Knowledge and practices of pharmaceutical laboratory workers on laboratory safety

Laboratories are classified as very hazardous workplaces. Objective: The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the knowledge and practice of laboratory safety by analysts and technicians in the laboratories of the Turkish Medicine and Medical Devices Agency. Methods:  85.0% (n=93) of the workers (n=109) was reached. A pre-tested, laboratory safety oriented, self-administered questionnaire was completed under observation. Results: Participants were mostly female (66,7%), had 12.8±8.2 years of laboratory experience and worked 24.6±10.3 hours per week. 53.8% of the employees generally worked with flammable and explosive substances, 29.0% with acute toxic or carcinogenic chemicals and 30.1% with physical dangers. Of all surveyed, 14.0% had never received formal training on laboratory safety. The proportion of ‘always use’ of laboratory coats, gloves, and goggles were 84.9%, 66.7%, and 6.5% respectively. 11.9% of the participants had at least one serious injury throughout their working lives and 24.7% had at least one small injury within the last 6 months. Among these injuries, incisions, bites and tears requiring no stiches (21.0%) and the inhalation of chemical vapors (16.1%) took first place. The mean value for the number of correct responses to questions on basic safety knowledge was 65.4±26.5, out of a possible 100. Conclusion: Overall, the participants have failed in some safety practices and have been eager to get regular education on laboratory safety.  From this point onwards, it would be appropriate for the employers to organize periodic trainings on laboratory safety.Keywords: Health personnel, laboratory personnel, occupational health, occupational safety, pharmacy</p

Mother’s knowledge for environmental risks and self-awareness for the presence of pollutants in her living area in West and Central Anatolia: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract Background Environmental risk awareness is a key concept to raise awareness and plan future programs for environmental protection. A cross-sectional household survey aimed to find out the presence of environmental hazards next to living area and the mother’s knowledge levels about environmental risk factors with their related factors according to district development ranking, and Western and Central Anatolian regions with sampling from rural and urban residence. Method The study was designed with household sampling weighted according to population density in 2008. Data on the demography and health status, dwelling characteristics of the residents are also collected in 2009. In addition, open-ended questions "What does environmental risk/hazard mean?" and "Which environmental risks/hazards are present in your environment?" were asked. The data collected from the survey were analyzed using multivariate binary logistic regression. Results The sample included 3489 mothers living either in urban or rural areas. Of the mothers, 19.3% did not know what an environmental risk is and 75.7% stated that there was at least one environmental pollutant in their environment. The most commonly perceived risk factor was air pollution (23.0%), which was reported to be present in their living areas by 12.4%. Regions, residence, settlement features of the house, and health status of family members were associated with the perception of environmental risk at a statistically significant level. Conclusion The neighborhood conditions and health status of family associated with the mother’s awareness for environmental risk factors. Communication and cooperation between local governments, health institutions, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders should be strengthened to increase risk awareness

What do Turkish sports sciences students know about dental trauma and mouthguards? A descriptive study

Objective: Sports-related dental-orofacial-injuries can be reduced significantly through training on primary prevention and using proper equipment before engaging in sporting activities. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge regarding dental trauma and prevention by mouthguards among the students in the Faculty of Sport Sciences. Materials and Method: This was a descriptive study conducted at Ankara, Gazi, and Hacettepe Universities. Although intended to include all students at the faculties (N=3097), only those who were at the faculty and volunteered (28.2%) on the day the data were gathered participated. Data were gathered via a questionnaire comprising 31 questions on sociodemographic characteristics, dental trauma history, mouthguard use, and knowledge of dental trauma. Results: In total, 875 students with a mean age of 22.5±2.9 (60.3% male) participated. Of these students, 20.6% had dental trauma history, 72.0% had first aid and emergency training, and 20.9% had oral dental injuries training. Of the students, 69.5% had heard about mouthguards, although only 19.7% of these had used them. Mouthguards were mostly used in professional sports activities such as far-eastern sports and ice hockey. The average number of true answers out of ten dental trauma-related questions was 2.75±1.68 and 66.6% stated they wished to learn more about the topic. Conclusion: Results showed a lack-of-knowledge about both dental trauma and mouthguards and inadequate use of mouthguards in sports activities. Therefore, basic information about these topics should be implemented in the curriculum to instruct students before they graduate

Evaluating the Existence of Other Autoimmune Diseases Among Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Their First Degree Relatives

