Objective:To assess the effectiveness of high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy and evaluate possible factors associated with 28-day mortality in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods:We conduct...Objective:To assess the effectiveness of high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy and evaluate possible factors associated with 28-day mortality in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods:We conducted a single-centre retrospective cohort study on hospitalised patients with clinical,epidemiological,and/or radiologically confirmed and suspected COVID-19 at Bitlis Tatvan State Hospital in Turkey between December 1,2020 and June 1,2021.All data of the study participants were recorded,and all patients received intravenous high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy.The Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement(OSCI),Charlson Comorbidity Index and Total Severity Score were calculated.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were performed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory parameters that may affect the 28-day mortality.Results:A total of 126 patients were included in the analysis.The 28-day mortality rate of the patients was 22.2%.Laboratory and clinical improvement were observed in 77.8%(98/126)of patients after high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy.There was a statistically significant difference between the survivors and non-survivors in terms of age,platelet count,neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio,and OSCI,Charlson Comorbidity Index,and Total Severity Score(P<0.001).Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age[HR 1.047(95%CI 1.01-1.08)],use of prophylactic anticoagulation[HR 0.838(95%CI 0.79-0.89)],and bacterial co-infection[HR 3.966(95%CI 1.40-11.21)]were significant determinants of mortality.Early C-reactive protein(CRP)response,decreased oxygen requirement,and improving respiratory rate/OSCI scores after administration of high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy could contribute to clinical improvement.Conclusions:CRP response,needed oxygen and OSCI scores can be used as prognostic factors to select patients who will benefit from high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy.展开更多
Objective:To investigate Blastocystis’etiologic role and association with gastrointestinal symptomatology in acute and chronic urticaria patients and to identify Blastocystis subtypes responsible for urticaria.Method...Objective:To investigate Blastocystis’etiologic role and association with gastrointestinal symptomatology in acute and chronic urticaria patients and to identify Blastocystis subtypes responsible for urticaria.Methods:The study included urticaria patients and healthy individuals that presented to our polyclinic between June 2015 and May 2017.The participants were assigned into Group栺(137 patients),subdivided into acute(72)and chronic urticaria patients(65),and Group栻(129 control individuals).Blastocystis presence was investigated by native-Lugol examination,trichrome staining,PCR using sequence tagged site primers,and DNA sequencing analysis.The phylogenetic tree was constructed.Results:The native-Lugol and trichrome staining methods revealed that 16 patients(16/133,12.0%)had Blastocystis-positive stool samples,of which seven samples(7/133,5.3%)belonged acute and nine(9/133,6.8%)to chronic urticaria patients.Concerning Blastocystis subtypes,of the acute urticaria patients,three had subtype 1(ST1),one had ST2,and three had ST3.Of the chronic urticaria patients,one had ST1 and eight had ST3.Blastocystis positivity was detected in two control individuals(2/123,1.6%),both being ST3.All subtypes identified by PCR were confirmed by the sequencing analysis.The acute and chronic urticaria groups showed no statistically significant differences for Blastocystis positivity(P=0.60)and subtype distribution(P=0.15).A statistically significant difference was found between the urticaria patients and the controls for Blastocystis positivity(P<0.01),but not for subtype distribution(P=0.67)or for Blastocystis presence and gastrointestinal complaints.Conclusions:This study on Blastocystis subtype distribution among Turkish urticaria patients showed results consistent with the literature.It was concluded that Blastocystis should be kept in mind in patients with urticaria.展开更多
文摘Objective:To assess the effectiveness of high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy and evaluate possible factors associated with 28-day mortality in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods:We conducted a single-centre retrospective cohort study on hospitalised patients with clinical,epidemiological,and/or radiologically confirmed and suspected COVID-19 at Bitlis Tatvan State Hospital in Turkey between December 1,2020 and June 1,2021.All data of the study participants were recorded,and all patients received intravenous high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy.The Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement(OSCI),Charlson Comorbidity Index and Total Severity Score were calculated.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were performed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory parameters that may affect the 28-day mortality.Results:A total of 126 patients were included in the analysis.The 28-day mortality rate of the patients was 22.2%.Laboratory and clinical improvement were observed in 77.8%(98/126)of patients after high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy.There was a statistically significant difference between the survivors and non-survivors in terms of age,platelet count,neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio,and OSCI,Charlson Comorbidity Index,and Total Severity Score(P<0.001).Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age[HR 1.047(95%CI 1.01-1.08)],use of prophylactic anticoagulation[HR 0.838(95%CI 0.79-0.89)],and bacterial co-infection[HR 3.966(95%CI 1.40-11.21)]were significant determinants of mortality.Early C-reactive protein(CRP)response,decreased oxygen requirement,and improving respiratory rate/OSCI scores after administration of high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy could contribute to clinical improvement.Conclusions:CRP response,needed oxygen and OSCI scores can be used as prognostic factors to select patients who will benefit from high-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy.
基金financially supported by the Scientific Project Unit of Erzincan University(Project No:SAG-A-240215-0128).
文摘Objective:To investigate Blastocystis’etiologic role and association with gastrointestinal symptomatology in acute and chronic urticaria patients and to identify Blastocystis subtypes responsible for urticaria.Methods:The study included urticaria patients and healthy individuals that presented to our polyclinic between June 2015 and May 2017.The participants were assigned into Group栺(137 patients),subdivided into acute(72)and chronic urticaria patients(65),and Group栻(129 control individuals).Blastocystis presence was investigated by native-Lugol examination,trichrome staining,PCR using sequence tagged site primers,and DNA sequencing analysis.The phylogenetic tree was constructed.Results:The native-Lugol and trichrome staining methods revealed that 16 patients(16/133,12.0%)had Blastocystis-positive stool samples,of which seven samples(7/133,5.3%)belonged acute and nine(9/133,6.8%)to chronic urticaria patients.Concerning Blastocystis subtypes,of the acute urticaria patients,three had subtype 1(ST1),one had ST2,and three had ST3.Of the chronic urticaria patients,one had ST1 and eight had ST3.Blastocystis positivity was detected in two control individuals(2/123,1.6%),both being ST3.All subtypes identified by PCR were confirmed by the sequencing analysis.The acute and chronic urticaria groups showed no statistically significant differences for Blastocystis positivity(P=0.60)and subtype distribution(P=0.15).A statistically significant difference was found between the urticaria patients and the controls for Blastocystis positivity(P<0.01),but not for subtype distribution(P=0.67)or for Blastocystis presence and gastrointestinal complaints.Conclusions:This study on Blastocystis subtype distribution among Turkish urticaria patients showed results consistent with the literature.It was concluded that Blastocystis should be kept in mind in patients with urticaria.
