testis and also nausea, vomiting and chills that started three days ago. Physical examination revealed increased diameter of the scrotum, intense hyperemia of the skin and foci of necrosis. It was learned that the patient had no known chronic disease other than benign prostatic hyperplasia. The patient reported smoking of 25 packs of cigarettes per year. Routine laboratory tests revealed leukocyte= 32.41 x 109/L, neutrophil= 89.9%, procalcitonin= 1.62 ug/L, CRP= 265.07 mg/L and the patient was operated with the diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene. Gram staining of the abscess specimen obtained during the operation showed gram-positive bacilli both inside and outside the leukocytes. After 24 hours, grampositive bacilli were detected in the Gram staining of thin, transparent/gray colonies grown on 5% sheep blood and chocolate agar. The isolate was identified as A.schaalii by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) VITEK® MS (bioMérieux, France) microbial identification system. VITEK®2 ID ANC (bioMérieux, France) bacterial identification card was also used for comparison but the bacteria could be identified. As a result of the sequence analysis performed for confirmation, it was shown to be 100% homologous with Actinobaculum schaalii (GenBank accession no: FJ711193.1). For susceptibility tests, 5% sheep blood Schaedler agar was used and incubated in anaerobic environment. According to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) results evaluated after 48 hours, penicillin was found to be 0.032 mg/L, clindamycin 0.125 mg/L, ciprofloxacin 0.19 mg/L, ceftazidime 4 mg/L, and amoxicillin 0.19 mg/L. The primary cause that initiated the infection in the case could not be identified, but it was thought that the presence of prostatic hyperplasia and smoking history may have contributed to the occurence or the progress of the disease. It is noteworthy that the ciprofloxacin MIC result was quite low compared to other studies. In addition, this study revealed the value of MALDI-TOF MS based methods in identification. In conclusion, it is thought that a significant proportion of A.schaalii infections may be overlooked due to the difficulty in growth and identification. Increasing the diagnostic power of clinical microbiology laboratories for poorly identified bacteria and renewing the databases of commercial identification systems are important for the early and accurate diagnosis and treatment of serious infections that may occur with such agents.

[Pasteurella multocida Pneumonia with Hemoptysis in an Immunocompetent Case]. / Immün Kompetan Bir Olguda Hemoptizi ile Seyreden Pasteurella multocida Pnömonisi.

Pasteurella species are gram-negative bacilli found in healthy pets' oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract flora. In humans, skin and soft tissue infections develop most frequently with the bite or scratching of animals such as cats or dogs. At the same time, they cause infections in the respiratory tract, mainly in patients with chronic lung disease or immunosuppressive patients. In this case report, a rare case of pneumonia caused by P.multocida bacteria in a patient with bronchiectasis was presented. A young male patient was admitted to the emergency department of our hospital with complaints of hemoptysis, cough with phlegm, and weight loss. The patient's blood pressure was 140/82 mmHg and SO2= 94%. Rales and rhonchi were detected in the lower left lung during the examination. Standard thorax tomography revealed prominent cystic structures and pneumonic infiltrates in the left lower lobe. Laboratory findings were normal. The Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRt-PCR) test was found to be negative in the nasopharyngeal swab sample taken from the patient. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed on the patient to investigate the presence of endobronchial lesion or foreign body aspiration. Culture and cytological evaluation was requested from the bronchial lavage taken. Gram-negative coccobacilli were seen among dense polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the Gram stain of the sample. Acid-fast bacilli were not detected with Ehrlich Ziehl Neelsen stain. In the lavage culture evaluated after 24 hours, colonies growing in blood and chocolate media were stained and gramnegative coccobacilli were observed. The isolate was identified as 96.0% P.canis with the automated Vitek 2 (Biomerieux, France) system. It was determined that the isolate was susceptible to levofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, penicillin, ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime in the antibiogram performed by disc diffusion test according to EUCAST v13.0 guideline criteria. Sequence analysis of the isolate obtained from the culture was performed on the ABI Prism 310 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, USA). Sequence analysis of the isolate revealed 99.85% homology with P.multocida (GenBank accession no: NG_115137.1). Although Pasteurella multocida pneumonia is not commonly observed, the presence of underlying bronchiectasis in this patient facilitated the establishment of the bacteria. In order not to miss the diagnosis of pneumonia due to P.multocida, microbiological evaluation and molecular typing should be performed in the samples taken from the respiratory tract in patients with chronic respiratory diseases such as bronchiectasis.

