Clinical features and predisposing factors of delirium due to COVID-19 pneumonia in intensive care units.

OBJECTIVE: Delirium is an acute disorder in which attention, perception, memory, thought, mood, psychomotor activity and sleep-wake cycles change rapidly. Delirium is also a common clinical syndrome in patients hospitalized in intensive care units due to COVID-19 pneumonia. We reviewed clinical features and predisposing factors of delirium according to psychomotor subtype in patients hospitalized in the intensive care units due to COVID-19 pneumonia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 64 patients who were hospitalized in the intensive care units due to COVID-19 pneumonia were included. Delirium status and psychomotor subtype were determined by applying the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit scale to the patients daily. The gender, age, comorbidity, treatments, intubation, and mortality rates of the patients were recorded. Multivariate analyses were performed by examining predisposing factors, arterial blood gases, hemograms, biochemistry, and brain magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: There were 64 patients in delirium clinic, 65.6% (n=42) of them were male. Hypokinetic delirium was more common in 60.9% (n=39). 79.4% of the patients who received ventilator support were male (p=0.013).When mortality was analyzed in this group, hypoactive delirium was found to be significantly higher (p=0.035). In addition, leukocyte levels were higher in patients with hypokinetic delirium (p=0.029). Ferritin and fibrinogen levels were higher in patients with hyperkinetic delirium (p=0.039, p=0.008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of additional diseases such as advanced age, male gender, hypertension, coronary artery disease, dementia, and hypoxia were factors that increased the frequency of delirium. In addition, the mortality rate was higher in patients with hypokinetic delirium.

The sleep maths: A strong correlation between more daytime light and better night-time sleep

Lighting for workplaces and schools is typically specified to meet the needs of the visual system without sufficient regard to the lighting characteristics that are required by the human circadian system. In 2020, many workers and students were compelled by the COVID-19 pandemic to work and study from home, where light levels are typically even lower than those found in most schools and workplaces. Using online surveys, this study sought to quantify potential changes in daytime light exposures resulting from teleworking or self-isolating at home and how those changes might have affected self-reported sleep quality, psychological health and emotional health. The first survey was administered in early May 2020, and the second survey was administered in September 2020. In broad terms, our analysis indicates that the greater the amount of light one is exposed to during the day (either in the home or outdoors), the better the self-reported sleep outcomes. Stress and mood were also correlated with greater self-reported daytime light exposures. The results suggest that spending one to two hours outdoors or staying in a bright to very bright room indoors may improve night-time sleep. These results have important implications for daytime lighting in homes, offices and schools.

An Overview of Istanbul University's Distance Education Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study centers on the distance education applications that have played a leading role in implementing educational activities conducted by higher education institutions in Turkey and around the world during the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this context, the purpose of this study is to examine educational experiences during the 2020 Spring Semester at Istanbul University, which has been regarded as the role model by many other Turkish universities for complying with decisions made by the Council of Higher Education in Turkey (CHE) in parallel with the rapid spread of the global pandemic. In this regard, the distance education processes coordinated by Istanbul University's Faculty of Open and Distance Education will be scrutinized in all aspects using the outcomes from questionnaires and other certain statistics. The study aims to help present an innovative perspective for the 2020-2021 academic year in light of all the circumstances and developments encountered during the COVID process.