Introduction: The aim of this study is to determine the coinfections with other respiratory pathogens in SARS-CoV-2 infected children patients in a pediatric unit in Istanbul.
Methodology: This ...retrospective descriptive study was conducted in a 1000-bedded tertiary education and research hospital in Istanbul. All children hospitalized with the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection had been investigated for respiratory agents in nasopharyngeal secretions. Laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 and the other respiratory pathogens were performed using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results: A total of 209 hospitalized children with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 2020-May 2020 were enrolled in this study. Among 209 children, 93 (44.5%) were RT-PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 116 (55.5%) were RT-PCR negative. The most common clinical symptoms in all children with SARS-CoV-2 infection were fever (68.8%) and cough (57.0%). The other clinical symptoms in decreasing rates were headache (10.8%), myalgia (5.4%), sore throat (3.2%), shortness of breath (3.2%), diarrhea (2.2%) and abdominal pain in one child. In 7 (7.5%) patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, coinfection was detected. Two were with rhinovirus/enterovirus, two were with Coronavirus NL63, one was with adenovirus, and one was with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In one patient, two additional respiratory agents (rhinovirus/enterovirus and adenovirus) were detected. There was a significantly longer hospital stay in patients with coinfection (p = 0.028).
Conclusions: Although the coinfection rate was low in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in our study, we found coinfection as a risk factor for length of hospital stay in the coinfected patient group.
Nocardia is a genus of aerobic, Gram-positive bacteria known for their filamentous and branching morphology. N. brasiliensis is the most common species causing cutaneous nocardiosis. We present a ...67-year-old woman who developed abscesseson the back of her right ankle after walking barefoot on soil. Cultures from the cutaneous lesions grew N. brasiliensis. Antibiotic therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole given for a month provided near-complete resolution of her lesions.
A series of 3-aryl coumarin derivatives and 3-phenylazo-4-hydroxycoumarin were evaluated for their monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B inhibitory activity and selectivity by fluorometric enzymological ...assays. Among 21 coumarin derivatives, compound
21
(3-phenylazo-4-hydroxycoumarin) displayed a good inhibitory activity (0.12 ± 0.02 µM) and very high selectivity for MAO-B (SI > 833.33). The inhibition was determined as mixed-type and not time-dependent. Docking studies, molecular dynamics and molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) calculations were performed to elucidate
in vitro
results. Our results reveal that the insertion of an azo linker between coumarin and phenyl rings in 3-arylcoumarins enhances MAO-B selectivity enormously since such a linker leads to the perfect alignment of the coumarin ring in the aromatic cage and the phenyl ring in the entrance cavity of MAO-B active site. Hydrogen bond interactions with Cys172 in the active site entrance of MAO-B also contributes to the remarkably higher inhibitory activity and selectivity for MAO-B.
This study aimed to determine the frequency of bloodstream and wound infections and their possible risk factors in hospitalized children with burn injury.
We performed this retrospective descriptive ...study from 2015 to 2021. The study subjects consisted of all the pediatric patients hospitalized in the burn unit, from whom microorganisms were isolated either from blood or wound culture samples.
We detected a total of 142 microorganisms from 97 blood culture samples and 45 wound culture samples. Among the 115 patients, 44 (38.3%) were females and 71 (61.7%) were males, with a median age of 21 months (interquartile range: 14-39 months). Gram-positive bacteria were the most common causative agents of bloodstream infections in patients with burns (54.6%), followed by Gram-negative bacteria (32.9%) and fungi (12.3%). Gram-negative bacteria were the most common causative agent of wound infections (86.7%). Prolonged hospitalization positively correlated with the extent of the burn surface area (P: 0.031), degree of burn (P: 0.001), use of central venous catheter (P: 0.028), and intensive care unit stay (P: 0.044). Independent risk factors for Gram-negative bacteremia and Gram-negative wound infections were the extent of the burn surface area (P: 0.018), degree of burn (P: 0.024) and intensive care unit stay (P: 0.023). The independent risk factor for fungemia was prolonged hospitalization (P: 0.026).
To reduce infections, minimizing invasive procedures using a multidisciplinary approach would be beneficial, especially in patients who have a large burn surface area and are expected to have a long hospital stay.
