Publications by authors named "Kalem A"

Objectives: To determine the epidemiology and prognosis of sepsis in cancer patients and the influence of sepsis on the mortality of cancer patients.

Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, observational study, cancer patients hospitalized without sepsis followed up until discharge or a maximum of 90 days were included. The incidence of sepsis in the follow-up period, risk factors for sepsis, risk factors for 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis and 90-day mortality in the entire group were determined.

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Introduction: The most important and undesirable consequence of inappropriate antibiotic use is the spread of antibiotic resistance, increased adverse effects, increased mortality and healthcare costs. We aimed to assess antibiotic usage characteristics in inpatient setting in our center.

Materials And Methods: A one-day, single center point-prevalence study was carried out on June 9th 2021, in Ankara City Hospital in Turkey.

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In this study, the relationships between post-thaw bull sperm characteristics and hyperketonemic conditions after coincubation with cow plasma or media were determined to investigate if such a condition could affect bull sperm characteristics. Two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, blood samples were collected from 31 cows to prepare plasma.

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The pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a high mortality rate and poses a significant threat to the population. The disease may progress with mild symptoms or may cause the need for intensive care, depending on many factors. In this study, it was aimed to determine if there is a tendency due to genetic factors in COVID-19 patients.

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Objective: It is possible to diagnose coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) faster and more accurately with chest X-ray (CXR) and chest computed tomography (CT) than with reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) tests. The aim of this study was to verify the possibility of reducing the use of CT in diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19 infection by using CXR.

Patients And Methods: A total of 326 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in Ankara City Hospital were included in this retrospective study.

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Objectives: To uncover clinical epidemiology, microbiological characteristics and outcome determinants of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HA-BSIs) in Turkish ICU patients.

Methods: The EUROBACT II was a prospective observational multicontinental cohort study. We performed a subanalysis of patients from 24 Turkish ICUs included in this study.

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Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a serious challenge for physicians. The aim of the present study was to consider epidemiology and dynamics of FUO in countries with different economic development. The data of FUO patients hospitalized/followed between 1st July 2016 and 1st July 2021 were collected retrospectively and submitted from referral centers in 21 countries through ID-IRI clinical research platform.

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Background: The aim of the study is to assess the effect of chronic lung disease on mortality in patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of prevariant COVID-19 Pneumonia compared to patients without chronic lung disease.

Research Design And Methods: A cohort of 1,549 patients admitted to the pandemic clinic with a COVID-19 Pneumonia diagnosis was analyzed. Group 1 and Group 2 were compared in terms of the treatment they received, admission to intensive care, mortality and follow-up parameters.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study focuses on creating a prediction score for candidemia in severe COVID-19 patients in ICU settings.
  • The research analyzed clinical characteristics and healthcare-related factors from 1305 ICU patients, identifying significant risk factors such as central venous catheters, multifocal colonization, prolonged ICU stays, and corticosteroid use.
  • The resulting score model, validated with a nomogram, indicates a high risk of candidemia when patients score 56 points or more, highlighting the importance of monitoring specific risk factors to improve patient outcomes.
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Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the correlations between the severity of the disease and serum steroid levels by analyzing the serum steroid levels in COVID-19 patients with different levels of disease progression and the control group.

Methods: Morning serum Aldosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, Androstenedione, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), Corticosterone, Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), Estrone, Estradiol, Progesterone, 11-deoxycorticosterone, Cortisol, Corticosterone, Androsterone, Pregnenolone, 17-hydroxypregnenolone and 21-deoxycortisol levels were measured in 153 consecutive patients were grouped as mild, moderate, and severe based on the WHO COVID-19 disease severity classification and the control group. Steroid hormone levels were analyzed at once with a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method (LC-MS/MS).

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Objective: Vaccination is the most efficient way to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but vaccination rates remain below the target level in most countries. This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the vaccination status of hospitalized patients and compare two different booster vaccine protocols.

Setting: Inoculation in Turkey began in mid-January 2021.

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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.

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Post recovery manifestations have become another concern in patients who have recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Numerous reports have shown that COVID-19 has a variety of long-term effects on almost all systems including respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, psychiatric, and dermatological systems. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of the post-COVID syndrome among COVID-19 survivors and to determine the factors associated with persistent symptoms.

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Thiol-disulphide homeostasis (TDH) is a new parameter indicating oxidative stress that plays a role in the pathogenesis of various clinical disorders. Our study planned to investigate TDH in COVID-19 patients. Age and gender-matched healthy subjects (n = 70) and COVID-19 patients (n = 144) were included in the study.

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Aim: To evaluate the gram-negative nosocomial meningitis cases which were treated with intrathecal (IT) / intraventricular (IVT) antibiotics.

Material And Methods: Medical records were reviewed for IT/IVT antibiotherapy. Gram-negative nosocomial meningitis cases treated with IT/IVT antibiotherapy additional to systemic antibiotics were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in different sample types from COVID-19 patients and their connection to disease severity, focusing on both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.
  • A total of 360 samples were collected from 60 patients, revealing that asymptomatic patients had higher viral loads than symptomatic ones, with significant age differences between the two groups.
  • The findings suggest that as disease severity increases, viral loads decrease, indicating a complex relationship between viral load, symptoms, and prognosis.
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Objective: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends performing a second test in patients with a high suspicion of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) whose first PCR test is negative. However, the additional contribution of the second PCR test to the diagnosis is unknown.

Patients And Methods: In this study, we aimed to investigate the contribution of second SARS-CoV-2 PCR to diagnosis in patients with a suspicion of COVID-19 whose initial test was negative.

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COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting the whole world by increasing morbidity and mortality rates day by day. Treatment algorithms have been attempted as parallel to the increasing experience with COVID-19. In the pathogenesis of this virus pro-inflammatory cytokine storm has been called to have the main role.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 preventive measures on renal transplant recipients, as no previous research has addressed this issue.
  • A survey conducted two months after the first COVID-19 case in Turkey found that 95.5% of 68 surveyed patients practiced isolation, wore masks, and increased hand hygiene.
  • The results indicated that the majority adhered to these preventive practices, with no infections reported among the participants, suggesting that their compliance effectively mitigated the risk of COVID-19.
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Introduction: The presence of new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in semen and the possibility of sexual transmission have become new subjects of curiosity. There is a discrepancy regarding this issue in the literature. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen has been investigated in a limited number of studies, and mostly in recovering patients.

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A meta-analysis including 36 different results of statistic models from 14 papers was conducted. It evaluated the association between elevated non-esterified fatty acids and/or β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) on the reproduction outcomes that were pregnancy at first insemination, estrous cyclicity, time to pregnancy, metritis and placental retention. Each association between BHB or NEFA and an outcome reported in literature was a model considered as raw-data for the meta-regression.

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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic inflammatory disorder and is associated with progressive destruction of synovial joints and physical disability. Therapies with known benefits include disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as methotrexate, as well as more recent biologic agents, such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (anti-TNF therapy).

Method: This was a retrospective study, which included 205 RA and 112 early RA (ERA) patients from the Rheumatology Clinic at Gaziantep University School of Medicine Research Center as well as 104 healthy controls.

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Objective: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the pilosebaceous unit of the skin. Isotretinoin is a systemic retinoid that is often used as an effective treatment option for severe and treatment-resistant acne. Isotretinoin may also cause rheumatologic symptoms.

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