Infectious disease
Abbas Edalatkhah; Fateme Samadi Khorshidi; Hamidreza Mohammadi; Razieh Hassannejad; Faezeh Jafari; Mohammad Lame; Amirhossein Zarepur; Ehsan Zarepur
Volume 8, Issue 2 , July 2022, , Pages 115-121
Abstract
Objective: An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in late 2019. A better understanding of this disease will help us in preventing and managing it. This study evaluated the risk factors and clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients admitted to Shahid Sadoughi hospital in ...
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Objective: An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in late 2019. A better understanding of this disease will help us in preventing and managing it. This study evaluated the risk factors and clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients admitted to Shahid Sadoughi hospital in Yazd with a diagnosis of COVID-19.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with the diagnosis of COVID-19 admitted to Shahid Sadoughi hospital in Yazd in May 2020, Iran. Patients’ clinical information, including their symptoms at admission, history of smoking or drug/ alcohol abuse, history of Td (tetanus, diphtheria) vaccine, radiographic/computed tomography (CT) scan findings, and blood oxygen saturation, was recorded. The patients were also asked about their previous history of diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune disorder, and cancer or history of diseases in heart, lung, liver, and thyroid. Laboratory findings, height, weight and body mass index of the patients were also recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 21.Results: The mean age of 86 patients enrolled in the study was 61.40±17.37 years, of which 56 (65.11%) had mild pulmonary involvement and 30 (34.89%) had severe pulmonary involvement, according to CT scan results. Also, 26 (30.2%) of all patients had diabetes and about 30 (36%) had high blood pressure, but current smokers (6%) were rare. In patients with severe pulmonary involvement, the level of neutrophil, creatinine, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was higher than patients with mild pulmonary involvement. Out of 56 patients with mild pulmonary involvement, 47 patients had a history of Td vaccination in the last 5 years. Only one patient in the severe group had a history of Td vaccination.Conclusion: A lower percentage of blood lymphocytes as well as higher levels of neutrophils, creatinine, and LDH were observed in patients with severe pulmonary involvement. Numerous factors, especially more prominent laboratory abnormalities, determine the severity of the disease, and a better understanding of these factors can help physicians know the severity of the disease and its prognosis. These findings help us to further clarify the characteristics of COVID-19. Also, the effect of Td vaccine should be investigated in future studies.
Emergency medicine
Abbas Edalatkhah; Mohammad Ali Jafari; Sima Valizadeh; Alireza Esmaeili; Ehsan Zarepur
Volume 6, Issue 2 , July 2020, , Pages 115-117
Abstract
Objective: Necrotizing fasciitis of the perinea, referred to as Fournier’s gangrene, is a necrotizing infection of the perinea. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report on the Fournier’s gangrene following an ant bite and this is a rare case report of this type.Case Presentation: ...
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Objective: Necrotizing fasciitis of the perinea, referred to as Fournier’s gangrene, is a necrotizing infection of the perinea. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report on the Fournier’s gangrene following an ant bite and this is a rare case report of this type.Case Presentation: In this rare case report we describe a 20-year-old man who developed Fournier’s gangrene following an ant bite which resulted in his death. He sustained numerous ant bites in the perinea. Subsequently, he suffered from itching of the area and had scratched the area frequently leading to dermal ulcers and laceration, pain, and swelling of the scrotal area followed by fever and diminished consciousness. Finally, he presented to the emergency room (ER) after 72 hours of ant bites with a shock. Physical examination revealed extensive necrosis of scrotum. The primary treatments including antibiotic therapy, normal saline solution, and dopamine were not effective.Conclusion: Even a simple nonpoisonous insect bite can lead to Fournier’s gangrene and death. Paying greater attention to the site of bite, especially in the perinea which is anatomically more susceptible to infection, observing hygienic principles, and quick access to healthcare centers may prevent the patient’s death