Knowledge levels and evidence-based approaches of undergraduate nursing students on suctioning practices: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Suctioning is one of the nursing interventions frequently applied in clinical and intensive care units. In order to perform suctioning correctly and effectively, it is important for nursing students to acquire and develop this skill during their undergraduate theoretical and practical education. OBJECTIVES: The study aims to reveal the knowledge levels and evidence-based approaches of nursing students about suctioning practices. DESIGN: The study is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: It was carried out in the Faculty of Nursing of two state universities in Konya between March and June 2022. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 506 undergraduate students participated in the study. METHODS: Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Knowledge of Suctioning Questionnaire, and the Attitude towards Evidence-Based Nursing Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by calculating number, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, and using the multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean Attitude towards Evidence-Based Nursing Questionnaire score of the students was found to be 63.04 ± 7.91, and their mean Knowledge of Suctioning Questionnaire score was 33.46 ± 14.63. 83.8 % of the students obtained a low score from the questionnaire. Senior students had high scores on the Attitude towards Evidence-Based Nursing Questionnaire, which are significant predictive variables affecting the level of knowledge about suctioning (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the high scores of the students on the Attitude towards Evidence-Based Nursing Questionnaire had an effect on their level of suctioning knowledge. The study also revealed that being a fourth-year student and receiving training on suctioning affected the level of suctioning knowledge.

Risk factors for the development of interstitial lung disease following severe COVID-19 pneumonia and outcomes of systemic corticosteroid therapy: 3-month follow-up.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the pulmonary involvement status, its related factors, and pulmonary function test (PFT) results in the first month follow-up in patients who were discharged for severe Covid-19 pneumonia, and to assess the efficacy of corticosteroid treatment on these parameters in severe pulmonary involvement patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all consecutive patients who applied to our COVID-19 follow-up clinic at the end of the first month of hospital discharge. Functional and radiological differences were compared after 3 months of corticosteroid treatment in severe pulmonary involvement group. Results We analyzed 391 patients with "pulmonary parenchymal involvement" (PPIG) and 162 patients with "normal lung radiology" (NLRG). 122 patients in the PPIG (corticosteroid-required interstitial lung disease group (CRILD)) had severe pulmonary involvement with frequent symptoms and required corticosteroid prescription. Pulmonary involvement was more common in males and elder patients (P<0.001, for both). Being smoker and elderly were associated with a higher risk-ratio in predicting to be in PPIG (OR:2.250 and OR:1.057, respectively). Smokers, male and elderly patients, and HFNO2 support during hospitalization were risk factors for being a patient with CRILD (OR:2.737, OR:4.937, OR:4.756, and OR:2.872, respectively). After a three-months of methylprednisolone medication, a good response was achieved on radiological findings and PFT results in CRILD. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, after severe COVID-19 pneumonia, persistent clinical symptoms and pulmonary parenchymal involvement would be inevitable in elder and smoker patients. Moreover, corticosteroid treatment in patients with severe parenchymal involvement was found to be effective in the improvement of radiological and functional parameters.

Obesity, Charlson comorbidity index, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: relationship to disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic inflammatory lung disease with high mortality and morbidity rates. Obesity, various comorbid diseases, and inflammation often coexist in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exhibiting a complex interaction with disease severity. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between COPD markers and obesity, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR). METHODS: Eighty male patients with stable COPD admitted to the pulmonology unit were included in the study. The presence of comorbidities was investigated in obese and non-obese individuals with COPD. Pulmonary function tests and the mMRC dyspnea scale were examined, and CCI scores were calculated. RESULTS: 60.9 % with mild/moderate COPD, and 64.7 % with severe COPD had a comorbid disease. The incidence of hypertension and diabetes was significantly higher in obese patients. The obesity rate was 41.3 % in patients with mild/moderate COPD (FEV1 ≥ 50) and 26.5 % in those with severe COPD (FEV1 < 50). There was a positive and significant correlation between CCI value and BMI and mMRC dyspnea scale. NLR was significantly higher in patients with FEV1 < 50 and mMRC ≥ 2. CONCLUSIONS: As a result, it is essential to screen obese patients with COPD, who are among the groups with the highest incidence of comorbidities, in terms of such diseases that exacerbate the symptoms of their disease. Findings may support the potential applicability of simple blood count indices (such as NLR) in the clinical assessment of disease in stable COPD patients (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 46).

Effect of chronic lung diseases on mortality of prevariant COVID-19 pneumonia patients.

