The Genotype of Hepatitis C Distribution in Van and Evaluation of the predicted Risks For Transmission

INTRODUCTION: With 7 primary genotypes and more than 100 subgroups, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) exhibits considerable genetic variability. Due to changes in genotype rates brought on by population migrations, epidemiology data must be updated regularly. This article's aims are to present HCV genotype data, investigate the link between age and gender, and establish the genotype distribution in relation to risk variables. METHODS: Between 2017 and 2021, 95 HCV patients were included in this retrospective, single-center investigation. Anti HCV, HCV RNA polymerase chain reaction results (PCR) and HCV genotype status of the patients were recorded. Abbott Real Time HCV Genotype II genotyping kit was used for HCV genotyping of patients with positive HCV RNA PCR test. RESULTS: 56 (59%) male and 39 (41%) female patients were included in the study. When both genders were examined, it was discovered that genotype 1b (65.3%) was the most common genotype. The least frequent genotypes among the patients were genotype 2 (2.1%) and genotype 4 (2.1%). Regarding HCV genotype type and gender, no statistically meaningful variation was found. However, the evaluation made in terms of genotype type and age showed a statistically significant difference (p 0.001). The most common possible transmission route of the patients was the presence of surgical operation (45.3%), and genotype 1b was the most common in this group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Determination of HCV genotypes and transmission routes and regular reporting of regional data will contribute to epidemiological data. This will guide the development of health policies for HCV and the elimination of HCV

Which of us were more affected by the pandemic? The psychiatric impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals in the province where the first quarantine units were established in Turkey

Introduction Psychiatric problems, such as stress and anxiety disorders, are encountered amongst healthcare professionals fighting epidemics. Considering that COVID-19 suddenly became a pandemic and healthcare professionals have not had access to sufficient information, it is a fact that healthcare professionals have been affected on a large scale. Heavy workloads, insufficient equipment and anxiety over families increase this impact. We aimed to investigate the extent to which healthcare professionals have been psychologically affected by COVID-19 and related factors. Methodology Data obtained through questionnaires completed by 348 healthcare professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic and 350 participants who are in the control group were investigated. The Impact of Event Scale-revised (IES-R) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the Severity Index (ISI) for insomnia were used. Differences regarding gender, occupation, age group, marital status and sub-groups were statistically analysed. Results Of the 348 healthcare professionals, 176 (50.6%) were women and 172 (49.4%) men, while 190 (54.6%) were doctors and 158 (45.4%) nurses. The incidence of PTSD was statistically significantly higher in the healthcare professionals group than in the control group (P < .001). The incidence of PTSD was statistically significantly higher amongst nurses (P = .001), women (P = .002) and those who were married (P = .007). Both PTSD and insomnia were found to be statistically significantly higher amongst those working in the "area of final diagnosis" (P = .016 and P = .002, respectively). Conclusions The determination of the groups most affected amongst professionals working in epidemics is important for the planning of in-service training and psychological support studies. If the fight against pandemics includes health teams with strong psychological grounding, it leads to qualified medical care for patients

Complicated brucellar spondylodiscitis: experience from an endemic area

The demographical, clinical, and therapeutical features of patients with brucellar spondylodiscitis (BS) were evaluated in this study. Of the 96 patients with brucellosis, 20 (20.8 %) were diagnosed with spondylodiscitis. Patients who had BS were more likely to be older (p = 0.001), have higher erythrocyte sedimentation rates (p = 0.01), and more likely to be anemic (p = 0.017). Lumbar segment (18/20) was frequently involved region. BS was complicated with paravertebral or epidural abscess in seven, radiculitis in six, and psoas abscess in five of cases. Antibiotic regimens including two or three antibiotics with combination of doxycycline, rifampin, and streptomycin were used. In this series, the mean duration of antimicrobial therapy was 18 weeks (range 12-56 weeks). Attention is drawn to this disease given the need for prolonged duration of treatment especially in complicated cases in order to avoid possible sequelae

Antibiotic use and Influencing Factors Among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Multicenter Point-Prevalence Study from Turkey

Background: Broad-spectrum empirical antimicrobials arc frequently prescribed for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) despite the lack of evidence for bacterial coinfection