Turkish women experiences of psychological treatments for chronic pain

Increase in ethnic and racial diversity in UK requires National Health Service to deliver care to non-English speaking patients. The literature suggests that effective pain treatment and psychological treatments for chronic pain must be tailored to meet cultural experiences of pain and belief about pain treatment. Yet there appears to be lack of research into UK- based psychological therapy experience of ethnic minorities and non-English speaking patients. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study that explored the psychological therapy experience of Turkish-Speaking women with chronic pain. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with six women who had received psychological treatment in National Health Service for their chronic pain. An interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was applied in the research process, identifying five superordinate themes: living with chronic pain, when paths crosses psychology, my pain is real, out of control and control within the system and outcome of therapy. Each superordinate theme consisted of several subthemes which described participants’ experience. Passive position taken up by participants during their psychological therapy experience emerged as significant in Turkish-speaking women with chronic pain. Cultural and systemic factors that maintain this passive position within psychological therapy are explored. Input directly from Turkish-Speaking women can be combined with findings from other studies to improve understanding of psychological therapy experience of individuals with chronic pain from different cultures. A better understanding of cultural differences and systemic challenges in the experience of psychological pain treatment can provide support for tailoring services to meet the needs of individuals from ethnic backgrounds

Turkish-Speaking Service-User Experience of Guided Self-Help in an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service: Using Discovery Interviews to Improve Services

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) delivers guided self-help (GSH) interventions in the United Kingdom (UK). A minority service-user group for whom we know little of their engagement with GSH are Turkish-speaking users. The study aimed to better understand Turkish-speaking service-users experience of a GSH intervention in an IAPT service and identify possible service improvements. A discovery interview method facilitated service-users to describe their experience of GSH. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Excerpts of service-user narratives and thematic commonalities across interviews were disseminated in clinical teams and informed service improvements. Participant distress was expressed through somatic complaints, a high level of confusion and inactivity. Engagement with GSH was affected by ambivalent help-seeking and sense of limited self-efficacy. Service improvements aimed to address a widespread sense of confusion and anxiety. Listening to service-user experience provides opportunities for mending communication gaps between services and ethnic minority service-users

Turkish-Speaking Service-User Experience of Guided Self-Help in an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service: Using Discovery Interviews to Improve Services

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) delivers guided self-help (GSH) interventions in the United Kingdom (UK). A minority service-user group for whom we know little of their engagement with GSH are Turkish-speaking users. The study aimed to better understand Turkish-speaking service-users experience of a GSH intervention in an IAPT service and identify possible service improvements. A discovery interview method facilitated service-users to describe their experience of GSH. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Excerpts of service-user narratives and thematic commonalities across interviews were disseminated in clinical teams and informed service improvements. Participant distress was expressed through somatic complaints, a high level of confusion and inactivity. Engagement with GSH was affected by ambivalent help-seeking and sense of limited self-efficacy. Service improvements aimed to address a widespread sense of confusion and anxiety. Listening to service-user experience provides opportunities for mending communication gaps between services and ethnic minority service-users

Autophagy: a cellular stres and a cell death mechanism (Otofaji: bir hücresel stres yanıtı ve ölüm mekanizması)

Autophagy is a physiological phenomenon responsible for the degradation of long-lived proteins, organelles and cytoplasmic fragments. It allows cellular recycling following lysosomal degradation and helps the cell to survive various stress conditions including starvation, growth factor and oxidative stress. Paradoxically, under certain conditions autophagy may kill the cell through a caspase-independent, non-apoptotic type of cell death (Type II cell death or autophagic cell death). Several lines of evidence point out to a direct connection between classical apoptosis and autophagy. Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis-autophagy connection start to be unraveled. The cross-talk between autophagy and apoptosis seems quite complex but certainly is critical for the development of novel diagnosis, follow-up and treatment modalities in health problems such as cancer, infections and neurodegenerative diseases

