Objective: In the recent years, medical errors and patient safety have held a great emphasis espe... more Objective: In the recent years, medical errors and patient safety have held a great emphasis especially since the report of the Institute of Medicine was published in 1999. Medical students witness and sometimes are involved in unsafe situations, errors, adverse events etc. The first years of medical education is a chance to teach students medical errors and patient safety. The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to asses the knowledge of medical students on medical errors and the effect of education on knowledge. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in Meram Medical Faculty of Selçuk University. We prepared a questionnaire including the definition of, attitudes towards and reporting of medical errors according to the literature on this subject. This questionnaire was given to first and second year students by the authors during a lesson in November 2007. Results: Study population consisted of 119 male and 123 female students. In the error definition question...
Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 2007
This retrospective study assessed the effects of pre- and post-training programme for healthcare ... more This retrospective study assessed the effects of pre- and post-training programme for healthcare professionals about breastfeeding. The study included 3,114 mothers who had children aged 1-72 month(s). Their knowledge and behaviours relating to breastfeeding were evaluated. The mothers were randomly divided into two groups: the 'before' group included 2,000 women who were not informed about breastfeeding, and the 'after' group comprised 1,114 women who had been informed about breastfeeding. 56.2% and 66.1% of the mothers started breastfeeding within 30 minutes after delivery, respectively, in the before and the after group (chi2 = 29.31, p < 0.001). 16.7% and 36.5% gave exclusive breastfeeding for six months (chi2 = 72.85, p < 0.001), and 28.5% and 23.7% stopped breastfeeding within the first five months (chi2 = 17.20, p = 0.002). Ninety-four percent delivered in a hospital or in a primary healthcare centre. Therefore, prenatal and postnatal breastfeeding educa...
The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care, 2013
To evaluate patients&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; cha... more To evaluate patients&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; characteristics and complications of surgical abortion performed at an early gestation, compared to later gestations. A total of 4310 women with unintended pregnancies attending the family planning unit of a government maternity hospital in Konya, Turkey, were included retrospectively. Abortions were carried out from 6 weeks&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; up to 10 weeks gestation. The gestational age in 62% of the cases was between 6 weeks and 6 weeks + 6 days. Only 8.5% of the 4310 women had used a modern contraceptive method, and 16% had had a surgical abortion for an unplanned pregnancy previously. These women were younger, had more siblings, and a shorter time had elapsed since their last pregnancy when compared to women who never had an abortion. There were four failures (0.09%). The rate of retained products of conception (RPCs) was 1.9% in women aborted between six and six (+ 6) weeks&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; gestation, and 6.2% (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001) in those aborted later. Women who had had a surgical abortion previously more often had RPCs than those who never had (16% vs. 1%, respectively, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). Of the 151 women with RPCs, 65 (43%) had been using an intrauterine device prior to surgical abortion. Early surgical abortion (at six-six(+ 6) weeks&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; gestation) generates few complications. Delaying surgical abortion until a somewhat later gestation causes complication rates (particularly RPCs) to increase.
Proceedings of the IEEE 12th Signal Processing and Communications Applications Conference, 2004., 2004
TUBITAK Ulusal Elektronik ve Kriptoloji AraStirma Enstitisii, Gebze/Kocaeli fkara, tuba, palaz@ue... more TUBITAK Ulusal Elektronik ve Kriptoloji AraStirma Enstitisii, Gebze/Kocaeli fkara, tuba, palaz@uekae.tubitak.gov.tr ... Abstract In this study, a voice activity detection method based on minimum statistics is developed. The method is suitable for use in nan-stationary noise ...
Ulusal travma ve acil cerrahi dergisi = Turkish journal of trauma & emergency surgery : TJTES, 2012
Burns are an important health problem in our country and in the world. In our study, we aimed to ... more Burns are an important health problem in our country and in the world. In our study, we aimed to epidemiologically analyze the patients who were hospitalized in a burn unit that serves 3 million individuals in Central Anatolia. Records of 457 patients who had been hospitalized in the burn unit during the period 2008-2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were assessed in terms of gender, age, burn area, burn depth, admission time to the health center, burn region, and factors causing burns. Most (44.6%) of the patients were in the 0-5 age group. Burn surface area was detected as 11.6 +/- 8.5%. Patients had reached the health center in 252.8 +/- 892.5 minutes. While 82.7% of the patients had second degree bums, 17.3% had third degree burns. Most burns were on the extremities (39.6%). The most common burn agent was scalds with hot liquids (54.1%). In our study, children in the 0-5 age group were found to be the most commonly affected group with respect to indoor burns. The basic...
