Comparison of SOFA Score, SIRS, qSOFA, and qSOFA

Objective: Sepsis has been defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction that develops as a result of impaired host response to infection. This study aimed to investigate sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), quick SOFA (qSOFA), and qSOFA + lactate criteria (qSOFA+L) in the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis

Urinary Tract Infections in the Emergency Department: Which Antibiotics are Most Appropriate?

Aim: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are frequently seen and also empirically treated in the emergency department (ED). It is known that the antimicrobial resistance of uropathogens is increasing worldwide. Because geographical location plays an important role in antimicrobial resistance and can be used as a guide for treatment, regional studies are particularly important. The aim of this study is to analyze the urine cultures performed at our ED

The association of De Ritis ratio with the severity of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Aim: This study aimed to present the characteristics and poor prognostic factors of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) patients. Materials & methods: Adult patients (>18 years) with CCHF were included in this retrospective study. Demographics, risk scores and laboratory findings of survivors and nonsurvivors were compared. Results: Fifteen (9.2%) of 163 CCHF patients were nonsurvivors and had a higher Severity Score Index (p 3 in 10.1% of survivors and 53.3% of nonsurvivors (p 3 (OR: 5.428, p = 0.045) and SGS (OR: 1.776, p = 0.005) were found as predictive factors. Conclusion: De Ritis ratio may predict prognosis in combination with severity risk scores in CCHF. Plain language summary Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by a virus that causes a high fever and bleeding. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease yet. It is important for doctors to be able to predict which patients are more or less likely to get better, so they need inexpensive tests to predict this. One example test checks the liver enzymes in the blood. This study looked at these tests and discovered that when a certain enzyme called aspartate transaminase is high, patients were more likely to be seriously ill and the sickness affected their whole body. Another enzyme called alanine transaminase was also high when sickness was severe. By checking liver enzymes, doctors can predict whether a patient will recover. If the ratio of these two enzymes, called the De Ritis ratio, is more than 3, the patient may not recover easily. Tweetable abstract De Ritis ratio (aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase) increases in correlation with clinical severity in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. If the De Ritis ratio is >3, the probability of mortality is found to increase 5.4-times

Tetanus immunity status among adult trauma patients in an ED

Objectives: Tetanus is a vaccine-preventable infectious disease. It is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. The aim of this study was to investigate tetanus immunity among adult trauma patients

Retrospective analysis on efficacy of convalescent plasma in acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global health threat. However, currently, no standard therapy has been approved for the disease

Low-dose tocilizumab is associated with improved outcome and a low risk of secondary infection in severe COVID-19 pneumonia

Background Respiratory failure and death are the leading causes of severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hyper-inflammation and cytokine storm cause lung damage. This study aimed to compare the low-dose and high-dose effects of tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor antagonist. Method Patients with severe pneumonia and hyper-inflammation signs because of COVID-19 were included in this retrospective study. Patients receiving tocilizumab = 200 mg as the high-dose group, and those not treated with tocilizumab as the control group. Demographic and clinical data of patients who died and survived in both low-high dose and control patients were compared. According to symptom day and radiological infiltration, patients with tocilizumab were also evaluated in two groups as early and late periods at tocilizumab administration time. Results A total of 160 patients were included in the study; 70 were treated with a low dose and 50 with high-dose tocilizumab. Forty patients were in the control group. Age, comorbidity and clinical features were similar in the control, low-dose tocilizumab and high-dose tocilizumab groups. The mortality rate (12.9%, 30.0%, 37.5, P = .008) was less in the low-dose tocilizumab group. The secondary infection rate was higher in the high-dose group than in the low-dose tocilizumab and control groups (44.0%, 10.0%, 10.0%, P < .001). Distinguishing between those patients who died and survived, age (OR: 1.1589, P < .001), higher APACHE II scores (OR: 1.225, P = .001) and needs for non-invasive mechanical ventilation (OR: 14.469, P < .001) were the most critical risk factors. Low-dose tocilizumab was associated with a lower mortality rate (OR: 0.244, P = .012). Conclusion The use of tocilizumab at a low dose is associated with lower secondary infections and mortality