Internal mammary artery anastomoses in patients without breast lesions (BIRADS 1) and in patients with malignant breast lesions (BIRADS 6) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Background: We aimed to compare the frequency of IMA (internal mammarian artery) anastomoses in right and left breasts in patients without breast lesions and in patients with malignant breast lesions. Material/Methods: A total of 100 patients with no breast lesions and a total of 100 patients with malignant breast lesions were included in the study. The anastomoses of IMA of right and left breasts were evaluated on MIP and post-contrast T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. Breast MRI scans were read by a radiologist. Results: In patients with no breast lesions, IMA anastomoses were found in 45% of cases, and in patients with malignant breast lesions, IMA anastomoses were found in 58% cases. In four patients with malignant lesions, ipsilateral IMA was rudimentary, and the lesion was feeding from the contralateral IMA. Conclusions: No statistically significant difference was found between patients without any breast lesions and patients with malignant breast lesions with respect to the frequency of IMA anastomoses in right and left breasts. The frequencies were higher than expected in both group

Sonographically unusual breast carcinomas : 2 case reports

BACKGROUND: For infiltrative breast lesions; sonography might not always be as helpful as mammography and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). For higher sensitivity and specificity, these 3 imaging methods should be carried out together. Radiologists should be aware of the patient's history and complaints. Patients who have a specific history like a long-term drug treatment or a palpable tumour should be approached differently. CASE REPORT: We would like to present 2 cases with atypical sonographic findings. The first case is an infiltrative breast cancer with occult sonography findings in a patient with a history of a long-term immunosuppressive drug treatment due to kidney transplantation and the second case is a malignant breast tumour which is hyperechogenic on sonography. CONCLUSIONS: Overall breast sonography should always be correlated with mammography in patients over 40 years old and the images should be interpreted along with the patient's history and clinical status

MRI of residual red bone marrow in the distal femur of healthy subjects

BACKGROUND: The purpose of our study is to examine the correlation of the residual red bone marrow areas of distal femoral metaphysis with the age, gender, weight and hemoglobin (hgb) values; evaluate the results, and comprehend the importance of these residual areas in the light of the results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 140 nonsmoking patients between the ages of 26 and 72 (92 women, 48 men) who had knee MR examinations were included in the study. The residual red bone marrow areas in the distal femoral metaphysis in MR images were examined by a radiologist. The areas were separated into grades according to their sizes. The hemoglobin values of the cases were measured. The size of the residual red bone marrow area and the age, gender, weight and hemoglobin values of the cases were compared by using the Tukey and Chi-Square Tests. RESULTS: Although no significant differences were observed between the mean ages, weights and hemoglobin values of the grades, a significant difference was detected between the gender distribution The male group had less residual red bone marrow in the distal femoral metaphysis than the female group (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: We observed that the hypointensities due to residual red bone marrow observed in the T1WS of the distal femoral metaphysis are not related with the age, weight and hemoglobin values. No grade 2 and grade 3 patient was detected in male group. We observed that these hypointense areas showed difference according to the gender variable; however, were not affected by the hemoglobin values over certain levels

MRI of Residual Red Bone Marrow in the Distal Femur of Healthy Subjects

Backround: The purpose of our study is to examine the correlation of the residual red bone marrow areas of distal femoral metaphysis with the age, gender, weight and hemoglobin (hgb) values; evaluate the results, and comprehend the importance of these residual areas in the light of the results

Knowledge and experience of radiologists working in Istanbul on radiographic contrast medium anaphylaxis

Radiologists are among the physicians with the highest probability of encountering cases with anaphylaxis. Therefore, they should be familiar with the recent developments in the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the level of knowledge of the radiologists about the current diagnostic criteria and management of anaphylaxis in addition to their personal experiences on radiographic contrast medium (RCM) induced systemic reactions. Radiologists working in Istanbul were randomly selected and asked to fill out a 16-item questionnaire related to their experience on radiographic contrast medium anaphylaxis and knowledge about current anaphylaxis diagnosis and management guidelines. The study group consisted of 106 physicians 11 (10.4%) of whom have reported that they had encountered anaphylaxis due to radiographic contrast medium during their own practice. They have also reported two cases of mortality due to RCM. Most of the physicians were familiar with the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and about two thirds of them chose epinephrine as the first-line medication for treatment of anaphylaxis. Radiologists may encounter patients with RCM-induced anaphylaxis. Therefore they should be aware of the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis