Turk J Med Sci
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Multicenter Study
Implementation of written asthma action plan among asthma patients in Türkiye: a multicenter, cross-sectional, descriptive study.
There is currently no data from Türkiye on whether, following a diagnosis of asthma, patients are given an asthma action plan to implement. There is also no data on whether patients can manage their treatment based on the provided asthma action plans. The present study aimed to determine the use of asthma action plans in Türkiye and the awareness levels of patients about these plans. ⋯ The rate of mentioning an asthma action plan to asthmatic patients is low. However, almost all patients who received an asthma action plan benefitted significantly from the plan. Thus, it is important to give asthmatic patients an action plan, ideally in written form.
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Isokinetic strength assessment of the rotator cuff muscle is frequently applied in a variety of shoulder postures, but none of these consider muscular architecture, which is one of the most important aspects of improving strength development. This study aimed to examine the test and retest reliability and validity of the muscle architecture-based position (MABP), which is 25° abduction and 20° external rotation, in healthy subjects to be able to select a better isokinetic assessment position for shoulder rotator cuff muscles. ⋯ In conclusion, the MABP can be used to assess the isokinetic strength of the rotator cuff muscles safely and confidently, with increased quantities of force being released and measurement at optimal muscle tension.
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Multicenter Study
Nationwide study on the prevalence of rheumatoid factor and anticitrullinated peptide positivity and their contribution to rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.
Rheumatoid factor (RF) and anticitrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) are specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis. However, they could be positive in other diseases and even in healthy populations. The aim was to investigate the prevalence of positive RF and anti-CCP antibodies in persons admitted to hospital for any reason and on a national scale. ⋯ RF and anti-CCP positivity may be seen in a healthy population with female predominance. As age increases, the risk of RF positivity rises, but anti-CCP positivity does not change. Concomitant RF and anti-CCP positivity shows the highest risk of RA development with respect to either antibody positivity alone.
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Calpainopathy, also known as limb-girdle muscular dystrophy recessive type 1, is a progressive muscle disorder that impacts the muscles around the hips and shoulders. The disease is caused by defects in the CAPN3 gene and can be inherited in both recessive and dominant forms. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and molecular results of our patients with calpainopathy and to examine the CAPN3 variants in Turkish and global populations. ⋯ Therefore, the NGS method proves highly effective in diagnosing rare diseases characterized by clinical heterogeneity. Assessing variants based on ethnicity holds significance in the development of precise therapies.
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Different side effects, including infections, are encountered in patients receiving anticytokines used for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to evaluate the infections and the effects of these infections that develop in this patient group. ⋯ Infection rates were higher in the anakinra group, especially the pneumonia and BSI rates were higher than in the tocilizumab group. The 30-day mortality rates were higher in patients who had an infection, especially in the tocilizumab group. This is one of the rare studies that evaluated infections developing in patients treated with anakinra and tocilizumab together.