Point-of-care Lung Ultrasound, Lung CT and NEWS to Predict Adverse Outcomes and Mortality in COVID-19 Associated Pneumonia.

Introduction: The appraisal of disease severity and prediction of adverse outcomes using risk stratification tools at early disease stages is crucial to diminish mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While lung ultrasound (LUS) as an imaging technique for the diagnosis of lung diseases has recently gained a leading position, data demonstrating that it can predict adverse outcomes related to COVID-19 is scarce. The main aim of this study is therefore to assess the clinical significance of bedside LUS in COVID-19 patients who presented to the emergency department (ED). Methods: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia admitted to the ED of our hospital between March 2021 and May 2021 and who underwent a 12-zone LUS and a lung computed tomography scan were included prospectively. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to predict adverse events, which was our primary outcome. The secondary outcome was to discover the association of LUS score and computed tomography severity score (CT-SS) with the composite endpoints. Results: We assessed 234 patients [median age 59.0 (46.8-68.0) years; 59.4% M), including 38 (16.2%) in-hospital deaths for any cause related to COVID-19. Higher LUS score and CT-SS was found to be associated with ICU admission, intubation, and mortality. The LUS score predicted mortality risk within each stratum of NEWS. Pairwise analysis demonstrated that after adjusting a base prediction model with LUS score, significantly higher accuracy was observed in predicting both ICU admission (DBA -0.067, P = .011) and in-hospital mortality (DBA -0.086, P = .017). Conclusion: Lung ultrasound can be a practical prediction tool during the course of COVID-19 and can quantify pulmonary involvement in ED settings. It is a powerful predictor of ICU admission, intubation, and mortality and can be used as an alternative for chest computed tomography while monitoring COVID-19-related adverse outcomes.

Comparison of different risk stratification systems for prediction of acute pancreatitis severity in patients referred to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic prediction and estimation of severity at early stages of acute pancreatitis (AP) are crucial to reduce the complication rates and mortality. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the predicting ability of different clinical and radiological scores in AP. METHODS: We retrospectively collected demographic and clinical data from 159 patients diagnosed with AP admitted to Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Hospital between January 2017 and December 2019. Bedside index for severity AP (BISAP), and acute phys-iology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score at admission, Ranson and modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) score at 48 h after admission were calculated. Modified computed tomography severity index (CTSI) was also calculated for each patient. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for each scoring system for predicting severe AP, pancreatic necrosis, length of hospital stay, and mortality by determining optimal cutoff points from the (ROC) curves. RESULTS: mGPS and APACHE II had the highest AUC (0.929 and 0.823, respectively) to predict severe AP on admission with the best specificity and sensitivity. In predicting mortality BISAP (with a sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of 75.0%, 70.9%, 98.2%, and 12.0%, respectively, [AUC: 0.793]) and APACHE II (with a sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV of 87.5%, 86.1%, 99.2%, and 25.0%, respectively, [AUC: 0.840]). CONCLUSION: mGPS can be a valuable tool in predicting the patients more likely to develop severe AP and maybe somewhat better than BISAP score, APACHE II Ranson score, and mCTSI.

Diagnostic utility of hematological indices in predicting adverse outcomes and severity of acute pancreatitis based on BISAP and modified Glasgow score.

BACKGROUND: The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte-ratio (PLR), and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) are simple indicators of inflammatory status previously established as a severity indicator in distinct disease states. This study aimed to determine the impact of these simple hematologic indices with conventional inflammation markers such as C-reactive pro-tein (CRP) and white blood cells in acute pancreatitis (AP) patients and their relationship with AP risk stratification scores including Bedside Index for Severity of Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) and modified Glaskow Prognostic score (mGPS) scores. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed in the emergency department of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. A total of 171 patients (male/female: 68 [39.8%]/103 [60.3%]) with AP and 59 age and gender matched healthy subjects (male/female: 23 [39%]/36[61%]) as controls were enrolled in the present study. The patients were grouped according to severity and adverse outcomes according to BISAP and mGPS and a comparative analysis was performed to compare the NLR, PLR, and RDW between groups. RESULTS: The mean NLR values of AP patients and control group were 9.62±6.34 and 2.04±1.08, respectively (p<0.001), while the mean PLR values of AP patients and control group were 221.83±122.43 and 83.30±38.89, respectively (p<0.001). Except from RDW, all the other hematologic indices were found to be elevated (p<0.05 for WBC; NLR, PLR, and CRP) on both mild and severe disease at disease onset. NLR and PLR showed significant predictive ability for estimating serious complications associated with AP. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that NLR and PLR is increased in AP. Moreover, peripheral blood NLR and PLR values can predict disease severity and adverse outcomes associated with AP and can be used as an adjunctive marker for estimating disease severity.

