The effect of thrombolytic therapy on QT dispersion in acute myocardial infarction and its role in the prediction of reperfusion arrhythmias

Purpose: We aimed to determine the effect of intravenous thrombolytic therapy on QT dispersion (QTd) and its role in the prediction of reperfusion arrhythmias.Materials and Methods: Twenty patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) were enrolled in the study. Measurements of QTd were carried out  prior to thrombolytic therapy and before discharge. The patients were examined for ventricular arrhythmias with 24‑h Holter electrocardiography monitoring after treatment and the relationship between ventricular arrhythmias and the QTd values in the early phase of MI was investigated.Results: The values of QTd were significantly higher during the early phase of MI (60 ± 5.32 ms) than those in the late phase (53.35 ± 4.07 ms) (P = 0.032). There was no correlation between isolated, bigeminal, trigeminal and total ventricular premature beats, accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR) with QTd values. However, the patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), prolonged VT and sustained AIVR had higher corrected QTd (92 ms1/2, 97.8 ms1/2, 81.7 ms1/2, respectively) than the patients without these arrhythmias (74 ms1/2, 56.3 ms1/2, 58.28 ms1/2,  respectively) (P = 0.022, 0.013, 0.018).Conclusion: The values of QTd may be significantly reduced in the 1st week of acute MI and measurement of QTd in the early phase of MI may have a correlation with the following reperfusion arrhythmias: Sustained VT, prolonged VT and AIVR.Key words: Arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, QT dispersion, reperfusion, thrombolytic therap

Searching for Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in a Contaminated Meteorite: Amino Acid Analyses of the Canakkale L6 Chondrite

Amino acids can serve as important markers of cosmochemistry, as their abundances and isomeric and isotopic compositions have been found to vary predictably with changes in parent body chemistry and alteration processes. Amino acids are also of astrobiological interest because they are essential for life on Earth. Analyses of a range of meteorites, including all groups of carbonaceous chondrites, along with H, R, and LL chondrites, ureilites, and a martian shergottite, have revealed that amino acids of plausible extraterrestrial origin can be formed in and persist after a wide range of parent body conditions. However, amino acid analyses of L6 chondrites to date have not provided evidence for indigenous amino acids. In the present study, we performed amino acid analysis on larger samples of a different L6 chondite, Canakkale, to determine whether or not trace levels of indigenous amino acids could be found. The Canakkale meteor was an observed fall in late July, 1964, near Canakkale, Turkey. The meteorite samples (1.36 and 1.09 g) analyzed in this study were allocated by C. Y. Ornek, along with a soil sample (1.5 g) collected near the Canakkale recovery site

The training needs of Turkish emergency department personnel regarding intimate partner violence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Violence against females is a widespread public health problem in Turkey and the lifetime prevalence of IPV ranges between 34 and 58.7%. Health care workers (HCW) sometimes have the unique opportunity and obligation to identify, treat, and educate females who are abused. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of the emergency department (ED) staff regarding intimate partner violence (IPV) at a large university hospital in Turkey.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was conducted in a large university hospital via questionnaire. The study population consisted of all the nurses and physicians who worked in the ED during a two month period (n = 215). The questionnaire response rate was 80.5% (41 nurses and 132 physicians). The main domains of the questionnaire were knowledge regarding the definition of IPV, clinical findings in victims of IPV, legal aspects of IPV, attitudes towards IPV, knowledge about the characteristics of IPV victims and abusers, and professional and personal experiences and training with respect to IPV.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One-half of the study group were females, 76.3% were physicians, and 89.8% had no training on IPV. The majority of the nurses (89.5%) and physicians (71.1%) declared that they were aware of the clinical appearance of IPV. The mean of the knowledge scores on clinical knowledge were 8.84 ± 1.73 (range, 0–10) for acute conditions, and 4.51 ± 3.32 for chronic conditions. The mean of the knowledge score on legal procedures and the legal rights of the victims was 4.33 ± 1.66 (range, 0–7). At least one reason to justify physical violence was accepted by 69.0% of females and 84.7% of males, but more males than females tended to justify violence (chi square = 5.96; p = 0.015). However, both genders accepted that females who experienced physical violence should seek professional medical help.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study participants' knowledge about IPV was rather low and a training program is thus necessary on this issue. Attention must be given to the legal aspects and clinical manifestations of IPV. The training program should also include a module on gender roles in order to improve the attitudes towards IPV.</p

Correspondence

[No abstract available

Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in the acute phase of sildenafil treatment

Batislam, Ertan/0000-0002-7493-4573; Ornek, Nurgul/0000-0003-3068-1831WOS: 000355744400005PubMed: 26004593OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early effect of sildenafil on the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty eyes of 60 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent RNFL analysis by scanning laser polarimetry (Nerve Fiber Analyzer, GDx VCC: 5.3.3; Laser Diagnostic Technologies, San Diego, CA, USA) before and after a single 100 mg dose of sildenafil. Sixty eyes of 60 volunteers of similar age and sex distribution were taken as the control group. The RNFL thickness parameters evaluated included temporal, superior, nasal, inferior, temporal (TSNIT) average, superior average (SA), inferior average (IA), TSNIT standard deviation (SD), and nerve fiber index (NFI). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 53,52 +/- 9,26 years. The mean pre- and post-treatment TSNIT, SA, IA, TSNIT SD, and NFI of the patients were 57.46 +/- 4.94 mu versus 56.90 +/- 4.59 microns (mu), 68.93 +/- 6,12 mu versus 67,79 +/- 5,49 mu, 66,71 +/- 7.10 mu versus 66.31 +/- 6.82 mu, 24 +/- 3.86 mu versus 23.40 +/- 4.05 mu, and 16.50 +/- 6.08 mu versus 14.92 +/- 6.76 mu, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between pre- and post-treatment RNFL thicknesses (p = 0.527, p = 0.281, p = 0.754, p = 0.416, p = 0.185, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A single 100 mg dose of sildenafil seems to have no unfavorable effect on RNFL thickness in the acute phase of treatment

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN AQUEOUS AND SERUM LEVEL OF APOLIPOPROTEIN A1 AND B AND DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

WOS: 000361151700030

PREVALENCE OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE IN TURKISH ADULTS

The prevalence of coronary heart disease was determined by a conducted survey in a random sample of 3689 subjects 20 years of age or older in 59 communities representing the Turkish adult population. Interview with a questionnaire, physical examination of the cardiovascular system and recording of a 12-lead ECG were performed. The latter was coded according to the Minnesota code. Expressed in age-adjusted rates (for 35-64 years), prevalence rates per 100 men were as follows: typical angina 3.7, atypical angina 0.9, electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial infarction and/or ischemia 3.7, any of the stated findings suggesting coronary heart disease 8. Women had a substantially higher rate of atypical angina, positive ECG findings and of any of the stated manifestations for coronary heart disease, whereas they had a significantly lower rate of Q/QS patterns as well as of a history of myocardial infarction. Based on a probability-related point score, age-adjusted clinical coronary heart disease was estimated to prevail in 5.8% of men and 5% of women (P > 0.4) in the sample of the Turkish population. The respective rates in urban residents was 6% and in rural resident 4.8%. Among participants diagnosed coronary heart disease, 63% presented the form of angina without infarction, 27% had evidence of myocardial infarction, 7% 'silent myocardial ischemia' and 3% cardiac failure alone