Evaluation of retracted articles in the field of emergency medicine on the web of science database.

BACKGROUND: The retraction of articles stands as the most significant mechanism employed to uphold the integrity of science, particularly in flawed studies. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the reasons for article retractions in the field of emergency medicine and elucidate the problems arising from such retractions. The goal is to identify parameters in retracted articles that compromise scientific knowledge and raise awareness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retracted articles within the emergency medicine category were analyzed and assessed using the Web of Science database. The study sought to address the following questions: 1. In which year or years were the most articles retracted? 2. In which journals were the retracted articles published? 3. What is the distribution of topics in retracted articles? 4. What are the reasons for the retraction of articles? 5. What is the time difference and citation count between the publication and retraction years of the articles? RESULTS: The study delved into reasons for article retractions, types of retracted articles, and other relevant factors. A total of 61 retracted articles were examined and analyzed, revealing an increasing trend in the rate of article retractions over the years. The majority of retracted articles occurred in 2023, with the highest retraction rate identified in the "Emergency Medicine International" journal. On average, articles were retracted 356 days after publication. Reasons for retracted articles included concerns related to data, authorship issues, plagiarism, duplication, and biased or fraudulent peer review. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided an examination of retracted articles in the field of emergency medicine, highlighting a noteworthy increase in retractions due to various reasons. Despite retractions, it was observed that the citation counts of retracted articles increased. The growing number of retracted articles and frequent citations pose potential dangers from a scientific perspective, as citing retracted articles damages scientific integrity. The study underscores the importance of understanding the reasons for retracted articles and preventing the spread of such incidents in emergency medicine literature. The results, analyzed within various variables, indicate the need for further research and solutions, guiding future research efforts and contributing to the literature.

Tularemia research activity: a bibliometric analysis between 1980 and 2020.

INTRODUCTION: Tularemia disease attracts attention as an important contagious zoonosis that has increased its impact in recent years. The aim of the study is to analyze the publications on tularemia between 1980 and 2020. METHODS: We performed literature retrieval in the Web of Science (WoS) on 22 September 2021. Search terms were "Francisella tularensis" and "Tularemia" in the article title for the period between January 1980 and December 2020. We determined the number of articles, keywords, countries, authors, and institutions for each publication. We visualized the data with the VOS viewer tool. RESULTS: After all inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied finally, 1688 articles were analyzed. The number of articles has increased in recent years. The three most productive countries in tularemia were the USA (777 articles 46.03%), Sweden (113 articles 6.69%), and Turkey (95 articles, 5.63%). Most of the articles were from the journal of Infection and Immunity (II), Plos one, Journal of Clinical Microbiology (JCM), Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID), and Vaccine. Sjostedt A. and Umea University-Sweden were the most influential author and institution. CONCLUSIONS: Productivity trend has been shown to increase in tularemia. High-income countries had a great influence on the literature in the field. Publications from the USA were in a high percentage among all articles. Related work may lead to the future direction of this dossier in the next years.

Quality and readability of online information on plantar fasciitis and calcaneal spur.

Plantar fasciitis and calcaneal spur are common causes of heel pain in the community. People use the Internet to obtain medical information about diseases. We reviewed Internet information sources on plantar fasciitis and calcaneal spur for quality and readability. The first 50 websites for each search term ("calcaneal spur", "heel spur", and "plantar fasciitis") were scanned on www.google.com . Six different valid tools were used for information quality and readability assessment. We searched for HONCode (Health On the Net Foundation Code) stamps on included websites. The total mean points for DISCERN were 50.52 ± 14.62, and the total mean points for JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) were 2.42 ± 1.26. In total, 25.72% of 97 websites had HONCode stamps. The average scores for the readability indicators were calculated to be Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL): 7.27 ± 1.71, Gunning Fog: 8.46 ± 2.17, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG): 6.89 ± 1.24, and Coleman Liau Index: 15.56 ± 1.85. In our study, when the website resources were examined, there were profit websites the most and website quality and readability were moderate level. A significant proportion of the websites have a financial bias and provide low-quality information. A mechanism for monitoring the quality and readability of online information must be established and managed systematically.

