A patient presenting with ARDS after COVID-19 vaccination: A COVID-19 case report.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The introduction of vaccines against COVID-19 caused great enthusiasm around the world as immunization might end the pandemic. However, it was previously stated that COVID-19 cases would rarely continue to occur despite immunization. Fourteen days after the second dose of the vaccine, a 66-year-old male patient with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result and high levels of IgG and low levels of IgM-A against SARS-CoV-2 was admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) due to the clinical picture of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). We aimed to stress the need for continuing preventive measures in vaccinated individuals, too, by presenting the clinical findings of the patient, who was considered to have developed ARDS due to COVID-19, as high levels of IgG and IgM-A against SARS-CoV-2 were detected on day 8 during ICU admission.

Case Report: Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia in a Patient With Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

First identified in China in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly evolved into a global pandemic. The presence of haematological malignancies are expected to increase the risk of adverse outcomes from this viral infection due to the immunosuppression brought about by the underlying cancer and the effects of therapy. We present a 55-year-old woman diagnosed with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) who had been heavily pretreated with multiagent chemotherapy, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHCT), allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHCT) and was complicated with EBV associated posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) and chronic graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). The patient was recently treated with brentuximab and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) for relapse after alloHCT. She suffered from severe COVID-19 pneumonia and eventually succumbed to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiorgan failure. Of note, this is the first reported case of COVID-19 in a HL patient who was being treated with brentuximab for relapse after alloHCT.

[Evaluation of Infections in Intensive Care Units: A Multicentre Point-Prevalence Study]. / Yogun Bakim Ünitelerindeki Enfeksiyonlarin Degerlendirilmesi: Çok Merkezli Nokta Prevalans Çalismasi.

Infection control is a top priority for hospitals, especially in intensive care units (ICU). In intensive care units, prevalence of infection is estimated to be 30% worldwide, which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Many factors are known to increase the risk of infection in ICU patients. Since each of these may lead to different infections, it is important to recognize and identify predisposing factors for early diagnosis and treatment. The regional health care-associated infections (HCAI) prevalence and distribution of risk factors are important strategies in infection control. In this regard, the aim of this point prevalence study was to obtain data related to infections, the prevalence of HCAI among these infections, the epidemiology, agents and antibiotics used among adult ICU patients in the university hospitals, training and research hospitals and public hospitals located in eight of the cities of our region. In the light of these data, we aimed to review and emphasize the guidelines on HCAI prevention. The study included adult ICU patients followed up in nine hospitals in the Eastern and South-eastern Anatolia Regions of eight different cities (Sivas, Erzurum, Mardin, Batman, Diyarbakir Elazig, Van, Adiyaman) in Turkey. Of the hospitals six were university hospitals, one was training and research hospital, and two were public hospitals. The number of beds ranged from 358 to 1418. A specific day was determined on which the researchers concurrently carried out a prospective surveillance in all adult intensive care unit patients. The researchers collected data and recorded the demographic characteristics (age, gender), underlying diseases, length of hospital stay, presence of invasive intervention (urinary catheter, central venous catheter, external ventricular drainage, mechanical ventilator, presence of risk factors such as burn, trauma and surgery, number of infection cases, type of infection (hospital-acquired, community-acquired), type of microorganisms and whether polymicrobial or monomicrobial, which antibiotics were administered, and duration of antibiotic treatment. Our study assessed data of 429 inpatients in the adult ICU of nine hospitals in eight different cities. There were a total of 881 intensive care beds in these hospitals, and 740 (84%) beds were occupied. Of the study group 49.7% was male with a mean age (min-max) of 64.08 ± 18.78 (2-97) years. The point prevalence of HCAI was 21.7% (n= 93). Of the patients who were followed-up 182 (42.4%) presented infections. Of these infections, 21.4% were diagnosed as community-acquired pneumonia, 18.6% were ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), 16.3% were communityacquired urinary tract infection (UTI), and 16.3% were bloodstream infection. In addition, the most commonly administered antibiotics in the study group were piperacillin/tazobactam, carbapenem, quinolone and ceftriaxone, respectively. The most common types of HCAI were community-acquired pneumonia (10.7%), ventilator-associated pneumonia (8.9%) and bloodstream infections (8.2%). The mean length of hospital stay was 32.05 ± 66.85 (1-459) days and the mean duration of antibiotic therapy in patients with HCAIs was 7.76 ± 7.11 (1-41) days. The most widely accepted method to handle infection is to carry out active, prospective and patient-based surveillance studies on a regular basis, and to take control measures and arrange appropriate treatment in the light of the data obtained. We attribute the high prevalence of HCAI in our region to lack of personnel, lack of materials, inappropriate use of antibiotics, insufficiency of physical conditions, and little support for infection control committees. In conclusion, we emphasize that it is of importance to work closely with the hospital administration to take measures and that necessary assistance is provided.

