Role of clinical, molecular, and serological features in the diagnosis of parvovirus B19 infection in children.

BACKGROUND: Parvovirus B19(B19) is a DNA virus. The most common B19 disease is erythema infectiosum (fifth-disease). PCR and ELISA are sensitive for detecting of acute disease. However, it is not clear which test better and the relationship between laboratory tests and clinical findings. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the clinical and laboratory characteristics of pediatric patients infected with B19. STUDY DESIGN: 236 children were examined. Children with at least one positive molecular or serological test were included. Positive serum B19-DNA and/or B19-IgM was considered an acute B19 infection. RESULTS: B19DNA was detected in 80.8 % of acute cases. Serological tests were less positive. Acute B19 infection was observed in 24 patients. Only 17 patients were positive for B19 DNA, 3 for IgM and 4 for both. The sensitivity of B19 DNA is 87.5 %. However, this rate is 29.2 % for B19 IgM. CONCLUSION: B19-DNA and IgM together provide a better, highly accurate diagnosis.

Novel optical coherence tomography findings in a patient with methanol toxicity: a case report.

We report a case of acute methanol toxicity with unique optical coherence tomography findings. A 56-year-old man was referred to our ophthalmology clinic with a history of handmade vodka consumption and vision loss. On ophthalmologic examination, his vision was 20/100 in his right eye and 20/200 in his left eye. Bilateral mild optic disk hyperemia was detected on fundus examination. Because of the severity of systemic symptoms in such cases, it is very difficult to include optical coherence tomography in the ophthalmologic examination. However, we managed to perform optical coherence tomography and recorded shallow subretinal fluid and a prominent middle limiting membrane sign as acute retinal structural changes in the patient. The patient was treated with hemodialysis, intravenous ethanol, and sodium bicarbonate. On the fourth day of treatment, visual acuity improved to 20/20 in both eyes. In addition, the prominent middle limiting membrane sign and subretinal fluid disappeared. In this unusual case, retinal pigment epithelium damage and retinal ischemia may have contributed to the prominent middle limiting membrane and subretinal fluid, which are novel optical coherence tomography findings of methanol toxicity.

Evaluation of Neurodevelopmental Screening Test Scores in Children with Vitamin B12 Deficiency.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to hematological findings, neurological symptoms, and neurodevelopmental delay. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of vitamin B12 deficiency on the neurodevelopment of children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 89 children aged between 6 and 24 months without any complaints; 44 of these were evaluated in the study group (serum vitamin B12 <300 pg/mL) and 45 in the control group (serum vitamin B12 ≥300 pg/mL). Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST-II) and the Social Communication Area Screening Test (SCAST) were evaluated in each participant. RESULTS: The mean vitamin B12 level in the study group was 206.11 ± 9.1 pg/mL, and in the control group, it was 540.65 ± 24.1 pg/mL. When DDST-II results were analyzed, the rate of getting suspicious and abnormal results in the study group was significantly higher compared with the control group (p = 0.001). The rate of the "risky" SCAST results of the cases was found to be statistically significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p = 0.003). Vitamin B12 values of patients with suspicious or abnormal DDST-II results and with risky SCAST results were found to be statistically significantly lower than those with normal neurodevelopmental screening tests results (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to neurodevelopmental delay in children, even in the absence of neurological and hematological symptoms or complaints, which highlights the importance of early detection and intervention of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Evaluation of Mean Platelet Volume in Children with Hypertension.