Cessation of Rectal Screening for Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci: Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital from Türkiye.

OBJECTIVE: Here, we compared the impact of different polices on the epidemiology of Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium bloodstream infections (VRE-BSIs) in a tertiary care hospital including two hospital buildings (oncology and adult hospitals) in the same campus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients who were hospitalized in high-risk units were screened weekly for VRE colonization via rectal swab between January 2006 and January 2013. After January 2013, VRE screening was only performed in cases of suspicion of VRE outbreak and during point prevalence studies to evaluate the epidemiology of VRE colonization. Contact precautions were in place for all VRE-positive patients. The incidence density rates of hospital-acquired (HA)-VRE-BSIs were compared between two periods. RESULTS: While the rate of VRE colonization was higher in the second period (5% vs. 9.5% (p < 0.01) for the adult hospital, and 6.4% vs. 12% (p = 0.02 for the oncology hospital), there was no increase in the incidence rate HA-VRE BSIs after the cessation of routine rectal screening in either of the hospitals. CONCLUSION: Screening policies should be dynamic and individualized according to the epidemiology of VRE as well as the workforce and cost. Periodical rectal screening of VRE can be discontinued if suspicion of an outbreak can be carefully monitored.

The role of endobronchial ultrasonography elastography in the diagnosis of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes.

BACKGROUND: Endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) is a minimally invasive diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymph nodes (LNs) and has sonographic features. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of EBUS elastography, which evaluates tissue compressibility integrated into EBUS, on malignant vs. benign mediastinal-hilar LNs. METHODS: A single-center, prospective study was conducted at the University of Health Sciences Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital between 01/10/2019 and 15/11/2019. The features of 219 LNs evaluated by thoracic computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, EBUS sonography and EBUS elastography were recorded. The LNs sampled by EBUS-guided fine needle aspiration were classified according to EBUS elastography color distribution findings as follows: type 1, predominantly nonblue (green, yellow, and red); type 2, part blue, part nonblue; type 3, predominantly blue. The strain ratio (SR) was calculated based on normal tissue with the relevant region. RESULTS: The average age of 131 patients included in the study was 55.86 ± 13 years, 76 (58%) were male. Two hundred and nineteen lymph nodes were sampled from different stations. Pathological diagnosis of 75 (34.2%) LNs was malignant, the rest was benign. When EBUS B-mode findings and pathological results were compared, sensitivity was 65.33%, specificity 63.19%, positive predictive value (PPV) 48%, negative predictive value (NPV) 77.8%, and diagnostic yield (DY) 64%. When the pathological diagnoses and EBUS elastography findings were compared, while type 1 LNs were considered to be benign and type 3 LNs malignant, sensitivity 94.12%, specificity 86.54%, PPV 82.1%, NPV 95.7%, and DY 89.5%. SR of malignant LNs was significantly higher than benign LNs (p < 0.001). When the classification according to color scale and SR were compared, no difference was found in DY (p = 0.155). DISCUSSION: The diagnostic accuracy of EBUS elastography is high enough to distinguish malignant LN from benign ones with the SR option. When compared with EBUS-B mode sonographic findings, it was found to have a higher diagnostic yield.

The Effects of Antiperspirant Aluminum Chlorohydrate on the Development of Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus epidermidis.

This study investigates the effects of the antiperspirant aluminum chlorohydrate on the development of antibiotic resistance in commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates. The isolates were exposed to aluminum chlorohydrate for 30 days. The bacteria that developed resistance to oxacillin and ciprofloxacin were isolated, and the expression levels of some antibiotic resistance genes were determined using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Before and after exposure, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the bacteria were determined using the microdilution method. A time-dependent increase was observed in the number of bacteria that developed resistance and increased MIC values. Consistent with the ciprofloxacin resistance observed after exposure, an increase in norA, norB/C, gyrA, gyrB, parC, and parE gene expression was observed. In addition to aluminum chlorohydrate exposure, oxacillin resistance was observed in all test bacteria in the group only subcultured in the medium, suggesting that phenotypic resistance cannot be correlated with chemical exposure in light of these data. The increase in mecA gene expression in selected test bacteria that acquired resistance to oxacillin after exposure compared with control groups suggests that the observed resistance may have been related to aluminum chlorohydrate exposure. To our knowledge, this is the first time in the literature that the effects of aluminum chlorohydrate as an antiperspirant on the development of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus epidermidis have been reported.

