Search

Objectives: Monkeypox is a zoonotic viral infectious disease. Transmitted by direct contact, the disease has a similar clinical picture to smallpox. As healthcare workers are at the frontline of contact with these patients, it is crucial that they have the necessary knowledge. In our study, we aimed to determine the level of knowledge of healthcare workers about monkeypox disease, which created a new epidemic panic after a devastating pandemic such as COVID-19. Methods: The population of the descriptive study consisted of physicians and allied health personnel (midwives, nurses, health technicians) working in hospital A. No sample was selected, and it was aimed to reach the entire population. The questionnaire was left to the departments as per the number of employees, and individuals were asked to fill it in by themselves. All questionnaires were collected within three days. The data were analyzed in SPSS software. Frequency, percentage, and Chi-square test were performed in the analysis. Results: 177 participants employed in the hospital completed the questionnaire. 57.76% (104 individuals) of the participants were female. In the study, 23.2% (41/177 participants) of the healthcare personnel had not heard of Monkeypox, while 76.8% (136 participants) knew about it. The percentage of physicians who did not know/hear about the disease was 6.2% (5 participants), while the percentage of allied health personnel (midwives, nurses, health technicians) was 37.5% (36 participants). Conclusion: Monkeypox is a zoonotic DNA virus of the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. It was first identified in 1958 among monkeys transported from Africa to Denmark for research purposes. The disease, characterized by a vesicular rash, can affect people of all ages, and there is no specific antiviral treatment. Monkeypox is endemic to Africa. However, it has recently been seen as small outbreaks in Europe and imported cases in our country. Although it is publicized, only 76.8% of the healthcare workers in our study were aware of this disease. Nonetheless, less than half of those who heard about the disease had accurate information about it. One of the challenges in preventing and treating the disease is the lack of knowledge of health workers. We consider that training for healthcare workers should be increased regarding early diagnosis of the disease and prevention of transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the COVID-19 awareness and anxiety levels of patients who visited the outpatient department in a hospital. Methods: A questionnaire for socio-demographic data and COVID-19 awareness, Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) data were collected from patients who volunteered to participate in the study. Counts, percentages, independent groups t-test, and correlation analysis were used during statistical data analysis. Those patients who were over 18 years of age, literate, having no psychiatric disorder and from whom informed consent was obtained were included in the study. Patients younger than 18 years of age, patients who had psychiatric disorders, and illiterate patients were excluded. Results: The questionnaire form and scales were distributed to 254 patients, while 210 patients were included in the study. Therefore, the response rate from the patients was 82.7%. The mean age of the patients participating in this study was 44.41 years ±16.9 SD. The BAS scores of patients over 65 years of age were significantly higher than the patients at younger ages (p<0.001). The percentage of female patients was 42.6% (n=89) and that of males was 57.4% (n=120). Both the BAS scores (p<0.001) and HADS scores (p<0.01) of the female patients were significantly higher than those of the male patients. Conclusion: The BAS and HADS scores of females were found to be significantly higher than those of the males. Although the mean of the BAS scores of the patients was low, the BAS scores of those women who were at an age of 65 years or above, and those who had secondary school education or below, were significantly higher. Therefore, related research focusing on these groups should be conducted in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate effects of different concentrations (0.5-5%) of Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution on healthy tissues, and determine the optimal concentration that does not harm to tissue. Materials and Methods: 30 tibias of 15 male Wistar albino rats were used. The tibias were randomly divided into 5 groups (Salin, 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%, and 5% NaOCl). Tibias were reamed intramedullary, and irrigated with 20 ml of saline or increasing concentrations of (0.5-5%) NaOCl. The tibias were embedded in paraffin and the sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. All sections were assessed for edema, acute inflammation, or necrosis according to their density, in bone marrow and soft tissues. Results: Pairwise comparisons revealed that irrigation of tibia with saline or 0.5% NaOCl solutions was not statistically significant in terms of necrosis in the bone marrows (p=0.320). However, irrigation of rat tibia with saline caused less necrosis in the bone marrows compared to high concentrations (1%, 2.5%, and 5%) of NaOCl (saline and 1% NaOCl, p=0.017; saline and 2.5% NaOCl, p=0.0007; saline and 5% NaOCl, p=0.001). Conclusion: As an irrigation solution, the effects of 0.5% NaOCl are similar to those of saline in terms of edema, inflammation, and necrosis. There is a need for evaluation of necrosis for extended periods such as one week or one month by immunohistochemical methods and flow cytometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]