The Distribution and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Etiologic Agents Isolated From Bacteremia Episodes Among Immunocompromised Patients

Objective: Bacteremia is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the etiology of bacteremia and the antibiotic susceptibilities of etiologic agents among immunocompromised patients followed up from January 1, 2012 to July 30, 2013. Methods: Immunocompromised patients, both inpatient and outpatient treated in our hospital, were followed prospectively. The definition of "immunocompromised patients" consisted of solid organ (kidney, liver) transplantation recipients and hemato-oncologic malignancy patients with a history of chemotherapy in the previous month before bacteremia. Results: This prospective study comprised of 167 bacteremia episodes of 130 consecutive immunocompromised patients. The most isolated group of bacteria was Gram-negative bacteria. Escherichia coli was the most commonly (30.8%) isolated bacteria and the second was coagulase-negative staphylococci (15.1%). Fifty one percent of the E. coli isolates were extended-spectrum beta-lactamasepositive. Acinetobacter baumannii was the second most common bacteria of Gram-negative agents and the ratio of multiple drug-resistant (MDR) isolates among Acinetobacter isolates was 73%. Conclusions: Gram-negative bacteria are the most common causative agents of bacteremia in immunocompromised patients in our hospital. The rising ratio of MDR A. baumannii is a striking problem which causes difficult-to-treat infections

A Fatal Case of West Nile Virus Encephalitis

Although West Nile virus (WNV) serologic evidence has been well demonstrated throghout Turkey in the last 40 years; the first symptomatic WNV infection was reported in 2009 and increased number of cases were reported during August 2010. In that period WNV encephalitis was diagnosed serologically (WNV IgM positivity in serum sample detected by ELISA and IFA) and confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization test in a 76-year-old man who was admitted to Baskent University Faculty of Medicine with complaints of fever, impaired consiousness and generalized tremors. Despite all supportive treatment, he died on the 9th day of hospitalization. In this report, detailed clinical course, laboratory features and diagnosis of this mortal case of WNV encephalitis were described. WNV encephalitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with fever of unknown origin and loss of consiousness especially in summer and early fall in Turkey

Development and validation of Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and factor analytic assessment

Objective: To develop and validate Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in adolescents. Methods: Questions and threshold criteria of the K-SADS-IGD was generated based on the related section of K-SADS-PL. Then, the sample consist of IGD group and matched control group with no significant difference in psychiatric comorbidities from clinical settings were included to assess the psychometric properties of the K-SADS-IGD. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analysis were conducted to evaluate and compare DSM model of IGD and two different Models of IGD proposal in adolescents. Results: Exploratory Factor Analysis of K-SADS-IGD revealed a single factor explaining 61.469% of the total variance. Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicates that although the K-SADS-IGD model fit indices were also acceptable, Model 1, which excluded the 7th criterion of IGD criteria of DSM-5 showed better fit in adolescent population. The Likelihood Ratio Positive and the Likelihood Ratio Negative estimates for the diagnosis of K-SADS-IGD were 31.4 and 0.12, respectively, suggesting that K-SADS-IGD was beneficial for determining the presence and the absence of IGD in adolescents. Also, K-SADS-IGD could detect disordered gamers with significantly low functionality (even after controlling the impact of comorbidities) from non-disordered gamers. Conclusion: K-SADS-IGD was found to be a reliable and valid instrument in adolescents. The model excluding 7th criteria of DSM-5 IGD was found to be more consistent than the current DSM-5 IGD model in the adolescent population. Therefore, the diagnostic criteria might be required to adjust according to the age group since the clinical symptomatology of IGD in adolescents may differ from that in adults. The K-SADS-IGD may meet the need for a certain and standardized tool to assess IGD in this population

Rate of Overlap between ICD-11 Gaming Disorder and DSM-5 Internet Gaming Disorder along with Turkish Reliability of the Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A)

Introduction: The main aims of the current study were (i) to explore the overlap between Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and gaming disorder (GD) diagnoses, (ii) to identify clinical characteristics in clinical settings, and (iii) to measure psychometric properties of the Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (GADIS-A). Methods: 222 adolescents who were followed up within a tertiary-care mental health hospital, were included (IGD/GD group [n = 111], clinical comparison group [n = 90], healthy controls [n = 21]). The tools used were the GADIS-A, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short-Form, The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-36), Children's Global Assessment Scale, and a semistructured interview for DSM-5 diagnoses. Results: The overlap rate of IGD and GD is 73%. Comorbid ADHD diagnoses were more commonly found in the IGD group compared to the clinical comparison group. Patients who met GD and IGD diagnoses revealed higher scores in DERS-36. Turkish GADIS-A Item-total score correlation coefficients were between 0.627 and 0.860. In the sample, there was a high level of correlation between the number of DSM-5 and ICD-11 diagnostic criteria met and GADIS-A scale scores. The Cronbach's alphas if item deleted ranged between 0.942 and 0.954. In addition, treatment refusal was more frequent in the IGD group than in the clinical comparison group. Conclusion: The GADIS-A had good to excellent psychometric properties in Turkish adolescents. Despite having a stricter diagnostic criterion, GD overlapped with IGD in a clinical population

Diagnosis, Treatment And Prevention Of Infective Endocarditis: Turkish Consensus Report

