Early prosthetic valve endocarditis due to Acinetobacter baumannii: A case report and brief review of the literature

WOS: 000233618800022PubMed: 16308232Acinetobacter is a highly resistant microorganism, commonly isolated in intensive and post-operative care units. Although rarely reported, it may constitute 1 of the several causes of early prosthetic valve endocarditis. A diffuse, red maculopapular rash may be encountered in patients with Acinetobacter endocarditis. Here we present a case of early prosthetic valve endocarditis due to Acinetobacter baumannii and accompanied by a cutaneous eruption

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Evaluation of Serum Aminotransferase Levels among Haemodialysis Patients in Izmir, Turkey

The seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was investigated among haemodialysis (HD) patients. Mean serum aminotransferase levels were also compared over 3 months in HCV-seropositive patients with and without viraemia, as well as in HCV-seronegative HD patients and HCV-seropositive, non-uraemic, viraemic patients. Seroprevalence of HCV infection was 19% among the 437 HD patients tested. Of the 61 HD HCV-seropositive, hepatotoxic medication- and alcohol-free patients, 38 (62%) were found to be viraemic, using quantitative HCV-RNA, on at least one occasion. Mean serum aminotransferase levels were significantly higher in viraemic HD patients (compared with non-viraemic patients), suggesting that HCV-RNA positivity is an important predictor of increased enzyme activity in these patients. As expected, aminotransferase levels in HCV-seropositive HD patients tended to be lower than levels in HCV-seropositive non-uraemic patients. </jats:p

Hepatitis C virus infection prevalence in lichen planus: examination of lesional and normal skin of hepatitis C virus-infected patients with lichen planus for the presence of hepatitis C virus RNA

Ozturk Durmaz, Emel/0000-0003-0661-9720WOS: 000171586100019PubMed: 11678885Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the main cause of parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B viral hepatitis. In recent years, a significant association between lichen planus and chronic HCV infection has been reported. Anti-HCV antibody status was evaluated by ELISA in 54 patients with lichen planus and 54 patients with minor dermatological disorders. PCR was used to examine HCV RNA from serum and lesional and nonlesional cutaneous biopsy samples of HCV-infected patients. Seven patients with lichen planus (12.9%) and two patients in the control group (3.7%) were anti-HCV antibody positive. Five out of seven patients with anti-HCV antibodies had demonstrable HCV RNA in lesional skin biopsies. The viral RNA was absent in three out of four patients with lichen planus whose serum samples were positive for HCV RNA and agreed to biopsy of nonlesional skin. The prevalence of HCV infection is not increased in Turkish patients with lichen planus. However our findings suggest that the virus may play a potential pathogenic role by replicating in cutaneous tissue and triggering lichen planus in genetically susceptible HCV-infected patients

Erythema multiforme associated with acute hepatitis B virus infection

WOS: 000233529300044PubMed: 16309511

Molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii

Background Over the last 10 years, multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has been spreading worldwide as emerging microorganisms that negatively impact on the outcome of in-hospital patients. Methods Between 2007 and 2016, all isolates of patients of the Vienna General Hospital (VGH), tested positive for multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR A. baumannii) strains, were investigated with respect to their genetic relationship. Patient medical histories were reviewed in order to collect discriminating factors related to MDR A. baumannii colonization or infection. Results A total of 79 isolates of 76 patients were obtained. For 44 of them (55.7%) the first diagnosis ward was an intensive care unit (ICU). A total of 10 genotype clusters were identified and 35 cases (44.3%) of in-hospital acquisition in our institution could be detected. Multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates were acquired before admission to our hospital in 44 cases (55.7%) and in 31 (70.5%) they belonged to patients who had previous exposure to the healthcare setting of high prevalence countries for MDR A. baumannii. Conclusion Patients admitted to our hospital with a previous healthcare contact in a high prevalence country for multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii should be screened before admission to high-risk wards. Isolation of these patients until microbiological results could reduce negative outcome in these wards