BACKGROUND: Inappropriate repeat testing is an objectively measurable type of health service overutilization which may harm patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate both the frequency and cost of inappropriate repeat testing in a tertiary hospital in terms of specialties. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. Laboratory results of 26 tests ordered between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2017 were evaluated retrospectively. Test that were repeated earlier than the minimum re-test interval were accepted as inappropriate repeat testing. After analyzing the descriptive statistics, the cluster analysis method was used to determine whether groups were formed within specialties. RESULTS: Specialties form two clusters were found: the first cluster included specialties mostly from surgical science and the second cluster included specialties mostly from medical science. It was found that the cluster that includes mostly surgical specialties repeats laboratory tests at a higher rate but causes a waste of less resources, whereas the cluster that includes mostly medical specialties repeats laboratory tests at a lower rate but causes a waste of more resources due to a higher volume of test orders. CONCLUSION: Due to the high rates of inappropriate repeat testing, surgical specialties seem to be the first target of intervention strategies, but medical specialties, which account for a higher volume of inappropriate repeat testing and higher unnecessary cost, should be the primary target of intervention strategies.

Aims: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Melatonin is one of the most powerful endogenous antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated how the gene polymorphism of melatonin differs in patients with DPN compared to an healthy control group. Materials and Methods:A total of 54 diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients who applied to the Neurology outpatient clinic between 2020 and 2021, and 53 healthy controls comparable with the patient group in terms of age and gender were included in the study. Electromyography was performed and the melatonin gene polymorphism was analysed using the pyrosequencing method.Results: Melatonin gene variants rs2119882, rs13140012, and rs10830963 were analysed in patients and controls. The rs2119882 (G allele) has a protective role, and rs13140012 polymorphism has a related 5-fold higher risk of DPN in the recessive model. Conclusions:Melatonin gene polymorphisms have been shown to be associated with DPN. This is the first and only study investigating the relationship between melatonin gene polymorphisms and DPN. Ethnicity is very important in genetic studies, and it will give us more information on the role of melatonin gene variants in larger study groups of diabetic patients of other ethnic origin.

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the nutritional knowledge levels of academicians and their adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Methods: The research data were collected face to face with the help of a questionnaire created by the researchers. Demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, nutritional habits, nutritional knowledge levels and adherence to the Mediterranean diet were questioned with the questionnaire form. Nutritional knowledge levels of individuals were evaluated with the ‘Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale for Adults (NKLSA)’. Mediterranean diet pattern characteristics were identified with the ‘Mediterranean diet adherence score (MEDAS)’. Results: The mean age of the individuals was 40.2±9.20 years, 42.2% of individuals were overweight and 7.8% are obese. 8.4% of the individuals had bad, 24.7% moderate, 44.8% good, 22.1% very good basic nutrition knowledge levels. 7.1% of the individuals had bad, 26.6% moderate, 27.9% good, 38.3% very good knowledge levels about food preference. 68.2% of individuals were in compliance with the Mediterranean diet. A statistically significant difference was found between individuals who did and did not comply with the Mediterranean diet in terms of the total score of NKLSA, basic nutrition knowledge score and food preference knowledge score (p

No abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between thyroid hormone levels and the motor symptoms of Parkinson's patients. Material and Methods: Neurology clinic logs of the patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and whose thyroid function tests were measured between 01.01.2018 and 01.04.2021 were selected. Those with primary thyroid hormone disorder were excluded. Motor symptom stages were determined according to the modified Hoehn and Yahr scale (mHYS) by records. According to the thyroid function test results, whether there was a difference in motor symptoms, duration of the disease, and effects of the drugs were examined. Results: Of the 93 patients included in the study, 53 (57.0%) were male and 40 (43.0%) were female. The median age of the patients was 71 years. The motor symptoms of the patients were classified as stage 1 in 21 (22.6%), stage 1.5 in 18 (19.4%), stage 2 in 29 (31.2%), stage 2.5 in 13 (14.0%), stage 3 in 4 (4.3%), stage 4 in 6 (6.5%), and stage 5 in 2 (2.2%) patients. The median levels of TSH, fT3, and fT4 were 2.075 uIU/ml, 2.925 ng/dl, and 1.235 ng/dl, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the mHYS stages of the patients and TSH (r=-0.148, p=0.164), fT3 (r=-0.073, p=0.623), and fT4 levels (r=0.075, p=0.491). Conclusion: There was no relationship between the severity of motor symptoms and hormone levels in patients with normal thyroid functions. Thyroid dysfunction may mimic many motor findings, but they do not affect the severity of motor findings in Parkinson's patients.