Osteoarticular Involvement among Brucellosis Cases in Konya City

Purpose: Brucellosis is a systemic disease that can affect many organs and tissues. Musculoskeletal system is one of the most commonly affected systems. Disease may present itself with sacroiliitis, peripheral arthritis, spondylitis, paraspinal abscess, bursitis or osteomyelitis. The objective of the present study was to determine the frequency, types and clinical features of osteoarticular involvement among cases with brucellosis in Konya city and to establish the differences between patients with and without osteoarticular involvement. Material and Methods: Three hundred and sixteen patients with Brucellosis who presented between June 2003 and June 2014 were included in the study. Brucellosis was diagnosed by positive Bruce Ila Standard Agglutination Test (1/160 titer) and/or growth of Bruce Ila spp. in blood culture in addition to the presence of clinical signs and findings. Diagnosis of osteoarticular system complications was established by physical examination and radiological findings obtained by diagnostic imaging tools. Magnetic resonance images of the thoracic, lumbar or sacral vertebrae were acquired in patients with back pain, low back pain and sacro-iliac joint pain. Results: Osteoarticular involvement was noted in 129 patients (40.8%) (females: 52% and males: 48%). The most common route of transmission was employment in farming and/or consumption of un-pasteurized milk or dairy products, especially fresh cheese, in 97 (75%) cases. Mean age was 46 18 years. Sacroiliitis was the most frequent osteoarticular involvement (n: 68, 52.7%), 70.5% of which were bilateral. Sacroiliitis was followed by spondylodiscitis in 35 (38.7%), peripheral arthritis in 20 (15.5%), bursitis in 1 (0.8%) cases. Patients with osteoarticular involvement received medical treatment for at least three months. Discussion: Ratio and anatomical region of osteoarticular involvement in brucellosis shows variability among areas. In the present study, we demonstrated that sacroiliitis was the most common form in Konya city. This disease should be included in differential diagnosis in patients with symptoms of sacroiliitis, spondylodiscitis or those with articular pain. Key words: Brucellosis, osteoarticular involvemen

A Cutaneous Infection Due to Mycobacterium Fortuitum

Cutaneous infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria are uncommon and are so difficult to diagnose. Rapidly growing mycobacteria can cause skin and soft tissue infections in immunocompromised patients. Mycobacterium fortuitum is one of the rapidly growing mycobacterium. In this article, in an immuncompetent patient, we present a case of cutaneous infection in which M. fortuitum is isolated. Our patient recovered completely by clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin treatment given perorally for 12 weeks

The Significance of Mean Platelet Volume in Acute Pancreatitis

Aim: Acute pancreatitis is a high-mortality disease carrying significant risk of complications and characterized by intra-acinar cell activation of digestive enzymes, followed by a subsequent response via the release of proin-flammatory cytokines. Here, we aimed to investigate the development of mean platelet volume in patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Material and Method: The study was performed in patients admitted to the emergency room with the complaint of abdominal pain and diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. A total of 116 patients were included in the study. Mean platelet volume, leucocytes or white blood cells and lipase values were investigated and compared after all patients had been diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and regained good health. Also, the values of mean platelet volume, white blood cells and lipase were recorded twice for these patients. Results: After diagnosis and complete treatment, the mean platelet volume, white blood cells and the lipase values of 116 acute pancreatitis patients were statistically compared it was found that the values on admission were higher than after the treatment. Discussion: Mean platelet volume is an indicator that increases in acute pancreatitis so, we consider that mean platelet volume may be beneficial in the diagnosis and in monitoring the course of acute pancreatitis

The Impact of Secondary Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection on the Course of COVID-19 Infection

Abstract Background Secondary bacterial infections can worsen the prognosis for COVID-19, especially in patients with severe infections. Thus, we aim to investigate the effect of secondary catheter-related bloodstream infections on the course of COVID-19 infection. Material and Methods This is a retrospective, nested case-control study and included 236 confirmed COVID-19 infection hospitalized patients, divided into 2 groups (COVID-19, n = 64; non–COVID-19, n = 172) according to SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results. Results The age, sex, and prevalence of chronic diseases were similar in both groups. Klebsiella pneumoniae (31.2%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (21.9%) were the predominant microorganisms in the COVID-19 group. Only A. baumannii was statistically higher in the COVID-19 group (P = 0.046). There were no significant differences in terms of resistance profiles. The 30-day mortality was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group (56.3%) than in the non–COVID-19 group (38.4%) (P = 0.014). There was no significant difference in the length of stay between the 2 groups. The multiple logistic regression analysis of risk factors for 30-day mortality revealed that COVID-19 positivity (odds ratio [OR], 2.167; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.056–4.446; P = 0.035), infection with extensively drug-resistant bacteria (OR, 2.949; 95% CI, 1.311–6.636; P = 0.009), and infection with pandrug-resistant bacteria (OR, 3.601; 95% CI, 1.213–10.689; P = 0.021) were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. Conclusion As a conclusion, this study demonstrated that COVID-19 positivity is an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality of secondary catheter-related bloodstream infections. Gram-negative bacteria were the predominant microorganisms, with A. baumannii being statistically higher in the COVID-19 group compared with the non–COVID-19 group. However, there were no statistically significant differences in terms of the resistance profile of microorganisms. </jats:sec

Factors Affecting Inadequate Empirical Antimicrobial Therapy and the Clinical Course of Upper Urinary Tract Infections in Elderly Patients: A Multicenter Study

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to determine the risk factors associated with inadequate empirical antibiotherapy (IEAT) and hospital-related mortality in elderly patients being treated for upper urinary tract infections (UTI)