Fungal culture results and clinical effects of bronchoscopy specimens.

Introduction: Early isolation of the fungal pathogen and early initiation of treatment affect mortality and morbidity rates. The purpose of this study was to reveal the frequency of determination of fungal pathogens in bronchoscopy unit patients. Materials and Methods: The study was designed retrospectively. All patients who underwent bronchoscopy for any reason were enrolled. The patients with suspected fungal infection were divided into three groups after the procedure: 1) Proven fungal infection, 2) Colonization, 3) Without infection. Result: One thousand one hundred and twenty-eight patients were included in the study. Fungal infection was suspected in 188 (16.7%) patients before bronchoscopy. After the examination of the bronchoscopic materials, it was determined that 59 (5.2%) patients had proven fungal infection, 148 (13.1%) patients had colonization, and 921 (81.7%) patients did not have fungal infection. The radiological findings of the patients that were indicative of fungal infection before bronchoscopy were observed as consolidation in 391 (34.7%) and nodule in 413 (36.6%). Fungal growth in bronchoscopic cultures was found in 186 (16.4%) patients, and the most common fungus was Candida albicans (C. albicans) in 110 (9.7%). The treatment was not changed according to the culture results in the patients. No treatment was initiated in the other 108 (98.2%) patients with C. albicans. One hundred and sixty-five (88%) of all fungal growths were detected in the BAL/bronchial lavage fluid. While 29 (45%) of them had not received antifungal treatment before, antifungal treatment was started after bronchoscopy. Conclusions: C. albicans was isolated the most among all bacterial and fungal agents in all patient groups that were immunosuppressed or not at a routine bronchoscopy unit. Diagnostic bronchoscopic sampling should be performed at the early stages of clinically or radiologically suspected fungal illness.

Timeline of critically ill 2019 SARS-CoV-2 cases after onset of illness: Intensive care data from Turkey.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory characteristics and treatment and clinical outcomes of severe COVID19 cases from a 3rd degree intensive care unit in Turkey. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in a level three, 16-bed COVID intensive care unit. The investigation was planned as a retrospective and observational study. Patients who were admitted with COVID-19 pneumonia and respiratory failure in the intensive care unit between March 2020 and March 2021 and followed up due to critical illness were evaluated. Result: A total of 213 patients that were admitted to the intensive care unit with the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia were included in the study. Median age of the patients was 66 (IQR 56.5-74) years, and 134 (62.9%) were males. One hundred and sixty-six (77.9%) of the patients had at least one comorbidity. Patients were followed up mainly with invasive mechanical ventilation [104 (48.8%)] and high flow nasal cannula [67 (31.5%)]. Median number of days was 7 (IQR 4-10) and included the first symptom onset to intensive care admission. The time to intubation was 9 (IQR 4-15) days, and the median day to intensive care discharge was 16 (IQR 11-23). After the symptoms started, first tocilizumab 9 (IQR 5-11) and pulse steroid treatment 8 (IQR 3-11) were found to be close to each other. In total, 95 (44.6%) of the 213 patients died. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 associated viral disease can progress after simple symptoms to hospital admission in a median of four days and to intensive care admission requiring intubation in a median of nine days. We believe that a better understanding of the clinical course of COVID-19 and its change between centers can be revealed through sharing information from different countries and centers.

Effects of personality traits on severity of sepsis.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to reveal the effect of the individual's lifestyle and personality traits on the disease process in patients with sepsis and to have clinical predictions about these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was planned as a multi-center, prospective, observational study after obtaining the approval of the local ethics committee. Patients were hospitalized in different intensive care units. Besides demographics and personal characteristics of patients, laboratory data, length of hospital and ICU stay, and mortality was recorded. Two hundred and fifty-nine patients were followed up in 11 different intensive care units. Mortality rates, morbidities, blood analyses, and personality traits were evaluated as primary outcomes. RESULT: Of the 259 patients followed up, mortality rates were significantly higher in men than in women (p= 0.008). No significant difference was found between the patients' daily activity, tea and coffee consumption, reading habits, smoking habits, blood groups, atopy histories and mortality rates. Examining the personal traits, it was seen that 90 people had A-type personality structure and 51 (56.7%) of them died with higher mortality rate compared to type B (p= 0.038). There was no difference between personalities, in concomitant ARDS occurrence, need for sedation and renal replacement therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals diagnosed with sepsis/septic shock, mortality increased significantly in patients with A-type personality trait compared to other personality traits. These results showed that personal traits may be useful in predicting the severity of disease and mortality in patients with sepsis/septic shock.

