How the Aperture of Femoral Tunnel Affected in ACL Reconstruction Performed with AM Portal Technique?

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to evaluate the position of tibial tunnel (TT) and femoral tunnels (FT) performed by using the anteromedial (AM) portal technique and its effect on the aperture of FT. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total 44 patients operated for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture by AM portal technique between January 2013 and July 2015, were included in this study. They were subjected to a magnetic resonance imaging of the knee to assess the FT, dimensions of the FT aperture and TT. The location of the ACL graft within the joint was compared with the intact ACL of healthy individuals. The patients were also evaluated using Lysholm and IKDC subjective scores for functional outcome. RESULTS The mean FT angle on both the coronal plane (42.88°±5.83°) and the sagittal plane (68.47°±9.57°) was significantly different from the intra-articular part of the hamstring autograft angles (74.93°±7.27° and 58.74°±4.88°, respectively) (p<0.0001). The mean distance of the FT aperture was 13.18 (±2.49) mm on vertical axis, 10.97 (±1.50) mm on the sagittal axis (p<0.0001). The difference between TT axis and the axis of the intra-articular part of autograft on both coronal (72.78°±4.67° and 74.93°±7.27°, respectively) and sagittal planes (60.12°±5.53° and 58.74°±4.88°, respectively) were not significant (p>0.05). DISCUSSION Ilingrowth et al. claimed that the FT were scattered in the very large distance and some of them were placed outside of anatomical range in the series included the cases performed with transtibial and transtibial independent techniques. In this series, in which we used a femoral guide to drill the FT at lateral femoral condyle at 2 or 10 o'clock position depended upon the site of operation, we obtained a consistent FT which is comparable with the intra-articular part of native ACL. Amano et al. found that the FT aperture enlargement was significant in the series when hamstring tendons were used as autograft, over a 6-month period. We also found a significant difference between the narrowest part of the FT (7.01 ± 1.05 mm) and its aperture (10.97 ± 1.50 mm in sagittal, 13.18 ± 2.49 mm in vertical direction). The enlargement was mainly in the vertical direction, due to the fact that the loads resulting from daily life are mostly on the horizontal plane. CONCLUSIONS The direction of intra-articular part of the ACL graft in the cases operated with the AM portal technique is significantly different from the FT direction in both the coronal and sagittal planes. The enlargement of the FT aperture is larger in the vertical axis compared to the sagittal axis. Although the long-term clinical consequences of asymmetrical enlargement of the FT aperture are not known yet, to avoid this potential risk, a technique to approximate the direction of FT to the intra-articular part of the ACL without changing the FT entry site, can be used. Key words: knee, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, femoral tunnel, tibial tunnel, anteromedial portal.

SUL-109 Protects Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Apoptosis Induced by Short-Term Hypothermic Preservation and Maintains Their Engraftment Potential.

The newly developed 6-hydroxychromanol derivate SUL-109 was shown to provide protection during hypothermic storage of several cell lines, but has not been evaluated in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Hypothermic preservation of HSCs would be preferred over short-term cryopreservation to prevent cell loss during freezing/thawing and would be particularly useful for short-term storage, such as during conditioning of patients or transport of HSC transplants. Here we cultured human CD34+ umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells and lineage-depleted (Lin-) Balb/c bone marrow (BM) cells for up to 7 days in serum-free HSC expansion medium with hematopoietic growth factors. SUL-109-containing cultures were stored at 4°C for 3 to 14 days. The UCB cells were tested for viability, cell cycle, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). DMSO-cryopreserved Lin- BM cells or Lin- BM cells maintained for 14 days at 4°C were transplanted into RAG2-/- Balb/c mice and engraftment was followed for 6 months. The addition of SUL-109 during the hypothermic storage of expanded CD34+ UCB cells provided a significant improvement in cell survival of the immature CD34+/CD38- fraction after 7 days of hypothermic storage through scavenging of hypothermia-induced ROS and was able to preserve the multilineage capacity of human CD34+ UCB cells for up to 14 days of cold storage. In addition, SUL-109 protected murine BM Lin- cells from 14 days of hypothermic preservation and maintained their engraftment potential after transplantation in immune-deficient RAG2-/- mice. Our data indicate that SUL-109 is a promising novel chemical for use as a protective agent during cold storage of human and murine HSCs to prevent hypothermia-induced apoptosis and promote cell viability.

