The aim of this study was to determine the clinical features, and outcome of the patients with miliary tuberculosis (TB).We retrospectively evaluated 263 patients (142 male, 121 female, mean age: 44 years, range: 16–89 years) with miliary TB. Criteria for the diagnosis of miliary TB were at least one of the followings in the presence of clinical presentation suggestive of miliary TB such as prolonged fever, night sweats, anorexia, weight loss: radiologic criterion and pathological criterion and/or microbiological criterion; pathological criterion and/or microbiological criterion.The miliary pattern was seen in 88% of the patients. Predisposing factors were found in 41% of the patients. Most frequent clinical features and laboratory findings were fever (100%), fatigue (91%), anorexia (85%), weight loss (66%), hepatomegaly (20%), splenomegaly (19%), choroid tubercules (8%), anemia (86%), pancytopenia (12%), and accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (89%). Tuberculin skin test was positive in 29% of cases. Fifty percent of the patients met the criteria for fever of unknown origin. Acid-fast bacilli were demonstrated in 41% of patients (81/195), and cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were positive in 51% (148/292) of tested specimens (predominantly sputum, CSF, and bronchial lavage). Blood cultures were positive in 20% (19/97). Granulomas in tissue samples of liver, lung, and bone marrow were present in 100% (21/21), 95% (18/19), and 82% (23/28), respectively. A total of 223 patients (85%) were given a quadruple anti-TB treatment. Forty-four (17%) patients died within 1 year after diagnosis established. Age, serum albumin, presence of military pattern, presence of mental changes, and hemoglobin concentration were found as independent predictors of mortality. Fever resolved within first 21 days in the majority (90%) of the cases.Miliary infiltrates on chest X-ray should raise the possibility of miliary TB especially in countries where TB is endemic. Although biopsy of the lungs and liver may have higher yield rate of organ involvement histopathologicaly, less invasive procedures including a bone marrow biopsy and blood cultures should be preferred owing to low complication rates.
Aim Influenza vaccination is the most effective method in prevention of influenza disease and its complications. Our study aimed to investigate the rates of vaccination and the behaviors and attitudes against the vaccine in healthcare workers in Turkey. Methods This multicenter national survey is a descriptive study in which 12475 healthcare workers. Healthcare workers were asked to answer the questionnaire consisting of 12 questions via the survey. Results It was found that 6.7% of the healthcare workers regularly got vaccinated each year and that 55% had never had the influenza vaccine before. The biggest obstacle against getting vaccinated was determined as not believing in the necessity of the vaccine (53.1%). Conclusion The rates of influenza vaccination in healthcare workers in Turkey are quite low. False knowledge and attitudes on the vaccine and disease are seen as the most important reasons to decline vaccination. It is important to detect reasons for anti‐vaccination and set a course in order to increase the rates of vaccination.
Background/aim: The emergence of COVID-19 outbreak has an enormous emotional impact on some vulnerablespecific groups such as people living with HIV (PLHIV). We planned this study aiming tTo assess the anxiety levels current status of PLHIV and their sourcescauses of their anxiety we planned this study. Materials and methods: We sent the web-based questionnaire to PLHIV with the help of a virtual snowball sampling method. Questionnaire included questions about sociodemographic status, information about HIV infection, and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Besides, some opinions of the participants about COVID-19 were asked. Results: 307 respondents with the median age of 33, from 32 different cities participated in the study. More than half of the respondents were thinking that COVID-19 is not medically known enough and nearly 45% were thinking that they would have more complication if they acquiregot COVID-19. One fourth of the participants were anxious. Having a pre-existing psychiatric disorder, the perceivingption insufficient the preventive measures they are practicingof taking insufficient precautions to protect oneself, not being sure uncertain about the presence of any patient with COVID-19 in their environmentaround oneself, and living with a household member with a chronic disease were found to be the risk factors of PLHIV for being anxious during this pandemic. BAI scores were correlated with the patient-reported anxiety levels about the spread of COVID-19 in Turkey, acquiringcontracting coronavirus, transmitting coronavirus to another person and transmitting HIV to another person. Among the stated conditions, the most exciting one was the spread of the virus all over the country and the least exciting condition was about transmitting HIV to someone else. Conclusion: Our results reveals that a significant proportion of the sample is anxious, and our findings are essential for developing evidence-based strategies for decreasing the anxiety of 2 PLHIV especially for the ones who have risk factors and serving better health care to them during this pandemic or other pandemic-like crisis.
