The effect of thrombosis-related laboratory values on mortality in COVID-19 infection.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 may cause thrombosis in both venous and arterial systems. Familiarity with the signs and symptoms of thrombosis and its treatment is essential in treating COVID-19 infection and its complications. D-Dimer and mean platelet volume (MPV) are measurements related to the development of thrombosis. This study investigates whether MPV and D-Dimer values could be used to determine the risk of thrombosis and mortality in the COVID-19 early stages. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 424 patients who were COVID-19 positive, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, were randomly and retrospectively included in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, gender, and length of hospitalization were obtained from the digital records of participants. Participants were divided into living and deceased groups. The patients' biochemical, hormonal, and hematological parameters were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: White blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, and monocytes were significantly different in the two groups (p-value <0.001), and their values were lower in the living group than in the deceased group. MPV median values did not differ according to prognosis (p-value = 0.994). While the median value was 9.9 in the survivors, it was 10 in the deceased. Creatinine, procalcitonin, ferritin, and the number of hospitalization days in living patients were significantly lower than in patients who died (p-value <0.001). Median values of D-dimer (mg/L) differ according to prognosis (p-value <0.001). While the median value was 0.63 in the survivors, it was found as 438 in the deceased. CONCLUSIONS: Our results did not show any significant relationship between the mortality of COVID-19 patients and their MPV levels. However, a significant association between D-Dimer and mortality in COVID-19 patients was observed.

Effects of poor glycemic control on mortality and severity of COVID-19 disease.

OBJECTIVE: Most patients with a severe COVID-19 infection have underlying diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and diabetes, and the mortality rate in these patients is higher than in other patients. Reasonable glycemic control is a practical approach to prevent the progression of COVID-19 in patients with diabetes. In this study, we aimed at demonstrating that glycemic control status can be used as a biomarker in predicting the severity of the disease in the early period in diabetic patients with COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our retrospective study consisted of 122 patients who referred to Sinop Ayancik State Hospital between April 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021. 40 diabetic patients with poor glycemic control (HbA1C above 7), 40 diabetic patients with reasonable glycemic control (HgA1c below 7), and 42 patients without diabetes were included in the study. The patients' data included in the study were obtained by scanning the retrospective files. These patients' demographic characteristics, clinical features, age, gender, length of stay, hemogram, biochemical, hormonal parameters, HgA1c levels, and atherogenic indexes were calculated and recorded. Study groups were compared in terms of disease severity and mortality. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between mild/severe conditions (p-value < 0.001). 72.5% of those with poor glycemic control, 57.5% of those with reasonable glycemic control, and 26.2% without diabetes had severe diseases. Also, a statistically significant difference was found between the distributions of death rate (p = 0.008). 17.5% of those with poor glycemic control, 5% of those with reasonable glycemic control, and 0% of patients without diabetes died. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that poor glycemic control was an effective indicator of disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19 and could predict disease progression and mortality.

Predictors of disease severity, clinical course, and therapeutic outcome in COVID-19 patients: our experience with 1,700 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed at investigating the impacts of demographic, hematological, and biochemical factors on the clinical course and the prognostic outcome in adult COVID-19 patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was performed in the internal medicine departments of two hospitals, and data were extracted from the medical files of 1,700 adult COVID-19 patients (836 females, 49.2%; 864 males, 50.8%) with an average age of 48.23 ± 16.68 (range: 18-93). Clinical data included baseline descriptives, prior medical history, admission date, treatment, and hematological and biochemical blood test results. The relationship between the survival, length of hospitalization, hematological, and biochemical parameters was investigated. RESULTS: Advanced age (p<0.001), presence of at least on comorbid disease (p=0.045), increased length of hospitalization (p=0.006), elevated white blood cell (p=0.001) and neutrophil (p=0.002) counts, increased serum levels of glucose (p=0.027), blood urea nitrogen (p<0.001), AST (p=0.006), LDH (p<0.001), CRP (p>0.001), and D-dimer (p=0.001). In contrast, diminution of serum levels of albumin (p<0.001), ALT (p=0.028), calcium (p=0.022), and platelet count (p=0.010) were associated with increased mortality. There was a positive and weak relationship between serum D-dimer levels and length of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Our data imply that identifying and validating indicators that predict COVID-19 disease progression to improve health outcomes is crucial. Age, comorbidities, immunological response, radiographic abnormalities, laboratory markers, and signs of organ dysfunction may all predict poor outcomes individually or collectively. Identifying characteristics that predict COVID-19 problems is critical to guiding clinical management, improving patient outcomes, and allocating limited resources.

The significance of a novel inflammatory biomarker, presepsin, in predicting disease prognosis in patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims at determining the significance of a novel inflammatory biomarker, presepsin, in predicting disease prognosis in patients with COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was concluded at the University Hospital between April and August 2020. The study involved 88 COVID-19 patients (48 men and 40 women). The patients were categorized into two groups: the patients admitted to the COVID-19 clinic, described as the moderate COVID-19 patients (Group-1; n=44), and those admitted to the internal medicine outpatient clinic, who were the mild COVID-19 patients (Group-2; n=44). The groups were compared using inflammatory markers: presepsin, C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio, and procalcitonin. RESULTS: Serum presepsin levels (195.29 vs. 52.12 pg/ml) were significantly higher in the Group-1 compared to the Group-2 (p=0.001). The gender distribution and average age were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). While ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase, D-Dimer, platelet lymphocyte ratio, C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio (p=0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation ratio, C-Reactive Protein and presepsin were significantly higher in the Group-1 compared to Group-2 (p<0.05), while hemoglobin and lymphocyte were significantly lower in the Group-1 than in Group-2 (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum presepsin levels were found to be significantly higher in moderate clinical group COVID-19 patients compared to mild group. Presepsin, a new inflammatory biomarker, may be useful in predicting the prognosis and early treatment of COVID-19 infection.

Antifungal susceptibility, species distribution and risk factors associated with mortality of invasive candidiasis in children in Turkey: A six-year retrospective, single-centre study.

Invasive candidiasis (IC) is a life-threatening fungal infection with high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the Candida species distribution and antifungal drug susceptibility and to identify the risk factors associated with IC mortality in children. We conducted a retrospective, single-centre study of paediatric IC in patients from a tertiary care hospital in Turkey between January 2013 and February 2019. A total of 56 Candida isolates underwent antifungal susceptibility testing performed by Sensititre YeastOne YO10 panel, and the demographic and clinical data of 65 patients were examined during the study period. The most commonly isolated species was Candida albicans in 30 patients (46%), followed by C. parapsilosis in 25 patients (38%) and C. tropicalis in three patients (5%). According to the antifungal drug susceptibility testing, C. albicans was fully susceptible to fluconazole and the other antifungal agents (100%). None of the isolates displayed resistance to anidulafungin, micafungin, flucytosine, posaconazole, voriconazole or itraconazole. There were low rates of resistance to fluconazole (1.8%), caspofungin (1.8%) and micafungin (1.8%). In addition, 5.3% of the Candida isolates were susceptible in a dose-dependent manner to itraconazole, 3.6% were susceptible to voriconazole and fluconazole and 1.8% were susceptible to anidulafungin. The mortality rate of IC was 15.4%. Thrombocytopenia after IC treatment was significantly associated with mortality in the multivariate analysis. These results, which help determine the species distribution, antifungal susceptibility patterns and risk factors for mortality, could make a significant contribution to the management of these challenging infections, including choosing appropriate empirical antifungal therapy.