Earthquakes can cause psychological trauma among survivors as well as physical trauma. This study aims to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and identify associated ...risk factors among earthquake survivors after the 2023 Turkey earthquake.
This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary university hospital between May 6, 2023, and May 16, 2023. An online questionnaire was sent to the participants. The questionnaire form consisted of three parts. In the first part, the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants were included. In the second part, the participants were asked about their experiences with the earthquake. In the third part, the post-traumatic stress disorder checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which screens PTSD among the participants, was included. Participants who did not complete all the questions and had severe communication disorders were excluded.
The prevalence of probable PTSD among the participants was 51.4% (n = 197). Age (OR: 0.96 95% CI: 0.93–99), female gender (OR: 4.54 95% CI: 2.39–8.61), being the head of the family (OR: 2.00 95% CI: 1.04–3.82), bereavement (OR: 1.71 95% CI: 1.03–2.82), lost loved ones (OR: 3.15 95% CI: 1.67–5.92), low social support (OR: 1.80 95% CI: 1.12–2.90) and receiving emergency care at the field (OR: 6.67 95% CI: 1.03–43.2) were the associated risk factors of PTSD among earthquake survivors.
The prevalence of PTSD among survivors three months after the 2023 Turkey earthquake is over half of the survivors. Younger age, female gender, being the head of the family, bereavement, lost loved ones, low social support, and receiving emergency care in the field were the associated risk factors of PTSD among earthquake survivors. Considering survivors may visit EDs until other outpatient clinics are re-established and the high rate of PTSD, rapid psychological evaluations can be performed in emergency departments. Emergency physicians should be aware of possible risk factors and high rate of PTSD.
Graph-based genome reference representations have seen significant development, motivated by the inadequacy of the current human genome reference to represent the diverse genetic information from ...different human populations and its inability to maintain the same level of accuracy for non-European ancestries. While there have been many efforts to develop computationally efficient graph-based toolkits for NGS read alignment and variant calling, methods to curate genomic variants and subsequently construct genome graphs remain an understudied problem that inevitably determines the effectiveness of the overall bioinformatics pipeline. In this study, we discuss obstacles encountered during graph construction and propose methods for sample selection based on population diversity, graph augmentation with structural variants and resolution of graph reference ambiguity caused by information overload. Moreover, we present the case for iteratively augmenting tailored genome graphs for targeted populations and demonstrate this approach on the whole-genome samples of African ancestry. Our results show that population-specific graphs, as more representative alternatives to linear or generic graph references, can achieve significantly lower read mapping errors and enhanced variant calling sensitivity, in addition to providing the improvements of joint variant calling without the need of computationally intensive post-processing steps.
Aim. To asses both choroidal thickness differences among Alzheimer’s type dementia (ATD) patients, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and healthy control (C) subjects and choroidal thickness ...relationships with cognitive performance. Methods. A total of 246 eyes of 123 people (41 ATD, 38 MCI, and 44 healthy C subjects) were included in this study. Complete ophthalmological and neurological examination was performed in all subjects. Choroidal thicknesses (CT) were measured at seven locations: the fovea, 500-1500-3000 μm temporal and 500-1500-3000 μm nasal to the fovea by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). Detailed neurological examination including mini mental state examination (MMSE) test which evaluates the cognitive function was applied to all participants. Results. The ages and genders of all participants were similar in all groups. Compared with healthy C subjects, the CT measurements at all regions were significantly thinner both in patients with ATD and in patients with MCI than in healthy C subjects (p<0.05). The MMSE scores were significantly different among ATD patients, MCI patients, and healthy C subjects. They were 19.3±1.8, 24.8±0.9, and 27.6±1.2 in ATD, MCI, and healthy controls, respectively (p<0.001). There were also significant correlation between MMSE score and choroidal thickness at each location (p<0.05). Conclusions. CT was reduced in ATD patients and MCI patients. Since vascular structures were affected in ATD patients and MCI patients, they had thin CT. Besides CT was correlated with degree of cognitive impairment. Therefore CT may be a new biomarker in diagnosis and follow-up of MCI and ATD patients.
After the 2023 Turkey earthquake, thousands of people evacuated to different fields. Earthquake victims still need health care in the evacuation location. This study aims to determine the emergency ...department (ED) and outpatient clinic utilization characteristics of the evacuated earthquake victims outside the earthquake zone and to provide suggestions for planning the health care facilities in the regions where the evacuated earthquake victims will be placed.
This retrospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary university hospital from February 7, 2023 through February 20, 2023. All evacuated earthquake victims who presented to the study hospital were included in the study. Non-victim patients were included as the control group. Missing medical records were excluded. Demographic characteristics of the patients, outpatient clinics, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10th Revision (ICD-10) codes, and outcomes were recorded.
A total of 15,128 patients were included in the final analysis. Six-hundred-nine (4.0%) of the patients were evacuated victims. Three-hundred forty-six (56.8%) evacuated victims used the ED. One-hundred fifty-six (25.6%) earthquake victims were in the pediatric age group. Earthquake victims used the ED more than the control group in adult and pediatric age groups (22.5% versus 51.7% and 30.2% versus 71.8%; P <.001, respectively). Earthquake victims frequently presented to the hospital during night shifts in both age groups (P <.05). Pediatric victims were more hospitalized than the control group (4.8% versus 10.9%; P = .001). Diseases of the respiratory system were the most common emergency diagnosis of the victims in both age groups (26.5% and 57.1%, respectively). The most frequently used outpatient clinic was ophthalmology in both age groups (14.6% and 20.5%, respectively).
Evacuated victims, especially pediatric victims, used the ED more than other outpatient clinics. Diseases of the respiratory system were the most common emergency diagnosis of the victims, and the most frequently preferred outpatient clinic was ophthalmology. The most common diseases and frequently preferred clinics should be considered in planning health care for the evacuated earthquake victims.
Context: Pterygium is a degenerative disease that consists of conjunctival epithelia and fibrovascular tissue. Some studies suggest that there is a defect in the regulation of apoptosis in the ...epithelial cell cycle characterized by the development of the disease. But, still this matter being debated. Aims: In this study, the clinical, histopathological data, and the expression of the cell cycle regulator Cyclin D1, anti-apoptotic BCL-2, tumor suppressor p53, and cell proliferation marker Ki-67 were searched in pterygium samples. Subjects and Methods: The study enrolled 62 cases of primary pterygium who underwent excision between 2014 and 2017. Recurrent and pseudo-pterygium cases were excluded from series. The clinical data were obtained from the patient files and the slides were reevaluated for the histopathological data. Slides of all were stained by Cyclin D1, BCL-2, and Ki-67 by the immunohistochemical method. For each immunohistochemical marker, first the staining was determined as negative or positive. Then if there is a staining, the hot zone (the area containing more positive cells) was determined and staining percentage (SP) was assessed by counting positive cells/100 epithelial cells). Results: Solar elastosis, edema, inflammation, and epithelial dysplasia were found statistically different between the control group and the patient group (P value <0.001, <0.001, <0.001 <0.001, respectively). A significant difference was found for staining percentage (SP) of Ki-67, p53, BCL-2 between the control group and the patient group (P values <0.001, 0.002, <0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences in the SP of Cyclin D1 between the two groups (p: 0,133). Conclusions: Our results indicate an abnormal expression of p53, BCL-2 and elevated proliferation measured by Ki-67 in pterygium samples when compared to normal conjunctiva. Besides the mesenchymal changes, the increased proliferation and the failure of apoptosis in the epithelial cells participate in the development of pterygium, as well.
Purpose. To compare perioperative visual field (VF), balance functions (BF), and changes in the other ocular parameters in patients undergoing upper eyelid dermatochalasis (DC) surgery. Methods. One ...hundred and fifty-eight eyes of 79 patients who underwent DC surgery were included in the study. The VF, BF, intraocular pressure (IOP), pachymetry (PM), macular, and optic nerve measurements were recorded. Measurements were repeated at postoperative month 1. The preoperative and postoperative ocular measurements and the balance data were compared. Results. Nineteen of 79 (24.05%) patients were male and 60 of 79 (75.95%) were female, while the mean age of the patients was 58.65 ± 7.38 years. There were statistically significant differences in terms of VF and macular thickness between the preoperative and postoperative values. The improvements in mean defect, standard loss variance, and mean sensitivity values of global VF parameters in both eyes were statistically significant after surgery. Central macular thickness, mean macular thickness, and macular volume decreased significantly in all eyes after surgery (p<0.05). Conclusions. Although a marked improvement was observed in VF and peripheral vision after surgery, no significant change was found in BF parameters including primarily falling risk. The significant change in the macular parameters was only remarkable, and we think that the decrease was due to subtle vasospasm. There is a need for further comprehensive studies including especially patients older than 65 with a view to understanding the effect of DC surgery on BF.
To investigate the effects of treatments of 'mad honey', blossom honey and nitrofurazone on infected wound healing.