Prediction of adverse outcomes using non-endoscopic scoring systems in patients over 80 years of age who present with the upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: The emergency department (ED) admission rate for elderly patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is increasing. The AIMS65 and Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS) are two distinct scoring systems proposed to predict in-hospital and post-discharge mortality, length of stay (LOS), and health-related costs in these patients. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the accuracy of these scoring systems, in conjunction with the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), to predict 30-day mortality and LOS in UGIB patients who are 80 years of age or older METHODS: A retrospective analysis was undertaken of 182 patients with non-variceal UGIB who were admitted to the ED of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Hospital. The AIMS65, GBS, and CCI scores were calculated and adverse patient outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 85.59±4.33 years, and 90 (49.5%) of the patients were males. The AIMS65 was superior to the GBS (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] 0.877 vs. 0.695, respectively) and CCI (AUROC 0.877 vs. 0.526, respectively) in predicting the 30-day mortality. All three scores performed poorly in predicting the LOS in hospital. The cutoff threshold that maximized sensitivity and specificity for mortality was three for the AIMS65 score (sensitivity, 0.87; specificity, 0.80; negative predictive values [NPV], 0.977; positive predictive values [PPV], 0.392), 14 for GBS (sensitivity, 0.83; specificity, 0.51; NPV, 0.923; PPV, 0.367), and 5 for CCI (sensitivity, 0.91; specificity, 0.22; NPV, 0.946; PPV, 0.145). CONCLUSION: The AIMS65 is a simple, accurate, and non-endoscopic scoring system that can be performed easily in ED settings. It is superior to GBS and CCI in predicting 30-day mortality in elderly patients with UGIB.

Haemogram indices are as reliable as CURB-65 to assess 30-day mortality in Covid-19 pneumonia.

Background Mortality due to Covid-19 and severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains high, despite progress in critical care management. We compared the precision of CURB-65 score with monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in prediction of mortality among patients with Covid-19 and CAP presenting to the emergency department. Methods We retrospectively analysed two cohorts of patients admitted to the emergency department of Canakkale University Hospital, namely (i) Covid-19 patients with severe acute respiratory symptoms presenting between 23 March 2020 and 31 October 2020, and (ii) all patients with CAP either from bacterial or viral infection within the 36 months preceding the Covid-19 pandemic. Mortality was defined as in-hospital death or death occurring within 30 days after discharge. Results The first study group consisted of 324 Covid-19 patients and the second group of 257 CAP patients. The non-survivor Covid-19 group had significantly higher MLR, NLR and PLR values. In univariate analysis, in Covid-19 patients, a 1-unit increase in NLR and PLR was associated with increased mortality, and in multivariate analysis for Covid-19 patients, age and NLR remained significant in the final step of the model. According to this model, we found that in the Covid-19 group an increase in 1-unit in NLR would result in an increase by 5% and 7% in the probability of mortality, respectively. According to pairwise analysis, NLR and PLR are as reliable as CURB-65 in predicting mortality in Covid-19. Conclusions Our study indicates that NLR and PLR may serve as reliable predictive factors as CURB-65 in Covid-19 pneumonia, which could easily be used to triage and manage severe patients in the emergency department.

Prediction of mortality in COVID-19 through combing CT severity score with NEWS, qSOFA, or peripheral perfusion index.

INTRODUCTION: The assessment of disease severity and the prediction of clinical outcomes at early disease stages can contribute to decreased mortality in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study was conducted to develop and validate a multivariable risk prediction model for mortality with using a combination of computed tomography severity score (CT-SS), national early warning score (NEWS), and quick sequential (sepsis-related) organ failure assessment (qSOFA) in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We retrospectively collected medical data from 655 adult COVID-19 patients admitted to our hospital between July and November 2020. Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, and laboratory and radiological findings measured as part of standard care at admission were used to calculate NEWS, qSOFA score, CT-SS, peripheral perfusion index (PPI) and shock index (SI). Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to predict mortality, which was our primary outcome. The predictive accuracy of distinct scoring systems was evaluated by the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The median age was 50.0 years [333 males (50.8%), 322 females (49.2%)]. Higher NEWS and SI was associated with time-to-death within 90-days, whereas higher age, CT-SS and lower PPI were significantly associated with time-to-death within both 14 days and 90 days in the adjusted Cox regression model. The CT-SS predicted different mortality risk levels within each stratum of NEWS and qSOFA and improved the discrimination of mortality prediction models. Combining CT-SS with NEWS score yielded more accurate 14 days (DBA: -0.048, p = 0.002) and 90 days (DBA: -0.066, p < 0.001) mortality prediction. CONCLUSION: Combining severity tools such as CT-SS, NEWS and qSOFA improves the accuracy of predicting mortality in patients with COVID-19. Inclusion of these tools in decision strategies might provide early detection of high-risk groups, avoid delayed medical attention, and improve patient outcomes.