Knowledge levels and attitudes of adult individuals about cancer and its risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Cancer maintains its importance as a major public health issue in the world and developing countries such as Turkey. Determining individuals' knowledge and attitudes about cancer is very important for cancer prevention. Research on knowledge and attitudes plays an important role in the development of targeted policies in the fight against cancer. AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes of adult individuals about cancer and its risk factors. METHODS: The study was conducted descriptively in the city center of Trabzon. The study population and sample consisted of 105.071 and 1200 adults aged 40 and over living in the city center, respectively. For the sample selection, multistage randomized sampling method was used. The data were collected using a questionnaire, which was developed by the researchers after reviewing the literature and receiving expert opinions. The findings were presented as descriptive statistics with numbers, percentages, and averages. RESULTS: It was found that 45.7% of the participants smoked, 9.1% consumed alcohol, 40.8% consumed acidic foods, 33.0% had family history of cancer in first degree relatives, and 28.5% had cancer-related death in first degree relatives. The participants stated that cancer was the most fatal disease and listed the first three cancer-causing factors as cigarettes (95.7%), mobile phones (90.4%) and alcohol (90.2%). 62.4% of them did not know the symptoms of cancer, and 86.4% and 76.4% believed that 'sadness and stress cause cancer' and 'cancer is inherited', respectively. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that adult individuals had a significant level of false and incomplete information about cancer, and their behaviors having risk factors for cancer could not be altered and transformed into appropriate ones. Therefore, it is thought that informative studies on cancer should be carried out continuously to carry out the fight against cancer successfully.

Which men have better attitudes and participation to family planning services? A study in primary care settings from Northern Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Turkey is the third most populous country of the European region located at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In Turkey, approximately 2 million pregnancies occur every year. Half of the pregnancies are involuntary, and five out of every 100 pregnancies end with wanted abortion. There are limitations in access to modern methods in the north of Turkey. This study was aimed to determine the factors associated with better attitudes and participation to family planning (FP) services in primary care settings from Northern Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study, based on primary care settings, was conducted in the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey with 400 married men. Male attitudes and participation were measured by a questionnaire form. Chi-square testing and logistic regression analyses were applied. RESULTS: We found that male participation was present in 302 participants (75.5%), and 363 participants (90.8%) approved the use of FP. Male participation was significantly different by age, occupation, education, marriage age, spouses' education and occupation, and attitudes towards FP. Based on multivariate analysis, male participation was significantly associated with spouses' level of education, employment status, currently using FP, and the perception of spousal communication. CONCLUSION: Better participation existed among participants with higher educated spouses, employed spouses, current users of FP, and the better self-perception of communication.

Knowledge and attitudes among patients with asthma and parents and physicians towards influenza vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is an infectious disease, dangerous for all people, especially for some risk groups such as patients with chronic diseases and health care workers. But most of the people under the risk of influenza, including health care workers are not immunised because of misinformation. In this study, we aimed to determine the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma and parents of such children related to influenza vaccination. Attitudes and beliefs of physicians treating these patients about influenza vaccination were also investigated. METHODS: Two different questionnaires consisting of various items related to influenza vaccine were distributed to physicians and patients and parents of children with asthma and allergic disease. RESULTS: The physicians group consisted of 189 physicians from various branches. About one third of physicians from various branches reported that they did not believe the vaccine's effectiveness. Most of the participating physicians did not immunise themselves with influenza vaccination despite the fact that any patient of theirs had died due to influenza infection. Although nearly half of the 183 patients had been vaccinated with influenza vaccine, only 27% of adults and 11.7% of children had been vaccinated annually. CONCLUSIONS: Asthmatic patients are not immunised regularly with influenza vaccine due to misperceptions about vaccine effectiveness and fear of adverse effects. Another important reason of this is that most the physicians caring for these patients neither immunise themselves nor recommend the vaccine to their patients.

Health literacy among schoolteachers in Çorum, Turkey.

