The present study was performed to elucidate the clinical outcome, and etiology of acute otitis media (AOM) in children based on virologic and bacteriologic tests. The study group consisted of 120 children aged 6 to 144 months with AOM. Middle ear fluid (MEF) was tested for viral pathogens by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and for bacteria by gram-staining and culture. Clinical response was assessed on day 2 to 4, 11 to 13, 26 to 28. Respiratory viruses were isolated in 39 patients (32.5%). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (46.5%) was the most common virus identified in MEF samples, followed by human rhinovirus (HRV) (25.6%), human coronavirus (HCV) (11.6%), influenza (IV) type A (9.3%), adenovirus type sub type A (AV) (4%), and parainfluenza (PIV) type -3 (2%) by RT-PCR. In total 69 bacterial species were isolated from 65 (54.8%) of 120 patients. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) was the most frequently isolated bacteria. Viral RNA was detected in 31 (56.3%) of 55 bacteria-negative specimens and in 8 (12.3%) of 65 bacteria-positive MEF samples. No significant differences were found between children representing viral infection alone, combined viral and bacterial infection, bacterial infection alone, and neither viral nor bacterial infection, regarding clinical cure, relapse and reinfection rates. A significantly higher rate of secretory otitis media (SOM) was observed in alone or combined RSV infection with S. pneumonia or Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) than in other viruses infection. Conclusion. This study provides information about etiologic agents and diagnosis of AOM in Turkish children. The findings highlight the importance of common respiratory viruses and bacterial pathogens, particularly RSV, HRV, S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, in predisposing to and causing AOM in children.

Terbinafine was found to be the most effective antifungal drug against all tested dermatophyte isolates. Griseofulvin was the less active antifungal drug against T. mentagrophytes isolates. Performing antifungal susceptibility testing is especially important for screening the development of antifungal resistance.

Background:Candida albicans is the pathogenic species most commonly isolated from fungal infections. Management of these infections depends on the immune status of the host, severity of disease, and the choice of antifungal drug. In spite of the development of new antifungal drugs, epidemiological studies have shown that resistance to antifungal drugs in C. albicans strains is becoming a serious problem.Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro susceptibility of C. albicans isolates to ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, amphotericin B, caspofungin, and anidulafungin.Materials and Methods:A total of 201 C. albicans isolates were collected from clinical specimens. Antifungal susceptibility tests were performed using the Etest.Results:All the tested C. albicans isolates were found to be susceptible to amphotericin B and anidulafungin. Although none of the isolates showed resistance to caspofungin, 15% of the isolates were classified as showing intermediate resistance. The resistance rates of C. albicans isolates to ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole and posaconazole were 32%, 34%, 21%, 14% and 14%, respectively.Conclusions:Our findings indicate that resistance of C. albicans strains to azoles is more common in Tokat, Turkey. Therefore, a strategy to control the inappropriate and widespread use of antifungal drugs is urgently needed. Fungal culturing and antifungal susceptibility testing will be useful in patient management as well as resistance surveillance.

During systemic isotretinoin treatment, eye dryness was related to the dose used, at least during the period of treatment. Conversely, the rate of conjunctival S aureus colonization was unrelated to the dose of isotretinoin.

This survey reveals that the etiologic agents of onychomycosis in our area show large discrepancies from those in other regions of Turkey and Europe.