Background: This study aimed to measure the levels of anxiety and burnout among healthcare workers, including attending physicians, residents, and nurses in intensive care units during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey analysis of healthcare workers in our institution. Data were collected on demographic variables, COVID-19 symptoms and test, disease status, anxiety level (assessed by the Beck Anxiety Inventory), and burnout level (measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory). Subscales of the burnout inventory were evaluated separately. Results: A total of 104 participants completed the survey. Attending physicians, residents, and nurses constituted 25%, 33.7%, and 41.3% of the cohort, respectively. In comparison to untested participants, those tested for COVID-19 had a lower mean age (p = 0.02), higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores (p = 0.001, 0.004, respectively), and lower personal accomplishment scores (p = 0.004). Furthermore, moderate to severe anxiety was observed more frequently in tested participants than untested ones (p = 0.022). Moderate or severe anxiety was seen in 23.1% of the attending physicians, 54.3% of the residents, and 48.8% of the nurses (p = 0.038). Emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization scores differed depending on the position of the healthcare workers (p = 0.034, 0.001, 0.004, respectively). Conclusion: This study revealed higher levels of anxiety and burnout in younger healthcare workers and those tested for COVID-19, which mainly included residents and nurses. The reasons for these observations should be further investigated to protect their mental health.

The present study compared the postoperative analgesic effects of preincisional and postincisional wound infiltration with levobupivacaine and postoperative cortisol and prolactin levels in children following inguinal hernia repair. Ninety-six children aged 2-10 years who were undergoing elective inguinal hernia repair were randomly enrolled in this study. In group A (n = 32), 0.25 ml kg levobupivacaine (5 mg ml) was infiltrated after induction of general anaesthesia. In group B (n = 32), 0.25 ml kg levobupivacaine (5 mg ml) was infiltrated before the end of the surgery. Group C (n = 32) did not receive levobupivacaine infiltration at any time. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, objective pain score, adverse effects and the number of rescue analgesics were recorded for 24 h. Blood samples were withdrawn following induction of anaesthesia and at 40 min after the end of surgery for measurement of blood cortisol and prolactin levels. The rescue analgesic administration, objective pain scores, heart rate, postoperative plasma cortisol and prolactin levels were higher in group C than in either group A or group B (P < 0.05). There were no differences in these parameters between the two treatment groups (P > 0.05). Postoperative plasma cortisol and prolactin levels were significantly higher in all three groups than preoperative plasma cortisol and prolactin levels (P < 0.001). Wound infiltration with levobupivacaine after induction of general anaesthesia and before the end of the surgery both provide postoperative pain relief following hernia repair, and decrease the stress response to postoperative pain.

This study compared the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and evaluated the effect of vaccination with CoronaVac on admission to ICU. Patients admitted to ICU due to COVID-19 between 1 April 2021 and 15 May 2021 were enrolled to the study. Clinical, laboratory, radiological parameters, hospital and ICU mortality were compared between vaccinated patients and eligible but unvaccinated patients. Patients over 65 years old were the target population of the study due to the national vaccination schedule. Data from 90 patients were evaluated. Of these, 36 (40.0%) were vaccinated. All patients had the CoronaVac vaccine. Lactate dehydrogenase and ferritin levels were higher in an unvaccinated group than vaccinated group (P = 0.021 and 0.008, respectively). SpO₂ from the first arterial blood gas at ICU was 83.71 ± 19.50% in vaccinated, 92.36 ± 6.59% in unvaccinated patients (P = 0.003). Length of ICU and hospital stay were not different (P = 0.204, 0.092, respectively). ICU and hospital mortality were similar between groups (P = 0.11 and 0.70, respectively). CoronaVac vaccine had no effect on survival from COVID-19. CoronaVac's protective effect, especially on new genetic variants, should be investigated further.