OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study was to present special clinical and laboratory features of 294 cases of mushroom poisoning.MATERIALS AND METHODSIn this retrospective study, 294 patients admitted to the Pediatric and Adult Emergency, Internal Medicine and ICU Departments of Cumhuriyet University Hospital were investigated.RESULTSOf 294 patients between the ages of 3 and 72 (28.97 ± 19.32), 173 were female, 121 were male and 90 were under the age of 16 years. One hundred seventy-three patients (58.8%) had consumed the mushrooms in the early summer. The onset of mushroom toxicity symptoms was divided into early (within 6 h after ingestion) and delayed (6 h to 20 d). Two hundred eighty-eight patients (97.9%) and six (2.1%) patients had early and delayed toxicity symptoms, respectively. The onset of symptoms was within two hours for 101 patients (34.3%). The most common first-noticed symptoms were in the gastrointestinal system. The patients were discharged within one to ten days. Three patients suffering from poisoning caused by wild mushrooms died from fulminant hepatic failure.CONCLUSIONEducation of the public about the consumption of mushrooms and education of health personnel working in health centers regarding early treatment and transfer to hospitals with appropriate facilities are important for decreasing the mortality.

Objective: To present special clinical and laboratory features of 45 cases (44 adult cases) who were intoxicated through oral route. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital. Patients: Forty-five patients admitted to the ICU of Cumhuriyet University Hospital. Results: Forty-five patients between 4 and 97 years of age were evaluated. Intoxication was the result of a suicide attempt in 67% of cases and accidental in 33% of cases. Unconsciousness, nausea and vomiting were the common initial symptoms. The major clinical findings in the ICU were bradycardia, myosis, hypothermia, hyperglycemia, hypotension, coma and respiratory depression. Blood glucose level was increased in 64% of cases. No problem was noted in the patient or the fetus in a pregnant, 27-year-old patient, who was intoxicated with 10 mL of 12.5% amitraz. The length of stay in the ICU was between 2 and 15 days. None of the patients died. All patients were discharged without neurological sequela. Conclusion: The prognosis of amitraz intoxications through oral route is benign and results in complete healing; however, we suggest that these cases should be well monitored and followed-up in ICUs.

Aim: The research was conducted as a descriptive and cross-sectional study in order to identify the traditional neonatal care practices applied by women in the 15-49 year age range. Methods: The research sample comprised 263 married mothers aged 15-49 years living in the seven health center regions in Sivas city center and agreeing to participate in the study between 7 March 2008 and 30 April 2008. In data collection, a questionnaire form devised by the researchers on the basis of expert opinion was used. The data collected were assessed by computer by means of percentage analysis and c 2 -tests. Results: The traditional neonatal care practices for treatment of jaundice, rash, thrush, earache, swelling in the baby's chest (milk accumulation), falling of the umbilical cord, umbilical infection, eye crust, nail cut, and temperature were examined. The most frequently conducted traditional practices were identified as rubbing swollen nipples, "making the forties" (bathing the mother and neonate in a special ritual on the 40th day postpartum), salting, using holluk (sand-filled nappy), and swaddling the baby. It was found that the mothers with low levels of education applied traditional practices like swaddling, salting, holluk, and making the forties more frequently (P < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the study findings, mothers practiced traditional applications at least once during neonatal care. It was observed that the lower the mother's educational level, the more frequent the traditional practices were applied. For this reason, neonatal healthcare services should be delivered by midwives/nurses or other healthcare workers.

Background: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of diurnal enuresis (DE) and its association with background variables among children aged 5–15 years living in Sivas and Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Methods: The parents of 1,760 children voluntarily completed a questionnaire consisting of 42 items under supervision of a researcher. Results: Overall, the reported prevalence of DE was 4.2%, with a tendency to decrease with increasing age and with no difference between genders. Smoking during pregnancy, delayed initiation and dealing with the child by punishment in toilet training, urination frequency, urgency, soiling, arousal difficulty, urinary infection history, lower school performance, poor social adaptation, wetting history in the family, were all significantly prevalent among diurnal enuretics (p < 0.05). Socioeconomic or sociodemographic factors based on families and stressful life events were not associated with DE (p > 0.05). 63.9% of all parents reported some level of concern about the wetting problem and 51.7% of the diurnal enuretics had previously visited a physician. Conclusions: The prevalence of DE in our sample is not too different from the prevalence rates reported previously from Turkey and other countries. This type of enuresis seems to be more associated with an organic neurological or urological disorder than is nocturnal enuresis.

BackgroundWithin the context of the support program for smoking cessation, initiated by the Turkish Ministry of Health in 2011, those who present at ‘smoking cessation’ centres and are found to be suitable for pharmacological treatment are given varenicline and bupropion free of charge. As the smoking cessation programme is centralized, the selection of the medication is made randomly to provide a fixed distribution rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of both varenicline and bupropion in smoking cessation and to evaluate the effect of the smoking cessation programme.MethodsA total of 405 individuals who met the study criteria were included in the study. Smoking habits and degree of dependence were determined in all the participants with the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence (FTND) and bupropion or varenicline therapy was initiated in those who were eligible. Patients were followed up at 15 days then at 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months after smoking cessation. A level of CO < 5 ppm and ‘point prevalence abstinence’ were used as the criteria of success for smoking cessation and this evaluation showed the non-smoking status in the previous 7 days.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 35.19 ± 7.73 years and 82.8% (n = 334) were male. Of the participants, 60.2% (n = 244) were given varenicline and 39.8% (n = 161) bupropion. The mean FTND and package/year was not significantly different between the groups. The rates of success in the 1st and 2nd weeks, and 1st, 3rd and 6th months were significantly higher in the varenicline group than in the bupropion group (p < 0.05). At the end of one year, the rate of smoking cessation was determined as 13.9% (n = 34) in the varenicline group and 6.2% (n = 10) in the bupropion gruop. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.015). At the end of 1 year when the previous 7 days smoking status was evaluated with the ‘point prevalence abstinence’ measurement as the success criteria, success rates were 20.5% with varenicline and 18.6% with bupropion and the difference was not significant (p = 0.646). The individuals who used the medications for 45 days or longer were more successful in smoking cessation (p < 0.001). The most common reasons given for discontinuing the medication were the side-effects (31.5%). No significant difference was determined between the groups in respect of the side-effects observed.ConclusionsAlthough the rates of smoking cessation in all the other control points were higher with varenicline than with bupropion, no significant difference was found between the success rates of varenicline and bupropion used in smoking cessation based on the last 7 days at the end of one year. Those who used the medications for 45 days or longer were more successful in smoking cessation.