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Objective: Acute respiratory tract infections are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Although human bocavirus (HBoV) infections are not as common as other seasonal respiratory viruses, children who are infected with HBoV are more likely to suffer from a variety of respiratory conditions, including the common cold, acute otitis media, asthma exacerbations, bronchiolitis pneumonia, some of the affected children require pediatric intensive care unit stay. Here, we aimed to evaluate pediatric bocavirus (HBoV) cases presenting with severe respiratory tract symptoms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Method(s): This retrospective study evaluated the medical records of children diagnosed with respiratory infections, followed up at the Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osmangazi University between September 2021 and March 2022. In this study, patients with HBoV identified using nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were considered positive. Cases were analyzed retrospectively for their clinical characteristics. Result(s): This study included 54 children (29 girls and 25 boys) with HBoV in nasopharyngeal PCR samples. The cases ranged in age from 1 month to 72 months (median 25 months). At the time of presentation, cough, fever, and respiratory distress were the most prevalent symptoms. Hyperinflation (48%), pneumonic consolidation (42%), and pneumothorax-pneumomediastinum (7%) were observed on the chest X-ray;54% of the children required intensive care unit stay. The median length of hospitalization was 6 days. Bacterial coinfection was detected in 7 (17%) children, while HBoV and other viruses were present in 20 (37%) children;57% of children received supplemental oxygen by mask, 24% high-flow nasal oxygen, 7% continuous positive airway pressure, and 9% invasive mechanical ventilation support. Antibiotics were given to 34 (63%) cases, and systemic steroid treatment was given to 41 (76%) cases. Chest tubes were inserted in three out of the four cases with pneumothorax-pneumomediastinum. All patients were recovered and were discharged from the hospital. Conclusion(s): The COVID-19 pandemic changed the epidemiology of seasonal respiratory viruses and the clinical course of the diseases. Although it usually causes mild symptoms, severe respiratory symptoms can lead to life-threatening illnesses requiring intensive care admission.Copyright © 2023. The Author(s).
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Objective Acute respiratory tract infections are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Although human bocavirus (HBoV) infections are not as common as other seasonal respiratory viruses, children who are infected with HBoV are more likely to suffer from a variety of respiratory conditions, including the common cold, acute otitis media, asthma exacerbations, bronchiolitis pneumonia, some of the affected children require pediatric intensive care unit stay. Here, we aimed to evaluate pediatric bocavirus (HBoV) cases presenting with severe respiratory tract symptoms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods This retrospective study evaluated the medical records of children diagnosed with respiratory infections, followed up at the Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osmangazi University between September 2021 and March 2022. In this study, patients with HBoV identified using nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were considered positive. Cases were analyzed retrospectively for their clinical characteristics.Results This study included 54 children (29 girls and 25 boys) with HBoV in nasopharyngeal PCR samples. The cases ranged in age from 1 month to 72 months (median 25 months). At the time of presentation, cough, fever, and respiratory distress were the most prevalent symptoms. Hyperinflation (48%), pneumonic consolidation (42%), and pneumothorax-pneumomediastinum (7%) were observed on the chest X-ray;54% of the children required intensive care unit stay. The median length of hospitalization was 6 days. Bacterial coinfection was detected in 7 (17%) children, while HBoV and other viruses were present in 20 (37%) children;57% of children received supplemental oxygen by mask, 24% high-flow nasal oxygen, 7% continuous positive airway pressure, and 9% invasive mechanical ventilation support. Antibiotics were given to 34 (63%) cases, and systemic steroid treatment was given to 41 (76%) cases. Chest tubes were inserted in three out of the four cases with pneumothorax-pneumomediastinum. All patients were recovered and were discharged from the hospital.Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic changed the epidemiology of seasonal respiratory viruses and the clinical course of the diseases. Although it usually causes mild symptoms, severe respiratory symptoms can lead to life-threatening illnesses requiring intensive care admission.
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COVID-19 affects pregnant women more severely than nonpregnant women of reproductive age. However, the rate of critical illness and fatality reported in other studies varied in a wide range in both groups. The study aims to investigate the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in the pregnant and nonpregnant matched control patients admitted to the hospital. Pregnant and nonpregnant patients of reproductive age (18-45 years) infected with COVID-19 who were admitted to Ondokuz Mayis University Hospital, Samsun, Turkey, from March 11 to December 11, 2020, were enrolled in the study. The clinical, radiological, and laboratory data of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 153 patients were investigated;123 were nonpregnant, and 30 were pregnant. Emergency delivery occurred in 5 (17%) pregnant women due to acute respiratory failure associated with COVID-19 and 1 (3%) pregnant woman due to obstetric reasons. Four premature births, one perinatal death, and no stillbirth or miscarriage were reported. The rate of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) [7/30 (23.3%) vs 3/123 (2.4%), p<0.001] and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) [5/30 (17.0%) vs 2/123 (1.6%), p=0.003] were significantly higher in pregnant than in non-pregnant patients. However, hospital length of stay (HLOS) and mortality did not differ between groups: HLOS was median 4 vs 5 days, p=0.68, and the mortality rate was 1/123 (0.8%) vs 0/30 (0%), p=0.62 in nonpregnant and pregnant patients respectively. We observed that COVID-19 has a more severe course in pregnant women versus the nonpregnant control group, but no difference was noted in terms of hospital length of stay and mortality. The overall case fatality rate of COVID-19 in hospitalized pregnant or nonpregnant women of reproductive age was found to be much lower than the general hospitalized population worldwide. Copyright © 2022 Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi. All rights reserved.
