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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prognostic value of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) in drytype age-related macular degeneration (AMD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-five eyes of 25 patients with dry-type AMD were included in the study. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination. First and last foveal avascular zone (FAZ), foveal density (FD), FAZ perimeter, non-flow area (NFA), foveal (F)-parafoveal-perifoveal superficial and deep capillary plexus (SCP-DCP) vessel density (VD) OCTA measurements were recorded. Foveal thickness (FT), macular volume (MV), and choroidal thickness (CT) measurements with enhanced depth imaging (EDI) mode were made with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). The relationship of all parameters with the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA-logmar) was evaluated. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 73.3±11.8 (45-91) years. There was a statistically significant difference between the first and last BCVA, FT, and FD. While FD and BCVA increased, FT was found to decrease statistically significant (p=0.002, p=0.001, p=0.045, respectively). The correlation of BCVA with other variables at the first and last visit was examined. There was a statistically positive correlation between BCVA and FAZ, FAZ perimeter, and NFA in the first and last measurements. In the second measurement, a statistically negative correlation was found between BCVA and MV, FT, superficial FVD, superficial FT, deep FT, superficial parafoveal VD, superficial parafoveal FT, deep parafoveal FT, deep parafoveal VD, and FD variables. CONCLUSIONS: There are positive and negative correlations between OCTA parameters and BCVA in the SCP-DCP in dry-type AMD. OCTA has prognostic significance in dry AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Daily living activities are generally impaired in dementia and have to be assessed by standardized instruments. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research recommends the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) as a particularly useful method for initial assessment of functional impairment. The FAQ is a brief, informant-based questionnaire that evaluates performance based on ten complex activities of daily living. The aim of the present study is to determine the normative values for a FAQ on Turkish adult sample between ages 50 and over. Material and Method: The present study consists of two phases: Translation/ adaptation and standardization. In the first phase, the questionnaire was translated into Turkish and the FAQ items were adapted to Turkish culture. In the second phase, the trained clinicians administered the new form to the subjects (usually a family member) who have substantial personal knowledge of the adult’s prior and current behavior. Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) scores were used as inclusion criteria for healthy elderly adults. The research sample consists of 213 healthy subjects and their family members. The research sample consists of 213 subjects (109 female, 104 male). A 3x3x2 (age: 50-59 / 60-69 / 70 and over) x education (5- 8 years / 9-11 years / 12 years and over) x sex (female / male) factorial design was used in the analysis. Results: The 3x3x2 factorial ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of age and education for the total FAQ score. Main effect of sex was not significant. No interaction effect (age x sex, age x education, sex x education and age x sex x education) on FAQ scores was statistically significant. Discussion: This study provides normative data for a psychometric tool that reliably measures the activities of daily living in normal healthy subjects. It further demonstrates the necessity of considering age and education when assessing the activities of daily living. It should be the material of future research to extend the standardization on the FAQ.

Background: Unexpected, sudden, and tragic losses can prompt us to reflect on the concept of a "good death." The earthquake disaster that struck our country in 2023 vividly demonstrated the challenging impact of such events, which can turn lives upside down and compel us to question the notion of a "good death." This study aims to determine the perceptions of a "good death" and the levels of trauma experienced by physicians and nurses who directly witnessed the earthquake disaster, and to understand the relationship between these factors., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October 1 and December 31, 2023, using phone interviews facilitated by a web-based Google form. Data were collected from 560 healthcare professionals (280 nurses and 280 doctors) working in hospitals located in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Malatya, and Adıyaman provinces in Türkiye, which were directly impacted by the earthquake of February 6, 2023, and who consented to participate in the study. Trauma levels were assessed using the "Post-Earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale," and perceptions of a good death were evaluated using the "Good Death Scale (GDS)." Data were analyzed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 24 software. Normal distribution was checked with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test. Independent t-tests were used to compare independent binary groups, Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between scale scores, and Cronbach's α coefficient was used to evaluate the reliability of the scales (Good Death Scale: 0.931; Trauma Scale: 0.957). Structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between scale scores according to the profession variable., Findings: The mean score for the perception of a good death was found to be 52.76 ± 8.77 for physicians and 55.84 ± 9.63 for nurses. A statistically significant difference was detected between physicians and nurses in the "psychosocial spirituality," "personal control," and "clinical" sub-dimensions of the scale (p<0.05). The mean trauma scores were 56.81 ± 17.58 for physicians and 64.82 ± 18.56 for nurses. A significant difference was found in the trauma scale and its sub-dimensions ("excitement limitation," "emotional," "cognitive restructuring," "sleep problems") (p<0.05). It was observed that higher trauma levels positively influenced good death perception scores., Conclusion: This study reveals that healthcare workers are deeply affected psychologically by major disasters, with high levels of trauma. A significant relationship was found between trauma levels and perceptions of a good death. These findings provide an important basis for future research to understand how trauma shapes the lives and job performance of healthcare workers in the long term., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Özbek Güven et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Missed nursing care is a global health problem that can have negative consequences for patients, nurses, and healthcare institutions. The purpose of the research is to determine the relationship of missed nursing care with patients' trust in nurses and satisfaction with care. