Tolga Guler

Association of Speculum Lubrication with Pain and Papanicolaou Test Accuracy

Purpose: To determine the effects of lubrication of the vaginal speculum before insertion during a Papanicolaou test on perceived pain and quality of the cytology specimen. Methods: Four hundred eligible women participating in cervical cancer screening and an early detection program were randomized with respect to lubricant gel use before speculum insertion. Perceived pain during speculum insertion and cytology results were assessed in study groups. Results: The mean age of the patients was 45.7 years (range, 23–77 years). Pain score of the NO GEL group was significantly higher than that of the GEL group (2.3 and 1.6, respectively; P < .05). For postmenopausal women, lubricant gel use significantly reduced the pain scores of the participants (P < .05). Cytological interpretations of the Papanicolaou test specimens were comparable among all groups. Conclusions: During the collection of Papanicolaou test specimens, lubrication of the vaginal speculum with a small amount of K-Y Jelly (a water-soluble lubricant gel) decreases the pain associated with insertion of the vaginal speculum among postmenopausal women without obscuring the cytological interpretation of conventional or liquid-based cytology. In women of reproductive age, lubrication of the speculum with K-Y Jelly does not cause a meaningful effect with respect to perceived pain.

Public Awareness of Colorectal Cancer in a Turkish Population: Importance of Fecal Occult Blood Testing

To date, there was no controlled-study regarding awareness and knowledge of colorectal cancer in the Turkish population. We therefore designed a questionnaire consisting of items related to socio-demographic parameters, medical and family history and questions of awareness and knowledge about colorectal cancer for use in a descriptive cross-sectional study. An interviewer-administered technique was applied and 450 subjects were interviewed in the outpatient clinics at Near East University Hospital. Among all subjects, 337 were found to be eligible for the study group. Exclusion criteria were age below 18 years, any cancer history, family history of colorectal cancer, current colorectal problems, history of any diagnostic or therapeutic interventions for colorectal diseases.All participants stated that they heard about colorectal cancer. When asked about the lifetime risk of colorectal carcinoma, only 25.4% of women and 37.9% of men estimated correctly. Univariate analysis revealed that the total awareness score was significantly correlated with age, marital status, parenthood and fecal occult blood testing history. On multivariate analysis of independent predictors for awareness of colorectal cancer were found to be history of fecal occult blood testing, age and marital status were found to be the most important determinants. As a conclusion, opportunistic screening with fecal occult blood test by physicians from non-gastrointestinal specialties not only helps to reduce the mortality but also increases the awareness of colorectal cancer.

Measuring ovarian volume during cesarean delivery provides valuable information about future ovarian function and reproductive capacity

Amac: Yumurtalik hacmi insanlarda yumurtalik rezervinin dolayli olarak tahmin edilmesinde kullanilma potansiyeline sahiptir. Bu calismanin amaci term gebeliklerde sezaryen dogum esnasinda olcerek yumurtalik hacmini belirlemek ve yumurtalik hacmini anne yasi ve obstetrik parametreler ile iliskilendirmektedir. Yontem: Sezaryen dogum sirasinda yumurtalik gozlemi yapildi. Her yumurtaligin uc boyutu (en, boy ve derinlik) olculdu ve basitlestirilmis oval yapi formulu ile sag ve sol yumurtalik hacimleri hesaplandi. Bulgular: Toplam olarak, 132 arastirmaya uygun hasta bulundu. Iki-yonlu ANOVA testi (faktorler: Yas grubu ve yumurtalik tarafi) genel olarak sag yumurtalik hacminin daha buyuk oldugunu gosterdi (p 0,05). Ayni zamanda, Sag ve sol yumurtalik hacimleri arasinda onemli ve guclu bir iliski bulundu (r=0,69; p 0,05). Sonuc: Sezaryen dogum ureme doneminde yapilan bir ameliyat oldugu icin, sag ve sol yumurtalik hacimlerinin dogrudan ve dogru bir sekilde degerlendirilmesi ve kayit edilmesi icin iyi bir firsat olabilir. Bulgularimiz sezaryen dogum sirasinda sag yumurtalik hacminin sol yumurtalik hacmine gore daha fazla oldugunu desteklemektedir. Yumurtalik hacimlerinin bilinmesi gelecekte ortaya cikabilecek ureme sorunlarinin cozumlenmesinde onemli bilgi saglayabilir. Yumurtalik hacimleri kucuk olan kadinlara yumurtalik rezervi konusunda taburcu edilmeden once bilgilendirme yapilabilir