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Objectives: We aimed to compare classical methods and chromogenic media to detect carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) colonization among hospitalized patients and determine the risk factors causing infection in colonized patients. Methods: Between January and August 2017, 100 patients over the age of 18 who were hospitalized in the Reanimation Intensive Care Unit and the Trauma Emergency Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital were examined. From the first day of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, rectal swabs were collected once every week and were tested for the presence of CRE by using the classical method defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ChromID CARBA chromogenic medium, and direct inoculation into MacConkey agar plates. In addition, MIC values for imipenem, ertapenem, meropenem and colistin were determined by using the Etest. Results: Rectal BDE carriage was detected by at least one method in 46 (46%) of 100 patients included in the study. Sensitivity and specificity values of the CDC classical method, direct MacConkey inoculation, and ChromID CARBA medium in the first 24 hours were found as 78%-42%, 87%-80%, and 91%-98%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity values of these methods after 72 hours were determined as 78%-100%, 87%-100%, and 91%-100%, respectively. Conclusion: We observed that, although the ChromID CARBA method performed better than classical CDC and direct MacConkey inoculation methods, direct MacConkey inoculation can still be employed, especially in areas with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is limited evidence on the modification or stopping of antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens, including novel antiretroviral drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the discontinuation of first ART before and after the availability of better tolerated and less complex regimens by comparing the frequency, reasons and associations with patient characteristics. Methods: A total of 3019 ART-naive patients registered in the HIV-TR cohort who started ART between Jan 2011 and Feb 2017 were studied. Only the first modification within the first year of treatment for each patient was included in the analyses. Reasons were classified as listed in the coded form in the web-based database. Cumulative incidences were analysed using competing risk function and factors associated with discontinuation of the ART regimen were examined using Cox proportional hazards models and Fine-Gray competing risk regression models. Results: The initial ART regimen was discontinued in 351 out of 3019 eligible patients (11.6%) within the first year. The main reason for discontinuation was intolerance/toxicity (45.0%), followed by treatment simplification (9.7%), patient willingness (7.4%), poor compliance (7.1%), prevention of future toxicities (6.0%), virologic failure (5.4%), and provider preference (5.4%). Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based (aHR = 4.4, [95% CI 3.0–6.4]; p < 0.0001) or protease inhibitor (PI)-based regimens (aHR = 4.3, [95% CI 3.1–6.0]; p < 0.0001) relative to integrase strand transfer inhibitor (InSTI)-based regimens were significantly associated with ART discontinuation. ART initiated at a later period (2015-Feb 2017) (aHR = 0.6, [95% CI 0.4–0.9]; p < 0.0001) was less likely to be discontinued. A lower rate of treatment discontinuation for intolerance/toxicity was observed with InSTI-based regimens (2.0%) than with NNRTI- (6.6%) and PI-based regimens (7.5%) (p < 0.001). The percentage of patients who achieved HIV RNA < 200 copies/mL within 12 months of ART initiation was 91% in the ART discontinued group vs. 94% in the continued group (p > 0.05). Conclusion: ART discontinuation due to intolerance/toxicity and virologic failure decreased over time. InSTI-based regimens were less likely to be discontinued than PI- and NNRTI-based ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In order to manage the antimicrobial treatment of patients with cholangitis/cholecystitis properly, it is very important to predict the potential causative pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance patterns. The aim of this study is to provide data for empirical treatment approaches by identifying the causative agents of biliary tract infections and their antimicrobial susceptibilities, and the risk factors in patients infected with drug-resistant microorganism. Methods: Hospitalized patients with cholangitis/cholecystitis developed primarily or secondary to a biliary tract intervention, and whose bile samples for culture could be obtained, were included in the study during a 9-month period. Bile cultures were incubated in an aerobic environment, and antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by disk diffusion method. Isolated strains that were resistant to at least two major antimicrobial groups were regarded as "drug-resistant". Risk factors for development of infection with a drug-resistant pathogen were evaluated by univariate analysis. Results: A total of 76 bacteria were isolated from 58 bile samples obtained from patients with biliary tract infections. While 30 (39.5%) bacteria were in the drug-resistant group, patients infected with these agents were found to be 26 (44.8%). All drugresistant strains of Escherichia coli were producing extendedspectrum β-lactamases, and carbapenem resistance was seen among Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains only. Antimicrobial usage during last 3 months before diagnosis (p=0.01) and duration of hospital stay before the infective episode (p=0.03) were found to be risk factors for cholangitis due to drug-resistant agents. Conclusions: In order to guide the empirical treatment of patients with cholangitis/cholecystitis properly, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of causative agents should be monitored closely and drug-resistant pathogens should be considered in patients with a history of antimicrobial usage during the last 3 months or who have been hospitalized for a long time before the infective episode. closely and drug-resistant pathogens should be considered in patients with a history of antimicrobial usage during the last 3 months or who have been hospitalized for a long time before the infective episode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) is frequent cause of bacteraemias and associated with substantial mortality. We defined risk factors for mortality among patients with either community-acquired (CA) or healthcare-associated (HCA) MSSA bacteraemia with special emphasis on treatment options including cefazolin and other antimicrobials (mainly ampicillin- sulbactam). Material and Method: All adult patients who were hospitalized and whose blood cultures were positive for MSSA between 2009 and 2014 were included. Patients with CA and HCA MSSA bacteraemia were compared. Results: 83% of the 127 patients with MSSA bacteraemia had HCA. The mortality rate of patients was 20.5% and this did not differ between patients with either CA or HCA MSSA bacteraemia. In the multivariate analysis, higher comorbidity index (HR 1.557), presence of metastatic foci (HR 2.883), and requirement for ICU support (HR 16.239) were found as independent risk factors for mortality, and cefazolin use was found to be protective against mortality (HR 0.178). Conclusion: Patients with MSSA bacteraemia should be treated with cefazolin instead of other antimicrobial options, especially in countries where anti-staphylococcal penicillins are not available or in patients who cannot tolerate anti-staphylococcal penicillins, as cefazolin was found to be protective against mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]