Background: The aim of the study is to assess the effect of chronic lung disease on mortality in patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of prevariant COVID-19 Pneumonia compared to patients without chronic lung disease. Research design and methods: A cohort of 1,549 patients admitted to the pandemic clinic with a COVID-19 Pneumonia diagnosis was analyzed. Group 1 and Group 2 were compared in terms of the treatment they received, admission to intensive care, mortality and follow-up parameters. Results: The patient group with COVID-19 and lung disease consisted of 231 participants (14.91%) (Group 1). The patient group with COVID-19 but without lung disease had 1,318 participants (85.19%). Group 1 cases were found to receive more oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation than Group 2 cases (p ≤ 0.001), Following univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses, it was determined that patients with chronic lung disease had a 25.76% higher mortality risk [OR: 25.763, 95% CI (Lower-Upper) (2.445-271.465), p = 0.007]. Conclusion: It was found that chronic lung disease contributed significantly to mortality in this study. Among chronic lung diseases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer and interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) were shown to be more effective than other chronic lung diseases in patients with prevariant COVID-19 population.

Comparison of clinical and radiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients with and without pneumothorax and/or pneumediastinum.

Introduction: Pneumothorax (PTX) and pneumomediastinum (PM) are frequently encountered in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and complicate the management of these patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the risk factors that cause PTX/PM complications in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 pneumonia and the effects of these complications on the course of the disease. Materials and Methods: A total of 503 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the COVID-19 ward or intensive care unit (ICU) between September 2020 and December 2020 were included in the study. Result: The median age of patients was 65 (min-max, 21-99) years. Of the patients 299 (59.4%) were male and 204 (40.6%) were female. Of the cases, 26 (5.2%) developed PTX or PM. The patients who developed PTX/PM were older than patients who did not [58.5 (min-max, 21-96) vs 65 years (min-max, 22-99), p= 0.029]. The percentage of PTX/PM development was significantly higher in male patients [F/M= 4/22 (2/7.4%) vs 200/277 (98/92.6%), p= 0.007]. Hypertension as a comorbidity was more commonly seen in the group without PTX/PM (p= 0.007). Ground-glass opacity was the most common tomographic finding in both groups, it was significantly higher in those who did not develop PTX/PM (p<0.001). The length of hospital stay was shorter in patients with PTX/PM (p<0.001), but mortality was higher (p= 0.04). Conclusions: PTX/PM were relatively more common in COVID-19 patients. These complications may negatively affect the prognosis of the disease.

Comparing ICU admission rates of mild/moderate COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, and hydroxychloroquine plus favipiravir.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to compare the intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate of hospitalized mild/moderate COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), favipiravir, and HCQ plus favipiravir. METHODS: Single center retrospective designed observational study conducted in Ankara City Hospital. Patients who were hospitalized between March 15, 2020 and June 1, 2020 in COVID-19 inpatient clinics with laboratory confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included in the study. An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) for multiple treatment groups approach was used to balance the differences in several variables on admission. RESULTS: Among 2441 patients hospitalized with diagnosis of COVID-19 during the study period, 824 were eligible for the analysis. Median age of patients was 42 (18-93 years). Among all, 347 (43.2%) of the patients had mild disease, 470 (56.8%) had pneumonia. Propensity scores ranged from 0.1841 to 0.9381 in the HCQ group, from 0.03643 to 0.29885 in the favipiravir group, and from 0.03542 to 0.56184 in the HCQ plus favipiravir group. After IPTW for multiple treatment groups was applied, all the covariates in the planned propensity score had weighted standardized effect sizes below 10% which were ranged from 0.005 to 0.092. Multivariate analysis of treatment effect (adjusted effect of treatment) was indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between HCQ, favipiravir, and HCQ plus favipiravir treatment. After using combination of SMOTE and Bootstrap resampling approach, we found no statistically significant difference between HCQ and HCQ plus favipiravir groups in terms of ICU admission. However, compared with the HCQ group, ICU admission rate was statistically significantly higher in the favipiravir group. We obtained the similar results after the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: HCQ with or without favipiravir treatment is associated with reduced risk of ICU admission compared to favipiravir alone in mild to moderate COVID-19 adult patients.

