Pregabalin is a lipophilic analogue of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and has a similar chemical structure to gabapentin and is more potent than gabapentin. This report documents the case of a 28-year-old male presenting with suicidal attempt by pregabalin intake. The patient had an abnormal PR interval (reversible AV-block). He was managed with general supportive care and symptomatic approach such as discontinuation of the drug, hydration with IV fluids, oxygenation, gastric lavage and activated charcoal administration.

Objective:The most serious side effect of warfarin, an oral anticoagulant widely prescribed by many different disciplines, is bleeding. In this study, the factors affecting the bleeding complications resulting from the use of warfarin were investigated. Material and Methods:In this study, 111 patients using warfarin and admitted to the emergency department with bleeding complaints were evaluated. All patients were divided into two groups as Group I (international normalized ratio >3.5) and Group II (international normalized ratio ≤3.5) according to the "international normalized ratio" value at the time of admission. The groups were compared in terms of demographic characteristics, admission complaint, indications for warfarin use, concomitant diseases, other drugs used, duration of warfarin use, international normalized ratio value, bleeding localization, treatment and interventions.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to evaluate the injuries in pediatric earthquake victims due to the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes with computed tomography and determine the anatomotopographic distribution of injuries. METHODS: The material of this retrospective study consisted of the computed tomography findings of 257 pediatric cases injured in the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes, and those were divided into subgroups based on their age group, i.e., 0–4, 5–9, 10–14, and 15–18 years, and the type of injury, i.e., head, maxillofacial, thoracic, abdominal, pelvic, and spinal injuries. RESULTS: Earthquake-related injuries had been detected in 102 (39.6%) patients. Of the 29 patients with multiple injuries, 17, 10, and 2 had injuries in two, three, and four topographic regions, respectively. The most common injury was a head injury, which was detected in 48 (18.7%) cases, followed by thoracic injury, spinal injury, pelvic fracture, abdominal injury, and maxillofacial fracture, which were detected in 40 (15.6%), 22 (8.5%), 19 (7.4%), 10 (3.9%), and 6 (2.3%) patients, respectively. The cranial bone fractures and intracranial injuries were significantly more frequent in the 0–4 years age group compared with other age groups (p=0.028 and p=0.024, respectively). The rib fractures with spinal and pleural injuries were significantly more common in the 15–18 years age group compared with others (p=0.016, p=0.004, and p=0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: The head injury was the most common earthquake-related injury in pediatric cases. Herein, it was more common in younger children compared with other age groups, whereas rib, spine, and pleural injuries were more common in older children.

Objective: Immune plasma therapy, a method employed for passive immunization, has been utilized as a treatment modality based on historical precedents during the Covid-19 pandemic, a global crisis resulting in the unfortunate demise of countless individuals. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of immune plasma therapy on laboratory parameters and the overall survival rate in patients with Covid-19 pneumonia. Material and Methods: Our study was designed as a retrospective analysis, conducted at a tertiary healthcare institution from April 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. The study population comprised individuals aged 18 and above, presenting with pulmonary involvement, and diagnosed with Covid-19 using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method at our hospital. The inclusion criteria encompassed patients who received immune plasma therapy, as well as a control group matched for age, gender, and admission date, who did not undergo immune plasma therapy. Exclusion criteria involved patients with low serum IgA levels, those who did not provide consent for immune plasma therapy, and individuals below the age of 18. Results: The study comprised a total of 72 patients who received immune plasma therapy and 72 patients in the control group, matched for age and gender, all diagnosed with Covid-19. The median age of the patients was 70 years, ranging from 19 to 91, and 56.9% (41) of them were female. When comparing the immune plasma group with the control group, several significant differences were observed (p<0.05). These included elevated levels of leukocytes, neutrophils, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, fibrinogen, d-dimer, and low levels of platelets and lymphocytes in the control group. Furthermore, in the immune plasma therapy group, significant associations were found between mortality and lymphocyte count, NLR, AST, CRP, and d-dimer elevation after treatment (p<0.05). Additionally, pre- and post-treatment measurements of troponin, procalcitonin, and ferritin were significantly correlated with mortality (p<0.05). Conclusion: The administration of immune plasma therapy, involving the transfer of neutralizing antibodies, has demonstrated a favorable impact on laboratory parameters and overall survival in severe cases of Covid-19 pneumonia, particularly during the early stages of the disease.

Objective: Excessive salt consumption could play a role for developing gastric cancer as well as Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. However, there is no report about the connection between serum sodium levels and HP infection. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum sodium disorders and HP infection. Material and Methods: In this single-center, retrospective, descriptive study, we evaluated the presence of HP infection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) among patient with serum sodium disturbances. Patients were divided into two groups as to their serum sodium levels (hypernatremia: Sodium level above 145 mmol/l, and hyponatremia: Sodium level below 135 mmol/l). Results: In total, 54 patients, half of them were hypernatremic (27), included in the study. At total, 15 (55.6%) patients tested positive for HP immunoglobulin G (Ig G) by ELISA method in hyponatremic patients, 17 (63%) patients tested positive for HP Ig G in hypernatremic patients. There was no difference between groups in terms of HP Ig G seropositivity (p=0.58). Other hand, 9 (33%) patients tested positive for HP Ig A among hyponatremic patients, 19 (70%) patients tested positive for HP Ig A in hypernatremic patients (p=0.029). Conclusion: According to our results, Hypernatremic patients have high risk for HP infection. Other hand, the presence of HP infection could be a driven-factor in the development of hypernatremia among elderly patients. Larger-scale studies are needed to reveal the relationship between hypernatremia and gastroenteritis.