ROLE OF VIRAL PATHOGENS IN INFANTS WITH SYSTEMIC INFECTION AT THE NEWBORN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS IN GEORGIA.

In Georgia, causative agents among infants with systemic infections are generally not identified and "neonatal sepsis" is usually diagnosed and treated without determining the etiology. The objective of this study was to estimate the role of viral pathogens (Herpesviridae and Enteroviruses) among neonates with generalized infections. A cross-sectional study was performed among neonates younger than <8 weeks admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the two largest pediatric hospitals in Tbilisi, Georgia. Laboratory tests were performed by consensus and then by type-specific PCR methods. A total of 187 infants were recruited from the NICUs; most participants (74.9%) were of normal birth weight at admission to the NICU and half (51.3%) were younger than 7 days of age. Almost all babies (91.4%) were treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic despite a lack of microbe identification. While the overall mortality rate of infants with a systemic infection was 21.9 %, neonatal outcomes were more favorable when the infection was due to enteroviruses (2.9% mortality rate) compared to a herpesvirus infection (16.1% mortality rate). Multivariate analyses identified independent predictors associated with neonatal mortality. These included etiology of infection, APGAR score and the type of delivery. Our investigation suggests that viral pathogens play a substantial role in systemic infections among NICU infants. Utilizing molecular-based testing in these cases could improve both the clinical management and outcomes of neonates with generalized infections.

[Prevalence of polyresistance to antibiotics among Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from patients with gastroduodenal zone diseases].

UNLABELLED: To study prevalence of polyresistance (PR) among the strains of Helicobacter pylori isolated from patients with chronic gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcer and gastric cancer in Georgia. Material and methods. Biopsies of gastric mucosa and resection material were studied in 206patients with gastroduodenal zone diseases for identification of H. pylori (HP) and PR strains of HP. Results. The number of antibiotics involved in development of polyresistant strains varies from 3 to 8. The greatest number of strains (28.57 +/- 1.06%) develop PR to 5 antibiotics, the least--to 8 antibiotics. CONCLUSION: PR prevalence among HP strains is 35.25 +/- 4.05%. PR is most frequently seen to metronidasol and oxacilline, least frequently--to amoxicilline and clarithromycin.

[Phenotypical differences of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated in Georgia].

The phenotypical differences of H. pylori strains isolated in Georgia have been evaluated. Among H. pylori isolates, these strains have been found to differ from typical ones in the morphology of their colonies, growth under microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions, alpha-hemolysin production, resistance to cephalotin and nalidixic acid. At the same time all the strains under study are no different from typical H. pylori strains in respect of their cell morphology, tinctoral properties, growth at different temperatures and their main biochemical properties.