Point‐of‐care diagnosis is crucial to control the spreading of viral infections. Here, universal‐modifiable probe‐gated silica nanoparticles (SNPs) based lateral flow assay (LFA) is developed in the ...interest of the rapid and early detection of viral infections. The most superior advantage of the rapid assay is its utility in detecting various sides of the virus directly from the human swab samples and its adaptability to detect various types of viruses. For this purpose, a high concentration of fluorescein and rhodamine B as a reporting material was loaded into SNPs with excellent loading capacity and measured using standard curve, 4.19 μmol ⋅ g−1 and 1.23 μmol ⋅ g−1, respectively. As a model organism, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (CoV‐2) infections were selected by targeting its nonstructural (NSP9, NSP12) and envelope (E) genes as target sites of the virus. We showed that NSP12‐gated SNPs‐based LFA significantly outperformed detection of viral infection in 15 minutes from 0.73 pg ⋅ mL−1 synthetic viral solution and with a dilution of 1 : 103 of unprocessed human samples with an increasing test line intensity compared to steady state (n=12). Compared to the RT‐qPCR method, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of NSP12‐gated SNPs were calculated as 100 %, 83 %, and 92 %, respectively. Finally, this modifiable nanoparticle system is a high‐performance sensing technique that could take advantage of upcoming point‐of‐care testing markets for viral infection detections.
Here, universal‐modifiable probe‐gated silica nanoparticles (SNPs) based lateral flow assay (LFA) is developed in the interest of the rapid and early detection of viral infections. The most superior advantage of the rapid assay is its utility in detecting various sides of the virus directly from the human swab samples and its adaptability to detect various types of viruses. The NSP12, NSP9, and E gene targets of CoV‐2 were used as detection targets.
Objective: To examine the effects of human bocavirus type 1 (HBoV1) on the course of lower respiratory tract infections in cases of monoinfection and coinfection, and the effects of HBoV1 viral load ...on the disease in children under six years old hospitalized with a diagnosis of HBoV1-associated lower respiratory tract infections.
Methods: Children under six years of age, who were hospitalized with the diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infection due to HBoV1 between 1 January 2021 and 1 January 2022 were included in the study. Laboratory confirmation of the respiratory pathogens was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results: Fifty-four (16.4%) children with HBoV1 among 329 children whose PCR was positive with bacterial/viral agent in nasopharyngeal swab samples were included in the study. There were 28 (51.9%) males and 26 (48.1%) females with a median age 23.4 months interquartile range (IQR): 13.2, 30.0 months (min-max:1 month-68 months). HBoV1 was detected as a monoinfecton in 26 (48.1%) children, and as a coinfection with other respiratory agents in 28 children (51.9%). In multiple regression analysis, coinfection (P=0.032) was associated with the length of hospitalization (P<0.001; R2=0.166). There was a negative correlation (r= 0.281, P=0.040) between cough and cycle threshold. Fever was found to be positively correlated with C-reactive protein (r=0.568, P<0.001) and procalcitonin (r=0.472; P=0.001).
Conclusions: Although we found a higher HBoV1 viral load in children with more cough symptoms in our study, it had no effect on the severity of the disease, such as length of hospital stay and need for intensive care. Coinfection was found to affect the length of hospitalization.
In this study, polyacrylic acid‐based nanofiber (NF) membrane was prepared via electrospinning method. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from Electrophorus electricus was covalently immobilized onto ...polyacrylic acid‐based NF membrane by demonstrating efficient enzyme immobilization, and immobilization capacity of polymer membranes was found to be 0.4 mg/g. The novel NF membrane was synthesized via thermally activated surface reconstruction, and activation with carbonyldiimidazole upon electrospinning. The morphology of the polyacrylic acid‐based membrane was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The effect of temperature and pH on enzyme activity was investigated and maxima activities for free and immobilized enzyme were observed at 30 and 35°C, and pH 7.4 and 8.0, respectively. The effect of 1 mM Mn2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Mg2+, Ca2+ ions on the stability of the immobilized AChE was also investigated. According to the Michaelis–Menten plot, AChE possessed a lower affinity to acetylthiocholine iodide after immobilization, and the Michaelis–Menten constant of immobilized and free AChE were found to be 0.5008 and 0.4733 mM, respectively. The immobilized AChE demonstrated satisfactory reusability, and even after 10 consecutive activity assay runs, AChE maintained ca. 87% of its initial activity. Free enzyme lost its activity completely within 60 days, while the immobilized enzyme retained approximately 70% of the initial activity under the same storage time. The favorable reusability of immobilized AChE enables the support to be employable to develop the AChE‐based biosensors.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of children with Salmonella gastroenteritis.
