SJÖGREN SENDROMLU HASTALARDA SİSTOLİK VE DİASTOLİK KALP FONKSİYONLARININ KLASİK VE DOKU DOPPLER EKOKARDİYOGRAFİ İLE DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

sendromu (SS) egzokrin bezlerin kronik lenfositik infiltrasyonu ile karakterize otoimmün bir hastalıktır. Tıbbi literatür incelendiğinde, SS&#8217;nin kalp fonksiyonları üzerine olan etkisini inceleyen bir çalışma yoktur. Bu nedenle, SS&#8217;li hastalarda sol ventrikül fonksiyonlarını incelemeyi amaçladık. Çalışmaya, SS tanısı ile takip edilen ve tümü kadınlardan oluşan 28 hasta alındı. 20 hasta Avrupa Amerika konsensus grup kriterlerine göre &#8220;kesin SS&#8221; olarak sınıflandırıldı. Sekiz hasta ise 1993 Avrupa kriterlerine göre &#8220;olası SS&#8221; olarak sınıflandırıldı. Hem hasta hem de kontrol grubu sistolik ve diastolik kalp fonksiyonları açısından, klasik (ejeksiyon fraksiyonu, E, A, E/A) ve doku Doppler (Sm, Em, Am, (E/A)m) ekokardiyografi ile değerlendirildi. Ortalama ejeksiyon fraksiyonu, kesin SS grubunda kontrol grubuna oranla daha düşük bulundu, ancak aradaki fark istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeye ulaşmadı. Ortalama Sm değeri kesin SS ve kontrol grupları arasında benzerdi. Ortalama E değeri ve E/A oranı kesin SS grubunda kontrol grubuna oranla anlamlı düzeyde daha düşüktü. E/A oranı < 1 olan denek sıklığı, kesin SS grubunda kontrol grubuna oranla anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksekti. Kesin SS grubu kontrol grubu ile karşılaştırıldığında, ortalama Am değeri anlamlı olarak yüksek iken, ortalama (E/A)m oranı anlamlı düzeyde düşük saptandı. E değeri haricinde tüm ekokardiyografik ölçümler olası SS ve kontrol grubu arasında benzerdi. Sonuç olarak, SS&#8217;li kadın hastalarda diastolik kalp fonksiyonları, klinik düzeyde kalp yetmezliği belirtileri olmaksızın kötü yönde etkilenmiş görünmektedir.Sjogren&#8217;s syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands. To the best of our knowledge, left ventricle functions in SS patients have not been studied previously. We aimed to investigate the left ventricle functions in SS patients. Twentyeight women were included in the study. Twenty of them were classified as definite SS according to the European - American consensus criteria, and 8 of them were classified as probable SS according to the preliminary European criteria. We evaluated the diastolic and systolic left ventricle functions with classical (ejection fraction, E, A) and tissue Doppler (Sm, Em, Am) echocardiography. Mean ejection fraction was lower in the definite SS patients compared to the control group but this did not reach statistically significance. Mean Sm was similar between groups. Mean E value and E/A ratio were significantly lower in the definite SS patients when compared to the control group. Frequency of subjects who had E/A ratio <1 was significantly higher in the definite SS group compared to the control group. Mean Am value was significantly higher and mean (E/A)m ratio was significantly lower in the definite SS patients compared to the control group. However, echocardiographic measurements were similar between probable SS and control group except for the E value. Median E value was significantly lower in the probable SS group compared to the control group. In conclusion, diastolic functions in SS patients who have no sign of heart failure seem to be adversely affected, this is more marked among definite SS patients compared to probable SS patients

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Vaccination Behaviour of Individuals over the Age of 65 Years in Turkey: Single-Centre Experience

The aim of this study is to evaluate the awareness of individuals over 65 years of age who have had the COVID-19 vaccine at the Samsun Research and Training Hospital and to evaluate whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected the vaccination behaviour in the geriatric age group. A total of 290 people who were vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Samsun Training and Research Hospital between 16 April 2021 and 16 April 2022 and volunteered to participate in the study were included. The questionnaire form was created by the researchers. According to the national and global guidelines, the seasonal influenza vaccine, Td or Tdap vaccines (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), shingles vaccine, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15 or PCV20), have been recommended to all adults over the age of 65. It was questioned whether the participants had the vaccines recommended for them before and after the pandemic, if they were not vaccinated, what were the reasons, and whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected the general view on vaccination in this age group. Demographic data and comorbidities were also recorded. After each response that showed that the participant was not vaccinated, reasons were investigated with new questions to find out the causes of vaccine refusal or vaccine hesitancy. Finally, all participants were asked whether they would have the relevant vaccinations when offered. It was shown that 282 (94.3%) of the 299 people who participated in the study were considering getting a regular COVID-19 vaccine from now on, while 84.3% of the participants mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive effect on their general vaccination behaviour. While 39 (13%) people stated that their view on vaccination was not affected by the pandemic, 8 (2.7%) people stated that it was negatively affected. The most common reason about low vaccination rates before the pandemic was a lack of enough knowledge about the recommended vaccines. The pandemic increased the vaccination awareness among the adult population. We think that vaccination rates may be improved by education of the geriatric population on this subject

