Background: Major work has been carried out on the psychological well-being of emergency room doctors in the US, Canada and in other developed countries, but little has been published regarding the same in the countries in economic transition. Objective: To determine the level of, and the factors related to, depression and anxiety among doctors working in emergency units in Denizli, Turkey. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2004, using a sample of 192 doctors employed in emergency units in Pamukkale University Hospital, the City Hospital, the Social Security Hospital, private hospitals, citywide primary healthcare centres and 112 emergency services in Denizli, Turkey. Data were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire, including questions on sociodemographic characteristics and two instruments determining the level of depressive symptoms and anxiety. Logistic regression was the method chosen for multivariate statistical analysis. Results: The mean (standard deviation (SD)) depression score was 10.6 (6.5) and the frequency (%) of depression was 29 (15.1). Not having any hobby and having high anxiety scores were salient factors among doctors experiencing depressive symptomatology in bivariate comparisons. Logistic regression analysis showed that not having any hobby (p = 0.07) and having increased anxiety scores (p,0.001) were positive contributors to depression scores. The mean (SD) anxiety score was 8.7 (8.2) and the frequency (%) of anxiety was 28 (14.6). Being a woman, having a low monthly income and having high depression scores contributed considerably to the anxiety of doctors in bivariate comparisons. Low monthly income (,1000 v 1000-2000 YTL) (p = 0.03), the number of years spent in emergency units (p = 0.03) and having high depression scores (p,0.001) were the factors that contributed significantly to the anxiety of doctors in the multivariate regression analysis. Conclusion: The considerable amount of depression and anxiety found among doctors in this study should trigger further work. Studies using more powerful designs would help to illuminate the factors leading to depression and anxiety, which result in attrition among doctors from emergency units.

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the participants of the Turkish Red Crescent Disaster Relief Team after the Tsunami in Asia.Methods:The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale-1 (CAPS-1) was administered to 33 of 36 team members one month after their Disaster Relief Team duty. Along with the CAPS-1 interview, demographic features, profession, previous professional experience, previous experience with traumatic events and disasters also were recorded. To be classified as present, a symptom must have a frequency score of “1” and an intensity score of “2” at the CAPS-1 interview. For a diagnosis of PTSD, at least one re-experiencing, three avoidance and numbing, and two increased arousal symptoms should be present.Results:The PTSD was diagnosed in eight of the 33 (24.2%) participants. No significant difference was detected in the distribution of PTSD diagnosis according to gender, age, profession, professional experience, previous disaster experience, and/or previous experience of traumatic events. However, the severity of PTSD symptoms as measured by the CAPS-1 score was significantly higher in women, nurses, and participants with <3 previous disaster duty experiences.Conclusion:Post-traumatic stress disorder is prevalent within disaster teams and healthcare workers, and measures should be taken to prevent PTSD within this group.

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This study sought to determine the frequency and types of violence that occurred during the previous year against health care workers in emergency departments in Denizli, Turkey, and to discern the views of workers on the prevention of such aggressive behavior. This study was conducted from March 1 to April 15, 2003, and included a group of 79 health care workers from the emergency departments of 3 hospitals in Denizli, namely, the Hospital of Pamukkale University Medical Faculty, the City Hospital of Denizli, and the Hospital of the Social Insurance Foundation. Data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire. In all, 88.6% of participants had been subjected to or had witnessed verbal violence, and 49.4% of them had been subjected to or had witnessed physical violence during the previous year. The most frequent reason (31.4%) for violence was abuse of alcohol and drugs by perpetrators. The second most frequent reason (24.7%) was the long waiting times typical of emergency departments. The most common type of violence was loud shouting; swearing, threatening, and hitting were the next most frequent violent behaviors. In all, 36.1% of subjects who had experienced violence reported that they developed psychological problems after the incident. Most participants commented on the insufficiency of currently available security systems within emergency departments and on the need for further training about violence. All health care personnel within emergency departments should be aware of the risk of violence and should be prepared for unpredictable conditions and events; in addition, security systems should be updated so that violence within emergency departments can be prevented.

Background: Cardioversion (CV), a painful procedure, requires sedation and analgesia. Although several sedation agents currently are in use for CV, data on age-specific efficacy and side effects of midazolam and propofol have been limited.