Several studies have shown that in end-stage renal failure, increased oxidative stress and reduce... more Several studies have shown that in end-stage renal failure, increased oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant system functions may play an important role in inflammation, atherosclerosis, and many other complications. Paraoxonase (PON) and arylesterase (ARE) are antioxidant and malondialdehyde (MDA) an oxidant agent. Increased sialic acid (SyA) levels in uremic patients is an acute-phase response showing tissue and organ damage. The aim of this study was to compare PON, ARE, MDA, and SyA among continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and renal transplant patients. Twenty-six CAPD patients including 7 women and 19 men of overall mean age 40.5 ± 10.66 years were included in this study. There were 28 preemptive transplant patients, namely 6 women and 22 men of overall mean age 36.5 ± 10.97 years. CAPD was the initial sole replacement therapy. Serum PON, ATE, MDA, and SyA levels were measured at 13-15 months of treatment. Higher PON (P = .015) and ARE (P = .002) and lower MDA (P = .002) and SyA (P = .000) values were determined among transplanted compared with CAPD patients. In the transplant group, antioxidant parameters were higher and oxidant parameters lower with less activation of SyA than in the CAPD group. We observed that renal transplantation had a constructive effect on the oxidant-antioxidant system and consequent tissue destruction, which were impaired in uremic subjects. This study showed that renal transplantation is a more appropriate replacement treatment than CAPD.
Ophthalmo-acromelic syndrome type Waardenburg is an extremely rare autosomal recessive syndrome c... more Ophthalmo-acromelic syndrome type Waardenburg is an extremely rare autosomal recessive syndrome comprising eye malformations ranging from true anophthalmia to mild microphthalmia with acromelic malformations. We report a case of ophthalmo-acromelic syndrome type Waardenburg diagnosed prenatally.
The aim of this study was to investigate blood folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in patients with... more The aim of this study was to investigate blood folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients and correlate these levels with prognosis. Patients presenting within 3 hours of onset of ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes were approached for participation in the study. Diagnosis was made by clinical examination and head computed tomography scan. Venous blood samples were taken for determination of blood folic acid and vitamin B12 levels. Parameters were evaluated with respect to stroke type and according to Glasgow coma scale (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; or =8 or &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; or =9). Eighty-seven patients with ischemic stroke (mean age: 65 +/- 10 years, 53% male) and 27 patients with hemorrhagic stroke (mean age: 60 +/- 10 years, 56% male) were included in the study. A significant direct correlation was found between Glasgow coma scale and mean plasma B12 levels in ischemic, but not hemorrhagic, stroke (r=112.75 and p=0.007, respectively). A significant direct correlation was found between Glasgow coma scale and mean plasma folic acid levels in hemorrhagic, but not ischemic, stroke (r=1.03 and p=0.017, respectively). In patients with Glasgow coma scale &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; or =8 (either hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke), a significant direct correlation was found between Glasgow coma scale and blood vitamin B12 levels. Vitamin B12 levels were significantly lower in patients with Glasgow coma scale &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; or =8 than in patients with Glasgow coma score &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; or =9 (p=0.04). In patients with ischemic stroke, low vitamin B12 levels, and in patients with hemorrhagic stroke, low blood folic acid levels, are associated with lower Glasgow coma scale values and higher hospital mortality.