OBJECTIVE: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that could be seen simultaneously with other diseases with autoimmune origin. OBJECTIVE: In this descriptive study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between MS and other autoimmune diseases among MS patients and their first degree relatives in two different centers, Ankara and Samsun. METHODS: 784 MS were included in the study. The data was gathered via interviews and patient record reviews. MS patients and their first degree relatives were asked for 13 specific autoimmune diseases which have been supposed to occur more frequently in MS patients. Data was evaluated seperately as patient record reviews and questionare interview. Ankara and Samsun center results were compared with each other. RESULTS: Among the interviewed subjects, 9 (5.3%) had co-occurrent autoimmune disease while the relatives of 26 (15.3%) was found to have autoimmune disease in Ankara. These figures were respectively 8 (17.4%) and 21 (45.7%) in Samsun. Both comorbid autoimmune disease among patients and autoimmune disease among relatives were observed to be higher in Samsun. Psoriasis was the mostly seen disease in Samsun and one of the mostly seen diseases in Ankara (1.2% in Ankara, 8.7% in Samsun). Multiple sclerosis (5.9%) and rheumatoid arthritis (32.6%) were the mostly seen diseases among relatives in Ankara and Samsun, respectively. According to the patient record reviews, the proportion of comorbid autoimmune disease in MS patients was 2.9% in Ankara and 5.2% in Samsun. In the whole group the proportion of the autoimmune diseases among female patients (17.4%) and their relatives was higher than male patients (5.3%) and their relatives. In Ankara, autoimmune thyroid disease (Graves and Hashimoto disease) was mostly seen whereas Behçet's disease was the most prominent in Samsun. CONCLUSION: In the study it was observed that among MS patients the percentage of having a comorbid disease was high. Besides, among the patients’ relatives, percentage of autoimmnue diseases, especially MS was observed to be high. Psoriasis was among the mostly seen diseases in both groups. MS and rheumatoid arthritis were observed to be the mostly seen autoimmune diseases among relative

Yeni Koronavirüs Hastalığı (COVID-19) Öne Çıkan Konular

Değerli okuyucular,Halk sağlığı uzmanlarının Yeni Koronavirüs Hastalığı (COVID-19) ile mücadelede öncü ve önemli rol ve sorumlulukları bulunmaktadır. Bu sorumlulukların eksiksiz yerine getirilebilmesi için bilimsel verilerin tıpta halk sağlığı uzmanlık eğitiminin de gereği olarak güncel bir şekilde paylaşılması, birey ve toplum sağlığını korumak ve geliştirmek amacıyla da uygulamalara yansıtılması gerekmektedir. COVID-19 ile mücadelenin güçlenmesi için üretilen bilimsel içerikli kaynakların önemi büyüktür.Elinizdeki bu kitap içeriği dünyayı etkisi altına almış COVID-19 konusundaki bilgi birikimine katkı sunabilmek amacıyla Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Halk Sağlığı Anabilim Dalı tarafından tıpta halk sağlığı uzmanlık eğitimini sürdüren hekimlere yönelik olarak Haziran 2020 döneminde sürdürülmüş webinar eğitim serisinin konu başlıklarının yanı sıra toplumda merak edilen bazı konuları da kapsamaktadır. Hazırlıklar sürerken eğitimler sırasında katılımcılar tarafından yöneltilmiş soruların yanıtlarına da içerikte yer verilmesi olanaklı olmuştur. Hazırlanma tarihi itibarıyla mevcut bilimsel birikim ile yazılmış olan kitap içeriğinin yararlı olacağını düşünüyorum.Kitaba emek veren yazarlara teşekkür ederim.Prof. Dr. Hakan ALTINTAŞ ( Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi - Halk Sağlığı Anabilim Dalı Başkanı

Hacettepe Health Cohort (HU-CoVaCS): Study Design, Baseline Characteristics and the First 3-Month-Follow Up of COVID-19 Vaccinated Students Hacettepe Sağlık Kohortu (HU-CoVaCS): Çalışma Tasarımı, Başlangıç Viziti Değerlendirmesi ve COVID-19 Aşılıların İlk Üç Aylık Takip Verileri

Objective: This study included participants from Hacettepe University 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students of Medical School and 4th and 5th-grade students of Dental School; and aimed to evaluate the general health status, COVID-19 history, vaccination status, and SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels of the participants to support their physical and social health, during the pandemic period. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted with an integrated, matched, nested case-control study. Sociode-mographic characteristics, life habits, COVID-19 history, vaccination status, compliance with mask-distance-hygiene rules, and risks (if any) for COVID-19 were inquired via online questionnaires. Physical examinations, complete blood count, biochemistry tests, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibody tests were conducted for all consenting partici-pants. All analyses were established using depersonalized data. Results: Of the 778 participants completing the baseline visit in June-July 2021, the percentages of those vaccinated with at least one, two, and three/more doses of COVID-19 vaccine were 99.1%, 98.0%, and 11.7%, respectively; one had four doses. The median (minimum-maximum) time since the last vaccination was 134 (34-166) days for those vaccinated with two doses [CoronaVac (Sinovac Life Sciences, Beijing, China)] and 25 (14-56) days for those vaccinated with three doses [two doses of CoronaVac and a last dose of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty®). The third dose was applied at a median of 164 (151-202) days after the second dose, and all were heterologous in type. The median (minimum-maximum) antibody level for the overall group was 53.55(0-5680) BAU/mL: 47.19 BAU/mL in those who received two doses, with a more than 100 times increase after a third dose (4943.64 BAU/mL). Of the 522 participants followed up to October 1, 2021, 6 PCR-positive symptomatic participants were diagnosed with COVID-19: the incidence rate was 4/1000 person-months. Conclusion: A 100-fold neutralizing antibody level following the third dose demonstrated the importance of a booster dose. Given the time lag between doses, antibody measurements of BioNTech recipients should be repeated in the upcoming months. Booster selection should involve antibody level, variant sensitivity of the vaccine, and individual characteristics of the recipient

İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Meslek Hastalıkları

Ülkemizde iş sağlığı ve güvenliği ile meslek hastalıkları konularında, kapsamlı Türkçe kitap ihtiyacı bulunmaktadır. Bu saptamadan hareketle “İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Meslek Hastalıkları” kitabı iki yılı aşkın bir sürede tamamlanmıştır. Mezuniyet öncesi ve sonrası eğitimlere, sertifika eğitimlerine, çalışanların sağlıklı ve güvenlikli ortamda çalışmaları hakkına, saha uygulamalarına, araştırmalara katkı sağlaması amaçlanmıştır. Kaynak kitap ihtiyacı öncelikle, müfredatlarında konuya ilişkin başlıklar bulunan, Tıp, Mühendislik, Hemşirelik, Sağlık Bilimleri ve Fen fakülteleri, ilgili yüksek lisans ve doktora programları, ilgili yüksek okullar olmak üzere yüksek öğretim öğrencileri için geçerli iken aynı zamanda iş yeri hekimleri, iş güvenliği uzmanları, diğer sağlık personeli sertifika eğitimleri, çalışanların yasal olarak zorunlu olan eğitimleri için de söz konusudur.Kitabın, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Halk Sağlığı Anabilim Dalı öğretim üyesi Prof. Dr. İsmail TOPUZOĞLU’nun 1980’li yıllarda başlattığı, Prof. Dr. Nazmi BİLİR’in emekli olana kadar 30 yılı aşkın süre ile sürdürdüğü mezuniyet öncesi ve sonrası eğitim, araştırma, uygulama ve yayın çalışmaları ile bu alanlarda öncü rolü olan Hacettepe Üniversitesi’nin yayını olması ayrı bir mutluluk kaynağıdır, kendilerine şükranlarımızı sunarız.Kitap, sayfa dağılımları farklılık gösteren, konu başlıkları itibariyle toplam 79 bölümden oluşmaktadır. Meslek hastalıklarına ilişkin bazı bölümlerde, yazarlar ikinci baskısı yapılmış olan “Yıldız, A.N., Sandal, A. (Ed.). Meslek Hastalıkları İşle İlgili Hastalıklar (Seçilmiş Başlıklarda). Ankara: Hacettepe Üniversitesi Yayını. ISBN: 978-975-491-460-3.” kitabındaki bölümlerini güncelleyerek genişletmişlerdir.Kitabın yazarları başlıca, Hacettepe Üniversitesi öğretim elemanları, Tıp Fakültesi İş ve Meslek Hastalıkları Yan Dal Uzmanlık Eğitimi Programı eğitim kadrosu ile bu kapsamda eğitim almış veya almaya devam eden uzman hekimler, ile T.C. Aile, Çalışma ve Sosyal Hizmetler Bakanlığı yönetici ve uzmanlarıdır. Bütün yazarlara katkıları için teşekkür ederiz.Kitabın elektronik kitap olarak yayınlanması, ulaşılabilirliğinin artması, içerik arama ve güncelleme gibi hususlarda kolaylık sağlayacağı kanaatindeyiz. Ayrıca kaynakları metin içinde gösterilmiş olması da ileri incelemeler için katkı sağlayacaktır.Yoğun çalışma sürecinde gösterdikleri anlayış için ailelerimize, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Hastaneleri Basım Yayın ve Tanıtım Koordinatörlüğü ile Kütüphane ve Dokümantasyon Daire Başkanlığı yetkilileri ve çalışanlarına, kitabı yayına hazırlamada katkı sağlayan Dr. A. Kadir ATLI, Dr. Buhara ÖNAL ve Özge Rojda BENZİL’e teşekkür ederiz.Saygılarımızla,Prof. Dr. Bülent ALTUN (Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dekanı)Prof. Dr. Ali Naci YILDIZ (Editör)Uzm. Dr. Abdulsamet SANDAL (Editör