Empirical cefepime+vancomycin versus ceftazidime+vancomycin versus meropenem+vancomycin in the treatment of healthcare-associated meningitis: results of the multicenter ephesus study.

BACKGROUND: Herein, we analyzed the efficacy of main antibiotic therapy regimens in the treatment of healthcare-associated meningitis (HCAM). MATERIALS/METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in 18 tertiary-care academic hospitals Turkey, India, Egypt and Romania. We extracted data and outcomes of all patients with post-neurosurgical meningitis cases fulfilling the study inclusion criteria and treated with empirical therapy between December 2006-September 2018. RESULTS: Twenty patients in the cefepime + vancomycin-(CV) group, 31 patients in the ceftazidime + vancomycin-(CFV) group, and 119 patients in the meropenem + vancomycin-(MV) group met the inclusion criteria. The MV subgroup had a significantly higher mean Glasgow Coma Score, a higher rate of admission to the intensive care unit within the previous month, and a higher rate of antibiot herapy within the previous month before the meningitis episode (p < 0.05). Microbiological success on Day 3-5, end of treatment (EOT) clinical success (80% vs. 54.8%% vs 57.9%), and overall success (EOT success followed by one-month survival without relapse or reinfection 65% vs. 51.6% vs. 45.3%), EOT all cause mortality (ACM) and day 30 ACM (15% vs. 22.6% vs. 26%) did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) among the three cohorts. No regimen was effective against carbapenem-resistant bacteria, and vancomycin resulted in an EOT clinical success rate of 60.6% in the methicillin-resistant staphylococci or ampicillin-resistant enterococci subgroup (n = 34). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed no significant difference in terms of clinical success and mortality among the three treatment options. All regimens were ineffective against carbapenem-resistant bacteria. Vancomycin was unsuccessful in approximately 40% of cases involving methicillin-resistant staphylococci or ampicillin-resistant enterococci.

Safety of Surgery Among Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 PCR-Positive Patients: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Screening with SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests is recommended for all patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia, and elective surgery is deferred for positive patients. This study evaluated the outcomes of asymptomatic PCR-positive patients who underwent general anesthesia and surgery. METHODS: Patient data were collected from the hospital records of patients who underwent surgery between January 2021 and May 2022. Asymptomatic patients with a positive PCR test between 7 days before and 5 days after surgery were compared with controls. The cases were propensity score-matched with a 1:2 ratio to the controls. All-cause in-hospital mortality was the primary outcome of the study. RESULTS: A total of 217 asymptomatic PCR-positive patients were matched to 434 controls. In multivariate analysis, PCR-positive test results were not associated with mortality (log(OR) (95%CIs), p; 0.86 (- 0.13, 1.9), 0.09). Age and ASA score (>3) were the most significant risk factors associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: This study found that surgery among asymptomatic PCR-positive patients was not associated with increased mortality.

Anxiety and Depression among People Living with HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Face-to-Face Survey from Turkey.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been some difficulties in the routine care of people living with HIV (PLWH). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of PLWH and their use of health services. This study was conducted using the face-to-face interview method in the outpatient clinic of a university hospital, between 01.09.2020 and 30.11.2020. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and survey instrument designed by the researchers investigating socio-demographic data and access to health services were used. RESULTS: The study included 217 patients, 91.7% (n=199) of whom were male. All of the patients were postponed their hospital appointments, 60.8% were concerned about not being able to contact their physician and 53% had concerned about being stigmatized if they went to the hospital. Of the participants, 27.6% had depression, 12.9% had anxiety and 8.3% had both depression and anxiety. Low income, job loss, and fear of being stigmatized were associated with depression and anxiety. Lower level of education, discontinuation of medications and lack of opportunity to work remotely were associated with depression, while history of psychiatric illness, worry about not being able to contact their physician and cessation of antiretroviral therapy were associated with higher anxiety levels. CONCLUSION: It is important to develop strategies ensuring the continuity of care for PWLH and identify and support those with a higher mental health impact.

