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Biomedical subjects

H Yaşar

Publications and source records attributed to H Yaşar.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Urinary nephrocalcin excretion in children with urolithiasis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of nephrocalcin in childhood urolithiasis. Forty-one patients with urinary stones and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were admitted to the study. Blood and timed urine samples were taken from both patient and control groups for biochemical analysis. Serum and urine creatinine (Cr) and urinary nephrocalcin (NC) were measured. NC excretion was expressed as a NC/Cr (mg/g) ratio. NC-PreA/Cr and NC-D/Cr ratios were found to be significantly higher in patients than in the control group. No statistically significant differences were found in NC-A/Cr, NC-B/Cr, NC-C/Cr ratios between the patient and control groups. The high NC-PreA/Cr ratio (p = 0.012) observed in stone-forming patients indicates that this ratio may also be an important stimulatory factor for urinary stone disease.

Calcium↗

Environmental contamination during a carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii outbreak in an intensive care unit.

During a three-month period in 1999, 25 strains of carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii were isolated from 12 of 170 hospitalized intensive care unit (ICU) patients, of which 16 were considered to be clinically significant. These strains were indistinguishable by biotyping and antibiograms, but genotyping was not performed. Appropriate antibiotic treatment, isolation precautions, and infection control education of the staff failed to halt the outbreak. Environmental contamination was therefore investigated, and A. baumannii was found out in 22 (39.3%) of 56 environmental samples obtained by swabbing. Different antibiotic sensitivity patterns were obtained in the majority of these isolates, but four (7.1%) of the strains were found to have the same sensitivity pattern as the strain causing the outbreak. As a result the ICU was closed, equipment and the environment cleaned, with hypochlorite and terminal disinfection carried out. No bacteria were grown on repeat environmental cultures. Environmental contamination has an important reservoir role in outbreaks of A. baumannii in ICUs and must be eradicated in order to overcome such outbreaks.

Acinetobacter Infections↗

Fine-needle aspiration as a diagnostic tool for recurrent tonsillitis.

Acute tonsillitis is a common childhood disease, but repeated antibiotic treatment may fail, leading to tonsillectomy. Superficial swab cultures do not sufficiently represent the core bacteria present, but fine-needle aspiration may be a promising diagnostic method. We evaluated 58 patients undergoing tonsillectomy, and took superficial and core swabs, and fine-needle aspirations. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacterial pathogen identified, present in 26 out of 50 (52%) positive core cultures, followed by Haemophilus influenza in 13 positive core cultures (26%), and group A beta-haemolytic streptococci in 10 positive core cultures (20%). Fine-needle aspiration detected 33 out of 50 positive core cultures (66%), whereas superficial swab culture detected 18 of 50 (36%); the difference being statistically significant. All pathogens detected by superficial swabs and fine-needle aspiration were detected in core cultures. The sensitivity and specificity of fine-needle aspiration were 66% and 100%, respectively, compared with 36% and 100% for superficial swabs. Fine-needle aspiration is therefore a promising method for detecting core bacteria in patients with recurrent tonsillitis.

Bacteria↗