The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the quality of sleep, quality of life, and... more The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the quality of sleep, quality of life, and anxiety and depression symptoms reported by hemodialysis (HD) patients and family caregivers of HD patients. The study included 142 pairs of HD patients and their caregivers. To assess quality of sleep, quality of life, and anxiety and depressive symptoms, the 36-item Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, respectively, were used. For the patients, 73.9% were poor sleepers. Low Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores were found in 89.1% and 76.3% of HD patients, respectively. For the caregivers, 88% were poor sleepers. Low PCS and MCS scores were found in 62% and 70.4% of the caregivers, respectively. Mean PSQI scores, subjective sleep quality scores, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, use of sleep medications, and daytime dysfunction scores of the caregivers were significantly higher than the scores of the HD patients (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;.001). Caregivers of dialysis patients experience adverse effects on their quality of sleep and quality of life. Educational, social, and psychological support interventions should be considered to improve their ability to cope.
ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the values of ADC in spondylarthritis axi... more ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the values of ADC in spondylarthritis axial active inflammatory lesions are different from ADC values in type 1 Modic changes. 95 patients with recent lumbar pain, including 46 patients with diagnosed or suspected spondylarthritis and 49 patients with purely degenerative history, underwent spine MRI. T1w, STIR, and diffusion-weighted images (DWI) were obtained. Two musculoskeletal radiologists interpreted the images. Axial active inflammatory lesions from the SpA group and type 1 Modic changes from the degenerative group were identified on T1w and STIR sequences. ADC values from these lesions and from healthy subchondral bone were compared. All axial active inflammatory lesions (n=27) and type 1 Modic changes (n=22) identified in T1w and STIR images were visible on DWI. ADC values were significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) for axial active inflammatory lesions (median=0.788×10(-3)mm(2)/s, IQR 25-75 [0.7×10(-3)mm(2)/s; 0.9×10(-3)mm(2)/s]) than for type 1 Modic changes (median=0.585×10(-3)mm(2)/s, IQR 25-75 [0.55×10(-3)mm(2)/s; 0.60×10(-3)mm(2)/s]) and normal subchondral bone (median=0.443×10(-3)mm(2)/s, IQR 25-75 [0.40×10(-3)mm(2)/s; 0.50×10(-3)mm(2)/s]). Intra-class correlation coefficients for intra- and inter-reader ADC values comparison were excellent (0.89 and 0.98 respectively). DWI is a sensitive and fast sequence that offer the possibility of quantifying diffusion coefficients of the lesions, which could help to discriminate between spondylarthritis axial active inflammatory and type 1 Modic changes.
We aimed to evaluate the patients who were diagnosed as Henoch Schonlein purpura (HSP) for diseas... more We aimed to evaluate the patients who were diagnosed as Henoch Schonlein purpura (HSP) for disease characteristics and prognosis of those with joint, gastrointestinal (GI), and renal involvement. Two hundred and fifty-four children who were followed up with the diagnosis of HSP in the Pediatric Nephrology Clinics of Meram Medical Faculty of Selcuk University and Medical Faculty of Gazi University between January 2003 and June 2006 were retrospectively evaluated. The clinical follow-up and treatment regimens of patients in whom renal biopsy was performed were evaluated in detail. The study group consisted of 254 children, 147 boys (57.8%) and 107 girls (42.2%), and the ratio of boys to girls was 1.37. The percentages of skin, joint, GI, and renal manifestations were 100%, 66%, 56%, and 30%, respectively. Eight patients had intussusception. Five of them recovered with steroid treatment only while three patients were operated on. Sixty-four patients (44%) with GI involvement had severe disease and were successfully treated with steroids. Renal biopsy was performed in 26 patients. Among those 26 patients, two of them recovered spontaneously within 3 and 4 weeks. Ten patients improved with only steroid treatment while 12 patients recovered with steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment. Two patients were resistant to steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment and were treated with cyclosporine A. We believe that steroid therapy given to the HSP patients with GI manifestations might be helpful to prevent probable complications such as GI bleeding and intussusception. In addition, combined therapy with steroid and cyclophosphamide can usually be an appropriate treatment for patients with nephrotic proteinuria.