Tocilizumab treatment in severe COVID-19: a multicenter retrospective study with matched controls.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) associated pneumonia may progress into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Some patients develop features of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Elevated levels of IL-6 were reported to be associated with severe disease, and anti-IL-6R tocilizumab has been shown to be effective in some patients. This retrospective multicenter case-control study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tocilizumab in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, who received standard of care with or without tocilizumab. Primary outcome was the progression to intubation or death. PSMATCH (SAS) procedure was used to achieve exact propensity score (PS) matching. Data from 1289 patients were collected, and study population was reduced to 1073 based on inclusion-exclusion criteria. The composite outcome was observed more frequently in tocilizumab-users, but there was a significant imbalance between arms in all critical parameters. Primary analyses were carried out in 348 patients (174 in each arm) after exact PS matching according to gender, ferritin, and procalcitonin. Logistic regression models revealed that tocilizumab significantly reduced the intubation or death (OR 0.40, p = 0.0017). When intubation is considered alone, tocilizumab-users had > 60% reduction in odds of intubation. Multiple imputation approach, which increased the size of the matched patients up to 506, provided no significant difference between arms despite a similar trend for intubation alone group. Analysis of this retrospective cohort showed more frequent intubation or death in tocilizumab-users, but PS-matched analyses revealed significant results for supporting tocilizumab use overall in a subset of patients matched according to gender, ferritin and procalcitonin levels.

Hepatitis B immunization data of patients living with HIV/AIDS: a multi-centre study.

OBJECTIVES: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are the two leading viruses that cause the greatest number of virus-related morbidities in the world. HIV/HBV coinfection is correlated with high morbidity and mortality. For this particular reason hepatitis B vaccination is crucial for people living with HIV. METHODS: Patients who are being followed-up for HIV/AIDS and who have received a hepatitis B vaccine in 4 HIV clinics over a 5-year time period have been studied. Our multi-centered, retrospective, cross-sectional and observational study investigates factors that affect hepatitis B vaccination immune response of individuals living with HIV. The patients have been studied for the parameters such as age, sex, CD4 count at the time of diagnosis or vaccination, HIV-RNA levels, comorbidities, vaccine dosage, success of immunization after vaccination, and the demographics of the patients who have and have not developed immunity. RESULTS: Of 645 patients that are being followed-up in our clinics, 158 received hepatitis B vaccine; 39 of these 158 patients have been excluded from the study because they did not fulfil the inclusion criteria. Finally, 119 patients were evaluated in the study, 17 of the patients (14.3%) were females and 102 (85.7%) were males. The median age was 41.11 ± 10.09 (min-max: 18-75). Twenty-three of the patients (19.3%) were at the stage of AIDS during diagnosis while 80.7% were at the stage of HIV infection. Ninety-one of the patients (76.5%) have been administered a single dose hepatitis B vaccine on the standard 0, 1st, 6th month vaccination schedule, whereas 23.5% were administered a double dose on the same vaccination schedule. When further evaluated to find whether the patient was able to develop sufficient immunity (anti-HBs ≥ 10), it was found that the immune response was statistically significantly higher in the patients whose CD4 count was greater than 200 at the time of the first diagnosis and vaccination (p = 0.05 and p = 0.001, respectively). The patients have also been evaluated according to the number of doses they received (1 vs. 2). The immune response of the patients who received two doses was statistically significantly higher (p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: We can conclude that in the patients with CD4 count less than 200 at the time of their diagnosis and vaccination a high dose recombinant hepatitis B vaccine should definitely be administered as the normal dose and higher dose have similar side effect profiles and the higher dose provides greater immunity.

Rifampin-accompanied antibiotic regimens in the treatment of prosthetic joint infections: a frequentist and Bayesian meta-analysis of current evidence.

Prosthetic joint infections cause serious morbidity and mortality among joint arthroplasty patients. Rifampin-accompanied antibiotic regimens are recommended for gram-positive infections. This study aimed to combine current evidence supporting the rifampin supplement to an effective antibiotic in the treatment of prosthetic joint infections. We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis with frequentist and Bayesian approaches. A total of 13 studies, all observational, were included in the final analysis. The predominant bacteria in eight, two, and three studies were Staphylococcus spp., Propionibacterium spp., and Streptococcus spp., respectively. We pooled data from 568 patients in the staphylococcus subset (OR, 1.18; 95% CIs, [0.76; 1.82]; I2 = 23%) and data from 80 patients in the propionibacterium subset (REM OR, 1.61; 95% CIs [0.58; 4.47]; I2 = 0%). Both were insignificant with little heterogeneity. We pooled data from 483 patients in the streptococcus subset; the pooled estimate in this subset favored the use of rifampin supplemented regimens (1.84; [0.90; 3.76]) with moderate to high unaccounted heterogeneity (I2 = 57%). Bayesian random-effects models produced a posterior probability density indicating that future studies will not favor rifampin supplementation in Staphylococcus infections (µ, 0.074; τ, 0.570; 89% HPD, [- 0.48; 0.54]). Bayesian posterior distribution in the Streptococcus subset displayed a tendency toward rifampin supplementation. Studies had a substantial selection bias. Available evidence did not encourage rifampin-accompanied regimens for staphylococcal infections.