Teachers' health literacy is an important part of school health promotion programmes. This study in 2013 assessed health literacy and related factors in schoolteachers in Çorum, Turkey. In a cross-sectional study, 500 primary and secondary teachers answered a questionnaire about self-reported health behaviours and completed the 6-item Newest Vital Sign tool. The mean score on the health literacy scale was 2.12 (SD 1.82). Overall, 44.0% of the teachers had very limited, 29.8% limited and 26.2% adequate health literacy. Adequate health literacy levels were significantly higher among those without chronic disease, non-smokers, non-alcohol users and those interested in healthy lifestyle topics in the media. In binary logistic regression analysis, the risk of limited health literacy was significantly greater in the older age groups, in men and in those whose partner was an educator or a housewife. In view of the low health literacy levels, we suggest that teacher candidates could benefit from health education programmes after graduation.

Hospital admissions for anaphylaxis in Istanbul, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: There are very limited data characterizing the epidemiology of anaphylaxis from low- and middle-income country settings. We aimed to estimate the frequency of anaphylaxis admissions to hospitals in Istanbul. METHODS: We obtained data from all 45 hospitals in Istanbul over a 12-month period and used ICD-10 codes to extract data on those admitted with a recorded primary diagnosis of anaphylaxis. Because of concerns about possible under-coding, we undertook an additional analysis to identify patients admitted with two or more clinical codes for symptoms and/or signs suggestive of, but not coded as having, anaphylaxis. RESULTS: A total of 114 cases (79 people with anaphylaxis codes and 35 with symptoms and signs suggestive of anaphylaxis) were identified, giving an overall estimate of 1.95 cases per 100 000 person-years. CONCLUSION: The novel two-stage identification approach employed suggests significant under-recording of anaphylaxis in those admitted to hospitals in Istanbul.

COVID-19: booster(s) vs. hospitalization and Intensive Care Unit admission.

OBJECTIVE: As the pandemic continues, different vaccine protocols have been implemented to maintain the protection of vaccines and to provide protection against new variants. The aim of this study was to assess hospitalized patients' vaccination status and document the efficacy of boosters. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients that were hospitalized due to COVID-19 were enrolled from 28 hospitals in Turkey for five months from September 2021. 5,331 confirmed COVID-19 patients from collaborating centers were randomly enrolled to understand/estimate the distribution of vaccination status in hospitalized patients and to compare the efficacy of vaccination/booster protocols. RESULTS: 2,779 men and 2,552 women of which 2,408 (45.2%) were admitted to Intensive Care Units participated in this study. It was found that the highest risk reduction for all age groups was found in groups that received 4 doses. Four doses of vaccination for every 3.7 people under 50 years of age, for every 5.7 people in the 50-64 age group, and for every 4.3 people over 65 years of age will prevent 1 patient from being admitted to intensive care. Regardless of the type of vaccine, it was found that the risk of ICU hospitalization decreased in those who were vaccinated compared to those who were not vaccinated. Regardless of the type of vaccine, the ICU risk was found to decrease 1.25-fold in those who received 1 or 2 doses of vaccine, 1.18-fold in those who received 3 doses, and 3.26-fold in those who received 4 doses. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the addition of a fourth dose is more effective in preventing intensive unit care even in disadvantaged groups.

Dentists' knowledge about anaphylaxis caused by local anaesthetics.

BACKGROUND: IgE-mediated systemic reactions to local anaesthetics may be seen--although rarely--by dentists. However, it is not known whether dentists are familiar with symptoms, signs and management of anaphylaxis. METHODS: In this study we aimed to evaluate knowledge of dentists of the symptoms and signs and current treatment of anaphylaxis. For this, some dentists working in their private offices in Istanbul were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire with 15 questions related to anaphylaxis. RESULTS: A total of 86 dentists agreed to participate in the study. None of the attendants were completely aware of the symptoms and signs of anaphylaxis. About half of the attendants (48.8%) knew epinephrine as the first drug in the treatment of anaphylaxis and keep it in their offices (55.6%), but only one third of the dentists (31.5%) preferred intramuscular route as the most effective route for epinephrine injection. CONCLUSION: Our data show that the level of dentists' knowledge of local anaesthetics allergy and anaphylaxis is inadequate. This may endanger patients' lives. An educational programme that may improve general dentists' knowledge about local anaesthetics allergy and anaphylaxis is urgently necessary.

