Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever: Retrospective Evaluation of Clinical Features and Laboratory Findings of 16 Cases

WOS:000609505000011Introduction: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a zoonotic disease frequently transmitted by tick bite and accompanied by fever and bleeding. It may cause important public health problems. Besides clinical symptoms and epidemiological history, blood count and biochemical test results are the first clues for CCHF. in this study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate 16 patients who were followed and treated due to CCHF in our hospital. Materials and Methods: The patients who were followed up and treated with CCHF between 2009-2019 in our clinic were evaluated retrospectively in terms of demographic characteristics, presenting complaints, presence of tick history, laboratory parameters, necessity of blood products replacement, hospitalization periods, ribavirin treatment and one-month survival. Results: Sixteen patients (ten females, six males, mean age 50.37 +/- 18.01 (min: 18-max: 79)] with the diagnosis of CCHF were included into the study. Presenting complaints were fever (16/16, 100%), fatigue (16/16, 100%), bleeding (9/16, 56.2%), petechial rash (7/16, 43.7%). nausea and vomiting (6/16, 37.5%). There was a history of tick contact in 14 cases (87.5%) but not in two cases. Supportive treatment was applied to all cases, and droplet and contact isolation were applied. Blood product replacement was performed in five patients (31.2%), and ribavirin was administered in nine patients (56.2%). Mortality rate was 6.3% (1/16). Conclusion: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is an endemic disease in our country. Especially in spring and summer months, patients with fever and cytopenia on hemogram should be questioned, and tick contact should be sought

Deep Incisional Surgical Site Infection Caused by Ralstonia pickettii

Ralstonia pickettii is an aerobic, nonfermentative gram-negative bacillus that can cause hospital-acquired infections by contaminated distilled water or chlorhexidine containing antiseptics. The two most common Ralstonia species in the clinical samples are R. pickettii and R. solanacearum. Infections caused by R. pickettii are very rare. These infections may appear as asymptomatic colonization or pseudo-bacteremia of respiratory system. The most common infections caused by R. pickettii are bacteremia and pneumonia. In the paper, a case of R. pickettii related deep incisional surgical site infectionis reported. A 63-year-old male patient with type-2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease had coronary by-pass operation two-month ago. After the operation, patient had developed wound dehiscence and purulent discharge. Tissue biopsy culture performed in the setting revealed R. picketti. Patient was treated with 14 days of intravenous and 7 days of oral ciprofloxacin. His repeated cultures performed on the 14th day of ciprofloxacin did not yield any pathogen. To the knowledge, this is the first deep incisional surgical site infection caused by R. pickettii in the literature. The case is found to be of value because of emphasizing the importance of venture for diagnosis and rarity of R. pickettii in the etiology of soft tissue/surgical site infection

ABSTRACT Are Family Physicians and Medical Students Aware of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection?

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis C is a public health problem that can result in cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death, which can be cured with current treatments. In our study, we evaluated the level of knowledge and awareness of medical school students and family physicians about chronic hepatitis C.Materials and Methods: Our study was carried out between 01.06.2022 and 01.08.2022, between the 1st and 6th grade medical students, family physicians (family medicine residents, family medicine specialists) using an online questionnaire.Results: In our study, 536 medical faculty students and 162 family physicians were recruited. Two hundred seventy one (50.6%) of the students were male and the median age was 23.0 (2.0) years. Of the family physicians, 84 (51.2%) were male, the median age was 30 (24-68) years and the median time in the profession was 14.5 (1-40) years. Students answered 69.2% of the questions correctly, and family physicians answered 73% correctly. While the students knew the transmission routes of hepatitis C mostly (97.2%), they got the less information about the testing (34.9%) and treatment (21.9%). Family physicians answered the questions about the transmission routes of hepatitis C with a high rate (99.4%), and the questions about the groups that should be tested (28%) and the questions about the treatment of hepatitis C less correctly (29.4%). In the multivariate analysis, the factors affecting the median knowledge score of the students were male gender (p= 0.019), the student's class (p= 0.002), having Infectious diseases and clinical microbiology committee (p= 0.005) and gastroenterology committee (p= 0.027). The only factor affecting the median knowledge score of family physicians was the use of online presentations by experts in their fields as a source of information (p= 0.003). 67% of the students and 87.2% of the family physicians answered the question How do you manage the person when the anti-HCV screening test is positive? as I will refer the patient to the infectious diseases and clinical microbiology or gastroenterology .Conclusion: In our study, it was found that awareness of screening and treatment was low in both groups. Considering that the main factors related to the level of knowledge of medical students are having committee of the gastroenterology and infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, and online presentations of experienced teachers in family physicians, preparing a special content for these groups may be useful in raising awareness and level of knowledge

Screening of immunocompromised patients at risk of strongyloidiasis in western Turkey using ELISA and real-time PCR

WOS: 000404381800027PubMed ID: 28618740Background/aim: Strongyloides stercoralis causes life-threatening hyperinfection or disseminated strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised patients such as HIV-positive, organ transplantation, and cancer patients. This study investigated the presence of strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised patients for the first time in Turkey. Materials and methods: Serum and stool samples were collected from 108 patients (25.9% of them were chronic renal failure and 74.1% were renal transplantation patients) who were admitted to Ege University Medical School in Izmir, located in western Turkey. Serum samples were analyzed by ELISA (DRG, Germany) and the presence of 18S rRNA gene of S. stercoralis was detected in stool samples by real-time PCR. Results: The analysis of serum samples showed that only one patient was anti-S. stercoralis IgG antibody and real-time PCR positive (0.92%). The patient was treated twice with albendazole (400 mg/day for 3 days) at 2-week intervals. Follow up real-time PCR was negative and the patient became seronegative 6 months after the initial diagnosis. Conclusion: This screening showed that the prevalence of strongyloidiasis in this small group of patients who were at risk of strongyloidiasis was 0.92%. Overall, the results showed that more systematic studies are required in Turkey to show the prevalence of strongyloidiasis.Ege University, TurkeyEge University [2013TIP022]This study received financial support through a grant given by Ege University, Turkey (Grant number: 2013TIP022) to Meltem Isikgoz Tasbakan