Background: Childhood hypertension, a disease with increasing prevalence, can lead to severe health problems. With the increased pressure on the vascular endothelium in hypertension, lesions in the endothelium result in endothelial activation and a process of inflammation, which causes platelet activation and in the bone marrow the release of platelet precursor cells into the peripheral blood stream. During inflammation, changes in the number and size of platelets are observed. With the release of platelet precursors into the peripheral blood stream due to platelet activation, an increase in mean platelet volume (MPV) is also seen. Aim: Our aim in this study is the evaluation of MPV changes in the hemogram of children suffering from hypertension, a condition causing severe cardiovascular problems. Material and Methods. This research is a descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study. It consists of a patient group diagnosed with hypertension and a control group of children presenting for routine check-ups with no diagnosed hypertension. Demographic characteristics, arterial pressure values, and hemogram parameters have been evaluated. Results: A total of 90 cases were enrolled in the study, including a patient group of 45 cases with hypertension (19 females, 26 males) and a control group of 45 cases (27 females, 18 males). The median age was 15 years in the hypertension group and 13 years in the control group. In the hypertension cases, the thickness of the carotis intima media was statistically significantly greater than in the control group (p < 0.001). Echocardiographic findings (IVSd, LVDd, LVPWd, IVSs, LVDs, LVPWs, and LV mass) were significantly higher in the hypertension group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). A statistically significant difference in platelet count and MPV values between the groups was not found (p = 0.151, p = 0.405, respectively). Conclusion: While MPV is hypothesized to be higher in hypertensive individuals, there was no statistically significant difference between the hypertensive and non-hypertensive groups in this study.

The frequency of workplace violence against healthcare workers and affecting factors.

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence has become a global issue, especially among healthcare workers. This study aimed to determine the influencing factors and legal processes of workplace violence incidents, as well as the frequency of workplace violence in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: This observational, descriptive, retrospective frequency study was conducted between January 2020 and March 2022. This study examined the workplace violence records of 135 healthcare professionals at a tertiary hospital's Patient Rights and Employee Safety and Law departments. Factors affecting workplace violence were categorized as noncompliance with the procedure, communication, and dissatisfaction. RESULTS: Workplace violence frequency was observed in the cumulative total of 10821 healthcare workers at 1.2%. In terms of workplace violence types, 71.9% were verbal and 28.1% were physical. In terms of exposure to workplace violence, doctors accounted for 62.3%, nurses for 20%, and medical secretaries for 7.4%. Most cases were observed in outpatient clinics (34.8%), followed by emergency departments (25.9%). Among the main reasons for workplace violence against healthcare workers, non-compliance with procedures (49.6%), communication (27.4%), and dissatisfaction (23.1%) were identified. Legal aid was provided to all notifications of workplace violence. 37.1% were not prosecuted, 55.5% were under investigation, 4.4% were accepted indictments, and 3.0% were punished by a judicial fine. CONCLUSION: This study can provide significant contributions to the formulation of workplace violence prevention policies and programs by analyzing white-code notifications for workplace violence frequency and preventable factors. Healthcare workers may have underreported workplace violence events due to the length of the proceedings and the perceived lack of protection from legal regulations.

Pediatricians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Therapeutic Approaches Regarding Diaper Dermatitis: A Common Condition with Many Different Practices.

Background: Diaper dermatitis is one of the most common skin diseases in early childhood. The prevalence of diaper dermatitis varies between 7% and 35% depending on population and age groups. There may be some differences among the pediatricians about treatment approaches to this common skin condition. Aim: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the management strategies of pediatricians for diaper dermatitis. Methods: The questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2021. The questionnaire which contained 21 items aimed to investigate the approaches of pediatricians to diaper dermatitis treatment, follow-up and prevention strategies. Results: A total of 217 pediatricians (59.4% female, median age 40.0 years) practicing in 32 different provinces of Turkey completed the questionnaire. The most preferred medical treatments in the first visit of children with diaper dermatitis, in respect of frequency, were zinc oxide, panthenol/dexpanthenol, and hamamelis virginiana extract (70.9%, 36.9%, 33.6% respectively). If there was no response to the first-line treatment in the control examination, the treatment was rearranged by adding an antifungal creams, topical low-potency corticosteroids, and/or high concentration zinc oxide creams (67.7%, 57.6%, 28.6%, respectively). Most cases were referred to a dermatologist if these treatments were not effective in the control visits of patients. Conclusion: Although pediatricians often prefer topical barrier creams for the treatment of diaper dermatitis, options may change depending on the severity of the lesions or the treatment response to the first-line topical treatments.