ELISA screening and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry confirmation of chloramphenicol residues in chicken muscle, and the validation of a confirmatory method by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

In the period December 2008 to August 2009, 180 chicken meat samples, including 90 thigh and 90 breast meats in Bursa province, Turkey, were collected. The determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) residues in the samples was screened by ELISA, and a confirmatory method based on liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was described and validated. The ELISA screening of the samples was performed after extraction with ethyl acetate and defatting with n-hexane. The results showed that 15 (8.3%) of the chicken meat samples were positive for CAP residues from 12.64 to 226.22 ng/kg, with a mean of 45.32 ng/kg. Confirmatory analysis of the results from ELISA was practiced after an extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic seperation was carried out by using a Synergy MAX-RP 80A column and the mixture of acetic acid-water as a mobile phase. The mass spectral acquisition was done in the negative-ion mode applying selective reaction monitoring with the following ions (mass-to-charge ratio, m/z): m/z 321 → 152 and m/z 321 → 194 for CAP. By liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, CAP was confirmed in 2 of 15 ELISA positive samples and 1 of 45 negative samples, with concentration levels that varied between 150 and 361 ng/kg. The method was validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The calibration curves were linear with a typical r(2) value of 0.9966. The recovery values ranged from 97.3 to 104.0% and within-laboratory repeatability was lower than 5%. The decision limit was 0.10 µg/kg and detection capability was 0.11 µg/kg. To evaluate the presence of CAP residues, this method was successfully implemented in chicken meat samples.

Knowledge Attitudes and Behaviors About Organ Donation Among First- and Sixth-class Medical Students: A Study From Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of Erciyes University School of Medicine students regarding organ donation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in 2014 on Erciyes University School of Medicine first- and sixth-grade students via questionnaire. It was to be conducted on all 490 students; in total, 464 students were enrolled-304 from first grade and 160 from sixth grade. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, χ(2) test, and binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age was 20.9 ± 2.8 years and it was found that 48.9% were male, 65.5% were in first grade; 50.0% of the students who participated in the study were considering donating their organs and this rate is 45.4% in the first grade and 58.8% at sixth grade. Those who donated their organs were 3.4% in the entire group and were 1.6% and 6.9% consequently in first and sixth grades. Those who are; at the sixth grade, female gender, those who feel themselves responsible for the donation of society, who think organ donation is appropriate in terms of religion and conversations within family about organ donations significantly want organ donation more statistically. However, grade and gender had no effect on wishing donating organs according to binary logistic regression analysis. The rate of feeling themselves responsible from the donation in society was 73.9% and finding organ donation appropriate in terms of religion was 75.6% and there wasn't significant difference between first and sixth grades. CONCLUSION: Although there are increases in many variables about this issue at sixth grade, students are unable to gain sufficient attitude and behavior about organ donation. Training can be planned during medical educations in terms of gaining attitudes and behaviors about the issue.

Hepatitis B seroprevalence among children in a Turkish hospital.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods in 1316 patients from Onkoduz Mayis University Children's Hospital to investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis B in children from our region. The age range was from one month to 16 years. Seroprevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs was 3.2 and 13.3%, and increased with age. None of the children had received hepatitis B vaccine. Hepatitis B is an important health problem in our region, and all children should be vaccinated.

The inflammatory response to open tension-free inguinal hernioplasty versus conventional repairs.

