Efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept therapy in diabetic macular edema

To conduct a retrospective evaluation of the efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept treatment in diabetic macular edema. Patients treated with intravitreal aflibercept for diabetic macular edema participated in this study. Three injections were administered to the previously untreated 76 eyes of 50 patients for 3 consecutive months with one-month interval. The results were evaluated retrospectively by analyzing the patients medical records. The patients values of best corrected visual acuity inverted according to Snellen chart, and their central macular thickness and intraocular pressure were compared before and after treatment. The average age of the patients was 57.2 ± 10.1. Of the cases, 77.6% were phakic, and 22.4% were pseudophakic. The increases in best corrected visual acuity in the first month after each injection and at the end of the third month were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The mean central macular thickness was 405.63 ± 106.93 μm before treatment and 288.83 ± 62.49 μm after the third injection. This reduction in the mean central macular thickness was statistically significant (p < 0.05). During and after the three-month follow-up of the injection application process, the most common observed ocular side effect was subconjunctival hemorrhage (34.2%). During or after the applications, no systemic side effects, such as sudden death, thromboembolic events, or myocardial infarction, were seen. Functionally and anatomically, intravitreal aflibercept injection therapy in diabetic macular edema is an effective treatment option because it improves visual acuity and decreases central macular thickness. [Med-Science 2019; 8(2.000): 412-7

Incidence and clinical characteristics of acute rheumatic fever in Turkey: Results of a nationwide multicentre study

© 2021 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians)Aim: To evaluate the incidence and clinical features of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) in Turkey, following the revised Jones criteria in 2015. Methods: This multicentre study was designed by the Acquired Heart Diseases Working Group of the Turkish Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Association in 2016. The data during the first attack of 1103 ARF patients were collected from the paediatric cardiologists between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016. Results: Turkey National Institute of Statistics records of 2016 were used for the determination of ARF incidence with regard to various cities and regions separately. The estimated incidence rate of ARF was 8.84/100 000 in Turkey. The ARF incidence varied considerably among different regions. The highest incidence was found in the Eastern Anatolia Region as 14.4/100 000, and the lowest incidence was found in the Black Sea Region as 3.3/100 000 (P < 0.05). Clinical carditis was the most common finding. The incidence of clinical carditis, subclinical carditis, polyarthritis, aseptic monoarthritis, polyarthralgia and Sydenham's Chorea was 53.5%, 29.1%, 52.8%, 10.3%, 18.6% and 7.9%, respectively. The incidences of clinical carditis, subclinical carditis, polyarthritis and polyarthralgia were found to be significantly different among different regions (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this nationwide screening of ARF suggest that Turkey should be included in the moderate-risk group

Maternal and perinatal outcomes in high compared to low risk pregnancies complicated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (phase 2): the World Association of Perinatal Medicine working group on coronavirus disease 2019

Background: It has still to be ascertained whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in pregnancy is associated with worse maternal and fetal outcomes compared to low risk gestations. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate maternal and perinatal outcomes in high- and low-risk pregnancies complicated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Study design: This was a multinational retrospective cohort study involving women with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection from 76 centers from 25 countries in Europe, the United States, South America, Asia, and Australia from April 4, 2020, to October 28, 2020. The primary outcome was a composite measure of maternal mortality and morbidity, including admission to the intensive care unit, use of mechanical ventilation, or death. The secondary outcome was a composite measure of adverse perinatal outcome, including miscarriage, fetal loss, neonatal and perinatal death, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. All outcomes were assessed in high- and low-risk pregnancies. Pregnancies were considered high risk in case of either preexisting chronic medical conditions in pregnancy or obstetrical disorders occurring in pregnancy. The Fisher exact test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 887 singleton pregnancies who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of nasal and pharyngeal swab specimens were included in the study. The risk of composite adverse maternal outcomes was higher in high-risk pregnancies than in low-risk pregnancies (odds ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.24; P=.035). In addition, women carrying high-risk pregnancies were at higher risk of hospital admission (odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-2.04; P=.002), presence of severe respiratory symptoms (odds ratio, 2.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-3.21; P=.001), admission to the intensive care unit (odds ratio, 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-4.88), and invasive mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 2.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-5.94; P=.002). When exploring perinatal outcomes, high-risk pregnancies were at high risk of adverse perinatal outcomes (odds ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-2.72; P=.009). However, such association was mainly because of the higher incidence of miscarriage in high-risk pregnancies compared with that in low-risk pregnancies (5.3% vs 1.6%, P=.008); furthermore, there was no difference in other explored outcomes between the 2 study groups. At logistic regression analysis, maternal age (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.22; P=.023) and high-risk pregnancy (odds ratio, 4.21; 95% confidence interval, 3.90-5.11; P&lt;.001) were independently associated with adverse maternal outcomes. Conclusion: High-risk pregnancies complicated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection were at higher risk of adverse maternal outcomes than low-risk pregnancies complicated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection

The prevalence of childhood psychopathology in Turkey: a cross-sectional multicenter nationwide study (EPICPAT-T)

Conclusion: This is the largest and most comprehensive epidemiological study to determine the prevalence of psychopathologies in children and adolescents in Turkey. Our results partly higher than, and partly comparable to previous national and international studies. It also contributes to the literature by determining the independent predictors of psychopathologies in this age group

The prevalence of childhood psychopathology in Turkey: a cross-sectional multicenter nationwide study (EPICPAT-T).

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of childhood psychopathologies in Turkey

Prevalence of Childhood Affective disorders in Turkey: An epidemiological study

Aim: To determine the prevalence of affective disorders in Turkey among a representative sample of Turkish population. Methods: This study was conducted as a part of the "The Epidemiology of Childhood Psychopathology in Turkey" (EPICPAT-T) Study, which was designed by the Turkish Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The inclusion criterion was being a student between the second and fourth grades in the schools assigned as study centers. The assessment tools used were the K-SADS-PL, and a sociodemographic form that was designed by the authors. Impairment was assessed via a 3 point-Likert type scale independently rated by a parent and a teacher. Results: A total of 5842 participants were included in the analyses. The prevalence of affective disorders was 2.5 % without considering impairment and 1.6 % when impairment was taken into account. In our sample, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder was lacking, thus depressive disorders constituted all the cases. Among depressive disorders with impairment, major depressive disorder (MDD) (prevalence of 1.06%) was the most common, followed by dysthymia (prevalence of 0.2%), adjustment disorder with depressive features (prevalence of 0.17%), and depressive disorder-NOS (prevalence of 0.14%). There were no statistically significant gender differences for depression. Maternal psychopathology and paternal physical illness were predictors of affective disorders with pervasive impairment. Conclusion: MDD was the most common depressive disorder among Turkish children in this nationwide epidemiological study. This highlights the severe nature of depression and the importance of early interventions. Populations with maternal psychopathology and paternal physical illness may be the most appropriate targets for interventions to prevent and treat depression in children and adolescents