Azize Karahan

Determining the effectiveness of illustrated communication material for communication with intubated patients at an intensive care unit

Communication with non-speaking patients in intensive care unit is stress for both nurse and patients. Semi-experimental study that took place at a University Hospital was to develop illustrated material for patient communication and determine its effectiveness. The study sample consisted of 90 intubated patients at the Adult Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit who had undergone open heart surgery. The patients were divided into the intervention and control groups. Data analysis was with descriptive statistics and the χ(2) test. The illustrated communication material was stated to be helpful by 77.8% and partially helpful by 22.2% of the intervention group patients regarding the communication between the health-care staff and the patients. Control group patients had more difficulties communicating with the health-care staff. Illustrated communication material was an effective method in communicating with intubated patients.

Kırk bes yas ve üstü kadınlarda osteoporoz risk faktörleri

Osteoporoz ve romatizmal hastaliklar gozun tum tabakalarini etkileyen bulgular ile karsimiza cikmaktadir. Eriskin ve Juvenil Romatoid Artrit, Sjogren Sendromu, Ankilozan Spondilit siklikla goz bulgulari ile beraberlik gosteren romatizmal hastaliklardir. Goz bulgulari siklikla sistemik hastaligin semptomlarina onculuk etmektedirler. Bu hastaliklarda en sik olarak uveit, iridosiklit, vitritis, keratit, sklerit, anterior iskemik optik noropati ve retinal vaskulit gibi okuler inflamasyon bulgulari gorulmektedir. Okuler inflamasyon hastaligin kendisinden kaynaklanabilecegi gibi bu hastaliklarin tedavisinde kullanilan ilaclara bagli olarak da karsimiza cikabilmektedir. Bu calismada osteoporoz ve en sik goz bulgusu izlenen romatizmal hastaliklarin okuler bulgulari literatur esliginde arastirildi.Mirizzi syndrome is an unusual complication of gallstone disease and occurs in approximately 1% of these patients. Some cases can not be identified preoperatively, despite modern imaging techniques. Today, treatment of Mirizzi syndrome is surgical. If Mirizzi syndrome is present, the risk of bile duct injury increases, particularly during laparoscopic surgery. Therefore, preoperative or intraoperative diagnosis is important. Here, we presented a 29 year-old woman with obstructive jaundice who diagnosed as cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis. Preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiography relieved the common bile duct stone but cound not diagnosed the Mirizzi syndrome preoperatively. During laparoscopy, the diagnosis of Mirizzi syndrome was suspected early and the procedure was converted to open cholecystectomy and T-tube to common bile duct. There was no bile duct injury and postoperative course was uneventful.Lenfomalarda akciger tutulumu primer ve sekonder olmak uzere iki sekilde gorulmektedir. Lenfoma hucreleri, akcigerin degisik bolgelerini, yogun bicimde infiltre edebilmektedir. 57 yasinda erkek hastanin 6 aydir devam eden gogus agrisi, boyunda sislik, halsizlik, oksuruk ve balgam yakinmalari mevcuttu. Hasta, hepatosplenomegali, son bir ayda kilo kaybi, ates ve boynunun sol yaninda buyuyen agrili sislik nedeniyle klinigimize yatirildi. Fizik muayenede, boyunda agrili lenfadenopati saptandi. Solunum sistemi muayenesinde sagda solunum seslerinin siddetinde azalma, yer yer krepitan raller mevcuttu. PA akciger grafisinde sag parahiler bolgede non homojen yaygin infiltrasyon saptandi. Toraks tomografisinde ise sag akcigerde santralde hava bronkogrami izlenen konsolide alan, periferde noduler ve retikulonoduler, sol akciger alt lop posterobazal segmentte ve sol akciger ust lop apikoposterior segmentte birkac adet noduler lezyon, paratrakeal lenf bezi ve lokalize alveoler diffuz infiltrasyonlar saptandi. Servikal lenf nodunu histolojik incelenmesinde yuksek grade buyuk hucreli Non-Hodgkin lenfoma tanisi kondu. Hasta 6 siklus CEOP kuru aldi. Kemoterapi tamamlandiktan sonra yapilan incelemelerde daha once varolan akciger lezyonlarinin tumunun kayboldugu goruldu. Bu vaka sistemik non-Hodgkin lenfoma seyri sirasinda akcigeri tutulumu gelisen ve tek basina kemoterapi ile uzun sureli remisyona giren bir nadir olgudur.In this study, we are presenting the results of cytogenetic analysis and molecular cytogenetic analysis (FISH) of the couple and their family, who were referred to our genetic diagnostic laboratory and had bad obstetrics history. We found a normal karyotype (46,XY) in male, and A de novo complex chromosome rearrangement found in a phenotypically normal female was characterized by G-bands, FISH with probes. Her chromosome structure was 46,XX,der(18;22)(18pterrp11.1::22p11.1rqter) del(18)(:p11.1rqter). To determine the parental origin of translocation, we examined the individuals of the family, and we found that the translocation was de novo. We concluded that this carrier family might be due to the unbalanced distribution of translocation, during gamete formation and prenatal diagnosis recommended for their future pregnancies.

