Nocardiosis in a teaching hospital in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey: treatment and outcome

• Published in: Clinical microbiology and infection Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. 495 - 499
• Main Authors: Yildiz, O., Alp, E., Tokgoz, B., Tucer, B., Aygen, B., Sumerkan, B., Couble, A., Boiron, P., Doganay, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2005; Blackwell Science Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Amikacin - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antimicrobial susceptibility; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Abscess - pathology; Brain Abscess - surgery; Causality; Ceftriaxone - therapeutic use; cerebral infection; Fatal Outcome; Female; Hospitals, Teaching; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Imipenem - pharmacology; Infectious diseases; Lung Diseases - drug therapy; Lung Diseases - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Miscellaneous; Nocardia - drug effects; Nocardia - isolation & purification; Nocardia asteroides; Nocardia farcinica; Nocardia Infections - epidemiology; Nocardia Infections - pathology; Nocardia Infections - therapy; Nocardia spp; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; predisposing factors; pulmonary infection; Retrospective Studies; Turkey; Turkey - epidemiology; Asia; Turkey; predisposing factors; Antimicrobial susceptibility; pulmonary infection; Turkey; Nocardia spp; cerebral infection; Teaching hospital; Nocardia; Prognosis; Drug susceptibility test; Actinomycosis; Lung; Nocardiaceae; Encephalon; Actinomycetales; Infection; Nocardiosis; Treatment; Risk factor; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Actinomycetes; Antibacterial agent
• ISSN: 1198-743X; 1469-0691
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2005.01145.x

Predisposing factors, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, treatment and outcome were analysed for nine consecutive patients with nocardiosis. Predisposing factors were identified in six (67%) of the nine patients. Clinical syndromes of nocardial infection were pulmonary infection (three patients), cerebral infection (five patients) and disseminated infection (one patient). The predominant (60%) species was Nocardia farcinica rather than the Nocardia asteroides complex. Treatment was started empirically, modified according to the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, and then continued for 6–12 months. Overall mortality was 33%, with death being caused by the Nocardia infection in two cases.