THE EFFECT OF SMOKING STATUS ON DISEASE SEVERITY IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS FOLLOWED-UP FOR COVID-19 PNEUMONIA

Introduction:Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which has emerged since December 2019, still affects the world with all its violence. The disease presents with different clinical pictures ranging from an asymptomatic case to severe respiratory failure resulting in death. Our aim in this study, is to investigate the relation of smoking with symptoms, clinical course and disease severity in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia. Method: 107 patients who were hospitalized with the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia and received treatment, between st th February 1 , 2021 and March 15 , 2021, were analyzed retrospectively. In particular, their smoking history, symptoms at hospital admission, comorbidities, non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) and intensive care unit (ICU) requirements needed during hospitalization, mortality and the relationship between smoking status and disease severity were examined. Results: 107 patients (68 males and 39 females) with a mean age of 49 years, were included in the study. 42% of the patients were smokers, 22.4% quitters, and 35.5% of them had never smoked. Cough, sputum, and shortness of breath were found to be higher in smokers. Muscle and joint pain was statistically signi?cantly higher in the smoking group. The symptoms and length of hospital stay were not related with smoking status. Conclusion: As a result of our study; we found that symptoms, comorbidities, need for NIMV and mortality were higher in the smoking group and smoking was higher in the severe disease group. Although these differences were not statistically signi?cant, they were determined as numerical de?ections.

Assessments of the associations of thrombus localization with accompanying disorders, risk factors, D-dimer levels, and the red cell distribution width in pulmonary embolism

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary embolisms occur as a wide spectrum ranging from clinically asymptomatic thrombi to massive thrombi that lead to cardiogenic shock. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations of thrombus localization with risk factors, accompanying disorders, D-dimer levels and the red blood cell distribution width in patients with pulmonary embolism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 148 patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, the presence and anatomical localization of the thrombus were assessed via computed tomographic pulmonary angiography. The accompanying disorders, risk factors, serum D-dimer levels, and red blood cell distribution width of the patients were retrospectively evaluated. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02388841. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 54±16.0 years, and 48 patients were ≥65 years of age. The most frequent accompanying disorders were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (22%) and malignancy (10.1%), and the most frequent risk factors were recent operation (14.1%) and immobilization (18.2%). Thrombi were most frequently observed in the right pulmonary artery (37.8%). In 31% of the patients, the thrombus was localized to the main pulmonary arteries. Immobile patients exhibited a higher proportion of thrombi in the main pulmonary arteries than mobile patients. The mean D-dimer level and the mean red blood cell distribution width in the patients with thrombi in the main pulmonary arteries were higher than those in the patients with thrombi in more distal pulmonary arterial branches. CONCLUSION: Significant associations of proximally localized thrombi with immobilization, the D-dimer levels, and the red blood cell distribution width were observed. .

An overlooked cause of resistant hypertension: upper airway resistance syndrome - preliminary results

OBJECTIVE: Upper airway resistance syndrome is a sleep-disordered breathing syndrome that is characterized by repetitive arousals resulting in sympathetic overactivity. We aimed to determine whether upper airway resistance syndrome was associated with poorly controlled hypertension. METHODS: A total of 40 patients with resistant hypertension were enrolled in the study. All of the patients underwent polysomnographic examinations and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to exclude white coat syndrome and to monitor treatment efficiency. Among 14 upper airway resistance syndrome patients, 2 patients had surgically correctable upper airway pathologies, while 12 patients were given positive airway pressure therapy. RESULTS: All patients underwent polysomnographic examinations; 22 patients (55%) were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and 14 patients (35%) were diagnosed with upper airway resistance syndrome, according to American Sleep Disorders Association criteria. The patients with upper airway resistance syndrome were younger and had a lower body mass index compared with other patients, while there were no difference between the blood pressure levels and the number of antihypertensive drugs. The arousal index was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure level (p = 0.034; rs = 0.746), while the Epworth score and AHI were independent of disease severity (p = 0.435, rs = 0.323 and p = 0.819, rs = -0.097, respectively). Eight patients were treated with positive airway pressure treatment and blood pressure control was achieved in all of them, whereas no pressure reduction was observed in four untreated patients. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that upper airway resistance syndrome is a possible secondary cause of resistant hypertension and that its proper treatment could result in dramatic blood pressure control. .