Male albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: 'mad honey' (MH), ...blossom honey (BH), nitrofurazone (N) and control (C). All rats were anaesthetised intraperitoneally. A circular skin incision was made to the back regions. Grafts containing slime-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis were placed on the incision area and then sutured to the skin. Infection in the wound area was confirmed after 48 hours. Wounds were dressed twice daily with the various treatment materials. Rats were randomly euthanised on days 7 or 14, and tissue samples taken. Tissue samples were assessed for hydroxyproline (HP), tensile strength (TS) and macroscopic measurement (area and intensity).
HP levels were higher in the treatment groups (MH, BH, N) at days 7 and 14 compared with the control group. 'Group x day' interaction was found in the HP levels (p=0.015). Increases in HP levels in the MH and N groups between days 7 and 14 were significantly higher than those in the other groups (p<0.05). Intensity was significantly lower in the control group and significantly higher in group MH compared with the other groups. Significant 'group x day' interaction was observed in intensity (p=0.006). TS was significantly lower on day 7 than on day 14 (p=0.022). No marked difference was observed between the groups, nor any 'group x day' interaction, in terms of TS.
Honey administration successfully healed infected wounds. However, there was no significant difference between the effect of MH and that of N in terms of wound healing.
Objective: It was aimed to investigate the relationship of stereoacuity with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and P100 latency in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with and without optic ...neuritis (ON). Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine patients diagnosed with clinically definite MS with and without a history of ON were included in this prospective study. Patients without ON were classified into relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and single-attack MS (SAMS) subgroups. There were 11 patients in the RRMS group with ON (ON-RRMS), 11 patients with RRMS and 7 patients with SAMS in the MS group without ON, and 16 healthy subjects in the control group. Stereoacuity was determined by the TNO and Titmus tests. RNFLT was measured by spectral domain-optical coherence tomography and P100 latency was measured in pattern visual evoked potential recordings. The results were analyzed with the SPSS 20 statistical program. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: In ON-RRMS, RRMS, SAMS, and control groups, the TNO test scores were 151.5+-175.8, 117.2+-67.0, 197.1+-141.6, and 49.2+-29.0, respectively and Titmus test scores were 89+-111.2, 59.0+-48.2, 68.5+-39.7 and 40.0+-0.0, respectively. TNO test scores were significantly higher in ON-RRMS and SAMS groups than in controls (p=0.03 and p=0.006, respectively). There was no difference between the MS groups and the control group in terms of the Titmus test. Nasal-RNFLT decreased as Titmus test scores increased in the ON-RRMS group, and P100 latency was prolonged as TNO test scores increased in the SAMS group (r=-0.795, p=0.018 and r=0.761, p=0.047, respectively). Conclusion: Stereoacuity was decreased in patients with MS with and without ON. Measurement of stereoacuity in patients with MS may be useful for diagnosis and monitoring.
In our study, we found out that choroidal thickness (CT) decreased in the eyes of patients with both Alzheimer’s type dementia (ATD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to the healthy ...control group. ...we suggested that CT value could be used as a new biomarker in early diagnosis of ATD and MCI patients and follow-up of their progression 1. All participants were instructed not to consume caffeine in 12 hours before the measurements. ...patients who were taking sildenafil and pseudoephedrine-like systemic drugs, which might affect CT values, were not included in the study. ...since we could not definitively detect how long some of the ATD and MCI patients had had the disease at the time of the first diagnosis, the correlation between the duration of the disease and CT was not analyzed in either ATD patients or MCI patients.
To compare the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab treatment for type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
36 eyes of 20 patients with type 1 ROP who received anti-vascular ...endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections between August 2011 and February 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. Fifteen eyes of 8 patients received 0.25 mg ranibizumab (group 1), and 21 eyes of 12 patients received 0.625 mg bevacizumab (group 2). Eyes were examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy on the first day, third day, first week, and first month and as required after injections. Laser photocoagulation was performed in cases with progression of ROP.
The mean gestation time was 26.2 ± 2.7 weeks in group 1 patients and 27.1 ± 2.5 weeks in group 2 patients. No statistical difference in the time of gestation was observed between the two groups. The mean follow-up period was 20 ± 4.5 months. Laser photocoagulation was performed in 6 of 15 eyes from group 1 and 2 of 21 eyes from group 2. No eyes developed retinal detachment during the follow-up period.
Ranibizumab and bevacizumab showed an efficacy in the treatment of type 1 ROP. The incidence of disease relapse was higher in eyes which received ranibizumab. Further randomized, controlled clinical trials are required to compare the efficacy of ranibizumab and bevacizumab.
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