The inflammatory/anti‐inflammatory balance has an important role in the clinical course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) (coronavirus disease [COVID‐19]) infection, which has affected over 200 million people since it first appeared in China in December 2019. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of montelukast, which has known anti‐inflammatory and bronchodilatory effects, in these patients. The prospective randomized controlled study included 180 patients who were hospitalized in the infectious diseases department of our hospital between May and July 2021 and were diagnosed with the delta variant of SARS‐CoV‐2 by real‐time polymerase chain reaction of nasopharyngeal swabs. The patients were divided into three groups and received only standard treatment according to national guidelines (Group 1) or standard treatment plus 10 mg/day montelukast (Group 2) or 20 mg/day montelukast (Group 3). Laboratory parameters and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) at admission and on Day 5 of treatment were compared. Comparison of laboratory parameters on Day 5 showed that Groups 2 and 3 had significantly lower levels of lactate dehydrogenase, fibrinogen, D‐dimer, C‐reactive protein, and procalcitonin compared with Group 1 (p = 0.04, 0.002, 0.05, 0.03, and 0.04, respectively). In the comparison between Groups 2 and 3, only fibrinogen was significantly lower in Group 3 (p = 0.02). PFT results did not differ between the groups at admission, while on Day 5, only Group 3 showed significant improvements in forced expiratory volume in 1 s, forced vital capacity, and peak expiratory flow 25–75 compared with admission (p = 0.001 for all). Montelukast may be beneficial in COVID‐19 patients to maintain the inflammatory/anti‐inflammatory balance, prevent respiratory failure through its bronchodilator activity, and reduce mortality.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the clinical, epidemiological, and prognostic features of the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic in 2020. METHODS: This retrospective study involved subjects from seven centers that were admitted and found to be positive for H1N1 or COVID-19 real-time polymerase chain reaction test. RESULTS: A total of 143 patients with H1N1 and 309 patients with COVID-19 were involved in the study. H1N1 patients were younger than COVID-19 ones. While 58.7% of H1N1 patients were female, 57.9% of COVID-19 patients were male. Complaints of fever, cough, sputum, sore throat, myalgia, weakness, headache, and shortness of breath in H1N1 patients were statistically higher than in COVID-19 ones. The duration of symptoms until H1N1 patients were admitted to the hospital was shorter than that for COVID-19 patients. Leukopenia was more common in COVID-19 patients. C-reactive protein levels were higher in COVID-19 patients, while lactate dehydrogenase levels were higher in H1N1 ones. The mortality rate was also higher in H1N1 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic is a major public health problem that continues to affect the world with its high rate of contagion. In addition, no vaccines or a specific drug for the benefit of millions of people have been found yet. The H1N1 pandemic is an epidemic that affected the whole world about ten years ago and was prevented by the development of vaccines at a short period. Experience in the H1N1 pandemic may be the guide to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from a worse end.

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, type and treatment outcomes of ocular involvement in patients with brucellosis. Methods This prospective, single-center study enrolled patients admitted to the infectious disease outpatient clinic with diagnosed brucellosis between July 15, 2022 and July 15, 2023. Diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms and a standard Brucella tube agglutination test (>= 1/160) or a positive blood culture. Ophthalmologic examinations were performed at baseline and in the first month of treatment. Third and sixth month follow-up examinations were also performed for patients with ocular findings. Results Ocular involvement occurred in 60 (24.8%) of 242 patients. Conjunctivitis was the most common ocular involvement and was observed in 39 patients (16.1%). Uveitis was the second most common ocular involvement in 14 patients (5.8%). Scleritis was the least common ocular involvement and was observed in only one patient. Patients with ocular involvement were older (p = 0.027) and had higher rates of weight loss and spondylodiscitis (p = 0.044 and 0.001, respectively). Among laboratory parameters, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly higher in patients with ocular involvement (p = 0.001 and 0.036, respectively). There were no significant differences in other demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics between patients with and without ocular involvement. In 56 (93.3%) patients, the ocular findings improved during the follow-up examination. Conclusion Brucellosis, a systemic infection, can manifest with ocular involvement. Early detection and treatment through ophthalmological examination are crucial in managing brucellosis.

