The COVID-19-related death rate varies between countries and is affected by various risk factors. This multicenter registry study was designed to evaluate the mortality rate and the related risk factors in Turkey. We retrospectively evaluated 1500 adults with COVID-19 from 26 centers who were hospitalized between March 11 and July 31, 2020. In the study group, 1041 and 459 cases were diagnosed as definite and highly probable cases, respectively. There were 993 PCR-positive cases (66.2%). Among all cases, 1144 (76.3%) were diagnosed with non-severe pneumonia, whereas 212 (14.1%) had severe pneumonia. Death occurred in 67 patients, corresponding to a mortality rate of 4.5% (95% CI:3.5-5.6). The univariate analysis demonstrated that various factors, including male sex, age ≥65 years and the presence of dyspnea or confusion, malignity, chronic obstructive lung disease, interstitial lung disease, immunosuppressive conditions, severe pneumonia, multiorgan dysfunction, and sepsis, were positively associated with mortality. Favipiravir, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin were not associated with survival. Following multivariate analysis, male sex, severe pneumonia, multiorgan dysfunction, malignancy, sepsis and interstitial lung diseases were found to be independent risk factors for mortality. Among the biomarkers, procalcitonin levels on the 3 rd -5 th days of admission showed the strongest associations with mortality (OR: 6.18; 1.6-23.93). This study demonstrated that the mortality rate in hospitalized patients in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic was a serious threat and that those patients with male sex, severe pneumonia, multiorgan dysfunction, malignancy, sepsis and interstitial lung diseases were at increased risk of mortality; therefore, such patients should be closely monitored.

Objective Vaccination is the most efficient way to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but vaccination rates remain below the target level in most countries. This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the vaccination status of hospitalized patients and compare two different booster vaccine protocols. Setting Inoculation in Turkey began in mid-January 2021. Sinovac was the only available vaccine until April 2021, when BioNTech was added. At the beginning of July 2021, the government offered a third booster dose to healthcare workers and people aged > 50 years who had received the two doses of Sinovac. Of the participants who received a booster, most chose BioNTech as the third dose. Methods We collected data from 25 hospitals in 16 cities. Patients hospitalized between August 1 and 10, 2021, were included and categorized into eight groups according to their vaccination status. Results We identified 1401 patients, of which 529 (37.7%) were admitted to intensive care units. Nearly half (47.8%) of the patients were not vaccinated, and those with two doses of Sinovac formed the second largest group (32.9%). Hospitalizations were lower in the group which received 2 doses of Sinovac and a booster dose of BioNTech than in the group which received 3 doses of Sinovac. Conclusion Effective vaccinations decreased COVID-19-related hospitalizations. The efficacy after two doses of Sinovac may decrease over time; however, it may be enhanced by adding a booster dose. Moreover, unvaccinated patients may be persuaded to undergo vaccination.

Aims and Scope Eurasian Journal of Medicine (Eurasian J Med) is an international, scientific, open access periodical published by independent, unbiased, and tripleblinded peer-review principles. The journal is the official publication of

Results 5 patients had PDA ligation within the study period. Average gestation at birth was 25+4 weeks and average birth weight was 0.754kg. Surgery was performed at an average weight of 1.027kg and 26.8 days. 9 PICC lines were inserted; mean of 1.8 per patient with removal following a mean of 12.5 days. 2 cases of catheter related thrombosis, post PDA ligation, resulted in SVC obstruction. Both patients had a PICC in situ at the time of surgery, the other 3 patients did not have PICC access during surgery. SVC thrombosis was detected at a mean of 15 days post operatively. One affected patient died subsequently due to complications. Conclusions Post-surgical catheter related thrombosis is well documented. SVC syndrome can infrequently result as a complication, which may cause severe respiratory compromise leading to high morbidity and mortality. As treatment of SVC syndrome is very difficult, especially in post operative patients and with a trend towards fewer PDA ligations, increased awareness in neonatal units may allow early diagnosis and thrombolytic therapy to prevent the progression of this syndrome.

Background: Lately in national and international reports, there has been an increasing interest on the significance of the development of reading skills. Countries are facing the problem of a decrease in reading habits (Niemann, 2016; Iyengar, 2007). Method: This study examines the perceived use of metacognitive strategies among undergraduate students during reading, which encompasses the use of metacognitive strategies before, during and after reading. The sample group comprised 236 students at Primary Education (PE) and Social Studies Teaching (SST), Language & Literature (LL) and Sociology departments during 2014–2015 academic year. The data were collected using the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) and reading comprehension achievement tests (informative and narrative). Results: Overall strategy use among the sample group was “high”. Whether there was a significant difference among students’ perceived use of strategies in reading based on gender, grade, faculty and department was investigated. The results indicated a significant difference based on gender and grade level. Finally, it was found that as the reading comprehension increased in narrative texts, so did the strategy use in overall scale as well as in Global Reading Strategies and Problem Solving Strategies sub-scales. Conclusion: The findings indicated gender differences in the use of reading strategies. It can be suggested that students be provided with reading strategies training that considers the gender differences in the use of metacognitive strategies in reading. In addition, based on the grade difference between freshmen and senior students, in favor of senior students and arising from including strategy use training in the curriculum, reading and learning strategies training could be provided for students during undergraduate education.