Enver AVCI, Onur AKHAN, Erkin ÖZTAŞ, Selçuk DİŞİBEYAZ

Frequency evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms and liver test disorder in patients during the Covid-19 outbreak in the military unit: A single-center pilot study

Background and Aims: Coronavirus disease-2019 is a disease presenting with respiratory as well as gastrointestinal symptoms. In addition,the liver enzyme can be disrupted during the disease. This study aimedto investigate the extent of the military co-epidemic during the Coronavirus disease-2019 epidemic process and the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms and liver test disorders. Materials and Methods:Demographic, radiological, laboratory, and clinical analysis of soldiersdiagnosed with Coronavirus disease-2019 was carried out retrospectively in March, April, and May of 2020, using real-time polymerasechain reaction. Results: Coronavirus disease-2019 was detected in 17(0.7%) of the 2,152 soldiers coming from different cities to performtheir military services and 9 (0.4%) of the soldiers in the following daysafter recruitment. In addition, 1 (0.3%) of 320 senior militaries and 2(3.6%) from 56 other soldiers who came to the unit from other unitswere also diagnosed with Coronavirus disease-2019. The mean agewas 21.2 ± 1.8 years. In torax computed tomography, only 4 (13.7%)patients had pneumonia. At the time of diagnosis, 6.8% of the patientshad gastrointestinal symptoms and 13.7% had liver enzyme disruption.None of the patients experienced respiratory failure, intensive care,and death; all the patients recovered. Conclusion: In the present literature, our study is the first to investigate the Coronavirus disease-2019outbreak in the military unit in the world and the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms and liver enzyme disruptions in these patients.Our study revealed that Coronavirus disease-2019 was milder in youngpopulations and gastrointestinal symptoms and liver test disorder wereless frequently observed. Coronavirus disease-2019 outbreak was taken under control by fast and accurate triage and suitable isolation forthose with the suspected disease in environments where many peoplesuch as military units will live close together. Coronavirus disease-2019should always be kept in mind, especially in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, and early patient isolation prevents the spread of theepidemic in such crowded environments.

Askeri birlikte Covid-19 salgını sırasında hastalarda gastrointestinal semptomların ve karaciğer test bozukluğu sıklığının değerlendirilmesi: Tek merkezli pilot çalışma

Giriş ve Amaç: Covid-19 çoğu zaman solunum yolu semptomları ile prezente olan bir hastalık olsa da gastrointestinal semptomlar da birçok hastada görülebilmektedir. Ayrıca hastalık süresince karaciğer testlerinde değişik oranlarda bozulmalar da olabilmektedir. Çalışmamızda Covid-19 salgını sürecinde ilimizde bulunan askeri birlikte salgının boyutunu ve hasta olanlarda gastrointestinal semptom ve karaciğer test bozukluğu sıklığını araştırmayı amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntem: Mart 2020, 30 Mayıs 2020 tarihleri arası dönemde ilimizde bulunan askeri birlikte retrospektif olarak real time polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu pozitif Covid-19 tanılı askerlerin demografik, radyolojik, laboratuvar ve klinik açıdan analizi yapıldı. Bulgular: Askerlik görevini yapmak üzere ülkemizin değişik şehirlerinden gelen 2152 asker adayının ilk giriş muayenesi sonucu 17’sinde (%0.7), birliğe alındıktan sonra asker olanların takip eden günlerde 9’unda (%0.4) Covid-19 saptandı. Birlikte daimi bulunan 320 rütbeli askerden 1 (%0.3) kişi Covid-19 olurken başka birliklerden ilimizdeki birliğe gelen 56 askerden 2’si (%3.6) Covid-19 oldu. Hastaların yaş ortalaması 21.2 ± 1.8 idi. Toraks bilgisayarlı tomografide yalnızca 4 (%13.7) hastada pnömoni vardı. Hastaların tanı anında %6.8’inde gastrointestinal semptom, %13.7’sinde ise karaciğer test bozukluğu vardı. Hiçbir hastada solunum yetmezliği, yoğun bakıma alınma ve ölüm olmadı ve hastaların tümü komplikasyonsuz şekilde iyileşti. Sonuç: Çalışmamız literatürde görebildiğimiz kadarıyla Dünyada askeri ünitede yapılmış Covid-19 salgını ve bu hastalarda gastrointestinal semptom ve karaciğer test bozukluğu sıklığını araştıran ilk çalışma özelliği taşımaktadır. Çalışmamızda genç popülasyonda Covid-19’un daha hafif şiddette seyrettiğini, gastrointestinal semptom ve karaciğer test bozukluğunun daha az sıklıkta izlendiğini bulduk. Askeri birlik gibi çok fazla kişinin birarada yakın şekilde yaşayacağı ortamlarda yapılacak hızlı ve doğru triaj ve hastalık şüphesi olanlara uygun izolasyon ile Covid-19 salgını kontrol altına alınabilecektir. Ayrıca gastrointestinal semptomu olanlarda Covid-19 her zaman akılda tutulmalıdır ve hastaların erken izolasyonu ile bu tür ortamlarda salgının yayılması engellenebilecektir.

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