ABSTRACT
Objective: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic, complex disease with many components that must be managed. Treatment success depends on excellent treatment compliance. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the treatment adherence of diabetic patients during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) pandemic and the factors affecting this condition. Material and Methods: The study was carried out on 474 diabetic patients with a questionnaire consisting of questions based on The Medication Compliance Questionnaire (MCQ) and the World Health Organization (WHO) 2003 compliance guideline. Results: The rate of non-compliance with the treatment based on the MCQ scale was 82.3%. Non-compliance with treatment was significantly associated with oral antidiabetic (OAD) drug use, smoking status, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <7%, and patient comments of "I don't have regular doctor follow-up," "I can't communicate well with my doctor," "My blood glucose is not at the target value," and "My medications are not comfort-able enough for use"(p=0.011;0.010;0.014;0.011;0.002;0.019;0.001). Patients under insulin treatment or with an HbA1c value of >= 7% were found to be more compliant with the treatment. Conclusion: Unlike the classical results, the incompatibility of di-abetic patients with HbA1c <7% and under OADs with the treat-ment was emphasized. Patients using insulin and with advanced duration of diabetes were more compliant with the treatment in the stressful period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of fol-low-up by the doctor and low patient effort to communicate with the doctor have been decisive factors in the non-compliance.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the associations of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP)-albumin ratio (CAR) with the duration of hospital stay and fatality rate in geriatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Patients older than 65 years with polymerase chain reaction-positive COVID-19 were included. Neutrophil, lymphocyte, CRP, albumin, and demographic data and the duration of hospitalization were recorded. RESULTS: The mean length of stay was 15 days. NLR and CAR were significantly higher in patients who died than in those who survived. The cutoffs predictive of mortality were 4.02 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.717) for NLR and 23 for CAR (AUC = 0.781). The fatality rate among patients who required inpatient treatment was 33%. CONCLUSION: NLR and CAR, which can be calculated inexpensively and quickly at the first admission to the hospital, are extremely useful for estimating the duration of hospitalization and risk of mortality in geriatric patients with COVID-19. Using these data, treatment can quickly be intensified when needed.