The relationship between tularemia mean platelet volume MPV), red cell distribution width (RDW), thrombocyte-lymphocyte and neutrofil-lymphocyte rate and evaluation of hearing levels in patients with tularemia

Tularemia patients are usually referred to the otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic with an abscess or lymphadenitis in the neck and often nonspecific treatments are given. This lengthens both the diagnosis and treatment periods. Early diagnosis positively affects treatment and prognosis, and also decreases morbidity and mortality. Our aim in this study is to determine the severity of inflammation in the diagnosis of tularemia, current, easy, cheap and rapid activity markers with average platelet volume (MPV), red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet / lymphocyte ratio (TLR) and neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to determine if it can be used. For this purpose, MPV, RDW, NLR, TLR values of the patients who were diagnosed as oropharyngeal, glandular and ulceroglandular type tularemia were examined and the necessary statistical analyzes were made and compared with the values in the healthy group. Additionally, for being ototoxic agents used in the treatment of patients with tularemia; in order to investigate the presence of hearing loss due to disease, the audiograms of the patients before the treatment were examined, the necessary statistical analysis was performed and compared with the healthy group. In the study, MPV, RDW and NLR values were significantly lower in patients with tularemia compared to the healthy group, and TLR values were significantly higher than in the healthy group. In the audiological evaluation, there was no significant difference in the patients with tularemia compared to the healthy group. Consequently, although the study suggests that hemogram parameters which are easy to examine and cheap can be helpful in the diagnosis, it is necessary to carry out prospective randomized controlled long-term follow-up studies in a wide range of patients. In addition, the audiological examinations showed that tularemia had no effect on hearing.