Identification of Candida species and investigating antifungal susceptibility in Turkey

WOS: 00020970400060

Identification of candida species isolated from clinical samples and investigating antifungal susceptibility in Turkey

Objectives: The purpose of this study is identify typology of candida species from patients' samples, and determine their invitro antifungal susceptibility. Materials and methods: In this study, Candida species isolated from patients who applied to our laboratory between 2009-2010 were included in order to identify the types of Candida and to carry out their antifungal sensitivity. The Candida species were typed using germ tube test, corn meal Tween-80 and BBL CHROMagar medium, and API ID32C yeast identification system. Antifungal drugs' susceptibility of Candida species for amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole were conducted through microdilution system. Results: Of the 97 Candida species, 58.76% were identified as Candida albicans, other identified types were as follows: C. parapsilosis (13.4%), C. glabrata (11.3%), C. tropicalis (5.15%) respectively. Antifungal drugs sensitivity tests results revealed 1.03% resistance to fluconazole and 4.12% to itracanazole, whereas no resistance was found to amphotericin B and voriconazole. Conclusion: Target population for Candida has gradually been expanding. Therefore, it may be suggested that determining the type of pathogen and running its susceptibility tests are significant factors that will enhance the success of the treatment before empirical treatment against Candida infections is initiated

Evaluation of the therapeutic use of antibiotics in Aegean Region hospitals of Turkey: A multicentric study

Purpose: The antibiotic restriction policy has been validated nationwide since February 2003 by the Ministry of Health because the excessive consumption of antimicrobials causes a high cost. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic use of antibiotics in Aegean Region hospitals and to assess the impact of this nationwide antibiotic restriction policy. This new policy is based on justification that the infectious disease (ID) physicians should be primarily responsible for the prescription of antimicrobials. Materials and Methods: Eight university and government hospitals were included in the study. The criteria of the Council for Appropriate and Rational Antibiotic Therapy (CARAT) were considered. Both patient-based and antibiotic-based analyses were performed. For the analysis of inappropriate use, logistic regression was modeled. Results: Therapeutic use was determined in 540 patients by a total of 29 ID physicians. In the study, 30.2% of the patients were given antimicrobials and empirically started antibiotics accounted for 79% cases of therapeutic antibiotic use, and 60% of those were inappropriate (P = 0.001). The appropriate use of ID level antibiotics (P = 0.000) were very compatible with other antimicrobial groups. Conclusion: The study shows that the Turkish government's new intervention policy on antimicrobial prescribing has been effective

Central Nervous System Infections In The Absence Of Cerebrospinal Fluid Pleocytosis

Previous multicenter/multinational studies were evaluated to determine the frequency of the absence of cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis in patients with central nervous system infections, as well as the clinical impact of this condition. It was found that 18% of neurosyphilis, 7.9% of herpetic meningoencephalitis, 3% of tuberculous meningitis, 1.7% of Brucella meningitis, and 0.2% of pneumococcal meningitis cases did not display cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis. Most patients were not immunosuppressed. Patients without pleocytosis had a high rate of unfavorable outcomes and thus this condition should not be underestimated.Scopu