A novel approach to managing COVID-19 patients; results of lopinavir plus doxycycline cohort.

This manuscript aims to present a treatment algorithm we applied to manage COVID-19 patients admitted to our hospital. During the study period, 2043 patients with suspected COVID-19 were admitted to the emergency department. Molecular tests indicated that 475 of these patients tested positive for COVID-19. We administered hydroxychloroquine plus doxycycline to mild cases (isolated at home) for 3 days and lopinavir plus doxycycline to moderate and severe cases (hospitalized) for 5 days. The overall case fatality rate was 4.2% (20/475).

COVID-19 induced telogen effluvium.

COVID-19 is a febrile, infectious illness that has previously been associated with telogen effluvium (TE). However, to date, no study has been conducted to determine the incidence of TE in those who have had COVID-19. To assess the frequency of TE in post-COVID-19 patients and the correlation between the development of TE and the severity of COVID-19, to understand whether emotional stress or medications are responsible for the development of TE. Totally 204 patients with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the last 3 months were included in the study. The diagnosis of TE was made by history of excessive hair shedding, hair pull test, diffuse or bitemporal thinning, and absence of anisotrichosis in trichoscopy. Patients who did not have any TE cause other than COVID-19 and whose hair loss started after COVID-19 were considered as "COVID-19 associated TE (CATE)." We found TE in 75 (36.7%) cases and androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in 85 (41.7%) cases. CATE was present in 27.9% of cases and developed on average 53.76 (± 23.772) days after COVID-19 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positivity. The proportion of patients with CATE was numerically higher in hospitalized patients compared to outpatients (31.7% vs. 24.3%; p = 0.238); and significantly higher in women compared to men (42.3% vs. 6.2%; p < 0.001), in patients with hypertension compared to those without hypertension (40.4% vs. 23.1%; p = 0.014), and in patients who had respiratory symptoms compared to those who had not (31.7% vs. 14.0%; p = 0.021). The patients with and without CATE were similar in terms of stress level and usage of COVID-19 medications. Patients with AGA had a higher rate of hospitalization (69.4% vs. 35.3%; p < 0.001) and a higher incidence of fever (69.4% vs. 54.6%; p = 0.033) during COVID-19, compared to those without. TE developed in approximately one-quarter of people who have had COVID-19, and our study is the first to detect it. The time to onset of CATE, which was 7-8 weeks after the SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positivity, was not much different from post-infectious TE. Patients with severe COVID-19 seem to be more prone to develop TE. The presence of AGA is associated with a more severe COVID-19. During the pandemic, clinicians should consider a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients presenting with hair loss.

A novel id-iri score: development and internal validation of the multivariable community acquired sepsis clinical risk prediction model.

We aimed to develop a scoring system for predicting in-hospital mortality of community-acquired (CA) sepsis patients. This was a prospective, observational multicenter study performed to analyze CA sepsis among adult patients through ID-IRI (Infectious Diseases International Research Initiative) at 32 centers in 10 countries between December 1, 2015, and May 15, 2016. After baseline evaluation, we used univariate analysis at the second and logistic regression analysis at the third phase. In this prospective observational study, data of 373 cases with CA sepsis or septic shock were submitted from 32 referral centers in 10 countries. The median age was 68 (51-77) years, and 174 (46,6%) of the patients were females. The median hospitalization time of the patients was 15 (10-21) days. Overall mortality rate due to CA sepsis was 17.7% (n = 66). The possible predictors which have strong correlation and the variables that cause collinearity are acute oliguria, altered consciousness, persistent hypotension, fever, serum creatinine, age, and serum total protein. CAS (%) is a new scoring system and works in accordance with the parameters in third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). The system has yielded successful results in terms of predicting mortality in CA sepsis patients.

Approach to women who become pregnant while on tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for chronic B hepatitis: A report of two cases.

Mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus can occur during the intrauterine, antenatal and postnatal periods, with an increased risk of perinatal transmission. Appropriate management of patients who are hepatitis B surface antigen positive during pregnancy can substantially reduce the rates of perinatal transmission. Herein, two pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B are presented; one became pregnant while receiving tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and continued the treatment during pregnancy, the other discontinued tenofovir disoproxil fumarate treatment on her own due to conception, but restarted at 26 weeks of pregnancy. At birth the newborns of both women were vaccinated and immunoglobulin was given, with no perinatal transmission. Whether pregnant women should receive antiviral therapy or immunoprophylaxis still remains controversial. In order to keep the mother's liver stable and to prevent perinatal transmission, it is of paramount importance to manage pregnant women in line with the current information and guidelines.

Predictors of unfavorable outcome in neurosyphilis: Multicenter ID-IRI Study.

Neurosyphilis (NS) has different clinical manifestations and can appear during any stage of syphilis. We aimed to identify the factors affecting poor outcome in NS patients. Patients with positive cerebrospinal fluid Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test, and positive serological serum treponemal or nontreponemal tests were classified as definite NS. The data of 141 patients with definite NS were submitted from 22 referral centers. Asymptomatic NS, syphilitic meningitis, meningovascular syphilis, tabes dorsalis, general paresis, and taboparesis were detected in 22 (15.6%), 67 (47.5%), 13 (9.2%), 10 (7%), 13 (9.2%), and 16 patients (11.3%), respectively. The number of HIV-positive patients was 43 (30.4%). The most common symptoms were headache (n = 55, 39%), fatigue (n = 52, 36.8%), and altered consciousness (50, 35.4%). Tabetic symptoms were detected in 28 (19.8%), paretic symptoms in 32 (22.6%), and vascular symptoms in 39 patients (27.6%). Eye involvement was detected in 19 of 80 patients (23.7%) who underwent eye examination and ear involvement was detected in eight of 25 patients (32%) who underwent ear examination. Crystallized penicillin was used in 109 (77.3%), procaine penicillin in seven (4.9%), ceftriaxone in 31 (21.9%), and doxycycline in five patients (3.5%). According to multivariate regression analysis, while headache was a protective factor in NS patients, double vision was significantly associated to poor outcome. We concluded that double vision indicated unfavorable outcome among NS patients. A high clinical suspicion is needed for the diagnosis NS. As determined in our study, the presence of headache in syphilitic patients can help in early diagnosis of central nervous system disease.

Brucellosis in pregnancy: results of multicenter ID-IRI study.

Brucellosis in pregnant women is reported to be associated with obstetric complications (OCs), and adequate data for human brucellosis during pregnancy are largely lacking. We performed this multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical course, treatment responses, and outcomes of brucellosis among pregnant women. The study period comprised a 14-year period from January 2002 to December 2015. All consecutive pregnant women diagnosed with brucellosis in 23 participating hospitals were included. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and outcome data along with the assessment data of the neonate were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Data of 242 patients were analyzed. The OC rate was 14.0% (34/242) in the cohort. Of the 242 women, 219 (90.5%) delivered at term, 3 (1.2%) had preterm delivery, 15 (6.2%) aborted, and 5 (2.1%) had intrauterine fetal demise. Seventeen (7.0%) of the newborns were considered as low birth weight. Spontaneous abortion (6.1%) was the commonest complication. There were no maternal or neonatal deaths and pertinent sequelae or complications were not detected in the newborns. Splenomegaly (p = 0.019), nausea and/or vomiting (p < 0.001), vaginal bleeding (p < 0.001), anemia (blood hemoglobin < 11 g/dL; p < 0.001), high level of serum aspartate aminotransferase (> 41 IU/L; p = 0.025), oligohydramnios on ultrasonography (p = 0.0002), history of taking medication other than Brucella treatment during pregnancy (p = 0.027), and Brucella bacteremia (p = 0.029) were the significant factors associated with OCs. We recommend that pregnant women with OC or with fever should be investigated for brucellosis if they live in or have traveled to an endemic area.

