The level of the emergency health workers professionals' knowledge about chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards: The case of Turkey.

BACKGROUND: It is crucial that emergency health workers respond to people exposed to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents appropriately and in a timely manner. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to find out how much Turkish emergency health workers know about chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards, as well as identify what possible factors contribute to their level of knowledge. METHOD: The data were collected from 321 participants using a personal information form as well as a questionnaire about chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards prepared in accordance with the literature. RESULTS: The results revealed that the place of residence and status of choosing the profession willingly showed no difference in terms of being trained on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards (p >  0.05). Likewise, the participants under the age of 25 years, who were single and had a tenure of less than 10 years highly believed that they did 'not have a sufficient grasp of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards'. Women also highly believed that they did 'not have a solid grasp of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards.' CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals who work in high-risk zones should be given compulsory training about chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards so that they become more aware of how to best deal with such situations.

A Novel Peptide-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies.

The need for rapidly developed diagnostic tests has gained significant attention after the recent pandemic. Production of neutralizing antibodies for vaccine development or antibodies to be used in diagnostic tests usually require the usage of recombinant proteins representing the infectious agent. However, peptides that can mimic these recombinant proteins may be rapidly utilized, especially in emergencies such as the recent outbreak. Here, we report two peptides that mimic the receptor binding domain of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and investigate their binding behavior against the corresponding human immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M (IgG and IgM) antibodies in a clinical sample using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor. These peptides were immobilized on a QCM sensor surface, and their binding behavior was studied against a clinical serum sample that was previously determined to be IgG and IgM-positive. It was determined that designed peptides bind to SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a clinical sample. These peptides might be useful for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using different methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or lateral flow assays. A similar platform might prove to be useful for the detection and development of antibodies in other infections.

Demographic characteristics, clinical findings and functional status in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the demographic features, clinical findings and functional status in patients presenting with fibromyalgia syndrome. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted between May 1 and August 1, 2017, and comprised fibromyalgia syndrome patients who were followed up at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Polyclinic of Bingöl State Hospital, Bingöl, Turkey. Data collection was done using a predesigned questionnaire. It consisted of two parts. In the first part, patients were asked questions including their socio-demographic characteristics. In the second part, visual analogue scale and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire were applied for evaluating pain intensity and function. RESULTS: Of the 136 patients, 101(74.3%) had no sleeping pattern and 88(64.7%) were restricted in activities of daily living. Pain complaints were lasting for a mean period of 5.0±5.1 years and the diagnosis version was 3.8±3.2 years. The mean score of the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire was 53.3±15.3 and 125(91.9%) patients had a mild level. The mean score of visual analogue scale was 5.1±3.0 and 50(36.8%) patients had severe pain. Fibromyalgia impact questionnaire score of illiterate individuals was significantly higher than others (p<0.05), and the score of low-income individuals was higher than the others (p<0.05). Individuals with high income had the lowest score (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with fibromyalgia had a better course of illness when their education and socio-economic status were in good condition, and the complications of pain and illness were further reduced.

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of primary health care nurses and midwives in breast cancer early diagnosis applications.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to analyze the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the nurses and midwives about the early diagnosis of breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out at 9 family medical centers (FMCs) and 1 community health center (CHC) in Bingol; the population of this research consisted of 25 midwives and 38 nurses. The protocol for this study was approved by the regional ethics committee of Bingol University. The study was performed in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The purpose of this study was explained to the nurses and midwives who participated, and their written and verbal permission was obtained; great care was taken to ensure that they understood participation was voluntary. A questionnaire of 41 questions was used for the data collection. RESULTS: When the age distribution of nurses and midwives was examined, it was found that 96.8% of them were aged ≤39 years. A total of 92.0% of midwives and 84.2% of nurses practiced breast self-examination (BSE). A total of 56% of the married women practiced family planning, and the most frequent method was using contraceptive pills. A total of 88.9% of the women had never had hormonal treatment for any reason. The BSE knowledge level of 65% of the women, who performed clinical breast examination, was complete. Among the women who had full knowledge of BSE, 38.5% of them performed examination once every 6 months, 23.0% of them once a year and 38.5% of them once every 3 years. CONCLUSION: This research showed that the deficiencies for nurses and midwives regarding the early diagnosis methods of breast cancer have been identified, and supporting these deficiencies with training is recommended.

Evaluation of anxiety condition among type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the relationship between type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients and anxiety. METHOD: This study was conducted between August and September 2015 at Bingol State Hospital. The study included 131 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) followed up at the Internal Diseases Polyclinic of Bingol State Hospital. The questionnaire used in the study consisted of two parts. The first part of the questionnaire comprised a set of questions querying the sociodemographic characteristics and the second part comprised the Beck Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS: The incidence of Type 1 DM was found to be higher among female compared to male patients, whereas type 2 DM was found to be higher among male compared to female patients, and this difference was statistically significant. According to the results of Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS) applied to the patients to examine their psychological states, 94.2% of male and 96.8% of female patients were found to be in the severe anxiety group. Among both male and female patients, BAS scores of the type 2 DM patients were higher than those of type 1 DM patients. When the distribution of BAS scores among the patients was examined, it was found that males received 44.7±13.2 points and females received 47.0±13.0 as mean value, but no statistically significant difference was found between BAS scores by sex. Unlike female patients, the difference between duration of disease and BAS score was found to be statistically significant in male patients. CONCLUSION: In planning the treatment of patients with diabetes, evaluating them mentally will help to provide optimal treatment and care services.

Evaluating the level of satisfaction of patients utilizing first-level health facilities as a function of health system performance rating in the province of Elazig, Turkey.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the level of satisfaction of patients utilizing first-level health care facilities as a function of health system performance rating in Elazig province of Turkey. METHODS: The study was conducted between December 2013 and March 2014 at the family health centers in the Elazig province center. For collecting the data in the cross-sectional study conducted with 1,290 patients, personal data form for patients and the Turkish version of European Patients Evaluate General/Family Practice scale was used. RESULTS: Of the patients who participated in the study, 54.3% were female. According to the general average scores received by the patients from European Patients Evaluate General/Family Practice-TR Patient Satisfaction Survey questions, average scores of male patients were found to be higher than those of female patients. Scores of the divorced and widow patients were higher compared to other groups, but this was not statistically significant. Average scores of the patients whose educational status is secondary school were higher compared to other groups. Scores of the patients with children were higher compared to those without children. Scores of the patients whose occupation was farming were higher compared to the other groups of occupation. Scores of the patients whose income was TL 1,001-2,500 were found to be higher compared to other patients. Scores of the patients who stated that they never had difficulty in access were higher compared to others, but this was not statistically significant. Average scores of the patients who had chronic diseases and patients who stated to have physical handicap were higher compared to those who did not have chronic disease and physical handicap, but these differences were not found to be statistically significant, either. CONCLUSION: There is a statistically significant difference between the patients' demographic characteristics (sex, educational status, occupation, and income status) and their levels of satisfaction with the family medicine practice.