Does marking as sterile mean really sterile? Stenotrophomonas maltophilia outbreak caused by a blood-gas injector containing liquid heparin.

An outbreak investigation was initiated after detecting an increase in the number of patients with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bloodstream infections (SM-BSIs) througout the hospital. S. maltophilia was isolated from the cultures of blood-gas injectors containing liquid heparin. The incidence density of SM-BSIs decreased significantly after prohibiting the use of those injectors.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia outbreak with a commercial blood gas injector as the culprit and interventions for source and prevention: A possible passage between patient and ECMO water heater device.

BACKGROUND: Despite low virulence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, it represents one of the leading drug-resistant bacteria. We report a large outbreak of S. maltophilia infection associated with an unexpected source, which turned out to be a commercial needleless blood gas injector. METHODS: Over a period from January 1 to December10, 2021, 113 patients were identified to have S. maltophilia infection as documented by positive cultures from the clinical samples, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) water heater devices and commercial needleless blood gas injectors. RESULTS: Sixty-seven isolates (59 clinical, 4 ECMO, 4 blood gas injectors) were sent for molecular analysis. Both arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analyses showed 12 distinct genotypes. Of 67 isolates, 58 were clonally related (86.6%), with 52 indistinguishable strains from 4 blood gas needleless injectors, 46 patients' samples (78%), and 2 ECMO samples (50%). Two ECMO samples and 1 clinical sample were clonally identical. CONCLUSIONS: In the event that eradication of infections would not be possible despite taking all environmental disinfection measures including the ECMO devices, unexpected sources, such as a commercial needleless blood gas injector, should not be omitted from the list for surveillance. In addition, obtaining surveillance cultures of ECMO water reservoirs should be placed in the routine clinical practice.

[Investigation of the VISA and hVISA Presence in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates by Various Methods]. / Metisiline Dirençli Staphylococcus aureus Izolatlarinda Çesitli Yöntemlerle VISA ve hVISA Varliginin Arastirilmasi.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that causes community and hospital-acquired infections. The role of vancomycin in the treatment of methicillin-resistant S.aureus infections is indisputable. However, vancomycin intermediate susceptible S.aureus (VISA) and heterogeneously VISA (hVISA) isolates, that cause treatment failures during the use of vancomycin, cannot be detected by routine laboratory methods. The gold standard method for the detection of these isolates is the population profile analysis-area under the curve (PAP-AUC) method. In this study, it was aimed to determine the presence of mecA and mecC gene regions that cause methicillin resistance, the clonal relationship between isolates, and the presence of VISA and hVISA. A total 68 methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) strains were included in this study which were isolated in the microbiology laboratory of the hospital between 2015- 2020. Identification of the isolates were determined by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrophotometry (VITEK MS, BioMérieux, France). Methicillin resistance was investigated by disk diffusion method using cefoxitin (30 µg, Bioanalyse, Türkiye) disk and vancomycin MIC values were determined by broth microdilution method. mecA and mecC gene regions were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The presence of VISA and hVISA were investigated by modified agar screening, macro gradient diffusion test and confirmated by PAP-AUC methods, and the clonal relationship between isolates were investigated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis method. The mecA gene region was determined in all isolates, but the mecC gene region was not found in any of the isolates. The MIC50 value of the isolates was determined as 1 µg/mL and the MIC90 value was determined as 2 µg/mL by broth microdilution method. Six VISA and four hVISA suspected strains were detected by a modified agar screening method. Among the isolates identified as suspicious by the modified agar screening method, one isolate was evaluated as VISA and one isolate was evaluated as hVISA by the gold standard PAP-AUC method. No dominant epidemic isolate has been identified by PFGE. As a result, VISA and hVISA were determined in the hospital. The increase in these isolates is a serious concern. For this reason, it is believed that it would be beneficial to investigate the VISA/hVISA ratios in MRSA isolates at certain periods, and to take necessary infection control measures to implement measures and practices to prevent the spread of these isolates in the community and hospital environment.

Modified successful desensitization protocol of infliximab in a patient with sarcoidosis unable to tolerate corticosteroids and refractory to alternative therapeutics.