Quality of life and related factors among chronic hepatitis B-infected patients: a multi-center study, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in Turkey and to study related factors. METHODS: This multicenter study was carried out between January 01 and April 15, 2015 in Turkey in 57 centers. Adults were enrolled and studied in three groups. Group 1: Inactive HBsAg carriers, Group 2: CHB patients receiving antiviral therapy, Group 3: CHB patients who were neither receiving antiviral therapy nor were inactive HBsAg carriers. Study data was collected by face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire, Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Hepatitis B Quality of Life (HBQOL). Values equivalent to p < 0.05 in analyses were accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: Four thousand two hundred fifty-seven patients with CHB were included in the study. Two thousand five hundred fifty-nine (60.1 %) of the patients were males. Groups 1, 2 and 3, consisted of 1529 (35.9 %), 1721 (40.4 %) and 1007 (23.7 %) patients, respectively. The highest value of HRQOL was found in inactive HBsAg carriers. We found that total HBQOL score increased when antiviral treatment was used. However, HRQOL of CHB patients varied according to their socio-demographic properties. Regarding total HBQOL score, a higher significant level of HRQOL was determined in inactive HBV patients when matched controls with the associated factors were provided. CONCLUSIONS: The HRQOL score of CHB patients was higher than expected and it can be worsen when the disease becomes active. Use of an antiviral therapy can contribute to increasing HRQOL of patients.

Latent Tuberculosis Infection Management in Solid Organ Transplantation Recipients: A National Snapshot.

OBJECTIVE:  Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening is strongly recommended in the pre-transplant evaluation of solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, although it remains inadequate in many transplant centers. We decided to investigate pre-transplant TB risk assessment, LTBI treatment, and registry rates in Turkey. MATERIAL AND METHODS:  Adult SOT recipients who underwent tuberculin skin test (TST) and/or interferon-gamma release test (IGRA) from 14 centers between 2015 and 2019 were included in the study. An induration of ≥5 mm on TST and/or probable/positive IGRA (QuantiFERON-TB) was considered positive for LTBI. Demographic features, LTBI screening and treatment, and pre-/post-transplant TB history were recorded from the electronic database of transplantation units across the country and pooled at a single center for a unified database. RESULTS:  TST and/or IGRA were performed in 766 (33.8%) of 2266 screened patients most of whom were kidney transplant recipients (n = 485, 63.4%). LTBI screening test was positive in 359 (46.9%) patients, and isoniazid was given to 203 (56.5%) patients. Of the patients treated for LTBI, 112 (55.2%) were registered in the national registry, and 82 (73.2%) completed the treatment. Tuberculosis developed in 6 (1.06%) of 563 patients who were not offered LTBI treatment. CONCLUSION:  We determined that overall, only one-third of SOT recipients in our country were evaluated in terms of TB risk, only 1 of the 2 SOT recipients with LTBI received treatment, and half were registered. Therefore, we want to emphasize the critical importance of pretransplant TB risk stratification and registration, guided by revised national guidelines.

Neurotoxin-Derived Optical Probes for Biological and Medical Imaging.

The superb specificity and potency of biological toxins targeting various ion channels and receptors are of major interest for the delivery of therapeutics to distinct cell types and subcellular compartments. Fused with reporter proteins or labelled with fluorophores and nanocomposites, animal toxins and their detoxified variants also offer expanding opportunities for visualisation of a range of molecular processes and functions in preclinical models, as well as clinical studies. This article presents state-of-the-art optical probes derived from neurotoxins targeting ion channels, with discussions of their applications in basic and translational biomedical research. It describes the design and production of probes and reviews their applications with advantages and limitations, with prospects for future improvements. Given the advances in imaging tools and expanding research areas benefiting from the use of optical probes, described here resources should assist the discovery process and facilitate high-precision interrogation and therapeutic interventions.

Prospective analysis of febrile neutropenia patients with bacteraemia: the results of an international ID-IRI study.

OBJECTIVES: Bacteraemia during the course of neutropenia is often fatal. We aimed to identify factors predicting mortality to have an insight into better clinical management. METHODS: The study has a prospective, observational design using pooled data from febrile neutropenia patients with bacteraemia in 41 centres in 16 countries. Polymicrobial bacteraemias were excluded. It was performed through the Infectious Diseases-International Research Initiative platform between 17 March 2021 and June 2021. Univariate analysis followed by a multivariate binary logistic regression model was used to determine independent predictors of 30-d in-hospital mortality (sensitivity, 81.2%; specificity, 65%). RESULTS: A total of 431 patients were enrolled, and 85 (19.7%) died. Haematological malignancies were detected in 361 (83.7%) patients. Escherichia coli (n = 117, 27.1%), Klebsiellae (n = 95, 22% %), Pseudomonadaceae (n = 63, 14.6%), Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (n = 57, 13.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 30, 7%), and Enterococci (n = 21, 4.9%) were the common pathogens. Meropenem and piperacillin-tazobactam susceptibility, among the isolated pathogens, were only 66.1% and 53.6%, respectively. Pulse rate (odds ratio [OR], 1.018; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002-1.034), quick SOFA score (OR, 2.857; 95% CI, 2.120-3.851), inappropriate antimicrobial treatment (OR, 1.774; 95% CI, 1.011-3.851), Gram-negative bacteraemia (OR, 2.894; 95% CI, 1.437-5.825), bacteraemia of non-urinary origin (OR, 11.262; 95% CI, 1.368-92.720), and advancing age (OR, 1.017; 95% CI, 1.001-1.034) were independent predictors of mortality. Bacteraemia in our neutropenic patient population had distinctive characteristics. The severity of infection and the way to control it with appropriate antimicrobials, and local epidemiological data, came forward. CONCLUSIONS: Local antibiotic susceptibility profiles should be integrated into therapeutic recommendations, and infection control and prevention measures should be prioritised in this era of rapidly increasing antibiotic resistance.

