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OBJECTIVE: There is a need to increase patient and clinician awareness on the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination in at-risk groups. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of reminders for physicians and patients using the vaccination tracking system created in the hospital information management system (HIMS) on the vaccination rate, and the effect of pneumococcal vaccination on pneumonia-related hospitalization and mortality over a 12-month period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective observational cohort study was undertaken during a 2-year period in 3 tertiary care centers. Patients were followed up for 12 months following vaccination, and hospital admissions and mortality were recorded via HIMS. During the campaign, HIMS transmitted pneumococcal immunization reminder messages in accordance with guideline recommendations to physicians' computers and patients' mobile phones. Educational posters on pneumococcal vaccination were posted in outpatient clinics. Regular seminars on the evidence for pneumococcal vaccination were organized. All patients who were hospitalized during the follow-up period for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung cancer, or pneumonia were analyzed in relation to their vaccination history regarding clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 29 530 patients were included in the study. During the study period, the annual vaccination rate increased by 74.4% and reached 4.8% in 3 hospitals (P = .001). The rates were 3.9% in patients older than 65 years without comorbidities and 5.2% in those with COPD and asthma (P = .002). In pneumococcal vaccine recipients, pneumonia-related hospital mortality was lower (relative risk (RR) = 0.19, CI 0.09-0.35, P < .001). CONCLUSION: It is possible to raise the rate of pneumococcal vaccination through awareness campaigns. Individuals with COPD and asthma are more willing to receive pneumococcal vaccination. Among patients hospitalized for pneumonia, prior pneumococcal vaccination is associated with lower mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ability to predict the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can provide a basis for individualized treatment and follow-up. Determination of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) parameters, i.e., maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), may improve predictions of survival for NSCLC patients. Objectives: To determine the relationship between the PET/CT-derived parameters SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, and TLG and survival in NSCLC patients. Patients and Methods: Patients with NSCLC diagnosed at our clinic between January 2019 and October 2020 were evaluated retrospectively using data obtained from the electronic database. The study population consisted of 132 patients over 18 years of age who had a PET/CT scan before receiving any treatment for NSCLC. During their initial PET/CT evaluation, SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, and TLG were calculated. Correlations between the variables were analyzed using Spearman's correlation test, and the associations of the variables with patient survival were determined using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: The overall 2-year survival rate of the patients was 36.6%. In the univariate analysis, MTV and TLG, but not SUVmax or SUVmean, were significantly associated with survival (P = 0.8, P = 0.003, and P = 0.045, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, MTV was related to a higher risk of death in patients with adenocarcinoma, lymph node involvement, or distant metastasis. By contrast, TLG was associated with a lower risk of death in patients with adenocarcinoma (ACA) or distant metastasis. Conclusion: Among the parameters obtained in PET/CT studies, SUVmax and SUVmean were not related to the survival of patients with NSCLC. However, MTV was associated with a higher risk of death, while TLG was associated with a lower risk of death in patients with adenocarcinoma or distant metastasis. Further studies with larger samples are needed to validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To investigate the values of procalcitonin (PCT) and laboratory parameters in differentiating tuberculosis (TB) pneumonia from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: Between 01.01.2018 and 01.01.2020, 4,133 patients diagnosed with CAP or TB pneumonia in a reference hospital for chest diseases and TB were retrospectively screened. Patients with a history of close contact with someone with TB, night sweats, weight loss, or cavitary infiltration that may be typical for TB in the chest X-ray were evaluated clinically and radiologically as high TB suspects and were excluded from the study. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, medications, admission complaints, radiological findings, microbiology results, and laboratory parameters were recorded. CURB-65 and pneumonia severity index scores were calculated. Patients were grouped as TB (n=70) and CAP (n=506) based on the final diagnosis. The parameters of the two groups were compared. Results: The mean age of 576 patients was 55, and 423 (73%) were male. While sodium (Na) [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.716-0.914, p=0.001], blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (95% CI: 0.910-0.986, p=0.008), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (95% CI: 0.913-0.998, p=0.043) and oxygen saturation (95% CI: 1.007-1.268, p=0.037) were found as independent biomarkers for differentiating TB and CAP, PCT had no significant influence on the differential diagnosis. Conclusion: Prompt differential diagnosis between TB and CAP is important for public health in endemic TB areas. We recommend the evaluation of Na, ALT, and BUN for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: It is known that inpatient hospital costs are much higher than outpatient services. It was aimed to investigate the effect of pneumococcal vaccination on hospitalizations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The direct hospitalization costs, length of stay, and factors of the vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in the same hospital during the 12-month follow-up of the patients who received pneumococcal vaccine between November 15, 2018, and November 15, 2020, in 3 chest diseases and thoracic surgery training and research hospitals were analyzed by obtaining Hospital Information Management System records. Data were collected with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 program (IBM Corp.; Armonk, NY, USA), and statistical evaluation was made. RESULTS: The mean age of 800 hospitalized patients, of whom 400 were unvaccinated and 400 were vaccinated, was 68.48 ± 11.97. There was no significant difference in the mean age of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients (P > .05). Five hundred sixty-six patients (70.8%) were aged 65 and over. Two hundred eighty (51.2%) of men were vaccinated and 120 (47.2%) of women were vaccinated, and there was no significant difference (P > .05). The mean hospital stay of these patients was 11.01 days, and those in the vaccinated group had an average mean hospital stay of 9.11 days and those in the unvaccinated group had a mean hospital stay less than 12.91 days (P < .001). Total 1-year hospitalization costs were $501.653.53 and the cost per person was calculated as $627.07. The cost per capita for the vaccinated group was $550.52, which was lower than the average cost of the unvaccinated group ($703.62) (P < .05). When comparing the status of being vaccinated, comorbidity, mortality, mean length of stay, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart disease were found to be statistically significant (P < .05). CONCLUSION: In our study, it was revealed that vaccination of patients hospitalized in chest disease hospitals with the pneumococcal vaccine reduced the average length of hospital stay by 41.7% and the cost of hospitalization by 27.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB) is a common, safe and inexpensive procedure used in the diagnosis of intrathoracic lesions. Until today, there is still no study about the influence of standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) on the diagnostic success of TNB in intrathoracic lesions. We aimed to analyze the factors, one of which was the SUVmax value influencing the diagnosis success of CT-guided TNB in pulmonary, mediastinal and pleural lesions. Secondary aim was to investigate the predictive clinical factors of complications. Methods: A retrospective study of 403 patients who underwent CT-guided TNB at a reference chest diseases hospital between February 2019 and February 2021 was conducted. A pulmonologist had performed the procedure with a 20-gauge fine-needle (Spinal) or a 14-gauge automated needle (tru-cut). Data of pathology, microbiology and clinical follow-up of the patients were collected. A chi-square and Student's t-test were used to evaluate the patient-related factors (gender and smoking), lesion-related factors (type, side, location, size, presence of necrosis observed by CT, SUVmax value in PET/CT), and procedure factor (type of needle) on the diagnostic success. Additionally, associations between clinical characteristics of patients and the complications were assessed. Results: A total of 403 patients underwent CT-guided TNB were enrolled and overall success was 70% (284/403). Smoking history (75% vs 43%, p=0.02) was predictor for diagnostic success. Lesion size and SUVmax value were significantly high in diagnosed patients (for both p<0.001). Diagnostic success was high in peripheral and central lesions, more notably in central lesions (p=0.004, p=0.016, respectively). The 9.2 SUVmax cut-off value had sensitivity of 79%, specificity of %53, success of 79% (p<0.01). Cardiovascular diseases, anti-coagulants, vitamin K antagonists, and salicylate induced complications (p=0.031, p=0.022, p=0.011, p=0.04, respectively). Low-molecular-weight-heparin was associated with hemorrhage (p=0.016). Conclusion: We observed that type, size and SUVmax value of lesion and smoking status were the predictive factors for a diagnostic biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Respiratory Case Reports is the property of LookUs Scientific and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ectopic thyroid tissue (ETT) is a rare and usually asymptomatic congenital anomaly. The most common presentation is midline ectopic thyroid. In this case, a 55-year-old female treated for asthma due to dyspnea was diagnosed with stridor on physical examination. Mass that nearly obliterated the lumen of the trachea was observed on thoracic computed tomography. Diagnostic and therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy were performed. The pathological result of the biopsy was ETT. Ectopic intratracheal thyroid tissue is a rare cause of upper respiratory tract obstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Respiratory Case Reports is the property of LookUs Scientific and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)