COVID-19 Vaccination Rates and Factors Affecting Vaccine Hesitancy among Pregnant Women during the Pandemic Period in Turkey: A Single-Center Experience

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was detected in the Wuhan region of China in 2019 and spread rapidly all over the world, was declared a pandemic by the WHO in 2020. Since then, despite widespread recommendations to prevent the spread of the disease and provide treatment for sick people, 6,573,968 people died all over the world, 101,203 of which in Turkey. According to the international adult vaccination guidelines, pregnant women have been recommended to get vaccinated against the new coronavirus disease, as well as influenza and tetanus, during pregnancy. Before this study, not enough information was available about the vaccination awareness and vaccination hesitancy rates of pregnant women living in Turkey. For this reason, we believe that our study will contribute to filling this gap in the literature. The main objective of this study was to investigate the vaccination rates of pregnant women in a local hospital in Turkey and the reasons for vaccine hesitancy in this patient group. The minimum sample size of the study was found to be 241, with 80% power, 0.2 effect size, and 95% confidence interval, at p < 0.05 significance level. We included 247 consecutive pregnant women who applied to the Samsun Training and Research Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Outpatient Clinics between January 2022 and April 2022. The researchers prepared a questionnaire by taking into account the characteristics of the local community. A preliminary survey with these questions was also conducted before starting the main study. The mean age of the pregnant women participating in the study was 28.7 ± 5.3 years, and the mean gestational age was 28.2 ± 7.9 weeks. Among the participants, 26.3% were university graduates or had a higher degree, and 17% were actively working; in addition, 93 (37.7%) of the 247 pregnant women had received the COVID-19 vaccine, 203 (82.2%) had received at least one dose of the tetanus vaccine, and only 1 (0.4%) person had been administered the influenza vaccine during pregnancy. The most common reason for COVID-19 vaccine refusal and hesitancy was safety concerns, while the low rates of tetanus and influenza vaccination were due to a lack of knowledge. These results show that it is important to inform and educate the pregnant population on this subject to improve their vaccination behavior

Evaluation of Treatment Requirements and Treatment Receiving Status of Anti-HCV Positive Patients

Introduction: Chronic viral hepatitis C infection virus (HCV) continues to be a serious health problem all over the world. At the same time, it is known that there are serious deficiencies in the diagnosis and treatment of HCV patients. In this study, our objective was to assess the treatment status and treatment outcomes of patients who tested positive for anti-HCV at our hospital. Materials and Methods: In our study, we retrospectively evaluated the anti-HCV test results of serum samples that were sent to the microbiology laboratory between January 2021 and April 2022. Furthermore, HCV-RNA PCR results of individuals who tested positive for anti-HCV were examined and those who tested negative were identified. Among the patients who tested positive on PCR, we distinguished between those who received HCV treatment and those who did not. Patients who did not receive treatment were contacted by phone using their registered phone numbers in the system and were invited to the infectious diseases polyclinic for further evaluation. Results: In our study, anti-HCV tests were conducted on a total of 83.129 patients. The results revealed that 617 patients (0.7%) tested positive for anti-HCV. The average age of these patients was 55.83 ± 10.30 years (ranging from 18 to 93). Of these patients, 289 (46%) were male and 328 (54%) were female. HCV-RNA PCR tests were performed on 249 (40%) of the anti-HCV positive patients, 58 (23%) of whom tested positive for PCR, while 191 (77%) tested negative. However, PCR tests were not performed in 368 (60%) of the anti-HCV-positive patients. It was determined that oral antiviral treatment was started in 26 patients with positive PCR results and a sustained viral response developed in all of these patients. We attempted to find the contact information of the 32 patients who tested positive on PCR but did not initiate treatment on the patient registration system. Those who could be contacted were invited to the infectious diseases and clinical microbiology polyclinic for treatment initiation. Conclusion: The findings of our study have revealed significant deficiencies in the diagnosis of HCV infection within our region and the subsequent referral of patients to appropriate physicians for treatment planning. It has become evident that there is a pressing need for the development of targeted initiatives aimed at enhancing the awareness and knowledge of healthcare personnel and patients alike, in order to promptly identify these individuals and provide them with the necessary treatments

Changes In The Frequencies Of Abdominal Wall Hernias And The Preferences For Their Repair: A Multicenter National Study From Turkey

Abdominal wall hernias are a common problem in the general population. A Western estimate reveals that the lifetime risk of developing a hernia is about 2%.– As a result, hernia repairs likely comprise the most frequent general surgery operations. More than 20 million hernias are estimated to be repaired every year around the world. Numerous repair techniques have been described to date however tension-free mesh repairs are widely used today because of their low hernia recurrence rates. Nevertheless, there are some ongoing debates regarding the ideal approach (open or laparoscopic),, the ideal anesthesia (general, local, or regional),, and the ideal mesh (standard polypropylene or newer meshes).,PubMedWoSScopu