Background/aim: The aim of this descriptive article is to share the experience in Ege University, Turkey with favipiravir in the treatment of severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Materials and methods: This retrospective descriptive study included patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who presented with or developed severe pneumonia. Results: Forty patients who completed a full course (at least 5 days) of favipiravir were included in the study. At baseline, 30 (75%) patients required treatment for respiratory distress. Thirty three patients (82.5%) were discharged from the hospital with full recovery, 6 patients (15%) died and 1 case (2.5%) was still at the ICU when this paper was written. Conclusion: This study provides relevant information for the treatment of COVID-19, suggesting that favipiravir was associated with significant clinical and laboratory improvements in the majority of the patients, is a safe drug with no serious side effects and would merit further investigation.
Background and Purpose: Fournier’s gangrene (FG) is a rare, rapidly progressive, fulminant form of necrotizing fasciitis of the genital, perianal and perineal regions. Our aim is to investigate the clinical signs, symptoms and factors which affect the clinical results of patients with FG in our clinic. Patients and Methods: 20 patients having FG were admitted to our department during the past 6-year period. Age, gender, diabetes mellitus (DM), duration of symptoms, FG severity index score (FGSIS), colostomy, hospitalization time and number of debridements were investigated for their effects. Results: 13 of our patients were male, 7 of them were female. The mean age was 52.2 years (range: 30–80 years). 85% of our patients had DM as a predisposing factor. The mean hospitalization time was 19.7 days (range: 6–45 days), and overall mortality was 20% (4 patients). Age and FGSIS have been found to be statistically significant factors among the parameters studied. Discussion: FG is still an important disease with high mortality rates in spite of the developments in intensive care units and new-generation antibiotics. In conclusion, we have found that the age and FGSIS of the patient are the most important effecting factors.
BackgroundTraining of infectious disease (ID) specialists is structured on classical clinical microbiology training in Turkey and ID specialists work as clinical microbiologists at the same time. Hence, this study aimed to determine the clinical skills and knowledge required by clinical microbiologists.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out between June 1, 2010 and September 15, 2010 in 32 ID departments in Turkey. Only patients hospitalized and followed up in the ID departments between January-June 2010 who required consultation with other disciplines were included.ResultsA total of 605 patients undergoing 1343 consultations were included, with pulmonology, neurology, cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, dermatology, haematology, and endocrinology being the most frequent consultation specialties. The consultation patterns were quite similar and were not affected by either the nature of infections or the critical clinical status of ID patients.ConclusionsThe results of our study show that certain internal medicine subdisciplines such as pulmonology, neurology and dermatology appear to be the principal clinical requisites in the training of ID specialists, rather than internal medicine as a whole.
Aim Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) changed the delivery of medical education in Turkey by moving to an emergency remote teaching system and led to many challenges for future doctors. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on medical students, to assess their anxiety level and their main anxiety sources related to this pandemic. Methods A Google Form was distributed to medical students using the virtual snowball sampling method. The form included the Beck Anxiety Inventory and additional 19 questions on sociodemographic characteristics, perceived level of knowledge about the epidemic, self‐risk perceptions of COVID‐19 and their anxiety levels about some other topics related to COVID‐19. Results Overall, 3105 medical students with a mean age of 22.37 ± 2.46, took the survey. Amongst the participants, only 32% of the students defined their knowledge about the precautions that should be taken during an epidemic disease as acceptable. Students reported highest anxiety level for the continuing spread of COVID‐19 in Turkey and transmitting coronavirus to another person. Clinically significant anxiety prevalence was 23.2%. Regression analysis revealed that factors that increased the risk of being anxious included being female, being other than a 5th‐year student, thinking that being a medical student would increase the risk of coronavirus transmission or being uncertain about it, being exposed to a patient with COVID‐19 or being uncertain about it, being anxious about the continuing spread of COVID‐19 in Turkey, being anxious about acquiring COVID‐19, being anxious for graduating and being on active duty, being anxious about a medical training interruption. Conclusion Our results suggest that anxiety is prevalent amongst Turkish medical students during the COVID‐19 pandemic and they have a weak preparedness for a pandemic such as COVID‐19. Based on our results, new strategies should be implemented for medical education and for alleviating students’ anxiety levels.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.