Background/Aims: The vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are essential public health problems. In this study, we aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of the aforementioned infections among pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This study was done retrospectively on pregnant women who presented for antenatal follow-up and delivery between 2013 and 2016. Data were collected from the hospital’s electronic health records and patient files. Blood samples were analyzed at the microbiology laboratory of the hospital. HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV titers were tested using the chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay method (Architect, Abbott Laboratories, USA). Results: HBsAg and anti-HBs levels were tested in 35,295 pregnant women aged 18-45 years. The HBsAg and anti-HBs levels were positive in 425 (1.2%) and 9583 (27.7%) patients, respectively. From 2013 to 2016, the HBV carrier rates have continuously decreased from 1.4% to 0.8%, whereas the anti-HBs positivity has increased from 25.4% to 30.2%. Anti-HCV was detected in 6 of the 9709 (0.06%) patients. All the 7113 pregnant women screened for HIV showed negative results. Conclusion: Hepatitis B carrier rates among pregnant women gradually decreased with a simultaneous increase in the immunity rates. HCV seroprevalence was low and HIV positivity was not encountered in the study population. Cite this article as: Çınar Tanrıverdi E, Özkurt Z, Göktuğ Kadıoğlu B, et al. Seroprevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV in pregnant women from Eastern Turkey. Turk J Gastroenterol 2019; 30(3): 260-5.

Nosocomial infections negatively affect the results obtained from healthcare services. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are most common in patients in intensive care units (ICUs) and immunosuppressed patients. The World Health Organization estimates that HAIs affect hundreds of millions of patients each year, causing major economic losses. Many national health organizations continue to implement precautions to reduce the incidence of hospital infections. Many studies have been conducted on the contamination of frequently used surfaces in hospitals with various microorganisms and their role in causing HAIs. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) is a Gram-positive bacillus. The literature reports that bacillus species can adhere to surfaces through their spore structures. It has been noted that they can survive for approximately four weeks in environments without food, can be transmitted to patients from contaminated surfaces, and can cause infection depending on the number of spores. In numerous studies, B. subtilis has been isolated from various samples including blood, cerebrospinal fluid, liver and spleen abscesses, and vitreous fluid. It is important to recognize that these bacteria may be not only contaminants but also pathogenic microorganisms that can cause HAIs. Understanding the correlation between B. subtilis and HAI will significantly benefit healthcare services.

Aims: Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative microorganisms are gradually increasing in hospitalized patients in intensive care units and causes increased morbidity, mortality, and cost. This study aims to investigate the susceptibility of ceftazidime-avibactam (caz-avi), which has recently started to be used for the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant (CR) Gram-negative bacteria isolated from various samples received from the intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital. Methods: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) strains isolated from various clinical specimens that were sent to our laboratory between January 1st, 2021, and October 30th, 2022, were retrospectively evaluated in the study. The culture and antibiogram results of the samples were received over the laboratory information system (LIS) and evaluated using statistical analyses. Ceftazidime-avibactam susceptibility was studied using the disc diffusion method. Results: Ceftazidime-avibactam antibiotic susceptibility test results of 352 (69.4%) CRKP and 155 (30.6%) CRPA strains isolated from various clinical samples from the ICU of our hospital were analyzed. Of the CRKP strains, 313 (88.9%) were found to be susceptible and 39 (11.1%) were found to be resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam. Of the CRPA strains, 131 (84.5%) were found to be susceptible and 24 (15.5%) were found to be resistant. Conclusion: Determining the regional susceptibility of carbapenem-resistant strains isolated in our hospital to a new antimicrobial combination such as caz-avi will allow a better understanding of the spread of resistance.

