ABSTRACT
Objectives@#We evaluated pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and observed them over a period of 3 months. We also investigated the relationship of these symptoms to age, gender, disease severity, and levels of anxiety and depression. @*Methods@#The study included 100 confirmed COVID-19 patients (i.e., positive on a polymerase chain reaction test) between the ages of 18 and 75 years. Pain (visual analog scale [VAS]), fatigue (fatigue severity scale), anxiety, and depression (hospital anxiety and depression scales) were evaluated on the first day of hospitalization and at 1-month and 3-month follow-ups. The short form-12 questionnaire was used to measure quality of life at the 1-month and 3-month follow-ups. @*Results@#No differences were found in pain, fatigue, anxiety levels, depression levels, and quality of life according to disease severity. High VAS scores at hospital admission were related to continued pain at the 3-month follow-up (odds ratio [OR], 1.067; p<0.001). High VAS (OR, 1.072; p=0.003) and anxiety levels (OR, 1.360; p<0.007) were related to severe fatigue at the 3-month evaluation. @*Conclusion@#Pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression appear to be long-term sequelae of COVID-19 and can affect quality of life. High VAS and anxiety levels were found to be associated with long-term fatigue.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Our purpose was to reveal the efficiency of diffusion weighted imaging [DWI] in the diagnosis of encephalitis, and to determine the relation between the apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] values, the onset of the clinical symptoms, and the lesion extent
Methods: Conventional magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] was performed in 17 patients with encephalitis diagnosed on the basis of laboratory, clinical and radiologic findings during 2009 and 2015. Based on the duration between the onset of the symptoms and the brain MRI findings, the patients were divided into three groups. ADC values of the encephalitis lesion, the lesions' topographic analysis score, deep gray matter involvement, patients' clinical situation and the duration of the arrival to the clinic was examined
Results: Mean ADC values were 0,988 +/- 0,335x10-3 mm2/s in group I [0-2 days], 1,045 +/- 0,347x10-3 mm2/s in Group-II [3-7 days], 1,451 +/- 0,225x10-3 mm2/s in Group-III [8 days and over]. The relation between the ADC values and the duration of the arrival, topographic analysis score, the relation between the patients' clinical situation and the deep gray matter involvement were found to be statistically significant. The deep gray matter involvement was demonstrated more clearly by FLAIR images when compared with DWI
Conclusion: Conventional MRI sequences may be insufficient in showing the encephalitis lesion. DWI must be added to the imaging modalities immediately in the cases suspected of having encephalitis
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of the present study were to determine the outcomes of inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers over a 10-year study period and to elucidate the HBV serological profile of their family members. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical files of inactive HBsAg carriers followed up at the Department of Infectious Diseases of Kocatepe University Medical Faculty Hospital between March 2001 and January 2011. RESULTS: In total, 438 inactive HBsAg carriers were enrolled in this trial. The follow-up period was 33.7+/-22.5 months (mean+/-SD). Anti-hepatitis-B surface antibody seroconversion occurred in 0.7% of cases, while chronic hepatitis B was found in 0.5%. The anti-hepatitis-D virus (HDV) status was evaluated in 400 patients and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 430. It was found that 1% and 0.2% were positive for anti-HDV and anti-HCV, respectively. HBV serology was investigated in at least 1 family member of 334/438 (76.3%) patients. The HBsAg positivity rate was 34.6% in 625 family members of 334 patients. A comparison of the HBsAg positivity rates in terms of HBV DNA levels in index cases revealed that HBsAg seropositivity rates were higher in family members of HBV DNA-negative patients than in family members of HBV DNA-positive cases (P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The HBsAg positivity rate was higher in family members of inactive HBsAg carriers than in the general population; these family members therefore have a higher risk of HBV transmission. Furthermore, despite negative HBV DNA levels, transmission risk was not reduced in these patients, and horizontal transmission seems to be independent of the HBV DNA value.