Publications by authors named "Kokturk Nurdan"
Background: This study aimed to evaluate attitudes toward and exposure to gender discrimination in work life by chest diseases specialists and thoracic surgeons.
Methods: A total of 275 members of Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS) were included on a voluntary basis in this online cross-sectional questionnaire-survey using an internal member-only social media platform of TTS. The questionnaire form elicited items on sociodemographic characteristics, occupational characteristics and gender discrimination in work life (general opinions, attitudes and exposure).
Article Synopsis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often leads to hospital readmissions, with a study involving 415 patients in Turkey revealing significant readmission rates of 42.4% within 30 days and 46% within 90 days after severe exacerbations.
- Key risk factors for 30-day readmissions include high anxiety and depression scores, a history of severe exacerbations, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and frequent antibiotic use.
- For 90-day readmissions, factors such as severe heart regurgitation, multiple moderate exacerbations, immunosuppression, and being hospitalized via the emergency department were significant contributors.
Article Synopsis
- COPD exacerbations can lead to increased morbidity and mortality, with prolonged hospital stays linked to various risk factors despite optimal care.
- A study analyzed 434 COPD patients to identify factors influencing hospital length of stay (LOS), categorizing them into patient-related, disease-related, treatment-related, and hospital utility-related.
- Key findings indicated that factors like biomass exposure, previous non-invasive mechanical ventilation, low bicarbonate levels, and increased oxygen needs were associated with difficult-to-manage exacerbations and longer hospitalizations.
Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the whole world and caused the death of more than 6 million people. The disease has been observed to have a more severe course in patients with chronic lung diseases. There are limited data regarding COVID-19 in patients with bronchiectasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe multisystemic effects of COVID-19 may continue for a longer time period following the acute phase, depending on the severity of the disease. However, long-term systemic transcriptomic changes associated with COVID-19 disease and the impact of disease severity are not fully understood. We aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and its severity on transcriptomic alterations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following 1 year of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that is the third leading cause of death in the world is one of the main economic burden. The cost is primarily due to COPD exacerbations and hospitalizations. We aimed to determine the factors associated with increasing costs in severe COPD exacerbation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Ultrasound elastography (US-E) is a novel, tissue stiffness-sensitive imaging method. We aimed to investigate whether lung ultrasound (US) and US-E can play a role in diagnosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) in which lung elasticity is affected due to fibrosis.
Materials And Methods: A prospective cohort study.
Background: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of tele-counseling to promote physical activity in COVID-19 survivors at the persistent phase.
Methods: Twenty-eight participants who suffered from COVID-19 were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Physical activity counseling was applied according to the transtheoretical model to the intervention group during 20 sessions.
Background: The inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics during the coronavirus pandemic has become an important issue.
Objective: Our primary aim is to ascertain the attitudes of physicians toward the antibiotics prescribing for the treatment of COVID-19 in Turkey. Our secondary aim was to identify factors affecting to physicians' decisions regarding antibiotic therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 and risk factors associated with antibiotic overprescribing.
Background: Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease characterized by permanent bronchial wall dilatation. Although it has been known as an orphan disease, it has recently gained attention because of registry-based studies and drug research.
Aims: We aimed to use a multicenter database to analyze and compare data regarding the etiology, associated comorbidities, microbiological characteristics, and preventive strategies of bronchiectasis in Türkiye to those of other countries.
Background: YouTube has educational videos on inhalers. However, their content and quality are not adequately known.
Objectives: This study investigated the quality and content of educational YouTube videos on inhalers.
Article Synopsis
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic condition that affects AAT levels and is linked to respiratory diseases like COPD, bronchiectasis, and asthma; this study aimed to identify cases of AATD in Turkish patients with these conditions.
- The study included 1,088 patients, mostly with COPD, and found that 5% had AATD mutations, with a mix of common and rare mutations identified.
- The research concluded that AATD mutations are a significant genetic factor contributing to lung disease in the studied population, highlighting the need for awareness and genetic testing among patients with respiratory symptoms.
Article Synopsis
- Long COVID is a complex disease with a prevalence of 24.3%, affecting many patients with persistent symptoms like dyspnea and fatigue.
- An observational study involved 1,977 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, focusing on 256 who reported at least one lasting symptom, highlighting associated risk factors such as existing lung diseases and prior intensive care.
- Identified risk factors for specific symptoms included lung disease for dyspnea and the severity of lung involvement during the infection, indicating that COVID-19 survivors will need ongoing healthcare support.
