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Background: This study is aimed at providing information about the timing of booster doses and antibody kinetics in healthcare workers. Methods: This research extends a prospective cohort study conducted at Dokuz Eylul University Hospital in Turkey, covering the period from March 2021 to December 2021. During this timeframe, the antibody levels of the health workers were measured at four different time points. The associations of antibody levels with gender, age, occupation, body mass index (BMI), chronic disease, and smoking were analyzed. Results: There was a significant difference between antibody levels in all four blood draws (p < 0.001). Antibody levels decreased in both those vaccinated with BNT162b2 (p < 0.001) and those vaccinated with CoronaVac (p = 0.002) until the fourth blood draw. There was a significant difference between those vaccinated with one and two doses of booster BNT162b2 before the third blood draw (p < 0.001), which continued at the fourth blood draw (p < 0.001). The antibody levels of those with an interval of 41–50 days between two vaccinations decreased significantly at the fourth blood draw (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study provides insight into the dynamics and persistence of antibody response after additional COVID‐19 vaccine doses among healthcare workers. The longer the interval between booster doses may result in greater antibody levels being maintained over time, allowing for longer durations of protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Despite the efforts in vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), breakthrough infections occur and the need for hospitalization continues. We aimed to determine the relationship between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination and the severity of COVID-19 and mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2021 and February 2022 in a university hospital in Turkey. Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (both in clinics and in intensive care units), ≥18 years old, and who had no previous COVID-19 were included in the study. The demographic characteristics, clinical data, vaccination status, and outcome of the patients were analyzed retrospectively and the relationship between vaccination status and mortality was determined statistically. RESULTS: Of the 674 patients, 180 (26.7%) had no vaccination, 282 (41.8%) had incomplete vaccination, and 212 (31.5%) were fully vaccinated according to the updated vaccination recommendations. While 44.0% of the patients were fully vaccinated before the occurrence of omicron variant, 15.9% of the patients were fully vaccinated during the wave of the omicron variant. The patients with no vaccination were younger and had fewer comorbidities. The overall mortality was 31.8%. Under 50 years old, all the patients with fully vaccination survived and the patients with no vaccination or incomplete vaccination had higher (10.1%) mortality. During the omicron period, mortality was lower in fully vaccinated pateints. CONCLUSION: Immunization with and booster doses of BNT162b2 should be encouraged to protect both healthy and vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Because of the widespread use of CT in the diagnosis of COVID 19, indeterminate presentations such as single, few or unilateral lesions amount to a considerable number. We aimed to develop a new classification and structured reporting system on CT imaging (COVID-19 S) that would facilitate the diagnosis of COVID-19 in the most accurate way.Methods: Our retrospective cohort included 803 patients with a chest CT scan upon suspicion of COVID 19. The patients' history, physical examination, CT findings, RT PCR, and other laboratory test results were reviewed, and a final diagnosis was made as COVID 19 or non-COVID 19. Chest CT scans were classified according to the COVID 19 S CT diagnosis criteria. Cohen's kappa analysis was used.Results: Final clinical diagnosis was COVID-19 in 98 patients (12%). According to the COVID-19 S CT diagnosis criteria, the number of patients in the normal, compatible with COVID 19, indeterminate and alternative diagnosis groups were 581 (72.3%), 97 (12.1%), 16 (2.0%) and 109 (13.6%). When the indeterminate group was combined with the group compatible with COVID 19, the sensitivity and specificity of COVID-19 S were 99.0% and 87.1%, with 85.8% positive predictive value (PPV) and 99.1% negative predictive value (NPV). When the indeterminate group was combined with the alternative diagnosis group, the sensitivity and specificity of