Effects of personality traits on severity of sepsis.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to reveal the effect of the individual's lifestyle and personality traits on the disease process in patients with sepsis and to have clinical predictions about these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was planned as a multi-center, prospective, observational study after obtaining the approval of the local ethics committee. Patients were hospitalized in different intensive care units. Besides demographics and personal characteristics of patients, laboratory data, length of hospital and ICU stay, and mortality was recorded. Two hundred and fifty-nine patients were followed up in 11 different intensive care units. Mortality rates, morbidities, blood analyses, and personality traits were evaluated as primary outcomes. RESULT: Of the 259 patients followed up, mortality rates were significantly higher in men than in women (p= 0.008). No significant difference was found between the patients' daily activity, tea and coffee consumption, reading habits, smoking habits, blood groups, atopy histories and mortality rates. Examining the personal traits, it was seen that 90 people had A-type personality structure and 51 (56.7%) of them died with higher mortality rate compared to type B (p= 0.038). There was no difference between personalities, in concomitant ARDS occurrence, need for sedation and renal replacement therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals diagnosed with sepsis/septic shock, mortality increased significantly in patients with A-type personality trait compared to other personality traits. These results showed that personal traits may be useful in predicting the severity of disease and mortality in patients with sepsis/septic shock.

Clinical Outcomes and Independent Risk Factors for 90-Day Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with Respiratory Failure Infected with SARS-CoV-2: A Multicenter Study in Turkish Intensive Care Units.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 from different parts of the world. AIMS: To determine risk factors of 90-day mortality in critically ill patients in Turkish intensive care units (ICUs), with respiratory failure. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, observational cohort. METHODS: Patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and who had been followed up in the ICUs with respiratory failure for more than 24 hours were included in the study. Their demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory variables, treatment protocols, and survival data were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 421 patients were included. The median age was 67 (IQR: 57-76) years, and 251 patients (59.6%) were men. The 90-day mortality rate was 55.1%. The factors independently associated with 90-day mortality were invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (HR 4.09 [95% CI: [2.20-7.63], P < .001), lactate level >2 mmol/L (2.78 [1.93-4.01], P < .001), age ≥60 years (2.45 [1.48-4.06)], P < .001), cardiac arrhythmia during ICU stay (2.01 [1.27-3.20], P = .003), vasopressor treatment (1.94 [1.32-2.84], P = .001), positive fluid balance of ≥600 mL/day (1.68 [1.21-2.34], P = .002), PaO2/FiO2 ratio of ≤150 mmHg (1.66 [1.18-2.32], P = .003), and ECOG score ≥1 (1.42 [1.00-2.02], P = .050). CONCLUSION: Long-term mortality was high in critically ill patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in intensive care units in Turkey. Invasive mechanical ventilation, lactate level, age, cardiac arrhythmia, vasopressor therapy, positive fluid balance, severe hypoxemia and ECOG score were the independent risk factors for 90-day mortality.

Brain Death in Intensive Care Units: Problems, Differences in Methods of Diagnosis, and Donor Care.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to investigate the most common problems in diagnosing brain death, the care of the organ donor, and organ donation after death. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was sent randomly to clinicians working in national intensive care units in Turkey. The survey, which consisted of 17 questions for clinicians, had 163 responders. RESULTS: The most common cause of brain death was traumatic brain injury. Although 22% of clinicians found the apnea test necessary for brain death diagnosis, 78% stated that it could be used as an optional confirmatory test. However, 65.6% of the clinicians were not familiar with the modified apnea test. The most frequently used vasoactive agent for hypotension in patients with brain death was noradrenaline (54.6%) and dopamine (41.6%). Regarding time of death, 50.3% of clinicians considered it as the time and date when the patient was diagnosed with brain death and 47.8% as the time and date of cardiac arrest. When asked whether they terminate the treatment of a patient with brain death when organ donation is rejected, only 16.1% discontinued all advanced life support. According to the survey, the most common reason for not accepting organ transplant was for religious reasons. CONCLUSIONS: In intensive care units, differences in definitions and care of patients with brain death continue to be a complication. There has been a lack of progress in criterion standards of brain death diagnosis and donor care, as verified by our survey.

The effects and interactions of APOE and APH-1A polymorphisms in Alzheimer disease.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of senile plaques composed of amyloid ß-peptide, which is derived from ß-amyloid precursor protein through degradation by ß-secretase and y-secretase complexes. One of the major components of y-secretase complex, anterior pharynx-defective-1 (APH-1), is responsible for the activity of the γ-secretase complex. In this study, we searched for not only the most known common genetic risk factor, APOE, but also the APH-1a gene polymorphism in AD patients in a Turkish population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 49 AD patients and 45 healthy controls were included. The genetic polymorphisms and allele frequencies of APOE and APH-1a were investigated. Patients were evaluated for behavioral, cognitive, and functional domains by detailed neurocognitive tests, and comparison between the above-mentioned polymorphisms and disease severity was made. RESULTS: Although there was an increased tendency of the APO ε4 allele in the AD group, no statistically significant difference was detected either in APOE or APH-1a polymorphisms, not suggesting a strong susceptibility to the development of AD. CONCLUSION: While searching for the pathogenesis of AD in order to develop novel diagnostic as well as therapeutic approaches, analysis of other genes with a possible role in AD is warranted.