Value of prognostic scores in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis patients in intensive care unit: a multicenter retrospective cohort study from Turkey

Background/aim: There is a need for a scoring system for predicting ICU prognosis of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), but there are limited data on it in the literature. Therefore, we aimed to determine the scores that can estimate the prognosis of patients with AAV during intensive care follow up. Materials and methods: All adult patients admitted to the medical ICUs of 4 reference university hospitals in Turkey due to AAV activation and/or disease/treatment complications in the last 10 years were included in this study. Demographic data, treatments before ICU, the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) score at the time of vasculitis diagnosis, and BVAS, APACHE II, SOFA, and SAPS II scores at the ICU admission, treatments, procedures, and complications during ICU stay were recorded for all AAV patients. Results: Thirty-four patients were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 60 (42­70) years, and 64.7% were male. Twenty-five patients were diagnosed with Granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and 9 were diagnosed with Microscopic polyangiitis. The most common ICU admission causes were hemorrhage (85.3%) and sepsis/septic shock (67.6%). Twenty patients (58.8%) died in the ICU follow up. There were significant differences in APACHE II (P = 0.004) and SAPS II (P = 0.044) scores between survivors and nonsurvivors, while there were no significant differences in BVAS (during diagnosis P = 0.089 and ICU admission P = 0.539) and SOFA (P = 0.097) scores. APACHE II score was found to be an independent risk factor for ICU mortality (OR = 1.231, CI 95% = 1.011­1.498, P = 0.038) according to logistic regression analysis. An APACHE II score of greater than 20.5 predicted ICU mortality with 80% sensitivity and 70% specificity (AUC = 0.8, P = 0.004, Likelihood ratio = 2.6) according to the ROC curve analysis. Conclusion: APACHE II score can be used for the prediction of ICU mortality in AAV patients.

False Lumen Catheterization in a Patient Who Has Type A Aortic Dissection That Mimics Acute Inferior Myocardial Infarction: A Case Report.

We report a 61-year-old patient who suffered from a type A aortic dissection that mimicked an acute inferior myocardial infarction. During a routine cardiac catheterization procedure, diagnostic catheters can be inserted accidentally into the false lumen. Invasive cardiologists should keep this complication in mind.

Acute type-A aortic dissection with obstruction of the right coronary artery.

Occlusion of a coronary artery by an acute type A aortic dissection presents a life-threatening emergency that is rarely seen and easy to misdiagnose. We present the case of a 75-year-old male who experienced sudden onset of severe left-sided chest pain due to an acute type A aortic dissection that obstructed the right coronary artery. Following an initial misdiagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, imaging revealed the presence of an aortic dissection. An emergency modified Bentall procedure was performed, in which the damaged aorta and aortic valve were replaced.

Vaccine refusal in pregnant women in Kahramanmaras: a community-based study from Türkiye.

Background: The global health landscape is increasingly challenged by the rejection of childhood vaccines. This study investigates vaccination reservations and refusal among pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye, spanning January to March 2019, entailing face to face interviews with 938 pregnant women. The questionnaire collected sociodemographic data and probed vaccination attitudes. The decision to vaccinate the baby was treated as the dependent variable, analyzed alongside sociodemographic factors and other variables. Data underwent evaluation via descriptive analysis, the Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression. Results: Participants had a mean age of 27.6 years. Among them 20 (2.1%) expressed intent to either abstain from or partially vaccinate their babies, with 70% citing apprehensions regarding potential vaccine-related harm. Statistical analysis unveiled that higher economic income, elevated parental education level, fewer than two children, reliance on the Internet for vaccination information, and a lack of trust in physicians significantly correlated with vaccine refusal among pregnant women (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The study concludes that dissemination of vaccination information by the healthcare professionals, complemented by the enactment of pro-vaccine internet policies holds promise in shaping vaccination behavior.

The Quality and Reliability of Information in YouTube Videos on Occupational Health and Safety.

Background: Education is very important to prevent occupational injuries and accidents, which are almost all completely preventable. The aim of this study was to evaluate training videos on this subject on the YouTube platform. Methods: Six search terms related to occupational health and safety (OHS) were scanned on May 31, 2021. After the application of exclusion criteria, a total of 176 videos were included for final analysis using the parameters of country origin, source of the video, content, number of views, comments, likes, dislikes, and video duration. The Global Quality Scale (GQS) and modified DISCERN tools were used to evaluate the quality and reliability of the videos in this analytical cross-sectional study. Results: According to the GQS score, 111 (63.1%) videos were of low quality. Statistically significant differences were found between the low-, moderate-, and high-quality groups with respect to video length, likes, dislikes, comments, likes per day, dislikes per day, comments per day, video category, and the DISCERN scores (P < 0.05). The vast majority of videos contained low-quality information. A large number of videos were uploaded on OHS content from independent users and the USA. Conclusion: There is a clear need for professionals to play a more active role in uploading and sharing high-quality information on Internet platforms on the subject of OHS.

Simultaneous beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery and modified radical mastectomy.

Concomitant surgeries for unrelated diseases can be performed to minimize the risks associated with surgery and general anesthesia. In treating a male patient with breast cancer and severe coronary artery disease, we used the beating heart technique for a coronary artery bypass graft to avoid the negative effects of on-pump bypass on the possible acceleration of tumor growth. In this report, we present a unique case of concomitant off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery and modified radical mastectomy in a 56-year-old man.