The Epidemiology of Influenza Virus Infection and Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children Between 2011 and 2018 in an Outpatient Pediatric Clinic.

Background The frequency of influenza virus infections and group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis varies according to populations. We aimed to investigate the frequency of influenza virus and streptococcal pharyngitis infections in a pediatric outpatient cohort with many pediatric admissions in Istanbul. Materials and methods Children with upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms between 2011 and 2018 who underwent rapid diagnostic tests for influenza virus or streptococcal infection were evaluated retrospectively. Results The total number of pediatric cases admitted between 2011 and 2018 was 185,228, of which 119,928 were under five years old and 66,300 were children over five years old. The mean frequency of the influenza virus was 1,283 per 100,000 children, and the mean frequency of streptococcal pharyngitis was 1,764 per 100,000 children. The frequency of influenza has increased over the years. The frequency of streptococcal infection is higher in children over five years of age, and its frequency has decreased in this group. Conclusions The frequency of influenza virus infection and GAS pharyngitis varies according to years and seasons. Winter and spring were the seasons with the most frequent positive influenza virus and GAS pharyngitis. Although influenza frequency increased annually, this phenomenon was not observed in the frequency of GAS pharyngitis.

Biruni Index as a Novel Diagnostic Tool for the Early Prediction of Mortality in Critical Patients With COVID-19: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to find out the potential risk factors associated with mortality in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients hospitalized due to viral bronchopneumonia, and to establish a novel COVID-19 mortality index for daily use. METHODS: The study included 431 quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR)-confirmed COVID-19-positive patients admitted to the intensive care unit in a tertiary care hospital. Patients were divided into training and validation cohorts at random (n= 285 and n= 130, respectively). Biruni Index was developed by multivariate logistic regression analysis for predicting COVID-19-related mortality. RESULTS: In univariate logistic regression analysis, age, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respiratory and pulse rates per minute, D-dimer, pH, urea, ferritin, and lactate dehydrogenase levels at first admission were statistically significant factors for the prediction of mortality in the training cohort. By using multivariate logistic regression analysis, all of these statistically significant parameters were used to produce Biruni Index. Statistically significant differences in Biruni Index were observed between ex and non-ex groups in both training and validation cohorts (P < 0.001 for both comparisons). Areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for Biruni Index were 0.901 (95CI%: 0.864-0.938, P < 0.001) and 0.860 (95CI%: 0.795-0.926, P < 0.001) in training and validation cohorts, respectively. CONCLUSION: As a pioneering clinical study, Biruni Index may be a useful diagnostic tool for clinicians to predict the mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19 hospitalized due to severe viral bronchopneumonia. However, Biruni Index should be validated with larger series of multicenter prospective clinical studies.

Vitamin D level, body mass index and fracture risk in children: vitamin D deficiency and fracture risk.

The objective of this study was to determine the impacts of preventable causes of fracture, such as vitamin D deficiency, disturbed calcium homeostasis and obesity on fracture occurrence in minor traumas. In this way, the effects of relevant parameters on fracture may be further elucidated. A prospective case-control study in children aged 2-18 years children with and without fractures was performed. Participants with a pediatric trauma score higher than 10 presenting to minor trauma were included to exclude the significant impact of severe trauma on fracture. The effects of obesity, parameters associated with vitamin D and Ca homeostasis on fracture occurrence were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to test for associations between fracture status and the assessed variables. The relationships between the variables and the odds of fracture occurrence were examined using logistic regression models. The sample consisted of 76 patients and 50 controls. There were no significant differences between the patients and controls in terms of age, sex, trauma type and pubertal period. The patients had a significantly higher mean BMI percentile (61.2 ± 30.7, 36.7 ± 30.7; P < 0.001). Likewise, patients were more likely than controls to have a lower mean 25(OH)D level and mean phosphorus level (respectively, 13.4 ± 7.0, 17.3 ± 7.8; P = 0.004, and 4.6 ± 0.7, 5.1 ± 0.8; P < 0.001). Moreover, fractures were substantially more frequent in children with vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL, χ2: 7.781, df: 1, P = 0.005). In the multivariate logistic model, BMI percentile and vitamin D levels remained significantly associated with increased odds of fracture [1.02 (1.01-1.04), P < 0.001 and 0.93 (0.89-0.98), P = 0.01]. The present study supports an association of high BMI and vitamin D deficiency with an increased odds of fracture occurrence in children. The findings may help physicians to reduce the risk factors of fracture by preventive efforts. Thus, unexpected health costs and morbidity may be minimized.

