Objective The aim of this study is to find out the potential risk factors including charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score associated with death in COVID-19 patients hospitalised because of pneumonia and try to find a novel COVID-19 mortality score for daily use. Methods All patients diagnosed as confirmed or probable COVID-19 pneumonia whom hospitalised in our Chest Diseases Education and Research Hospital between March 11, 2020 and May 15, 2020 were enrolled. The optimal cut-off values, sensitivity and specificity values and odds ratios to be used in mortality prediction of the novel scoring system created from these parameters were calculated by ROC analysis according to the area under the curve and Youden index. Results Over 383 patients (n: 33 deceased, n: 350 survivors) univariate and multivariate regression analysis showed that CCI and lymphocyte ratio were prognostic factors for COVID-19-related mortality. Using this analysis, a novel scoring model CoLACD (CoVID-19 Lymphocyte ratio, Age, CCI score, Dyspnoea) was established. The cut-off value of this scoring system, which determines the mortality risk in patients, was 2.5 points with 82% sensitivity and 73% specificity (AUC = 0.802, 95% CI 0.777-0.886, P < .001). The risk of mortality was 11.8 times higher in patients with a CoLACD mortality score higher than 2.5 points than patients with a score lower than 2.5 (OR = 11.8 95% CI 4.7-29.3 P < .001). Conclusion This study showed that by using the CoLACD mortality score, clinicians may achieve a prediction of mortality in COVID-19 patients hospitalised for pneumonia.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important public health problem that manifests with exacerbations and causes serious mortality and morbidity in both developed and developing countries. COPD exacerbations usually present to emergency departments, where these patients are diagnosed and treated. Therefore, the Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey and the Turkish Thoracic Society jointly wanted to implement a guideline that evaluates the management of COPD exacerbations according to the current literature and provides evidence-based recommendations. In the management of COPD exacerbations, we aim to support the decision-making process of clinicians dealing with these patients in the emergency setting.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a curable and partially preventable complication, with a substantial incidence, leading to severe morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to find out the incidence of CTEPH secondary to acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) using non-invasive procedures such as ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy and pulmonary multidetector CT (MDCT) angiography in determining the diagnosis of CTEPH. The study included a total of 99 patients diagnosed with initial PTE between January 2010 and December 2012. The patients who received anticoagulant therapy at least for three months underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) (n= 85). Thirty one patients with a SPAP value > 30 mmHg and/or an evidence of right ventricular dysfunction in TTE underwent MDCT pulmonary angiography and V/Q scintigraphy. The patients with an evidence of residual chronic thromboembolic signs in MDCT pulmonary angiography and/or segmental perfusion defect(s) in V/Q scintigraphy underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) (n= 7). The mean PAP was measured, and a vasoreactivity test was performed. During RHC, a non-contrast medium was delivered to the pulmonary arteries for pulmonary arteriography imaging. Among patients diagnosed with PTE, 44 were male and 55 were female. The mean age was 60 ± 17 years. Of these patients, 63.6% had history of at least one additional disease and at least one risk factor for PTE. During diagnosis, 24 subjects were considered having massive, 61 submassive and 14 non-massive PTE. Nineteen (19.1%) patients received thrombolythic therapy. Other 80 (80.8%) patients received standard anticoagulant therapy with an INR value within the therapeutic range. In 79.8% of patients, thromboembolism was bilateral, and it was unilateral in 21.8%. After a minimum of 1 year, and maximum of 2 years follow up five subjects (5.5%) were diagnosed with CTEPH. The univariate analysis showed no association between the development of CTEPH and factors like; age, etiologic risk factors for PTE, receiving thrombolytic treatment, prevalence and type of PTE. Potentially preventabl complication of pulmonary embolism; CTEPH, had a substantial incidence during follow-up.