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 350 patients treated at the cardiology clinic of a university hospital. Data were collected using the MISSCARE Survey-Patient, the Trust in Nurses Scale (TNS), and the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale (NSNS). There was a strong positive relationship between trust in nursing and satisfaction with care. Additionally, missed care in communication and basic care had a negative relationship with trust in nursing and satisfaction with care (p < 0.001). The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the communication subscale score was the best negative predictor of trust in nurses and satisfaction with care. The results of this research indicate a deficiency in adequately addressing all nursing care activities. The failure to meet nurse-patient communication needs is the most important missed care factor that negatively affects satisfaction with care and trust in nurses., (© 2024 The Author(s). Nursing & Health Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: Preterm newborns face many health problems due to their incomplete intrauterine development and the immaturity of their systems. One of these problems concerns nutrition. This study aimed to determine the effect of online kangaroo care (KC) training provided post-discharge on breastfeeding self-efficacy in mothers with preterm infants., Methods: This research was conducted as an experimental study with a randomised control group. Two groups were formed: kangaroo care and control. The sample of the study consisted of 68 mothers of preterm infants. The mothers in the KC group were given online KC training after discharge from the hospital. The mothers were asked to perform KC regularly, at least once a day, for 20 min, 7 days a week. The Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale was administered to the mothers before and after training., Results: The results of the study revealed that the difference between the pre-test and post-test breastfeeding self-efficacy scores was statistically significantly higher among the mothers who received online KC training compared with the controls (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: According to the results of our research carried out in this context, the mothers who received online KC training had increased breastfeeding self-efficacy compared to those in the control group., (© 2024 The Author(s). Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic College of Caring Science.)

Background: Maternal postpartum depression negatively affects the baby's emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development and attachment pattern. We aimed to examine the effect of virtual patient visits in neonatal intensive care unit on postpartum depression in mothers., Methods: Research data were obtained from mothers whose preterm infants were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit between April and December 2022. A total of 100 mothers of preterm infants (50 in the virtual patient visit and 50 in the control group) treated in the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital constituted the sample of the study. Using the Zoom application, virtual patient visits were made for 5 minutes, seven days a week, between mother and the preterm infants, with no nursing intervention implemented for at least 30 minutes. Mothers in the control group saw their babies face to face two days a week. In standard hospital procedure, mothers saw their babies twice a week. Edinburgh postpartum depression scale (EPDS) was administered online to the all mothers before and after the study., Results: The research resulted with statistically significant decreased EPDS scores of the mothers in virtual patient visit group with the pre-study scores. A statistically significant decrease was found compared to the control group ( P <0.001)., Conclusion: Virtual patient visits between preterm infants in neonatal intensive care unit and their mothers could be effective in preventing or reducing postpartum depression of the mother., (Copyright© 2024 Kaynak et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of video calling between preterm infants treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and their mothers on the physiological parameters of infants and mother-infant bonding., Background: Preterm infants need prolonged treatment in the NICU, and their families may have difficulty seeing their babies during this treatment process., Methods: This is a prospective, randomized-controlled, experimental study. The study sample consisted of 75 preterm infants and their mothers. The data were collected using a maternal introductory information form, a preterm infant introductory information form, a preterm infant physiological parameters follow-up form, and the Mother-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS). The study included 3 study groups: the video call group, the video call with lullaby group, and the control group. Video calls between preterm infants and their mothers were made through Zoom for 5 to 10 minutes daily for 7 days. The mothers filled out the MIBS online before and on the 7th and 30th days of the study., Results: Preterm infants in the video call and the video call with lullaby groups had higher MIBS mean scores on the 7th and 30th days of the study than their pretest MIBS scores. Preterm infants in the video call and the video call with lullaby groups had statistically significantly higher MIBS mean scores on the seventh day of the study than those in the control group. At the end of the 7-day study period, there was an improvement in the physiological parameters of preterm infants in the video call group and the video call with lullaby group compared with those in the control group, and this relationship was statistically significant., Conclusions: In conclusion, the implementation of video calls between mothers and preterm infants in NICUs had a healing