[Mortality prediction ability of phycians in intensive care units of Turkey (MOPAP)]. / Türkiye'de yogun bakim ünitelerinde hekimin mortaliteyi öngörebilme gücü.

INTRODUCTION: Intensive care physicians are increasingly involved in decision making about the prognosis of intensive care unit ICU patients. With this study; we aimed to evaluate the power of clinician foresight at prediction of mortality in patient at triage to intensive care and patient follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in ICUs located in various geographical regions of Turkey between January 1, 2017-April 30, 2017.The clinical research was planned as observational, multicenter, cross-sectional. RESULT: A total of 1169 intubated patients were followed in 37 different ICU. At the beginning of the follow-up we asked the physician who will follow the patient in the ICU to give a score for the probability of survival of the patients. Scoring included a total of 6 scores from 0 to 5, with the "0" the worst probability "5" being the best. According to this distribution, only 1 (0.9%) of 113 patients who were given 0 points survived. Three (6.1%) of 49 with the best score of 5 died. Survival rates were significantly different in each score group (r: -0.488; p<0.001). After the combined mortality estimation scores based on the clinical observations of the physicians (0 and 1 point score was combined as non-survive, 4 and 5 score was combined as survived) 320 of the 545 patients were estimated to be dead and 225 were predicted survival. Sensitivity and spesifity of scoring system to predict mortality was 91.56% (95% CI: 87.96-94.37), 76.89% (95% CI: 70.82-82.23) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we concluded that the physicians who follow the patients in the ICU can predict the poor prognosis at the time of admission and the high mortality rate. The physician's opinion on mortality estimation should be considered in intensive care mortality scoring in addition to other laboratory and clinical parameters.

Can we predict patients that will not benefit from invasive mechanical ventilation? A novel scoring system in intensive care: the IMV Mortality Prediction Score (IMPRES)

Background/aim: The present study aimed to define the clinical and laboratory criteria for predicting patients that will not benefit from invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) treatment and determine the prediction of mortality and prognosis of these critical ill patients. Materials and methods: The study was designed as an observational, multicenter, prospective, and cross-sectional clinical study. It was conducted by 75 researchers at 41 centers in intensive care units (ICUs) located in various geographical areas of Turkey. It included a total of 1463 ICU patients who were receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) treatment. A total of 158 parameters were examined via logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors for mortality; using these data, the IMV Mortality Prediction Score (IMPRES) scoring system was developed. Results: The following cut-off scores were used to indicate mortality risk: <2, low risk; 2­5, moderate risk; 5.1­8, high risk; >8, very high risk. There was a 26.8% mortality rate among the 254 patients who had a total IMPRES score of lower than 2. The mortality rate was 93.3% for patients with total IMPRES scores of greater than 8 (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The present study included a large number of patients from various geographical areas of the country who were admitted to various types of ICUs, had diverse diagnoses and comorbidities, were intubated with various indications in either urgent or elective settings, and were followed by physicians from various specialties. Therefore, our data are more general and can be applied to a broader population. This study devised a new scoring system for decision-making for critically ill patients as to whether they need to be intubated or not and presents a rapid and accurate prediction of mortality and prognosis prior to ICU admission using simple clinical data.

Prognostic value of red cell distribution width and echocardiographic parameters in patients with pulmonary embolism.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary embolism (PTE) is a common cardiovascular emergency. We aimed to predict mortality in the acute phase and to assess the development of pulmonary hypertension in the chronic period with the combined use of red cell distribution width (RDW) and echocardiography (ECHO) for the prognosis of PTE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cases diagnosed with acute PTE were prospectively monitored in our clinic. The initial data of 56 patients were evaluated. The subjects were separated into two groups basing on RDW; group 1 had RDW ≥ 15.2%, while group 2 had RDW < 15.2%. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients were enrolled in the study. We established the sensitivity (73.3%) and the specificity (73.2%) of RDW to determine mortality in the cases with PTE. RDW ≥ 15.2% value was significant as an independent risk factor for predicting mortality (OR:7.9 95% CI, 1.5-40.9 p = 0.013) in acute PTE. The mean tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) value was significantly different between the group-1 (RDW ≥ 15.2%, 2.20 cm (± 0.43)) and group-2 (RDW < 15.2%, 1.85 cm (± 0.53))(p = 0.007). The threshold value for tricuspid jet velocity was > 2.35m/s, the sensitivity and specificity were 76.9% and 61.9%, respectively for predicting mortality (AUC: 0.724, 95% CI: 0.591-0.858, p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that high RDW levels are an independent predictor of mortality in acute PTE. Lower TAPSE levels show right heart failure in PTE patients; this may also be indicative of right ventricular systolic function. We believe that developing new scoring systems, including parameters such as RDW, TAPSE, and tricuspid jet velocities, may be effective in determining the prognosis of pulmonary embolism.

