The prevalence of sarcopenia risk and associated factors in patients aged 65-79 years living in a district of Izmir province of Turkey

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia risk and associated factors in a community-dwelling elderly population in a district of Izmir province of Turkey

Trends in tobacco product use in Turkey by gender and age-group between 2010 and 2016

Aim and objective Turkey has a tobacco control law since 1996 and the law was amended to cover Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2008. We aimed to present trends in self-reported smoking in Turkey between 2010 and 2016 by gender and age-groups. Methods Turkey Health Survey is based on a multi-stage, stratified sample of the general population and includes data on self-reported health conditions including tobacco product use behaviour since 2010. Tobacco use was defined as daily or occasional use of tobacco product. Age group and gender-specific prevalence of tobacco use was presented. Results In 2010 tobacco product use in men was 31.7% and in women was 11.9% while in 2016 44.1% and 17.4% in both gender, respectively. Tobacco use prevalence was highest in 2014 in both genders (men: 47.6%, women: 18.1%) and lowest in 2010. In men except 2016 highest tobacco product use prevalence was in 25-34 age-group and was always over fifty percent. In 2016 highest prevalence was in 35-44 age-group and was 55.7%. In women highest tobacco use prevalence was among 35-44 age-group in all years and was about 25%. Age-group 75 and over has the lowest tobacco product use prevalence while in women between 2012 and 2014 prevalence of tobacco product was almost doubled (from 1.9% to 3.4%) and stayed nearly stable in 2016 (3.0%). Conclusions Tobacco product use prevalence is high in Turkey despite comprehensive tobacco control law. There are minor shifts in the smoking behaviour of different age-groups by survey year. Funding Erdem Erkoyun applied to Turkish Statistical Institute to do the analysis based on the institution’s regulations. By law, public institutions can obtain relevant data without additional charges

Violation of the Tobacco Control Law by Drivers in Vehicles in Two Streets in Izmir: A Descriptive Study

OBJECTIVES: After signing and approving the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Turkey amended laws on tobacco control in 2008 and also expanded the smoking ban in 2013 to include drivers in all vehicles. Four years later, this amendment does not seem as effective. The aim of this study was to observe violation of the law by the drivers and to analyze the association between gender of the driver, type of the vehicle, approximate age group definition of the passenger (either child or adult), and the law violation in two streets in Konak district, Izmir, Turkey

Neurology consultations in the intensive care units

Objective: Critical treatment and management have advanced over the recent decades, bringing many benefits but also causing increasing complication rates. Among these complications, neurological complications have an important place and may increase in mortality rates. The aim of our study was to find the causes of neurological consultations in the level 3 adult intensive care units (ICU). Methods: The study population consisted of patients who were requested to have neurology consultation in the level 3 Adult ICUs between April 2013 and April 2017. The records in the hospital automation system of patients required neurology consultation were evaluated retrospectively. Results: A total of 906 neurology consultations were requested in ICUs and 302 patients were included in this study. Altered consciousness and unconsciousness (32.1%), seizure (26.5%), management and treatment (15.9%) were the most common reasons for neurological consultations. Epileptic seizures (16.9%), status epilepticus (9.3%) and ischemic stroke (8.6%) were the most common final neurological diagnoses after consultation. Wernicke encephalopathy, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, motor neuron disease, CreutzfeldtJakob disease, critical illness polyneuropathy and critical illness myopathy were less frequently diagnosed (< 1%). The diagnostic benefit was 83.1%. Treatment change following neurological consultation occurred in 56.6% of the patients. Conclusions: In our study, spanning a period of 4 years, the most common diagnoses were epileptic seizure, status epilepticus, and ischemic stroke. More frequent complications, such as stroke and seizure, as well as less common complications such as Wernicke's encephalopathy and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, should be intervened immediately. In case of consultation, neurologists should be able to manage neurological complications as a consultant physician in the early period and evaluate the ICU patient systematically and be familiar with the complexity of intubation, sedation and sometimes paralyzed intensive ICU patients who have had severely limited routine clinical evaluations