Serum chitotriosidase and YKL-40 in acute pancreatitis: Reliability as prognostic marker for disease severity and correlation with inflammatory markers

Background/aim: Chitotriosidase and YKL-40, also called chitinase 3-like protein 1, are homologs of family 18 glycosyl hydrolases, secreted by human macrophages and granulocytes under inflammatory conditions. Although increased levels of chitotriosidase and YKL-40 are linked with several inflammatory diseases, the physiological utility of these two enzymes is still not fully characterized. This study aims to analyse the serum YKL-40 and chitotriosidase levels of acute pancreatitis patients to assess whether their activity correlates with acute pancreatitis and its severity. Materials and methods: Chitotriosidase and YKL-40 levels, along with routine laboratory parameters, were determined from the serum samples of 41 acute pancreatitis patients, at both onset and remission (male/female: 22/19), and 39 healthy subjects (male/female: 19/20). The Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score was used to predict the severity of the disease, and a correlation analysis was performed between study variables. Results: A statistically significant increase in both chitotriosidase and YKL-40 levels was observed in acute pancreatitis patients compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). Higher levels of YKL-40, chitotriosidase and C-reactive protein were found in patients with acute pancreatitis at onset than in remission. The correlation analysis showed a statistically significant association between YKL-40 and chitotriosidase (p = 0.039, r = 0.323). The cut-off point for YKL-40, for detecting acute pancreatitis, was 60.3 with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.9% and 84.6% (AUC: 0.890). The optimum cut-off points for chitotriosidase, for detecting acute pancreatitis, was 33.5 with a sensitivity and specificity of 79.5% and 78.4% (AUC: 0.899). Conclusion: Elevated YKL-40 and chitotriosidase levels in acute pancreatitis patients demonstrate the importance of possible macrophage involvement in the pancreatic microenvironment during acute pancreatitis progression.

Prognostic performance of peripheral perfusion index and shock index combined with ESI to predict hospital outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral perfusion index (PPI) and shock index (SI) are considered valuable predictors of hospital outcome and mortality in various operative and intensive care settings. In the present study, we evaluated the prognostic capabilities of these parameters for performing emergency department (ED) triage, as represented by the emergency severity index (ESI). METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included 367 patients aged older than 18 years who visited the ED of a tertiary referral hospital. The ESI triage levels with PPI, SI, and other basic vital sign parameters were recorded for each patient. The hospital outcome of the patients at the end of the ED period, such as discharge, admission to the hospital and death were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 367 patients (M/F: 178/189) admitted to the ED were categorized according to ESI and included in the study. A decrease in diastolic BP, SpO2 and PPI increased the likelihood of hospitalization and 30-day mortality. Based on univariate analysis, a significant improvement in performance was found by using age, diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, SpO2, SI and PPI in terms of predicting high acuity level patients (ESI < 3). In the multivariable analysis only SpO2 and PPI were found to predict ESI < 3 patients. CONCLUSION: Peripheral perfusion index and SI as novel triage instruments might provide useful information for predicting hospital admission and mortality in ED patients. The addition of these parameters to existing triage instruments such as ESI could enhance the triage specificity in unselected patients admitted to ED.

Ankaferd hemostat (ABS) as a potential mucosal topical agent for the management of COVID-19 syndrome based on its PAR-1 inhibitory effect and oestrogen content.