Cardiovascular complications and vascular changes are common in patients with beta-thalassaemia m... more Cardiovascular complications and vascular changes are common in patients with beta-thalassaemia major. The aim of this study is to investigate the common carotid artery intima-media thickness in children. The study population was consisted of 33 thalassaemic children (22 boys and 11 girls, with a median age of 8 years) and 30 healthy children for control (12 girls and 18 boys, with a median age of 8 years) who were matched for age and gender. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness of the children was measured. The patients&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; age at diagnosis ranged from 0.25 to 2 years, with a median of 0.6 months. Their disease duration ranged from 4 to 13.75 years, with a median of 6.5 years. The patients&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; median common carotid artery intima-media thickness was significantly higher than controls - that is, 0.87 versus 0.74, with a p-value less than 0.005. The mean common carotid artery intima-media thickness value was positively correlated with disease duration (r = 0.535), with a p-value less than 0.01 and ferritin level (r = 0.501), with a p-value less than 0.01. Owing to the nature of the disease, patients with beta-thalassaemia major should be considered to have an increased risk of early vascular alteration and atherosclerosis. For this reason, common carotid artery intima-media thickness measurement can be recommended as a non-invasive and early diagnostic method.
The aim of this prospective study was to examine the relationship between success of exclusive br... more The aim of this prospective study was to examine the relationship between success of exclusive breastfeeding and postpartum depressive symptomatology. Our hypothesis was that mothers with depressive symptoms initially fail exclusive breastfeeding. One hundred ninety-seven mothers were enrolled in the study. The participants were interviewed twice. The first visit was within the first 48 hours after birth. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was completed by the participants. The second interview was performed at 6 weeks. Participants answered questions regarding methods of breastfeeding for 6 weeks, any methodological problems, and nipple pain. The EPDS was again completed by the participants at 6 weeks. All newborns were term infants. All the participants were divided into two groups: exclusive breastfeeding and mixed-feeding (partial breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding). Both groups were compared in terms of features, such as mode of delivery, parity, prevalence of depressive symptomatology (at 48 hours and 6 weeks), and delayed onset of lactation within the first 48 hours. Statistical significance was found for only three variables: delayed onset of lactation within the first 48 hours, gestational age, and the problems related to breastfeeding methods. Clinicians should pay special attention to any lactation difficulty during the first week postpartum. Early lactation difficulties are associated with greater risk of early termination of breastfeeding and lower breastfeeding success.
Objective: In the recent years, medical errors and patient safety have held a great emphasis espe... more Objective: In the recent years, medical errors and patient safety have held a great emphasis especially since the report of the Institute of Medicine was published in 1999. Medical students witness and sometimes are involved in unsafe situations, errors, adverse events etc. The first years of medical education is a chance to teach students medical errors and patient safety. The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to asses the knowledge of medical students on medical errors and the effect of education on knowledge. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in Meram Medical Faculty of Selçuk University. We prepared a questionnaire including the definition of, attitudes towards and reporting of medical errors according to the literature on this subject. This questionnaire was given to first and second year students by the authors during a lesson in November 2007. Results: Study population consisted of 119 male and 123 female students. In the error definition question...
Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 2007
This retrospective study assessed the effects of pre- and post-training programme for healthcare ... more This retrospective study assessed the effects of pre- and post-training programme for healthcare professionals about breastfeeding. The study included 3,114 mothers who had children aged 1-72 month(s). Their knowledge and behaviours relating to breastfeeding were evaluated. The mothers were randomly divided into two groups: the 'before' group included 2,000 women who were not informed about breastfeeding, and the 'after' group comprised 1,114 women who had been informed about breastfeeding. 56.2% and 66.1% of the mothers started breastfeeding within 30 minutes after delivery, respectively, in the before and the after group (chi2 = 29.31, p < 0.001). 16.7% and 36.5% gave exclusive breastfeeding for six months (chi2 = 72.85, p < 0.001), and 28.5% and 23.7% stopped breastfeeding within the first five months (chi2 = 17.20, p = 0.002). Ninety-four percent delivered in a hospital or in a primary healthcare centre. Therefore, prenatal and postnatal breastfeeding educa...
