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Objective: To investigate the diagnostic performance between chest computed tomography (CT) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in outpatients with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients and Methods: Between March and June 2020, a total of 812 patients with clinically suspected COVID-19 who underwent both chest CT and initial-single RT-PCR on admission to outpatient units were retrospectively enrolled. CT severity-score (CT-SS) was calculated and data were matched with PCR results. Results: Of 812 patients, 54% (439/812) had positive RT-PCR results, and 47% (425/812) had a positive chest CT scan. With RT-PCR results as reference, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy of chest CT in defining COVID-19 infection were 60%, (95% CI 56-65%, 265/439 patients), 57% (95% CI 52-62%, 213/373), 59% (95% CI 55-62%, 478/812), respectively. Three hundred eighty-seven (47%) patients had no CT findings, 380/812 (46.8%) had mild, 45/812 (5.5%) had moderate, and no patients in the severe group Conclusion: Chest CT did not show high sensitivity for the diagnosis of COVID-19 for outpatients. We suggest RT-PCR should be the primary diagnostic tool. Chest CT might be considered if there is a strong clinical suspicion with repeatedly negative RT-PCR test results, ensuring infection prevention and control measures can be preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health problem that remains important worldwide. This study aimed to examine the demographic characteristics and clinical features of patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) and also identify the comorbidities of EPTB. Our secondary aim was to compare tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBL) with other forms of EPTB. Patients and Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational study was conducted on patients diagnosed with EPTB in a training hospital in Turkey between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2020. The demographic characteristics and clinical features of the patients were examined. TBL cases were compared with other forms of EPTB cases. Results: The most common clinical form was TBL. Fever, night sweats, and accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate were significantly more common in the other forms of the EPTB group compared to TBL. The rate of tuberculin skin test positivity was significantly higher in patients with TBL. The complication rate was 3%, and mortality rate was 4% among all patients. Conclusions: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis by evaluating the medical history of patients who present with organ-specific symptoms, especially in TB endemic countries. The clinic may differ according to the organ involvement. TBL may be seen with milder symptoms compared to other clinical forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to identify the effect of tocilizumab (TCZ) on clinical outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients. Material and Methods: We included hospitalized COVID-19 patients with an initial WHO scale ≥4. We matched the patients with baseline characteristics by using propensity scores. Then, we selected patients with C-reactive protein levels above 30 and showing an upward trend. We assessed the effect of TCZ in patients on clinical outcomes by using Mann -- Whitney U and Chi-square tests. Results: Of 200 patients who had an initial WHO scale ≥ 4, 42 (21%) were given TCZ in addition to standard of care (SOC). Twenty-five patients (50%) needed mechanical ventilation (MV) in the TCZ group, compared with 35 (21%) of 158 patients with SOC (p<0.01). Nineteen (45%) and 37 (23%) patients died in 30 days in these groups, respectively (p <0.01). The secondary infection rate was significantly higher in the TCZ group (p=0.004). However, no difference was observed in all these parameters in the propensity score-matched cohort (14 patients in TCZ and 14 in the SOC group) (p=0.45, 0.45, 1.0 respectively). Conclusions: Tocilizumab does not provide a beneficial effect on MV requirement and mortality in severe COVID-19, and it does not increase the risk of secondary bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The incidence of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae has increased worldwide. Limitations in the development of new antimicrobial agents have led clinicians to reconsider the clinical efficiency of old antibiotics, such as intravenous formulation of fosfomycin, in the treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. We investigated the fosfomycin susceptibility of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated prior to the clinical use of the intravenous formulation of fosfomycin in Turkey. Materials and Methods: A total of the 155 K. pneumoniae isolates which previously characterized at the molecular level for their carbapenemase were included in this study. The minimum inhibitory concentration of fosfomycin was determined by the agar dilution method. Results: Overall, 65.1% of the isolates were susceptible to fosfomycin. The MIC50 and MIC90 values were 32 and 256 mg/L, respectively. According to our results, at least two-third of carbapenemase-positive K. pneumoniae are susceptible to fosfomycin. Conclusions: Although, the susceptibility of fosfomycin, which has just been put into the clinical use of intravenous formulation in Turkey, is not very high, it can be considered as an alternative adjunct antimicrobial for the treatment of systemic infections caused by carbapenemase-positive K. pneumoniae isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]