COVID-19 due to the SARS-CoV-2 infection is a multi-systemic immune syndrome affecting mainly the lungs, oropharyngeal region, and other vascular endothelial beds. There are tremendous ongoing efforts for the aim of developing drugs against the COVID-19 syndrome-associated inflammation. However, currently no specific medicine is present for the absolute pharmacological cure of COVID-19 mucositis. The re-purposing/re-positioning of already existing drugs is a very important strategy for the management of ongoing pandemy since the development of a new drug needs decades. Apart from altering angiotensin signaling pathways, novel drug candidates for re-purposing comprise medications shall target COVID-19 pathobiology, including pharmaceutical formulations that antagonize proteinase-activated receptors (PARs), mainly PAR-1. Activation of the PAR-1, mediators and hormones impact on the hemostasis, endothelial activation, alveolar epithelial cells and mucosal inflammatory responses which are the essentials of the COVID-19 pathophysiology. In this context, Ankaferd hemostat (Ankaferd Blood Stopper, ABS) which is an already approved hemostatic agent affecting via vital erythroid aggregation and fibrinogen gamma could be a potential topical remedy for the mucosal management of COVID-19. ABS is a clinically safe and effective topical hemostatic agent of plant origin capable of exerting pleiotropic effects on the endothelial cells, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and vascular dynamics. ABS had been approved as a topically applied hemostatic agent for the management of post-surgical/dental bleedings and healing of infected inflammatory mucosal wounds. The anti-inflammatory and proteinase-activated receptor axis properties of ABS with a considerable amount of oestrogenic hormone presence highlight this unique topical hemostatic drug regarding the clinical re-positioning for COVID-19-associated mucositis. Topical ABS as a biological response modifier may lessen SARS-CoV-2 associated microthrombosis, endothelial dysfunction, oropharyngeal inflammation and mucosal lung damage. Moreover, PAR-1 inhibition ability of ABS might be helpful for reducing the initial virus propagation and mocasal spread of COVID-19.

Midkine level may be used as a noninvasive biomarker in Crohn's disease

Background/aim: Crohn's disease (CD) is a kind of inflammatory bowel disease. Midkine (MDK) is an endogenous inflammatory marker. We aimed to investigate the relationship between MDK levels and inflammation and hence determine whether MDK can be used as a noninvasive biomarker in active CD. Materials and methods: Sixty-five consecutive patients over the age of 18 with CD and 36 healthy controls were included in this study. CD patients' venous blood samples were taken before treatment. Serum MDK levels were determined in human plasma samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: The mean age of the study patients was 44.8 ± 12.5 years, 35 patients were female, and 30 were male. Of these 65 patients, 37 had active CD and 28 were in the remission phase. MDK levels were significantly higher in active and remission CD than in healthy controls (P = 0.01, P = 0.038, respectively). Conclusion: e report that there is an association between MDK levels and CD activation, and therefore with enhanced inflammation. MDK levels were significantly correlated with inflammatory indices. In line with our findings, we suggest the theory that MDK inhibitors may be useful in treating Crohn's disease.

Celiac disease prevalence in a large series of patients with Behçet's disease.

AIM: There are common findings between Behçet's disease (BD) and celiac disease (CD) based on similar immunological pathogenesis and there is only limited data available investigating the link between these two diseases. Furthermore, documented gastrointestinal (GI) involvement with marked upper GI symptoms in BD has been rarely reported. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of CD and to evaluate endoscopic findings in Turkish BD patients. METHODS: A total of 210 BD patients were included in the study. All patients underwent serological testing for anti-gliadin and tissue transglutaminase antibodies. Endoscopic examinations were performed in 190 patients who accepted upper GI system endoscopy. Multiple biopsies were taken from the second portion of the duodenum in patients with positive serological assessment for CD. RESULTS: A total of 4.2% of patients with BD had positive anti-gliadin and tissue transglutaminase antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG antibodies. The prevalence of biopsy-confirmed CD was 1.05% in Turkish BD patients. The most common endoscopic findings of patients with BD were found to be antral gastritis, duodenitis and esophagitis. CONCLUSION: Although BD and CD share many similar clinical manifestations, our results did not support a possible association between these two diseases.

Is computerised tomography better than fibreoptic gastroscopy for early detection of gastric varices?

INTRODUCTION: Video endoscopic diagnosis of gastric varices is particularly limited, owing to the deep submucosal or subserosal location of the varices and the normal appearance of the overlying mucosa. AIM: We present and emphasise the value of computerised tomography (CT) examination in the early detection of gastric varices (GVs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 216 consecutive patients with cirrhosis were evaluated at the Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital between September 2008 and March 2011. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty patients with cirrhosis were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the male (88 cases) patients was 59.45 ±2.42 years, and the mean age of the female (42 cases) patients was 56.29 ±1.14 years. Computerised tomography identified oesophageal varices (EVs) in 103/130 patients, and endoscopy identified EVs in 103/130 patients. Computerised tomography identified GVs in 86/130 patients, and endoscopy identified GVs in 26/130 patients. After endoscopic elastic band ligation (EBL), CT identified GVs in 22/26 patients, and endoscopy identified GVs in 7/26 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric varices lie in the submucosa, deeper than EVs, and distinguishing GVs from gastric rugae may be difficult with video endoscopy. This study demonstrated that CT is a sensitive method for early detection of GVs and has been used previously in the evaluation of GVs.

