Hincal Ozbakir

Background: Totally implantable venous access devices are essential for long-term care in pediatric cancer patients, but they can cause catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). While central line bundles have proven effective in preventing CLABSIs in inpatient settings, data on adjunct prevention strategies, such as 70% isopropyl alcohol-impregnated disinfecting caps, in ambulatory pediatric oncology patients are limited. Objective: To assess the impact of 70% isopropyl alcohol–impregnated disinfecting caps on the rate and cost of CLABSIs in ambulatory pediatric hematology-oncology patients with ports. Methods: This study compared 2 distinct periods at an outpatient clinic: control group (n=58) and a study group using 70% isopropyl alcohol–impregnated disinfecting caps (n=34). The primary outcome was the CLABSI rate per 1000 catheter-days. Secondary outcomes included attributable health care costs and cost-effectiveness analysis. Results: The CLABSI rate was 13.55/1000 catheter-days in the control group and 2.05/1000 catheter-days in the study group, reflecting an 84.9% reduction. The cost analysis demonstrated that the intervention was cost-effective, with estimated savings ranging from $2637.68 to $10,916.67 and a return on investment of up to 9.641%. Conclusion: Implementation of 70% isopropyl alcohol–impregnated disinfecting caps resulted in a substantial clinical reduction in ambulatory CLABSI incidence and yielded significant cost savings in this high-risk population.

Pertussis resurged globally, after the relaxation of COVID-19 measures, underscoring its continued relevance as a public health concern, yet data remain li

Background. Children diagnosed with preseptal cellulitis frequently require hospitalization, leading to both clinical management challenges and substantial healthcare-related costs. The condition often necessitates intravenous antibiotic therapy, radiological imaging, laboratory tests, consultations, and inpatient care, which collectively contribute to the overall economic burden. However, data on the clinical characteristics and cost distribution among pediatric patients remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate both the clinical and economic burden of preseptal cellulitis in hospitalized children and to identify the clinical factors influencing healthcare costs. Methods. This retrospective study included children aged 1 month to 18 years who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of preseptal cellulitis between January 2019 and December 2024. Patients were grouped according to age and presence of predisposing factors. Length of stay, total hospital costs, and cost components were analyzed based on clinical characteristics. Results. A total of 166 patients were included (mean age: 70.1 ± 46.9 months; 62% male). The most common findings were periorbital swelling (96.4%) and erythema (75.3%). Median length of stay was 5 days, with no significant differences by age, sex, or predisposing factors (p>0.05). However, a strong positive correlation was found between length of stay and total cost (rho=0.775, p

Background: The primary risk factor determining the progression of tuberculosis (TB) infection is the host's immune status. However, reports of TB cases in children diagnosed with primary immunodeficiency (PID), also referred to as inborn errors of immunity (IEI), remain scarce. In this study, we describe the impact of PID/IEI on childhood TB disease. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data of patients aged 1 month to 18 years who were diagnosed with TB between January 2012 and January 2025 were collected. TB patients were compared according to PID status. Additionally, radiological, histopathological, and microbiological diagnostic findings, as well as clinical features and treatments of TB patients with PID, were evaluated. Results: A total of 217 TB patients were included, with a median age of 118 months (IQR: 42–169.5). PID was detected in 5.5% ( n = 12) of the patients. In 6 (50%) of the PID patients, the immunodeficiency was not known before the TB diagnosis. The median age of patients with PID was 17 months (IQR: 10.3–58.5), which was significantly lower compared to other patients ( p = 0.001). The diagnosis of extrapulmonary TB was significantly more common among PID patients ( p = 0.049). Treatment durations in patients with PID ranged from 6 to 24 months, and no mortality was observed. Conclusion: Investigating PID in children diagnosed with TB may be a critical step in enabling early diagnosis and treatment before the development of potentially fatal complications. We also believe that expanding immunological investigations will contribute to a better understanding of childhood TB pathogenesis.

Hemophilia and Obesity: Evaluating Prophylactic Dosing and Treatment Outcomes - Journal of Behcet Uz Children's Hospital

The most common and serious complication of central venous catheter usage is central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in children and adults. Between 2011 and 2014, CLABSIs were the most frequently reported healthcare-associated illness among hospitals in the USA. Bloodstream infections associated with central lines are […]

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) infection is transmitted by sharing the same airway with people with active TB. Children are often not considered the source of TB bacilli, and index case investigation is carried out after diagnosis. Here, we describe the impact of the presence of a household index case on childhood TB disease.Methods: The data of patients aged between 1 month and 18 years who were diagnosed with TB were collected. We compared patients according to whether they had an index case in the household or not.Results: A total of 202 TB patients were enrolled, of whom 62 (30.7%) had a household index case. There was no significant difference in having a household index case between TB patients under the age of five (23.3%) and older children (33.8%) (p = .140). Pulmonary TB was present in 61.4% of the cases, and extrapulmonary TB was present in 38.6% of the cases. The rate of patients who had a household index case was significantly higher in pulmonary TB (46.8%) compared to extrapulmonary TB (5.1%) (p < .001). Pulmonary TB patients with a history of household contact were more likely to have diagnostic radiological findings (93.1%) compared to those without (75.8%) (p = .009). However, pulmonary TB patients without household contact history had a higher rate of diagnostic microbiological findings (59.1%) and constitutional symptoms (63.6%) (p = .019 and p = .013, respectively).Conclusion: Household contact research is an important epidemiological tool. However, considering the contact rates in the household, new and more comprehensive public health programs are required to prevent the spread of childhood tuberculosis.