Search

Introduction: It is known that the use of inhaled corticosteroids increases the incidence of pneumonia in patients followed up with the diagnosis of chronic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to investigate the contribution of inhaled steroid use to pneumonia severity and mortality in cases with COVID-19 pneumonia., Materials and Methods: The study is a retrospective, observational study. Among the cases admitted to the pandemic clinic, patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia were included. The plan was to compare cases who received and did not receive inhaled corticosteroids in terms of pneumonia severity and mortality. In order to define risk factors for mortality, univariate and multivariable negative binomial regression analyses were performed., Result: In our study, it was observed that n= 540 (75%) cases did not receive inhaled corticosteroids (group 1), and 180 (25%) cases used inhaled corti costeroids (group 2). Group 1 and group 2 cases were compared in terms of pneumonia severity with no significant difference between the two groups (p= 0.11). Then, risk factors affecting mortality in all cases were examined with univariate analyses. Increasing age, applying mechanical ventilation, having severe pneumonia, having interstitial lung disease, and applying prone position were found to be statistically significant factors in mortality (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: In conclusion, in our study, it was observed that the use of inhaled corticosteroids did not increase the severity of pneumonia and mortality. It was thought that the treatment they received could be continued when the patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids due to asthma and COPD had COVID-19 pneumonia.

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to determine the values of anthropometric measurements and rates used in the evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in our country., Materials and Methods: Twenty accredited sleep centers in thirteen provinces participated in this multicenter prospective study. OSAS symptoms and polysomnographic examination and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5 cases OSAS study group; patients with AHI < 5 and STOP-Bang < 2 were included as control group. Demographic characteristics (age, sex, body mass index-BMI) and anthropometric measurements (neck, waist and hip circumference, waist/hip ratio) of the subjects were recorded., Result: The study included 2684 patients (81.3% OSAS) with a mean age of 50.50 ± 0.21 years from 20 centers. The cases were taken from six geographical regions of the country (Mediterranean, Eastern Anatolia, Aegean, Central Anatolia, Black Sea and Marmara Region). Demographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements; age, neck, waist, hip circumference and waist/ hip ratios and BMI characteristics when compared with the control group; when compared according to regions, age, neck, waist, hip circumference and waist/hip ratios were found to be statistically different (p< 0.001, p< 0.001, p< 0.05, respectively). When compared by sex, age, neck and hip circumference, waist/hip ratio, height, weight and BMI characteristics were statistically different (p< 0.001, respectively). Neck circumference and waist/hip ratio were respectively 42.58 ± 0.10 cm, 0.99 ± 0.002, 39.24 ± 0.16 cm, 0.93 ± 0.004 were found in women., Conclusions: The neck circumference was lower than the standard value in men, but higher in women. The waist/hip ratio was above the ideal measurements in both men and women. In this context, the determination of the country values will allow the identification of patients with the possibility of OSAS and referral to sleep centers for polysomnography.

Introduction: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) by the guide of endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) is a diagnostic method which may be used in diagnosing benign granulomatous diseases in contemporary practice. In this study, we planned to evaluate the diagnostic value of TBNA by the guide of EBUS for benign granulamatous diseases and to investigate the impact of cytological, microbiologic and tuberculosis (TB)-polimerase chain reaction (PCR) results in specimens., Materials and Methods: Thirty-four patients (20 female, 14 male) who had EBUS-TBNA and histopathological diagnosis of granülamatous inflammatory reaction were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 49.62 ± 12.72 years (26-72). The specimens provided by EBUS-TBNA were evaluated for pathologic, microbiologic, and molecular (TB-PCR) examinations., Results: As a result of clinical, radiological and laboratory studies of the patients with granulomatous inflammation, 13 (38.2%) patients had TB, 21 (61.7%) patients had sarcoidosis. Diagnoses of histopathological granuloma were established by EBUS-TBNA in 30 (88.2%) patients among patients with isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathies. Seven of mediastinal TB lymphadenopathies patients were TB-PCR positive. The sensitivity of PCR was 54% and the specificity was 100%, general efficiency of the test was found to be 82%., Conclusion: In cases with granulomatosis lymphadenopathies, TB-PCR specimens which achieved by EBUS-TBNA results provided important contribution for the TB diagnosis. Therefore, we thought that TB-PCR is a diagnostic method to be studied in the cases who investigating for mediastinal lymphadenopathies.