The COVID-19 pandemic has brought countries’ health services into sharp focus. It was drawn to our group’s attention that healthcare workers (HCWs) had a lower mortality rate against higher COVID-19 incidence compared to the general population in Turkey. Since risk of exposure to tuberculosis bacillus among healthcare workers are higher than the population, we aimed to investigate if there is a relationship between BCG and Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure history with COVID-19 severity in infected HCWs. This study was conducted with 465 infected HCWs from thirty-three hospitals to assess the relationship between COVID-19 severity (according to their hospitalization status and the presence of radiological pneumonia) and BCG and Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure history. HCWs who required hospital admission had significantly higher rates of chronic diseases, radiological pneumonia, and longer working hours in the clinics. Higher rates of history of contact and care to tuberculosis patients, history of tuberculosis, and BCG vaccine were observed in hospitalized HCWs. HCWs who had radiological pneumonia had a significantly increased ratio of history of care to tuberculosis patients and a higher family history of tuberculosis. The findings from our study suggest that the lower mortality rate despite the more severe disease course seen in infected HCWs might be due to frequent exposure to tuberculosis bacillus and the mortality-reducing effects of the BCG vaccine.

Diaphragmatic ultrasonography in patients with IPF: Is diaphragmatic structure and mobility related to fibrosis severity and pulmonary functional changes?Introduction: There is evidence to suggest that dyspnea and impaired exercise capacity are associated with respiratory muscle dysfunction in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients. We aimed to evaluate the functions of the diaphragm with ultrasonography (US) and to determine the correlation of the data obtained with the pulmonary function parameters of the patients, exercise capacity, and the extent of fibrosis radiologically.Materials and Methods: Diaphragmatic mobility, thickness, and thickening fraction (TF) were measured by ultrasonography in IPF patients and the control group. The correlation between these measurements, pulmonary function tests (PFT), six-minute walking test (6MWT), mMRC score, and total fibrosis score (TFS) was evaluated.Results: Forty-one IPF patients and twenty-one healthy volunteers were included in the study. No difference was found between the patient and control groups in diaphragmatic mobility during quiet breathing (QB) on ultrasound (2.35 cm and 2.56 cm; p= 0.29). Diaphragmatic mobility during deep breat-hing (DB) was found to be lower in the patient group when compared to the control group (5.02 cm and 7.66 cm; p< 0.0001). Diaphragmatic thickness was found to be higher during QB and DB in IPF patients (0.33 cm and 0.31 cm, p= 0.043; 0.24 cm and 0.22 cm, p= 0.045). No difference was found between the two groups in terms of thickening fraction (39.37%, 44.16%; p= 0.49). No significant correlation was found between US measurements and PFT, 6MWT, mMRC score, and TFS in IPF patients (p> 0.05).Conclusion: The functions of the diaphragm do not appear to be affected in patients with mild-to-moderate restrictive IPF. This study showed that there was no relationship between diaphragmatic functions and respiratory function parameters and the extent of fibro-sis. Further studies, including advanced stages of the disease, are needed to understand the changes in diaphragmatic functions in IPF and to determine whether this change is associated with respiratory function parameters and the extent of fibrosis.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the pulmonary embolism (PE) location and clot burden on computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), the degree of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD), D-dimer, and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels, and the presence of a lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients with and without cancer diagnosed with a non high risk pulmonary embolism (PE). Method: We calculated Miller score for each patient for clot burden. The location of PE was also evaluated at CTPA. D-dimer and cardiac cTnI levels were measured. Patients had echocardiography for RVD and lower extremity color flow Doppler ultrasonography for DVT. Results: The study included 71 patients with PE. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of cancer. There was no statistically significant difference for D-dimer levels (P=0.15), PE location (p=0.67), clot burden (P=0.34), RVD (P=0.28) and DVT (P=0.33) between groups (P=0.15). Cancer patients diagnosed as PE had statistically significantly higher levels of cTnI than those who were diagnosed as PE without cancer (P=0.03). Conclusion: There was no significant difference between patients diagnosed as PE with and without cancer in terms of D-dimer levels, clot burden and emboli location, RVD and DVT. cTnI levels were higher in non-high risk PE patients with cancer than these patients without cancer.

Background: Currently there is no proven medical treatment for COVID-19. We aimed to determine the factors affecting mortality and changes in clinical and laboratory findings in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with lopinavir/ritonavir (Lpv/r). Methods: Data of survivor and non-survivor severe COVID-19 pneumonia patients treated with Lpv/r were analysed retrospectively. Results: A total of 73 patients, 26 (35.6%) females and 47 (64.4%) males were included in the study. The mean age of non-survivor and survivor patients was 64.3 ± 12 and 52.6 ± 12.2, respectively (p < 0.0001). Frequency of smoking and comorbid diseases was higher in non-survivor patients than in survivor patients (37% vs. 8.7% p = 0.003 and 92.6% vs. 28.3%, p < 0.0001, respectively). Age (Odds ratio [OR] 1.09, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.03–1.14), smoking (OR 6.18, 1.7–22.42), presence of comorbid disease (OR 31.73, 6.26–153.56), coronary artery disease (OR 9.26, 1.79–47.77), arrhythmia (OR 13.8, 1.56–122.22), hypertension (OR 14, 4.28–45.74), diabetes (OR 7.22, 2–25.99) and congestive heart failure (OR 10.22, 1.13–92.93) were statistically associated with increased mortality (p < 0.05). Also increased neutrophil (OR 1.26, 1.08–1.46), C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR 1.01, 1.003–0.02), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), (OR 1.002, 1.001–1.004), D-dimer (OR 1.001, 1.002–1.003), and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels (OR 1.05, 1.02–1.08 were associated with increased mortality. Conclusion: The presence of advanced age, active smoking, comorbidity, especially hypertension, diabetes, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and neutrophil, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, D-dimer and aspartate transaminase were associated with mortality. The efficacy of Lpv/r, warrants further verification in future studies.

Background: Postoperative bronchopleural fistula (BPF) remains a serious complication due to its high morbidity and mortality. Although various endoscopic techniques have been defined for the closure of BPF previously, no standard algorithm yet exists. Aims: To study the effectiveness and safety of various endoscopic procedures in an interventional pulmonology unit. Materials and Methods: The medical data of 15 postoperative BPF patients, who were undergone endoscopic intervention were retrospectively investigated. Results: The mean size of the fistulas determined by bronchoscopic evaluation was 7.93 ± 3.26 mm (range 3-15 mm). Applied procedures were as follows: stent implantation (n: 8, 53.3%), stent implantation and polidocanol application (n: 4, 26.7%), only Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC) application (n: 2,13.3%), polidocanol application (n: 1,6.7%). Complete fistula closure was achieved in three of the 15 patients (20%). The procedures were partly successful in five (33.3%) patients and failed to be successful in seven (46.6%) patients. Survival rates in regard to procedural success were determined and a statistically significant difference was found in five-year survival rates (P = 0.027, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that bronchoscopic procedures can be safely and effectively performed in patients who were not eligible for surgery for various reasons.