Comparison of Dosage Loss Between Medications Crushed with Two Different Methods by Two Nurses: An In Vitro Study

Objective: Administration of crushed medications can lead to various problems associated with use of inappropriate crushing method, such as administration of an incorrect dosage, alterations in drug bioavailability, and reduction in the effectiveness of the treatment. This experimental study aimed to compare the dosage loss of crushed metoclopramide hydrochloride (MT-HCI) 10-mg tablet using two crushing methods. Methods: MT-HCI 10 mg tablets (n=80) were crushed by two nurses, and each nurse used a pill crusher and a pestle and plastic bag to crush the tablet. Dosage loss was calculated by a specialist pharmacist in a laboratory environment. Results: The dosage loss was 0.515 +/- 0.299 mg (5.16%) with the pestle and self-sealing plastic bag and 0.415 +/- 0.359 mg (4.16%) with the pill crusher. No statistically significant difference was found between the two methods (p>0.05). The mean dosage loss was 0.482 +/- 0.367 mg for the first nurse and 0.449 +/- 0.298 mg for the second nurse. No statistically significant difference was noted in the mean dose between the two nurses (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study found no significant difference between the nurses and die crushing methods, but the mean dosage loss with both methods was not within the limits recommended by the United States Food and Drug Administration

Effect of Chronic Non-specific Neck Pain on Aerobic Capacity in Females

Objective: To examine the effect of chronic non-specific neck pain (NSNP) on maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) in females. Methods: This study evaluated a total of 104 participants including 52 females aged 20-40 years who were diagnosed with chronic NSNP for at least 1 year (patient group) and 52 healthy females (control group). Mean age of the patient group was 31.04±5.65 years and of the control group was 31.33±5.10 years. Pain severity was evaluated with visual analog scale (VAS), neck disability degree with Neck Disability Index (NDI), and VO2max with Bruce Protocol Treadmill Test. Results: Mean VAS score was 5.86±1.11 cm and mean disease duration was 4.72±4.20 years in the patient group. There was no significant difference in terms of VO2max level between the two groups (p>0.05). However, in the patient group, there was a moderate negative significant correlation between NDI value and VO2max level (r=-0.344, p=0.012). In addition, there was a moderate positive significant relationship between pain duration (hours/day) and NDI value in the patient group (r=0.308, p=0.026). Conclusion: As a result of the study, it was seen that there was no difference between the patient and healthy groups in terms of aerobic capacity. However, in the patient group, aerobic capacity decreased as the degree of neck disability increased. In the treatment of patients with neck pain, considering the respiratory dysfunction and the factors that cause it may contribute to the treatment processes

Comparison of International Ovarian Tumor Analysis ADNEX model and Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System with final histological diagnosis in adnexal masses: a retrospective study

Objective The International ovarian tumor analysis (IOTA)-Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model and the ovarian-adnexal reporting and data system (O-RADS) were developed to improve the diagnostic accuracy of adnexal masses in the preoperative period. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive values of both models in patients who underwent surgery for an adnexal mass at our hospital, based on the final pathological results. Methods This study included patients who underwent surgery for adnexal masses at our hospital between 2019 and 2021 and met the inclusion criteria. The IOTA ADNEX model and O-RADS scores were calculated preoperatively. Results Of the 413 patients, 295 were diagnosed with benign tumors and 118 were diagnosed with malignant tumors. The mean cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) levels for patients diagnosed with benign and malignant were 15.2 unit/mL and 72.5 unit/mL, respectively. According to the receiver operator characteristic analysis for serum CA-125 in postmenopausal and premenopausal patients, the cutoff value of 34.8 unit/mL had a sensitivity of 70.8% and specificity of 83.8% and 180.5 unit/mL had a sensitivity of 32.1% and a specificity of 92.7%, respectively (P<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity values of the IOTA ADNEX model and O-RADS were found as 78.8–48.3% and 97.9–93.5% respectively (P<0.001). There was moderate agreement between the IOTA ADNEX model and O-RADS (Kappa=0.53). Conclusion The IOTA ADNEX model has a similar specificity to the O-RADS in malignancy risk assessment, but the sensitivity of the IOTA ADNEX model is higher than that of the O-RADS. The IOTA-ADNEX model can help avoid unnecessary surgeries

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index as a Predictor of Left Atrial Thrombosis in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