The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care, 2013
To evaluate patients&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; cha... more To evaluate patients&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; characteristics and complications of surgical abortion performed at an early gestation, compared to later gestations. A total of 4310 women with unintended pregnancies attending the family planning unit of a government maternity hospital in Konya, Turkey, were included retrospectively. Abortions were carried out from 6 weeks&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; up to 10 weeks gestation. The gestational age in 62% of the cases was between 6 weeks and 6 weeks + 6 days. Only 8.5% of the 4310 women had used a modern contraceptive method, and 16% had had a surgical abortion for an unplanned pregnancy previously. These women were younger, had more siblings, and a shorter time had elapsed since their last pregnancy when compared to women who never had an abortion. There were four failures (0.09%). The rate of retained products of conception (RPCs) was 1.9% in women aborted between six and six (+ 6) weeks&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; gestation, and 6.2% (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001) in those aborted later. Women who had had a surgical abortion previously more often had RPCs than those who never had (16% vs. 1%, respectively, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). Of the 151 women with RPCs, 65 (43%) had been using an intrauterine device prior to surgical abortion. Early surgical abortion (at six-six(+ 6) weeks&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; gestation) generates few complications. Delaying surgical abortion until a somewhat later gestation causes complication rates (particularly RPCs) to increase.
Proceedings of the IEEE 12th Signal Processing and Communications Applications Conference, 2004., 2004
TUBITAK Ulusal Elektronik ve Kriptoloji AraStirma Enstitisii, Gebze/Kocaeli fkara, tuba, palaz@ue... more TUBITAK Ulusal Elektronik ve Kriptoloji AraStirma Enstitisii, Gebze/Kocaeli fkara, tuba, palaz@uekae.tubitak.gov.tr ... Abstract In this study, a voice activity detection method based on minimum statistics is developed. The method is suitable for use in nan-stationary noise ...
Ulusal travma ve acil cerrahi dergisi = Turkish journal of trauma & emergency surgery : TJTES, 2012
Burns are an important health problem in our country and in the world. In our study, we aimed to ... more Burns are an important health problem in our country and in the world. In our study, we aimed to epidemiologically analyze the patients who were hospitalized in a burn unit that serves 3 million individuals in Central Anatolia. Records of 457 patients who had been hospitalized in the burn unit during the period 2008-2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were assessed in terms of gender, age, burn area, burn depth, admission time to the health center, burn region, and factors causing burns. Most (44.6%) of the patients were in the 0-5 age group. Burn surface area was detected as 11.6 +/- 8.5%. Patients had reached the health center in 252.8 +/- 892.5 minutes. While 82.7% of the patients had second degree bums, 17.3% had third degree burns. Most burns were on the extremities (39.6%). The most common burn agent was scalds with hot liquids (54.1%). In our study, children in the 0-5 age group were found to be the most commonly affected group with respect to indoor burns. The basic...
Several studies have shown that in end-stage renal failure, increased oxidative stress and reduce... more Several studies have shown that in end-stage renal failure, increased oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant system functions may play an important role in inflammation, atherosclerosis, and many other complications. Paraoxonase (PON) and arylesterase (ARE) are antioxidant and malondialdehyde (MDA) an oxidant agent. Increased sialic acid (SyA) levels in uremic patients is an acute-phase response showing tissue and organ damage. The aim of this study was to compare PON, ARE, MDA, and SyA among continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and renal transplant patients. Twenty-six CAPD patients including 7 women and 19 men of overall mean age 40.5 ± 10.66 years were included in this study. There were 28 preemptive transplant patients, namely 6 women and 22 men of overall mean age 36.5 ± 10.97 years. CAPD was the initial sole replacement therapy. Serum PON, ATE, MDA, and SyA levels were measured at 13-15 months of treatment. Higher PON (P = .015) and ARE (P = .002) and lower MDA (P = .002) and SyA (P = .000) values were determined among transplanted compared with CAPD patients. In the transplant group, antioxidant parameters were higher and oxidant parameters lower with less activation of SyA than in the CAPD group. We observed that renal transplantation had a constructive effect on the oxidant-antioxidant system and consequent tissue destruction, which were impaired in uremic subjects. This study showed that renal transplantation is a more appropriate replacement treatment than CAPD.
Ophthalmo-acromelic syndrome type Waardenburg is an extremely rare autosomal recessive syndrome c... more Ophthalmo-acromelic syndrome type Waardenburg is an extremely rare autosomal recessive syndrome comprising eye malformations ranging from true anophthalmia to mild microphthalmia with acromelic malformations. We report a case of ophthalmo-acromelic syndrome type Waardenburg diagnosed prenatally.