Five-Year Trends in Direct Costs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Turkey: COPDTURKEY-3.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The aim of this study was to reveal the trend in direct costs related to COPD between 2012 and 2016, and to evaluate hospital costs in 2016, together with their subcomponents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A population-based descriptive study was conducted using administrative healthcare data in Turkey. The total direct cost of COPD diagnosis-treatment for each year from 2012 to 2016, was calculated. The distribution of the hospital's COPDrelated costs for the year 2016 was also examined, together with morbidity data. RESULTS: The direct costs of the patients who were admitted to step 1, step 2, and step 3 health care centers between 2012 and 2016 increased by 41% [895 041 403TL ($496 930 501) in 2012 to 1 263 288 269TL ($417 834 197) in 2016]; the increase was 60% and 24%, for inpatient and outpatient groups respectively. In the year 2016, the direct total cost was 1003TL ($332) per patient. In 2016, mean specialist consultations per patient with mean cost per specialist consultation, and mean emergency visits per patient with mean cost per emergency visit, were 1.7, 42 TL ($14), and 0.4, 71TL ($23) respectively. For the inpatient group, the mean number of hospitalizations per patient, mean number of hospitalization days, and the mean cost per hospitalization were 0.4, 6.5, and 1926TL ($637), respectively. CONCLUSION: When the readmissions of patients with COPD were evaluated together with the costs, and compared with the statistics from other countries, it was found that the costs per patient were lower in Turkey. However, the reasons for the significant rise in inpatient costs compared to outpatient costs should be investigated. Further investigations are required regarding pulmonary rehabilitation, home health care services, preventive measures for infections, management of comorbidities, and treatment optimization, which may reduce hospitalizations.

Tuberculosis risk in patients with rheumatologic disease treated with biologic drugs.

INTRODUCTION: The risk of tuberculosis is higher in cases who have used antiTNF treatments. However, it is not clearly known whether there is a relationship between other biologic agents and the risk of developing tuberculosis or not. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of active tuberculosis among patients with rheumatic disease treated with biologic drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed at a tertiary referral center from January 2015 to December 2019. A total of 2000 patients with rheumatic diseases were screened and 461 patients were enrolled in the study due to regular records. They were underwent LTBI screening tests and were followedup at least 1 year after TNF inhibitor treatment initiation. RESULT: The median age of all patients was 48 (min-max: 19-80). 283 patients (61.3%) were female and 178 (38.7%) were male. The most common diseases were ankylosing spondylitis (67.2%), rheumatoid arthritis (26%) and psoriatic arthritis (5.2%). Anti-TNF treatments were given to 85.2% of all cases and other biologic treatments were given to 14.8%. Tuberculin skin test was applied to 429 patients and 70.4% positivity was found. Quantiferon-TB test was applied to 93 patients and 20.4% positivity was found. 320 patients were treated for LTBI due to positive tuberculin skin test and/or positive quantiferon-TB test. TB was developed in only one patient out of 393 patients who were treated with anti-TNF treatments and the the prevalence of TB development was found 255/100.000. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of tuberculosis was quite low in our patients with rheumatic disease who were receiving anti-TNF treatment compared to previous studies. Also, in patients who were using other biological treatments, no TB cases were developed.

Thiol-disulfide as a novel indicator of obstructive sleep apnea.

INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an oxidative stress disease, which has been considered to be a notable risk and associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Thiol-disulfide homeostasis is as a novel indicator of oxidative stress. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate thiol-disulfide homeostasis in a large patient population with OSA. METHODS: A total of 230 with OSA and 40 healthy controls were included in the study. Inclusion criteria for OSA patients are having apnoea-hypopnoea index of ≥5/hour, being more than 18 years of age and having no previous treatment for OSA. Thiol-disulfide analysis was done for the patients and control group. Blood thiol-disulfide homeostasis was analysed using the new automatic method, developed by Erel and Neselioglu. RESULTS: Among all OSA subjects, 149 (64.8%) were males and the mean ages of the patients were 53.38 ± 10.22. Total thiol, native thiol (SH) and disulfide (SS) levels were significantly lower in OSA group compared to the control group (P < .001, P < .001 and P = .039 respectively). Also, total thiol and native thiol (SH) were significantly different between the groups according to OSA severity (mild-moderate to severe OSA) (P < .001 and P < .001 respectively). Thiol-disulfide redox parameters were correlated with apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) scores. CONCLUSION: The present prospective study showed that thiol/disulfide homeostasis was unbalanced in OSA patients. Especially, in OSA patients have low level of thiol/disulfide redox parameters when compared to healthy subjects. Evaluating thiol-disulfide homeostasis in OSA may be a contributing aspect to assessment and monitoring of the patient.