BACKGROUND: The tension-free inguinal hernioplasty is now a popular method because of less postoperative disability and low recurrence rate. The laboratory evaluation of the inflammatory response to the injury is an objective approach to determine the stress status of a surgical procedure. The aim of this study is to evaluate and to compare inflammatory responses to open tension-free and conventional repairs of inguinal hernias. METHODS: Forty-eight male patients with primary indirect inguinal hernias were treated with elective operations, and separated into three groups according to surgical procedure: 12 pediatric patients treated with dissection of hernia sac in group 1, 16 adult patients with open tension-free hernioplasty in group 2, and 20 adult patients with conventional repairs in group 3. Ten healthy adult volunteers formed group 4 as control. The repair was performed with polypropylene mesh and suture as the Lichtenstein technique in group 2, and with polypropylene suture as one of Bassini, McVay, or Shouldice techniques in group 3. The inflammatory response was evaluated with serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels at 12 hours and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at 48 hours postoperatively. Serum levels of IL-6 and CRP were measured in group 4 as control. Patient characteristics, operating time, and IL-6 and CRP levels were compared among the four groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mean age and operating time between the two groups of adult patients with hernia repair. Mean serum IL-6 levels of 12.1 +/- 5.2 and 8.2 +/- 2.7 pg/mL, and CRP levels of 34.3 +/- 13.8 and 7.5 +/- 4 mg/L in pediatric and control groups, respectively, were significantly lower than in the other two hernia groups. Mean serum IL-6 levels were 58.9 +/- 25.4 pg/mL in group 2 (tension-free repair) and 44.3 +/- 18.1 pg/mL in group 3 (conventional repair) (P > 0.05). Mean serum CRP levels were 111.3 +/- 41.3 and 83 +/- 43.2 mg/L in groups 2 and 3, respectively (P > 0.05). The differences not being statistically significant, a similar and considerable inflammatory response was noted in patients with either prosthetic mesh repair or with conventional repairs of indirect inguinal hernias. CONCLUSIONS: The reinforcement of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal induces significant cytokine response regardless of tension-free or conventional repair. Open tension-free hernioplasty offered no advantages over conventional repairs from the standpoint of the inflammatory and acute phase response.

Prevalence of asthma symptoms in school children in Ankara, Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of symptoms suggestive of asthma in children aged 7-14 years in Ankara, Turkey. For this purpose, the recently developed ISAAC (International Study for Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire supplemented with six additional questions was issued to parents of 3154 primary school children from 12 schools. A separate page with questions regarding risk factors was also added to the questionnaire. The response rate was 88.3%. The cumulative and 12-month prevalence of wheezing were 14.4 and 4.7% respectively. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 8.1%. A family history of atopy was found to be the strongest risk factor for having ever had wheezing (odds ratio (OR) = 2.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.32-3.60), wheezing in the past 12 months (OR = 3.21, CI = 2.21-4.67), and severe attack (OR = 2.41, CI = 1.36-4.25). Passive smoking was a risk only for having ever had wheezing (OR = 1.33, CI = 1.03-1.76). Increasing age was associated with a lower risk of current wheezing (OR = 0.85, CI = 0.81-0.90) and severe attack (OR = 0.77, CI = 0.67-0.88). Gender, socio-economic level and pet ownership did not appear to be risk factors for asthma-related symptoms. This study, the first epidemiological survey in Ankara, Turkey, using the ISAAC protocol, clearly shows that symptoms suggestive of asthma, albeit lower than in most European countries, are quite common and constitute a major health problem in Turkey.

The prevalence of self-reported asthma and respiratory symptoms in Ankara, Turkey.

The prevalence of self-reported asthma was studied in a group of Turkish adults using the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) questionnaire distributed during 1994 local elections in Ankara, Turkey. A total of 2020 questionnaires were issued and 1820(90%) were returned. The mean age of the subjects was 34.5 +/- 10.2 years. The prevalence of wheezing at any time in the past was 39.1% which is much higher than has been reported in the literature. However, only 21.7% of the study population had wheezing in the year preceding the survey and 2.9% of them had severe asthma attacks. The prevlaences of nocturnal wheeze, nocturnal cough and morning tightness were higher in females (P = 0.05 for each). The results of this study showed a high rate of reported symptoms but a low rate of diagnosis and treatment of asthma among the adult population in Ankara.

Married men's opinions and involvement regarding family planning in rural areas.

