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Biomedical subjects

G Seçmeer

Publications and source records attributed to G Seçmeer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Beneficial effects of dexamethasone in children with pneumococcal meningitis.

Fifty-six children older than 2 years with meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae were enrolled in a prospective, double blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of dexamethasone therapy in addition to antimicrobial therapy. Twenty-nine of 56 received dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg/day iv, divided into 4 daily doses for 4 days) and the remaining 27 received placebo. At the beginning of therapy the clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients in the treatment groups were comparable, except for the Glasgow coma score (P = 0.004), which was lower in the dexamethasone group. Patients were examined daily during hospitalization and 6 weeks after discharge from the hospital. Hearing was assessed 6 weeks after discharge by means of pure tone audiometry. Two patients in the dexamethasone group and one patient in the placebo group died. There were no differences between the two groups with regard to the duration of fever, the incidence of secondary fever and electrolyte imbalance, seizure activities occurring during hospitalization and rash. Although the differences were statistically insignificant, moderate or severe unilateral or bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at 6 weeks and the overall neurologic sequelae, including hearing loss, at 1 year were higher in the placebo group, at 23% vs. 7.4% (P = 0.11) and 26.9% vs. 7.4% (P = 0.062), respectively. At 3 months after discharge, because of the improvement in hearing loss in one dexamethasone-treated patient the incidence of hearing impairment was significantly less than that in the placebo group, at 3.7% vs. 23%, respectively (P = 0.044). No improvement in hearing loss was observed after 3 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Complement component deficiencies and infection: C5, C8 and C3 deficiencies in three families.

Three families are described with complement component deficiencies. In one family, five children had C5 deficiency; in a second family, two children had C8 deficiency and one child in a third family had C3 deficiency. The index cases were identified during screening of patients with recurrent pyogenic infections, recurrent meningitis and meningococcaemia. Two of the five C5 deficient patients had recurrent meningitis and meningococcaemia, two had recurrent respiratory tract infections and otitis and one was healthy. One of the C8 deficient patients had meningitis, meningococcaemia and pneumonia, whereas his sibling with the same deficiency was healthy. The patient with C3 deficiency had four episodes of meningitis and recurrent otitis.

Child↗
PubMed1992

[Fatal varicella pneumonia unresponsive to acyclovir therapy in a child with a malignancy].

Acyclovir has become the drug of choice for prevention of visceral dissemination of Varicella-zoster virus infections in immunocompromised individuals. This article describes a 6-year-old girl taking cytotoxic therapy and radiotherapy for treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma who developed cutaneous varicella infection. Despite the early administration of acyclovir a fatal varicella pneumonia occurred and she died on the 4th day of hospitalization. Since the resistance is inducible, the increase of unresponsiveness to acyclovir in immunocompromised hosts with varicella infection is a potential risk that can cause to increase in fatalities in these patients.

Acyclovir↗
PubMed1990

[Efficacy of intravenous ceftazidime in childhood infections].

Ceftazidime, a beta-lactamase resistant cephalosporin, was administered intravenously to 33 patients with various infections. The age range was between 3 days and 15 years and substantial underlying disease was present in 90% of the patients and 72% had malignancy. Seventeen (51.5%) were in critical condition and twenty had granulocytopenia. Clinical and microbiological results were evaluated and overall clinical response was 88%. No major adverse effects were encountered. Ceftazidime was an effective and safe therapy for serious infections and neutropenic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Convulsions in childhood Shigella gastroenteritis. An evaluation of risk factors].

Fifty-five patients with the diagnosis of shigella gastroenteritis were studied, 29 (52.7%) of whom had convulsions. Various symptoms and signs were compared between patients with and without convulsions to define risk factors for the development of seizures. To have a younger age and high body temperature were important predisposing factors. Hyponatremia and type of shigella organism were not contributing factors in the development of seizures.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

[Determination of the csf lactate concentration by LDH enzymes for the diagnosis of bacterial and viral meningitis].