The Geographical Distribution of Morbidity Caused By Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Turkey: COPDTURKEY-2

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most prevalent causes for morbidity and mortality, and it creates a cumulative economic and social burden. Aims: To determine the distribution of the prevalence of patients in Turkey who were diagnosed with COPD and their morbidity rates, according to the regions and cities they belong to. Moreover, the study contributes to the prevention and cure services of COPD that should be planned in the future. Study Design: A retrospective cohort. Methods: The database of the Social Security Institution from 2016 has been scanned. All the data with prescription registration, with the code ICD-10, J44.0-J44.9, which were aimed for diagnosing and/or cure, have been evaluated with a retrospective cohort. Results: In 2016, 955,369 patients who were admitted as outpatients to the hospitals were diagnosed with COPD. The average number of annual COPD cases that were admitted was 2.09. Twenty percent (20%) of the outpatient applications were via emergency room. The rate of hospitalization among the applicants was 17.75%, with a total of 1,994,325. The average annual number of hospitalizations of men was higher than that of women. The average number of hospitalization days was 6.52. The region with the highest prevalence of outpatient admission and hospitalization was the Black Sea Region. Conclusion: The high rate of hospitalization was considered to be the outcome of the insufficient "outpatient" management.

An epidemiologic study of physician-diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Turkish population: COPDTURKEY-1

Background/aim: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation and respiratory symptoms. It is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Our data on COPD in Turkey are limited. This study was intended to examine the epidemiologic characteristics of COPD in the Turkish population, between 2012 and 2016. Materials and methods: This population-based, descriptive, surveillance study examined physician-diagnosed COPD prevalence, incidence, and mortality in Turkey. The database of the Social Security System of Turkey was scanned and ICD-10 J44.0-J44.9 codes for diagnostic and/ or therapeutic purposes were evaluated retrospectively. Results: In 2016, there were 3,434,262 cases of COPD (56.2% men) in Turkey, and the mean age of patients was 61.62 ± 14.76 years. From 2012 to 2016, the annual overall prevalence rates of physician-diagnosed COPD rose from 4.3% to 5.8%, which was a 35.0% relative increase (P < 0.05). In women, this rate rose from 3.7% to 5.1% (38% increase), and in men, it rose from 4.9% to 6.7% (37% increase). During the study period, the overall incidence decreased from 8.5 per 1000 adults in 2012 to 6.3 per 1000 adults in 2016, representing a decrease of 26.6% (P < 0.001). The annual incidence rates of physician-diagnosed COPD decreased 25.4% in women and 27.9% in men. The overall mortality was 4.3% in 2012, and 4.2% in 2016. The mortality rate in women was 3.5% in 2012 and 3.7% in 2016, and 5% in 2012 and 4.7% in 2016 in men. The mean prevalence by region was 5.26% (range 3.79%­7.65%). The Black Sea region had the highest COPD prevalence. Conclusion: COPD is a very common and serious cause of morbidity and mortality in Turkey, as it is worldwide. Current data will contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiologic dimension of COPD in our country.

Long-term results of low-dose tissue plasminogen activator therapy in acute pulmonary embolism.

Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is the most commonly used thrombolytic agent in patients with high risk and intermediate to high mortality risk acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Clinical trials have shown early efficacy and safety of low-dose rt-PA. This study investigated the effects of low-dose rt-PA treatment on acute PE in long-term prognosis, recurrence of pulmonary thromboembolism, or the development of late complications. In this study, 48 patients undergoing low-dose rt-PA for the relative contraindications of thrombolytic therapy and 48 patients undergoing standard-dose therapy were evaluated retrospectively. Long-term follow-up investigated the chronic PE, recurrence, and causes of morbidity and mortality.In both treatment groups, embolism-induced mortality and overall mortality rates were similar in the first 30 days (p=1.000, p=0.714, respectively). Overall mortality rates in long-term follow-up were 41.7% in the low-dose treatment group and 16.7% in the standard-dose treatment group (p=0.013). The mortality rate at the first year was higher in the low-dose-treated group (p=0.011) and most of the deaths were due to accompanying comorbidities. There was no difference in PE recurrence and duration of recurrence between the groups (p=0.598, p=0.073, respectively). Intracranial hemorrhage due to therapy developed in one patient in both groups.Low-dose thrombolytic therapy in acute PE reduces PE-related mortality in the early period. Long-term follow-up showed that thrombolytic therapy did not affect mortality rates independently of the dose and PE recurrence.

Atrial fibrillation, an obscured cause of pulmonary embolism can be revealed by adding to Wells criteria.

