HEALTH SCIENCES QUARTERLY

The effect of different doses of retinyl palmitate (vitamin A) on placental volume in rats

2023-08-16T15:00:45+03:00

Vitamin A and its derivatives are essential for embryonic development, but an overdose of vitamin A is toxic to the offspring. The placenta is an interface that nourishes and protects the embryo. Although there are numerous publications on the effect of vitamin A on the placenta, there is insufficient information on the changes in the morphology of this organ caused by different doses. The aim of our study was to demonstrate the effect of retinyl palmitate administered at different doses on the volume of the placenta and its component, the decidua. Pregnant rats were divided into 6 groups between gestation day 10 and 12. The first group received 10.000 IU/kg, the second group 20.000 IU/kg, the third group 50.000 IU/kg, the fourth group 100.000 IU/kg and the fifth group 200.000 IU/ kg oral vitamin A. The control group received 1 ml of corn oil on the same days. On day 19 of gestation, placentas were collected and 5 µm sections were stained with Massons’s trichrome. The volumes of total placenta and decidua were estimated using the Cavalieri volume estimation method. All placental volumes of the experimental groups were larger than those of the control groups. The decidual volume increased abruptly at a dose of 50.000 IU/kg and remained higher than the control volume at higher doses. The ratio between the decidual and placental volumes increased at 50.000 IU/kg and was smaller than the control at 200.000 IU/kg. A large placental volume is thought to be an indicator of placental insufficiency. Although our results suggest that an increase in placental volume above 10.000 IU/kg may have a negative effect on placental function, we conclude that the imbalance between decidual and placental volume above 50.000 IU/kg strengthens the suggestion that placental insufficiency may have increased after this dose.

Axial external fixator in humerus shaft fractures

2023-02-19T23:18:43+03:00

The causes of humeral shaft fractures are mostly high-energy traumas such as falling, hitting, traffic accident, and gunshot wounds. It may also occur as a result of simple falls due to osteoporosis in elderly patients. In surgical treatment, there are options such as intramedullary nail, plate-screw fixation and external fixator treatment. External Fixator Treatment it is the primary treatment option for soft tissue damage, open fractures, gunshot wounds, segmental bone loss, pseudoarthrosis, nonunion, and major vascular injuries. The purpose of the present study was to present the functional results of Axial External Fixator Treatment, which we often apply in humerus shaft fractures in our clinic. A total of 30 patients, who had gunshot wounds, multisystem injuries, open fractures, and advanced age comorbid problems, and who underwent Axial External Fixator Treatment due to humerus shaft fracture between January 2016 and January 2019 were included in the study. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores were used in clinical evaluations. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the pain intensity in patients subjectively. Also, the results of patients with advanced age comorbid problems were compared with other patients. After a 12-month follow-up, significant improvements were detected in DASH scores. Although fracture union was later in patients with advanced age comorbid problems than in other patients, no differences were detected between union rates, clinical outcomes, and the surgical processes.We think that it is a more appropriate surgical technique than other surgical methods, due to its shorter surgical time and less invasiveness in patients with advanced age, high comorbidity and multisystem damage.

Evaluation of skin disease patterns in a tertiary dermatology outpatient clinic in Türkiye

2023-08-16T15:01:50+03:00

Skin diseases are among the reasons for frequent hospital admissions and bring a significant burden. The aim of this study is to determine the pattern of skin diseases in our dermatology outpatient clinic in a tertiary care hospital in Türkiye. Pediatric and adult patients evaluated in our dermatology outpatient clinics for the first time were included in this cross-sectional observational designed study between January and March 2023. The characteristics of the patients, including age, gender, duration of disease, anatomic localization of the disease, and complaint counts, were recorded in the data collection form. Diagnoses were grouped according to gender, age, and complaint counts. A total of 1381 patients with 1772 skin problems were included in the study. 62.3% of the patients were female (n=860), and 37.7% (n=521) were male. The age range was between 0 and 98 years. The most common diseases were acne (18%), dermatophytosis (8.1%), viral warts (6.5%), seborrheic dermatitis (4.8%), other dermatitis (4.8%), follicular disorders (4.6%), pruritus (3.7%), scabies (3%), benign neoplasms (3%), and urticaria (3%), respectively. 23.4% of the patients (n=324) had at least two complaints. The maximum number of complaints at one visit was 5. The probability of reporting more than one complaint was higher in women and those whose first complaint was on the scalp. In this analysis to determine the patterns of skin diseases, acne, dermatophytosis, and viral warts were found to be important problems. The number of complaints at one visit may vary according to gender and localization.