As men play a prominent role in reproduction, it is therefore extremely useful to assess and encourage them to be involved in contraception, particularly in developing countries, where contraceptive goals have not been reached. This study was carried out in Kayseri, Turkey, in order to determine the attitudes and behavior of married men concerning family planning. A questionnaire was presented to 123 married men. In our study, 91.9% of men approved of family planning, but only 54.4% actually used any contraceptive methods; 66.7% of the men said that the decision should be a joint one, 66.4% wanted to limit their family size. Approximately one fourth of the men had never heard of voluntary sterilization. No one in the study group was aware of the mini-pill, diaphragm or Norplant. In the study group, 26.8% of the men did not want their wives to use intrauterine devices and 31.7% of them did not agree with women using the contraceptive pills. Among those unwilling to use a condom (46.3%), 70.1% stated that it might interrupt intercourse. If a contraceptive pill for males could be used, 25.2% of members of the group would be prepared to use it. Only 17.5% men in the study group had contacted a doctor or a health foundation to obtain information. The main sources of family planning information were TV/radio, followed by friends and newspapers/magazines. In order to encourage men's involvement in family planning, the use of mass media and continual training programs, to try to reach both men and women, could be very useful.

The prevalence and identification of risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in Kayseri, central Anatolia, Turkey.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease which causes neurologic, cardiac, vascular, ocular and renal complications. The present study documented the prevalence of diabetes and associated risk factors in 1774 adults who were older than 30 years. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Of the 1452 subjects, 58 (4%) had diagnosed diabetes, 41 (2.9%) undiagnosed diabetes and 130 (9%) had impaired glucose tolerance. The total glucose intolerance was 15. 9%. The prevalences of type 2 diabetes mellitus (9.7%-4.1%) were significantly different in low occupational and high occupational activity groups, respectively (P<0.0001). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was 17.9% among the hypertensive group (P<0.0001). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was higher in smokers (P<0.05). Patients with diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes and IGT were older, more obese and have higher blood glucose values, triglyceride values, systolic and diastolic blood pressures than healthy subjects (P<0.001). We conclude that type 2 diabetes mellitus and IGT prevalences are quite high in the urban area of Kayseri, central Anatolia and multivariate analysis indicated that low occupational activity, low leisure activity, family history for diabetes, hypertension and obesity were significant independent risk factors for diabetes mellitus.

The relation between recurrent acute subglottic laryngitis and asthma in children.

OBJECTIVE: Acute subglottic laryngitis is caused by some viruses and may recur several times in children. Risk factors underlying the recurrences of this disease are obscure. The present study was undertaken to investigate the relation between acute subglottic laryngitis, asthma and allergy. METHODS: Twenty five children with recurrent acute subglottic laryngitis were evaluated for risk factors for recurrent respiratory tract infections and allergy. Eight of the children had high IgE levels and six of them were found to be allergic by skin prick tests. RESULTS: During a 1 year follow-up period four children showed asthma symptoms and in three of these patients recurrences of croup attacks disappeared after asthma treatment with nebulized budesonide. CONCLUSION: We concluded that recurrent acute subglottic laryngitis may be an early sign of subsequent asthma development.

Calculation of intraocular lens power with the SRK II formula for axial high myopia.

AIM: The SRK II formula has been widely used for intraocular lens (IOL) power calculations. The predictability of this formula is evaluated in axial myopic patients. METHODS: Planned extracapsular cataract extraction and posterior chamber IOL implantation (PECCE + IOL) were performed on 98 eyes of 98 patients with axial length > 24.5 mm. Cases had no preoperative complications and postoperative visual acuity was at least 0.5 (Snellen). Corneal refractive power and axial length were measured preoperatively and emmetropic IOL power calculations were made using the SRK II formula. Long-term (mean 4.7 months) visual acuities and refractions were noted postoperatively. RESULTS: The absolute refractive error was < 1.00 Diopters (D) in 57 eyes (58.2%) and < 2.00 D in 83 eyes (84.7%). The mean absolute error of the SRK II formula in axial myopia was 1.16 D +/- 0.78 SD. CONCLUSIONS: The SRK II formula is not very accurate in axial myopic patients.

The role of viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in lower respiratory tract infections in childhood.

Acute lower respiratory tract infections are one of the major causes of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries. This study was undertaken at Hacettepe University Children's Hospital to determine the role of viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in respiratory tract infections in children. Eighty-three patients with lower respiratory tract infections were selected at random from among the children admitted to the hospital for evaluation of respiratory symptoms. Acute and convalescent serum samples were collected from all patients for the complement-fixation test and the following antigens were used: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, parainfluenza virus Type 1, influenza viruses A and B, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The test was positive in 39 of 83 patients (47%), and RSV was the most frequent agent detected serologically (15.7%).