Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with severe/critical illness in the first wave versus the second wave.

Due to current advances and growing experience in the management of coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the outcome of COVID-19 patients with severe/critical illness would be expected to be better in the second wave compared with the first wave. As our hospitalization criteria changed in the second wave, we aimed to investigate whether a favorable outcome occurred in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with only severe/critical illness. Among 642 laboratory-confirmed hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the first wave and 1121 in the second wave, those who met World Health Organization (WHO) definitions for severe or critical illness on admission or during follow-up were surveyed.

Cytokine storm in severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

In this study, laboratorial parameters of hospitalized novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, who were complicated with severe pneumonia, were compared with the findings of cytokine storm developing in macrophage activation syndrome (MAS)/secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH). Severe pneumonia occurred as a result of cytokine storm in some patients who needed intensive care unit (ICU), and it is aimed to determine the precursive parameters in this situation. Also in this study, the aim is to identify laboratory criteria that predict worsening disease and ICU intensification, as well as the development of cytokine storm.

Changes in antimicrobial resistance and outcomes of health care-associated infections.

To describe the change in the epidemiology of health care-associated infections (HAI), resistance and predictors of fatality we conducted a nationwide study in 24 hospitals between 2015 and 2018. The 30-day fatality rate was 22% in 2015 and increased to 25% in 2018. In BSI, a significant increasing trend was observed for Candida and Enterococcus.

Mediastinal lymphadenopathy may predict 30-day mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Purpose: There is scarce data on the impact of the presence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy on the prognosis of coronavirus-disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to investigate whether its presence is associated with increased risk for 30-day mortality in a large group of patients with COVID-19.

Method: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 650 adult laboratory-confirmed hospitalized COVID-19 patients were included.

COVID-19 Pulmonary Infection with Pneumothorax in a Young Patient.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, has spread all over the world in a short time and was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). During COVID-19 pandemic, chest computed tomography (CT) imaging has become an important tool with high sensitivity for diagnosis due to the low positive rate of the real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Furthermore, the chest CT has played an important role in the diagnosis of underlying pulmonary lesions.

Liver Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Changes during Telaprevir-Based Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C.

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has become an established diagnostic modality for the evaluation of liver parenchymal changes in diseases such as diffuse liver fibrosis.

Aims: To evaluate the parenchymal apparent diffusion coefficient value (ADC) changes using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) during telaprevir-based triple therapy.

Study Design: Diagnostic accuracy study.

Protease Inhibitors Drug Resistance Mutations in Turkish Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C.

Background: Drug resistance development is an expected problem during treatment with protease inhibitors (PIs), this is largely due to the fact that Pls are low-genetic barrier drugs. Resistance-associated variants (RAVs) however may also occur naturally, and prior to treatment with Pls, the clinical impact of this basal resistance remains unknown. In Turkey, there is yet to be an investigation into the hepatitis C (HCV) drug associated resistance to oral antivirals.

Evaluation of Dual Therapy in Real Life Setting in Treatment-Naïve Turkish Patients with HCV Infection: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study.

Background: Before the introduction of direct-acting antivirals in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients, the combination of peginterferon alpha and ribavirin was the standard therapy. Observational studies that investigated sustained virological response (SVR) rates by these drugs yielded different outcomes.

Aims: The goal of the study was to demonstrate real life data concerning SVR rate achieved by peginterferon alpha plus ribavirin in patients who were treatment-naïve.