Q-Scoring System for the Evaluation of the Superficial Wound Swab Samples: A Clinical Microbiological Aspect.

Purpose: Wound swab cultures are frequently requested from patients suspected of having a wound infection. The quality of the sample should also be evaluated by performing a Gram-stained microscopic examination. "Q-scoring system" is not widely used and the literature on the subject is limited. Methods: A total of 4648 wound swab samples were evaluated. Samples with a Q-score of "0" were considered as "poor quality samples", and those with a score of " ≥ 1" were classified as "good quality samples". Microorganisms grown in the culture of samples that scored above one were identified by mass spectrometry, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed. Results: Gram stain results were found to be consistent with the culture result in 57.10% (n = 1078) of and inconsistent with the culture result in 42.90% (n = 813) of the samples. The number of samples with Q-scores one, two, and three among the 813 samples was 62, 29, and 722, respectively. The value observed in Q3 was found to be statistically significantly higher than the values observed in Q1 and Q2 (p < 0.05). Samples sent from surgical departments (61.92%) with a Q-score of ≥ 1, were statistically significant compared to internal medicine departments (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference between samples sent from intensive care units and those sent from other inpatient services. For both groups with Q-scores ≥ 1 and "0" similar microorganisms were identified. Conclusion: As a conclusion, the Q-scoring system will provide a common language between the laboratory and the clinic, especially by standardizing the evaluation of wound swab samples.

Long-term antifouling surfaces for urinary catheters.

The presence of a variety of bacteria is an inevitable/indispensable part of human life. In particular, for patients, the existence and spreading of bacteria lead to prolonged treatment period with many more complications. The widespread use of urinary catheters is one of the main causes for the prevalence of infections. The necessity of long-term use of indwelling catheters is unavoidable in terms of the development of bacteriuria and blockage. As is known, since a permanent solution to this problem has not yet been found, research and development activities continue actively. Herein, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-like thin films were synthesized by a custom designed plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) method and the long-term effect of antifouling properties of PEG-like coated catheters was investigated against Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis. The contact angle measurements have revealed the increase of wettability with the increase of plasma exposure time. The antifouling activity of surface-coated catheters was analyzed against the Gram-negative/positive bacteria over a long-term period (up to 30 days). The results revealed that PE-CVD coated PEG-like thin films are highly capable of eliminating bacterial attachment on surfaces with relatively reduced protein attachment without having any toxic effect. Previous statements were supported with SEM, XPS, FTIR spectroscopy, and contact angle analysis.

Retrospective Evaluation of Risk Factors for Invasive Candida Infections in a Medical Intensive Care Unit.

Objective: We aimed to detect the risk factors for invasive candida infections by evaluating the fungal strains cultivated from samples taken in a medical intensive care unit (ICU). Materials and Methods: We investigated fungal growths between January 1, 2016, and December 1, 2018, retrospectively. All reported fungal growths and demographic characteristics, clinical features, treatments and outcomes of the patients with fungal growths were recorded. Results: Fungal growths were reported from 384 different samples obtained from 179 ICU patients. The most common strain was determined to be C. albicans (47.9%).The incidence of non-albicansCandida strains was increased over the years (2016 - 44%, 2017 - 52.5%, 2018 - 49%), most significantly C. glabrata (7.7% to 14.6%). The most common strain was C. parapsilosis (57.9%) in patients with candidemia, and infection was more severe among them. Fluconazole resistance was rare. When patients with and without fungal growth were compared, a significant difference was found between groups in terms of age, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, length of ICU and hospital stay, ICU and hospital mortality (p<0.001, p =0.011, p<0.001, p=0.031, p =0.016). Candida score was significantly higher in candidemic patients (3.0 vs 0.0 p<0.001). Conclusion: Among fungal growths in samples from critically ill patients, the incidence of non-albicans Candida strains was gradually increasing. Older age, higher APACHE II score, and longer hospital and ICU stay were associated with fungal growths.