The evaluation of risk factors related to reduced bone mineral density in young people living with HIV.

Background: Low bone mineral density (BMD) is one of the comorbidities that develop in people living with HIV (PLWHIV). Objective: This study was conducted to review the frequency and risk factors of reduced BMD according to age in HIV-infected patients in Turkey. Material and Method: This retrospective cohort study included HIV-infected patients aged 18-50. Bone density was analysed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) according to the Z-score in three different regions including the lumbar, total-hip and femoral-neck. Results: The study included 224 PLWHIV with a mean age of 35.84-7.54, and 59.8% were ART naive. Of the patients, 40.6% had lower BMD than expected at least in one of the three examined regions including the lumbar, total hip and femoral neck. The low BMD ratios were found respectively as 11.6%, 11.6% and 28.6% in the femoral neck, total hip and lumbar regions. According to the logistic regression model, a high body mass index (p=0.003) and HIV-RNA level of ≥100.000IU/ml during the diagnosis in the ART-naive group (p=0.008) were associated with reduced bone demineralization. The low BMD frequency was high in the group that received ART for <24 months (p=0.001). Conclusion: Performing bone demineralization screening in the naive and young patient group, independently from ART status prior to making the diagnosis of HIV is important for organizing the bone health improvement methods.

Evaluation of treatment efficacy after switching to dolutegravir-lamivudine dual therapy in people living with HIV.

Background: People living with HIV need to use antiretroviral therapy throughout their lives. Objectives: Studies on the efficacy and safety of dual therapy are limited in Turkey. We sought to evaluate the treatment efficacy and side effects among patients who were given a combination of dolutegravir (DTG) and lamivudine (3TC) as a maintenance therapy. Methods: This retrospective, single-centre study included individuals with viral suppression who were older than 18 years of age, living with HIV, switched from a combination antiretroviral therapy regimen to DTG-3TC dual therapy, and followed up for at least 6 months. Results: The study included 63 patients living with HIV. The median age was 42 years (interquartile range (IQR): 36-51 years). The median follow-up under the DTG-3TC regimen was 10.4 months (7.1-16.0 months). In the course of dual therapy, no patients developed any serious adverse effects that would necessitate a therapy switch, but virological blips were seen in two patients. Two patients lost their lives, with one dying from suicide and one dying from respiratory failure associated with the underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusion: The DTG-3TC dual-therapy regimen is a promising and effective therapy that can be used as a treatment of choice for eligible patients.

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak in a COVID-19 intensive care unit; a case-control study.

We analysed a carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) outbreak in the coronavirus disease (COVID) ICU. We retrospectively collected data from ICU records. We identified 25 cases between 12 November 2020 and 19 December 2020, and compared them to 42 controls present in the ICU during the same period. The presence of a femoral haemodialysis catheter was strongly associated with invasive CRKP infections (cases, 9 [36%]; controls, 0 [0%]; odds ratio [OR] 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 21 (5; 89)). We found a significant association between old age and CRKP infection with adverse outcomes. Sequence analysis revealed three distinct carbapenemase genes: blaNDM-1, blaOXA-48 and blaKPC-2. We launched rectal swab sampling upon admission to the ICU, cohorted colonized patients and cases and conducted an intensive training programme for newly employed staff. This study revealed that the emergence and dissemination of CRKP in COVID ICUs were associated with increased adverse outcomes. The presence of a femoral haemodialysis catheter was a significant risk factor for CRKP infections.