effect on the physiological parameters of preterm infants and increased mother-infant bonding., Competing Interests: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest regarding the research, writing, and publication of this article. The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This research aimed to determine nurses' climate change worry, their level of hope for climate change prevention, and the relationship between climate change worry and hope for climate change., Background: Nurses are healthcare professionals actively involved in the fight against climate change. However, their close involvement with the issue can also increase their own climate change worry. Therefore, it is important to maintain high levels of hope among nurses in preventing climate change., Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with nurses working at a university hospital., Results: The average score on the Climate Change Worry Scale for nurses was 29.22 ± 9.33, with sub-dimensions scores as follows: personal-sphere will and way 10.96 ± 2.09; collective sphere will 18.36 ± 3.39; lack of will and way dimensions 10.40 ± 2.48. The average score on the climate change hope scale was 39.73 ± 5.52. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between age and the climate change worry scale (r = 0.169, p = 0.020) as well as climate change hope (r = 0.148, p = 0.041)., Conclusion: The research findings indicate that nurses have a high level of climate change worry, but they also have a high level of hope in preventing climate change. It is considered essential to address the concerns of nurses who are actively combating the climate crisis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prognostic value of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) in dry-type age-related macular degeneration (AMD)., Patients and Methods: Thirty-five eyes of 25 patients with dry-type AMD were included in the study. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination. First and last foveal avascular zone (FAZ), foveal density (FD), FAZ perimeter, non-flow area (NFA), foveal (F)-parafoveal-perifoveal superficial and deep capillary plexus (SCP-DCP) vessel density (VD) OCTA measurements were recorded. Foveal thickness (FT), macular volume (MV), and choroidal thickness (CT) measurements with enhanced depth imaging (EDI) mode were made with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). The relationship of all parameters with the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA-logmar) was evaluated. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: The mean age of the patients was 73.3±11.8 (45-91) years. There was a statistically significant difference between the first and last BCVA, FT, and FD. While FD and BCVA increased, FT was found to decrease statistically significant (p=0.002, p=0.001, p=0.045, respectively). The correlation of BCVA with other variables at the first and last visit was examined. There was a statistically positive correlation between BCVA and FAZ, FAZ perimeter, and NFA in the first and last measurements. In the second measurement, a statistically negative correlation was found between BCVA and MV, FT, superficial FVD, superficial FT, deep FT, superficial parafoveal VD, superficial parafoveal FT, deep parafoveal FT, deep parafoveal VD, and FD variables., Conclusions: There are positive and negative correlations between OCTA parameters and BCVA in the SCP-DCP in dry-type AMD. OCTA has prognostic significance in dry AMD.

Purpose: To compare efficacy of simultaneously administered intravitreal dexamethasone implant (DEX implant) and ranibizumab (simultaneous double protocol) injections with ranibizumab monotherapy for diabetic macular edema (DME) at month 24., Methods: This is a prospective, consecutive, clinical interventional study. Naïve eyes with DME were randomized into two groups: 34 eyes received simultaneous double-protocol therapy and 34 eyes received ranibizumab monotherapy. The primary efficacy endpoint was change in visual acuity in month 24. The secondary efficacy endpoints were to evaluate gain of ≥15 letters, morphological changes and central foveal thickness. Decreased vision from DME (study eye BCVA, 20/40 or worse Snellen equivalent using ETDRS testing), the presence of DME with ≥300 μm foveal intraretinal cystoid spaces (within 1000 μm of the centre of the fovea), subfoveal neuroretinal detachment (SND), intraretinal hyperreflective foci (HRF, within 500 μm of the centre of the fovea) or foveal lipid exudates and external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption (within 500 μm of the centre of the fovea) on SD-OCT were eligible to enrol., Results: The mean baseline BCVA was 48 ± 23 letters in double protocol group and 52 ± 14 letters ranibizumab monotherapy group ( p  = 0.416). The mean number of ETDRS letters changed from baseline at 12 months versus change from baseline at month 24 in double protocol group and ranibizumab monotherapy group were +21.6 versus +20.2 and +9.6 versus +9.1, respectively. At the month 24 time point, 65.4% of patients in double protocol group and 26.2% of patients in ranibizumab monotherapy group had gained ≥15 ETDRS letters in BCVA from baseline ( p  < 0.001). The external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) integrity were better in the double protocol group in comparison to ranibizumab monotherapy group at month 24. In addition, there was no statistically significant increase in the proportion of patients with epiretinal membrane in double protocol group at month 24, by the contrast with ranibizumab monotherapy group ( p  = 0.06 and p  = 0.04 in the double protocol and ranibizumab monotherapy groups, respectively). From baseline to month 24, the mean central foveal thickness (CFT) was 672 ± 293 μm reduced to 278 ± 84 μm in double protocol group and was 631 ± 279 μm reduced to 356 ± 108 μm in ranibizumab monotherapy group ( p  < 0.001 and p  < 0.001). From baseline to month 24, 38% (13/34) of eyes in double protocol group and 18% (6/34) of eyes in ranibizumab monotherapy group had at least 5 mmHg of IOP elevation ( p  = 0.012). Two grades or more increased cataract density were detected 27% (6/22) of eyes in the double protocol group and in 12.5% (3/24) of eyes in the ranibizumab monotherapy group from baseline to month 24 ( p  = 0.032)., Conclusion: According to the improvements in visual acuity and morphological changes achieved at month 24, the simultaneous double protocol therapy can be an effective treatment option for DME with inflammatory biomarkers on OCT or/and decreased visual acuity.

