Publications by authors named "Soner Sertan Kara"

Tularemia is one of the most prevalent zoonoses across the world. Patients in Turkiye mostly contract the oropharyngeal form, acquired through drinking, or contact with microorganism-contaminated water. Patients with oropharyngeal tularemia aged under 18 years and diagnosed between January 01, 2017, and December 31, 2020, were evaluated retrospectively.

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Objective: While coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is generally considered to exhibit a less severe clinical course in children than in adults, studies have demonstrated that respiratory symptoms can endure for more than 3 months following infection in at least one-third of pediatric cases. The present study evaluates the respiratory functions of children aged 3-15 years within 3-6 months of their recovery from COVID-19 using impulse oscillometry (IOS) and compares them with the values of healthy children.

Methods: Included in this prospective cross-sectional study were 63 patients (patient group) aged 3-15 years who contracted COVID-19 between December 2021 and May 2022, as well as 57 healthy children as a control group, matched for age and sex.

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  • The study investigates multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MISC) related to COVID-19, focusing on comparing clinical and laboratory characteristics of children hospitalized in ICU versus those who were not.
  • Conducted from June 2021 to January 2022, the observational study included 601 patients, with 157 requiring ICU care, revealing significant differences in demographics, lab results, and disease features.
  • Key findings showed that older age groups and higher levels of certain inflammatory markers increased the likelihood of ICU admission, highlighting the severe impact of MISC on children's health.
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This multi-center point prevalence study evaluated children who were diagnosed as having coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). On February 2nd, 2022, inpatients and outpatients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were included in the study from 12 cities and 24 centers in Turkey. Of 8605 patients on February 2nd, 2022, in participating centers, 706 (8.

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  • - Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is a common side effect of antimicrobial therapy, and a study was conducted to examine its prevalence among pediatric patients in a specific region.
  • - The study involved 758 pediatric patients who started oral antibiotics, revealing a 10.4% occurrence rate of diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, particularly higher with cephalosporins and in certain geographic areas of Turkey.
  • - The findings highlighted geographic differences in the rate of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, suggesting that while it's not extremely common, it can vary significantly based on location and type of antibiotic used.
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Introduction: Health care workers (HCWs) are disproportionately exposed to infectious diseases and play a role in nosocomial transmission, making them a key demographic for vaccination. HCW vaccination rates are not optimal in many countries; hence, compulsory vaccination policies have been implemented in some countries. Although these policies are effective and necessary under certain conditions, resolving HCWs' hesitancies and misconceptions about vaccines is crucial.

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Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common childhood infections. Ear pain, the main symptom of AOM, results in parents frequently seeking medical assistance for their children. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of topical 1% lidocaine ear drops administered with oral analgesics with that of oral analgesics alone.

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  • The study investigates multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which can lead to severe complications or death, focusing on cases from 25 hospitals in Turkey between April and October 2020.
  • It analyzed the medical records of 101 patients, primarily aged 7, finding high rates of fever, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues, with significant laboratory abnormalities and a notable proportion requiring intensive care.
  • The research underscores the importance of recognizing MIS-C, especially in previously healthy children presenting with persistent fever and other symptoms; most were treated effectively with immunomodulatory therapies, though there were reported fatalities.
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Unlabelled: Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) diagnosis remains difficult because the clinical features overlap with Kawasaki disease (KD). The study aims to highlight the clinical and laboratory features and outcomes of patients with MISC whose clinical manifestations overlap with or without KD. This study is a retrospective analysis of a case series designed for patients aged 1 month to 18 years in 28 hospitals between November 1, 2020, and June 9, 2021.

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Meningococcal carriage studies and transmission modeling can predict IMD epidemiology and used to define invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) control strategies. In this multicenter study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of nasopharyngeal ( carriage, serogroup distribution, and related risk factors in Turkey. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from a total of 1267 children and adolescents and were tested with rt-PCR.

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  • Scientists studied children's saliva and blood to see how their bodies react to pneumonia.
  • They compared 40 kids with pneumonia to 40 healthy kids by checking samples when they were admitted to the hospital and when they went home.
  • The results showed that changes in saliva matched changes in blood, suggesting that saliva could be a good way to check on sick kids' health.
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Background: Understanding SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among health care personnel is important to explore risk factors for transmission, develop elimination strategies and form a view on the necessity and frequency of surveillance in the future.

Methods: We enrolled 4927 health care personnel working in pediatric units at 32 hospitals from 7 different regions of Turkey in a study to determine SARS Co-V-2 seroprevalence after the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A point of care serologic lateral flow rapid test kit for immunoglobulin (Ig)M/IgG was used.