Glucocorticoids are the primary treatment choices for sarcoidosis. However, some patients are resistant to corticosteroids or have side effects and may not respond to alternative treatments added to reduce corticosteroid therapy. Evidence has demonstrated the critical role of Infliximab [anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α] which is a chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody in the pathogenesis of granulomatous inflammation. In this paper, we present a patient who improved clinically and radiologically with infliximab treatment, which was initiated due to the development of serious side effects associated with corticosteroids; however, following unresponsiveness to other therapeutic drugs initiated due to relapse, restarted infliximab, and developed an early hypersensitivity reaction. With infliximab, the frequency of early-type hypersensitivity reactions is 2-3%. In such cases, drug desensitization is an effective and safe treatment option. Different desensitization protocols have been defined with infliximab, and the frequency of reactions during desensitization has been reported as 29%, especially in the last step. With the desensitization protocol we have modified, patients with a history of early-type hypersensitivity reaction with infliximab will have the chance to take this effective drug more safely and effortlessly.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on nosocomial multidrug-resistant bacterial bloodstream infections and antibiotic consumption in a tertiary care hospital.

We investigated the change in the epidemiology of nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria during Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and antibiotic consumption rates at a pandemic hospital and at the Oncology Hospital which operated as COVID-19-free on the same university campus. Significant increases in the infection density rate (IDRs) of BSIs caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) and ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (ARE) were detected at the pandemic hospital, whereas carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae BSIs were increased at the non-pandemic Oncology Hospital. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis showed a polyclonal outbreak of CRAB in COVID-19 intensive care units. Antibiotic consumption rates were increased for almost all antibiotics, and was most significant for meropenem at both of the hospitals. Increased IDRs of CRAB and ARE BSIs as well as an increased consumption rate of broad-spectrum antibiotics emphasize the importance of a multimodal infection prevention strategy combined with an active antibiotic stewardship program.

[A Case of Intra-abdominal Tuberculosis Due to Mycobacterium bovis Mimicking Ovarian Cancer: Importance of Microbiological Diagnosis]. / Over Kanserini Taklit Eden Mycobacterium bovis Kaynakli Intra-abdominal Tüberküloz Olgusu: Mikrobiyolojik Taninin Önemi.

Mycobacterium bovis causes gastrointestinal tuberculosis by being transmitted through consumption of infected milk and dairy products, mostly in developing countries, and can spread to the other neighbourhood intra-abdominal tissues and organs. In addition to the symptoms such as weight loss, weakness, abdominal pain, and chronic diarrhea in female patients with abdominal tuberculosis, findings such as pelvic mass, ascites and CA-125 elevation may be encountered. Patients with these symptoms usually preliminary diagnosed as having ovarian cancer. It is very important to distinguish between these two diseases quickly, which have different treatment protocols. In this case report, a case of intra-abdominal tuberculosis caused by M.bovis, whose diagnosis was confirmed by microbiological methods with the findings mimicking ovarian cancer such as weight loss, ascites, pelvic mass and increased CA-125 was presented. Tuberculosis was considered in the differential diagnosis of a 23-yearold female patient with abdominal pain, weight loss, ascites, pelvic mass, and elevated CA-125 (643.9 U/ml) findings and a mass in the left tubaovarian region on abdominal CT. The ileum biopsy sample taken during colonoscopy and ascitic fluid sample taken with paracentesis were sent to our laboratory for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) staining and tuberculosis culture. In our laboratory, samples were incubated in both liquid culture system [BACTEC MGIT 320 Mycobacteria Culture System (Becton Dickinson,USA)] and solid culture medium [Lowenstein-Jensen Medium (Becton Dickinson,USA)] and AFB smears were performed. While AFB smears were negative, ileum biopsy material showed growth on day 14 and ascitic fluid sample on day 11 in liquid culture medium. AFB smear was prepared from broth and red bacilli were seen on a blue background that formed cord factor. The bacillus was identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by the immunochromatographic rapid test [BD MGIT TBc Identification Test (BD,USA)]. The anti-tuberculosis drug treatment was initiated with the diagnosis of intra-abdominal tuberculosis. The isolated bacillus was found to be sensitive to isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and resistant to streptomycin, according the drug susceptibility test results. Subspecies identification of M.tuberculosis complex was investigated by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) but could not be determined by this method. Genotyping was performed with the GenoType MTBC VER 1.X (Hain Lifescience, HardwiesenstraBe, Germany) kit. The isolate was identified as M.bovis. In the follow-up of the patient three months later, it was determined that tumor markers, ascitic fluid and intra-abdominal lymph nodes regressed significantly and the mass in the left ovary completely disappeared. In this report, we presented a case with intra-abdominal tuberculosis whose clinical, radiological and laboratory findings mimic ovarian cancer to imply the importance of microbiological diagnosis.

