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Objective: Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening reaction characterized by sudden symptoms affecting different organ systems, and healthcare professionals must recognize and urgently treat anaphylaxis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of family physicians in Türkiye about the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis, use of adrenaline auto-injector, and factors affecting these attitudes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive survey study. An online questionnaire was administered to family physicians to evaluate their knowledge levels regarding the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis and the use of AAI. Results: The study was completed with 207 participants, mean age was 33.8±8.5 years and mean professional experience was 8.5±8.3 years. 93.7% of the participants stated that the first-line treatment of anaphylaxis was adrenaline, 85.5% the correct route of adrenaline administration was intramuscular, 79.2% the right place of adrenaline administration, 75.4% the dose of adrenaline in children, 61.8% of them answered the adrenaline dose correctly in adults. 51.2% of the participants stated that they knew about the use of AAI, and 24.6% had received training on this subject. The average number of professional years of participants who knew that the first-line treatment was adrenaline, the correct route and place of administration of adrenaline, and knew how to use auto-injectors were statistically significantly lower (p=0.031, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.041, respectively). Family physicians who received post-graduation training on anaphylaxis; the rate of knowing that the first-line treatment of anaphylaxis was adrenaline, the correct route and place of administration of adrenaline, and the rate of knowing the use of auto-injectors were statistically significantly higher (p=0.013, p=0.037, p=0.024, p=0.011, respectively). Conclusion: The most significant outcome of our study is family physicians' knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis is higher when their training at medical faculty and specialist training is more recent and when they undergo post-graduation training. With post-graduation training programs, family physicians can become more competent in life-threatening anaphylaxis. However, physicians' knowledge of adrenaline auto-injector therapy is insufficient. Family physicians should be trained on the use of this essential and life-saving drug for those at risk of anaphylaxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Family Practice / Türkiye Aile Hekimligi Dergisi is the property of Deomed Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Türk Pediatri Arşivi is the property of Aves Yayincilik Ltd. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Family Practice / Türkiye Aile Hekimligi Dergisi is the property of Deomed Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Innate-like T lymphocytes are a recently defined group of T cells containing mainly mucosa associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. The relationship between MAIT cells and childhood asthma is controversial. In this study, we aimed to determine the role of MAIT cells in patients with atopic asthma (AA) and non-atopic asthma (NAA). This study is the first study that compares the ratios of these cells in patients with AA and NAA. Method: The study included 6-18 year-old children with AA (n=41) and NAA (n=30), and healthy volunteers (n=36). The control group consisted of children who came to the outpatient clinic without any chronic disease, malnutrition, and acute or chronic infection. Five cc blood was taken to the heparine tubes from the patients and the control group in addition to the routine blood. The proportions of MAIT, TH17, MAIT-17 and Th17-17 cells were investigated by flow cytometry and compared among AA, NAA and control group. Results: When the AA and NAA patient groups were compared, the mean MAIT cell ratio was found to be significantly lower in NAA patients (median=0.45, p<0.05). Also, the mean of MAIT cell ratios was significantly lower in NAA patients than the control groups (mean=0.504, p<0.05). TH17, MAIT-17 and TH17-17 cells were not statistically significant among the groups. Conclusion: In our study, it was found that MAIT cell ratios were lower in the NAA patient group compared to the control and AA patients. It has been predicted that MAIT cell depletion may have a role in the development of NAA. Our study is the first study on the subject in the literature, and further studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Knowledge about the role of the innate immune system in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases has been expanding in recent years. Defensins are antimicrobial peptides that are components of the innate immune system. Defensins have strong efficacy against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Moreover, they have regulatory functions in many physiologic processes such as antitumoral immunity, chemotaxis, inflammation, and wound healing. In this study, we aimed to investigate β-defensin 2 levels in the nasal fluids of children with allergic rhinitis., Material and Methods: Study and control groups consisted of 28 patients with newly diagnosed allergic rhinitis who were not taking any medication, and 23 healthy children. Skin prick tests were performed on patients with allergic rhinitis and disease severity was assessed using the total symptom score. Nasal fluid samples were obtained using a modified polyurethane sponge absorption method from patients and control subjects. Nasal fluid β-defensin 2 levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: The median value of nasal fluid β-defensin 2 levels were 173.8 pg/mL (interquartile range; 54.8-205.9 pg/mL) in allergic rhinitis group and 241.6 pg/mL (163.5-315.2 pg/mL) in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.01). Moreover, nasal fluid β-defensin 2 levels showed a significant negative correlation with total symptom scores (rho= -0.78, p<0.001)., Conclusions: Children with allergic rhinitis have reduced nasal fluid β-defensin 2 levels compared with controls, and β-defensin 2 levels were negatively correlated with disease severity. A more definite understanding of the roles of defensins and other antimicrobial peptides in allergic inflammation can open up new horizons in the management and treatment of these common diseases., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.