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Background Accidental exposure to percutaneous needle stick and sharp injuries (NSSIs) and blood and other body fluids is the unintended contact with risky medical instruments or patient secretions during a medical intervention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of occupational injuries in healthcare professionals was revealed once again. To assess the occupational injuries, we compared rates, distribution and type of exposure to blood and body fluids and NSSIs of health care workers for 2019 (pre-pandemic era) and 2020 (pandemic era) years, respectively. Material and methods Our study included data collected by the ‘Hospital Infection Control Committee’ for the years 2019–2020. Data collected using the active surveillance method were analyzed retrospectively. Results During 2019 (pre-pandemic period) and 2020 (pandemic period), 112 (27.65%0) and 82 (21.4%0) NSSIs reported, respectively. Of the exposed HCWs in 2019 (pre-pandemic period), 16.8%0 (14) were doctor, 53.6%0 (60) were nurse and 47.4%0 (14) were intern doctors. In the 2020 (pandemic period), NSSIs were observed most frequently in nurses and cleaning staff, 50.24%0 and 33.64%0, respectively. Concerning the total percentage of exposure to blood and other body fluids, a slight increase was revealed from 1.48%0 to 2.62%0 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. A significant decrease in exposure rate was reported among the doctors between the pre-pandemic and pandemic era; 3.6%0 and 1.19%0 at 2019 and 2020, respectively. A significant increase in exposure rate was reported among the nurses between pre-pandemic and pandemic era; 0.8%0 and 6.89%0, respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, the exposure to NSSIs during the pandemic period decreased; however, there was no severe difference at pre-pandemic and pandemic periods concerning exposure to blood and body fluids. Well-designed training and awareness programs can be effective in preventing exposure to NSSIs and blood and other body fluids and exposure to respiratory acquired viruses.

OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) lead to one of the pandemics of the last century. We aimed to predict poor prognosis among severe patients to lead early intervention. METHODS: The data of 534 hospitalized patients were assessed retrospectively. Risk factors and laboratory tests that might enable the prediction of prognosis defined as being transferred to the intensive care unit and/or exitus have been investigated. RESULTS: At the admission, 398 of 534 patients (74.5%) were mild-moderate ill. It was determined that the male gender, advanced age, and comorbidity were risk factors for severity. To estimate the severity of the disease, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the areas under the curve which were determined based on the optimal cut off values that were calculated for the variables of values of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR > 3.69), C-reactive protein (CRP > 46 mg/L), troponin I ( > 5.3 ng/L), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH > 325 U/L), ferritin ( > 303 ug/L), d-dimer ( > 574 µg/L), neutrophil NE ( > 4.99 × 109 /L), lymphocyte (LE 7.4 ng/L), age ( > 62), SO2 ( 40 mg/dL), procalcitonin ( > 0.21 ug/L), CKMB ( > 2.6 ng/L) were 0.715, 0.685, 0.644, 0.632, 0.627, and 0.617, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical progress could be severe if the baseline values of NLR, CRP, troponin I, LDH, are above, and LE is below the specified cut-off point. We found that the troponin I, elder age, and SO2 values could predict mortality.

INTRODUCTION Sustained virologic response in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C can be achieved with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) in recent years. Monitoring virologic and histologic response to treatment is essential and noninvasive methods are preferred. In our study, we aimed to determine the regression of fibrosis following DAA treatment with serum fibrosis indices constituting a noninvasive method. METHOD Patients with chronic hepatitis C to whom DAA treatment is started between January 2016 and January 2018 in our clinic are evaluated retrospectively. The fibrosis scores [fibrosis 4 index (FIB-4), aminotransferase platelet ratio (APRI), Fibro QKing score, age platelet index, Goteburg University Cirrhosis Index (GUCI), aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase ratio (AAR)] are calculated with routine biochemical and hematologic tests of DAA-treated patients before treatment, at the end of treatment, and in the 12th and 24th weeks of treatment. In total, the course of seven scores calculated at four separate times including baseline was recorded and compared. RESULTS In total 91 patients are included in the study. The average age was 51.16 ± 13.78 and 59.3% (n = 54) of patients were women. According to the baseline FIB-4 values, the patients were grouped as cirrhotic or noncirrhotic, and 11 of them were cirrhotic (12.1%). Statistically significant regression in APRI, FIB-4, GUCI and King scores is seen in all groups regardless of their cirrhotic status, treatment experience or genotype (P