Which method is the most effective for preventing postoperative infection in spinal surgery?

Our study suggests that rifamycin application to the surgical area in spinal operations with instrumentation is an effective method to prevent S. aureus infections

Brucella Septic Arthritis and Abscess in Hand Joint

Brucellosis can affect all kinds of organs and can cause a wide range of clinical findings. The incidence of osteoarticular involvement in brucellosis has been reported to vary between 10-85% in various regions of the world. The most affected joints are knee, hip and ankle, respectively. However, it can affect all joints. Antibodies do not occur in 1-5% of cases with brucellosis and this is called seronegative brucellosis. It should be kept in mind that culture helps in definitive diagnosis for seronegative cases. In this case report, we aimed to emphasize that brucellosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of peripheral arthritis, especially in older patients with risk factors in endemic areas even if serological tests were negative, and culture is essential to confirm the diagnosis

Comparison of Health Care-Associated Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis Bloodstream Infections

Objective: In recent years, the prevalence of health care-associated infections (HAIs) has increased as a result of the spread of invasive procedures and immunosuppressive therapies. Blood-stream infections (BSIs) are important causes of mortality and morbidity among HAIs and enterococci are among the most common organisms responsible for these infections The most frequent two species are Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis causing BSIs due to enterococci. The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate E. faecium and E. faecalis BSIs that developed in various clinics of Samsun Training and Research Hospital between January 2014 and November 2018

Because of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

One of the significant risk factor in the development of nosocomial Staphylococcal infections is bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)colonized in the nose of health personnel. The meticilin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was detected in the repeated blood cultures of two babies who had been followed for about 20 days in neonatal intensive care due to premature birth. Because of the failure to find the source in the assesment of the infants of whom MRSA reproduction continue, despite the appropriate treatment according to the results of antibiograms, examinations were performed fort he environment and the healtyh personnel. Cultures were taken from the total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solution given to the babies. S. aureus growth was detected in the received culture. Therefore cultures were obtained from the places where there will be source in the division where TPN was prepared and nsal cultures were taken from the personnel. Because of growth of S. aureus only in the nasal cultures of the personnel, considering that the source was the personnel, the personnel were given the treatment of mupirocin pomad for five days, and during this period the work of the staff were replaced. There was not any growth in the TPN received at the and of the treatment an in the blood cultures of the patients. These facts showed us the necessity of making the necessary screening by considering the health personnel can also be the source in case of any S. aureus growth. [J Contemp Med 2016; 6(4.000): 382-384

Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Co-infection: An Evaluation of Eighty-Two Patients

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the characteristics and treatment results of 82 co-infected patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV)

Elastofibroma dorsi management and outcomes: review of 16 cases

Elastofibroma dorsi (ED) is a rare, benign lesion arising from connective tissue, usually found at the inferior pole of the scapula. To date, only a few small series have been reported in the English literature and there are few data about the long-term outcomes after surgery. Our goal is to contribute a better understanding of this tumour and to determine the long-term outcomes after surgery. Sixteen patients with a diagnosis of ED were identified from the unit's database. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, pathological evidences and long-term outcomes were evaluated. There were 11 females and 5 males with a mean age of 61.1 years (range 38-78 years). The tumour was located on the right in 5 (31.2%) patients, on the left in 6 (37.5%) patients and bilaterally in 5 (31.2%). Six patients had painful scapular swelling resulting in restriction of movement of the shoulder whereas 10 reported only painful scapular mass. All 16 patients underwent complete resections. The tumour size ranged from 3 to 15 cm. The mean hospital stay was 3.1 +/- 1.4 days with a morbidity of 18.75% (seroma observed in 3 patients). The mean follow-up was 58.4 +/- 29.5 months (range 11-92 months). In 2 patients (12.5%) a new occurrence on the contralateral side was observed at the follow-up. Elastofibroma dorsi is a rare, ill-defined, pseudotumoural lesion of the soft tissues. Surgical treatment can be proposed if the lesion is symptomatic. Furthermore, at the follow-up, the possibility of new occurrences on the contralateral side should be kept in mind

Distribution of the Prevalence of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-B*57:01 Positivity in HIV-1 Infected Individuals and Its Effects on Treatment: Türkiye Map-Buhasder Working Group

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immundeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a critical global public health problem that significantly affects both life expectancy and the overall quality of life of in dividuals in all age groups. The landscape of HIV infection has changed significantly in recent years due to the introduction of effective combination antiretroviral therapies (ART). A key component of first -line ART regimens for HIV treatment is abacavir, a nucleoside HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Although ab acavir is effective in suppressing viral replication and managing disease, its clinical utility is overshadowed by the potential for life -threatening hypersensitivity reactions in HLA-B*57:01-positive patients. In our country, local data obtained from various centers regarding the prevalence of HLA-B*57:01 in HIV -1 -infected patients are available. In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence of the HLA-B*57:01 genotype in HIV -infected patients who were followed up and treated in many regions of our country. This retrospective study consists of the data of the patients aged 18 years and over diagnosed with HIV -1 infection between 01.01.2019 and 31.07.2022. Age, gender, place of birth, mode of transmission of the disease, death status, CD4+ T cell count and HIV RNA levels at the first clinical presentation, HLA-B*57:01 positivity, and the method used, clinical stage of the disease, virological response time with the treatment they received were recorded from the patient files. Data were collected from 16 centers and each center used different methods to detect HLA-B*57:01. These methods were sequence -specific oligonucleotide probe hybridization (SSOP), DNA sequence -based typing (SBT), single -specific primer-polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR), allele -specific PCR (AS-PCR) and quantitative PCR (Q-PCR). A total of 608 HIV -infected individuals, 523 males (86%) and 85 females (14%), were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 36.9 +/- 11.9 (18-73) years. The prevalence of HLA-B*57:01 allele was found to be 3.6% (22 patients). The number of CD4+ T lymphocytes in HLA-B*57:01 allele -positive patients was > 500/ mm(3) in 10 patients (45.5%), while the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes in HLA-B*57:01 negative pa- tients was > 500/mm(3) in 216 patients (36.9%) (p> 0.05). Viral load at the time of diagnosis was found to be lower in patients with positive HLA-B*57:01 allele but it was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). Although different treatment algorithms were used in the centers following the patients, it was observed that the duration of virological response was shorter in HLA-B*57:01 positive patients (p= 0.006). Although the presence of the HLA-B*57:01 allele has a negative impact due to its association with hypersensitivity, it is likely to continue to attract interest due to its association with slower progression of HIV infection and reduced risk of developing AIDS. In addition, although the answer to the question of whether it is cost-effective to screen patients for HLA-B*57:01 before starting an abacavir-containing ART regimen for the treatment of HIV infection is being sought, it seems that HIV treatment guidelines will continue to recommend screening to identify patients at risk in this regard

A long-term multicenter study: Entecavir versus Tenofovir in treatment of nucleos(t)ide analogue-naive chronic hepatitis B patients

Background: Entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarat (TDF) are the two first-line therapies recommended in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B because of having potent antiviral effect and high genetic barriers against resistance. We aimed to compare efficacy of these drugs and to evaluate predictors of viral suppression