Bibliometric analyses of publications in the field of restless legs syndrome.

PURPOSE: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a chronic neurological disorder and the incidence of RLS is a more common disease than known is accepted. This study was performed to identify and analyze the characteristics of RLS-related articles published from 2001 to 2020 using bibliometric analyses. METHODS: RLS-related articles published from 2001 to 2020 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database with predefined search terms. VOSviewer software was used to visualize various bibliographic coupling networks on data. The top 10 lists (about organizations, papers, journals, most commonly cited articles, authors, countries, and keywords) extracted from 2001 to 2020 were also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 2311 articles were included and the total number of publications from 2001 to 2020 was increased by 5.02-fold. The highest number of RLS publications (n = 171) since 2001 was observed in 2020. The United States is contributed the highest number of RLS-related publications (34.53%). The top productive journal was Sleep Medicine and the most prominent organization was Johns Hopkins University. In the list of top 10 authors, Allen RP was the first author. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first bibliometric analysis that provides a general perspective on the RLS from 2001 to 2020 and may be useful as a guide for further research in this field.

Investigation of changes in retinal vascular parameters and choroidal vascular index values during the early recovery period of COVID-19: The COVID-OCTA study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 effects microvasculature in many tissues. This study investigated whether the choroidal structure is also affected. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 80 patients with COVID-19 and the same number of age- and gender-matched healthy individuals. All participants' right eye measurements were examined. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used for imaging. Otherwise, two independent researchers used the Choroidal vascular index (CVI) for choroidal parameters calculation. RESULTS: Superior and deep flow values were lower in the COVID-19 group than in the control group, and vascular density (VD) values were lower in all regions in this group. Except for the superior mean VD, there was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.003). However, the COVID-19 group had significantly lower subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFChT) measurements than the control group (p = 0.001). In addition, no significant difference was observed between the groups in evaluating mean CVI values (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Noninvasive diagnostic tools such as OCTA and EDI-OCT can be used to monitor early changes in diseases affecting microvessels, such as from COVID-19.

Is YouTube useful as a source of information for approaches to reducing blood pressure and hypertension treatment?

Hypertension is an important public health problem due to its high prevalence and common complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of videos on YouTube related to reducing blood pressure and hypertension treatment. Using the six search terms "hypertension treatment", "cure hypertension", "hypertension medication", "control high blood pressure", "lower high blood pressure", and "reduce high blood pressure", a total of 360 relevant videos on YouTube were evaluated. Some parameters, i.e., the length of the video, number of days on YouTube, number of view counts, and number of likes, dislikes, and comments, were noted for all videos. The Global Quality Scale (GQS) was used to evaluate the quality of the videos. We categorized the video content as useful or misleading using the evidence-based medical literature. After exclusions, 104 videos were evaluated by two independent reviewers. Out of all the videos, 51% were useful, and 49% were misleading. Videos mentioned lifestyle changes (LCs) more (65 videos, 62.5%), and only 39.4% (41 videos) of all the videos contained information about pharmacological treatment (PT). Videos about alternative treatment (AT) had high numbers of views, and videos about PT had low numbers of views, and this difference was statistically significant. Videos that did not include PT but did include LCs and AT had more likes, similar to the number of views. YouTube, which is an important source of information, can guide individuals to in reducing high blood pressure with nonpharmacological and pharmacological methods. Uploaders; doctors (31.7%), herbalists/nutritionists (18.3%), independent users (10.6%), chiropractors (6.7%), yoga teachers (4.8%), and others (27.9%). (B) Country of origin; United States of America (58.7%), India (16.3%), Australia (5.8%), United Kingdom (3.8%), others (4.8%), and unknown (10.6%). (C) Usefulness rate by content (%). PT, pharmacological treatment; LC, lifestyle change; AT, alternative treatment.

Long-segment patchplasty of diffuse left anterior descending artery disease on the beating heart.

OBJECTIVE: The rate of patients with diffuse left anterior descending artery (LAD) disease being referred for surgery has increased as a result of advances in endovascular techniques. In surgery of diffuse or multisegment LAD disease, surgical procedures with or without endarterectomy can be performed. In this article, we report our results of longsegment onlay patchplasty of the LAD with a left internal thoracic artery (LITA) graft without endarterectomy, on the beating heart, in patients with multisegment LAD disease. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in our hospital between 1 January 2015 and 31 July 2017. We included LITA onlay patchplasty patients with multisegment LAD disease who had been operated on the beating heart. We excluded patients who underwent coronary endarterectomy and were operated on under cardiopulmonary bypass. RESULTS: In this period, 54 patients with multisegment LAD disease were treated with LITA patchplasty on the beating heart. The mean length of the arteriotomy was 42.8 ± 13.3 mm (25-75 mm). There were two postoperative myocardial infarctions (3.7%) and three deaths (5.5%). In the remaining patients, there was no haemodynamic instability that needed long-term (> 24 hour) inotropic support. Patients were discharged from hospital on postoperative 9.3 ± 7.1 days with dual antiplatalet therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Bypass grafting of the LAD with long-segment LITA onlay patchplasty can safely be performed in patients with multisegment LAD disease, with acceptable early-term results. In this procedure, proximal and distal segments of the diseased LAD are revascularised with LITA grafts, which may improve long-term survival and quality of life.