COVID-19 S were 93.9% and 96.0%, with 94.8% PPV and 95.2% NPV.Conclusion: COVID-19 S CT classification system may meet the needs of radiologists in distinguishing COVID-19 from pneumonia of other etiologies and help optimize patient management and disease control in this pandemic by the use of structured reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Zygomycosis is a severe angioinvasive infection caused by Zygomycetes. We retrospectively investigated 16 cases of zygomycosis. Materials and methods: he data of patients, who had been followed between 2004 and 2010 in 8 tertiary-care teaching hospitals, were reviewed. Demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, and clinical signs and symptoms of the patients, as well as diagnostic methods, data obtained by radiological imaging methods, and the therapies, were recorded. herapeutic approaches, antifungal agents and duration of use, and the characteristics of the cases were identiied. Results: he study included 11 female and 5 male subjects. he most common symptoms and clinical signs were fever (n = 9) and retro- orbital pain (n = 7). Rhinocerebral zygomycosis was the most common form. he mean time elapsed for diagnosis was 14.26 ± 13.96 (range: 2-52) days. Antifungal therapy was given to 15 patients (94%). In addition to antifungal therapy, 12 patients underwent surgical intervention 1 to 4 times. he mean duration of receiving antifungal therapy was 61.4 ± 58.02 (range: 1-180) days. he median duration of treatment was 62.5 (range: 42-180) days in survivors. Conclusion: Zygomycosis is an infectious disease with high mortality despite antifungal therapy and surgical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giriş: Staphylococcus aureus insanlarda kommensal ve patojen olarak bulunan pek çok klinik tabloya sebep olan bir bakteridir. Spondilodiskitlerde en sık görülen etkendir. Nadiren kafa travması, beyin cerrahisi sonrası veya bakteriyemiye sekonder menenjit kliniğine sebep olabilmektedir. Metisilin duyarlı Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bakteriyemisi ve menenjit kliniği gelişen; kaynak olarak spondilodiskit ve duraya açılan paravertebral apsenin görüldüğü olgunun sunulması amaçlanmıştır. Olgu: Bilinen hipertansiyonu olan 59 yaşında kadın hasta ayaklardan başlayan bele doğru yayılan ağrı, ara ara olan baş ağrısı şikayetleri ile acil servise başvurdu. Eşlik eden ek semptomları olmadı. Fizik muayenede; vücut sıcaklığı 36 o C, kan basıncı 126/82 mmHg, nabız 82/dakika idi. Bilinç açık, oryantasyon ve kooperasyonu normaldi. Tetkiklerinde lökosit 7.700/ mm3 (%85 nötrofil, %9 lenfosit), CRP: 314 mg/l, ALT: 113 U/l, AST: 112 U/l, prokalsitonin 0,66 ng/ml olarak görüldü. SARS-COV-2-PCR sonucu negatifti. Akut faz reaktan yüksekliği ve kan kültüründe MSSA üremesi olan hasta enfeksiyon hastalıkları servisine yatırıldı. Ampisilin-sulbaktam (SAM) 4*1,5 gr dozunda başlandı. Ekokardiyografi yapıldı, vejetasyon görülmedi. Operasyon ve damar içi ilaç kullanım öyküsü yoktu. Anti-HIV negatif görüldü. Yatışının üçüncü gününde kusma şikayeti başladı, baş ağrısı ve bel ağrısı şiddetlendi. Subfebril ateşi oldu, ense sertliği gelişti. Bilinçte bozulma olmadı. Beyin ve vertebral kontrastlı manyetik rezonans görüntüleme (MRG) yapılarak meningeal enflamasyon, L5-S1 düzeyinde spondilodiskit ile uyumlu bulgular, bu seviyede duraya açılan paravertebral alanda milimetrik apse odakları görüldü. SAM tedavisi 5. günde kesildi. Sefazolin 3*2 gr IV ve Linezolid 2*600 mg IV başlandı. Görüntülemelerinde apselerin yerleşim yeri ve mikro boyutta olması nedeniyle acil cerrahi girişim düşünülmedi, lomber ponksiyon yapılamadı. Korse önerildi. Şiddetli baş ağrıları ve kusmanın devam etmesi üzerine beyin ödemi açısından deksametazon 4*4 mg IV (beş günlük tedavi) başlandı. Kırk sekiz saat sonra hastanın baş ağrısı ve bulantı şikayetleri geriledi. Tedavinin altıncı haftasında çekilen kontrol vertebral kontrastlı MRG’de bulgular stabil, CRP: 8,5 mg/l, tam kan sayımı normal görüldü. Klinik yanıt alınan kan kültür negatifliği görülen, altı haftalık i.v. tedavisi tamamlanan hasta PO amoksisilin-klavulonik asit ile taburcu edildi. Poliklinik kontrolüne geldiğinde hafif bel ağrısı dışında bulgusu olmayan hasta bastonla yürür hale gelmişti. Laboratuvar değerleri normaldi. Tedavi amoksisilin-klavulonik asit PO ile toplam 10 haftaya tamamlandı. Sonuç: Farklı semptom ve klinik tablolar ile karşımıza gelebilen MSSA enfeksiyonlarında bakteriyemi varlığında özellikle bel ve sırt ağrısı yakınması olan hastalarda kaynağın spondilodiskit olabileceği akılda bulundurulmalıdır. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]