Anxiety Levels of Children with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia and Their Mothers at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Change in the First Year

We aimed to assess anxiety of children with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and their primary caregivers at the beginning of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and change in levels of anxiety in first year with prolongation of pandemic. This was a two-step study; first step was questionnaire-based, conducted via teleconference. In first step, 29 patients and 105 healthy children and their mothers were participated; 25 children with PCD and their mothers were in second step. Demographic characteristics, clinical informations were recorded. Children’s and mothers’ state and trait anxiety levels were assessed and compared. Anxiety levels of mothers of patients were assessed according to clinical characteristics of children. Mothers’ knowledge of COVID-19 and effect of teleconference on their anxiety was evaluated. State anxiety levels in the first year of pandemic of children with PCD and their mothers were also compared. Compared to control group, state anxiety of children in 13-18 age group and trait anxiety of their mothers were lower (p<0.05). In both groups, trait and state anxiety of 13-18 years old children and mothers positively correlated. Trait anxiety of mothers of patients negatively correlated with patients’ FEV1 and MEF25-75. Patients’ mothers reported feeling less anxiety at the end of teleconference. Anxiety of mothers of patients (especially under 9 years old) had increased as pandemic continued. At the beginning of pandemic, children with PCD were less anxious than healthy children, and their mothers had lower trait anxiety than mothers of healthy children. Being followed for chronic disease and obtaining information about COVID-19 may have reduced anxiety of children with PCD and their mothers. However, as pandemic continues, need to protect their children with PCD from infection, especially of mothers with younger children, may have raised their concerns

The effect of vitamin D on lower respiratory tract infections in children.

Lower respiratory tract infections including mainly pneumonia represent an important public health problem leading to high mortality and mobidity rates in children aged below five years in developing countries including our country. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of rickets/osteomalacia, various cancers, autoimmune diseases, hyperproliferative skin diseases, cardiovascular system diseases and infectious diseases. Vitamin D has an important role in cellular and humoral immunity and pulmonary functions. Vitamin D deficiency and lower respiratory tract infection are common health problems in children in our country and no clinical study investigating the relationship between these problems has been conducted so far. In this case-control study, we aimed to assess the association between vitamin D level and lower respiratory tract infection in children

Left upper lobe atelectasis due to plastic bronchitis.

Şişmanlar T, Aslan AT, Öztunalı Ç, Boyunağa Ö. Left upper lobe atelectasis due to plastic bronchitis. Turk J Pediatr 2017; 59: 207-209. Plastic bronchitis is a rare condition in children, characterized by expectoration of branching bronchial casts. It can cause atelectasis in the lung. Herein we reported a 4.5-year-old boy with left upper lobe atelectasis due to plastic bronchitis. Although his chest X-ray is specific for left upper left atelectasis, thoracic computerized tomography had been performed and was compatible with obliterated left upper lobe bronchus. Typical radiological appearance of the left upper lobe atelectasis is not well known by clinicians which results unnecessary further examinations such as computerized tomography which exposes high dose radiation. We want to emphasize the long-term side effects of radiation and avoid unnecessary examinations in children

Ten-year follow-up of children with hydatid cysts.

Hydatid cystic disease is an endemic parasitic disease that is common in the world. We aimed to review the demographic, clinical and laboratory findings, and treatments and outcomes of children with hydatid cyst disease, and to determine the factors affecting treatment response in two pediatric pulmonology centers in the central region of Turkey

What triggered massive hemoptysis in Goodpasture syndrome with isolated pulmonary involvement in a 14-year-old boy?

Şişmanlar-Eyüboğlu T, Aslan AT, Gezgin-Yıldırım D, Buyan N, Emeksiz S, Kalkan G. What triggered massive hemoptysis in Goodpasture syndrome with isolated pulmonary involvement in a 14-year-old boy? Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 611-614. Goodpasture syndrome is a rare, autoimmune disease associated with the development of antibodies against a specific antigen both in glomerular basement membrane and alveolar basement membrane. It is very rare in childhood and its incidence is not known. Although the mechanism of the disease is the same in lung as in the kidney, sometimes it presents with involvement of only one organ. Pulmonary involvement may be lifethreatening in patients with massive hemoptysis. Herein we report a 14-yearold boy with isolated lung involvement. He had massive hemoptysis following bronchoscopy and recovered succesfully with treatment