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  • * The study involved 70 female outpatients aged 12 to 16, all of whom received a single 3g dose of FT due to resistance to other oral antibiotics.
  • * The results showed high success rates with 97% clinical cure and 94% microbiological cure, and only minor side effects reported, suggesting FT as a viable treatment option for this demographic.
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  • The introduction of Hib and PCV-7 vaccines into Turkey's National Immunization Program has altered the causes of bacterial meningitis in children, with PCV-13 replacing PCV-7 in 2011.
  • A study conducted across 27 hospitals revealed that during the 2015-2018 period, the most frequently identified meningococcal serogroup was MenB, with a notable absence of serogroup C.
  • Monitoring meningococcal disease trends is essential for vaccination policy adjustments, as evidenced by the dynamic nature of meningitis epidemiology and varying incidence rates in children.*
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  • The study investigated the links between the age of first menstruation, stages of puberty, and factors like diet adherence, hormone levels, nutrient status, and BMI in children with celiac disease (CD).* -
  • Researchers compared 228 CD patients to 135 healthy controls, finding CD patients had later menarche and lower Tanner stages, indicating less advanced puberty.* -
  • After one year, better adherence to a gluten-free diet was significantly associated with improved Tanner stage and nutrient levels, suggesting proper diet and nutrition are crucial for healthy puberty in CD patients.*
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  • The study investigates risk factors for bacteremia in children with febrile neutropenia (FN) due to hemato-oncological malignancies, analyzing data from 150 patients under 18 years old.
  • Among the participants, 23.3% had bacteremia, with coagulase-negative staphylococci being the most common bacteria found.
  • Key risk factors identified include leukopenia, severe neutropenia, previous positive blood culture results, and episodes of hypotension, with past FN experiences increasing the risk significantly.
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  • A study was conducted on 86 children with brucellosis to identify factors that predict positive blood cultures at a hospital in Turkey from 2015.
  • Researchers found that blood cultures were positive in 27.9% of patients and linked shorter symptom duration, lower levels of hemoglobin and vitamins, as well as higher leukocyte and CRP levels to positive results.
  • Key predictors for bacteremia included certain test results, with ferritin levels over 122 ng/mL and Coombs agglutination test results over 1/480 showing high sensitivity and specificity.
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  • The study examined the link between otitis media with effusion and oxidative stress, focusing on thiol/disulfide homeostasis.
  • It involved 30 patients with the condition and 35 healthy controls, revealing that the patients had lower levels of native and total thiols and higher levels of disulfides.
  • The findings suggest oxidative stress is a significant factor in the increased oxidized thiols in these patients, but further research is needed to confirm this relationship.
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  • Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria, and early diagnosis is important to prevent serious health issues; the study evaluates the effectiveness of a multiplex real-time PCR (mRT-PCR) method compared to traditional diagnostic techniques.
  • A total of 249 serum samples from suspected brucellosis patients were tested using serological methods, blood cultures, and mRT-PCR, leading to the identification of 215 cases, with varying sensitivity results across different testing approaches.
  • The findings support that mRT-PCR is a valuable diagnostic tool, especially for patients with negative serological test results, as it detected additional cases and identified Brucella species in the samples.
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  • The study checked how much Turkish parents know about childhood vaccines and what factors affect their knowledge.
  • Most kids in the study (97.6%) got all their required vaccines on time.
  • A father's education and experiences with vaccine side effects were important in figuring out how much parents knew about optional vaccines.
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Background/aims: To investigate bone mineral density (BMD) in children with celiac disease (CD) and to evaluate the association between vitamin K levels and osteoporosis.

Materials And Methods: Children with CD and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were prospectively included in the study. BMD was measured, and serum anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA, ferritin, folate, vitamin B12, 25-hydroxy vitamin D and K2, calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and parathormone were assayed in all subjects.

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Toxoplasma gondii infection may be associated with psychiatric disorders due to its neurological effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between tic disorders in children and adolescents and Anti-Toxoplasma IgG. 43 children diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome(TS) and 87 with chronic motor or vocal tic disorder(CMVTD), and 130 healthy volunteers, all aged 7-18, were enrolled.

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Objectives: Acute otitis media (AOM) is predominantly a disease of childhood and one of the common reasons for prescribing antibiotics. Ear pain is the main symptom of AOM, with the result that parents frequently seek immediate medical assistance for their children. Antibiotic therapy for AOM does not provide symptomatic relief in the first 24 hours, and analgesics are commonly recommended for relieving the pain associated with AOM.

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