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Introduction: The superiority of favipiravir which is one of the agents used in the treatment of COVID-19, over other treatments is still controversial. With this study, we aimed to show whether there is a difference between the initial or subsequent addition of the drug to the treatment on the treatment success and 28-day mortality in hospitalized patients receiving favipiravir, and to contribute to the literature on this subject. Material and method: PCR-positive patients who were hospitalized in our hospital with the diagnosis of COVID-19 between June 1 and July 1, 2020 were included in the study. The data of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 3 groups: those who started treatment with favipiravir, those who added favipiravir to the treatment regimen because there was no response to the first-line treatment, and those who did not receive favipiravir. Results: A total of 662 patients, mean age of 58.38±18.86 years and 59.4% male were included in the study. Mortality developed in 74 people, and the mortality rate was 11.17%. More than 50% involvement was detected in thorax CT in 69% of hospitalized COVID-19 PCR positive patients. The mean age of those who added favipiravir to the treatment was 66.95±15.88 years, which was statistically significantly higher than the group that was not added. Those who received favipiravir from baseline had higher viral clearance rates. In our study, it was found that 17.9% of those who received it from the beginning and 34.0% of those who were added later developed mortality on the 28th day, and there was a statistically significant difference between these groups. Conclusion: Those who received favipiravir from baseline had higher viral clearance rates and lower mortality. It can be concluded that late initiation of favipiravir treatment increases mortality.

Objective: In this retrospective observational study, we aimed to investigate the COVID 19 treatment protocols applied in our hospital in terms of side effects and 28-day mortality. Methods: All 621 patients diagnosed as COVID-19 and treated with any drugs were included in the study. Inclusion criteria for patients were hospitalization with COVID-19 diagnosis and being over 18 years old. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to the treatments against COVID-19: Group 1 (only favipiravir), Group 2 (hydroxychloroquine (HQ)+ Azithromycin (AZ), Group 3 (only HQ), and Group 4 (HCQ+AZ +antibiotics). The gender, age, medications, underlying comorbidities, possible side effects due to the treatments (cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity), and mortality rates were evaluated. Results: There was no difference in terms of side effects between treatment groups. Mortality rates were lowest in the HQ+AZ group. HCQ+AZ treatment was the most effective treatment protocol. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the study that the higher mortality rate due to favipiravir may be due to the administration of this drug only to critically ill patients during the initial period of the pandemic.