Although infective endocarditis (IE) is rare, it is still important as an infectious disease because of the resulting morbidity and substantial mortality rates. Epidemiological studies in developed countries have shown that the incidence of IE has been approximately 6/100 000 in recent years and it is on the fourth rank among the most life-threatening infectious diseases after sepsis, pneumonia and intraabdominal infections. Although IE is not a reportable disease in Turkey, and an incidence study was not performed, its incidence may be expected to be higher due to both more frequent presence of predisposing cardiac conditions and higher rates of nosocomial bacteremia which may lead to IE in risk groups. Additionally, while IE generally affects elderly people in developed countries it still affects young people in Turkey. In order to reduce the mortality and morbidity, it is critical to diagnose the 1E, to determine the causative agent and to start treatment rapidly. However, most of the patients cannot be diagnosed in their first visits, about half of them can be diagnosed after 3 months, and the disease often goes unnoticed. In patients diagnosed as IE, the rate of identification of causative organisms is more than 90% in developed countries, while it is around 60% in Turkey. Furthermore, some important microbiological diagnostic tests are not performed in most of the centers. Some antimicrobials that are recommended as the first option for treatment of IE, particularly antistaphylococcal penicillins, are unavailable in Turkey. These problems necessitate to review the epidemiological, laboratory and clinical characteristics of IE in the country, as well as the current information about its diagnosis, treatment and prevention together with local data. Patients with IE can be followed by physicians in many specialties. Diagnosis and treatment processes of IE should be standardized at every stage so that management of IE, a setting in which many physicians are involved, can always be in line with current recommendations. From this point of view, Study Group for Infective Endocarditis and Other Cardiovascular Infections of the Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases has called for collaboration of the relevant specialist organizations to establish a consensus report on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of IE in the light of current information and local data in Turkey. In the periodical meetings of the assigned representatives from all the parties, various questions were identified. Upon reviewing related literature and international guidelines, these questions were provided with consensus answers. Several of the answers provided in the report are listed below: [1] IE is more frequent in patients with a previous episode of IE, a valvular heart disease, a congenital heart disease, any intracardiac prosthetic material, an intravenous drug addiction, chronic hemodialysis treatment, solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as compared with normal population. [2] The most frequent causative organisms are Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and enterococci, respectively, both in Turkey and globally. Brucella spp. is the fifth common causative agent of IE in Turkey. [3] The echocardiography is the imaging modality of choice to define cardiac lesions in patients with suspected IE. Both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are generally necessary in almost all patients. Both are inconclusive approximately in 15% of total IE cases whereas the percentage is up to 30% in patients with intracardiac prosthetic devices. In these instances, multi-slice (MS) computed tomography (CT) should be the imaging modality in patients with native valve IE, whereas MS-CT or radiolabelled leukocyte scintigraphy with single-photon emission tomography/CT should be choosen for patients who have prosthetic valve IE within the first 3 months of surgery, and MS-CT or positron-emission tomography/CT should be chosen for patients with prosthetic valve IE after 3 months of surgery. [4] Blood cultures should be taken without any delay to catch-up the febrile period as 3 sets with 30-minute intervals (3 aerobic and 3 anaerobic bottles, totally 6 bottles) in patients with suspected IE. Each set, comprised of 1 aerobic and 1 anaerobic bottle, should be inoculated with 18-20 ml of blood (9 -10 ml blood per bottle). Totally 60 ml of blood should be taken from one patient with suspected IE. Two sets of control blood cultures should be repeated in every 48 hours after initiation of therapy in order to show blood sterility. If causative organism do not grow in the usual blood culture bottles, additional three mycobacterial blood culture bottles should be inoculated in patients with suspected prosthetic valve IE and who had a cardiac surgery in the last decade. [5] The excised valvular tissue from patients with suspected IE should be evaluated both microbiologically and histopathologically.[6] First of all, Wright agglutination test (if negative, by adding Coombs' serum) and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test to investigate Coxiella burnetii phase I IgG antibodies should be done in culture-negative patients. If these two tests are negative, IgG antibodies for Bartonella spp., Legionella spp., Chlamydia spp., and Mycoplasma spp. should be tested respectively and preferably by IFA test. [7] Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests should be used to identify the pathogen in whole blood in a culturenegative patient who has received previous antibiotic therapy. If the blood cultures are negative in a patient who has not received previous antibiotic therapy, PCR tests for 16S rRNA gene analysis and Tropheryma whipplei should be performed on the resected valve obtained during surgery. [8] Histopathological examination of resected valvular tissue in patients with suspected IE give valuable information about the activation and degree of the inflammation. Moreover, histopathological examination with appropriate routine and immunohistochemical staining, aid to identify especially intracellular pathogens like C. burnetii, Bartonella spp. and T. whipplei in blood culture-negative patients. [9] Bactericidal agents given parenterally for long duration is the general principle of antimicrobial treatment of IE. The pathogenic organism, presence of prosthetic material and duration of symptoms specifies the duration of treatment. The therapy duration is generally 4-6 weeks for native valve IE and >6 weeks for prosthetic valve IE. [10] As the efficacy and feasibility of oral antimicrobial choices of left-sided IE are not well defined in Turkey and it is related with substantial mortality, parenteral route should be preferred for the complete duration of antimicrobial treatment of left-sided IE in Turkey. In case of unavailability of intravenous access or outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy, oral agents may be feasible to complete the therapy duration in stable patients with uncomplicated native valve IE due to drug-susceptible viridans streptococci, provided that initial two weeks should be completed parenterally, and the patient should give an informed consent after notifying all possible risks, and regular post-discharge follow-up should be possible. The decision for oral maintenance therapy has to be given by the IE team. [11] The appropriate antimicrobials should be initiated without any delay as it reduces not only the risk of an embolic event in patients with either acute or subacute IE, but also decreases the mortality associated with sepsis in acute IE. Therefore, the empirical antimicrobials should be promptly initiated after blood cultures are taken. [12] Ampicillin-sulbactam +/- gentamicin can be initiated empirically in the treatment of community-acquired, both acute and subacute types of native and late prosthetic valve IE in adults whereas either vancomycin + ampicillin-sulbactam or ceftriaxone +/- gentamicin can be the choice for acute types. Vancomycin + cefepime +/- gentamicin combination can be initiated empirically in the treatment of nosocomial native, early and late prosthetic valve IE in adults. Gentamicin should be avoided initially in patients with impaired renal function. Rifampin can be added to initial empirical treatment of early prosthetic valve IE. Daptomycin alone is not a drug of choice for initial empirical treatment of IE because of its suboptimal efficacy for streptococci and enterococci in which resistance can easily develop during therapy.WoSScopu

Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Infective Endocarditis: Turkish Consensus Report

