COVID-19 outcomes in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Aim of this study is to investigate COVID-19 outcomes in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). METHODS: A retrospective cohort was formed from APS patients. Patients were screened for a record of positive SARS-CoV 2 PCR. In PCR­positive patients, clinical data and information regarding COVID-19 outcomes were collected from medical records. RESULTS: A positive PCR test was detected in 9/53 APS patients, while 66.7 %, 33.3 % and 11.1 % of APS patients with COVID-19 were under hydroxychloroquine, LMWH or warfarin, and acetylsalicylic acid, respectively. There were 3/9 patients found to be hospitalized and one died. No new thrombotic event was reported in any of the patients during COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSION: Baseline use of hydroxychloroquine, antiaggregants and anticoagulants may be associated with an absence of new thrombotic event (Tab. 2, Ref. 33).

Demographic characteristics of patients with possible or definitive COVID-19 diagnosis transported by 112 emergency health services ambulance

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine the demographic characteristics of possible and definitively diagnosed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients transported by ambulance through the national 112 emergency health services telephone number. METHODS: This study was conducted retrospectively using data from patients diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 who were transported to hospital in Ankara by ambulance. Calls to the 112 emergency services call center between March 11, 2020 and May 11, 2020 were examined, and all of the relevant patients over the age of 18 transported by ambulance were included in the study. RESULTS: Ambulances were dispatched to 107,173 cases during the study period. In all, 11,345 possible COVID-19 cases were transferred to hospitals and 856 (7.5%) of these patients were subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19 based on a polymerase chain reaction test. Of the patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 50.6% were women. The mean age of the entire group was 50.6+or-18.7 years. The triage code of the COVID-19-positive patients was 57.1% yellow, 37.1% green, and 5.7% red. Urban residents constituted 95.7% of the patients with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 virus, which causes COVID-19, spread quickly and was declared a pandemic in early 2020. The rapidly increasing case numbers and the high morbidity rate caused widespread anxiety. Descriptive data, such as age and gender distribution, sociocultural characteristics, and symptoms, of patients attended to by emergency medical service units will help to determine prevalence and risk, and provide important information for public health management.

COVID-19: transport operation from an endemic area

Aim: Turkish Government launched an operation to transport the Turks living in Wuhan, China to Turkey because of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemia. In this study, the transport method, medical measures taken and quarantine process were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Turkish citizens living in China had reported to the Turkish Embassy in Beijing that they wanted to return to Turkey. Thereupon Turkish Embassy in Beijing contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, and it was decided to transport Turkish citizens from China to Turkey. The governments of Georgia, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, and Albania, who were aware of this development, requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey for their own citizens to be included in this transport.

Transport of COVID-19 patients by air ambulance

Objective: In the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, emergency healthcare services work on the frontline with land and air ambulances and face serious challenges. Data on the care of COVID-19 patients and transport by European air ambulance systems are very limited. During the pandemic period, many domestic and international COVID-19 patients were transferred by air ambulances. In this study, we aimed to reveal the analysis of COVID-19 patients transported by our air ambulance system and how the transfers took place. Methods: Our study is a retrospective cohort study. Patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 as a result of RT-PCR and transferred by fixed wing air ambulance between 15.04.2020 and 31.12.2020 were included in the study. The information of the cases was obtained from the Ministry of Health Emergency Health Services Automation System (ASOS) and flight records. Flight time, age, gender, hospitalization status (ward / intensive care unit), vital signs, treatment received (nasal oxygen, non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), mechanical ventilation), transportation patterns and post-transport disinfection procedures were recorded. Results: The number of patients with a definite diagnosis of COVID-19 according to real time PCR results with fixed wing ambulance was 80. 85% of the patients were male and the mean age was 44.7 ± 14.0 years. The average flight time for these patients was 492.2 ± 270.8 minutes. 87.5% (n = 70) of the COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the inpatient service and 12.5% (n = 10) in the intensive care unit. 2.5% (n = 2) CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy, 3.8% (n = 3) mechanical ventilator follow-up, 22.5% (n = 18) intravenous (IV) fluid therapy and 71.3% (n = 57) received nasal oxygen therapy. Medical team used Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in transferring all patients. 97.5% (n = 75) of the patients were transferred in the Portable Isolation Unit (PIU) and 2.5% (n = 5) were transferred without isolation. Conclusion: Transport and care of COVID-19 patients seem appropriate even for long periods from the air. Proper use of PPE and PIUs can provide security for personnel in charge of air transport of COVID-19 patients. © 2021. All rights reserved