Turk J Med Sci
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Turkey on March 10, 2020 and the number of the patients are increasing day by day. Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has high mortality rates in intensive care units (ICUs). We aimed to describe the demographic characteristics, comorbidities, treatment protocols, and clinical outcomes among the critically ill patients admitted to the ICU of our hospital. ⋯ Covid-19 has high mortality rates in ICU. Patients with elevated procalcitonin, hs-troponin, d-dimer, and CRP levels and lower platelet count at admission have higher mortality.
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We aimed to evaluate the association of the umbilical cord macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) with the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants. ⋯ This study shows that, MIF level is higher in the cord blood of the infants with RDS than of the infants without RDS. This supports that MIF expression begins in prior to the birth of the preterm infants and MIF has enhancing impact on the lung development of premature babies. With future studies, the assessment of the cord MIF levels at the bedside may be beneficial for the diagnosis and treatment of RDS, and taking actions to prevent long-term consequences.
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The purpose of this study is to evaluate serum pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) levels in Sars-CoV-2 virus infection (COVID-19) patients and to investigate whether PTX-3 predicts the disease prognosis. ⋯ In this study, as far as we know, for the first time, we have shown PTX-3 as the new mortality biomarker for COVID-19 disease.
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Most of the hospitalized patients are on a number of drugs for comorbidities and/or to prevent nosocomial infections. This necessitates a careful consideration of drug interactions not only to avoid possible toxicities but also to reach the highest efficiency with drug treatment. We aimed to investigate drug interactions related to systemic antibiotic use and compare three different databases to check for drug interactions while characterizing the main differences between medical and surgical departments. ⋯ A dramatic variance existed amongst antibiotics prescribed by different departments. This indicated the requirement for a centralized role of an infectious diseases specialist. Especially for the hospitalized patient, prophylactic coverage with at least one antibiotic brought about a number of drug interactions. A precise evaluation of orders in terms of drug interactions by a clinical pharmacist (currently none on duty) will reduce possible drug-related hazards.
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Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease that leads to tissue stiffening secondary to lymphocyte infiltration of the thyroid gland. Gray-scale ultrasound (US) is widely used in its diagnosis. Numerous studies have been conducted comparing elastography findings of HT with tissue stiffness and immunoreactivity levels. This study aims to reveal the relationship between shear wave elastography (SWE) and Doppler parameters in patients with HT. ⋯ A positive correlation was found between PI and RI values and elastography values. An increase in SWE and decreases in Vmax and Vmin were found as high diagnostic value for HT.