Effects of Different Progesterone Doses on the Concentrations of Proinflammatory and Anti-inflammatory Cytokines in Pregnant Women With Threatened Abortion.

Background and objective This study aimed to investigate how different doses of progesterone influence the concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrotizing factor-alpha (TNF-α), which are proinflammatory cytokines, as well as that of IL-10, which is an anti-inflammatory cytokine, in pregnant women with threatened abortion. Materials and methods This is a prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial conducted with 221 patients with a threatened abortion diagnosis. Group 1 consisted of IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α values in pre-treatment blood samples from 221 patients diagnosed with imminent abortion. Group 2 included 81 patients who received natural oral 100 mg micronized progesterone MP twice a day for two weeks. Group 3 included 83 patients who were administered oral 200 mg of natural micronized progesterone MP twice a day for two weeks. Group 4 included 57 patients who received oral 200 mg of natural micronized progesterone MP twice a day for two weeks, and one depot progesterone was added to the treatment by administering it at a dosage of 500 mg/day intramuscularly. Results IL-6 values between groups were lower in group 4 compared to group 3 (p=0.007). When IL-10 values were compared between the groups, the IL-10 ratio was highest in group 4 and lowest in group 2 (p<0.001, p=0.003, p<0.001). When the TNF-α values between the groups were compared, the value in group 4 was decreased compared to groups 1 and 2 (p=0.031, p<0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, the IL-6 value above 12.01 increased the abortion imminens rate 1.01 times, and a TNF-α value above 11.04 increased the abortion imminens rate 1.21 times. Conclusion Progesterone used to treat imminent abortion reduces the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, while increasing those of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in proportion to the dose administered. Progesterone can prevent imminent abortion by generating an anti-inflammatory environment.

Behçet's disease presenting with massive hemoptysis related to bronchovascular fistula: A case report.

A 37-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with recurrent hemoptysis, 50 mL per day. Thoracic computed tomography showed no pathology responsible for hemoptysis. Bronchoscopy revealed mucosal infiltrations and 2 to 3-mm blotch in the lateral wall of the right lower lobe. After punch biopsy of the suspected area, massive bleeding occurred. Right lower bilobectomy was performed urgently. A bronchovascular fistula was noticed at the specimen. Pathological examination result was compatible with clinically suspected Behçet"s disease. The patient was given high-dose steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment and received azathioprine maintenance treatment for 18 months. He has been symptom-free for three-year follow-up.

Does Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction Reduce Mortality in Patients with Severe Emphysema?

ABSTRACT       Objective: To compare the 12-month mortality for patients with severe emphysema who underwent either endobronchial valve (EBV) or coil treatments with those managed with standard of care (SoC). Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) is a useful treatment option in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who have severe emphysema. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Pulmonology, Yedikule Pulmonary Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital, Turkey, between January 2018 and January 2019. METHODOLOGY: Medical data of patients diagnosed with severe/very severe emphysema between January 2010 and January 2017 were evaluated. One hundred and forty-eight patients with advanced COPD-emphysema phenotype, who met the BLVR treatment criteria, were evaluated. One hundred and twenty-four patients with 12-month follow-up data, 73 patients treated with BLVR, 43 cases of EBV, 30 cases of coil treatment, and 51 patients managed with standard of care (SoC) were analysed for this study. RESULTS: A total of 20 (16.1%) patients died at the end of 12th month and 4 (3.2%) in the early period. At the end of the 12th month, mortality was found in 7 patients (9.6%) in the BLVR group (3 underwent EBV and 4 received coil treatment, respectively), and 13 (25.5%) patients in the SoC group. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality between groups in the early period, but it was lower in the BLVR group at the end of 12th month. CONCLUSION: BLVR treatment significantly decreases mortality compared to SoC in patients with advanced emphysema. Key Words: Emphysema, Mortality, Endobronchial valve, Coil, Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction.

Results of Tobramycin Inhalation Therapy in Patients with Noncystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis with Pseudomonas aeruginosa Colonization: Real Life Management.

