Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR in vaginal swab samples of female patients with a diagnosis of severe COVID-19.

Objective: It is important to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the vaginal fluid samples of reproductive-aged women with severe disease during the acute stage of the disease and to determine the risks of transmission by sexual or vertical transmission.

Material And Methods: Adult women with confirmed severe COVID-19 who were admitted to Ankara City Hospital intensive care unit (ICU) between December 1st, 2020, and January 1st, 2021, were enrolled in the study. Vaginal swab samples were collected within 48 h in the ICU using Dacron or rayon swabs and tested for SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR).

A Statistical Model for Early Recognition of Patients Requiring Transfer to Palliative Care (ERPAC).

Objective: To develop a scoring system to identify patients at an early stage who will need palliative care during intensive care follow-up.

Study Design: Analytical study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Ankara City Hospital, Neurology and Orthopaedics Hospital, General Intensive Care Unit, Ankara, Turkiye, from June 2019 to March 2020.

Development and validation of nomogram to predict severe illness requiring intensive care follow up in hospitalized COVID-19 cases.

Background: Early identification of severe COVID-19 patients who will need intensive care unit (ICU) follow-up and providing rapid, aggressive supportive care may reduce mortality and provide optimal use of medical resources. We aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to predict severe COVID-19 cases that would need ICU follow-up based on available and accessible patient values.

Methods: Patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 between March 15, 2020, and June 15, 2020, were enrolled in this retrospective study with 35 variables obtained upon admission considered.

Does hospitalisation of a patient in the intensive care unit cause anxiety and does restriction of visiting cause depression for the relatives of these patients during COVID-19 pandemic?

Objectives: During the pandemic, anxiety and depression may occur increasingly in the whole society. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible cause, incidence and levels of anxiety and depression in the relatives of the patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) in accordance with the patients' SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result.

Materials And Method: The study was prospectively conducted on relatives of patients admitted to tertiary intensive care units during COVID-19 pandemic.

Lactate/albumin ratio is more effective than lactate or albumin alone in predicting clinical outcomes in intensive care patients with sepsis.

This study aimed to compare the value of lactate, albumin, and lactate/albumin ratio for the prediction of mortality in sepsis patients. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to sepsis between January 2016 and January 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. Lactate, albumin, and lactate/albumin ratio values were compared between surviving and non-surviving patients and their predictive value for mortality was evaluated.

Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis as an Early Biomarker to Differentiate Sepsis from Pneumonia in Intensive Care Units.

Background: It is possible that patients with pneumonia may also have sepsis and the separation of these two clinical entities may cause some trouble to clinicians.

Objective: In order to separate a patient with pneumonia and a patient with sepsis, we qualify thiol/disulfide homeostasis as a potential biomarker.

Methods: This study was designed between February 2018 - February 2019 prospectively.

Clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19: Predictors of severe prognosis.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged first in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and quickly spread throughout the world. Clinical and laboratory data are of importance to increase the success in the management of COVID-19 patients.

Methods: Data were obtained retrospectively from medical records of 191 hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from a tertiary single-center hospital between March and April 2020.

Favorable Effects of Astaxanthin on Brain Damage due to Ischemia- Reperfusion Injury.

Background: Activated inflammation and oxidant stress during cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) lead to brain damage. Astaxanthin (ASX) is a type of carotenoid with a strong antioxidant effect.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ASX on brain IRI.

Pseudocholinesterase levels in patients under electroconvulsive therapy.

In this study, we aimed to retrospectively assess the correlation of pseudocholinesterase (PChE) levels with age, gender, body weight and diagnosed psychiatric diseases in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) cases. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Bülent Ecevit University Hospital, Zonguldak, Turkey, between 2007 and 2011. In the study, 193 ECT case files were retrospectively scanned to evaluate PChE values before ECT and other file information.

Non-invasive mechanical ventilation and epidural anesthesia for an emergency open cholecystectomy.

Non-invasive ventilation is an accepted treatment modality in both acute exacerbations of respiratory diseases and chronic obstructive lung disease. It is commonly utilized in the intensive care units, or for postoperative respiratory support in post-anesthesia care units. This report describes intraoperative support in non-invasive ventilation to neuroaxial anesthesia for an emergency upper abdominal surgery.

Unexplained neuropsychiatric symptoms in intensive care: A Fahr Syndrome case.

Fahr Syndrome is a rare disease where calcium and other minerals are stored bilaterally and symmetrically in the basal ganglia, cerebellar dentate nucleus and white matter. Fahr Syndrome is associated with various metabolic disorders, mainly parathyroid disorders. The presented case discusses a 64-year old male patient admitted to the intensive care unit of our hospital diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia and urosepsis.

The effect of sugammadex on postoperative cognitive function and recovery.

Background And Objective: Sugammadex is the first selective relaxant binding agent. When compared with neostigmine, following sugammadex administration patients wake earlier and have shorter recovery times. In this study, we hypothesized that fast and clear awakening in patients undergoing general anesthesia has positive effects on cognitive functions in the early period after operation.