Aim: The study was planned to determine the effect of crossword puzzle activity in distance education on nursing students' problem-solving and clinical decision-making skills., Background: In online education, increasing nursing students' learning skills, motivations and participation is important., Design: The study is a randomized-controlled trial., Method: The study sample consisted of 132 nursing students registered to the Pediatric Nursing distance course in the 2020-2021 academic year. 20 students who were assigned to the control group did not agree to participate in the study and did not fill in the data form. Accordingly, the study was completed with the participation of 112 students, with 66 students in the experimental group and 46 students in the control group. In the 14-week distance education, 20-question crossword puzzle activity per unit was applied to the students in the experimental group. The standards for reporting consort guidelines for reporting parallel group randomized trials were used to report this research. The students in the control group were taught in the form of presentation. At the beginning and end of the study, CDMNS and PSI were applied to the students. Ethics committee approval (Number: 2021/79) was obtained from the relevant university to conduct the research., Results: A statistically significant difference was found between pretest and posttest scores of the experimental group in PSI and CDMNS scales (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Crossword puzzle activity used in distance education developed the students' problem-solving and clinical decision-making skills., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement There is no potential conflict of interest regarding the research, writing and publication of this article. The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To compare the functional and anatomical outcomes of ranibizumab and aflibercept monotherapies given according to a pro re nata (PRN) protocol in treatment-naive eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) in a real-life clinical setting., Materials and Methods: The medical charts of treatment-naive patients with center-involved DME retrieved from our institutional database were reviewed in this retrospective cohort study. A total of 512 treatment-naive eyes with DME underwent either ranibizumab (Group I; 308 eyes) or aflibercept (Group II; 204 eyes) monotherapy and 462 patients were included. The primary outcome was visual gain over 12 months., Results: The mean number of intravitreal injections within the first year was 4.34±1.83 and 4.39±2.12 in Group I and II, respectively (p=0.260). The mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement at 12 months was +5.7 and +6.5 ETDRS letters in Group I and II, respectively (p=0.321). However, among eyes with a BCVA score less than 69 ETDRS letters (54% of the study population), visual gain was more prominent in Group II (+15.2 vs. +12.1 ETDRS letters; p<0.001). Statistically significant decreases in central foveal thickness were observed with both ranibizumab and aflibercept monotherapy (p<0.001), with no significant difference between the groups. (p=0.148)., Conclusions: No statistically significant difference was found in visual outcomes at 12-month follow-up between ranibizumab and aflibercept monotherapies using a PRN protocol, although there was a tendency toward slightly better functional and anatomic prognosis in the aflibercept arm., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors., (©Copyright 2023 by Turkish Ophthalmological Association Turkish Journal of Ophthalmology, published by Galenos Publishing House.)

Purpose: To provide consensus on the clinical use of intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) in Turkey., Methods: A panel of 22 retina experts prepared 77 statements of recommendation, and 80 retinal specialists practicing in Turkey were chosen to vote either in support or against each one. A Delphi-based method was used through which the ophthalmologists were able to view all of the results anonymously after two rounds and modify their subsequent answers. The survey was conducted via a mini website, and statements without consensus were resent to the specialists with the latest vote results a week later., Results: A total of 72 ophthalmologists answered the first and second round questions. After the first stage, consensus was achieved on 55 of the statements, leaving 22 without agreement. After the second stage, consensus was reached on 11 of the remaining statements. Strong consensus was achieved on statements regarding the etiopathogenesis of DME and the first-line indications and safety of the DEX implant procedure. The panel recommended the use of DEX implant for patients with an arterial thromboembolic event in the last three months and also agreed that pro re nata DEX implant treatment not only provides better outcomes for DME patients but also reduces the treatment burden for those who could not receive an adequate number of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections., Conclusion: This study provides clinical consensus and recommendations about the use of DEX implant in the clinical practice of DME management in Turkey.