Our aim in this study was to compare the depression and anxiety risk in patients with AS and healthy controls and also to determine the relationship between disease activity, quality of life and psychological well-being. Two hundred and forty-three patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 118 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls were enroled into the study. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and Functional Index, and Metrology Index, Health Assessment Questionnaire for Spondyloarthropathies (HAQ-S), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) including depression subscale (HADS-D) and anxiety subscale (HADS-A), Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) Scale, duration of morning stiffness, pain-visual analogue scale (VAS), patient and physician's global assessment of disease activity (100 mm VAS) were used to assess clinical and psychological status. Patients had similar HADS-D but higher HADS-A than healthy controls. Patients with high risk for depression and anxiety had higher scores in BASDAI, BASFI and also poorer scores in VAS pain, patient global assessment, physician global assessment, HAQ-S and ASQoL. There was a negative correlation of HADS-D and HADS-A scores with educational level of the patients. Higher scores in HADS-D and HADS-A indicated poorer functional outcome and quality of life. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the HADS-D (OR=6.84), HAQ-S (OR=1.76), VAS pain score (OR=1.03) and ESR (OR=1.02) were independent risk factors for higher anxiety scores whereas HADS-A (OR=1.36) and ASQoL (OR=1.24) were independent risk factors for higher depression scores. The psychological status had close interaction with disease activity and quality of life in patients with AS.

We carried out a retrospective analysis of 283 patients diagnosed with brucellosis in our hospital, which serves almost 5.5 million inhabitants in Southeastern Anatolia in Turkey. Our study focuses on the frequency of complications in cases with brucellosis across different age groups. Patients were classified into three groups according to age: less than 15 years old (group A), 15-45 years old (group B) and over 45 years old (group C). Of 283 patients, 138 (49%) were female and 145 (51%) male. Fifty-three (19%) were younger than 15 years old (group A), 178 (63%) were 15-45 (group B), and 52 (18%) were over 45 (group C). When the distribution of all cases was examined according to months of the year, an increase was seen in June. Osteoarticular complications were the most frequent, found in 195 (69%) cases, followed by cutaneous (17%), genitourinary (8%), nervous (7%), respiratory (5%) and hematological (4%) complications. Treatment failed in 15 patients (5%), owing to true relapse in ten and to non-compliance and drug side effects in the other five. Two hundred seventy-two patients received medical treatment alone and 11 required medical and surgical treatment as well (9 spondylitis and 2 carditis). Complications in brucellosis were frequent because 25% of all patients with brucellosis had more than one complication, more so in group C (38%) than in group A (28%) or B (20%). Cutaneous, hematological and respiratory complications in childhood; osteoarticular and cardiac complications in adults; and genitourinary, neurological and gastrointestinal complications in middle aged were more prominent. In conclusion, the frequency of brucella complications was variable in different age groups in Southeastern Anatolia of Turkey. Since brucellosis is a preventable disease, knowledge and early diagnosis of the complications are especially important. Therefore, population education and medical precautions are necessary to prevent the harmful effects of brucella and its complications. In addition, primary health care physicians should be alerted regarding the clinical and laboratory findings of brucella complications.

Purpose This study aimed to determine the effects of progressive muscle relaxation exercises on the anxiety and sleep quality of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Materials and Methods This is an experimental study. Its data were collected in the infectious diseases clinic of a research hospital from May to August, 2020. This study was carried out with 67 COVID‐19 patients (33 in the experimental group and 34 in the control group). The data were collected using a personal information form, the state‐trait anxiety inventory, and the Richards–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire. The progressive muscle relaxation exercises were performed twice a day for 5 days with the researcher's supervision. The data were analyzed using means, numbers, percentage distributions, the χ 2 test, the dependent t test, and the independent t test. Results Statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups' mean posttest scores on the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Richards–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire ( p < 0.05). The in‐group comparison of the experimental group found a statistically significant difference between their mean pretest and posttest scores on the State Anxiety Scale ( p < 0.05). The in‐group comparison of the control group found no statistically significant changes in their mean pretest and posttest scores on the State Anxiety Scale ( p > 0.05). Conclusion The progressive muscle relaxation exercises effectively reduced the anxiety and improved the sleep quality of patients with COVID‐19.

Diffusion-weighted imaging may be helpful in differentiating benign from malignant mediastinal masses.

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