Effectiveness of lidocaine spray on radial arterial puncture pain: A randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Radial arterial puncture is a painful procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lidocaine spray (10%) on pain associated with radial artery blood withdrawal for arterial blood gas analysis. METHODS: This randomized, controlled, double-blind study was performed between December 2018 and September 2019. Before radial arterial puncture, 10% lidocaine or placebo spray was applied to each patient by the attending physician, who was blinded with regard to random assignment. The spray was administered six times on the site from a distance of 5 cm. After waiting for 5 min, a radial arterial puncture was performed routinely. The pain levels of patients during radial arterial puncture and 5 min after puncture were evaluated with the visual analog scale (VAS). The Wilcoxon test was used to compare pain scores during puncture. RESULTS: The research was performed with 67 patients (34 patients in the lidocaine group, 33 patients in the placebo group) who were admitted to the emergency department and required ABG analysis. Forty-three patients were men, and 24 were women. The ages of the patients ranged between 19 and 86 years, and the mean (± standard deviation) age was 56.3 ± 16.6 years. Pain levels, as measured by VAS, were significantly lower in the lidocaine group (24.00 mm IQR:[14.75-33.75]) compared with the placebo group (33.00 mm IQR:[22.00-61.50]) during radial arterial puncture (p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: The level of pain perceived during radial arterial puncture was significantly lower in those who were administered lidocaine spray. Lidocaine spray application can be used in pain management related to radial arterial puncture.

Comparison of immunogenicity and reactogenicity of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) in previously SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected health care workers.

The effects of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) on previously naturally infected individuals are unknown. This study compared immunogenicity and reactogenicity of CoronaVac in once naturally infected health-care workers (HCWs) and uninfected HCWs. All HCWs were immunized with two doses of CoronaVac (600 U/0.5 ml) intramuscularly at a 28-day interval. Adverse reactions were obtained by web-based questionnaires or telephone calls seven days after each vaccine dose. Detection of antibody levels against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was done four weeks after the second dose of the vaccine. We enrolled 103 previously naturally infected and 627 uninfected HCWs. The mean time for vaccination after the first nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 positivity was 64 days (range: 15-136 days) in previously naturally infected HCWs. Among the previously naturally infected HCWs, 41 (40%) were asymptomatic, 52 (50%) had mild upper respiratory tract infections, 10 (105) had pneumonia, and only 6 (5%) were hospitalized. Any reported adverse reactions, either from the first dose or the second dose of vaccine administration, did not differ between previously infected and uninfected HCWs. Anti-RBD antibody titers were obtained in 50 (51%) of 103 previously infected HCWs and 142 (23%) of 627 uninfected HCWs. Anti-RBD antibody titers were significantly higher in HCWs with a previous natural infection (median 1220 AU/ml, range: 202-10328 AU/mL) than in uninfected HCWs (median: 913 AU/ml, range: 2.8-15547 AU/mL, p = .032). CoronaVac administration was safe and may elicit higher antibody responses in previously naturally infected individuals.

Pediatricians' COVID-19 experiences and views on the willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines: a cross-sectional survey in Turkey.