[The effect of sugammadex on postoperative cognitive function and recovery].

Background And Objective: Sugammadex is the first selective relaxant binding agent. When compared with neostigmine, following sugammadex administration patients wake earlier and have shorter recovery times. In this study, we hypothesized that fast and clear awakening in patients undergoing general anesthesia has positive effects on cognitive functions in the early period after operation.

[Impact of the practising anesthesiologist team member on the laryngeal mask cuff pressures and adverse event rate].

Objective: We have planned to evaluate the laryngeal mask cuff pressures (LMcp) inflated by anesthesia workers of several seniority, without using manometer.

Methods: 180 patients scheduled to have short duration surgery with laryngeal mask were included in the study. Five anesthesia specialists (Group S), 10 residents (Group R) and 6 technicians (Group T) inflated the LMc; thereafter LMcp were measured with pressure manometer.

Impact of the practising anesthesiologist team member on the laryngeal mask cuff pressures and adverse event rate.

Objective: We have planned to evaluate the laryngeal mask cuff pressures (LMcp) inflated by anesthesia workers of several seniority, without using manometer.

Methods: 180 patients scheduled to have short duration surgery with laryngeal mask were included in the study. Five anesthesia specialists (Group S), 10 residents (Group R) and 6 technicians (Group T) inflated the LMc; thereafter LMcp were measured with pressure manometer.

[Rectal dexmedetomidine in rats: evaluation of sedative and mucosal effects].

Background And Objectives: In this study, we investigated the anesthetic and mucosal effects of the rectal application of dexmedetomidine to rats.

Methods: Male Wistar albino rats weighing 250-300g were divided into four groups: Group S (n=8) was a sham group that served as a baseline for the normal basal values; Group C (n=8) consisted of rats that received the rectal application of saline alone; Group IPDex (n=8) included rats that received the intraperitoneal application of dexmedetomidine (100μgkg(-1)); and Group RecDex (n=8) included rats that received the rectal application of dexmedetomidine (100μgkg(-1)). For the rectal drug administration, we used 22G intravenous cannulas with the stylets removed.

[Non-invasive mechanical ventilation and epidural anesthesia for an emergency open cholecystectomy].

Non-invasive ventilation is an accepted treatment modality in both acute exacerbations of respiratory diseases and chronic obstructive lung disease. It is commonly utilized in the intensive care units, or for postoperative respiratory support in post-anesthesia care units. This report describes intraoperative support in non-invasive ventilation to neuroaxial anesthesia for an emergency upper abdominal surgery.

The effect of levobupivacaine and bupivacaine on QT, corrected QT (Qtc), and P wave dispersions in cesarean section.

Background And Objectives: In our study we aimed to investigate the effect of bupivacaine and levobupivacaine on QT, corrected QT (QTc), and P wave dispersion durations during spinal anesthesia in cesarean section.

Methods: Sixty parturients scheduled for elective cesarean section in ASA I-II risk groups were included in the study. Baseline electrocardiographic (ECG) records of the patients were obtained in the operation room.

Dexmedetomidine did not reduce the effects of tourniquet-induced ischemia-reperfusion injury during general anesthesia.

Ischemia reperfusion injury causes the release of free oxygen radicals. Free oxygen radicals initiate the production of toxic metabolites, such as malondialdehyde (MDA), through the lipid peroxidation of cellular membranes. Following lipid peroxidation, the antioxidant enzyme system is activated against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and attempts to protect cells from oxidative damage.

Comparison of the effects of bupivacaine, lidocaine, and tramadol infiltration on wound healing in rats.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of saline solution, bupivacaine, lidocaine and tramadol infiltration on wound healing in rats.

Method: Thirty-two male Wistar Albino rats were randomly separated into four groups, receiving 3 mL saline solution in control group (Group C, n=8), 3 mL of 2% lidocaine in lidocaine group (Group L, n=8), 3 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine in bupivacaine group (Group B, n=8), and 3 mL of 5% tramadol in tramadol group (Group T, n=8).

Postoperative analgesic effects of wound infiltration with tramadol and levobupivacaine in lumbar disk surgeries.

Background: Wound infiltration with local anesthetics may improve postoperative analgesia. Tramadol has been shown to have effects similar to those of local anesthetics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wound infiltration with levobupivacaine and tramadol on postoperative analgesia for lumbar discectomies.

Protective effect of dexmedetomidine in a rat model of α-naphthylthiourea-induced acute lung injury.

Background: We assessed the effects of dexmedetomidine in a rat model of α-naphthylthiourea (ANTU)-induced acute lung injury.

Methods: Forty Wistar Albino male rats weighing 200-240 g were divided into 5 groups (n = 8 each), including a control group. Thus, there were one ANTU group and three dexmedetomidine groups (10-, 50-, and 100-μg/kg treatment groups), plus a control group.

Influence of menstrual cycle on p wave dispersion.

Female gender is an independent risk factor for some types of arrhythmias. We sought to determine whether the menstrual cycle affects P wave dispersion, which is a predictor of atrial fibrillation. The study population consisted of 59 women in follicular phase (mean age, 29.