The aim of this study was to investigate blood folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in patients with... more The aim of this study was to investigate blood folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients and correlate these levels with prognosis. Patients presenting within 3 hours of onset of ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes were approached for participation in the study. Diagnosis was made by clinical examination and head computed tomography scan. Venous blood samples were taken for determination of blood folic acid and vitamin B12 levels. Parameters were evaluated with respect to stroke type and according to Glasgow coma scale (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; or =8 or &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; or =9). Eighty-seven patients with ischemic stroke (mean age: 65 +/- 10 years, 53% male) and 27 patients with hemorrhagic stroke (mean age: 60 +/- 10 years, 56% male) were included in the study. A significant direct correlation was found between Glasgow coma scale and mean plasma B12 levels in ischemic, but not hemorrhagic, stroke (r=112.75 and p=0.007, respectively). A significant direct correlation was found between Glasgow coma scale and mean plasma folic acid levels in hemorrhagic, but not ischemic, stroke (r=1.03 and p=0.017, respectively). In patients with Glasgow coma scale &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; or =8 (either hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke), a significant direct correlation was found between Glasgow coma scale and blood vitamin B12 levels. Vitamin B12 levels were significantly lower in patients with Glasgow coma scale &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; or =8 than in patients with Glasgow coma score &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; or =9 (p=0.04). In patients with ischemic stroke, low vitamin B12 levels, and in patients with hemorrhagic stroke, low blood folic acid levels, are associated with lower Glasgow coma scale values and higher hospital mortality.
The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the quality of sleep, quality of life, and... more The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the quality of sleep, quality of life, and anxiety and depression symptoms reported by hemodialysis (HD) patients and family caregivers of HD patients. The study included 142 pairs of HD patients and their caregivers. To assess quality of sleep, quality of life, and anxiety and depressive symptoms, the 36-item Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, respectively, were used. For the patients, 73.9% were poor sleepers. Low Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores were found in 89.1% and 76.3% of HD patients, respectively. For the caregivers, 88% were poor sleepers. Low PCS and MCS scores were found in 62% and 70.4% of the caregivers, respectively. Mean PSQI scores, subjective sleep quality scores, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, use of sleep medications, and daytime dysfunction scores of the caregivers were significantly higher than the scores of the HD patients (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;.001). Caregivers of dialysis patients experience adverse effects on their quality of sleep and quality of life. Educational, social, and psychological support interventions should be considered to improve their ability to cope.
ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the values of ADC in spondylarthritis axi... more ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the values of ADC in spondylarthritis axial active inflammatory lesions are different from ADC values in type 1 Modic changes. 95 patients with recent lumbar pain, including 46 patients with diagnosed or suspected spondylarthritis and 49 patients with purely degenerative history, underwent spine MRI. T1w, STIR, and diffusion-weighted images (DWI) were obtained. Two musculoskeletal radiologists interpreted the images. Axial active inflammatory lesions from the SpA group and type 1 Modic changes from the degenerative group were identified on T1w and STIR sequences. ADC values from these lesions and from healthy subchondral bone were compared. All axial active inflammatory lesions (n=27) and type 1 Modic changes (n=22) identified in T1w and STIR images were visible on DWI. ADC values were significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) for axial active inflammatory lesions (median=0.788×10(-3)mm(2)/s, IQR 25-75 [0.7×10(-3)mm(2)/s; 0.9×10(-3)mm(2)/s]) than for type 1 Modic changes (median=0.585×10(-3)mm(2)/s, IQR 25-75 [0.55×10(-3)mm(2)/s; 0.60×10(-3)mm(2)/s]) and normal subchondral bone (median=0.443×10(-3)mm(2)/s, IQR 25-75 [0.40×10(-3)mm(2)/s; 0.50×10(-3)mm(2)/s]). Intra-class correlation coefficients for intra- and inter-reader ADC values comparison were excellent (0.89 and 0.98 respectively). DWI is a sensitive and fast sequence that offer the possibility of quantifying diffusion coefficients of the lesions, which could help to discriminate between spondylarthritis axial active inflammatory and type 1 Modic changes.
