Background The Turkey-Syria earthquake of February 6, 2023, impacted 11 provinces and necessitated widespread emergency medical support. Although not at the disaster’s epicenter, Ankara Mamak State Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, offered critical multidisciplinary support. This retrospective study evaluates the factors that drove 124 admissions to the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) following the earthquake. Material/Methods We recorded patient demographic data, dates of arrival at the ED, provinces of origin, diagnoses, treatments, consultations during the ED visit, and patient outcomes. The majority of the 124 admissions were due to trauma and multi-organ damage, and the primary diagnostic tools were physical examination and radiological imaging. Of these patients, 85.5% (106) recovered and were discharged directly from the ED, 11 were admitted for continued care, and 7 were referred to another hospital. Results The 124 cases consisted of adults injured within the first 20 days post-earthquake, with a mean age of 46.5±17.4 years, and a higher number of females. A peak in admissions was observed on the third and fourth days following the earthquake, with the most cases originating from the Hatay province. The most frequently injured body region was the lower extremity, and orthopedic consultations significantly outnumbered other surgical consultations. Conclusions Our findings underscore the vital role of robust, multidisciplinary disaster preparedness in all EDs, especially in regions prone to natural disasters.

Background Helicopter ambulances (HAs) are a significant component of pre-hospital emergency medical services. This study presents a report on the demographic and clinical factors associated with transport to the emergency department (ED) by HA of 161 patients to a single center in Turkey. Material/Methods Demographic data, diagnoses in arriving center’s ED, transferred distance, and outcomes of 161 patients transferred by HAs between March 01, 2019 and May 31, 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. Mortality rates of the cases were compared both with age and according to the distance traveled within the diagnostic groups. Results There were 134 patients (83.2%) with internal diseases, and cardiovascular diseases were the leading cause (68 patients, 41.6%); 27 patients (16.7%) were transferred due to trauma. The mean distance traveled with HAs was 167.1 km (range, 47.0–1316.0) and the median transfer time was 50 min. The most common form of hospitalization after ED arrival was intensive care hospitalization (n=78, 48.4%). Mortality increased as the transfer distance increased in elderly patients, as well as those with a cardiac or trauma-related diagnosis ( P =0.015, P =0.044, P =0.028, respectively). Conclusions Most patients transferred by HA had severe disease. ED physicians dealing with patient transfer by HAs should be prepared for severe cases, both in the HA and in the ED. HAs may be preferred when making the transfer decision for elderly patients, trauma patients, and those with cardiac disease.

Background: Mean platelet volume (MPV) and red cell distribution width (RDW) values are components of complete blood count (CBC) which is a routine, cheap and fast test used in the evaluation of patients admitted to the emergency department (ED). The present study aimed to investigate RDW and MPV values in patients with Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) admitted to intensive care units (ICU) or wards from the ED. Methods:A retrospective data analysis of patients who were admitted to Ankara City Hospital ICUs and wards with the diagnosis of COVID-19 was performed. Group 1 included patients admitted to ICUs and Group 2 included those admitted to wards.Results: A total of 127 patients were admitted with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Mean age in Group 1 and Group 2 were 46±17 and 41±14, respectively. The number of patients admitted to ICU (Group 1) was 46 (36.2%), and the number of patients admitted to wards (Group 2) was 81 (63.7%). Of all patients, 122 patients (96.06%) were discharged and 5 patients (3.9%) died. RDW values in Group 1 was higher than those in Group 2 (p<0,001). Similarly, MPV was higher in Group 1 than Group 2 (p<0,001). Conclusion:In patients with COVID-19, RDW and MPV values are higher in those admitted to ICU than patients admitted to wards from the ED.

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The use of herbs in treatment has started with the history of humanity and a significant number of effective drugs are being developed from herbal sources. Primary and secondary metabolites, which are natural products produced by plants, are the most basic products of the industry directly or indirectly. One of these groups is alkaloids. Alkaloids show antiviral effects in viral diseases. COVID-19, which started in China and spread to many countries, has become an epidemic that threatens all humanity worldwide as a "Coronavirus Pandemic". No reliable and certified drug has yet been developed for this virus. Recent important research shows that plant-based substances can be potential candidates for developing effective and safe drugs against this virus. Referring to such recent studies, this study primarily shows that the antiviral potentials of some alkaloids especially quinine and artemisinin and its derivatives. In addition, the importance of antiviral plant substances in the development of a broad-spectrum drug for SARS-CoV-2 is emphasized.