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Background: Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) has been an alternative to blood transfusion because of its practical use, rapid effect and no serious advers events (sAE). In this article, we aimed to evaluate patients who received FCM. Materials and Methods: 185 patients who were followed up in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine Clinics of Harran University Medical Faculty Hospital between January 2018 and July 2020 were evaluated retrospectively. Diagnosis, laboratory results, blood transfusion and hemoglobin (hb) values were investigated before and after FCM theraphy. Results: 113 (61%) of 185 patients had iron deficiency anemia (IDA), 40 (21%) gastrointestinal system (GIS) bleeding, 16 (9%) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), 5 liver cirrhosis (3%), 11 (6%) were other diseases. 129 patients (70%) were female and the mean age was 41.45 ± 17.7 (range 17 to 93) years. While the mean hb before FCM was 9.21 ± 1.82 (4.37 - 13.9) g / dl in all patients, the mean hb values of 92 patients reached after 2 weeks were 11.68 ± 1.64 (6.26 - 15.5) g / dl (p< 0.05). Of the 49 patients (27% of all patients) who received erythrocyte suspension (ES). ES was given to 23 (58%) of 40 patients with GI bleeding, 21 (18%) of 113 patients with IDA, 3 (6%) of 5 patients with cirrhosis and 2 (12%) of 16 patients with IBD. In none of the patients, FCM infusion was discontinued due to sEA and no sEA was observed. Conclusions: Approximately two-thirds of the patients were treated with IDA, one-third with GIS hemorrhage and IBS, especially GIS bleeding, and one-third of patients received blood transfusion. FCM significantly increased hb values by 2.5 g / dl in 2 weeks all patients. The greatest need for blood transfusion was in patients with GI bleeding, whereas in other patients, FCM was generally sufficient. FCM infusion did not cause sEA in any patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, it was aimed to determine the distribution and antibiotic resistance rates of bacteria isolated from endotracheal aspirate (ETA), blood and catheter samples taken from COVID-19 patients admitted Adana City Training and Research Hospital. Materials and Methods: Between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, 254 patients PCR positive patients were included in the study. Blood, catheter and respiratory tract culture growths and antibiotic susceptibility test results were retrospectively analyzed from the microbiology laboratory database. Results: 433 bacterial growths were detected in clinical samples taken from 254 COVID-19 PCR positive patients. Among the bacterial agents, Acinetobacter baumannii (25.17%; n =109) was the most common pathogens, followed by Escherichia coli (5.54% n =24) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.31%; n =23). While imipenem and meropenem resistance rates for A. baumannii were 86.8% and 85.9%, ertapenem and meropenem resistance rates for K. pneumoniae and E. coli were 83.3%, 75%, and 12.5%, 4,1%, respectively. I n this study, 15 o f 21 S.aureus strains were found to be MRSA (Methicillin-resistant S.aureus) (71,4%). Conclusions: Avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients is critical to prevent resistance development and increase culture sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Our research was conducted to examine the retrospective data of patients who underwent Endoscopic Tympanoplasty in our clinic. Materials and Methods: This study is a retrospective study of the data of 60 patients who underwent endoscopic tympanoplasty and followed up in Harran University Faculty of Medicine Otorhinolaryngology clinic from January 2018 to June 2019. Patients who were followed for at least 3 months after surgery were included in the study. Patients who were operated with a non-endoscopic method and whose data were not available were excluded from the study. Pre-op and post-op audiometric values of patients were compared. The success of the graft was checked in the patients' controls. Results: Of the 60 patients we underwent endoscopic tympanoplasty, 25 were male and 35 were female. While preoperative air bone gap mean was 21.5±9.40 dB, the mean air bone gap was 13.1±7.68 dB in the audiometry performed during postoperative follow-up. The graft success rate was 80% (48 patients). In 20% of the patients (12 patients) there was a graft patency. 12 (20%) of the patients were marginal perforated, 6 (10%) were total perforated, 42 (70%) were central perforated. Bone cement reconstruction was required in 10 (6%) patients and ossicular prosthesis was applied in 3 (5%) patients. Conclusion: As a result, when compared with microscope, endoscopic tympanoplasty has similar success results and it was found to be less invasive and more comfortable for the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp) is among the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections worldwide and causes serious and life-threatening infections. Treatment options are very limited for blood stream infections (BSIs) and prognosis is poor due to increasing multi-drug resistance. The aim of this study was to assess risk factors for the mortality due to CRKp-BSI. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in a university hospital from September 2013 to October 2017. Patients (aged >16 years) with CRKp-BSI were included in this study. Data, including demographics, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score on hospitalisation date, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CRKp, antibiotic treatment and outcome (30-day mortality) data were collected from the electronic medical records and microbiology databases. Results: A total of 82 patients with CRKP-BSIs were analysed. The median age was 54.5 years, and 48 (58.5%) of them were male. The median APACHE II score on hospitalisation was 14 (IQR 6-28) and CCI was 4.0 (IQR 0-12). Forty-six (56.1%) patients had ICU-acquired bacteremia and 36 (43.9%) had central-line associated bacteremia and 25 (30.5%) had primary bacteremia. Fifty (61.0%) patients had combination therapy, colistin/tigecycline (28%) was the most used antibiotic combination. The mortality of all patients was 56.1% (46/82) and 65.2% (30/46) in ICU patients. In univariate analysis, risk factors for the mortality of CRKp-BSI were high CCI, not having clinical response on the fifth day of treatment, high APACHE II score on hospitalisation and infection date and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. In multivariate analysis, the most significant risk factor for mortality was APACHE II score on infection day (OR: 1.190; 95% CI: 1.088-1.301). Treatment regimens and combination therapy vs. monotherapy were not found to be significantly associated with survival. In addition, MIC values of CRKp were not associated with mortality. Conclusions: Patients with CRKp-BSI had high mortality (56.1%). APACHE II score on infection day was significantly associated with mortality. The outcome was similar between patients receiving combination (54.3%) or monotherapy (45.7%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Interictal electroencephalography (EEG) is an electrophysiological test used in daily practice and important in the diagnosis and treatment process for epileptic patients. Accurate assessment of the interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) and recognition of secondary bilateral synchrony (SBS) are important for the evaluation of appropriate treatment options. In this study, we investigated whether the presence of SBS is a risk factor for seizure frequency, treatment response, and localization. Methods: In this study, the data of 126 patients who were followed up with the diagnosis of epilepsy in the Neurology Outpatient Clinic of Namık Kemal University Education and Research Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics, seizure frequency, localization, treatment response and EEG characteristics of the patients were investigated and the results of 122 patients were obtained. Results: Fifty-eight (46%) of the patients were female, and 68 (54%) were male. The mean age was 36.5±16.4 (15-78) years. EEG of 15 patients (12.2%) was reported as SBS. Focal epileptiform abnormality was detected in 54 patients (44.2%) and focal irregular background activity (non-epileptic findings) was found in 12 patients (9.8%). When semiological features and EEG findings were evaluated together, 44 patients (34.9%) were classified as frontal lobe seizures, 66 patients (52.4%) as temporal lobe seizures, 16 patients (12.6%) as the others. Forty-six patients (36.5%) had no seizures, while 15 (11.9%) had one seizure per year, 46 (36.5%) had one seizure in one to six months, and 19 (15.1%) had daily or weekly seizures. Twenty-nine (23%) of the 46 seizure-free patients became seizure-free in an early stage, 17 patients (13.5%) became seizure-free after the sixth month of the treatment. Conclusion: Although the presence of IED and SBS in interictal EEG is not a risk factor for seizure frequency and treatment response, and the rate of SBS is higher in frontal lobe seizures. The presence of IED and SBS in the management of treatment may lead to false results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Design: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a severe, chronic, potentially life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes, associated with the loss of cell-cell adhesion and blister formation. Systemic steroids in combination with immunosuppressive agents are the mainstay of therapy in pemphigus. Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody, has been tried increasingly for the treatment of PV. Materials and Methods: We sought to test the efficacy and safety of rituximab as an adjuvant therapy by retrospective analysis of clinical and immunological data of patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of 13 patients with refractory pemphigus vulgaris who were treated with rituximab at Akdeniz University Hospital, Clinic of Dermatology and Venereology, Bullous Disease Unit. We evaluated clinical and immunological data with last treatments. Results: The patients were treated with one cycle of two biweekly infusions of rituximab at a dose of 1000 mg on days 1 and 15, except one received four doses of 375 mg/m2 weekly. The mean follow-up time was 18.5 months. All patients had a decrease in antibody titers or antibodies were completely undetected after treatment. Rituximab use resulted in a significant reduction in steroid dosage during follow-up. At the end of the follow-up period, 7 patients achieved complete disease remission without therapy, 1 patient achieved partial disease remission without therapy, 2 patients achieved complete remission on minimal therapy, 1 patient achieved complete remission on therapy, 1 patient achieved partial remission on minimal therapy, and one patient was lost to follow-up. Rituximab was well tolerated by all patients. Clinical relapse was seen in 7 patients (53.8%) in the mean period of 13.8 months. Relapses have been managed with additional infusions of rituximab. Conclusion: Rituximab is beneficial in the management of refractory PV, induces prolonged clinical remission and has a steroid-sparing effect. (Turkderm 2015; 49: 117-24) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Design: Despite the development of effective systemic treatments and new biological agents for psoriasis nowadays, topical medications are still the mainstay of treatment. Topical calcineurin inhibitors are currently used in various skin diseases. We investigated the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus, which is an alternative in topical treatment, in comparison with the present medications in plaque psoriasis. Materials and Methods: This prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted in 24 patients with the diagnosis of plaque psoriasis who were seen in Uludağ University Hospital dermatology outpatient clinic. 0.1% tacrolimus ointment, 0.1% mometasone furoate ointment, 0.005% calcipotriol ointment and placebo in encrypted bottles were randomly applied under occlusion to 27 psoriatic plaques in test chambers, every other day, for a period of 19 days. Clinic sum scores, side effects, and epidermal thickness measured by superficial ultrasound were noted before and after treatment in all microplaques. Besides, histopathologic scoring and epidermal thickness were measured in 9 patients at the end of the study. Results: The clinic sum scores and ultrasonographic epidermal thickness at the end were both significantly lower than the beginning values in all microplaques (p<0.05). The reduction in these two values with tacrolimus were significantly higher than that with placebo (p<0.001), but no difference was observed with calcipotriol (p=0.287, p=0.813, respectively). On the other hand, the reduction in these values with mometasone was significantly higher than with tacrolimus (p<0.05). Mometasone furoate was the most effective when the three ointments were compared with placebo in terms of total histopathological score and epidermal thickness. Conclusion: Tacrolimus ointment applied under occlusion is an alternative topical medication in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Occlusion in practice requires patient compliance. Thus, studies to find a new formulation that will increase absorption of drug from thick psoriatic plaques are needed. (Turkderm 2015; 49: 107-11) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Otosclerosis is primary distrophic disease of the otic capsule.Surgical management of otosclerosis are stapes mobilization, anterior crurotomy, stapedectomy and stapedotomy. Our study included hearing and balance results of forty two otosclerosis patients operated in a private ear-nose and throat center in Diyarbakır between 2005-2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study we aimed to evaluate the results of pathology that patients undergoing laparoscopic and open appendectomy with suspected appendicitis from August 2012 to August 2014. Material and Method: In this study data from 131 patients undergoing laparoscopic and open appendectomy between August 2012 and August 2014 in Van Training and Research Hospital were examined retrospectively for demographic characteristics. Results: In the laparoscopic appendectomy group handmade endoloop technique was used for closing the base of the appendix. Mc Burney's incision was used for open appendectomy. 47% of patients was female (n=61), 53% of patients were male (n=69). The average age of the patients was 27.7 years. According to surgical technique, open appendectomy was performed 15% (n=20), laparoscopic appendectomy was performed 85% (n=110). Postoperative drainage tube was put to 15% of patients (n=20). Wound infection was seen in 4 open appendectomy performed patients (20%). Laparoscopic appendectomy was associated with a shorter hospital stay (2.2 days vs 2.8 days). When the pathology results are analyzed, 2 malignancies are revealed (1,5%), 1 carcinoid tumor, 1 neuroendocrine tumor. After pathology results hemicolectomy was performed. Conclusion: Appendectomy is the most frequently performed surgery, even if macroscopic pathology is not present the risk of malignancy can not be underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]