Aim: Healthcare workers are the most risky group in terms of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. The aim of this study was to reveal the relationships related to the departments in which contact healthcare workers work, personal protective equipment (PPE) use status, risk category, clinical picture and prognosis in follow-up.Materials and Methods: Healthcare workers who had contact with COVID-19 cases in our hospital between March 23, 2020 and June 1, 2020 were included in the study. The healthcare workers included in the study were divided into 3 groups according to their main departments and evaluated. In addition, healthcare workers included in the study were divided into groups and evaluated according to PPE use and risk categories, regardless of the departments they work in.Results: A total of 42 healthcare workers were included in the study. The total number of probable cases was determined as 10 (23.8%). None of the 42 individuals were positive for SARS-CoV-2 PCR. It was found that there was no need for hospitalization in any probable case and all of them were removed from follow-up with recovery. Proportionally, the most probable cases were seen in the intensive care unit (42.8%). The highest rate of contact without PPE was seen in the emergency department (87.5%). There were 15 people (35.7%) who used all PPE completely and were not considered as risky contact according to PPE usage situation; However, despite the complete use of PPEs, probable cases were detected in 4 (26.6%) of these 15 people.Conclusion: In centers where COVID-19 patients are cared for, such as our hospital, education should be given to increase compliance with PPE use. In addition, the working conditions of healthcare workers should be regulated in a way to increase compliance with PPE use. Studies involving more healthcare workers are needed for a more detailed understanding of the relationships related to the issues mentioned., Amaç: COVID-19 bulaşı açısından en riskli grup sağlık çalışanlarıdır. Bu çalışma ile temaslı sağlık çalışanlarının çalıştığı birim, KKE kullanım durumu, risk kategorisi, klinik tablo ve takipteki prognoz ile alakalı ilişkilerin ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya hastanemizde 23 Mart 2020-1 Haziran 2020 tarihleri arasında COVID-19 vakası ile teması olan sağlık çalışanları dahil edildi. Çalışmaya dahil edilen sağlık çalışanları, çalıştığı ana birimlere göre 3 gruba ayrıldı ve değerlendirildi. Bunun yanında çalışmaya dahil edilen sağlık çalışanları, çalıştığı birimlerden bağımsız olarak KKE kullanım durumu ve risk kategorilerine göre de gruplara ayrıldı ve değerlendirildi.Bulgular: Çalışmaya toplam 42 sağlık çalışanı dahil edildi. Toplam olası vaka sayısı 10 (%23,8) olarak saptandı. 42 kişinin hiçbirinde SARS-CoV-2 PCR pozitifliği saptanmadı. Hiçbir olası vakada hastaneye yatış gereksinimi olmadığı ve hepsinin şifa ile takipten çıkarıldığı saptandı. Oransal olarak en fazla olası vaka yoğun bakım ünitesinde görüldü (%42,8). En yüksek oranda KKE olmadan temas ise acil serviste görüldü (%87,5). Tüm KKE’leri eksiksiz kullanan ve KKE kullanım durumuna göre riskli temaslı olarak değerlendirilmeyen 15 kişi (%35,7) mevcuttu; ancak KKE’lerin eksiksiz kullanılmasına rağmen bu 15 kişinin 4’ünde (%26,6) olası vaka saptandı.Sonuç: Hastanemiz gibi COVID-19 hastalarının bakımının yapıldığı merkezlerde KKE kullanımına yönelik uyumun artırılması için eğitimler verilmesi gerekmektedir. Bunun yanında sağlık çalışanlarının çalışma koşulları KKE kullanımına yönelik uyumu artıracak şekilde düzenlenmelidir. Bahsedilen konular ile alakalı ilişkilerin daha detaylı anlaşılması için daha çok sayıda sağlık çalışanının dahil edildiği çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

Background The effect of preadmission metformin usage (PMU) on the mortality of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients with diabetes is conflicting. Most studies have focused on in-hospital mortality; however, mortality after discharge also increases in COVID-19 patients. Aims Examining the effect of PMU on all-cause mortality, including the post-discharge period. Methods Patients with diabetes who were hospitalised in 2020 due to COVID-19 were included in the study. They were divided into two groups: those with a history of metformin use (MF( +)) and those without such history (MF( −)). Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed at a ratio of 1:1 for age and sex. COX regression analyses were used to demonstrate risk factors for mortality. Results We investigated 4103 patients hospitalised for COVID-19. After excluding those without diabetes or with chronic liver/kidney disease, we included the remaining 586 patients, constituting 293 women (50%) with an overall mean age of 66 ± 11.9 years. After PSM analysis, the in-hospital and post-discharge mortality rates were higher in the MF( −) group though not significantly different. However, overall mortality was higher in the MF( −) group (51 (42.5%) vs. 35 (29.2%), p = 0.031). For overall mortality, the adjusted HR was 0.585 (95% CI: 0.371 − 0.920, p = 0.020) in the MF( +) group. Conclusion PMU is associated with reducing all-cause mortality. This effect starts from the in-hospital period and becomes more significant with the post-discharge period. The main limitations were the inability to evaluate the compliance with metformin and the effects of other medications due to retrospective nature.

