Browsing by Author "Ozkacmaz, Ayse"

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Can We Trust a Compact Bacteriological Screening Test To Identify the Common Vaginal Pathogens
(Aras Part Medical int Press, 2024) Keskin, Semra; Kurdoglu, Mertihan; Guducuoglu, Huseyin; Kurdoglu, Zehra; Ozkacmaz, Ayse
Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the A.F. Genital System (R) in the detection of vaginal pathogens in patients with obstetrical and gynecological pathologies. Materials and Methods: A total of 197 vaginal swab samples were collected from patients presenting with various obstetrical and gynecological pathologies. The A.F. Genital System (R) and vaginal culture/traditional methods were used for pathogen detection. Results: The A.F. Genital System (R) demonstrated a detection rate of 68% for single vaginal infectious agents, outperforming the vaginal culture/traditional methods (52.8%). However, differences in detection rates were observed for specific pathogens, such as E. coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas spp. Conclusions: Despite lower sensitivity for specific pathogens, the A.F. Genital System (R) showed a high correlation with reference tests, suggesting its potential utility as a diagnostic tool for identifying common vaginal pathogens in clinical settings.
Comparison of Computed Tomography Findings Between Adult and Pediatric Covid-19 Patients
(Bentham Science Publ Ltd, 2024) Dadali, Yeliz; Ozkacmaz, Sercan; Unlu, Erdal; Ozkacmaz, Ayse; Alparslan, Muhammed; Dundar, Ilyas; Goya, Cemil
Purpose: This study aims to compare chest computed tomography (CT) findings between adult and pediatric patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Materials and Methods: This study included 30 pediatric patients aged 1 to 17 years and 30 adult patients over 18 years of age with COVID-19 pneumonia confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) who have findings related to COVID-19 on Chest Computed Tomography. The CT findings of adult and pediatric patients were compared with a z-test. Results: Bilateral involvement (p:0.00056), involvement in all five lobes (p<0.00001), and central and peripheral involvement (p:0.01928) were significantly higher in the adult group compared to the pediatric group. In the pediatric group, the frequency of unilateral involvement (p:0.00056), involvement of solitary lobe (p:0.00132), and peripheral involvement (p: 0.01928) were significantly higher than in the adult group. The most common parenchymal finding in adults and pediatric patients was ground-glass opacities (100% and 83%, respectively). Among the parenchymal findings in adults, ground-glass opacities with consolidation (63%) were the second most common finding, followed by air bronchogram (60%) in adults, while in pediatric patients, halo sign (27%) and nodule (27%) were the second most common, followed by the ground-glass opacities with consolidation (23%). Conclusion: The CT findings of pediatric COVID-19 patients must be well-known as the course of the disease is usually less severe, and the radiological findings are uncertain when compared with adults.
The Distribution and the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Features of Microorganisms Isolated From the Burn Wounds: a 10-Year Retrospective Analysis
(Oxford Univ Press, 2024) Ozkacmaz, Ayse; Dicle, Yalcin; Bayram, Yasemin; Parlak, Mehmet; Akis, Feride; Calli, Iskan
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the distribution features and antimicrobial susceptibility test results of the microorganisms isolated from the wounds of pediatric and adult patients with burn. The culture and susceptibility test results of the microorganisms, isolated from the wound swabs of the patients hospitalized in a tertiary-burn care center in 10-year period, were retrospectively screened on the microbiology department databases. Their distribution of isolated microorganisms regarding species and susceptibility test results were compared with previous studies. A total of 367 microorganisms, isolated from the burn wounds of 293 patients (13 +/- 18.9 years, F/M: 0.93) (73 adults and 220 pediatric patients), were included in this study. A solitary agent was isolated in 239 (81.6%) patients, while 2 were isolated in 43 (14.7%) and 3 or more agents in 11 (3.8%). From these, 33% of the isolated microorganisms were gram-positive cocci, 61% were gram-negative bacteria, and 6% were Candida spp. The most common isolated microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (18.5%), Pseudomonas spp. (16.9%), and Escherichia coli (11.2%), while the least common was Streptococcus spp. (2.5%). Methicillin resistance was 15% among the S. aureus strains. No resistance was observed against levofloxacin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid, daptomycin, fusidic acid, and tigecycline in S. aureus strains. The highest resistance rates were observed against levofloxacin (64%), tobramycin (64%), pip/tazobactam (63%), imipenem (63%), and the lowest against colistin (5%) and ceftazidime (29%), among Pseudomonas spp. The most common causative agents in burn wound infections and their current antimicrobial susceptibility features should be well identified, in order for prevention of serious complications and optimal management the condition to occur.