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Covid-19, which started in China and affected all countries in the world in a short time, spread rapidly among people and caused serious loss of life. This global epidemic has not only been effective on human health, but has also brought with it a new world order in economic and social terms. In Turkey, the impact of the epidemic reached critical dimensions in time, especially in the health sector, as well as in the agriculture and industry sectors. The aim of this research is to comparatively evaluate consumer preferences for agricultural and food products before and during Covid-19. The material of the research consists of data obtained from 384 consumers residing in the urban area of Samsun. Research results in the epidemic process;expiry date, price, brand, It shows that the ranking of the most important criteria related to agricultural and food products such as production date and company name has not changed compared to the pre-epidemic period, but the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. however, it shows that the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. however, it shows that the importance of the criteria has increased. According to the results of the research, the highest consumption increase was in garlic with 57.1% compared to the pre-epidemic period, followed by bulgur (45.8%) and carrots (42.3%). It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process. It was determined that the most effective factors in purchasing agricultural and food products during the epidemic were price reductions (49.7%) and experience with the purchased product (28.1%). The fact that price reductions are taken into account when purchasing agricultural and food products shows that economic concerns are still a determining criterion for consumers during the epidemic process.
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Background. Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive, facultative anaerobic bacillus common in the intestinal flora of many animals and humans. We describe an unusual case of meningitis by Listeria monocytogenes (LM) complicated by hydrocephalus in a child with dermatomyositis. Methods. A 15-year-old girl presented to an outside hospital (OH) after a threeday history of headache, fever and was hospitalized with a diagnosis of meningitis and lumbar puncture performed. CSF sample could not be evaluated clearly due to its hemorrhagic nature. Her past medical history was significant for dermatomyositis for five years. She had received induction of IVIG five days prior. She was also taking cyclosporin A and hydroxychloroquine. She was empirically treated with intravenous cefotaxime, vancomycin, and acyclovir. She was urgently transferred to the theatre for an external shunt placement in the right lateral ventricle. The interval between the first symptoms and the diagnosis of hydrocephalus was around 4 days. CSF from this catheter showed growth of LM with sensitivity to meropenem and resistance to erythromycin, ampicillin, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Gram staining of CSF resulted negative for bacteria. Cefotaxime was switched to intravenous meropenem. Immunological screening of cellular and humoral immunity, complement, and blood iron levels were normal. SARS-Cov2 PCR and HIV tests were negative. Herpes virus, mycobacterium tuberculosis real-time PCR, respiratory viral panel studied in the CSF sample were negative. MRI and Angio of the brain showed no abnormality. She is being followed in the pediatric intensive care unit as intubated. Results. In patients who received immunosuppressive medication, L. monocytogenes should be evaluated in the differential diagnosis of central nervous system infections. Even if effective antibiotic therapy has been initiated, this case highlights the need of recognizing early hydrocephalus as a consequence of Listeria meningitis in children with neurological deterioration a few days after initial presentation. Conclusion. The literature on the management and outcome of Listeria meningitis-related hydrocephalus in children is limited.
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Objective: Owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), treatment approaches are reshapened because of the excessive load on the health system. This study aimed to investigate the differences in our surgical approach to kidney stone cases between the COVID-19 period and pre-COVID-19 period. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) or percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PNL) for kidney stones in our clinic between March 11, 2020, and September 11, 2020, and those in the same period 1 year ago were included in the study. Demographic information, laboratory data, stone characteristics, treatment choices and results were evaluated comparatively. Results: A total of 39 patients in the COVID-19 period (group 1) and 93 patients in the pre- COVID-19 period (group 2) underwent kidney stone surgery. While RIRS was performed to 32 of the patients in group 1, PNL was applied to seven of the patients in group 2. RIRS was performed to 70 patients in group 2, and PNL was applied to 23 of them. While the RIRS/PNL ratio was 4.5 in group 1, it was 3.04 in group 2. During the COVID-19 period, the number of patients who underwent PNL has decreased significantly. Conclusion: The number of elective surgery cases has significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is predicted that the incidence of organ loss will increase due to complications and delayed treatment. Moreover, interruption of the residents' surgical training secondary to the decreasing number of cases is one of the pandemic's critical drawbacks.