Objective: Diabetes and vascular disorders raise the risk of diabetic foot infection and lower extremity amputation. Although DFI risk factors and microbiological analyses have been thoroughly researched, data for this specific group is limited. In this study, it was aimed to examine the underlying vascular risk factors of patients who were followed up and treated with the diagnosis of DFIs and clinical outcomes. Methods: Clinical, demographic, laboratory, microbiological, and foot examination data for 153 patients referred to our center for DFI between 2016 and 2021 were collected retrospectively from hospital information system. Results: The present center collected a total of 153 DFI patients during 5 year this period. There were 86 male and 67 women with a mean age of 67.71±15 years. There was 104 patients in non-vascular induced DFI group and 49 vascular induced DFI group. The top two comorbidities of DFI patients were cardiovascular disease and hypertension respectively. The rate of male patients was statistically higher in the vascular induced DFI group (p=0.003). Also hypertension and cardiovascular disease were more common in the vascular induced DFI group (p=0.0006, p=0.01). History of extremity amputation/debridement, having Wagner grade 5 DFI and Gram negative microorganism growth in tissue cultures were more common in the vascular induced DFI group (p=0.01, p=0.01 and p=0.0006). Extremity amputation/debridement rates were higher in the vascular induced DFI group (p=0.01) Conclusion: DFIs cause increased risk of amputation, prolonged antibiotic therapy, increased hospitalization, and increased healthcare costs as a result of investigations. Awareness of the vascular pathologies underlying DFIs can help clinicians manage the disease. The aim of this study is to emphasize the importance of vascular factors.

In the medical literature, the term of "new-onset refractory status epilepticus" (NORSE) is a novel term. Herpes Simplex Virus-1 and other viral infections can be cause to NORSE. Seizures are a rare sign of HSV encephalitis, but they can occur as the first symptom. Herein, we present a case of NORSE triggered by HSV-1 encephalitis, which had been diagnosed via cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and magnetic resonance imaging findings.

COVID-19 salgını, bulaşıcı hastalıkların edinilmesini ve bulaşmasını önlemek için kişisel koruyucu ekipmanın (KKE) gerekli olduğunu ancak kliniklerde doğru kullanımının genellikle düşük oranlarda olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, tıp fakültesi öğrencilerinin KKE kullanımıyla ilgili deneyimlerini araştırmak, eğitim ve öğretim programlarında iyileştirme fırsatlarını belirlemektir. Araştırma, 01.05.2021-01.11.2021 tarihleri arasında Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi öğrencilerinin katılımıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmacılar tarafından ilgili literatür incelenerek geliştirilen, “Katılımcı Bilgi Formu” ve “Kişisel Koruyucu Ekipman Kullanımı Bilgi Değerlendirme Formu” kullanılmıştır. Çalışmaya 257 tıp fakültesi öğrencisi dahil edilmiştir. Katılanların 139’unun (%54) kadın; 103’ünün temel tıp (%40; 1, 2 ve 3. dönem), 154’ünün ise klinik staj (%60; 4, 5 ve 6. dönem) dönemlerinde oldukları gözlenmiştir. Öğrencilerin KKE uygulamaları hakkındaki sorulara verdikleri yanıta göre aldıkları puanlar incelendiğinde; klinik eğitimdeki öğrencilerin aldığı puanın ortancası 5.0, temel tıp eğitimi alan öğrencilerin ise 3.0 bulunmuş ve aradaki farkın istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olduğu görülmüştür (p, The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary to prevent the acquisition and transmission of infectious diseases, but its correct use in clinics is generally low. The aim of this study is to investigate medical school students' experiences with the use of PPE and to identify opportunities for improvement in education and training programs. The research was carried out with the participation of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine students between 01.05.2021 and 01.11.2021. The "Participant Information Form" and the "Personal Protective Equipment Use Information Evaluation Form," developed by the researchers by examining the relevant literature, were used. Two hundred and fifty seven medical faculty students were included in the study. Of the students, 139 (54%) were female, 103 were in basic medicine (40%; Phases 1,2 and 3) and 154 students were in clinical internships (60%; Phases 4,5 and 6). When the scores obtained by the students according to their answers to the questions about PPE practices are examined, the median score of the students in clinical education was 5.0 and the students receiving basic medical education was 3.0, and the difference was statistically significant (p

