Assessment of the requisites of microbiology based infectious disease training under the pressure of consultation needs.

BACKGROUND: Training of infectious disease (ID) specialists is structured on classical clinical microbiology training in Turkey and ID specialists work as clinical microbiologists at the same time. Hence, this study aimed to determine the clinical skills and knowledge required by clinical microbiologists. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out between June 1, 2010 and September 15, 2010 in 32 ID departments in Turkey. Only patients hospitalized and followed up in the ID departments between January-June 2010 who required consultation with other disciplines were included. RESULTS: A total of 605 patients undergoing 1343 consultations were included, with pulmonology, neurology, cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, dermatology, haematology, and endocrinology being the most frequent consultation specialties. The consultation patterns were quite similar and were not affected by either the nature of infections or the critical clinical status of ID patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study show that certain internal medicine subdisciplines such as pulmonology, neurology and dermatology appear to be the principal clinical requisites in the training of ID specialists, rather than internal medicine as a whole.

Impact of antimicrobial drug restrictions on doctors' behaviors.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Broad-spectrum antibiotics have become available for use only with the approval of infectious disease specialists (IDSs) since 2003 in Turkey. This study aimed to analyze the tendencies of doctors who are not disease specialists (non-IDSs) towards the restriction of antibiotics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire form was prepared, which included a total of 22 questions about the impact of antibiotic restriction (AR) policy, the role of IDSs in the restriction, and the perception of this change in antibiotic consumption. The questionnaire was completed by each participating physician. RESULTS: A total of 1906 specialists from 20 cities in Turkey participated in the study. Of those who participated, 1271 (67.5%) had ≤5 years of occupational experience (junior specialists = JSs) and 942 (49.4%) of them were physicians. Specialists having >5 years of occupational experience in their branch expressed that they followed the antibiotic guidelines more strictly than the JSs (P < 0.05) and 755 of physicians (88%) and 720 of surgeons (84.6%) thought that the AR policy was necessary and useful (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the AR policy was supported by most of the specialists. Physicians supported this restriction policy more so than surgeons did.

Comparison of brucellar and tuberculous spondylodiscitis patients: results of the multicenter "Backbone-1 Study".

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: No direct comparison between brucellar spondylodiscitis (BSD) and tuberculous spondylodiscitis (TSD) exists in the literature. PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare directly the clinical features, laboratory and radiological aspects, treatment, and outcome data of patients diagnosed as BSD and TSD. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective, multinational, and multicenter study was used. PATIENT SAMPLE: A total of 641 (TSD, 314 and BSD, 327) spondylodiscitis patients from 35 different centers in four countries (Turkey, Egypt, Albania, and Greece) were included. OUTCOME MEASURES: The pre- and peri- or post-treatment spinal deformity and neurologic deficit parameters, and mortality were carried out. METHODS: Brucellar spondylodiscitis and TSD groups were compared for demographics, clinical, laboratory, radiological, surgical interventions, treatment, and outcome data. The Student t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for group comparisons. Significance was analyzed as two sided and inferred at 0.05 levels. RESULTS: The median baseline laboratory parameters including white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were higher in TSD than BSD (p<.0001). Prevertebral, paravertebral, epidural, and psoas abscess formations along with loss of vertebral corpus height and calcification were significantly more frequent in TSD compared with BSD (p<.01). Surgical interventions and percutaneous sampling or abscess drainage were applied more frequently in TSD (p<.0001). Spinal complications including gibbus deformity, kyphosis, and scoliosis, and the number of spinal neurologic deficits, including loss of sensation, motor weakness, and paralysis were significantly higher in the TSD group (p<.05). Mortality rate was 2.22% (7 patients) in TSD, and it was 0.61% (2 patients) in the BSD group (p=.1). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that TSD is a more suppurative disease with abscess formation requiring surgical intervention and characterized with spinal complications. We propose that using a constellation of constitutional symptoms (fever, back pain, and weight loss), pulmonary involvement, high inflammatory markers, and radiological findings will help to differentiate between TSD and BSD at an early stage before microbiological results are available.

In vitro effect of levofloxacin and vancomycin combination against high level aminoglycoside-resistant enterococci.

The in vitro effects of levofloxacin and vancomycin in combination were evaluated against high level aminoglycoside-resistant (HLAR) enterococci using chequerboard and time-kill curve techniques. We examined 28 strains of enterococci comprising 17 Enterococcus faecalis, 10 E. faecium and one E. durans. The combination of vancomycin and levofloxacin had indifferent activity against all isolates according to chequerboard microdilution method, but was synergistic for two isolates, one E. faecium and one E. faecalis, using the time-kill curve method. Both strains were levofloxacin resistant and had high level aminoglycoside resistance to gentamicin and streptomycin. Antagonism was not detected in any strain. The results of this study suggested that the combination of vancomycin with levofloxacin does not often show synergistic effect against high level aminoglycoside-resistant enterococci.

Metoclopramide-induced acute dystonic reaction: a case report.

The aim of this case report is to draw attention to the frequent occurrence of metoclopramide-induced movement disorders. We report a case of an acute dystonic reaction to metoclopramide in a patient treated for hepatitis A. Metoclopramide can cause severe adverse events, such as an acute dystonic reaction, and should be used with caution in patients with infectious diseases.