Aim: We aimed to determine the prognostic values of the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) and laboratory parameters during the first week of COVID-19. Materials & methods: All adult patients w... Lay abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is a grueling problem worldwide. There is a lack of knowledge about the predictive value of National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) for severe COVID-19 illness. We...

Objective: We aimed to define the clinical features and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Burkholderia cepacia complex infections and to determine the predictors for mortality. Materials and Methods: Our single-center retrospective study included patients with nosocomial B. cepacia complex infection between 2018 and 2022. We evaluated the predictors of 14-day and 28-day mortality by analyzing clinical and microbiological data. Results: A total of 87 patients were included. Most infections (79.3%) occurred in the intensive care units (ICUs). Among B. cepacia complex isolates, 74.7% were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 70.3% to levofloxacin, 50% to meropenem, and 23.4% to ceftazidime. The rates of 14-day mortality, 28-day mortality, and in-hospital mortality were 41.3% (n=36), 52.8% (n=46), and 64.3% (n=56), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (odds ratio [OR]=1.05, p=0.024), platelet count (OR=1.00, p=0.011), creatinine (OR=2.14, p=0.006), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (OR=1.02, p=0.028) as predictors for 14-day mortality. In addition to NLR (OR=1.07, p=0.014), platelet count (OR=1.00, p=0.039), creatinine (OR=2.05, p=0.008), and AST (OR=1.02, p=0.035), procalcitonin (OR=1.05, p=0.049) was also found as an independent predictor for 28-day mortality. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for predicting 14-day mortality, area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were 0.684 (p=0.003) in NLR, 0.719 (p<0.001) in platelet count, 0.673 (p=0.003) in procalcitonin, 0.743 (p<0.001) in creatinine, and 0.700 (p<0.001) in AST. In ROC curve analysis for predicting 28-day mortality, AUC values were 0.674 (p=0.002) in NLR, 0.651 (p=0.010) in platelet count, 0.638 (p=0.020) in procalcitonin, 0.730 (p<0.001) in creatinine, and 0.692 (p=0.001) in AST. Conclusion: Increasing antibiotic resistance and higher mortality rates justify that B. cepacia complex is a significant threat to hospitalized patients, especially in ICUs. Elevated levels of NLR, AST, creatinine, procalcitonin, and decreased platelet may predict poor clinical outcomes and could help clinicians in the management of this notorious bacterial pathogen. Keywords: antimicrobial susceptibility, antibiotic resistance, Burkholderia cepacia complex, mortality, predictors

Background: Emerging carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) (CRKP) bacteremias are presenting significant public health risks due to limited treatment options and increased mortality. K. pneumoniae isolates exhibit carbapenem resistance rates that vary from 25% to 50% throughout the European continent, including our country. Aims: To assess the characteristics of CRKP bacteremia, a condition that has recently demonstrated an increasing prevalence in our center. We sought to ascertain the resistance rates of isolated strains to antibiotics other than carbapenems, identify the responsible carbapenemase genes, evaluate the efficacy of antibiotics, determine mortality rates, explore clonality among strains, and investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on all these factors. Study Design: Retrospective observational study. Methods: This study included patients aged 18 and older who had experienced meropenem-resistant K. pneumoniae bacteremia. Meropenem resistance was confirmed by employing the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Meropenem minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) levels were determined using the gradient test, while colistin MIC levels were ascertained using the disk elution technique. Carbapenemase genes were evaluated via colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and clonality analysis was performed using the arbitrarily primed PCR technique. Results: The study comprised 230 patients, with a mean age of 63.1 +/- 15.9 years, of whom 58.7% were male. Oxacillinase-48 (OXA-48) was detected in 74.8% of the patients, New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) in 12.6%, OXA-48 + NDM in 7.8%, and KPC in 4.8%. The 14-day and 30-day mortality rates were 57% and 69.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis of the 30-day mortality revealed several crucial factors, including bacteremia development in the intensive care unit, the occurrence of bacteremia during the COVID-19 pandemic, polymicrobial bacteremia, the use of indwelling intravenous catheters, a platelet count of <= 140,000/ mu l, procalcitonin levels of >= 6 mu g/l, and a Charlson comorbidity score >= 3. Notably, the OXA-48 and KPC genes were upregulated significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the NDM gene groups were downregulated. Additionally, both 14-day and 30-day mortality rates increased significantly. Conclusion: In this study, the most prevalent carbapenemase gene was OXA-48; however, there has been a recent increase in KPC genes. No dominant epidemic strain was identified through clonality analysis. The clustering rate was 68% before the pandemic, increasing to 85.7% during the pandemic. The significance of infection control measures is underscored by the rise in both clustering and mortality rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: Predictors of mortality that indicate disease severity plays an important role in COVID-19 management and treatment decisions. This study aimed to investigate the association between fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and novel biomarker-based score (SAD-60) with mortality in COVID-19 patients treated in a tertiary hospital. Materials and Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, patients ≥18 years of age who were admitted to our hospital for COVID-19 between December 1 and 31, 2021, were included. Patients were divided into two groups as deceased and survived. A comparative analysis was applied. Predictive abilities of the FIB-4, APRI, and SAD-60 scores for in-hospital mortality were evaluated. Results: Of the 453 patients enrolled in the study, 248 (54.6%) were male, and the mean age was 52.2±14.7 years. Mortality was recorded in 39 (8.5%) of the patients. The median values of APRI (0.43 and 0.58; p=0.001), FIB-4 score (1.66 and 2.91; p<0.001), and SAD-60 (2 and 8.25; p<0.001) were higher in deceased patients than in survivors. The optimal cut-off value for predicting mortality in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was 0.58 for APRI (sensitivity=56.4%, specificity=63.6%); 2.14 for FIB-4 score (sensitivity=79.5%, specificity=68.2%); 4.25 for SAD-60 (sensitivity=90%, specificity=73.8%). In Cox regression analysis with a model that included gender, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and coronary artery disease (CAD), FIB-4 (hazard ratio [HR]=4.013, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.643-9.803; p=0.002), and SAD-60 (HR=8.850, 95% CI=1.035-75.696; p=0.046) were independent risk factors for mortality. Conclusion: SAD-60 and FIB-4 scores are easily applicable and may be used to predict mortality in COVID-19 patients. Keywords: APRI, FIB-4, SAD-160, COVID-19, mortality, predictors

Objectives: Malnutrition (MN) is prevalent in older adults and closely related to sarcopenia, frailty, morbidity, mortality, and decreased quality of life. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of a personalized diet combined with planned physical exercise on nutritional status, physical performance, and quality of life (QoL) in malnourished older adult patients. Methods: In this prospective study, 20 older adults with MN risk according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment—Short Form (MNA-SF) were randomized into (i) personalized diet (PD) and (ii) personalized diet with physical exercise (PDE) groups, and followed up with for 12 weeks. The physical exercise included warm-up, strengthening, balance, and cooldown phases, with a frequency of 3–4 days per week. Anthropometric measurements, physical performance, and quality of life were assessed using standardized tools at baseline and at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks. QoL was measured using the EQ–5D index and EQ–5D visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Results: A total of 20 patients (55% male) participated in the study. During the study, BMIs, MNA-SF scores, and hand grip strength were increased, and the patients’ average duration on the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test decreased significantly in both groups. The EQ–5D index score of the PD group and the EQ–5D VAS scores of both groups were increased. Conclusions: A personalized diet with or without physical exercise therapy was associated with improved nutritional status, physical performance, and QoL.