Developing an effective and safe vaccine against Covid-19 will facilitate return to normal. Due to hesitation toward the vaccine, it is crucial to explore the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine to the public and healthcare workers. In this cross-sectional survey, we invited 2251 pediatricians and 506 (22%) of them responded survey and 424 (84%) gave either nasopharyngeal swap or antibody assay for COVID-19 and 71 (14%) of them got diagnosis of COVID-19. If the effective and safe COVID-19 vaccine was launched on market, 420 (83%) of pediatrician accepted to get vaccine shot, 422 (83%) of them recommended vaccination to their family members, 380 (75%) of them accepted to vaccine their children and 445 (85%) of them offered vaccination to their pediatric patients. Among the participated pediatricians 304 (60%) of them thought COVID-19 vaccine should be mandatory. We found that there are high COVID-19 vaccine willingness rates for pediatricians for themselves, their own children, family members and their pediatric patients. We also found that being a pediatric subspecialist, believing in achieving an effective vaccine, willingness to participate in the phase 1-2 clinical vaccine trial, willingness to get an influenza shot this season, believing a vaccine and vaccine passport should be mandatory were significant factors in accepting the vaccine. It is important to share all information about COVID-19 vaccines, especially effectiveness and safety, with the public in a clear communication and transparency. The opposite will contribute to vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine movement.

Evaluation of bleeding symptoms and laboratory parameters related to bleeding in sisters of patients with hemophilia A and B.

INTRODUCTION: Our purpose was to determine the bleeding risk of obligate and potential carriers, highlight the prophylactic applications before interventions for families and physicians. METHOD: Forty-six sisters who had at least one family member with hemophilia A or B were included. Laboratory parameters were tested.Bleeding tendency interrogated by a detailed questionnaire.The results were compared with 43 healthy female controls. RESULTS: Mean factor activity levels were significantly lower in sisters than control subjects (p = 0,004). Bleeding score was higher in sisters than controls (p = 0.001). Prolonged bleeding after minor injury was significantly higher in the sisters than control subjects (p = 0.008). Requiring further treatment due to prolonged bleeding after tooth extraction was significantly higher in sisters (p = 0.001). Sisters had postpartum hemorrhage lasting longer than 6 weeks than controls (p = 0.025). Menstrual period lasted longer in the sisters than controls (p < 0.001). Spontaneous epistaxis, oral and gingival bleeding were more frequently observed in sisters whose factor activity levels were 60 % or below (p = 0.014 and p = 0.047, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between the severity of hemophilia in the affected family member and the factor levels in the sisters (p = 0.398).Spontaneous epistaxis has found to be significantly associated with the hemophilia severity in the family (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Clotting factor levels were found to be lower in the sisters and associated with spontaneous epistaxis, oral and gingival bleeding.Also, regardless of clotting factor levels, sisters significantly experienced more bleeding problems.Our study demonstrated the importance of taking precautions for prolonged bleeding in cases where medical interventions are inevitable in these patients.

Peanut-induced anaphylaxis in children and adolescents: Data from the European Anaphylaxis Registry.

BACKGROUND: Peanut allergy has a rising prevalence in high-income countries, affecting 0.5%-1.4% of children. This study aimed to better understand peanut anaphylaxis in comparison to anaphylaxis to other food triggers in European children and adolescents. METHODS: Data was sourced from the European Anaphylaxis Registry via an online questionnaire, after in-depth review of food-induced anaphylaxis cases in a tertiary paediatric allergy centre. RESULTS: 3514 cases of food anaphylaxis were reported between July 2007 - March 2018, 56% in patients younger than 18 years. Peanut anaphylaxis was recorded in 459 children and adolescents (85% of all peanut anaphylaxis cases). Previous reactions (42% vs. 38%; p = .001), asthma comorbidity (47% vs. 35%; p < .001), relevant cofactors (29% vs. 22%; p = .004) and biphasic reactions (10% vs. 4%; p = .001) were more commonly reported in peanut anaphylaxis. Most cases were labelled as severe anaphylaxis (Ring&Messmer grade III 65% vs. 56% and grade IV 1.1% vs. 0.9%; p = .001). Self-administration of intramuscular adrenaline was low (17% vs. 15%), professional adrenaline administration was higher in non-peanut food anaphylaxis (34% vs. 26%; p = .003). Hospitalization was higher for peanut anaphylaxis (67% vs. 54%; p = .004). CONCLUSIONS: The European Anaphylaxis Registry data confirmed peanut as one of the major causes of severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions in European children, with some characteristic features e.g., presence of asthma comorbidity and increased rate of biphasic reactions. Usage of intramuscular adrenaline as first-line treatment is low and needs to be improved. The Registry, designed as the largest database on anaphylaxis, allows continuous assessment of this condition.

