In adults with iron deficiency anemia (IDA), abnormal platelet counts were seen in several studies. However we retrospectively examined the clinical records of a larger number of adults with IDA to assess abnormal platelet counts. From November 2006 to April 2008, 615 consecutive adults (73 men and 542 women; age range, 16-88 years) with IDA were included in this study. The mean initial hemoglobin was 9.0 +/- 1.8 g/dL (range 2.7-12.8 g/dL), and the mean initial platelet count was 304 x 10(3)/microL +/- 92.3 (range, 105-700 x 10(3)/microL). The initial platelet counts were normal in 520 (84.6%) adults with IDA. Thrombocytosis (>400 x 10(3)/microL) and thrombocytopenia (<150 x 10(3)/microL) were detected in 82 (13.3%) and 13 (2.1%) adults with IDA, respectively. In conclusion, thrombocytosis was seen at lower rates in our study. Furthermore, this study shows that mild thrombocytopenia is not so rare in adults with IDA.

SUMMARYObjectivesIn this study, we aimed to determine the causes of overcrowding in the Emergency Department (ED) and make recommendations to help reduce length of stay (LOS) of patients in the ED.MethodsWe analyzed the medical data of patients admitted to our ER in a one-year period. Demographic characteristics, LOS, revisit frequency, and consultation status of the patients were determined.ResultsA total of 163,951 patients were admitted to our ED between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2013. In this period 1,210 patients revisited the ED within 24 hours. A total of 38,579 patients had their treatment in the observation room (OR) of the ED and mean LOS was found to be 164.1 minutes. Cardiology was the most frequently consulted specialty. Mean arrival time of the consultants in ED was 64 minutes.ConclusionsSimilar to EDs in other parts of the world, prolonged length of stay in the ED, delayed laboratory and imaging tests, delay of consultants, and lack of sufficient inpatient beds are the most important causes of overcrowding in the ED. Some drastic measures must be taken to minimize errors and increase satisfaction ratio.

Wild mushroom poisoning (MP) is an important medical emergency that may have serious clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic and clinical features of patients with wild MP. This study was designed retrospectively by examining files of the patients with wild MP who were admitted to Ondokuz Mayis University Emergency Department, between January 2002 and December 2007. Patients ≥16 years of age were included in the study. A total of 317 patients poisoned by wild mushrooms (mean age, 42.0 ± 16.3 years; 67.5% female) were studied. All poisonings were accidental, i.e. consumption of wild mushrooms collected from open fields and woodlands or purchased from local bazaars. The common symptoms and complaints on admission were nausea (86.8%) and vomiting (79.8%). The poisoning latent phase in most cases was <6 hours (86.8%). Most of the poisonings occurred in autumn (59.6%). Three patients died in the hospital due to acute liver failure and complications. The duration of hospitalization was a median 3 days (range: 1—12 days). The public should be informed about the probable hazards of wild mushroom ingestion.

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The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the characteristics of cases of acute poisoning in adults who were admitted to emergency service over a 3-year period. Clinical charts were analyzed retrospectively for etiologic and demographic patient characteristics. A total of 810 adults were admitted to the emergency center with acute poisoning. The female-to-male ratio was 2:1. Mean ages of female and male patients were 28.8+/-12.9 years and 35.1+/-15.4 years, respectively, and many patients (46.9%) were between the ages of 16 and 25 years. Medicinal drugs were found to be the primary cause (60.5%) of poisoning, and tricyclic antidepressants were the most frequent causative agents (36.3%). Seasonal distribution of poisoning cases suggested a peak in the summer months (35.4%). Overall, 68.6% of acute poisonings were suicide attempts, and of these patients, 84.9%, 14%, and 1.1% were attempting suicide for the first, second, and third times, respectively. Among 810 cases of acute poisoning, 15 were fatal. The following conclusions were reached by investigators: (1) in the test region, younger females, especially single females, were at greater risk for poisoning than other patient groups, (2) self-poisoning cases constituted the majority of all poisonings, and (3) the main agents of self-poisoning were medicinal drugs, with antidepressants used most frequently. It was also found that unintentional poisoning commonly resulted from intake of foods, especially mushrooms.