Turk J Med Sci
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Use of topical anesthesia before flexible bronchoscopy for the evaluation of the upper airways prevents cough and stridor during and after the procedure while reducing the need for sedation. In practice, lidocaine is the medication of choice before bronchoscopy. There various types of nebulizers used for inhalation treatments. In this study, we compared the respiratory tract symptoms after flexible bronchoscopy between children who received pre-procedure topical lidocaine with mesh or jet nebulizers. ⋯ Topical lidocaine application with mesh nebulizers decreases the most common complication, cough, after flexible bronchoscopy in children more effectively compare to jet nebulizers. Thus, mesh nebulizers may be a faster way of nebulization before flexible bronchoscopy as an alternative to jet nebulizers.
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The efficacy of mepolizumab has been largely demonstrated in clinical trials in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). However, reports on experience with mepolizumab in a real-life cohort are limited. Moreover, data about the effectiveness of mepolizumab on small airways is scarce. This study evaluated the effectiveness of mepolizumab therapy on symptoms, asthma exacerbations, blood eosinophils, steroid dependence, and small airways in a real-life cohort of patients with SEA. ⋯ In this study, mepolizumab significantly improved all outcomes (symptom scores, asthma exacerbations, OCS sparing, and blood eosinophils) except functional parameters. Still, despite the dose reduction in mOCS dosage, no significant deterioration was observed in FEV1 and FEF25-75 values.
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Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries cause mechanoreceptor loss in the joint; therefore, proprioceptive deficits are observed after injury. In particular, proprioceptive measurements made in the functional position give more accurate results, and this is an area that requires further studies. This study aimed to evaluate proprioception in patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction (ACLR) in functional positions used in daily life (closed kinetic chain position), according to joint angles where ACL injuries occur more frequently, in comparison with healthy controls. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate closed kinetic chain position in patients who underwent ACLR, and it showed that proprioceptive sense was still poor in patients with ACLR compared with the control group, even if an average of 24 months have elapsed since surgery.
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The negative impact of oxidative stress on oocytes obtained from in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients is a challenge for the optimization of live birth rates. In this study, it is aimed to investigate whether oxidant/antioxidant parameters have a predictive value in terms of determining the count and quality of oocytes. ⋯ The significant increase in GST enzyme activity and significant decrease in MDA levels in the high responder group indicate that oxidative stress has an effect oocyte status and quality.
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Atherosclerotic heart diseases can occur at an early age in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) values are reliable markers for early detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with AS. We aimed to investigate the relationship between visfatin levels and indirect markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction in patients with AS. ⋯ Visfatin levels are increased and associated with impaired FMD and increased cIMT in patients with AS. Increased visfatin levels may be associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in AS.