Reinforcement of suture lines with aortic eversion in aortic replacement.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we describe the technique of eversion of the native aortic tissue to prevent suture line complications, and report on our results with this technique. METHODS: A total of 42 patients who were operated on due to aortic aneurysm were retrospectively assessed. In all patients, an aortic segment of approximately 2 cm, which was left both distally and proximally, was everted to form a double-layer lumen and the grafts were anastomosed. Postoperative outcomes and long-term follow-up results were assessed. RESULTS: Aortic root replacement was done in 14 cases and eight subjects underwent concurrent coronary artery bypass surgery. Postoperatively, the average volume of the drainage was 375 ± 75 ml, and there were no re-operations. Twenty-seven patients required blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Reinforcement of the anastomosis line via eversion of the native aortic tissue reduced peri-operative blood loss and pseudo-aneurysm and infection, with the advantage of using viable tissue.

Coronary artery bypass grafting in a patient with gout arthritis.

Ischemic heart disease is accepted as the most common cause of mortality and morbidity nearly all over the world. Gout disease is the most common condition of inflammatory arthritis among the adult population. Literature includes limited information about the treatment strategies when both the conditions coexist. In this report, we present the case report of a 63 year old male patient with the diagnosis of Gout arthritis who underwent a coronary artery bypass grafting procedure successfully.

Does mediastinitis affect the graft patency?

As inflammation began to be recognized as a major contributor to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, we evaluated the patients that developed mediastinitis, a long-standing inflammatory process, after coronary artery bypass grafting. There are many studies that have focused on the graft patency. But, till now, no study has been done to detect the effects of mediastinitis to graft patency. So, we aimed to detect the effect of mediastinitis on the graft patency in patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. Sixteen of 45 patients who have been operated upon for coronary artery bypass surgery and developed mediastinitis, which was treated with open drainage and mediastinal irrigation with late wound closure, were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 55 +/- 11 (range 35-69) and nine of the patients were male. The graft patency was evaluated with control coronary angiographies after a mean period of 30.42 +/- 43.17 months (range 1-132). The left internal thoracic artery was patent in all patients (100%). Right internal thoracic artery patency rate was 50% (1/2). One individual bypassed radial artery was patent, whereas the sequential bypassed graft was occluded. The patency ratio of radial artery anastomosis was 33% (1/3). Twelve of the 17 saphenous vein grafts were patent (70.58%). The total number of patent distal anastomosis was 30/38 (78.94%). When compared with the graft patency of patients without infection, it was found that mediastinitis does not affect the graft patency rates adversely.

Coronary artery disease and coronary artery bypass grafting in Behçet's disease.

There is a high frequency of pseudoaneurysm formation in patients with Behçet's disease and their inflammed and fragile tissues are difficult to manipulate. Five patients with Behçet's disease were referred to our cardiovascular surgery department for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Three of them were operated and two were treated medically. Patients that were managed medically had left anterior descending (LAD) lesions below 80% and their stable angina pectoris responded well to medication. There was no early mortality and morbidity. One patient developed pseudoaneurysm of ascending aorta and femoral artery. This patient died in the late postoperative period. At follow-up the operated patients were in Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Class I, while the medically treated patients were in CCS Class II. Mean follow-up period was 41 +/- 36.21 months. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is extremely rare detected in patients with Behçet's disease. The affected patients are usually young males. Coronary artery bypass grafting is also rarely performed in these patients and long-term results of such operations are not available in the literature. We present five patients with Behçet's disease that had CAD, three operated and two medically treated, and report their long-term results. We suggest a conservative approach in patients with Behçet's disease because of the high risk of pseudoaneurysm formation in the postoperative period. If CABG cannot be avoided we recommend operating the patients on the beating heart with minimal aortic manipulation.

Coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Coronary artery disease remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We report two cases of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) associated with SLE. The first patient (a 45-year-old woman) underwent CABG operation for left main and two-vessel coronary disease using cardiopulmonary bypass. Successful CABG was done using off-pump technique in the second patient (a 39-year-old woman) under hemodialysis therapy. Both patients showed good postoperative outcome without complications.