Turkish Thoracic Journal最新文献

Objective: The study aims to evaluate the awareness and knowledge of COVID-19 among healthcare workers.

Material and methods: A questionnaire was applied to healthcare workers working at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine and University of Kyrenia, Dr. Suat Günsel Hospital, to evaluate the coronavirus disease 2019 awareness and level of knowledge.

Results: A total of 598 healthcare workers participated in the study. Two-thirds of the respondents were from Turkey, while one-third were from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The general symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 were well known in the general population. Awareness of most symptoms was significantly lower in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus group. It was well known that coronavirus disease 2019 can be asymptomatic in some patients and it can be contagious. The necessity of wearing surgical masks on sick individuals was less known in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus group (96.6% vs 61.6%; P = .000). While handwashing was found similar in both groups for protection from coronavirus disease 2019 transmission, social distance and mask recommendations were lower in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus group (P < .05). The concern about transmitting the virus to themselves and their relatives was more significant in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus group than the Turkey group (84.4% vs 96.5%; P = .000). And 92.2% of the healthcare workers thought they should stay in an alternative place instead of their homes.

Conclusion: The awareness and knowledge level of coronavirus disease 2019 is higher in Turkey than in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus related to the increased number of coronavirus disease 2019 cases in Turkey. Continuous education programs can contribute to improving the level of knowledge and reducing anxiety.

Objective: In our study, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malatya province, other than confirmed case deaths, were investigated.

Material and methods: The records of those who died between 2016 and 2020 were reviewed on the official website of the Malatya Metropolitan Municipality, and the numbers of deaths in those 5 years were recorded on a weekly basis. The arithmetic mean of the deaths between 2016 and 2019 was calculated, and it was investigated whether the number of deaths in 2020 was more than expected.

Results: In 2020, 1743 (61%) excess deaths were detected. While the mean number of deaths reported 4 years before 2020 was 2860, it was determined that the number of deaths in 2020 was 4603, and there were 1743 (61%) excess deaths.

Conclusion: The deaths occurred in Malatya during the COVID-19 pandemic were more than expected. It has been supposed that some deaths were of polymerase chain reaction negative and hence unrecorded COVID-19 patients' deaths, and some deaths were caused by other indirect effects of the pandemic.

Objective: Humanitarian crisis in the Middle East geography has brought refugees into being. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between refugees' tuberculosis diagnosis process and air pollution parameters and environmental exposures.

Methods: A total of 229 patients with tuberculosis registered at Şanlıurfa Tuberculosis Dispensary during 2012-2018 were included. In this cross-sectional study, education levels, smoking status, warm-up style, and exposure to biomass, pesticides, dust storm, PM10, and sulfur dioxide were evaluated. Air parameters were received from https://www.havaizleme.gov.tr/. Bacteriological diagnosis was classified as smear-positive lung tuberculosis, smear-negative culture-positive lung tuberculosis, and other diagnostic methods. This study was approved by the Harran University Ethical Committee (10.12.2018; session: 12; decision no: 36).

Results: Of the 229 patients diagnosed with tuberculosis, 53.3% were males and 46.7% were females. The average age was 31.15 ± 15.16. About 24.5% of refugees lived in camps, while 75.5% lived outside of the camps. The rate of smear (+) lung tuberculosis was 38% and smear (-) culture (+) lung tuberculosis was 14.4%. Smoking (P = .007) in smear (+) cases and exposure to PM10 (P = .036) and sulfur dioxide (P = .015) in culture (+) cases were significant.

Conclusion: Smoking and air pollution are associated with delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis and severe forms of tuberculosis. We think that as a result of smoking cessation and reduction of air pollution, tuberculosis incidence in refugees can be reduced.

Objective: Drowning is a process of submersion and can lead to respiratory failure. Annually, there are an estimated 320 000 deaths worldwide due to drowning, in addition to nonfatal drowning events. There are limited data for respiratory failure due to drowning and its prognosis in Turkey. The aim of this study was to identify the therapeutic modalities used for acute respiratory failure (ARF) due to drowning, and its prognosis in hospitalized patients.