Oncology nurses awareness of drug interactions

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine oncology nurses awareness of drug interactions. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with nurses working in the oncology clinics who are a member of Oncology Nursing Association of Turkey. A total of 115 nurses (response rate %20) were responded to the online survey that consists of 28 questions. Results: The mean age of the nurses was 33 ± 6.8. The majority of nurses work in university hospital (60%) as a clinical nurse (62.6%) and have a Bachelor Degree in Nursing (63.5%). The mean working years in oncology was 4 years. Half of them stated receiving information on drug interactions mostly through in-service education and courses/congresses in last 5 years. The majority of them (84.3%) indicated that they are considering the possibility of drug interactions when they are scheduling the medication administration time. More than half of the responders (59.1%) encountered drug interactions; however, few explored drug interactions with food, drinks, and nutritional supplements. Their practices to assess possibility of drug interactions were reviewing the drug prospectus (78.3%); consulting with their colleagues (58.3%) and searching on the available website (42.6%) and looking at the drug interaction (39.1%). More than half (65.2%) stated lack of any system to identify drug interactions in their workplace. Nearly half of them indicated to including the drug interaction into patient education mostly for food-drug (73.9%) and drug-drug (63.5%) interactions. Conclusions: Almost all indicated the needs for further education on drug interactions and suggested to have guideline/packet guide.

The Effects of Workload and Working Conditions on Operating Room Nurses and Technicians

This study was conducted between August 15 and September 20, 2013, to determine the effects of workload and working conditions on operating room (OR) nurses and technicians. The study sample included 74 OR nurses and technicians working in a private university’s six hospitals. The Individual Workload Perception Scale and a questionnaire that collected data on risk and environmental factors were used. The mean age of study participants was 29.3 ± 6.7 years, and 62.2% of the participants were female. More than 90% of the nurses and technicians had experienced spills or splashing of blood or other body fluids; anesthetic gases and radiation had affected 63.5% and 71.6% of nurses and technicians, respectively; 63.5% reported lumbar pain; and 46.6% defined the work environment as very stressful. The average workload scale score was 32.4 ± 6.2 (min = 11, max = 55). OR nurses and technicians are exposed to many occupational risks.

Reliability and Validity of a Turkish Language Version of the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate content and construct validity of a Turkish language version of the Bates Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) as well as its internal consistency and interrater reliability. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The study was conducted in 13 intensive care units that included patients with pressure ulcers; the units were located in a university hospital in Central Anatolia, Turkey. The sample comprised 70 nurses and 20 patients who have stage II, III, and IV pressure ulcers. METHODS: Data were collected between January and April 2011. Content validity was measured using the Davis Technique. The BWAT was scored by 2 groups, nurses with expertise in wound care and staff nurses. An expert nurse and a ward nurse conducted pressure ulcer evaluation on the same patient consecutively in order to determine interrater reliability. We also measured internal consistency via the Cronbach &agr;. RESULTS: The content validity agreement rate was 0.82. The interrater reliability of the instrument was 0.82; its internal consistency calculated via the Cronbach &agr; was 0.85. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study support the Turkish language version of the BWAT as possessing content validity, interrater reliability and internal consistency.