Background: Inhaled antibiotics for treating bronchiectasis have been investigated in the cystic fibrosis population since 1981 and long-term clinical benefits have been reported. However, studies on noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) have only been performed more recently. Owing to limited evidence, inhaled antibiotics are not currently approved for treating NCFB by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tobramycin inhalation therapy in patients with bronchiectasis with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) colonization. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, NCFB patients who were Pseudomonas positive on three consecutive cultures 1 month apart and receiving tobramycin inhalation therapy were evaluated. Evaluation of the following parameters was done in this study: age, gender, smoking history, symptoms, pulmonary function test results, sputum culture results, tobramycin treatment duration, side effects of tobramycin and response evaluation, and hospital admissions before and after treatment. Treatment with 300 mg tobramycin through nebulizer twice daily for 28 days on-off cycles for a total of 6 months was considered to be one treatment period. The approvals for the study were received by the local ethics committee and institutional review board. Results: Of the 27 patients, 21 patients completed the first period, 7 patients completed the second period, 4 patients completed the third period, and 1 patient completed the fourth period. Sputum culture was negative in 10 (47.6%) of the 21 patients who completed the first period. Decreased sputum purulence and quantity, dyspnea, and cough were observed during treatment. The frequency of hospitalizations before treatment was 1.24 ± 1.36, whereas after treatment, it decreased to 0.52 ± 0.91, this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.019). The most common side effect was increased dyspnea after nebulization in five patients. Conclusion: Tobramycin inhalation appears to be a well-tolerated treatment in patients with PA colonization with bronchiectasis. This treatment may decrease the hospitalization rates and improve the symptoms.

Real life results of coil treatment for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction in emphysema.

INTRODUCTION: The lung volume reduction coil treatment is a minimally invasive bronchoscopic treatment option for emphysema patients who suffer from severe hyperinflation. Previous studies have reported successful outcomes in selected cases using coil for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR). Our aim is to determine the changes in respiratory function tests, perception of dyspnea and exercise capacities after 12 months in patients treated with endobronchial coil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of patients with severe emphysema and treated with coils between 2014-2017 were evaluated retrospectively. Dynamic and static lung volume capacities at baseline and 12 months, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) questionnaire and six-minute walk test (6-MWT) results were recorded. RESULT: BLVR was performed in thirty patients (one female, twenty-nine males). Five patients were treated bilaterally and twentyfive unilaterally. One patient died after 7 days and 4 patients died during follow-up. Five patients were lost to follow-up. A total of twenty patients with available data were included in the study. A statistically significant difference was found in mMRC results in pre-treatment and 12-month evaluations. There was no significant difference in FEV1, TLC and RV values at the end of 12 months. There was an increase of 18.9 meters (± 83.5 m) between the baseline and 12 months in 6-MWT. 45% of the patients improved their walking distance over 26 meters which is known as minimal clinically important difference (MCID). CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant changes were observed in pulmonary function tests and lung volumes, the increase in exercise capacity and decreased perception of dyspnea indicate the efficacy of endobronchial coil.

Is there any effect of smoking status on severity and mortality of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia?

INTRODUCTION: The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which emerged from China and spread all over the world, has affected the world in every aspect and will do so in the foreseeable future. This study was carried out to investigate the possible aggravating effect of smoking on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia presenting with pulmonary involvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 114 adult patients who received inpatient treatment in our clinic with the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia between 11 March 2020 and 30 April 2020 were retrospectively included in the study; in particular, they were evaluated in terms of smoking history, severity of disease, need for NIMV and ICU admission, and mortality during their hospitalization. RESULT: The mean age of the 114 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia was 51.14 ± 14.97 (range 16-81), and 77 (67.5%) were male. Of the patients, 19 (15.9%) were active smokers, 23 were ex-smokers (20.1%), 72 (63.1%) non-smokers. The effect of smoking on the severity of the disease, length of hospitalization, need for non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of active smoking in patients hospitalized with COVID- 19 is lower than the population average. In this study, no correlation was observed between smoking status and the severity, prognosis and mortality of the disease. Further studies with larger number of patients and case series are needed to better elucidate the relationship between smoking and COVID-19 and the pathophysiologic mechanisms of the effects of smoking on the natural history of COVID-19 pneumonia.

The impact of co-existing comorbid diseases on long-term mortality in bronchoscopic lung volume reduction.