Among the various clinical scoring methods used for the prediagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE), Wells criteria is the most common. It relies on the findings and story of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), PE and malignancy. It is known that atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk factor for PE like as DVT or malignancy. We aimed to evaluate the possibility of diagnosing more patients with PE by including AF in the Wells criteria. This prospective study included 250 patients admitted to the emergency department with PE findings. Wells scoring and Wells scoring with AF were performed for each patient. Out of 250 patients, 165 patients were diagnosed as PE. Wells score was >4 in 61.8% of patients with PE and 28.2% of patients without PE. Out of false negative 63 patients with PE, 21 of them had AF. According to Wells scoring with AF the score of 148 (89.7%) patients with PE diagnosis was ≥3, whereas the score of 45 (52.9%) patients without PE was ≥3. AF was detected in 15.8% of patients with PE. The sensitivity of Wells score with AF was significantly higher than that of the Wells score (p<0.001). As a result, when AF, which is one of an important PE cause such as DVT and malignancy, was added to the Wells criteria, an additional correct PE estimate was obtained in 46 patients. We recommend using Wells score with AF since prediagnosing more PE is more valuable than having some false negative PE predictions.

[Determination of anthropometric measurements in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in Turkish population]. / Türk popülasyonunda obstrüktif uyku apne sendromunda rol oynayan antropometrik ölçümlerin belirlenmesi.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to determine the values of anthropometric measurements and rates used in the evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in our country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty accredited sleep centers in thirteen provinces participated in this multicenter prospective study. OSAS symptoms and polysomnographic examination and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5 cases OSAS study group; patients with AHI < 5 and STOP-Bang < 2 were included as control group. Demographic characteristics (age, sex, body mass index-BMI) and anthropometric measurements (neck, waist and hip circumference, waist/hip ratio) of the subjects were recorded. RESULT: The study included 2684 patients (81.3% OSAS) with a mean age of 50.50 ± 0.21 years from 20 centers. The cases were taken from six geographical regions of the country (Mediterranean, Eastern Anatolia, Aegean, Central Anatolia, Black Sea and Marmara Region). Demographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements; age, neck, waist, hip circumference and waist/ hip ratios and BMI characteristics when compared with the control group; when compared according to regions, age, neck, waist, hip circumference and waist/hip ratios were found to be statistically different (p< 0.001, p< 0.001, p< 0.05, respectively). When compared by sex, age, neck and hip circumference, waist/hip ratio, height, weight and BMI characteristics were statistically different (p< 0.001, respectively). Neck circumference and waist/hip ratio were respectively 42.58 ± 0.10 cm, 0.99 ± 0.002, 39.24 ± 0.16 cm, 0.93 ± 0.004 were found in women. CONCLUSIONS: The neck circumference was lower than the standard value in men, but higher in women. The waist/hip ratio was above the ideal measurements in both men and women. In this context, the determination of the country values will allow the identification of patients with the possibility of OSAS and referral to sleep centers for polysomnography.

Diagnostic Yield of Transbronchial Biopsy in Comparison to High Resolution Computerized Tomography in Sarcoidosis Cases

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield of fiberoptic bronchoscopic (FOB) transbronchial biopsy and its relation with quantitative findings of high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT). A total of 83 patients, 19 males and 64 females with a mean age of 45.1 years diagnosed with sarcoidosis with complete records of high resolution computerized tomography were retrospectively recruited during the time period from Feb 2005 to Jan 2015. High resolution computerized tomography scans were retrospectively assessed in random order by an experienced observer without knowledge of the bronchoscopic results or lung function tests. According to the radiological staging with HRCT, 2.4% of the patients (n=2) were stage 0, 19.3% (n=16) were stage 1, 72.3% (n=60) were stage 2 and 6.0% (n=5) were stage 3. This study showed that transbronchial lung biopsy showed positive results in 39.7% of the stage I or II sarcoidosis patients who were diagnosed by bronchoscopy. Different high resolution computerized tomography patterns and different scores of involvement did make a difference in the diagnostic accuracy of transbronchial biopsy (p=0.007).

