Preparing individuals with extremity loss due to earthquake through early rehabilitation program for the future.

Purpose: To mitigate future health risks and improve body image coping strategies among individuals who experienced amputation due to the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake, through an early rehabilitation program.

Methods: A semi-experimental prospective study was conducted with 18 individuals who experienced amputation due to the earthquake. Data were collected using the "Individual Identification Form" "Amputee Body Image Scale" and "Body Image Coping Strategies Scale".

Investigation of the relationship between the self-efficacy levels in clinical practice and coping behaviors with stress among international nursing students.

Background: In this era of rapid globalization, our knowledge regarding the clinical performance perceptions and stress coping behaviors of international students in nursing education is quite limited. The unexplored nature of this topic has the potential to manifest as future clinical challenges.

Objective: To examine the relationship between international nursing students' perceived self-efficacy in clinical applications and their coping behaviors with stress.

Exploring the relationship between spiritual care and patient advocacy of nurses from generations X, Y and Z working in intensive care clinics: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: To determine the relationship between spiritual care and patient advocacy across three generations of nurses working in intensive care units.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Methods: Data collection took place from July to August 2022 with 120 nurses in Turkey.

The relationship between spiritual well-being and surgical fear in elderly patients with gonarthrosis.

Background: Gonarthrosis is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterised by prolonged pain, affecting ~10% of men and 18% of women aged 60 and older worldwide. Surgical interventions are commonly employed in patients with gonarthrosis to minimise disability, alleviate pain, and improve overall quality of life. However, surgical treatment remains a feared experience.

The effects of ergonomic sleep mask use on sleep quality and comfort in intensive care patients.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of the use of ergonomic sleep mask on sleep quality and comfort in intensive care patients. This randomised controlled experimental study was completed with 128 surgical intensive care patients (control = 64, experimental = 64). During the second night of their stay in the unit, ergonomic sleep masks were given to the patients in the experimental group, and earplugs and eye masks were given to the patients in the control group.

BMI is not independently associated with coronary artery calcification in a large single-center CT cohort.

Objective: Obesity is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality. However, previous reports showed a paradoxical protective effect in patients with known CVD referred as "obesity paradox". Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association of body mass index (BMI) with coronary artery calcification (CAC) in a large outpatient cardiac CT cohort.

Children's perioperative multidimensional anxiety scale: Turkish cross-cultural adaptation.

Rationale: The number of pediatric surgeries is constantly increasing. Evaluating anxiety levels in pediatric surgical patients is highly important in terms of preventing complications.

Aims And Objectives: The purpose of this study is to cross-culturally adapt to the Turkish version, and to test the validity and reliability of Children's Perioperative Multidimensional Anxiety Scale (CPMAS).

Pericardial fat and its influence on cardiac diastolic function.

Background: Pericardial fat (PF) has been suggested to directly act on cardiomyocytes, leading to diastolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a higher PF volume is associated with a lower diastolic function in healthy subjects.

Methods: 254 adults (40-70 years, BMI 18-35 kg/m, normal left ventricular ejection fraction), with (a)typical chest pain (otherwise healthy) from the cardiology outpatient clinic were retrospectively included in this study.

Vitamin K Antagonists, Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants, and Vascular Calcification in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

 Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are associated with coronary artery calcification in low-risk populations, but their effect on calcification of large arteries remains uncertain. The effect of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) on vascular calcification is unknown. We investigated the influence of use of VKA and NOAC on calcification of the aorta and aortic valve.

Agatston score of the descending aorta is independently associated with coronary events in a low-risk population.

Objectives: A standard coronary artery calcium scan includes part of the aorta. This additional information is often not included in routine analyses. We aimed to determine the feasibility of assessing the Agatston score of the descending aorta calcification (DAC) on standard coronary calcium scans and the association of this score with coronary events in a low-risk study population.

The role of standard non-ECG gated chest CT in cardiac assessment: design and rationale of the (CaPaCT) study.

Modern high-performance computed tomography (CT) scanners with improved scan acquisition times now allow for routine assessment of cardiac pathologies on chest CTs, which can result in numerous incidental cardiac findings. The CaPaCT study, an observer blinded, single-centre study, aims to assess the visibility, management and possible clinical impact of incidental cardiac pathologies that are now becoming visible on standard chest CTs. A total of 217 consecutive patients referred for a chest CT on a high-performance third-generation dual-source CT scanner will be included.

Patient Comfort During Contrast Media Injection in Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography Using Varying Contrast Media Concentrations and Flow Rates: Results From the EICAR Trial.

Purpose: Pain sensation and extravasation are potential drawbacks of contrast media (CM) injection during computed tomographic angiography. The purpose was to evaluate safety and patient comfort of higher flow rates in different CM protocols during coronary computed tomographic angiography.

Methods: Two hundred consecutive patients of a double-blind randomized controlled trial (NCT02462044) were analyzed.

Optimizing contrast media application in coronary CT angiography at lower tube voltage: Evaluation in a circulation phantom and sixty patients.

Purpose: The purpose was to investigate optimal contrast media (CM) injection parameters for lower kVp settings, whilst maintaining diagnostic attenuation levels.

Methods And Materials: First, a circulation phantom with physiological parameters (BP 120/80mmHg, HR 60bpm) was used. A fixed CM injection protocol was used for each kVp setting (300mgI/ml [Iopromide], volume=45ml, flow rate=6.

High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Concentrations in Patients with Chest Discomfort: Is It the Heart or the Kidneys As Well?

Background: High-sensitivity cardiac troponins (hs-cTn) are the preferred biomarkers to detect myocardial injury, making them promising risk-stratifying tools for patients with symptoms of chest pain. However, circulating hs-cTn are also elevated in other conditions like renal dysfunction, complicating appropriate interpretation of low-level hs-cTn concentrations.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed in 1864 patients with symptoms of chest discomfort from the cardiology outpatient department who underwent cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA).

Evaluation of individually body weight adapted contrast media injection in coronary CT-angiography.

Objectives: Contrast media (CM) injection protocols should be customized to the individual patient. Aim of this study was to determine if software tailored CM injections result in diagnostic enhancement of the coronary arteries in computed tomography angiography (CTA) and if attenuation values were comparable between different weight categories.

Materials And Methods: 265 consecutive patients referred for routine coronary CTA were scanned on a 2nd generation dual-source CT.

Unstable coronary plaque characteristics are associated with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and N-terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide.

Background: Unstable plaque characteristics on coronary CT angiography (CTA), serum high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations are associated with cardiovascular events.

Objective: To investigate the association between coronary CTA defined quantifiable plaque characteristics, hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP.

Methods: 81 consecutive stable chest pain patients with an intermediate-to-high risk were analyzed.

Coronary CT angiography using low concentrated contrast media injected with high flow rates: Feasible in clinical practice.

Purpose: Aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that peak injection pressures and image quality using low concentrated contrast media (CM) (240 mg/mL) injected with high flow rates will be comparable to a standard injection protocol (CM: 300 mg/mL) in coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA).

Material And Methods: One hundred consecutive patients were scanned on a 2nd generation dual-source CT scanner. Group 1 (n=50) received prewarmed Iopromide 240 mg/mL at an injection rate of 9 mL/s, followed by a saline chaser.

Contrast Enhancement of the Right Ventricle during Coronary CT Angiography--Is It Necessary?

Purpose: It is unclear if prolonged contrast media injection, to improve right ventricular visualization during coronary CT angiography, leads to increased detection of right ventricle pathology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate right ventricle enhancement and subsequent detection of right ventricle disease during coronary CT angiography.

Materials And Methods: 472 consecutive patients referred for screening coronary CT angiography were retrospectively evaluated.

Trends in the occurrence of new conduction abnormalities after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate trends over time in the occurrence of left bundle branch block (LBBB) and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the Medtronic CoreValve System (MCS) and Edwards SAPIEN Valve (ESV).

Background: TAVI-induced conduction abnormalities (TAVI-CAs) such as LBBB and the need for PPI are frequent postoperative complication. New techniques, procedural refinements, and increased awareness are focused on the reduction of these abnormalities.

Hemolysis is associated with acute kidney injury during major aortic surgery.

Hemolysis is an inevitable side effect of cardiopulmonary bypass resulting in increased plasma free hemoglobin that may impair tissue perfusion by scavenging nitric oxide. Acute kidney injury after on-pump cardiovascular surgery arises from a number of causes and severely affects patient morbidity and mortality. Here, we studied the effect of acute hemolysis on renal injury in 35 patients undergoing on-pump surgical repair of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms of whom 19 experienced acute kidney injury.