The Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Number of Cultures Sent to the Microbiology Laboratory

Abstract

Background: We evaluated the number of ear, nose, throat, phlegm, and wound-site culture samples sent to the Medical Microbiological Laboratory at a University Hospital in Turkey before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 2662 cultures sent to the Laboratory in 2019, 2020, and 2021 were evaluated. The culture samples were categorised by type and year, and the changes over time were assessed.
Results: Of the patients, 1277 (48%) and 1385 (52%) were female and male, respectively. The average of age of the female and male patients was 58.06 and 57.71 years, respectively. The number of cultures differed significantly among 2019, 2020, and 2021 (p ˂ 0.05). The numbers of phlegm, wound site, nose, ear, and throat cultures differed significantly among the years (p ˂ 0.05). The numbers of wound, sputum, and ear cultures decreased after 2019, and those of nasal and throat cultures increased in 2020 and 2021.
Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic altered the number of cultures being sent to the Labora-tory.

Key Words: COVID-19, pandemic, culture, laboratory

Keywords

• COVID-19
• pandemic
• culture
• laboratory
• COVID-19, pandemic, culture, laboratory

Covid-19 Pandemisinin Mikrobiyoloji Laboratuvarına Gönderilen Kültür Sayısına Etkisi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı Covid-19 pandemisi sürecinde Türkiye’de bir Üniversite Hastanesi Tıbbı Mikrobiyoloji laboratuvarına gönderilen kulak, burun, boğaz, balgam, yara yeri kültürü numunelerindeki değişikliği pandemi öncesi dönem, pandeminin ilk tespit edildiği yıl ve takip eden süredeki sayısal değişikliğni saptayıp, bu yılları karşılaştırmaktır. Mataryel ve metod: Bu amaçla 2019,2020 ve 2021 yıllarında Mikrobiyoloji laboratuvarına gönderilen 2662 kültür değerlendirildi. Bu kültür numuleri çeşitlerine ve yıllara göre katagorize edilerek yıllar arasındaki değişim karşılaştırıldı. Bulgular: Bunların 1277’si (%48) kadın, 1385’i(%52) erkek hastaydı. Kadın hastaların yaş ortalamaları 58,06 erkek hastaların yaş ortalamaları 57,71 idi. Kültür sayıları 2019 yılı ile 2020 ve 2021 yılları arasunda karşılaştırıldığında istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı bulundu( p˂0.05). Balgam, yara yeri, burun, kulak, boğaz kültüründe de yıllar arasında istatiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık bulundu( p˂0.05). 2019 yılından sonra yara, balgam ve kulak kültürleri azalmış, pandemi yıllarında ise burun ve boğaz kültürlerinde artış olmuştur(2020,2021). Sonuç: Çalışmamız Covid-19 pandemisinin hastalıkların insidansında dolaylı olarak değişikliğe neden olduğunu laboratuvara gelen kültür sayılarındaki anlamlı değişiklik ile saptanmıştır.

Keywords

• Covid-19,
• Pandemi
• Kültür
• Laboratuvar

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