Background We investigated potential predictive factors for mortality and disease severity from demographic and clinical data, comorbidities, and laboratory findings in patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were consecutively admitted to our tertiary hospital. Methods In this retrospective, single-center, observational study, we enrolled consecutive 540 adult patients who had COVID-19 confirmed by a molecular method. Patients were categorized into three groups based on disease severity. Patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics, mortality rates, and mortality-associated factors were analyzed. Results The overall mortality rate was 4.3% (23/540). Disease severity was mild in 40.9% (n = 221), severe in 53.7% (n = 290), and critical in 5.4% (n = 29) of the patients. There were significant differences among groups in terms of median white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and thrombocyte counts, as well as C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine, albumin, D-dimer, ferritin, troponin, and fibrinogen levels. Furthermore, there were significant differences between surviving and non-surviving patient groups in terms of median WBC, hemoglobin, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, as well as CRP, procalcitonin, LDH, creatinine, albumin, D-dimer, and ferritin levels. CRP level (odds ratio [OR]: 1.020, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.009–1.032; p < 0.001), and CURB-65 score (OR: 4.004, 95% CI: 1,288–12,447; p = 0.017) were independently associated with disease severity and mortality. Conclusion On admission, WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts can be used to predict disease severity in patients with COVID-19. CRP, ferritin, LDH, creatinine, troponin, D-dimer, fibrinogen, and albumin levels can also be used to predict disease severity in these patients. Finally, elevated CRP level and high CURB-65 score were predictors of disease severity and mortality.
Pneumobilia, or aerobilia, is defined as the presence of gas in the biliary system. It may occur for various reasons, including recent enterobiliary system interventions, sphincter of oddi dysfunction, and enterobiliary fistula and anastomoses. A 61-year-old male patient presented to our emergency department due to nausea and vomiting. He had no history of drug use other than proton pump inhibitor medication, nor of alcohol or substance use. Although no history of previous medical intervention was present, gas (pneumobilia) was detected in the intrahepatic biliary ducts. We suspected that the incidentally detected pneumobilia in this patient, who also suffered from food poisoning, developed spontaneously in association with peptic ulcer and might have derived from a thin, asymptomatic enterobiliary fistula. Depending on its cause, pneumobilia may not require emergency surgery. The possibility of enterobiliary fistula should not be overlooked in patients presenting to the emergency department with chronic peptic ulcer symptoms.
BACKGROUND: We evaluated risk factors and frailty assessments to identify fall-prone geriatric patients in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This prospective study included 264 consecutive patients aged ≥65 years who presented to the ED. The participants were divided into those who had fallen or not. The patient groups were compared in terms of age, sex, presenting complaints (falls vs. others), comorbidities, medications, frailty assessment tools, and orthostatic hypotension (OH). RESULTS: In total, 264 patients were included: 129 (48.8%) patients who had fallen and 135 (51.2%) who hadn’t fallen. The mean ages of patients who had fallen and those who had not fallen were 80.48±8.38 and 79.42±7.94 years, respectively. In addition, 62.01% (n=80) and 51.85% (n=70) of patients were females. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of age or sex (P=0.290 and P=0.096, respectively). In total, 89.92% (n=116) of patients who had fallen had at least one chronic medical condition. There was a significant difference in the proportion of patients with OH between the groups. Frailty scores such as the Edmonton Frail Scale, Frail Non-Disabled Questionnaire, PRISMA-7 questionnaire, Identification of Seniors at Risk test, and Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale scores were also significantly different between the groups. A higher PRISMA-7 score at admission was found to be an independent predictor of fall risk. CONCLUSION: Falls occur more frequently in the older population and in females. In addition, the frailty assessment scores, except for the FRESH Frailty Scale, were associated with falls in geriatric patients. After elimination of non-significant variables in multivariate analysis, a high PRISMA-7 questionnaire score at admission was identified as an independent predictor of fall risk.
OBJECTIVE:We investigated the relationship between thoracic diameters and chest compression-related thoracoabdominal injury in patients with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who had a return of spontaneous circulation after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS: A total of 63 consecutive adult non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients were enrolled in this prospective study. Computed tomography was performed on each patient and the anteroposterior diameter, skin-to-skin anteroposterior diameter, and transverse diameter of the chest were measured. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation-related thoracoabdominal injury. Age, sex, and duration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, anteroposterior diameter, skin-to-skin anteroposterior diameter, and transverse diameter were compared between the groups. The primary outcome was the relationship between thoracic diameters and cardiopulmonary resuscitation-induced thoracoabdominal injuries. RESULTS: Thoracoabdominal injuries were detected in 46% (n=29) of the patients and consisted of rib fractures in 22 (34.9%) patients, pulmonary contusion in 7 (11.1%), and sternal fracture in 3 (4.8%) patients. There were no significant differences in cardiopulmonary resuscitation duration between patients with and without thoracoabdominal injuries (p=0.539). Similarly, there were no significant differences in anteroposterior diameter, skin-to-skin anteroposterior diameter, or transverse diameter between patient groups (p=0. 978, p=0.730, and p=0.146, respectively) or between patients who died within the first 28 days and those who survived for longer than 28 days (p=0.488, p=0.878, and p=0.853, respectively). CONCLUSION: The iatrogenic thoracoabdominal injuries caused by cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed according to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines were independent of thoracic diameters. Therefore, the cardiac compression depth of 5-6 cm recommended by the current cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines is reliable for patients with different thoracic diameters.
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