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an infection and inflammation of the lung parenchyma. Early diagnosis and treatment reduce mortality and morbidity. The most frequently isolated microorganism is Streptococcus pneumoniae in CAP, and conventional culture methods still continue to be the gold standard. Urine pneumococcal antigen test is used to detect soluble pneumococcal antigen. In this study, the point prevalence of CAP was determined in patients admitted to our outpatient clinic, and the rate of pneumonia and the diagnostic success of the urinary pneumococcal antigen test were questioned. Materials and Methods: Patients who were admitted to Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine Infectious Diseases outpatient department between 01.11.2016 and 31.01.2017 were included into the study and diagnosed as CAP according to their clinical, laboratory and radiological findings. Blood and sputum culture, urine pneumococcal antigen tests were studied. In addition, sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, clinical complaints, CURB-65 scores of the patients were questioned, and the data were analyzed by using SPSS Package Program 20.0 version. Results: A total of 47 patients were included into the study. Fifty-nine point six percent of the patients were males, and the mean age of the whole group was 69 ± 2 years. The most common complaints of the patients were cough, dyspnea and tachypnea. The most common pulmonary involvement was bilateral multilobar involvement, 45% were hospitalized in the intensive care unit, and the most common comorbid diseases were congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sputum culture revealed S. pneumoniae in only one patient. Urine antigen test also showed positivity in this one. Urine pneumococcal antigen test was positive in six patients. The point prevalence of CAP in the study group was 0.31%, and the rate of S. pneumoniae was 12.7%. Conclusion: Our study showed that the use of urine pneumococcal antigen test as an auxiliary test in addition to blood and sputum culture increases the identification rate of the agent.

Introduction The human population is aging at an astonishing rate. The aim of this study is to capture a situation snapshot revealing the proportion of individuals aged 65 years and over among inpatients in healthcare institutions in Turkey and the prevalence and type of infections in this patient group in order to draw a road map. Materials and Methods Hospitalized patients over 65 years at any of the 62 hospitals in 29 cities across Turkey on February 9, 2017 were included in the study. Web-based SurveyMonkey was used for data recording and evaluation system. Results Of 17,351 patients 5871 (33.8%) were ≥65 years old. The mean age was 75.1 ± 7.2 years; 3075 (52.4%) patients were male. Infection was reason for admission for 1556 (26.5%) patients. Pneumonia was the most common infection. The median length of hospital stay was 5 days (IQR: 2–11 days). The Antibiotic therapy was initiated for 2917 (49.7%) patients at the time of admission, and 23% of the antibiotics prescribed were inappropriate. Healthcare-associated infections developed in 1059 (18%) patients. Urinary catheters were placed in 2388 (40.7%) patients with 7.5% invalid indication. Conclusion This study used real data to reveal the proportion of elderly patients in hospital admissions. The interventions done, infections developed during hospitalization, length of hospital stay, and excessive drug load emphasize the significant impact on health costs and illustrate the importance of preventive medicine in this group of patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rate of pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) among patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Turkey and to investigate and compare features of PP and non-PP CAP patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This multicenter, non-interventional, prospective, observational study included adult CAP patients (age = 18 years). Diagnosis of PP was based on the presence of at least 1 positive laboratory test result for Streptococcus pneumoniae (blood culture or sputum culture or urinary antigen test [UAT]) in patients with radiographic findings of pneumonia. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-five patients were diagnosed with CAP, of whom 59 (12.7%) had PP. The most common comorbidity was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (30.1%). The mean age, smoking history, presence of chronic neurological disease, and CURB-65 score were significantly higher in PP patients, when compared to non-PP patients. In PP patients, 84.8% were diagnosed based ony on the UAT. The overall rate of PP patients among CAP was calculated as 22.8% considering the UAT sensitivity ratio of 63% (95% confidence interval: 45-81). The rate of intensive care treatment was higher in PP patients (P =.007). While no PP patients were vaccinated for pneumococcus, 3.8% of the non-PP patients were vaccinated (P =.235). Antibiotic use in the preceding 48 hours was higher in the non-PP group than in the PP group (31.8% vs. 11.1%, P =.002). The CURB-65 score and the rate of patients requiring inpatient treatment according to this score were higher in the PP group. CONCLUSION: The facts that PP patients were older and required intensive care treatment more frequently as compared to non-PP patients underline the burden of PP., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Turkey, This work was supported by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Turkey.