Impact of self-financed rotavirus vaccination on acute gastroenteritis in young children in Turkey.

Rotavirus (RV) vaccines have been available in Turkey since 2006. These vaccines are not funded by the National Health System, so consequently their coverage rate in children has reached only 13-18%. We conducted a retrospective record review including all children ≤60 months of age presenting to study hospitals with suspected or clinical acute gastroenteritis (AGE) between 2012 and 2018. During the study, 109,605 children ≤60 months of age were admitted to pediatric out-patient clinics and pediatric emergency room, of which 15,501 (14%) were diagnosed with AGE. Incidence of RV-positive AGE decreased from 4.47 per 1,000 children in 2012 to 2.48 per 1,000 in 2018. A total of 4,805 (31%) such children were hospitalized with RV-positive AGE, a decrease from 1.9 per 1,000 children in 2012 to 0,45 per 1,000 in 2018. The length of hospital stays (LOS) of RV-positive AGE was 2.47 ± 1.15 days compared to LOS of RV-negative AGE 1.59 ± 1.17 days (p < .001). The overall cost of RV-positive AGE ($335 ± 200) was higher than that for RV-negative AGE ($280 ± 148) cases (p = .015). Vaccine effectiveness against any case of RV-positive AGE was 75,1% (95% CI: 65-86%). Despite the low level of vaccine coverage, the introduction of RV vaccination had a positive impact on the incidence of RV-positive AGE and related hospitalizations in young children.

Incidence of varicella and herpes zoster after inclusion of varicella vaccine in national immunization schedule in Turkey: time trend study.

The aim of the study was to investigate changes in the incidences of Varicella and Herpes Zoster (HZ) following introduction of single dose Varicella vaccine (VV) in Turkey. Changes in the incidences of varicella and HZ per 100,000 population were compared with pre (2011-2012) and post-VV period (2018-2019) throughout years between years 2011 and 2019 both for children and adults. In children ≤5 years of age, the annual incidences of varicella significantly decreased from 290 per 100000 children in 2011 to 24 per 100000 children in 2019 [p = .0001]. Also, for children ≤5 years the mean annual incidence of varicella decreased significantly [326/100000 ±51/100000 vs 23/100000 ± 1/100000; p = .014] between pre- and post-VV period. Moreover, the annual incidences of varicella significantly decreased from 43 per 100000 children in 2011 to 26 per 100000 children in 2019 in children age between 6 and 17 years. On the other hand, incidence of varicella in adult population (age >17 years) did not change significantly. Besides, the annual incidences of Herpes Zoster did not change significantly in children age stratas but significant increment observed in adult population. This increment was significant in adult age strata of 18-44 years, but non-significant in age strata of 45-64 years and >64 years. Thus, our study showed a significant reduction in the incidences of Varicella in children age stratas whereas significant increment in the incidence of HZ in adult population after the implementation of VV into the NIP of Turkey.

The Use of Social Network in Daily Pediatric Practice and Education: Turkish Pediatric Atelier.

