title: The efficacy of oral ribavirin on clinical and laboratory parameters inCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever: an observational study from Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this observational study, the effects of oral ribavirin on clinical and laboratory parameters and blood products use in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  CCHF patients (n = 100) who were hospitalized between 2007 and 2010 were included. Oral ribavirin was administered to 56 patients with symptom duration less than 5 days. Forty-four patients did not receive ribavirin (control group). The patients that received ribavirin in the first 3 days following the initiation of symptoms were designated as Group 1 (n = 29) and the others were designated as Group 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ribavirin-treated and untreated groups were similar in terms of demographic and most clinical characteristics. Leukocyte and platelet counts were lower in the ribavirin group than in the control group, but values of prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine phosphokinase, and lactate dehydrogenase were higher (P = 0.011, P = 0.015, P = 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.021, P = 0.019, P = 0.004, respectively). Platelet concentrates use was greater in the ribavirin group (P = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No positive effects of oral ribavirin on blood products use or clinical or laboratory parameters of CCHF patients were observed. Moreover, no difference was shown between early and late initiation of ribavirin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Günay
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ertem
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meliha Çağla
authors.initials: MÇ
authors.lastname: Sönmezer
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Yozgat State Hospital, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Temoçin
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Çiğdem
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Ataman Hatipoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Necla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tülek
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Behiç
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oral
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo; D006801:Humans; D012254:Ribavirin; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin
keywords: Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever; clinical parameters; laboratory parameters; ribavirin