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To evaluate the index cases leading to the transmission of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Rize/Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Faculty of Medicine Education and Research Hospital with COVID-19 infection and the clinical features of infected HCWs. The first two COVID-19 test positive patients treated at Rize/Turkey between 10.03.2020 and 12.04.2020 and HCWs those who examined these two patients whose COVID-19 PCR test results were positive were included in this study. In Rize/Turkey, the first and second cases of positive COVID-19 which was recorded on 13.03.2020 on 25.03.2020, 27 HCWs (female, 63%, n = 17 and male, 37%, n = 10 and the mean age was 33.2 ± 6.9 years) who contacted during the treatment of these cases and became COVID-19 positive were examined. The median of symptom duration (days) of the HCWs was 5 days (range: 0–17 days). Fever, 55.6% (n = 15); malaise, 44.4% (n = 12); cough, 40.7% (n = 11); sore throat, 33.3% (n = 9); myalgia, 33.3% (n = 9); dyspnea, 14.8% (n = 4); diarrhea, 22.2% (n = 6); vomiting, 14.8% (n = 4); anosmia, 18.5% (n = 5); ageusia, 22.2% (n = 6) and headache, 37% (n = 10) of the cases. The rates of headache in female HCWs infected with COVID-19 were found to be significantly higher compared to men (52.9%). None of them had severe clinical situation requiring intensive care follow-up or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Laboratory measurements of HCWs were carried out at the first when they had symptoms and when they recovered, and results were compared accordingly. The thorax computerized tomography (CT) findings of HCWs were normal in 74.1% (n = 20) of total. HCWs were initially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Early measures provided by the Health authorities, access to diagnosis and treatment, and the young age average in HCWs prevented severe outcomes such as severe clinical course and mortality at the beginning of the outbreak.

Venous thromboembolism is a preventable disease when necessary precautions are taken and it occurs along with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Mortality related to venous thromboembolism may be high in the acute phase of the disease and it may become chronic. Intracardiac thrombus may be detected in some venous thromboemboli cases. Cardiac embolism is responsible for most of the ischemic strokes which can be very mortal or may cause serious morbidity when they are not treated in time. In this report, we aimed to present the results of late antithrombolytic treatment in a 77-year old patient who developed deep vein thrombosis, biatrial thrombosis and ischemic stroke following hydrocephalus shunt operation. Key words: Venous thromboembolism; ischemic stroke; thrombolytic therapy

Introduction: We aimed to investigate the changes in blood levels of YKL-40 in patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) before treatment and on the 7th day of treatment and to determine whether this can be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in the disease. Methodology: Sixty-two subjects including 40 with CAP and 22 healthy as a control group were enrolled to the study. Serum YKL-40 levels were measured in patients with CAP before treatment and on the seventh day of the treatment. Degrees of severity of pneumonia were evaluated according to CURB-65 and the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI). Results: Mean serum YKL-40 levels of 89.24±98.67 ng/ml and 74.37±56.28 ng/ml were measured on the 1st and 7th days, respectively. The difference between two measurements was significant (p=0.003). A significant difference was also determined in serum YKL-40 level between control group and patient with CAP group on 1st and 7th days (p=0.001 and p

Background: The protein neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a mediator synthesized and released by neutrophils. Its physiological function is as yet unclear. Levels in blood increase in several inflammatory diseases. High serum values indicate poor prognosis for several diseases. Pleural effusion may appear as the result of various pathologies. The most common cause is heart failure (HF). Other common causes include parapneumonic (PPE) and malignant (MPE) pleural effusions, and pulmonary embolism. Tubercular effusion (TE) is commonly encountered in Turkey and similar developing countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of NGAL, a current inflammation marker, in discriminating between different etiological diseases that cause pleural effusion. Methods: The study was performed at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Faculty of Medicine Chest Diseases Clinic. One hundred patients were included in the study, 25 with parapneumonic effusion, 25 with heart failure-related effusion, 25 with tubercular effusion and 25 with cancer-related effusion. NGAL was measured in patients’ serum and pleural fluids. Results: Serum NGAL levels in PPE (171 ± 56 ng/ml) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than those in HF (86 ±31 ng/ml), CA (103 ± 42 ng/ml) and TE (63 ± 19 ng/ml). Pleural NGAL levels were also significantly higher in PPE compared to HF, MPE and TE (p < 0.001). Serum NGAL levels exhibited a positive correlation with white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, C-reactive protein (CRP), sedimentation, serum LDH, creatinine, pleural leukocyte and pleural neutrophil numbers. The most significant correlation was between NGAL level and WBC (p < 0.001, r = 0.579). Both serum and pleural NGAL levels are highly effective in differentiating patients with PPE from those without PPE (AUC: 0.910 and 0.790, respectively). Conclusions: NGAL can be used in the diagnosis of diseases with an acute inflammatory course. Serum and pleural NGAL levels can differentiate PPE from other diseases causing pleural fluid with high sensitivity and specificity.