Data about Turkish coronavirus disease 2019 patients are limited. We evaluated hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 patients who were followed up in the first 3 months of the pandemic.This retrospective, single-center, observational study included 415 confirmed hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 patients. The patients were divided into groups, namely, mild, moderate, and critically ill patients. Symptoms at the time of admission, clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings were examined.In our study, 6.74% of coronavirus disease 2019 patients had severe disease, 59.5% were male, and the mortality rate was 11.3%. Diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were more frequently seen in critically ill patient groups and hypertension in moderate patient groups. Anemia and aspartate aminotransferase levels were higher in non-survivors among mild coronavirus disease 2019 patients. In the moderate patients' group, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, international normalized ratio, ferritin, and D-dimer levels were higher and lymphocyte, hemoglobin levels were lower; in the critically ill patients' group, platelets were lower and uric acid levels were higher in non-survivor patients.In mild patients, anemia, lymphopenia, and increased aspartate aminotransferase levels; in moderate patients, leukopenia, anemia, and increased aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, international normalized ratio, ferritin, and D-dimer levels; in the critically ill patient group, lower platelet and increased uric acid levels should be followed closely as they are mortality predictors.

Introduction: People who inject drugs (PWID) should be treated in order to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world. Aims: The aim of this study was to compare direct acting antivirals (DAAs) treatment of HCV for PWID and non-PWID in real life setting. Materials and methods: We performed a prospective, non-randomized, observational multi-center cohort study in 37 centers. All patients treated with DAAs therapy between April 1, 2017 to February 28, 2019 were included. In total, 2,713 patients were included in the study among which 250 were PWID and 2,463 were non-PWID. Besides patient characteristics, treatment response, follow-up and side effects of treatment were also analyzed. Results: Genotype 1a and 3 were more prevalent in PWID infected patients (20.4% vs 9.9% and 46.8% vs 5.3%). The number of naïve patients was higher in PWID (90.7% vs 60.0%), while the number of patients with cirrhosis was higher in non-PWID (14.1% vs 3.7%). The loss of follow up was higher in PWID (29.6% vs 13.6%). There was no difference in the sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment (98.3% vs 98.4%), but the end of treatment response was lower in PWID (96.2% vs 99.0%). In addition, the rate of treatment completion was lower in PWID (74% vs 94.4%). Conclusion: DAAs were safe and effective in PWID. Primary measures should be taken to prevent the loss of follow-up and poor adherence in PWID patients in order to achieve World Health Organization’s objective of eliminating viral hepatitis.

Objectives: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is now a more curable disease with new direct acting antivirals (DAA). Although high sustained virologic response rates, failures still occur in DAA regimens. Our objective in this study was to characterize the real-life presence of clinically relevant resistance - associated substitutions (RASs) in the HCV NS5A gene in CHC patients whose DAA regimen has failed. Methods: The study enrolled 53 CHC patients who experienced failure with DAA regimen as the prospective longitudinal cohort between 2017-2019. Genotypic resistance testing was performed via the viral population sequencing method and The Geno2pheno HCV tool was used for RAS analysis. Results: The most frequent failure category was relapse (88%) followed by non-responder (12%). For a total of 36% of patients, RASs was detected in NS5A, Y93H was the most detected RAS in GT1b infected patients (89%). Conclusions: This study establishes an HCV failure registry for Turkey in which samples were combined with clinical, virologic and molecular data of adult patients whose DAA therapy failed. RASs can occur in CHC patients with DAA treatment failures. Evaluation of RAS after DAA failure is very important before retreatment is initiated to prevent virologic failure. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases. WOS:000540737100014 32302766 Q2

Korona virüs aralık 2019’un sonu itibari ile tüm dünyada yaygınlaşmış ve Mart 2020’den sonra ülkemizde de yaygın görülmeye başlamıştır. Tedavide uygulanan antiviral ilaçlardan sitokin reseptör antagonistlerine kadar çok geniş bir yelpazededir. Burada ayaktan hasta bakımındaki tedavi önerileri ile birlikte yoğun bakımdaki kritik hasta bakımı önerileri de yer almaktadır.

