A multicenter point-prevalence study: antimicrobial prescription frequencies in hospitalized patients in turkey

BACKGROUND: Accurate information about prescribing patterns in hospitals is valuable in improving the quality of antimicrobial prescriptions. METHODS: Data on the use of antimicrobial agents in eighteen tertiary care hospitals were collected on March 20th 2002. RESULTS: One or more antimicrobials were ordered in 2900 (30.6 %)of 9471 hospitalized patients. The reasons of hospitalization of the patients receiving antimicrobials were medical treatment (42.5 %), elective surgery (39.6 %), treatment of infectious disease (17.1 %) and emergent surgical procedures (10.4 %). The highest consumption frequencies were found in surgical (81.6 %) and medical (55.2 %) intensive care units. The 48.8 % of antimicrobials were given for treatment and 44.2 % for prophylactic use. The most common reasons for treatment were found as lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, surgical wound infections and febrile neutropenia. Antimicrobials were ordered empirically in 78.4 % of patients. The proven infection ratio was found as 30.7 %. The 56.4 % and 13.4 % of orders were evaluated as clinically and microbiologically appropriate respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that antimicrobial prescription and empirical treatment ratios were high and inappropriate at inpatient groups

Report of the First Meeting of the Middle East and Eastern Europe Rabies Expert Bureau, Istanbul, Turkey (June 8-9, 2010)

Rabies is a threat in all parts of the world where animal reservoirs persists, including Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Rabies experts from seven Middle East and Eastern European countries (Croatia, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine) met for two days in Istanbul, Turkey (June 8-9, 2010), to exchange information on the epidemiological situation concerning human and animal rabies in their respective countries and to discuss strategies for rabies elimination and control. They decided to establish a regional network, the Middle East and Eastern Europe Rabies Expert Bureau (MEEREB), a regional network of experts, to increase collaboration in rabies prevention and control at the local, regional, and global levels

Assessment of the requisites of microbiology based infectious disease training under the pressure of consultation needs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Training of infectious disease (ID) specialists is structured on classical clinical microbiology training in Turkey and ID specialists work as clinical microbiologists at the same time. Hence, this study aimed to determine the clinical skills and knowledge required by clinical microbiologists.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was carried out between June 1, 2010 and September 15, 2010 in 32 ID departments in Turkey. Only patients hospitalized and followed up in the ID departments between January-June 2010 who required consultation with other disciplines were included.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 605 patients undergoing 1343 consultations were included, with pulmonology, neurology, cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, dermatology, haematology, and endocrinology being the most frequent consultation specialties. The consultation patterns were quite similar and were not affected by either the nature of infections or the critical clinical status of ID patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results of our study show that certain internal medicine subdisciplines such as pulmonology, neurology and dermatology appear to be the principal clinical requisites in the training of ID specialists, rather than internal medicine as a whole.</p

Adverse Effects of Two Different Peginterferon Molecules with Ribavirin Combination Therapy Used To Treat Chronic Hepatitis C

Peginterferon alfa (PEG-IFN-α) and ribavirin combination treatment may cause flu like symptoms, hematologic, neuropsychiatric, autoimmune adverse effects. This study aimed to compare adverse effects of two different PEG-IFN molecules used to treat chronic hepatitis C patients. 40 chronic hepatitis C patients followed by our clinic were enrolled to study. Twenty two patients were treated with PEG-IFN-α 2a and ribavirin combination, 18 patients were treated with PEG-IFN-α 2b and ribavirin combination for 48 weeks. Adverse effects were noted during treatment period. Flu like symptoms were the most frequent adverse effects observed in both treatment groups. Treatment was stopped because of adverse effects in 13.6% of PEG-IFNα 2a and ribavirin combination group and 11.1% of PEG-IFN-α 2b and ribavirin combination group. There was no statistically significant difference between frequency of advers effects and discontinuation rate of two therapy modalities. Finally, both of PEG-IFN molecules were found similar about frequency of adverse effects, reducing dose and discontinuation of treatment

A multicenter point-prevalence study: antimicrobial prescription frequencies in hospitalized patients in turkey

Abstract Background Accurate information about prescribing patterns in hospitals is valuable in improving the quality of antimicrobial prescriptions. Methods Data on the use of antimicrobial agents in eighteen tertiary care hospitals were collected on March 20th 2002. Results One or more antimicrobials were ordered in 2900 (30.6 %)of 9471 hospitalized patients. The reasons of hospitalization of the patients receiving antimicrobials were medical treatment (42.5 %), elective surgery (39.6 %), treatment of infectious disease (17.1 %) and emergent surgical procedures (10.4 %). The highest consumption frequencies were found in surgical (81.6 %) and medical (55.2 %) intensive care units. The 48.8 % of antimicrobials were given for treatment and 44.2 % for prophylactic use. The most common reasons for treatment were found as lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, surgical wound infections and febrile neutropenia. Antimicrobials were ordered empirically in 78.4 % of patients. The proven infection ratio was found as 30.7 %. The 56.4 % and 13.4 % of orders were evaluated as clinically and microbiologically appropriate respectively. Conclusion These results suggest that antimicrobial prescription and empirical treatment ratios were high and inappropriate at inpatient groups.</p