The Relationship between Hypomagnesemia and Pulmonary Function Tests in Patients with Chronic Asthma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between serum values of magnesium and the parameters of the pulmonary function tests (PFT) in patients with chronic asthma. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study recruited 50 patients with chronic stable asthma and 40 healthy individuals as a control group. Data on age, sex, severity of asthma, PFT, and details of drug therapy were obtained from each group. Serum magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and sodium levels were also measured. To evaluate differences between groups, the Student t test or Mann-Whitney U test was performed for continuous variables, and the χ2 test for categorical variables. RESULTS: In the asthma group, 10% (n = 9) of the patients had hypomagnesemia and 5.5% (n = 5) had hypophosphatemia. Patients with asthma were divided into two groups: the hypomagnesemic group (n = 9) and the normomagnesemic group (n = 41). Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1%, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and PEF% were lower in the hypomagnesemic group than in the normomagnesemic group (p = 0.02). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a statistically significant association between hypomagnesemia and PFT in the hypomagnesemic asthmatic group. The correlations of age with FEV1, FEV1%, PEF, and PEF% were as follows: p = 0.00, r = 0.29; p = 0.00, r = 0.43; p = 0.03, r = 0.22; p = 0.00, r = 0.38; and p = 0.03, r = 0.22, respectively. The correlation of serum magnesium levels with PFT (FEV1, FEV1%, PEF, PEF%) were as follows: p = 0.001, r = 0.29; p = 0.001, r = 0.43; p = 0.03, r = 0.22; and p = 0.001, r = 0.38, respectively. The other electrolytes were within the normal range in both groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, hypomagnesemia and hypophosphatemia were found to be the most common electrolyte abnormalities in patients with chronic stable asthma. FEV1, FEV1%, PEF, and PEF% were significantly lower in asthmatic patients with hypomagnesemia compared to asthmatic patients with normomagnesemia.

Deteriorations of pulmonary function, elevated carbon monoxide levels and increased oxidative stress amongst water-pipe smokers.

OBJECTIVES: A water pipe (hookah) is a tobacco smoking tool which is thought to be more harmless than a cigarette, and there are no adequate studies about its hazards to health. Water-pipe smoking is threatening health of the youth in the world today. The objective of this study has been to investigate the carbon monoxide (CO) levels in breath, examine the changes in pulmonary function tests (PFT) and to assess the change of the oxidative stress parameters in blood after smoking a water pipe. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional analytical study that has included 50 volunteers who smoke a water pipe and the control group of 50 volunteers who smoke neither a cigarette nor a water pipe. Carbon monoxide levels were measured in the breath and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were performed before and after smoking a water pipe. Blood samples were taken from either the volunteer control group or water-pipe smokers group after smoking a water pipe for the purpose of evaluation of the parameters of oxidative stress. RESULTS: Carbon monoxide values were measured to be 8.08±7.4 ppm and 28.08±16.5 ppm before and after smoking a water pipe, respectively. This increment was found statistically significant. There were also significant reductions in PFTs after smoking a water pipe. Total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were found prominently higher after smoking a water pipe for the group of water-pipe smokers than for the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that water-pipe smoking leads to deterioration in pulmonary function and increases oxidative stress. To the best of our knowledge this study is the only one that has shown the effect of water-pipe smoking on oxidative stress. More studies must be planned to show the side effects of water-pipe habit and protective policies should be planned especially for young people in Europe. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(5):731-742.

Sex Difference in Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Does it Matter? A Concise Review.

Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) primarily affects men; however, its epidemiology has been changing because more women have become smokers. Recently, investigators found that although women and men were exposed to the same amount of smoke fume, women tended to have more severe disease and higher mortality rate. They also complain of more dyspnoea and may experience more severe exacerbations than men. This led to the question of whether sex has an impact on COPD course and whether women have a higher susceptibility to smoke fumes than men. That may be explained by multiple complex factors highlighting the relationship between sex, epidemiology, method of diagnostics and the clinical course of the disease. In this review, sex differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation, exacerbation, co-morbidities and treatment are covered.

Clinical characteristics of 75 pandemic H1N1 influenza patients from Turkey; risk factors for fatality.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic caused mild to severe illnesses and led to death in some cases. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the serum D-dimer levels, CURB-65 scores, and the severity of pneumonia among patients with H1N1 infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-eight patients who had probable H1N1 infections were evaluated by clinical, radiological, and laboratory methods. The H1N1 strain was specified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Of 55 patients diagnosed with pneumonia, 18 exhibited H1N1 positivity and 37 patients did not. RESULTS: CURB-65 scores of pneumonia patients with H1N1 (group 1) were higher than those of patients without H1N1 (group 2) (P = 0.02). The D-dimer levels of group 1 were higher than those of group 2 (P = 0.001). Moreover, there was a positive correlation between D-dimer levels and CURB-65 scores in patients with H1N1-associated pneumonia (P = 0.001; r = 0.89). CONCLUSION: Increased D-dimer levels were observed in pneumonia patients with H1N1 infection, which predicted the severity of pneumonia.