Bu çalışma, 14-17 Eylül 2016 tarihleri arasında Lizbon[Portekiz]'de düzenlenen 19. Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Virology'de bildiri olarak sunulmuştur. Background: Because of their similar modes of transmission, the simultaneous infection of viral hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus are increasingly seen as a big problem related to human health. Aims: To determine the drug mutations in hepatitis B virus and/or hepatitis C virus co-infected human immunodeficiency virus-1 patients in Turkey. Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: The present study was conducted between 2010 and 2017. HBsAg, anti-hepatitis C virus, and anti-human immunodeficiency vim were tested with ELISA. All anti-human immunodeficiency virus positive results by ELISA were verified for anti-human immunodeficiency virus positivity by a Western blot test, and Antihuman immunodeficiency virus positive patients with HBsAg andior anti-hepatitis C virus positivity were included in the study. Subtyping and genotypic resistance analyses were performed by population sequencing of the viral protease and reverse transcriptase regions of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 pol gene. Results: We detected 3896 human immunodeficiency virus-1 positive patients whose sera were sent from numerous hospitals across the country to our polymerase chain reaction unit for detection of drug resistance mutations and whose molecular laboratory tests were completed. Viral hepatitis co-infections were detected in 4.3% (n=170) of patients. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus co-infection were observed in 3.2% and 0.5% of all human immunodeficiency virus-I infected patients, respectively. The major human immunodeficiency virus-1 subtype detected was group M, subtype B (62.9%). However, 13.5% of drug resistance mutation motifs were found in human immunodeficiency virus-1 genomes of patients included in the study. Conclusion: Due to similar transmission routes, HIV1 patients are at risk of hepatitis B and C virus co-infection. However, antiretroviral drug resistance mutation model is similar to patients with hepatitis negative. European Society for Clinical Virology

Objectives: COVID-19 associated coagulopathy and prophylactic anticoagulant therapy (PAT) are ongoing topics globally. Using PAT for anti-inflammatory effect may prevent thromboembolic events (TEEs). The objective of this study was to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of PAT in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study in a tertiary pandemic hospital. Patients were divided into two categories according to their PAT therapy status (PAT (+) and PAT (-)) and into three categories according to clinical features (mild: group 1; moderate: group: 2; and severe: group 3). We then evaluated laboratory parameters and clinical courses. Results: We included 662 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in this study. Enoxaparin sodium was given to all patients as PAT therapy. TEE was developed in five patients in the PAT (+) group. Pulmonary embolism developed in 3/5 patients and deep venous thrombosis in 2/5 patients. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was detected in 54 patients in group 3. No statistically significant difference was found in 28-day mortality, development of DIC rates, intubation rates, and TEEs. Conclusions: The use of PAT in critically ill patients was not effective in reducing C-reactive protein, which is one of the biomarkers of inflammation.

PurposeThe objective of this study was to investigate scientific and quality accuracy of videos related to neurological symptoms of COVID -19 on YouTube.MethodsYouTube searches was performed using keywords “COVID -19 Neurological Symptoms” and the first 50 YouTube videos about Neurological Symptoms of COVID -19 with the highest view counts were evaluated by one neurologist and one infectious disease specialist with DISCERN and JAWA scoring systems. ResultsVideos uploaded by health channels (50%), news channels (26%), physicians (22%), or patients (2%). The mean Video Power Index value was 95.51. The mean DISCERN and JAMA scores were 46.59±10.90, and 2.87±0.65. Health Channel mean DISCERN and JAMA scores were significantly higher than News Channel scores. There is no statistically significant correlation between DISCERN or JAMA scores and view counts, view rate, comment counts, like counts, or dislike counts.ConclusionCorrect use of Youtube can play an important role in successfully conducting the COVID-19 outbreak. With the increase of the publication of these videos by Neurologists, the spread of false information can be minimized.

Gunal, Ozgur/0000-0002-7744-4123; KARABAY, OGUZ/0000-0003-1514-1685 WOS: 000490537600009 PubMed: 31580558 Objective: Treponema pallidum and HIV are transmitted frequently through sexual contact, these agents with epidemiological similarities co-infect the same host. The current number of HIV-infected cases in Turkey is increasing. For this reason, we aimed to reveal the characteristics of syphilis in HIV/AIDS cases. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study was performed, patients were followed up at 24 clinics in 16 cities from all seven regions of Turkey between January 2010 to April 2018. We examined the socio-demographic characteristics, laboratory parameters and neurosyphilis association in HIV/AIDS-syphilis co-infected cases. Results: Among 3,641 patients with HIV-1 infection, 291 (8%) patients were diagnosed with syphilis co-infection. Most patients were older than 25 years (92%), 96% were males, 74% were working, 23% unemployed, and 3% were students. The three highest prevalence of syphilis were in Black Sea (10.3%), Mediterranean (8.4%) and Marmara Regions (7.4%). As for sexual orientation, 46% were heterosexuals, 42% men who have sex with men (MSM), and no data available for 12%. Patients with the number of CD4+