Objective: It is accepted that the only way to end severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 epidemic is through community vaccination. The frequency and clinical features of infection after vaccination are not known clearly. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency and clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 seen after either the first or second dose of CoronaVac vaccination in healthcare workers and their relatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic inflammatory lung disease with high mortality and morbidity rates. Obesity, various comorbid diseases, and inflammation often coexist in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exhibiting a complex interaction with disease severity. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between COPD markers and obesity, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Opportunistic fungal infections like invasive aspergillosis (IA) are a significant health threat for immunocompromised patients, with around 250,000 cases yearly, and early diagnosis and treatment can help lower mortality rates.
- This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two diagnostic tests—galactomannan and beta-glucan—for diagnosing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in 60 patients at Gazi University Hospital.
- Results showed that the galactomannan test had a sensitivity of 77.8% and specificity of 96.7%, while the beta-glucan test had a lower sensitivity of 61.1%, highlighting the relevance of risk factors like steroid use in IPA development.
Background: Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficient (AATD) individuals are prone to develop early age of onset chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) more severe than non-genetic COPD. Here, we investigated the characteristics of lower respiratory tract of AATD individuals prior to the onset of clinically significant COPD.
Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on 22 AATD with normal lung function and 14 healthy individuals.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare, irreversible, and progressive disease of the lungs. Common genetic variants, in addition to nongenetic factors, have been consistently associated with IPF. Rare variants identified by candidate gene, family-based, and exome studies have also been reported to associate with IPF.
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- The study focuses on understanding the caregiver burden experienced by individuals caring for patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and assesses any resulting loss of workdays.
- A total of 252 COPD patients and their caregivers were surveyed, with questions covering socio-demographics, patient condition, and caregiver challenges, including a specific scale to measure caregiver burden.
- Results indicated that caregivers often faced increased workloads and had a higher risk of missing work, especially when patients had more severe symptoms and additional health complications; addressing this burden through support systems for caregivers is suggested.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate attitude and practice toward use of regular tobacco cigarettes and electronic cigarettes among pregnant women.
Material And Methods: A total of 1123 pregnant women participated on a voluntary basis in this questionnaire survey. Maternal characteristics, cigarette consumption parameters, and personal opinions regarding the adverse effects of smoking during pregnancy were evaluated.
Background And Objectives: Although several repurposed antiviral drugs have been used for the treatment of COVID-19, only a few such as remdesivir and molnupiravir have shown promising effects. The objectives of our study were to investigate the association of repurposed antiviral drugs with COVID-19 morbidity.
Methods: Patients admitted to 26 different hospitals located in 16 different provinces between March 11-July 18, 2020, were enrolled.
Purpose: GOLD 2019 proposed a novel treatment decision tool for follow-up based on the predominant trait (exacerbation or dyspnea) of patients, alongside treatment escalation and de-escalation strategies. This study was designed to provide an up-to-date snapshot of patient and disease characteristics, treatment pathways, and healthcare resource use (HRU) in COPD in real life, and comprehensively examine patients considering GOLD 2019 recommendations.
Patients And Methods: This mixed design, observational, multicenter (14 pulmonology clinics) study included all patients with a documented COPD diagnosis (excluding asthma-COPD overlap [ACO]) for ≥12 months, aged ≥40 years at diagnosis who had a COPD-related hospital visit, spirometry test and blood eosinophil count (BEC) measurement under stable conditions within the 12 months before enrollment between February and December 2020.
Background: Erythema Nodosum (EN) is the most common skin manifestation in sarcoidosis and has often been associated with a good prognosis.
Objectives: To compare the clinical characteristics and treatment-related features in patients with sarcoidosis according to whether or not EN was seen as a presenting symptom at the time of diagnosis.
Methods: A 20-year single-center retrospective study was performed.
Background: As vaccination against coronavirus disase-19 (COVID-19) evolves, hesitancy has become a problematic issue that has gradually spread worldwide. The main reason for vaccine hesitancy is uncertainties about vaccine side effects.
Aims: To evaluate the safety of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, and determine the risk factors of emergence of side effects.
Objective: To evaluate the rate of pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) among patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Turkey and to investigate and compare features of PP and non-PP CAP patients.
Material And Methods: This multicenter, non-interventional, prospective, observational study included adult CAP patients (age ≥ 18 years). Diagnosis of PP was based on the presence of at least 1 positive laboratory test result for Streptococcus pneumoniae (blood culture or sputum culture or urinary antigen test [UAT]) in patients with radiographic findings of pneumonia.