Evaluation of telaprevir-containing triple therapy in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in hemodialysed patients.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Eradication of HCV before transplantation is therefore of utmost importance in HCV-infected patients with ESRD who are candidates for kidney transplantation. The appropriate treatment for HCV infection in patients with ESRD and suboptimal response rates is still unclear. Here, we present our data from five cases who were being monitored by two healthcare centers for ESRD and HCV infection, who were candidates for kidney transplantation and were treated with a triple regimen containing telaprevir. All patients were started on triple therapy from the beginning including pegylated interferon-alfa2a (135 µg once a week), ribavirin (200 mg three times a week), and telaprevir (750 mg three times a day). Rapid virologic response was observed in all of the patients but treatment was discontinued in one patient at week 6 because the patient developed nausea and vomiting and was unable to feed orally. For the remaining four patients, side effects included weakness, lack of appetite, metallic taste, and mild anemia. The triple therapy with telaprevir seemed to be successful in HCV-infected patients who were candidates for renal transplantation.

[Comparison of the level of depression and anxiety in inactive hepatitis B carriers and chronic hepatitis B patients]. / Inaktif hepatit B tasiyicilari ve kronik hepatit B hastalarinin depresyon ve anksiyete düzeylerinin karsilastirilmasi.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative contribution of chronic illness and the physical effects such illness on the mental status of chronic hepatitis B patients by comparing them to inactive hepatitis B carriers, based on Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) scores. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 444 participants: 249 HBsAg-positive inactive carriers (IC group) and 195 chronic hepatitis B patients (CH group) that were undergoing follow-up at Adiyaman University Research and Education Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases Department. HBV carrier status and chronic hepatitis B were diagnosed based on European Association for the Study of Liver (EASL) guidelines. The HDRS and HARS were administered to all the participants via psychiatric interview. RESULTS: The overall mean HDRS score was 6.2 ± 8 and the overall mean HARS score was 6.0 ± 7.1. Mean HDRS score in the IC group was 7.5 ± 5.8, versus 8.8 ± 6.6 in the CH group; the difference was significant (P = 0.037). Mean HARS score were similar in both groups (P > 0.05). There wasn't a difference in anxiety or depression scores based on participants'gender or age (P > 0.05). Additionally, there wasn't a correlation between duration of illness, and family history of hepatitis or cirrhosis, or anxiety or depression scores (P > 0.05). Anxiety scores were higher among the participants with comorbidity, in both CHB and IC groups (P= 0.005 and P = 0.001, respectively). Depression scores were higher among the IC group participants with comorbidity (P= 0.003). that can occur during the treatment and follow-up of chronic hepatitis patients. The presence of comorbidity in chronic hepatitis patients increases the risk of psychiatric complications. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric comorbidity, particularly anxiety and depression, are important problems.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis in immunocompetent adults.

Tuberculosis continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Although tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs, other organs can also be affected, leading to extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) or disseminated tuberculosis. This study retrospectively analysed the incidence, clinical sites and risk factors for EPT in 252 patients with EPT between 1 January 1991 and 30 June 2003. EPT was defined as clinical, laboratory, imaging, and/or histopathological evidence of mycobacterial infection in a site other than hilar lymph nodes or lung parenchyma. In our study group, tuberculous lymphadenitis (36.5%) was found to be the most common clinical presentation of EPT. 119 (47.2%) patients developed the severe form of EPT, according to the WHO report, and 133 (52.8%) patients developed the less severe form. A case history of pulmonary tuberculosis was found to be a risk factor for the development of EPT (p <0.05). The study showed that EPT is still a public health problem. These findings suggested that pulmonary tuberculosis may play a critical role in the development of EPT. 12-month therapy may be chosen in patients with EPT considering acceptable adverse effects without relapses.