A Mathematical Model for Equitable In-country COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation

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A comparison of pelvic organ prolapse and sexual function after abdominal and laparoscopic hysterectomy

Objectives: Hysterectomy is one of the risk factors of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). There is no consensus on whether the route of hysterectomy affects the subsequent development of POP. The aim of the study was to assess POP and sexual function 1 year after a hysterectomy when comparing total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) with total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). The study applied the pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) as the measure of POP and a short-form of the POP/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire (PISQ-12).Material and methods: All patients that underwent either TAH or TLH due to benign causes between March 2016 and March 2017 at the tertiary hospital used for the study were included in our prospective cohort study. POP-Q measurements and PISQ-12 scores were assessed 1 year postoperatively.Results: We included 182 patients in the clinical examinations. There were no statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics between the TAH and TLH groups. Also, there we no differences observed in the objective POP measurements between the two study groups. Results of the two groups’ PISQ-12 scores were also similar. However, postoperative vaginal lengths were found to be significantly shorter in the patients who had undergone TAH compared with those who had undergone TLH.Conclusions: TAH and TLH are comparable regarding short-term objective pelvic organ prolapse. Although we foundstatistically a significant difference in vaginal lengths between the two groups, no clinical significance was found in terms of sexual function

Characteristics of total laparoscopic hysterectomy among women with or without previous cesarean section: retrospective analysis

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The number of hysterectomized patients with previous cesarean sections (CSs) has increased due to increasing CS rates. A previous history of CS has been demonstrated to be an important risk factor for major complications in total laparoscopic hysterectomy. The aim here was to evaluate the major complications and safety of TLH in patients with previous CS. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective analysis in a tertiary-level center. METHODS: The medical records of 504 total laparoscopic hysterectomy patients operated between May 2013 and May 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. Data on age, parity, surgical indications, duration of operation, length of hospital stay, histopathological diagnosis and major intra and postoperative complications were gathered. The patients were categorized into two groups according to their CS history, namely those with and those without previous CS. Major complications were defined as the presence of lower urinary tract injury (bladder or ureter injury), enterotomy/colostomy, bowel serosal injury or vascular injury. RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups in terms of parity, duration of operation, hospital stay or pre and postoperative hemoglobin levels. The conversion rates to laparotomy in the previous CS and no CS groups were 2% and 1.7%, respectively. The rates of major complications in the previous CS and no CS groups were 5% and 1.3%, respectively, and these results did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TLH could be performed safely in the previous CS group, since the complication rate was not different from that of the patients without previous CS

COMT Val158Met polymorphism and executive functions in obsessive-compulsive disorder

This study investigated the association between the catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism and executive functions in 101 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and 100 healthy-control subjects (HS). Results showed that there was no significant difference for the genotype distributions between the OCD and HS groups. OCD-Met carrier subgroup's TMT B-A difference and lexical fluency scores were found to be significantly poorer than both HS subgroups. These findings suggest that lower activity of COMT associated with the Met allele, leading to higher levels of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, lead to poorer executive function in OCD. © 2013 American Psychiatric Association

The Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Pediatric Emergency Departments and Intensive Care Units: A Descriptive Study from Turkey

Objectives The aim was to evaluate the current status of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), perceptions, education, training, and barriers to using POCUS in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in Turkey. Methods A descriptive, multicenter, cross-sectional study through an online survey was developed using the REDCap online platform. The survey was distributed through the Turkish Society of Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care e-mail group. Each survey was answered only once by each PED/PICU and by the clinical chief of the department. Results A total of 19 PEDs and 26 PICUs responded to the survey. Among them, 84.2% of PEDs and 100% of PICUs reported the clinical use of POCUS. For diagnostic applications, the most common areas for PEDs and PICUs were thoracic (93.7%/100%) and cardiovascular (62.5%/65.4%) assessment, and in the procedural use of POCUS, the most frequent applications were those for vascular access (75.0%/92.3%) and thoracentesis (31.2%/65.4%). The most commonly reported clinical benefits were rapid diagnosis, rapid treatment, and decreased complications during procedural applications for PEDs and PICUs. Evaluating the barriers to POCUS use in PEDs and PICUs, the most common reasons for insufficient use were the lack of ultrasound machines and/or equipment, a shortage of manpower, lack of awareness, and lack of training. For PEDs (68.4%) and for PICUs (84.6%), participants agreed that POCUS training should be mandatory during fellowship programs. Conclusions Most participants were aware of the need for POCUS. However, lack of education, equipment, manpower, and infrastructure still emerged as barriers to the use of POCUS. To further promote POCUS use, it would be helpful to improve accessibility by ensuring sufficient numbers of ultrasound devices together with sufficient numbers of appointed physicians and by expanding POCUS education in PEDs and PICUs

Index Depressive Episode and Antidepressant Exposure Were Associated with Illness Characteristics of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

Objective: Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is a serious, recurrent disorder leading to severe functional impairment. As a first mood episode, index episode could affect the long-term course of the illness. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of youth with PBD from our multicenter, nationwide, naturalistic follow-up samples and to identify (i) the effects of index mood episode and (ii) the effect of previous antidepressant treatments on the age at mania onset of PBD. Method: The study sample consisted of 271 youth with BD-I followed by the child and adolescent psychiatry clinics of seven different university hospitals and three research state hospitals, representing six geographic regions across Turkey. All diagnoses were made according to structured interviews, and all data were retrospectively obtained from clinical records by the clinicians. Results: When patients with index depressive/mixed episodes (IDE, n=129) and patients with index (hypo)manic episodes (IME, n=142) were compared, the total number of mood episodes and rapid cycling feature were significantly higher in the IDE group than in the IME group. The Cox regression analysis adjusted for sociodemographic and illness characteristics revealed female adolescents in the IDE group treated with antidepressants were more likely to have an earlier onset of mania (hazard ratio=2.03, 95% confidence interval=1.31–3.12, p=0.001). Conclusion: This is the first large-scale nationwide follow-up study in Turkey that indicated prior antidepressant treatments were associated with an earlier onset of mania in youth, particularly in adolescent females. Larger prospective studies are needed to identify neurodevelopmental processes underlying PBD and initiate prevention approaches.</p