Material and methods: All adult drowning cases (according to the International Classification of Disease (ICD) diagnosis code) who were admitted to either the emergency department (ED) or the intensive care units (ICU), or the pulmonology inpatient clinics between 2008 and 2018 were included in the study. Data for demographic characteristics, radiologic evaluations, respiratory support and mechanical ventilation, hospital stay duration, and hospital mortality were retrospectively collected from hospital records.

Results: A total of 117 patients (47 females, 70 males, mean age: 57.3 years) were included in the study. The drowning accidents most commonly occurred in summer (86.3%). Of them, 31 victims (26.4%) were admitted to ICU due to severe respiratory failure. The mean pH was 7.32, and PaO2 was 69.13 mmHg in the arterial blood gas at admission. Invasive and noninvasive mechanical ventilation were performed in 24.7% and 25.6% of the patients respectively. The PaO2/FiO2 of 106 patients (who had accessible FiO2 values) were >300 in 12 (11%), 201-300 in 32 (30%), 101-200 in 49 (46%), and <100 in 13 (12%) patients. Bilateral opacities were observed in 85.4% of the patients. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed in 8 (6.8%) patients. The hospital mortality rate was 6%.

Conclusion: The present study results show that with appropriate therapeutic and support strategies, respiratory failure due to drowning can be treated successfully.

High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNCOT) system consists of an air/oxygen supply system capable of delivering up to 100% humidified and heated oxygen at a flow rate of up to 80 L/min. The system includes a blender, active humidifier, single heated tube, and nasal cannula. HFNCOT has many physiological advantages compared with other standard oxygen therapies, such as anatomical dead space washout, more constant fraction of inspired oxygen, positive end-expiratory (PEEP) effect, supplement of adequate humidification and maintenance of muco-ciliary function. HFNCOT is mostly used for hypoxemic acute respiratory failure, although it also has other indications. HFNCOT is a common choice of physicians as its technology makes it more silent and comfortable. Though HFNCOT is used in many clinical settings, there is a lack of publications addressing devices and initial settings. We present a review on HFNCOT, with focus on device and application methodology.

COVID-19 pneumonia has several complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, myocarditis, pulmonary embolism, and thromboembolic stroke. We present a case of a 71-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia and was found to have a pneumothorax, spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM), and subcutaneous emphysema without a history of lung disease. The pathophysiology of SPM and subcutaneous emphysema is likely caused by rupture of the alveolar membrane due to direct damage by COVID-19 infection and frequent cough-induced barotrauma.

Objective: Ambient air pollution is an important cause of morbidity and mortality for both individual and public health. The major contaminant that creates air pollution in Turkey is particulate matter. This study aims to demonstrate Turkey's air quality in terms of particulatematter in the last 4 years.

Material and methods: In this descriptive study, the public data of the National Air Quality Monitoring Network between the years 2016 and 2019 were analyzed for particulate matter (PM10). Stations with less than 75% data throughout the year were excluded from the evaluation while calculating the annual average values. The averages of the years were compared statistically with each other.

Results: For 111 stations that made sufficient measurements for 4 years, the annual median value of particulate matter remained constant in 12 stations (10.8%), increased in 26 stations (23.4%), and decreased in 73 stations (65.7%). The level of air pollution at 18 stations has been sustained for 4 years. It has been observed that there is no significant improvement in the criterion that the daily average PM10 level should not be higher than 50 μg/m3 for more than 35 days, and pollution is detected above the limit value permitted by the World Health Organization in all provinces and stations except a few provinces every year. Finally, during the 4-year observation, the number of stations that did not make sufficient measurements throughout the year has been found to increase over the years.

Conclusion: Our data reveal that the air pollution attributable to particulate matter in Turkey between the years 2016 and 2019 did not regress prominently. On the contrary, air pollution has been found to gain permanency in certain provinces, and air quality monitoring has been inadequate due to insufficient measurement activities of some of the stations.