WOS: 000471726700008, PubMed ID: 30989418, Brucellosis in pregnant women is reported to be associated with obstetric complications (OCs), and adequate data for human brucellosis during pregnancy are largely lacking. We performed this multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical course, treatment responses, and outcomes of brucellosis among pregnant women. The study period comprised a 14-year period from January 2002 to December 2015. All consecutive pregnant women diagnosed with brucellosis in 23 participating hospitals were included. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and outcome data along with the assessment data of the neonate were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Data of 242 patients were analyzed. The OC rate was 14.0% (34/242) in the cohort. Of the 242 women, 219 (90.5%) delivered at term, 3 (1.2%) had preterm delivery, 15 (6.2%) aborted, and 5 (2.1%) had intrauterine fetal demise. Seventeen (7.0%) of the newborns were considered as low birth weight. Spontaneous abortion (6.1%) was the commonest complication. There were no maternal or neonatal deaths and pertinent sequelae or complications were not detected in the newborns. Splenomegaly (p=0.019), nausea and/or vomiting (p41IU/L; p=0.025), oligohydramnios on ultrasonography (p=0.0002), history of taking medication other than Brucella treatment during pregnancy (p=0.027), and Brucella bacteremia (p=0.029) were the significant factors associated with OCs. We recommend that pregnant women with OC or with fever should be investigated for brucellosis if they live in or have traveled to an endemic area.

Coxiella burnetii is an intracellular, Gram-negative bacteria and is the causative agent of Q fever, a zoonosis first described in Australia in 1937. It can cause endemics around the world. People usually get the disease by inhaling the contaminated aerosol produced by infected livestock. Contaminated milk, intradermal inoculation, sexual contact, blood transfusion, and transplacental route may also occur. The infective dose for humans is 1-10 bacteria. It is resistant to environmental conditions and can remain alive in animal wastes such as dust and fertilizer. Acute infection is typically asymptomatic or may manifest as a febrile flu-like illness, pneumonia, hepatitis, and central nervous system (CNS) infection. Q fever outbreaks are often caused by occupational exposure that includes shepherds, animal keepers, veterinarians, slaughterhouses or dairy workers, and laboratory personnel working with C. burnetii. During the course of the disease that cannot be distinguished from other pneumonia clinically; 2-10 fold increase in liver function tests, leukocytosis and thrombocytopenia, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and creatine kinase increase may be observed or laboratory findings may be normal. An immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test, which is a serological reference method, should be requested from patients suspected for the diagnosis of Q fever.

WOS:000648816400007 PMID: 33960939 Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir-based therapies in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in real-world clinical practice. Methods: Data from patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with SOF/LDV +/- RBV or SOF/RBV in 31 centers across Turkey between April 1, 2017, and August 31, 2018, were recorded in a nationwide database among infectious disease specialists. Demographics, clinical, and virological outcomes were analyzed. Results: A total of 552 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 51.28 +/- 14.2, and 293 (55.8%) were female. The majority had HCV genotype 1b infection (65%), 75.04% of the patients underwent treatment, and non-cirrhosis was present at baseline in 381 patients (72.6%). SOF/LDV +/- RBV treatment was given to 477 patients and 48 patients received SOF/RBV according to HCV genotype. The total SVR12 rate was 99% in all patients. Five patients experienced disease relapse during the study and all of them were genotype 2. In patients infected with HCV GT2, SVR12 was 77.3%. SVR was 100% in all patients infected with other HCV genotypes. All treatments were well tolerated by patients without causing severe adverse events. Side effects and side effects-associated treatment discontinuation rates were 28.2% and 0.4%, respectively. Weakness (13.7%) was the common side effect. Conclusion: The present real-world data of 525 patients with HCV genotypes 1, 1a, 1b, 3, 4, and 5 who underwent SOF/LDV +/- RBV treatment in Turkey demonstrated a high efficacy and safety profile. HCV GT2 patients should be treated with more efficacious treatment.