Using social media applications in pediatric education is not outdated, and its effectiveness has not been tested yet. For this reason, we shared the first results of the Pediatric Atelier experience that we realized through telegram application. We make an online survey to investigate the needs, requirements, pleasure, and suggestions of members through a web-based questionnaire. This cross-sectional survey study was delivered only to participants who were members of the workshop via their email addresses. Online questionnaires organized using Google Forms were sent to pediatric workshop members between March and June 2019. The questionnaire consisted of questions that measured the participants' basic demographic data, the use of the workshop, and the overall impact of the workshop on their professional behavior. While the institutions and positions of the participants were recorded, no other personal data (such as address and telephone) were collected. Among the 997 members, 417 (42%) of them answered the questionnaire. Respondents included 300 (72%) pediatrician, 21 (5%) pediatric subspeciality fellows, and 75 (18%) pediatric subspecialists. Of the 417 respondents, 217 (52%) were working in Istanbul, and 200 (48%) were working in other cities of Turkey. Among the responders, 233 (56%) were working in private hospitals or doctor offices. A total of 520 cases were consulted in 241 days of study period. Most consultations (n = 309, %59) were made from the Istanbul metropolitan area, and 203 (40%) consultations were from other cities of Turkey. The most frequently consulted departments were Pediatric infectious diseases: 166 (32%), Pediatric hematology and oncology: 56 (11%), and Neonatology: 43 (8%). Of the 520 consulted cases, 44 (8%) were related to life-threatening events, and 25 of them were hospitalized in the intensive care units, and 6 of them were required surgical operations. Of the 94% of responders thought this platform was useful and 82% of them stated that the case counseling part of the atelier was the most useful part. We think that the development of technology and artificial intelligence may lead to the usage of on-line platforms or systems in clinical medical practice. Clinical Trial Registration (if any). Registry name, registration number, web link to study on registry, and data sharing statement.

Response to "Letter to the Editor: Vaccine Failures in Pediatric Cases Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 19A".

We are happy to answer to the Letter from Ozkaya-Parlakay et al. to the Editor commenting on our recent paper, 1  investigated impact of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13)  on the incidences of community-acquired pneumonia and pneumonia-related hospitalizations in children ≤5 years after its implementation into the national immunization program (NIP) of Turkey.   Ozkaya-Parlakay et al. draw attention to vaccine failure and importance of continuous  surveillance of relevant disease especially in the perspective of  Streptococcus pneumoniae  serotype 19A. They supported their opinion by their clinical observation of seven children who were vaccinated with PCV13 developed empyema and meningitidis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae  serotype 19A 
 in Turkey.

The frequency of Cushing's disease, ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome and autonomous cortisol secretion among Turkish patients with obesity.

OBJECTIVE: The frequency of Cushing's disease (CD), ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome (CS) and autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) in patients with obesity is not well known. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to assess the frequency of CD, CS and ACS among the patients with obesity. METHODS: This study included 813 patients (683 female, mean age 46.47±14.23 yr; mean body mass index (BMI) 37.31±6.50 kg/m2). Patients with obesity were classified further to stages 1, 2, and 3, according to BMI. All patients underwent a low dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST). The patients with CD, CS, and ACS and patients with simple obesity were compared concerning gender, age, type-2 diabetes, hypertension (HT) and hyperlipidemia (HL). RESULTS: Forty-four (5.4%) out of 813 patients were diagnosed as CD, CS or ACS. CD, CS, and ACS were diagnosed in four (0.4%), two (0.2%), and 33 (4%) patients, respectively. When patients with CD, CS and ACS were compared to the patients with simple obesity, older age at diagnosis, the presence of stage-1 obesity, the presence of HT, and uncontrolled type-2 diabetes were more frequent in patients with CD, CS and ACS (p=0.001, p=0.007, p=0.004, and p=0.0026, respectively). CONCLUSION: The frequency of CD, CS, and ACS is high among patients with obesity. Screening for CD, CS, and ACS in patients with stage-I obesity who are older than 50 years of age with uncontrolled type-2 diabetes and HT may be a reasonable approach.