Aims: Increased vancomycin resistance in enterococci is an important cause of life-threatening bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients. The aim of this study is to determine the antibiotic susceptibility rates of Enterococcus strains isolated from blood cultures in hospitalized patients in Antalya Training and Research Hospital. Methods: The antibiotic resistance rates of Enterococcus strains isolated from blood cultures of patients hospitalized in the service and intensive care units (ICU) between 1 January 2018 and 30 December 2022 were examined retrospectively. Blood samples were studied with the BacT/ALERT 3D culture system (Biomerieux, France). Bacterial identification was performed using conventional methods, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS) and VITEK 2 (Biomerieux, France) systems. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed with VITEK 2 (Biomerieux, France) systems. Ampicillin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, high-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR) and linezolid susceptibility of isolated strains were evaluated according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) criteria. Vancomycin minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of vancomycin resistant strains were studied by microdilution gradient strip test (Bioanalyse). Results: A total of 623 strains of enterococci were isolated from blood culture samples. Of the enterococci, 305 (48.9%) were identified as Enterococcus faecalis, 281 (45.6%) Enterococcus faecium, 12 (1.9%) Enterococcus avium, 11 (1.8%) Enterococcus gallinarum, 7 (1.2%) Enterococcus casseliflavus, 2 (0.4%) Enterococcus durans and 1 Enterococcus hirae (0.2%). Ampicillin and HLGR resistance rates of isolated E. faecalis strains were 11 (3.6%) and 72 (23.6%), respectively, and all strains were found to be susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid. The ampicillin, vancomycin, teicoplanin and HLGR resistance rates of E. faecium strains were determined as 229 (81.5%), 36 (12.8%), 30 (10.7%) and 142 (50.5%), respectively, and all strains were found to be susceptible to linezolid. Conclusion: In infections caused by enterococci, identification and determination of antibiotic susceptibility rates according to culture antibiogram results would be the right approach. Knowing the current susceptibility rates of enterococci isolated from blood culture samples in our hospital will contribute for clinicians' planning of empirical treatment.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a critical public health issue, as they contribute to prolonged treatment duration, increased healthcare costs, and heightened risks of morbidity and mortality. In head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, thermoplastic masks (TMs), which come into direct contact with the skin, represent a potential vector for infection. Additionally, the storage racks where these masks are kept may also facilitate microorganism transmission. Our study aimed to isolate and identify microorganisms from infective skin lesions secondary to radiation dermatitis in head and neck cancer patients, as well as from the TMs and storage racks, and to evaluate the antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolated microorganisms. The study included 71 locally advanced head and neck cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy between August 2022 and November 2023. Patients were monitored daily, and their skin evaluations were made according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0. Grade 2 and 3 radiodermatitis was observed in 29 of these 71 patients. Samples were collected using sterile swabs from the skin lesions on the head and neck area, the inner surfaces of the TM, and the storage rack from 29 patients. Samples were inoculated into enrichment and selective media. After the growing microorganisms were identified, antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated using conventional methods and automated systems according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) criteria. At least one type of microorganism was isolated from the skin samples of infected patients, and double growth was detected in two patients. Among the samples, 2 were methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MRCNS), 1 was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 1 was Candida albicans (C. albicans), 15 were methicillin-sensitive coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MSCNS), 1 was methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), 1 was Bacillus subspecies (Bacillus spp.) and 3 were Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheriae). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus strains were isolated from the skin of 14 of 19 patients with grade 2 radiation dermatitis, whereas CNS strains were isolated from only 2 of 10 patients with grade 3 radiation dermatitis. Among the gram-negative bacteria, 3 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), 2 Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae), 1 Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and 1 Moraxella catarrhalis (M. catarrhalis) strain were isolated. Sixteen (55.1%) of the TMs used in 29 patients and 20 (68.9%) of the storage racks harbored microorganisms, including HAI agents and flora bacteria. Bacteria colonize TMs and storage racks where they are risk factors for secondary skin infections in radiation dermatitis lesions that develop on the skin of head and neck cancer patients. Decontamination procedures should be meticulously applied to surfaces such as TMs and their storage racks during the course of radiotherapy.

Background: Infections are common complications in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and may adversely influence clinical outcomes. Their prognostic impact after definitive treatment is not well established. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, microbiological profile, and prognostic significance of infections occurring within one year after definitive treatment in patients with NSCLC. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with NSCLC who completed definitive treatment between 1 January 2016, and 31 December 2023. Microbiological culture results obtained within one-year post-treatment and inflammatory markers measured one month after treatment were evaluated. Pathogens were classified as healthcare-associated infection (HAI) or non-HAI agents. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and prognostic factors were assessed using Cox regression analysis. Results: Among 214 eligible patients, 45 had positive microbiological cultures. Gram-negative bacteria predominated (n = 24), with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 8) and Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 6) being the most frequently isolated species. Among all isolates, 20 Gram-negative and 6 Gram-positive microorganisms were identified as HAI pathogens. In multivariate analysis, culture positivity (HR: 2.75, p < 0.001) remained an independent prognostic factor for worse OS. Conclusion: Infections within the first year after definitive treatment, particularly those caused by HAI-related Gram-negative pathogens, are associated with reduced OS in NSCLC. Early microbiological diagnosis, targeted antimicrobial therapy, and strict infection prevention strategies may help improve outcomes in this high-risk population.