Giriş: Enflamasyon, koroner arter hastalıklarının temelinde ve olumsuz sonlanımlarında önemli rol oynar. Nötrofil-lenfosit oranı (NLR), sistemik immün inflamasyon indeksi (SII) ve CRP ise inflamatuar durumu yansıtan basit ve kullanışlı belirteçlerdir. Çalışmamızın amacı bu belirteçlerin koroner arter hastalığı tanılı COVID-19 hastalarında hastane içi mortaliteyi öngörmede kullanılabilirliğini değerlendirmeyi amaçladık.Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmamız 111 (48 erkek, 63 kadın) yeni tanı COVID-19 hastasından oluşuyordu. Nötrofil (N), lenfosit (L) değerleri kullanılarak NLR (N/L) ve N,L ve trombosit (P) değerleri kullanılarak sistemik immün inflamasyon indeksi SII (NxP / L) elde edildi. NLR, SII ve CRP değerlerinin hastane içi mortaliteyle olan ilişkileri incelendi.Bulgular: Tedavi sürecinde 16 hastada ölüm izlendi. N, L ve P değerleri hayatını kaybenler ve şifa ile taburcu olan grup arasında kıyaslandığında istatiksel farklılıklar izlenmedi ( p= 0.971, p=0.256, p=0.759 sırasıyla). Bunların kombinasyonu ile elde edilen SII ve NLR değerleri içinde gruplar arasında istatiksel farklılıklar izlenmezken (p=0.872, p=0.979 sırasıyla), CRP değerlerinde ise hastane içi ölüm izlenen grupta istatiksel anlamlıydı (p, Introduction: Inflammation plays an important role in the basis of coronary artery diseases and their adverse outcomes. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are simple and useful markers that reflect the inflammatory state. Our study evaluated the usability of these markers in predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 with the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.Material and Method: Our study population consisted of 111 (48 male, 63 female) newly diagnosed patients with COVID-19. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was estimated using neutrophil (N), and lymphocyte (L) counts and the systemic immune inflammation index SII (NxP / L) was calculated using N, L and platelet (P) values. The relationship of NLR, SII and CRP values with in-hospital mortality was investigated.Results: During the treatment process, 16 patients exited. Any statistically significant intergroup difference was not observed as for SII and NLR values obtained by their use in combination (p = 0.872, p = 0.979, respectively), CRP values were statistically significant in the group with in-hospital mortality (p

We aimed to monitor the adverse effects (AE) and efficacy of post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in health care workers (HCWs) exposed to a rabies patient. In this study 109 HCWs and eight household contacts were PEP candidates. Contact persons without infection control precautions were in Group I (high risk-82 cases). HCWs indirectly exposed to environmental surfaces were classified in Group II (low risk-35 cases). PEP schedule was rabies vaccine (RBV) + equine rabies immunoglobulin (eRIG) in Group I and only RBV in Group II. Local and systemic AE were observed in all cases. Efficacy of post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was determined by rabies development in a six month follow-up. 585 doses of RBV have been used in 117 cases and eRIG has been used in 82 cases. 32 Nurses (39%); 22 emergency medicine technicians (26.8%); 12 doctors (14%); six laboratory technicians (0.07%); six radiology technicians (0.07%); four cleaners (0.05%) were in Group I (82 cases), respectively. One doctor, laboratory technician, nurse and radiology technician (0.02%); two emergency medicine technicians (0.04%) and nine cleaners (25.7%) were in Group II (35 cases), respectively. Routes of transmission were blood in five (0.06%); saliva in 14 (17%); sweat in 50 (61%); CSF/serum in five (0.06%); sexual intercourse in one (0.01%); personal equipment in seven (0.09%) in Group I, respectively. Indirect contact was the only route in Group II. The most common local and systemic AE were seen in Group I; pain at injection side (19 cases) and fever (13 cases). Both of them showed statistically significant difference (P