The Official Journal of the Turkish Society Of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (KLİMİK)
Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria found in the colon as part of the normal intestinal flora of a healthy individual. However, changes in the gut microbiota because of antibiotic use can lead to overgrowth of C. difficile and toxin […] Read More
Invasive Candida infections have increased significantly in recent years due to various risk factors, including invasive procedures, vascular catheterization, intra-abdominal surgery, prolonged use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, immunosuppressive medications, hemodialysis, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and extended intensive care unit (ICU) stays. Candida, one of the top three nosocomial bloodstream infections, [...] Read More
Tuberculosis (TB) is a common disease with high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Globally, an estimated 10.6 million people (95% uncertainty interval [UI]=9.9-11.4 million) developed TB in 2022, compared with 10.3 million in 2021 and 10.0 million in 2020. TB caused an estimated 1.30 million deaths worldwide in 2022 (95% UI=1.18-1.43 million). This was […] Read More
Ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPSs) have been shown to be effective life-saving treatments for hydrocephalus. Nonetheless, the occurrence of VPS-related complications and infections necessitates close monitoring and care. Due to blood-brain and blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barriers, many anti-infective therapeutics have difficulty […] Read More
CGD patients are prone to recurrent, life-threatening infections caused by catalase-positive bacteria (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Burkholderia cepacia complex, Nocardia spp., and Serratia marcescens, and Aspergillus spp.). They can be diagnosed at any age, mostly under five. Nevertheless, they can be diagnosed in adulthood due to the incomplete penetrance and [...] Read More
Aspergillus spp. are ubiquitous and frequently inhaled by humans as spores in the natural environment and hospital settings. Despite this high frequency of exposure, aspergillosis is a rare disease in humans. Many Aspergillus spp. have been defined as causing infections, including Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus, among the most common [...] Read More
Infective endocarditis is the infection of the endocardial surfaces of the heart, including native valves, mural endocardium, or septal defects. Involvement of previously implanted prosthetic valves, intracardiac devices, or pacemakers are commonly predisposing risk factors for infective endocarditis. If left untreated, it is inevitably fatal due to complications such as congestive heart failure, stroke (...) Read More
Pyomyositis is a primary infection of skeletal muscle that does not result from a contiguous disease, is hematogenous in origin, and often results in abscess formation. Although pyomyositis is classically an infection in tropical regions, it is an emerging infection in temperate climates. Pyomyositis is frequently caused by aerobic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Read More
Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is the most common vector-borne disease in Europe and North America, caused by the spirochete Borrelia species, which can be transmitted through the bite of an infected black-legged tick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data on Lyme disease in the United States showed (...) Read More
Elevated procalcitonin levels are associated with increased bacterial infection rates in children and adults. Identification of bacterial infection in previous studies has used procalcitonin thresholds of 0.5 ng/mL-1.0 ng/mL. Procalcitonin level elevations have been reported in COVID-19 patients (...) Read More
Burkholderia cepacia complex is aerobic, non-fermentative, multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacilli containing 24 opportunistic pathogenic species (1). B. cepacia complex members are commonly found in natural environments because they easily adapt to harsh environments due to their genotypic and phenotypic plasticity and ability to mutate rapidly. B. cepacia complex can also grow substantially and survive in water-based (...) Read More
Introduction Respiratory illness from an acute infection remains the most common etiology for inpatient pediatric hospitalization. Imminent respiratory arrest from prolonged hypoxemia may lead to bradycardia and subsequent cardiac collapse. As such, apnea (or respiratory distress) followed then by bradycardia is the classic modus operandi seen at the bedside, especially in neonates (...) Read More
Fournier’s gangrene (FG) is necrotizing fasciitis of genital or perianal areas. Typically, FG is an infection of polymicrobial origin and has higher mortality rates if treatment is not initiated earlier. The main etiological factors are colorectal (30%-50%) and genitourinary origins (20%-40%), including anorectal infections, (...) Read More
Staphylococcus aureus colonizes the skin and mucosa of humans. Infections because of S. aureus can range from skin infections to potentially fatal conditions like pneumonia, sepsis, and endocarditis. S. aureus is a common cause of nosocomial and community-acquired bloodstream infections worldwide. Because of biofilm (...) Read More
Fascioliasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by liver flukes, Fasciola hepatica or Fasciola gigantica, and affects at least 2.4 million people worldwide, according to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates (1). Sheep and cattle are the natural definitive hosts of F. hepatica infection; therefore, fascioliasis is common in sheep-raising (...) Read More
Streptococcus pyogenes, Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS), is a Gram-positive coccus easily diagnosed in microbiology laboratories and generally causes mild diseases such as tonsillopharyngitis and pyodermas. However, severe, life-threatening illnesses called invasive GAS (iGAS) diseases may also, uncommonly (...) Read More
Leptospirosis is one of the zoonotic infections seen in Turkey. Most cases demonstrate a mild clinical course, and the disease is self-limiting. Complaints such as fever, headache, myalgia, nausea, and vomiting are the most common reasons for presentation. Severe cases can have polymyositis, liver involvement, icterus and (...) Read More
Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) can present in various clinical forms, ranging from an asymptomatic carrier state to pseudomembranous colitis (PMC), and are recognized as one of the leading causes of diarrhea in healthcare centers. C. difficile-associated PMC is a life-threatening inflammatory bowel disease and may result in (...) Read More
Gardnerella vaginalis is an anaerobic, gram-negative/variable, small, pleomorphic microorganism. The jury is still out about the clinical significance of G. vaginalis. It is the predominant microorganism in women with vaginosis and also can be isolated from a vaginal secretion of 40-50% of asymptomatic women . On the other hand, male genitourinary tract infections (...) Read More
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative, non-fermentative aerobic bacterium that infects patients, especially with severe comorbidities such as hematological malignancies. It is commonly found in the environment and hospital settings. The most common clinical presentations are pneumonia and bloodstream infections (...) Read More