Evaluation of Colistin Susceptibility Results in Multidrug-Resistant Gramnegative Bacilli by Colistin Broth Disk Elution Method
(Doc design informatics Co Ltd, 2022) Ozkacmaz, Ayse; Milletli-Sezgin, Fikriye
Objective: Determining colistin susceptibility according to the reference method is a significant problem for clinical microbiology laboratories. There is a need for a fast, easy-to-apply, and accurate method for laboratories with limited opportunities. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the applicability of the colistin broth disk elution (CBDE) test. Methods: A total of 193 Gram-negative bacteria, which were isolated from various clinical specimens in our laboratory, were included in the study. Colistin susceptibility was determined by broth microdilution as the reference method. The CBDE test was performed as previously described. For each bacterial isolate, 0, 1/2, 1, 2, and 4 colistin discs (10 mu g; BD) were added to 5 tubes containing cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB). The final colistin concentrations in the tubes were 0 (growth control), 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 mu g/ml, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration values were determined by visual evaluation 16-20 hours after the bacterial inoculation. Results: In the Enterobacterales group, the categorical agreement was 94%, the major error was 5%, and the very major error was 0%. In the non-fermentative bacteria group, the categorical agreement was found to be 94%, the major error 1%, and the very major error 33%, respectively. Conclusion: The CBDE test is a good alternative to broth microdilution in routine microbiology laboratories for the Enterobacterales group since it provides easy-to-apply, cost-effective testing for colistin susceptibility and has a high categorical agreement compared to the reference microdilution method.
Radiological Evidence of Testicular Damage in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: a Sonoelastography's Potential Role
(Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2023) Dundar, Ilyas; Ozkacmaz, Sercan; Demir, Murat; Ozgokce, Mesut; Durmaz, Fatma; Ozkacmaz, Ayse; Goya, Cemil
This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the possible damage to the male reproductive system that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus causes by quantitatively measuring and comparing the tissue stiffness of the testis and epididymis with acoustic radiation force impulse sonoelastography in patients who have COVID-19 with a healthy control group. This prospective study was conducted between February and July 2021 with 65 cases. We used sonoelastography to evaluate male patients 18 years or older, who had applied to the urology clinic with nontesticular complaints, and were found to not have any underlying testicular pathology after a clinical-laboratory evaluation. The clinical-laboratory imaging findings and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test results of all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were reviewed from the hospital database. We measured the shear wave velocity values of the epididymis and the testes of 31 proven severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 patients and 34 healthy subjects and compared them with an independent t test. For the patient and control group subjects, the mean age was 37.55 & PLUSMN; 13.08 (23-71) and 40.5 & PLUSMN; 16.25 (18-81) years, respectively. The mean shear wave velocity values of the left-right and bilateral testes and epididymis of the patient group were statistically substantially higher (P < 0.05) than in the control group. In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, when the cutoff values for the bilateral testes and epididymis were determined as 1.39 and 1.64 m/s, respectively, the AUC was 77% to 73.4%, the sensitivity was 87% to 74%, and the specificity was 65% to 62%. Our findings show that testicular and epididymal tissue stiffness increased in patients with COVID-19. We recommend adding sonoelastography to urogenital examinations of male reproductive system in patients who are recovering from COVID-19.
Seroprevalence of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Turkey's Van Province
(Natl inst infectious Diseases, 2017) Bayram, Yasemin; Parlak, Mehmet; Ozkacmaz, Ayse; Cikman, Aytekin; Guducuoglu, Huseyin; Kilic, Selcuk; Andac, Cenk A.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an endemic tick-borne viral disease that affects both animals and humans. This study aims to determine the seroprevalence of CCHF in Turkey's Van province using analysis of blood samples obtained from people living in the region. Blood specimens were taken from healthy subjects living in Van province and some of the surrounding villages between January and July 2012. Blood samples were initially tested using a CCHF virus (CCHFV) IgM IgG kit for anti-CCHFV IgG, followed by anti-CCHFV IgM determination of any IgG positive blood samples. IgM-positive specimens were re-confirmed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). One hundred and 7 men and 261 women were included in the study. Fifty-three blood specimens (14.4%) were anti-CCHFV IgG positive, and 2 of these were anti-CCHFV IgM positive. Two blood samples with anti-CCHFV IgM seropositivity tested negative using qPCR, indicating chronic infections. Locality, sex, and a history of tick bites did not significantly affect anti-CCHFV IgG seropositivity. Although the incidence of anti-CCHFV IgG in blood specimens was 14.4%, no deaths have yet been reported in Turkey's Van province. It is imperative that clinical CCHFV tests be implemented for people at high risk of developing CCHFV-related complications.