Browsing by Author "Arac, Songul"

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Healthcare-Associated Infections in Patients with COVID-19: Is It Different from the Pre-Pandemic Period
(Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2024) Solmaz, İhsan; Kavak, Şeyhmus; Arac, Songul; Akelma, Hakan; Başgöz, Bahadir Bilgin; Koyun, Sedrettin; Kaya, Şafak
Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and may cause devastating consequences. However, the prevalence of HAI and its effects on in-hospital mortality among critically ill COVID-19 patients is ambiguous. We determined the prevalence of HAI and the rate of mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients and compared it with pre-pandemic ICU patients. Methodology: This retrospective study was conducted with adult ICU patients admitted to Gazi Yasargil Training and Research Hospital (Diyarbakir,Turkey) in April-November 2019 (defined as the pre-pandemic period) and in April-November 2020 (defined as the pandemic period). All patients in the pandemic period had COVID-19, while none in the pre-pandemic period did. Patients diagnosed with HAIs during the in-hospital follow-up period were recorded. Results: Of 4596 enrollees, 3386 (73.7%) were pandemic-period patients and 1210 (26.3%) were pre-pandemic-period patients. HAI prevalence was significantly higher at 5.9% (n = 71) in the pandemic-period patients and 2.7% (n = 91) in the pre-pandemic-period patients (p < 0.001). Comorbidities including hypertension (63.4% vs 14.2%, p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (39.4% vs 8.8%, p < 0.001), and coronary artery disease (30.9% vs 10.9%, p = 0.002) were significantly more frequent in pandemic-period HAI-positive patients. The most common HAI was catheter-related bloodstream infection in both groups, with similar frequency (p = 0.652). In-hospital mortality rate was 85.9% versus 65.9% in pandemic- versus pre-pandemic-period HAI-positive patients (p < 0,05). Conclusions: The prevalence of HAI and the in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher among pandemic-period patients. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Prognostic significance of the chemerin level in coronavirus disease 2019 patients
(Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2024) Arac, Songul; Yokus, Beran; Gokdemir, Guel Sahika; Gokdemir, Mehmet Tahir
Increased serum chemerin levels have been reported in several inflammatory diseases. Few studies have investigated the relationship between chemerin and clinical features of COVID-19. Thus, chemerin may modulate the development and progression of COVID-19. We compared the serum chemerin concentration between patients with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection and its association with the severity and prognosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. This is a prospective, single-center, cross-sectional study. We enrolled COVID-19 patients who presented to our tertiary hospital and healthy controls. The COVID-19 patients were conducted and the dates of symptom onset were recorded. After admission to the hospital and stabilization, blood samples were obtained for routine hemogram, biochemistry, and chemerin. The chemerin level was 37.93 +/- 17.3 ng/mL in patients followed in the ICU, 29.41 +/- 12.79 ng/mL in inpatients, 30.48 +/- 10.86 ng/mL in outpatients, and 25.12 +/- 9.82 ng/mL in healthy controls. The difference between patients treated in the ICU and healthy controls was significant (P < .001). The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), ferritin, procalcitonin (PCT), and D-dimer levels were significantly higher in the intensive care unit (ICU) group (P < .001). Moreover, the chemerin level of patients who died was significantly higher than that of those who survived (P < .001). The chemerin level was increased in COVID-19 patients and also increased with increasing disease severity. The chemerin level was higher in the COVID-19 patients than healthy controls and was significantly higher in patients who died compared to those who did not.