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of bacterial infections is one of the aims of clinical microbiology. This especially true in bacterial meningitis, when delay in proper treatment can be harmful or even fatal. Because the currently used techniques such as Gram stain, culture and immunoelectrophoresis have serious limitations. We previously evaluated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate levels by analytic way. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic utility of CSF lactate concentrations which are determined by the enzyme LDH.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

[Rubella antibody levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

Rubella virus as an etiological agent in Rheumatoid arthritis has been investigated. Synovial fluid obtained from 28 cases and the sera from 70 cases (43 girls, 27 boys) has been screened for hemagglutination inhibition antibodies. As a control group, 36 cases (20 normal, 16 children with non-rheumatoid arthritis) were incluated in the study. There was no difference in the antibody titers of the two groups. Therefore, we could not establish a direct relation of Rubella virus with rheumatoid arthritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

[A clinical trial with ampicillin and sulbactam in various infections].

Eighty four patients with various infections were treated with parenteral ampicillin and sulbactam. Twenty seven patients had meningitis five septic arthritis and osteomyelitis, two systemic salmonellosis, nine intrathoracic infections, five of which were complicated with pleural empyema; thirty patients had infection of the deep tissues of the neck, and the remaining eleven had soft tissue infection in different localizations. The clinical and microbiological results were interpreted together and the overall rate of success in treatment with ampicillin and sulbactam was found to be 98.8%.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Cutaneous anthrax.

The case of a 9-year-old boy diagnosed and treated for cutaneous anthrax is presented. We discuss the clinical features and course of this disease, encountered today only rarely in less developed regions where humans are in contact with infected animals.

Anthrax↗
PubMed1985

[Importance of vaccination and bacteriological studies in diphtheria epidemics].

The Ouchterlony - Elek gel diffusion test was performed in twenty-nine patients having a positive culture result for diphtheria bacilli on Loeffler and tellurite agars in January and February, 1984 and toxin production was detected in 20 of them. Except one adult patient, the cases ranged in age 2 and 12 years. In 14 patients who have received at least one immunization with diphtheria vaccine had no complication, besides three patients without immunization in whom two received antibiotics plus antitoxin therapy had carditis and soft palate paralysis. Five patients in the non-immunized group and 6 patients in the group received at least one immunization had diphtheritic membrane. In spite of three patients with cardiac and neural complications, with early diagnosis and beginning therapy with antibiotics and antitoxin before the result of in vitro toxigenicity test, O% mortality rate was obtained.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed1984

[A cerebellar abscess caused by anaerobic and aerobic (mixed) microorganisms].

A 15 year old boy was admitted to hospital with five days history of fever, headache, vomiting and otorrhea. Findings on physical examination included high fever, purulent drainage from right ear, nuchal rigidity, Brudzinski's and Kernig's signs. Laboratory finding was polymorphonuclear leukocytosis. Computerized tomography (CT) of his brain was normal. A lumbar puncture disclosed purulent CSF. Chloramphenicol and Penicillin G were given intravenously as treatment for the meningitis. After five days of this therapy he continued to be febrile and nuchal rigidity, Brudzinski's and Kerning's signs increased. The second CT demonstrated the presence of an abscess in the cerebellum. The abscess was aspirated during mastoidectomy. In the cultures of the aspiration material Bacteroides species and gram positive micrococci grew out. Metronidazole, 500 mg qid per oral, was added to the therapy. During treatment, his condition was evaluated with serial computerized tomography scans of his brain and these studies showed progressive decrease in the size of the lesion. Metronidazole and antibiotics therapies were continued 45 days. The patient made an uneventful recovery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Salmonella meningitis].

A four - month old boy with Salmonella Typhimurium meningitis is presented. This patient was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of staphylococcal pneumonia, pyo-pneumothorax, cardiac failure and anemia. He has been treated for 18 days and he was discharged in good condition. Two days after discharge patient was readmitted with a fever, vomiting and feeding problem. In physical examination, stiff neck and bulging of the fontanel were remarkable. Examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has revealed meningitis and cultures of blood and CSF specimens were positive for S. typhimurium. It was sensitive only to trimethoprim sulphamethoxazole and netilmicin. Trimethoprim sulphamethoxazole (IM) and netilmicin (IV) were given. At the fifth day of this treatment patient expired. Postmortem examination has revealed the same agent in both meninges tissue and CSF cultures.

Autopsy↗