Background: The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has recently been investigated for cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between SII and left atrial thrombosis (LAT). Methods: This retrospective, case-control study recruited patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for LAT detection before cardioversion or catheter ablation at a tertiary hospital between 2012 and 2021. Demographic characteristics were obtained from the hospital data system. According to TEE findings, the patients were categorized into LAT (+) and (-) groups. Age, gender, history of chronic diseases, urea, creatinine, albumin, hemogram parameters, the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), SII, the CHADS₂ score, the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score, echocardiographic parameters, antiaggregant-anticoagulant use, and non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were included and analyzed. Results: The study population consisted of 403 patients, including 228 men (56.6%), at a mean age of 60.84±12.26 years. A high white blood cell count (WBC) (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.51; P=0.013), a high SII (OR, 1.00, 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.00; P=0.003), and a low ejection fraction (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.90 to 0.99; P=0.018) were independent predictors of LAT (+). A spontaneous echo contrast (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.35 to 4.39; P=0.003) was associated with LAT (+). SII values above 693.6 predicted LAT (+) with 71.6% sensitivity and 71.7% specificity (AUC, 0.77; P<0.001). The predictiveness of SII was similar to that of NLR (0.77 vs 0.74, P=0.093) but higher than PLR (0.77 vs 0.67; P<0.001) and WBC (0.77 vs 0.69; P=0.031). Conclusion: SII is an independent predictor of LAT in patients with NVAF

Psikolojik faktörlerin tükürük üzerine olan etkilerinin incelenmesi

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı uyarılmamış tükürük akış hızı ve subjektif ağız kuruluğunun anksiyete, depresyon ve stres ile ilişkilerinin değerlendirilmesidir. Yöntemler: Dört grup oluşturulmuştur. Birinci grup uyarılmamış tükürük akış hızı ≤0,1 ml/dak. olan ve subjektif ağız kuruluğu olan hastaları, ikinci grup uyarılmamış tükürük akış hızı ≥0,1 ml/dak. olan ve subjektif ağız kuruluğu olan hastaları, üçüncü grup uyarılmamış tükürük akış hızı ≤0,1 ml/dak. olan ve subjektif ağız kuruluğu olmayan hastaları içermektedir. Bu üç grup, uyarılmamış tükürük akış hızı ≥0,1 ml/dak. ve subjektif ağız kuruluğu olmayan hastaları içeren kontrol grubu (dördüncü grup) ile bağımsız olarak karşılaştırılmıştır. Çalışmaya dâhil edilen hastaların tümünün teşhis edilmiş hastalıkları ve kullanmakta oldukları ilaçlar kaydedilmiştir. Tükürük örneğinin alınmasından sonra, depresyon, anksiyete ve genel stres durumu değerlendirilmiştir. Uyarılmamış tükürük akış hızı 0,1 ml/dak.’dan az olduğunda hiposalivasyon olarak değerlendirilmiştir. “Ağzınızda genelde kuruluk hisseder misiniz?” sorusu subjektif ağız kuruluğunun göstergesi olarak sorulmuştur. Bulgular: Çalışmada kullanılan tüm testlerin iç tutarlılık indekslerinin 0,70 in üzerinde olduğu görülmüştür. Depresyon (F:10,27 p=0,0001), anksiyete (F:3,79 p=0,013, F:3,90 p=0,011) ve stres testlerinin (F:3.88 p=0,012) gruplardaki dağılımında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark bulunmuştur. 1. Grup’un depresyon puanları 4. Grup’unkinden istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede yüksek bulunmuştur (p=0,0001). 2. Grup’un depresyon puanları 4. Grup’unkinden istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede yüksek bulunmuştur (p=0,001). Sonuç: Psikolojik faktörlerin tükürük akış hızının azalmasında ve subjektif ağız kuruluğunun artmasında önemli rol oynadığı görülmüştür

Touch imprint cytology of prostate core needle biopsy specimens: A useful method for immediate reporting of prostate cancer

Background: Cytology plays an important role in the preoperative assessment of many cancers. It is used as a first-line pathological investigation in both screening and diagnostic purposes. Aims: To determine the diagnostic value and accuracy of touch imprint cytology (TIC) smear of prostate core needle biopsy (CNB) specimens in the diagnosis of prostate carcinoma. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-one patients had ultrasound-guided transrectal prostate CNB. A total of 1210 TIC smears were prepared from all CNB specimens. Results: Diagnoses of 1210 TIC smears were compared with the histopathological findings of the CNB specimens. One hundred and seventy (14%) TIC smears were found positive for malignancy, 35 (2.9%) were diagnosed as suspicious for malignancy and 1005 (83.1%) were found negative for malignancy. Twenty-five of 35 suspicious imprints and 150 of 170 malignant smears were confirmed to be malignant on histopathological evaluation. Although 20 malignant TIC smears were defined as benign in standard histological preparations, 10 of them had definitive diagnosis of malignancy following extensive serial sectioning. Last of all, there were 10 false-positive cytology results. Moreover, 10 of the 35 suspected TIC smears were false negative when compared with the histopathological diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of touch imprint smear results were 100%, 98%, 90.2% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: TIC smears can provide an immediate and reliable cytological diagnosis of prostate carcinoma. It may clearly help the rapid detection of carcinoma, particularly in highly suspected cases that had negative routine biopsy results for malignancy with abnormal serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and atypical digital rectal examination