RDW is a newly recognized and widely available diagnostic tool with no additional cost over the routinely performed hemogram. RDW is independently associated with cardiovascular disease in patients with OSAS in our cross-sectional study.

Atelectasis was reported as a favorable prognostic sign of pulmonary carcinoma; however, the underlying mechanism in those patients is not known. In this study, we aimed to investigate prospectively the potential impact of atelectasis and/or obstructive pneumonitis (AO) on survival and the relation between atelectasis and some laboratory blood parameters. The study was conducted on 87 advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Clinical and laboratory parameters of patients at first presentation were recorded, and patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of AO in thorax computed tomography (CT). Survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier and univariate Cox's regression analyses. Laboratory parameters that might be related with prolonged survival in atelectasis were compared using chi-square, Student's t, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Of the patients, 54% had stage IV disease, and AO was detected in 48.3% of all cases. Overall median survival was 13.2 months for all cases, 10.9 months for patients without AO, and 13.9 months for patients with AO (P = 0.067). Survival was significantly longer in stage III patients with AO (14.5 months versus 9.2 months, P = 0.032), but not in stage IV patients. Patients with AO in stage III had significantly lower platelet counts (P = 0.032) and blood sedimentation rates than did those with no AO (P = 0.045). We concluded that atelectasis and/or obstructive pneumonitis was associated with prolonged survival in locally advanced NSCLC. There was also a clear association between atelectasis and/or obstructive pneumonitis and platelets and blood sedimentation rate.

Ö ÖZ ZE ET T A Am ma aç ç: : Doğu Karadeniz Bölgesindeki hastanelerin Göğüs Hastalıkları Polikliniklerine başvuran kronik obstruktif akciğer hastalığı (KOAH) olgularının genel özellikleri ile bu olgularda grip (influenza) ve pnömokok aşılanma sıklığını ve aşılanmayı belirleyen faktörleri saptamak. G Ge er re eç ç v ve e Y Yö ön nt te em ml le er r: : Çalışma 1 Aralık 2006 ile 31 Mart 2007 tarihleri arasında Trabzon, Giresun, Gümüşhane ve Rize illerinde gerçekleştirildi. Hasta verileri, belirtilen illerde çalışan Göğüs Hastalıkları Uzmanlarına ulaştırılan anket formları aracılığıyla toplandı. Hastaların demografik özellikleri ile grip ve pnömokok aşılaması sıklığı hakkında sorular içeren anket formları hastalarla yüz yüze görüşme yöntemiyle dolduruldu. Verilerin istatistiksel analizi için Ki-kare testi ve lojistik regresyon analizi kullanıldı. B Bu ul lg gu ul la ar r: : Çalışmaya ortalama yaşları (±SD) 68.2 ± 9.5 yıl olan 249 olgu alındı. GOLD'a (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) göre %9.4'ü hafif, %42.3'ü orta ve %48.3'ü ağır KOAH olarak sınıflandırılan olguların %25'i halen sigara içmekteydi. Beden kitle indeksine göre %8.9'u düşük, %41.5'i normal ve %33.1'i aşırı kilolu, %16.5'i ise obez olarak değerlendirildi. Bir önceki yıl grip aşısı yaptıranların oranı %33.3, ömrü boyunca en az bir kez pnömokok aşısı yaptıranların oranı %12 bulundu. Pnömokok aşısının daha çok ağır olgularda (FEV1<%50) yapıldığı saptandı (p= 0.002), ancak grip aşılaması ile hastalık şiddeti arasında benzer ilişki bulunamadı. Aktif sigara içen olgularda grip aşısı yaptırma oranları bırakanlara göre düşük bulundu (p= 0.011). S So on nu uç ç: : Çalışmamız, bölgemizdeki KOAH olguları arasında grip ve pnömokok aşılamasının oldukça düşük oranlarda yapıldığını, ¼ kadarının halen sigara içmeye devam ettiğini ve yaklaşık yarısının da obez veya aşırı kilolu olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bulgularımız ayrıca aktif sigara içiminin grip aşılama sıklığını olumsuz yönde, KOAH ağırlığının ise pnömokok aşılama sıklığını olumlu yönde etkilediğini göstermiştir.A An na ah h t ta ar r K Ke e l li i m me e l le er r: : İnfluenza aşısı; aşılama A AB BS S T TR RA AC CT T O Ob bj je ec ct ti iv ve e: : To detect general characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients admitted to Chest Diseases Policlincs of Hospitals in Eastern Black Se a Re gi on and the fre qu ency and pre dic tors of inf lu en za and pne u mo coc cal vac ci na ti on. M Ma a t te e r ri i a al l a an nd d M Me et t h ho od ds s: : The study was car ri ed out in the ci ti es Trab zon, Gi re sun, Gü müş ha ne and Ri ze bet we en De cem ber 1 2006 and March 31 2007. Pa ti ent da ta we re col lec ted vi a qu es ti on na i res dis tri bu ted by Chest Physi ci ans wor king in the ci ti es menti o ned abo ve. Qu es ti on na i re forms including questions about demography and characteristic of COPD patients and also influenza/pneumococcal vaccination were filled by face to face interview method. Statistical analysis of data was performed using Chi-square test a...

Measuring IMA concentrations in serum and pleural fluid may be helpful in distinguishing pleural effusion due to a cardiac or non-cardiac aetiology.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether or not relative lymphocyte count (RLC) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Subjects and Methods: In this study, 141 patients diagnosed with OSAS using polysomnography were enrolled. Patients were classified according to the severity of OSAS as determined by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and presence of CVD. Lymphocyte count and other hematological parameters at complete blood count were determined and compared between patients with and without CVD. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the associated factors for presence of CVD. Results: Absolute and relative lymphocyte counts were lower in the OSAS patients with CVD compared to those without CVD (mean absolute lymphocyte counts: 2.0 × 10³ vs. 2.5 × 10³ µl, p = 0.004, and mean RLC: 28.3 vs. 33.9%, p = 0.001, respectively). OSAS patients with CVD (14.2) had higher red cell distribution width values than the patients without CVD (13.4) (p = 0.005). Multivariate analysis identified RLC as an independent predictor of CVD in patients with OSAS (odds ratio = 0.9, 95% CI: 0.85-1.0, p = 0.042). Conclusion: RLC was identified as an independent predictor of CVD in patients with OSAS. Since RLC is a widely available diagnostic tool with no additional costs over the routinely performed complete blood count, it can be used for predicting CVD in patients with OSAS.