Although infective endocarditis (IE) is rare, it is still important as an infectious disease because of the resulting morbidity and substantial mortality rates. Epidemiological studies in developed countries have shown that the incidence of IE has been approximately 6/100 000 in recent years and it is on the fourth rank among the most life-threatening infectious diseases after sepsis, pneumonia and intraabdominal infections. Although IE is not a reportable disease in Turkey, and an incidence study was not performed, its incidence may be expected to be higher due to both more frequent presence of predisposing cardiac conditions and higher rates of nosocomial bacteremia which may lead to IE in risk groups. Additionally, while IE generally affects elderly people in developed countries it still affects young people in Turkey. In order to reduce the mortality and morbidity, it is critical to diagnose the 1E, to determine the causative agent and to start treatment rapidly. However, most of the patients cannot be diagnosed in their first visits, about half of them can be diagnosed after 3 months, and the disease often goes unnoticed. In patients diagnosed as IE, the rate of identification of causative organisms is more than 90% in developed countries, while it is around 60% in Turkey. Furthermore, some important microbiological diagnostic tests are not performed in most of the centers. Some antimicrobials that are recommended as the first option for treatment of IE, particularly antistaphylococcal penicillins, are unavailable in Turkey. These problems necessitate to review the epidemiological, laboratory and clinical characteristics of IE in the country, as well as the current information about its diagnosis, treatment and prevention together with local data. Patients with IE can be followed by physicians in many specialties. Diagnosis and treatment processes of IE should be standardized at every stage so that management of IE, a setting in which many physicians are involved, can always be in line with current recommendations. From this point of view, Study Group for Infective Endocarditis and Other Cardiovascular Infections of the Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases has called for collaboration of the relevant specialist organizations to establish a consensus report on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of IE in the light of current information and local data in Turkey. In the periodical meetings of the assigned representatives from all the parties, various questions were identified. Upon reviewing related literature and international guidelines, these questions were provided with consensus answers. Several of the answers provided in the report are listed below: [1] IE is more frequent in patients with a previous episode of IE, a valvular heart disease, a congenital heart disease, any intracardiac prosthetic material, an intravenous drug addiction, chronic hemodialysis treatment, solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as compared with normal population. [2] The most frequent causative organisms are Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and enterococci, respectively, both in Turkey and globally. Brucella spp. is the fifth common causative agent of IE in Turkey. [3] The echocardiography is the imaging modality of choice to define cardiac lesions in patients with suspected IE. Both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are generally necessary in almost all patients

Consensus Report on Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Infective Endocarditis by Turkish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery (TSCVS), Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (KLIMIK), Turkish Society of Cardiology (TSC), Turkish Society of Nuclear Medicine (TSNM), Turkish Society of Radiology (TSR), Turkish Dental Association (TDA) and Federation of Turkish Pathology Societies (TURKPATH) Cardiovascular System Study Group

Infective endocarditis (IE) is rare, but associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Estimates of the incidence of IE in Turkey are compromised by the absence of population-based prospective studies. Due to the frequent presence of predisposing cardiac conditions and higher rates of nosocomial bacteremia in high-risk groups, the incidence of IE is expected to be higher in Turkey. Additionally, while IE generally affects older people in developed countries, it still affects young people in Turkey. In order to reduce the mortality and morbidity, it is critical to diagnose the IE to determine the causative agent and to start treatment rapidly. However, most of the patients cannot be diagnosed in their first visits, about half of them can be diagnosed after three months, and the disease often goes unnoticed. In patients diagnosed with IE, the rate of identification of causative organisms is significantly lower in Turkey than in developed countries. Furthermore, most of the centers do not perform some essential microbiological diagnostic tests as a routine practice. Some antimicrobials that are recommended as the first-line of treatment for IE, particularly antistaphylococcal penicillins, are not available in Turkey. These problems necessitate reviewing the epidemiological, laboratory, and clinical characteristics of IE in our country, as well as the current information about its diagnosis, treatment, and prevention together with local data. Physicians can follow patients with IE in many specialties. Diagnosis and treatment processes of IE should be standardized at every stage so that management of IE, a setting in which many physicians are involved, can always be in line with current recommendations. Study Group for Infective Endocarditis and Other Cardiovascular Infections of the Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases has called for collaboration of the relevant specialist organizations to establish a consensus report on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of IE in the light of current information and local data in Turkey

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