Aim Emphysema is a lung disease in which alveolar capillary units are destroyed supporting tissue lost. Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) is a novel treatment for emphysema. Several comorbidities have been reported to coexist in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to evaluate comorbidities of patients with severe emphysema who underwent BLVR and association of these comorbidities with mortality. Methods Between January 2011 and December 2017 the records of severe emphysema patients who underwent endobronchial valve (EBV) or lung volume reduction coil (LVRC) placement were reviewed retrospectively. Results There were 37 patients who received EBV therapy and 29 received LVRC therapy. There were no significant differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics between two groups before the treatment. There were seven deaths (10.6%) over the period of twelve months following the BLVR treatment. All deaths occurred in patients with at least one comorbid condition. Mortality was increased in the presence of comorbidities (14.3% vs 0%, respectively; p=0.099), and it was significantly increased in the presence of multiple comorbidities (18.5% vs 0%; p=0.059). The mortality rate was higher (37.5% vs 10.5%) in the LVRC comparing to the EBV treatment group in the presence of multiple comorbid conditions, albeit not reaching statistical significance (p=0.099). Conclusion The presence of more than one comorbidity in patients who underwent the LVRC treatment are associated with significant increase of mortality. For patients with severe emphysema who have more than one comorbidity, EBV is a better choice than LVRC.

Our eight years experience in postintubation/posttracheostomy tracheal stenosis.

INTRODUCTION: The most common cause of tracheal stenosis (TS) continues to be traumas according to the intubation and tracheostomy. Bronchoscopy is considered the gold standard for the detection and diagnosis of tracheobronchial pathology. There are several treatment options. We aimed to discuss our tracheal stenosis patients' treatment options, and their follow-up period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive referred patients between 2009 and 2018 presenting with TS were reviewed for the study. Demographic characteristics, localization, length and degree of stenosis, treatment techniques, postoperative complications, and survival were recorded for all patients. RESULT: A total of 110 patients included. The mean age was 53.7 ± 16.7 (16-98 years) years. Of 110 patients, 54 (49.1%) were female. Most common type of stenosis was complex stenosis (74.5%). Mechanical dilatation was applied to all patients. Stenotic regions of 22 (20%) patients were cut with bronchoscopic scissor. Tracheal stents were inserted into trachea of 49 (44.5%) patients. During follow-up period; 36 of 110 (32.7%) patients had surgical resection. Six of 36 (16.7%) patients died during follow-up period (one of them died during surgery), 17 (47.2%) patients had total recovery after surgery. Thirteen of 36 (36.1%) patients had restenosis after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Tracheal stenosis is a process seen after postintubation or posttracheostomy frequently and it has a wide range of management modalities. Although, it is believed that surgery is the most efficient technique in cases without medical contraindications, we determined that endoscopic interventions can be alternative therapeutic options for inoperable patients. Patients must be followed-up after interventional therapies because complications, and restenosis can usually be seen.

General features of patients with Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis followed in our instution.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare disease affecting young smokers. It is more common between the ages of 20-40 and equals the male/female ratio. Lung biopsy is the most useful methods for diagnosis. The first treatment is to quit smoking. Corticosteroids or chemotherapeutic agents can be used in severe progressive cases despite of quiting smoking. The patients with PLCH followed in our clinic were assessed with general clinical features in the light of the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated patients with PLCH in our clinic between January 1999 and June 2017. RESULT: The female and male distribution of the 21 patients was 11/10. The average age was 35.04 ± 11.78 years. All patients were active smokers at the time of admission. The most common symptom was dyspnea. The most common finding in the pulmonary function tests was obstructive ventilatory defect. The DLCO value of the 70% patient in the carbonmonooxid diffusion test was below 80%. The most common pathologic findings detected in high-resolution chest tomography (HRCT) were cystic lesions involving bilateral upper and middle areas. There were 3 (14%) patients with pneumothorax at the time of admission and 6 (28.5%) patients with pneumothorax history before. The most common diagnostic method was open lung biopsy. All the patients quit cigarette after the diagnosis. There were 6 patients using steroid therapy, 1 patient receiving steroid and bosentan therapy, and 1 patient made pleurectomy due to recurrent pneumothorax. Lung transplantation was done to patient who received combined bosentan treatment with steroids. CONCLUSIONS: PLCH is a rare disease and should be considered in young, smokers with spontaneous pneumothorax and cystic lung disease in the differential diagnosis. As more diffusions are affected in patients, respiratory functions for follow-up should be evaluated with diffusion tests. It is essential to quit smoking in therapy.