Objective: Severe respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused a global pandemic that spread all over Turkey following the announcement of the first case on March 11, 2020. The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic utility of complete blood count (CBC) parameters, C-reactive protein (CRP), and their ratios as well as their prediction on intensive care unit (ICU) admission among patients with Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 339 patients that presented to a tertiary care hospital and were diagnosed with COVID-19 and a group of 399 control subjects that were found to have no COVID-19 despite presenting with the classic signs and symptoms of the disease. CBC parameters, CRP, Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein/ Lymphocyte Ratio (CLR) were evaluated in both groups. Results: White blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte, neutrophil, haemoglobin (HB), and platelet (PLT), NLR, PLR, CLR levels were significantly lower, and the CRP and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) levels were significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group. NLR, PLR, and CLR were found to be significant predictors of COVID-19. Moreover, the CRP, WBC, RDW, neutrophil, NLR, CLR, and PLR levels were significantly higher, while the lymphocyte and HB levels were significantly lower in ICU patients compared to the non-ICU patients. Conclusions: CBC parameters as well as CRP, NLR, PLR, and CLR are inexpensive, routinely studied parameters and can be useful in predicting the diagnosis and severity of COVID-19.

Broad-spectrum empirical antimicrobials are frequently prescribed for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) despite the lack of evidence for bacterial coinfection. We aimed to cross-sectionally determine the frequency of antibiotics use, type of antibiotics prescribed, and the factors influencing antibiotics use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. The study was a national, multicenter, retrospective, and single-day point prevalence study. This was a national, multicenter, retrospective, and single-day point-prevalence study, conducted in the 24-h period between 00:00 and 24:00 on November 18, 2020, during the start of the second COVID-19 peak in Turkey. A total of 1500 patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19 were included in the study. The mean age ± standard deviation of the patients was 65.0 ± 15.5, and 56.2% (n = 843) of these patients were men. Of these hospitalized patients, 11.9% (n = 178) were undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation or ECMO. It was observed that 1118 (74.5%) patients were receiving antibiotics, of which 416 (37.2%) were prescribed a combination of antibiotics. In total, 71.2% of the patients had neither a clinical diagnosis nor microbiological evidence for prescribing antibiotics. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, hospitalization in a state hospital (p < 0.001), requiring any supplemental oxygen (p = 0.005), presence of moderate/diffuse lung involvement (p < 0.001), C-reactive protein > 10 ULT coefficient (p < 0.001), lymphocyte count < 800 (p = 0.007), and clinical diagnosis and/or confirmation by culture (p < 0.001) were found to be independent factors associated with increased antibiotic use. The necessity of empirical antibiotics use in patients with COVID-19 should be reconsidered according to their clinical, imaging, and laboratory findings.

This study aimed to identify factors that influence the mortality rate of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA). In this cross-sectional study, data from 23 centers across 15 countries, spanning the period of March 2020 to December 2021, were retrospectively collected. The study population comprised patients who developed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis while being treated for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit. Cox regression and decision tree analyses were used to identify factors associated with mortality in patients with CAPA. A total of 162 patients (males, 65.4 %; median age: 64 [25th–75th: 54.0–73.8] years) were included in the study, of whom 113 died during the 90-day follow-up period. The median duration from CAPA diagnosis to death was 12 (25th–75th: 7–19) days. In the multivariable Cox regression model, an age of ≥65 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.05, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.37–3.07), requiring vasopressor therapy at the time of CAPA diagnosis (HR: 1.80, 95 % CI: 1.17–2.76), and receiving renal replacement therapy at the time of CAPA diagnosis (HR: 2.27, 95 % CI: 1.35–3.82) were identified as predictors of mortality. Decision tree analysis revealed that patients with CAPA aged ≥65 years who received corticosteroid treatment for COVID-19 displayed higher mortality rates (estimated rate: 1.6, observed in 46 % of patients). This study concluded that elderly patients with CAPA who receive corticosteroids are at a significantly higher risk of mortality, particularly if they experience multiorgan failure.

Differentiating tuberculous spondylodiscitis (TS) from pyogenic spondylodiscitis (PS) is challenging due to overlapping clinical and radiological features.

This study of 331 primary brain abscess (PBA) patients aimed to understand infecting agents, predisposing factors, and outcomes, with a focus on factors affecting mortality. Data were collected from 39 centers across 16 countries between January 2010 and December 2022, and clinical, radiological, and microbiological findings, along with their impact on mortality, were analyzed. The patients had a mean ± SD age of 46.8 ± 16.3 years, with a male predominance of 71.6%. Common symptoms included headache (77.9%), fever (54.4%), and focal neurological deficits (53.5%). Gram-positive cocci were the predominant pathogens, with Viridans group streptococci identified as the most frequently isolated organisms. All patients received antimicrobial therapy and 71.6% underwent interventional therapies. The 42-day and 180-day survival rates were 91.9% and 86.1%, respectively. Significant predictors of 42-day mortality included intravenous drug addiction (HR: 6.02, 95% CI: 1.38-26.26), malignancy (HR: 3.61, 95% CI: 1.23-10.58), confusion (HR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.19-5.88), and unidentified bacteria (HR: 4.68, 95% CI: 1.76-12.43). Significant predictors of 180-day mortality included malignancy (HR: 2.70, 95% CI: 1.07-6.81), confusion (HR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.11-4.15), temporal lobe involvement (HR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.08-4.08), and unidentified bacteria (HR: 3.02, 95% CI: 1.49-6.15). The risk of death in PBA extends beyond the infection phase, with different factors influencing the 42-day and 180-day mortality rates. Intravenous drug addiction was associated with early mortality, while temporal lobe involvement was associated with late mortality.