Prognostic evaluation of cases with thoracic trauma admitted to the intensive care unit: 10-year clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Multiple traumas are a leading cause of mortality among young adults worldwide. Thoracic trauma causes approximately 25% of all trauma-associated deaths. This study aims to determine the independent prognostic factors of mortality in cases with thoracic trauma (isolated or with accompanying organ injuries) who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from patients with thoracic trauma who were admitted to our ICU between 2007 and 2016. After excluding pediatric patients (aged <18 years), the study sample included 564 cases. From the records, we collected the patients' demographical data, comorbid diseases, primary trauma as an indication for ICU admission, other traumas accompanying thoracic trauma, type of thoracic injury, and therapeutic interventions. The study sample was divided into two subsets: survival and non-survival groups. These two groups were compared with regards to first ICU day laboratory results and intensive care scores, mechanical ventilation times, and ICU stay lengths. RESULTS: Of the 8063 patients admitted to the ICU between 2007 and 2016, 616 (7.6%) had thoracic trauma. The median age (min-max) of the 564 patients eligible for this study was 43 (18-87) years. Mortality occurred in 159 (28.1%) cases, while 405 (71.8%) were discharged from the ICU. Multivariate regression analyses were also performed, in which every increment in age was associated with a 1.025-fold increase in the odds of mortality due to thoracic trauma. Additionally, the presence of central nervous system (CNS) trauma was associated with a 2.147-fold increase, and the presence of pulmonary contusion was associated with a 1.752-fold increase. CONCLUSION: Results of this study indicate that advanced age, the presence of pulmonary contusion, and accompanying CNS trauma are independent predictors of mortality in patients with thoracic trauma in the ICU. Our non-invasive approach is further supported by the trauma and injury severity score (TRISS) scoring system, which is one of the latest scoring systems used in trauma cases.

Non-infectious Fever After Acute Spinal Cord Injury in the Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the frequency, etiology, risk factors and clinical outcomes in acute traumatic SCI patients who develop fever and to evaluate the relationship between fever and mortality. DESIGN: Retrospective data were collected between January 2007 and August 2016 from patients diagnosed with persistent fever from SCI cases observed in the ICU. PARTICIPANTS: Among 5370 intensive care patients, 435 SCI patients were evaluated for the presence of fever. A total of 52 patients meeting the criteria were evaluated. OUTCOME MEASURES: Fever characteristics were evaluated by dividing the patients into two groups: infectious (group-1) and non-infectious (group-2) fever. Demographic and clinical data, ICU and hospital stay, and mortality were evaluated. RESULTS: In the patients with noninfectious fever, mortality was significantly higher compared to the group with infectious fever (P < 0.001). Of 52 acute SCI cases, 25 (48.1%) had neurogenic fever that did not respond to treatment in intensive care follow-up, and 22 (88%) of these patients died. Maximal fever was 39.10 ± 0.64 °C in Group-1 and 40.22 ± 1.10 ° C in Group-2 (P = 0.001). There was a significant difference in the duration of ICU stay and hospital stay between the two groups (P = 0.005, P = 0.001, respectively), while there was no difference in the duration of mechanical ventilation between the groups (P = 0.544). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that patients diagnosed with neurogenic fever following SCI had higher average body temperature and higher rates of mortality compared to patients diagnosed with infectious fever.

[Aggressive skin metastasis in lung cancer]. / Akciger kanserinde nadir görülen yaygin cilt metastazi.

A fifty seven year old male patient was admitted to our clinic because of complaints of cough and sputum. Computed tomography revealed by a 36x25 mm mass on the lateral of the 7th left rib, a 50x52 mm mass on the right main bronchus, growing 40x34 mm lymph nodes on the carina and paratracheal, 60x42 mm mass on the right adrenal and extensive bone metastasis. Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed by performed bronchoscopic biopsy. Scalp dermal biopsy was taken upon detection of extensive lesions on the skin.Scalp biopsy was reported squamous cell carcinoma infiltration.The last time when was given radiotherapy to footwell metastasis, the patient was fever and hypotension, we were accepted intensive care unit. In this article, we aimed to discuss rarely aggressive skin metastasis in a squamous cell carcinoma, a type of lung cancerin the light of current literature data.

[From carbonmonoxide intoxication to organ donation; organ protective mechanic ventilation in severe pulmonary damage]. / Karbonmonoksit intoksikasyonundan organ donasyonuna; agir pulmoner hasarda organ koruyucu mekanik ventilasyon.