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Background: The pandemic caused by the new type of coronavirus (coronavirus disease 2019) has led to a serious increase in the demand for personal protective equipment, especially the mask. Depending on the increasing demand, many types of masks have been used in the pandemic process between health-care professionals and the community. Aims and Objectives: In our study, it was planned to evaluate N95, green, white surgical, and fabric woven masks with a fluorescent angiography (SPY (R)) device for protection. Materials and Methods: To evaluate the effectiveness of the masks, models with and without mannequins are used. In both study models, indocyanine green was squeezed from the masks at a distance of 50 cm and the staining values of masks and mannequin faces were evaluated with fluorescent angiography (SPY (R)) device. Results: The most dyeing fabric was observed in the woven mask, while the least dyeing was observed in the N95 mask. In the model without mannequin, it was observed that the highest protection was in the N95 mask and the least protection was in the fabric woven mask. The most dyeing on the face was observed on the mannequin in which the woven mask was removed, and the least dyeing on the face was observed on the mannequin in which the N95 mask was removed. Green and white surgical masks were found to have similar protective rates. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, where the effectiveness of the mask was evaluated for the first time by using a fluorescent angiography (SPY (R)) device from a plastic surgery perspective, it was found that the N95 mask had the highest protection, the green and white surgical masks were similar, and the fabric woven mask had the least protection.
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Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of medical faculty students about the covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Between 29/03/2020 and 04/13/2020 a total of 1,332 students had been questioned in three Turkish speaking countries (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). Results: The average age of the students were 20.1 +/- 1.6. Among all 895 (67.7%) of them were female and 427 (32.3%) were male. 1020 (77.2%) of the studens were in Turkey, 195 (14.8%) were in Azerbaijan and 107 (8.1%) were in the TRNC. 104 of the students (7.9%) had a chronic disease. It was found that number of alcohol and cigarette users decreased significantly during the pandemic. (p <0.001, p <0.001). Anxiety levels of those who quit or reduced smoking were found to be higher than those who increased or did not change their amount of smoking (p=0.034). It was found that the most benefited sources were "their faculty lecturers" (n=453, 34.3%), "Worldometer (R) website" (n= 449, 34%) and "Youtube videos" (n=396, 30%). Conclusion: Longitudinal studies are needed on the effects of pandemic on alcohol and tobacco use. It is important to educate future physicians in social media literacy, interpretation and responsibilities for social media posts. In this way, perhaps we can contribute to minimize the public's erroneous beliefs and maladaptive behaviors regarding the pandemic and reduce stigmatizing attitudes towards physicians, elders and Asians.
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Objective: In the early stages of any epidemic caused by new emerging pathogens healthcare personnel is subject to a great risk. Pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, proved to be no exception. Many healthcare workers died in the early stages of pandemic due to inadequate precautions and insufficient protection. It is essential to protect and maintain the safety of healthcare personnel for the confinement of pandemic as well as continuity of qualified healthcare services which is already under strain. Educating healthcare personnel on appropiate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is as essential as procuring them. Material and Methods: A survey is conducted on 4927 healthcare personnel working solely with pediatric patients from 32 different centers. Education given on PPE usage were questioned and analyzed depending on age, sex, occupation and region. Results: Among four thousand nine hundred twelve healthcare personnel from 32 different centers 91% (n= 4457) received education on PPE usage. Of those who received education only 36% was given both theoretical and applied education. Although there was no differences among different occupation groups, receiving education depended on regions. Conclusion: It is essential to educate healthcare personnel appropiately nationwidely for the continuity of qualified healthcare services during the pandemic.
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Objective: In the early stages of any epidemic caused by new emerging pathogens healthcare personnel is subject to a great risk. Pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, proved to be no exception. Many healthcare workers died in the early stages of pandemic due to inadequate precautions and insufficient protection. It is essential to protect and maintain the safety of healthcare personnel for the confinement of pandemic as well as continuity of qualified healthcare services which is already under strain. Educating healthcare personnel on appropiate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is as essential as procuring them. Material and Methods: A survey is conducted on 4927 healthcare personnel working solely with pediatric patients from 32 different centers. Education given on PPE usage were questioned and analyzed depending on age, sex, occupation and region. Results: Among four thousand nine hundred twelve healthcare personnel from 32 different centers 91% (n=4457) received education on PPE usage. Of those who received education only 36% was given both theoretical and applied education. Although there was no differences among different occupation groups, receiving education depended on regions. Conclusion: It is essential to educate healthcare personnel appropiately nationwidely for the continuity of qualified healthcare services during the pandemic.