Evaluation of endothelial dysfunction in patients with familial Mediterranean fever: the relationship between the levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine and endocan with carotid intima-media thickness and endothelium-dependent vasodilation.

It has been suggested that there is an ongoing subclinical inflammation in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients also in attack-free periods as well. Due to this ongoing inflammation, endothelial dysfunction (ED) may develop. Previously, ED has been suggested to increase the risk of the atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endocan is recognized as a specific molecule of the endothelium and has been shown to increase in some cases associated with inflammation. However, there is not sufficient data whether those with FMF could develop ED in the early period of life. In this study, we aimed to investigate ED and its relation with endocan in young FMF patients. A total of 57 male patients diagnosed with FMF according to the Tel Hashomer criteria and a total of 33 healthy males with similar characteristics to the patient group were included in this research. Complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen, serum glucose, serum LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and endocan levels were tested from fasting blood samples. Moreover, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) were measured. The endocan levels of the FMF patients during an attack-free period were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.001). On the other hand, FMD measurements were significantly lower among FMF patients (p < 0.001). ADMA levels were higher in the patient group; however, this difference was similar (p > 0.05). CIMT values were similar among FMF patients and healthy controls (p > 0.05). These results have suggested that ED may develop in the patients with FMF who have no additional CVD risk, even during young adulthood, and endocan may be a favorable biomarker at demonstration of ED than ADMA among FMF patients.

Ultrastructural analyses of the novel chimeric hemostatic agent generated via nanotechnology, ABS nanohemostat, at the renal tissue level.

Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS), a hemostatic agent of plant origin, has been registered for the prevention of clinical hemorrhages. Currently there is no data regarding the ultrastructural analysis of ABS at the tissue level. The aim of this study is to assess renal tissue effects via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses for the ABS and ABS nanohemostat (formed by the combination of self-assembling peptide amphiphile molecules and ABS). SEM experiments were performed with FEI Nova NanoSEM 230, using the ETD detector at low vacuum mode with 30 keV beam energy. SEM analyses revealed that significant erythroid aggregation are present inside the capillary bed of the renal tissue. However, neither the signs of necrosis nor any other sign of tissue damage are evident in the surrounding renal tissue supplied by the microcapillary vasculature. Our study is important for several reasons. Firstly, in our study we used ABS nanohemostat which was recently developed. This study adds valuable information to the literature regarding ABS nanohemostat. Secondly, this study is the first ultrastructural analysis of ABS that was performed at the tissue level. Thirdly, we disclosed that ABS nanohemostat could induce vital erythroid aggregation at the renal tissue level as detected by SEM. Lastly, we detected that ABS nanohemostat causes no harm to the tissues including necrosis and any other detrimental effects.

Plasma Thrombin-activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor Levels Correlate with the Disease Activity of Ulcerative Colitis.

Objective Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are at an increased risk for thromboembolic events, particularly in patients with extensive and active disease. To date, a few studies have been published on the role of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) in UC. However, there are no reports in the literature investigating the effect of UC treatment on plasma TAFI levels. Methods The plasma TAFI antigen levels were quantitatively determined using ELISA kits for 20 UC patients at activation and remission, along with 17 healthy controls. The association between the TAFI levels and inflammatory markers was assessed to determine UC activation. To predict and determine the activation of UC, the Truelove-Witts index and the endoscopic activation index (EAI) were used for each subject. Results The plasma TAFI levels were higher in UC patients at activation of the disease compared with the remission state and in healthy controls. Spearman's correlation analyses revealed that the WBC (r: 0.586, p<0.001), hsCRP (r: 0.593, p<0.001) and EAI (r: 0.721, p<0.001) were significantly correlated with the TAFI levels. The overall accuracy of TAFI in determining UC activation was 82.5% with a sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV of 80%, 85%, 81% and 84.2%, respectively (cut-off value: 156.2% and AUC: 0.879). Conclusion The present study demonstrates that the TAFI levels are elevated in the active state of UC. The assessment of TAFI levels in patients with UC in conjunction with other markers of inflammation may provide additional information for estimating UC activation and severity.