Is acupuncture effective against pain in patients with Parkinson’s disease? A randomized controlled study

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture application in the treatment of neck pain of musculoskeletal origin in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: Forty-five patients were screened, of whom 40 were enrolled and 29 completed the study. The patients were divided into two groups, each consisting of 20 individuals. The acupuncture group (AG) received acupuncture therapy in addition to neck exercises, while the control group (CG) performed only neck exercises. Both groups were enrolled in an exercise program, every day of the week for five weeks. The AG also received 10 sessions of acupuncture, twice weekly.  The Hoehn and Yahr Scale, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease rating Scale-I (MDS-UPDRS-I), a Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and the Neck Disability Index (NDI) were applied as data collection tools before and at the end of treatment. Results: Significant improvement was determined in both groups in post-treatment VAS, MDS-UPDRS-I, HAQ, and NDI values compared to pre-treatment (p<0.05). The improvement in VAS, MDS-UPDRS-I, HAQ, and NDI values was significantly greater in AG than in CG (p<0.05). Conclusion: With its local and systemic effects, acupuncture is a safe procedure capable of use for analgesia. However, further randomized, placebo-controlled studies will permit a more detailed evaluation of its therapeutic efficacy

COVID-19 salgininin isletmelerin finansal tablorari uzerine etkisine iliskin arastirma sonuclarinin degerlendirilmesi

No abstract available

The interrelations of radiologic findings and mechanical ventilation in community acquired pneumonia patients admitted to the intensive care unit: a multicentre retrospective study

BACKGROUND: We evaluated patients admitted to the intensive care units with the diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) regarding initial radiographic findings. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was held. Chest x ray (CXR) and computerized tomography (CT) findings and also their associations with the need of ventilator support were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 388 patients were enrolled. Consolidation was the main finding on CXR (89%) and CT (80%) examinations. Of all, 45% had multi-lobar involvement. Bilateral involvement was found in 40% and 44% on CXR and CT respectively. Abscesses and cavitations were rarely found. The highest correlation between CT and CXR findings was observed for interstitial involvement. More than 80% of patients needed ventilator support. Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) requirement was seen to be more common in those with multi-lobar involvement on CXR as 2.4-fold and consolidation on CT as 47-fold compared with those who do not have these findings. Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) need increased 8-fold in patients with multi-lobar involvement on CT. CONCLUSION: CXR and CT findings correlate up to a limit in terms of interstitial involvement but not in high percentages in other findings. CAP patients who are admitted to the ICU are severe cases frequently requiring ventilator support. Initial CT and CXR findings may indicate the need for ventilator support, but the assumed ongoing real practice is important and the value of radiologic evaluation beyond clinical findings to predict the mechanical ventilation need is subject for further evaluation with large patient series

Effects of mobilization treatment on sacroiliac joint dysfunction syndrome

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to reveal the short-term effects of exercise therapy and manual therapy plus exercise therapy on pain, quality of life, and physical examination results in the treatment of sacroiliac joint dysfunction syndrome (SIJDS)

Effects of ultrasound-assisted botulinum neurotoxin-A injection in patients with bruxism and masseter hypertrophy

Objectives: This study aims to explore effects of ultrasound-assisted injection of the botulinum neurotoxin-A (BoNT-A) on muscle thickness (MT) in patients with masseter hypertrophy

Temporal relationship between gastroesophageal reflux and rate of gastric emptying in children

Objectives There are conflicting reports for the relationship of reflux and the gastric emptying rate In addition, the acquisition period is not well defined for the gastroesophageal reflux studies The aim of our study was to evaluate the temporal distribution of the reflux episodes and to evaluate whether the gastric emptying rate changed with the gastroesophageal reflux time or amoun

Sarcoidosis and Coronary Bypass Surgery: A Case Report

Sarcoidosis, a chronic granulomatous disease with unknown etiology and pathogenesis, affects the skin and many other organs and has a course characterized by remissions and relapses. We describe a patient with sarcoidosis, which we diagnosed retrospectively after we had difficulties in harvesting the left internal thoracic artery because of giant and disseminated mediastinal lymphadenopathies on the anterior thoracic wall during urgent coronary artery bypass surgery

A Novel Triage for Crowded Emergency Clinics: Patient Triage

More effective and accurate methods of triage are needed for overcrowded emergency clinics. In this study, the starting point was taken as the patient is the primary and most important factor in determining emergency condition, and thus, the triage was conducted by the patient him/herself. The study involved 308 patients over the age of 16 who were admitted to the Adult Emergency Clinic of Emergency Medicine Department, Hacettepe University Medical School, between May 1st and 9th, 2010. The mean age of the patients was 46 years (SD ± 20.894). Of the patients, 47.9% (n=147) were male, 52.1% (n=160) were female. Considering the complaints of the patients at presentation, and compatibility of diagnosis at triage, Kappa statistics were used and the compatibility rates were as follows: 49.8% in the patients, 41.8% in the paramedics, 63.8% in the nurses, 6.2 % in the intern doctors, 62.6% in the junior residents, 65% in the senior residents, and 66.5% in the specialists. The accuracy rates of prediagnosis based on the patient complaints were 53.1% (n=163) for the patients, 67.1% (n=206) for the paramedics, 71.2% for the nurses, 64.5% (n=198) for the intern doctors, 73% (n=224) for the junior residents, 80.8% (n=248) for the senior residents, and 82.4% (n=253) for the specialists. The overtriage and undertriage rates of the patients were 25.1% and 15.5% respectively, which are compatible with the recommendations by American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACSCOT). The patients were found successful in establishing the correct triage and diagnosis for themselves. Thus, in cases where the patient him/herself cannot cooperate, experimentation with triage scales developed to involve active participation of patients relatives may be helpful. In addition, active participation will significantly reduce the rates of complaints for waiting times and related arguments among patients. [Med-Science 2014; 3(3.000): 1396-407