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records ...of pediatric patients aged between 1 month and 18 years with the diagnosis of Salmonella gastroenteritis between May 2015 and December 2021.
A total of 172 children diagnosed with Salmonella gastroenteritis, including 113 outpatients and 59 hospitalized children, were included in this study. There were 95 (55.2%) males and 77 (44.8%) females with a median age of 59.5 months (interquartile range IQR: 33.5-96 months, min-max: 1-205 months). The most common clinical symptoms were diarrhea (n = 166, 96.5%), fever (n = 113, 65.7%) and abdominal pain (n = 73, 42.4%). Bloody diarrhea was seen in 19.2% of patients. Fifty (29.1%) of the Salmonella species could not be typed. Serogroup D (n = 106, 61.6%) was the predominant serogroup isolated from stool cultures, followed by serogroup B (n = 16, 9.3%). 62.2% of the isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, 97.7% to ciprofloxacin, 98.8% to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and 98.8% to ceftriaxone. Fever, vomiting, and underlying disease occurred more frequently in hospitalized patients than in outpatients (p: 0.005, p: 0.000, p: 0.000, respectively). C-reactive protein value was found to be higher in hospitalized patients (p: 0.000).
Salmonella should be considered as a causative agent in pediatric patients with abdominal pain, fever, and bloody-mucous diarrhea, and patients with severe clinical conditions should be hospitalized and antibiotic therapy initiated if indicated.
Purpose
As the population gets older, the elderly and very elderly patients are increasingly been treated in nephrology intensive care units (ICU). In this study we evaluated the characteristics and ...outcomes of the octogenarians (80–89 years old), nonagenarians (≥ 90 years old) and compared them with elderly (65–79 years old) patients treated in nephrology ICU.
Methods
Eighteen nonagenarians, 70 octogenarians and 88 elderly patients were included in the study. Indication for hospitalization, presence of comorbid diseases, and requirement for acute dialysis treatment were investigated. Need for mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, central venous catheterization, urinary catheterization, anticoagulation, and transfusion of blood products were evaluated. Mortality rate and hospital cost were calculated. Data about survival at 1 month after discharge was collected.
Results
Causes of hospitalization, need for dialysis treatment, mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, central venous catheterization, urinary catheterization, anticoagulation, and transfusion of blood products were not different between age groups. Diabetes mellitus and malignancy were more frequent in elderly, whereas dementia/Alzheimer’s disease was more common in nonagenarians. Although, mortality in ICU was increased as the age increased, it was statistically insignificant. However, 1 month mortality rate after discharge from hospital was increased especially in nonagenarians. In nonagenarians infection, whereas in octogenarians need for dialysis treatment, were related with mortality. Length of intensive care stay and hospital cost did not differ between age groups.
Conclusion
Length of nephrology intensive care stay, mortality rate and hospital cost did not differ for very elderly age groups, but mortality risk was higher for nonagenarians after discharge from hospital.
Purpose
Living with end-stage renal disease may be burdensome, not only for patients, but also for caregivers. In this study, we aim to compare caregiver burden, psychological symptoms in caregivers ...of peritoneal dialysis (PD), hemodialysis (HD), and transplantation (TX), and find out associated factors.
Methods
A total of 43 PD, 42 HD, 42 TX patients and a total of 127 caregivers that were actively involved with the care of their patients’ dialysis were enrolled. Patients had been on renal replacement therapy at least for 6 months and caregivers had given care at least for 6 months. The World Health Organization Quality of Life short version and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD) were applied to the patients. Symptom Checklist-90-Revised and Zarit caregiver burden scale were applied to the caregivers.
Results
Zarit caregiver burden score was found highest in HD group, which was significantly higher than PD and TX. All three groups had similar HAD anxiety scores, whereas the HAD depression score was highest in HD group, lower in PD, and lowest in TX. Quality of life was lowest in HD group. Zarit caregiver burden score was found higher in caregivers with symptoms like somatization, anxiety, obsessive–compulsive, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, psychoticism, paranoid ideation, hostility, and additional psychological symptoms than the ones who did not have these symptoms. Psychological symptoms were similar in PD, HD, and TX groups.
Conclusion
Caregiver burden was found highest in HD group. Educational, social, and psychological support interventions may be considered for caregivers.
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