Amaç: Bu çalışmada COVID-19 pandemisi öncesi hastanemizde yatırılarak takip edilen hastalarda solunum yolu virüslerinin klinik ve epidemiyolojik özelliklerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmada Ocak 2017-Aralık 2019 tarihleri arasında hastanemize solunum yolu enfeksiyonu bulguları ile başvuran, 18 yaş üzerindeki 193 hastanın kayıtları retrospektif olarak incelendi. Bulgular: Hastalardan alınan nazofarengeal sürüntü örneklerinde viral patojenlerden en sık influenza A/B virüs (n=143, %74.1), ikinci sıklıkta respiratuvar sinsisyal virüs (n=22, %11.4) ve üçüncü sıklıkta koronavirüs (n=9, %4.7) saptandı. Mevsimsel dağılımları incelendiğinde viral etkenlerin en sık kış aylarında saptandığı gözlendi. Hastaların hastaneye başvuru belirtileri arasında en sık gözlenenler boğaz ağrısı, miyalji, baş ağrısı ve halsizlik idi. Viral etkenler arasında servis yatış süreleri açısından anlamlı fark saptanmayıp (p=0.056), yoğun bakım gereksiniminin influenza dışı etkenlerde daha sık (p<0.001) olduğu tespit edildi. Sonuç: Çalışmamızın çeşitlilik gösteren solunum yolu enfeksiyonlarında virüslerin hızlı ve duyarlı tanısı ile hastalarda antibiyotiklerin gereksiz kullanımını azaltma konusunda ve virüslerin mevsimsel dağılımı nedeniyle doğru testin uygun zaman dilimi aralıklarında kullanılması konusunda yardımcı olacağını düşünmekteyiz.

Bruselloz, ülkemizde önemini koruyan bir zoonozdur. Bu çalışmada bruselloz tanılı hastaların klinik ve laboratuvar bulgularının değerlendirilmesi, osteoartiküler tutulumu olan ve olmayan hastaların karşılaştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmaya 1 Ocak 2020 1 Haziran 2022 tarihleri arasında hastanemiz Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Bölümü’nde bruselloz tanısı alan 350 hasta dahil edildi. Bruselloz tanısında klinik belirti ve bulguları olan hastalarda Rose Bengal testi ve Brucella standart tüp aglütinasyon testi (≥1/160) kullanıldı. Osteoartiküler sistem tutulumu olup olmamasına göre hastalar iki gruba ayrıldı. Osteoartiküler sistem tutulumu fizik muayene ve radyolojik görüntülemelere göre belirlendi. Çalışmaya dahil edilen 350 hastanın 115'inde (%32.9) osteoartiküler tutulum tespit edildi. En sık osteoartiküler tutulum olarak sakroileit saptandı (%18). Sakroileiti takiben spondilodiskit (%13.4), epidural apse (%4.9) ve periferik artrit (%3.4) görüldü. Osteoartiküler tutulumu olan hastalar yaş ortalaması 50.8±14.1 olup, tutulum olmayan hastalara göre daha yüksekti (p<0.001). Bel ağrısı ve kalça ağrısı da osteoartiküler tutulumu olan hastalarda daha sık gözlendi (sırasıyla p<0.001, p=0.003). Laboratuvar parametrelerinden lökopeni (<4000/mL) ve trombositopeni (150000/mL), osteoartiküler tutulum olmayan hastalarda daha sık görüldü (sırasıyla p=0.035, p=0.049). Osteoartiküler tutulumu olan olgulara en az üç ay medikal tedavi verildi. Bu bulgular, brusellozun osteoartiküler komplikasyonlarının yönetimi ve tedavisi açısından klinisyenlere kılavuzluk etmektedir. Bölgemizde endemik olan bu hastalık için özellikle bel ve kalça ağrısı olan hastalarda osteoartiküler bruselloz ayırıcı tanıda akla gelmelidir.