Abdominal Pain Management and Point-of-care Ultrasound in the Emergency Department: A Randomised, Prospective, Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) performed during the initial evaluation phase of patients with acute abdominal pain. STUDY DESIGN: Randomised controlled, parallel-group trial. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey, from October 2019 to March 2020. METHODOLOGY: Patients who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with acute abdominal pain were included in the study. Exclusion criteria were permanent mental disability, age <18 years, abdominal trauma within the last 24 hours, pregnancy, morbid obesity, repeated admissions, referral from an external centre to the ED, and missing patient information. Patients were divided randomly into two groups: The control group where standard diagnostic strategies were applied and the POCUS group where POCUS was performed together with standard diagnostic strategies. The length of stay (LOS), differential diagnoses, cost and hospitalisation or discharge from ED were compared. RESULTS: The application of POCUS reduced the average number of preliminary differential diagnoses from four to two (p <0.001). Regarding patient outcomes, POCUS reduced LOS in ED in both the discharged and hospitalised patients (p = 0.003, and p = 0.049, respectively). In all patients, POCUS reduced LOS in ED but led to no significant changes in cost (p <0.001, p = and 0.403, respectively). CONCLUSION: POCUS in patients with acute abdominal pain is very useful in reducing the number of differential diagnoses and LOS in ED. KEY WORDS: Abdominal pain, Cost, Emergency department, Length of stay, Point-of-care ultrasound.

Can COVID-19 Mortality be Predicted in the Emergency Room?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association ​of white blood cell (WBC) counts, neutrophil, platelets, lymphocyte counts, C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived NLR ratio (d-NLR), and platelet / lymphocyte ratio (PLR) at the time of first admission for mortality caused by COVID-19. STUDY DESIGN:  Descritive, analytical study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Emergency Medicine, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Turkey from  March 2020 to  May 2020. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and sixty-nine patients with the diagnosis of Covid-19 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups as survivors and non-survivors. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, RT-PCR test positivity, hospitalisation. Patients with missing data were excluded. Data regarding age, gender, WBC counts, neutrophil, platelets, and lymphocyte, CRP, NLR, d-NLR, PLR and comorbid conditions were analysed for mortality. All tests were done with a two-sided significance of 5%. For each endpoint, the absolute and relative effects and their corresponding 95% confidence interval  were calculated. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant association between neutrophil, lymphocyte, CRP, NLR, d-NLR and PLR values (p=0.005, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively) with mortality status of the patients. The cutoff values calculated by this analysis were 67.50 years for age, 5.12 K / µl for neutrophil, 1.12 K / µl for lymphocyte, 67.78 mg / dl for CRP, 3.9 for NLR, 2.55 for d-NLR, and 148.85 for PLR. CONCLUSION: Altered neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, NLR, d-NLR, PLR, and CRP values can be used as early predictors of mortality in Covid-19 patients. Key Words: Covid-19, Mortality, Emergency, NLR, d-NLR, PLR.

The diagnostic process of covid-19 in the emergency department: laboratory and imaging methods.

OBJECTIVES: The 2019 Novel coronavirus disease puts a serious burden on the health system. Therefore, the detection of particularly serious patients at an early stage is extremely important in terms of controlling the outbreak and improving the prognosis. We investigated the role of inflammatory markers studied in patients suspected of COVID-19 at an emergency department in predicting PCR and CT results. METHODS: This retrospective study was carried out with 133 patients who were admitted between 13 March and 1st April 2020 with suspicion of COVID-19. The patients were divided into four groups according to CT and RT-PCR results and evaluated. RESULTS: Considering all patients, no specific findings were found in the hematological and biochemical values of patients in the laboratory analyses. Although all of the results remained within the reference range, there was a significant difference in white blood cell, neutrophil, platelet, and lymphocyte values when the groups were compared [p = 0.000; p = 0.004; p = 0.022; p = 0.023]. CONCLUSION: Laboratory is not specific enough in the pre-diagnosis. In addition, this result does not alter with PCR or CT positivity. However, minimal changes observed in laboratory results may be partially guiding in patients in whom both PCR and CT are positive.

The diagnostic process of covid-19 in the emergency department: laboratory and imaging methods

SUMMARY OBJECTIVES The 2019 Novel coronavirus disease puts a serious burden on the health system. Therefore, the detection of particularly serious patients at an early stage is extremely important in terms of controlling the outbreak and improving the prognosis. We investigated the role of inflammatory markers studied in patients suspected of COVID-19 at an emergency department in predicting PCR and CT results. METHODS This retrospective study was carried out with 133 patients who were admitted between 13 March and 1st April 2020 with suspicion of COVID-19. The patients were divided into four groups according to CT and RT-PCR results and evaluated. RESULTS Considering all patients, no specific findings were found in the hematological and biochemical values of patients in the laboratory analyses. Although all of the results remained within the reference range, there was a significant difference in white blood cell, neutrophil, platelet, and lymphocyte values when the groups were compared [p = 0.000; p = 0.004; p = 0.022; p = 0.023]. CONCLUSION Laboratory is not specific enough in the pre-diagnosis. In addition, this result does not alter with PCR or CT positivity. However, minimal changes observed in laboratory results may be partially guiding in patients in whom both PCR and CT are positive.

RESUMO OBJETIVOS A nova doença de coronavírus de 2019 coloca um fardo sério para o sistema de saúde. Portanto, a detecção de pacientes especialmente graves em um estágio inicial é extremamente importante em termos de controle do surto e melhoria do prognóstico. Investigamos o papel dos marcadores inflamatórios estudados em pacientes suspeitos de COVID-19 no pronto-socorro na previsão de resultados de PCR e CT. MÉTODOS Este estudo retrospectivo foi realizado entre 133 pacientes que foram admitidos entre 13 de março e 1o de abril de 2020 com suspeita de COVID-19. Os pacientes foram divididos em quatro grupos de acordo com os resultados da TC e RT-PCR e avaliados. RESULTADOS Considerando todos os pacientes, não foram encontrados achados específicos nos valores hematológicos e bioquímicos dos pacientes em análises laboratoriais. Embora todos os resultados tenham permanecido dentro do intervalo de referência, houve uma diferença significativa nos valores de glóbulos brancos, neutrófilos, plaquetas e linfócitos quando os grupos foram comparados [p = 0,000; p = 0,004; p = 0,022; p = 0,023]. CONCLUSÃO O laboratório não é suficientemente específico no pré-diagnóstico. Além disso, este resultado não se altera com a positividade para PCR ou CT. No entanto, alterações mínimas observadas nos resultados laboratoriais podem ser parcialmente norteadoras em pacientes com PCR e CT positivos.

A rare benign laryngeal tumor: angiomyolipoma.

Angiomyolipoma is a mesenchymal neoplasm containing adipose tissue, blood vessels, and smooth muscle fibers. Arising most frequently in the kidney, the tumor may exceptionally be at the head and neck region. The literature has 1 single published report of laryngeal angiomyolipoma, which was resected through laryngofissure. In this study, a 58-year-old man presented with laryngeal angiomyolipoma with swallowing discomfort. The tumor was removed by an endolaryngeal approach.