METHOD
Study was conducted in thoracic oncology palliative care unite in Atatürk Chest Disease and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital. We have retrospectively analysed lung cancer patients who hospitalized due to respiratory symptoms from 2020, March 11, the date of first seen COVID-19 in Turkey. Among 108 hospitalized patients 18 of them were included. Respiratory symptoms were defined as; cough, sputum, shortness of breath, haemoptysis, fever and coexistence of these symptoms. If patients had other symptoms causing major indications for hospitalization along with respiratory symptoms they were excluded. Patients demographic data like age, gender, TNM stage, therapies before hospitalization, physical examination findings (transcutaneous oxygen saturation (hypoxia was defined ≤88%), bronchospasm, dyspnoea, tachypne), laboratory parameters (LDH with range of 0-247 IU/L, haemogram analyses, C reactive protein), radiological findings on chest X-ray and high resolution thorax tomography (HRTT) were recorded. In our clinic all patients with signs of respiratory tract infection are examined for acid-resistant bacillus (ARB), bacterial and fungal culture examination. When required, considering epidemiological history and clinical symptoms, nasopharyngeal swabs for new coronavirus nucleic acids were obtained according to local guide for new coronavirus (1). In our country, a Covid-19 suspect case completes the diagnosis and treatment process in the hospital. Patients with suspected contact or high risk for COVID-19 had transferred to specially prepared department for centralized isolation and treatment in hospital. In case of continuing clinical suspicion, a second swab was taken. On the other hand, the necessary tests for differential diagnosis were continued and empirical antibacterial treatment was started in all cases.
Study was approved by our hospital ethical committee with number 673-14.05.2020 and necessary permission was obtained from the Turkish Ministry of Health with application number of 2020-05-08T00_20_42.