Organ donation is a matter of concern in critically ill patients who need intensive care after carbonmonoxide (CO) intoxication. A 26-year-old female patient was unconscious after having spent 20 minutes in the bathroom with a water heater (70% butane and 30% propane mixture). In the CT of the patient with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 3, ventricular system was erased, white-gray matter separation was lost and fissures were observed as erased. Torax CT showed conspicuous areas showing air bronchograms in both lung bases and posterior areas and diffuse frosted glass densities in other areas. In a patient with no improvement in consciousness; apnea test, neurological examination and CT angiography showed that there was no blood flow in the brain and brain death was confirmed. On the second day of hospitalization, the relatives gave their approval for the donation. It may also be advantageous to use oxygen at high concentrations in carbonmonoxide poisoning as it may allow recruitment of closed alveoli. Successful kidney, heart, lung, liver and pancreas transplants from donors exposed to CO have been reported. Carbonmonoxide intoxication may be appropriate for transplantation for patients who are waiting for organs of brain death cases where the organ preservation is well done. Although carbonmonoxide intoxication has failed in the literature, it shows that there is no definite contraindication.

The Association Between Serum Uric Acid Level and Prognosis in Critically Ill Patients, Uric Acid as a Prognosis Predictor.

BACKGROUND: Uric acid is synthesized from xanthine via xanthine oxidase as an end-product of purine metabolism. Uric acid is a major non-enzymatic antioxidant in the blood, and it exerts a protective action on vitamin C. There are a limited number of ICU studies related to uric acid, which is a valuable prognostic biomarker. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of uric acid as a biomarker in predicting the outcomes of critically ill patients. METHODS: This prospective, multi-centered cohort study included 128 patients from two different intensive care units who met the study inclusion criteria between May 2017 and October 2017. Study inclusion criteria were first admission to the ICU, age > 18 years, and ICU stay > 24 hours. In each patient, baseline serum uric acid levels were measured after acute interventions, prior to the initiation of the treatment process. RESULTS: When comparing the last uric acid levels of patients, the median last uric acid levels in the non-survival and survival groups were significantly different (p = 0.001). A last uric acid level > 4.5 mg/dL was associated with a 2.638 times higher risk (relative risk) for mortality. According to ROC analysis, a cutoff value of 1.5 for the ratio between the last two uric acid levels had a sensitivity of 0.21 and a specificity of 0.96 for predicting mortality. A 1.5-fold increase in the uric acid level yielded a positive predictive value of 92.6% and a negative predictive value of 65.2% for predicting mortality. The median uric level in the patient subset with ARDS, was significantly higher than those without ARDS (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study indicate that a time-dependent increase in uric acid levels can be used as an important biomarker for predicting mortality in critically ill patients; further, uric acid levels should possibly be included in the current mortality risk scoring systems. In addition, elevation of uric acid, a simple, inexpensive, and readily available biomarker, may provide guidance in the diagnostic stage and in predicting clinical outcomes of patients with sepsis or ARDS.

[Hemophagocytic syndrome in a patient followed for IgG4-related disease in intensive care unit]. / Yogun bakimda IgG4 iliskili hastalik nedeniyle takip edilen hastada gelisen hemafagositik sendrom.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a set of diseases that can affect multiple organs, produce an immune-mediated fibroinflammatory response, and lead to tissue destruction and organ failure. Hemophagocytic syndrome is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory fatal disease caused by defect and excessive macrophage activity in natural killer cells. The disease can often be confused with other immune-mediated diseases such as cancer, infection, interstitial lung disease, sjogren's syndrome, wegener's vasculitis, or temporal arteritis. Hemophagocytic syndrome is defined as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) which is a pathological and clinical condition caused by phagocytosis of erythrocyte, leukocyte, platelet and precursor cells which are the cellular elements of the macrophages which are activated due to various reasons. Although there are two types as primary (familial) and secondary (depending on infections), the clinical findings are the same. Presence of familial disease/known gene defect and/or at least 5 of 8 clinical and laboratory diagnostic criteria is required for diagnosis. The first target is the suppression of hyperinflammation urgently, the second is the elimination of the stimulus triggering the event. In secondary HLH, treatment should be planned according to the underlying cause. As a rare complication of a rare disease, a case with the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease complicated with hemophagocytic syndrome is presented with the literature.

[A rare case: Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease]. / Nadir görülen bir olgu: Kikuchi-Fujimoto hastaligi.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease (CFD) is a disease that usually exhibits self-limited benign lymph node involvement. Etiology of illness is not fully understood.Differential diagnosis should be performed well because lymph node involvement can be confused with lymphoma type diseases. A 35-year-old male patient with weakness, joint aches, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, night sweating symptoms presented with the literature.