Determination of the cost of prolonged hospitalization in cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit to the institution

2023-08-16T15:03:01+03:00

In the provision of health services, health institutions should be perceived as an enterprise to use limited resources most effectively and efficiently, evaluate them optimally and ensure production efficiency. Therefore, cost information enables the most efficient utilization of resources in hospital enterprises and allows managers to use decision-making mechanisms most accurately. This study was conducted to determine and compare the costs of prolonged hospitalizations in the cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit of a university hospital. Our study was descriptive and retrospective. The hospitalizations in the cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit of the hospital were analyzed according to the prolonged hospitalization criteria determined by the social security institution. 29 extended hospitalization patient bills were determined in three years. The mean age of the prolonged hospitalization of patients was 67 years, the duration of hospitalization was 680 days, and the mean hospitalization day was 18.64. The items with the highest expenditure in prolonged hospitalization of patients were determined as drug costs, general applications and intervention costs, medical consumables costs, and laboratory costs. The increase in costs during the hospitalization and treatment process is mainly due to medication, general practices, interventions, and medical consumables. Related decision-makers should make root-cause analyses, and plans should be made to reduce costs.

Inflammatory and infectious parameters in tension-type headache

2023-08-16T15:02:39+03:00

Although tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common primary headache in the world, much fewer studies on its pathophysiology have been carried out in comparison to other primary headaches. Inflammatory processes are important in the pathophysiology of both peripheral and central pain. Studies on the role of inflammatory markers in TTH patients are limited. Therefore, in this study, it was aimed to examine the role of inflammatory parameters in TTH. 199 TTH patients and 154 control participants were involved in this study. C-reactive protein (CRP) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and neutrophil/lymphocyte (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte (PLR), monocyte/lymphocyte (MLR), HDL/monocyte and Immature/Total granulocyte ratios in all patients reviewed retrospectively. CRP value and immature/total granulocyte ratio were found to be significantly higher in the patient group when compared to the control group. No difference was found between NLR, PLR, MLR, and HDL/Monocyte ratios. There was no difference in NLR, MLR, immature/mature granulocyte ratios, and CRP values between the genders in the patient group. Median values of PLR, HDL, and HDL / monocyte were found to be higher in males. The fact that there is no difference in most of the inflammatory parameters in TTH and there is a significant difference in the immature/total granulocyte ratio is a new finding on this subject. There is no other study in the literature examining the immature/total granulocyte ratio in headaches.

Factors affecting academic achievement of third-year students of Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine

2023-08-16T15:02:21+03:00

The present study aimed to investigate the determinants of academic performance among third-year students in the Faculty of Medicine. A survey consisting of 45 questions was administered to 357 third-year students in the academic year 2017-2018, with a response rate of 233 participants. The academic achievement was assessed by evaluating the grade point average (GPA) scores, with a threshold of 3. The results revealed that several factors were significantly associated with a GPA score of 3 and above, including age (p=0.011), relationship with parents and positive parental attitude (p=0.001), staying with family (p=0.015), and school selection to “be a doctor” (p=0.044). The results also showed that negative parenting behaviors and smoking were associated with an increased risk of academic failure. However, no significant association was found between academic performance and gender, physical exercise, parents’ education, and employment status. This study highlights the crucial factors impacting academic achievement in medical education. The results demonstrate the importance of age, relationship with parents, parental attitude, reasons for choosing a medical school, smoking habits, and extracurricular activities in determining GPA outcomes. The findings have important implications for the future planning of students, the development of education, and the formulation of new policies

Variable selection in gender and age decision-making for traumatic spine and thoracic pathologies after various accidents with Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS)

2023-08-16T15:02:05+03:00

Trauma is a condition that affects the body’s structure and results from outside factors. After heart disease and cancer, it is the most common cause of death across all age categories. For a variety of causes, people are routinely exposed to traumatic vertebral, thoracic pathologies and rib fractures. Ribs can be harmed by simple falls, impacts, and blunt injuries as well as broken due to car accidents and falling from a height. Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography are used to diagnose these fractures. In this study, non-linear complex methods were used to categorize gender and age by utilizing thoracic pathologies, fractures or cracks in the body as a result of traffic accidents or falling from a height, which have the feature of being a case in forensic issues. The most important data in the classification of gender and age were determined by Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS) method. Although autopsy should be utilized in these situations, complex regression methods is intended to have an impact on quick and accurate decision-making about events in order to speed up or direct the process in the field of forensic medicine. As a result, the effectiveness of the experts subsequent predictions will be increased by the preliminary findings produced by real-world data and artificial intelligence algorithms or complex non-linear regression problems.