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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pancreatin-derived medications and the treatability of gastrointestinal complaints after cholecystectomy. Patients and Methods: The relationship between postoperative symptomatic status and the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and pancreatin-derivated medications in patients admitted to our hepatobiliary surgery service who underwent cholecystectomy was retrospectively analyzed. IBM SPSS Statistics 23 (IBM SPSS,Turkey) was used for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistical methods (mean, standard deviation, median, frequency, ratio, minimum, maximum) were used to evaluate the study data. Pearson Chi-Square Test and Fisher's Exact test were used to compare qualitative data. Significance was evaluated at the p<0.05 level. Results: Proton pump inhibitors and pancreatin-derivatives were prescribed to all patients in the postoperative period. Although, the rate of postoperative asymptomatic course was higher in all patients, the rate of postoperative symptoms was found to be higher in patients who received PPI and pancreatin therapy (p=0.001, p=0.022; p<0.01). Conclusions: Although, the high rate of asymptomatic postoperative course in all patients indicates that cholecystectomy alone is curative, some symptoms may persist in the postoperative period and it was found to be more frequent in patients who used PPI and pancreatin-derived medications in the postoperative period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Infant sleep problems are among the most common problems presented to pediatricians. The expanded version of the “Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire” is a questionnaire developed by Sadeh for assessing sleep problems and their causes in early childhood. We have translated this questionnaire and assessed sleep problems and their causes among infants. Patients and Methods: The translation process was undertaken with the consent of the author. The final translated questionnaire was evaluated using a sample of 121 infants. Results: The parents of 11.6% of the infants considered their infants’ sleep to be a very serious problem, 22.3% had a small problem, and 66.1% had no problem at all. According to the poor sleeper criteria suggested by Sadeh, 32.2% (39) infants were considered as poor sleepers. In a logistic regression analysis sleeping in the parent’s bed was associated with sleeping poorly. The mother’s perception of the infant’s sleep as a problem correlated with infant’s sleep problem criteria suggested by Sadeh. Conclusion: Test results provide preliminary evidence that the Turkish translation is acceptable and understandable for assessing sleep problems during early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: As the population ages, it is important to recognize the health problems of the elderly in relation to individual and public health issues. Our aim was to determine the daily habits and health-related behaviours of an aging population concerning factors such as nutritional status, physical and social activity levels and chronic health problems. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The study included 175 participants over 60 years of age that were mentally healthy and living in different nursing homes. A minimental test, a study questionnaire, a geriatric depression scale and an activities of daily living (ADL, physically dependent on others) scale were applied to the participants face to face. Results: Eighty-five (48.6%) of the participants were male. 42.3% of the participants did not do any regular physical exercise in their life time. The frequency of regular physical exercise was higher in the physically non-dependent to others (p=0.005) group in the ADL scale. Depression and ADL scores increased with increasing body mass index (BMI) (p= 0.012 and p= 0.010, respectively). In continuous medication users depression is quite high when compared to those who do not use medication constantly (p= 0.002). With increasing working years, there was a tendency to a decrease in scores of the physically dependent on others group in ADL. Conclusion: Regular physical exercise and an active work history both have a negative correlation on dependency in ADL in later years. Depression is more common among individuals who are on medication due to chronic health problems. A greater BMI was related to a higher frequency of depression and to dependency in ADL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess whether identified scoring system and various guantitative data would help clinicians to distinguishing malignant from benign breast lesions more accurately on the dynamic contrast enhanced- magnetic resonance images (DCE-MRI). Patients and Methods: Ninety-five lesions included in our research were evaluated by a scoring system (Fischer's score) that can be accepted as an analogue of breast imaging-reporting and data systems (BI-RADS). Time to peak enhancement (Tpeak), maximum slope of enhancement curves (Smax) and washout values which are quantitative parameters computed from kinetic data were calculated. Results: In the evaluation the Fischer scoring system, specificities of total points 0-3, 4 and 5-8 were 23.40%, 78.87% and 97.87% respectively. The parameters of the scoring system showed that the shape of a lesion which is one of the morphologic characteristics, was statistically the most significant parameter (p=0.001). Rim enhancement had the highest specificity (97.87%) of the morphologic parameters. There was no significant difference between malignant and benign lesions in the percentage of early enhancement when we examined the kinetic data. There was significant difference between kinetic curves of type 1 compared to types 2-3 (p=0.001). The quantitative parameters Tpeak and Smax, were statistically significant. Conclusion: Scoring systems in which both morphologic parameters and kinetic curves are evaluated give useful information in distinguishing benign from malignant breast lesions. Also, statistically significant Tpeak and Smax quantitative values can be useful in the diagnosis of breast lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The time of passage of the newborn’s first meconium/stool is an indicator of health and is used to screen for normal gastrointestinal tract function. Most newborns urinate after birth, and this is an indication of normal renal function. The aim of this study is to investigate the meconium/stool and urinary patterns of healthy neonates, and to determine whether they correlate with delivery mode, birth weight, feeding method and its frequency. Patients and Methods: Newborns with a gestational age of ≥ 34 week delivered by normal vaginal delivery (NVD) or cesarean section (CS) were included. The newborns were fed either breast milk exclusively or a combination of breast milk and formula. The frequency of meconium/stool and urine passage and the delivery type, birth weight, and feeding method and its frequency were recorded throughout their hospital stay. Results: A total of 1095 newborns were included. By the first 24 h after birth, 986 (90%) newborns had passed their first meconium or stool and 1084 (99%) newborns had passed their first urine. The mean number of meconium/stool and urine passages was higher in neonates delivered by CS. The mean number of meconium/stools within the first 24 h was higher in newborns fed breast milk exclusively. Combination-fed newborns and newborns with a lower birth weight had a higher mean number of urine passages. The number of meconium passages in the first 24 h was significantly lower in newborns weighing < 2500 g. Conclusion: The mode of delivery, birth weight, and feeding method and its frequency may influence meconium/stool and urinary patterns in newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Infants with cholestatic jaundice were evaluated retrospectively in terms of etiologies, diagnostic methods, laboratory findings, treatment procedures and long- term prognosis. Patients and Methods: The study consisted of 70 children (52.8% male, 47.1% female) with cholestasis ranging in age from 15 days to 8 months (mean age, 60±26 days). Patients were divided into three groups according to the diagnosis: (i) patients with extrahepatic biliary atresia, (ii) patients with intrahepatic biliary hypoplasia, and (iii) patients with hepatocellular disease. Their clinical parameters were evaluated. Results: In the group with extrahepatic biliary atresia the onset of jaundice was significantly earlier and the presence of acholic stool and total bilirubin levels were remarkably higher than in the groups with intrahepatic biliary hypoplasia or hepatocellular disease. Serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and alkaline phosphotase (ALP) levels were found to be significantly higher in the groups with extrahepatic biliary atresia and intrahepatic biliary hypoplasia than the group with hepatocellular disease (p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively). The contribution of technetium-99m (99mTc) scintigraphy to the diagnosis was significantly higher in the group with extrahepatic biliary atresia than the groups with intrahepatic biliary hypoplasia and hepatocellular disease (p<0.002). Conclusion: It was found that cholestasis, acholic stool and elevated GGT are better markers for extrahepatic biliary atresia than for intrahepatic biliary hypoplasia or hepatocellular disease in infants. The contribution of scintigraphy to the diagnosis was found to be higher in the group with extrahepatic biliary atresia than in the other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]