We aimed to evaluate the patients who were diagnosed as Henoch Schonlein purpura (HSP) for diseas... more We aimed to evaluate the patients who were diagnosed as Henoch Schonlein purpura (HSP) for disease characteristics and prognosis of those with joint, gastrointestinal (GI), and renal involvement. Two hundred and fifty-four children who were followed up with the diagnosis of HSP in the Pediatric Nephrology Clinics of Meram Medical Faculty of Selcuk University and Medical Faculty of Gazi University between January 2003 and June 2006 were retrospectively evaluated. The clinical follow-up and treatment regimens of patients in whom renal biopsy was performed were evaluated in detail. The study group consisted of 254 children, 147 boys (57.8%) and 107 girls (42.2%), and the ratio of boys to girls was 1.37. The percentages of skin, joint, GI, and renal manifestations were 100%, 66%, 56%, and 30%, respectively. Eight patients had intussusception. Five of them recovered with steroid treatment only while three patients were operated on. Sixty-four patients (44%) with GI involvement had severe disease and were successfully treated with steroids. Renal biopsy was performed in 26 patients. Among those 26 patients, two of them recovered spontaneously within 3 and 4 weeks. Ten patients improved with only steroid treatment while 12 patients recovered with steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment. Two patients were resistant to steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment and were treated with cyclosporine A. We believe that steroid therapy given to the HSP patients with GI manifestations might be helpful to prevent probable complications such as GI bleeding and intussusception. In addition, combined therapy with steroid and cyclophosphamide can usually be an appropriate treatment for patients with nephrotic proteinuria.
Cardiovascular complications and vascular changes are common in patients with beta-thalassaemia m... more Cardiovascular complications and vascular changes are common in patients with beta-thalassaemia major. The aim of this study is to investigate the common carotid artery intima-media thickness in children. The study population was consisted of 33 thalassaemic children (22 boys and 11 girls, with a median age of 8 years) and 30 healthy children for control (12 girls and 18 boys, with a median age of 8 years) who were matched for age and gender. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness of the children was measured. The patients&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; age at diagnosis ranged from 0.25 to 2 years, with a median of 0.6 months. Their disease duration ranged from 4 to 13.75 years, with a median of 6.5 years. The patients&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; median common carotid artery intima-media thickness was significantly higher than controls - that is, 0.87 versus 0.74, with a p-value less than 0.005. The mean common carotid artery intima-media thickness value was positively correlated with disease duration (r = 0.535), with a p-value less than 0.01 and ferritin level (r = 0.501), with a p-value less than 0.01. Owing to the nature of the disease, patients with beta-thalassaemia major should be considered to have an increased risk of early vascular alteration and atherosclerosis. For this reason, common carotid artery intima-media thickness measurement can be recommended as a non-invasive and early diagnostic method.
The aim of this prospective study was to examine the relationship between success of exclusive br... more The aim of this prospective study was to examine the relationship between success of exclusive breastfeeding and postpartum depressive symptomatology. Our hypothesis was that mothers with depressive symptoms initially fail exclusive breastfeeding. One hundred ninety-seven mothers were enrolled in the study. The participants were interviewed twice. The first visit was within the first 48 hours after birth. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was completed by the participants. The second interview was performed at 6 weeks. Participants answered questions regarding methods of breastfeeding for 6 weeks, any methodological problems, and nipple pain. The EPDS was again completed by the participants at 6 weeks. All newborns were term infants. All the participants were divided into two groups: exclusive breastfeeding and mixed-feeding (partial breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding). Both groups were compared in terms of features, such as mode of delivery, parity, prevalence of depressive symptomatology (at 48 hours and 6 weeks), and delayed onset of lactation within the first 48 hours. Statistical significance was found for only three variables: delayed onset of lactation within the first 48 hours, gestational age, and the problems related to breastfeeding methods. Clinicians should pay special attention to any lactation difficulty during the first week postpartum. Early lactation difficulties are associated with greater risk of early termination of breastfeeding and lower breastfeeding success.
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