Healthcare-associated Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Turkey, 2002–2014: a multicentre retrospective cross-sectional study

Healthcare-related transmission of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a well-recognized hazard. We report a multicentre retrospective cross-sectional study undertaken in Turkey in 2014 in nine hospitals, regional reference centres for CCHF, covering the years 2002 to 2014 inclusive. Data were systematically extracted from charts of all personnel with a reported health care injury/accident related to CCHF. Blood samples were tested for CCHF IgM/IgG by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or viral nucleic acid detection by PCR after the injury. Fifty-one healthcare-related exposures were identified. Twenty-five (49%) of 51 resulted in laboratory-confirmed infection, with a 16% (4/25) overall mortality. The main route of exposure was needlestick injury in 32/51 (62.7%). A potential benefit of post-exposure prophylaxis with ribavirin was identified

In vitro inhibition effect of some chalcones on erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase I and II

Gencer, Nahit/0000-0001-7092-8857WOS: 000329843900005PubMed: 23330659In this study, 4'-(phenylurenyl/thiourenyl) chalcones (14-25) were prepared from 4'-(phenylurenyl/thiourenyl)acetophenones and benzaldehyde derivatives by Claisen-Schmidt condensation. In vitro inhibition effects of chalcone derivatives on purified carbonic anhydrase I and carbonic anhydrase II were investigated by using the CO2 hydration method of Maren. The result showed that all the synthesized compounds inhibited the CA isoenzymes activity. 18 and 19 were found to be most active (IC50 = 25.41 m M and 23.06 mu M) for hCA I, respectively. For hCA II, 24 is the most active compound (IC50 = 14.40 mu M)

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

PMID = 2638617

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. © 2015 Elsevier Inc

Evaluation of tularaemia courses: a multicentre study from Turkey

In this multicentre study, which is the largest case series ever reported, we aimed to describe the features of tularaemia to provide detailed information. We retrospectively included 1034 patients from 41 medical centres. Before the definite diagnosis of tularaemia, tonsillitis (n=653, 63%) and/or pharyngitis (n=146, 14%) were the most frequent preliminary diagnoses. The most frequent clinical presentations were oropharyngeal (n=832, 85.3%), glandular (n=136, 13.1%) and oculoglandular (n=105, 10.1%) forms. In 987 patients (95.5%), the lymph nodes were reported to be enlarged, most frequently at the cervical chain jugular (n=599, 58%), submandibular (n=401, 39%), and periauricular (n=55, 5%). Ultrasound imaging showed hyperechoic and hypoechoic patterns (59% and 25%, respectively). Granulomatous inflammation was the most frequent histological finding (56%). The patients were previously given antibiotics for 1176 episodes, mostly with -lactam/-lactamase inhibitors (n=793, 76%). Antituberculosis medications were provided in seven (2%) cases. The patients were given rational antibiotics for tularaemia after the start of symptoms, with a mean of 26.8 +/- 37.5days. Treatment failure was considered to have occurred in 495 patients (48%). The most frequent reasons for failure were the production of suppuration in the lymph nodes after the start of treatment (n=426, 86.1%), the formation of new lymphadenomegalies under treatment (n=146, 29.5%), and persisting complaints despite 2weeks of treatment (n=77, 15.6%). Fine-needle aspiration was performed in 521 patients (50%) as the most frequent drainage method. In conclusion, tularaemia is a long-lasting but curable disease in this part of the world. However, the treatment strategy still needs optimization

Mortality indicators in pneumococcal meningitis: therapeutic implications

Background: The aim of this study was to delineate mortality indicators in pneumococcal meningitis with special emphasis on therapeutic implications. Methods: This retrospective, multicenter cohort study involved a 15-year period (1998-2012). Culture-positive cases (n = 306) were included solely from 38 centers. Results: Fifty-eight patients received ceftriaxone plus vancomycin empirically. The rest were given a third-generation cephalosporin alone. Overall, 246 (79.1%) isolates were found to be penicillin-susceptible, 38 (12.2%) strains were penicillin-resistant, and 22 (7.1%) were oxacillin-resistant (without further minimum inhibitory concentration testing for penicillin). Being a critical case (odds ratio (OR) 7.089, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.230-15.557) and age over 50 years (OR 3.908, 95% CI 1.820-8.390) were independent predictors of mortality, while infection with a penicillin-susceptible isolate (OR 0.441, 95% CI 0.195-0.996) was found to be protective. Empirical vancomycin use did not provide significant benefit (OR 2.159, 95% CI 0.949-4.912). Conclusions: Ceftriaxone alone is not adequate in the management of pneumococcal meningitis due to penicillin-resistant pneumococci, which is a major concern worldwide. Although vancomycin showed a trend towards improving the prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis, significant correlation in statistical terms could not be established in this study. Thus, further studies are needed for the optimization of pneumococcal meningitis treatment. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases. All rights reserved