Quantitative Metrics in Mass-Gathering Studies: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Mass gatherings are events where many people come together at a specific location for a specific purpose, such as concerts, sports events, or religious gatherings, within a certain period of time. In mass-gathering studies, many rates and ratios are used to assess the demand for medical resources. Understanding such metrics is crucial for effective planning and intervention efforts. Therefore, this systematic review aims to investigate the usage of rates and ratios reported in mass-gathering studies. METHODS: In this systematic review, the PRISMA guidelines were followed. Articles published through December 2023 were searched on Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and PubMed using the specified keywords. Subsequently, articles were screened based on titles, abstracts, and full texts to determine their eligibility for inclusion in the study. Finally, the articles that were related to the study's aim were evaluated. RESULTS: Out of 745 articles screened, 55 were deemed relevant for inclusion in the study. These included 45 original research articles, three special reports, three case presentations, two brief reports, one short paper, and one field report. A total of 15 metrics were identified, which were subsequently classified into three categories: assessment of population density, assessment of in-event health services, and assessment of out-of-event health services. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study revealed notable inconsistencies in the reporting of rates and ratios in mass-gathering studies. To address these inconsistencies and to standardize the information reported in mass-gathering studies, a Metrics and Essential Ratios for Gathering Events (MERGE) table was proposed. Future research should promote consistency in terminology and adopt standardized methods for presenting rates and ratios. This would not only enhance comparability but would also contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics associated with mass gatherings.

Challenges Faced by Medical Rescue Teams During Disaster Response: A Systematic Review Study.

This study was conducted to identify the challenges faced by medical rescue teams during the response phase of sudden-onset disasters and provide a comprehensive understanding of these challenges. Peer-reviewed, English-language articles published until January 2023 that described the challenges faced by medical rescue teams during disaster response were searched in the Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, PubMed, and Science Direct databases. The articles were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 2018, a quality evaluation tool, and a qualitative thematic synthesis approach was adopted. A total of 353 publications were identified, and 18 of these met the inclusion criteria. Of the 18 included studies, 8 were review articles, 4 were special reports, 3 were cross-sectional studies, 1 was a mixed methods study, 1 was a qualitative study, and 1 was a short communication. Through qualitative analysis, the challenges faced by medical rescue teams during disaster response were categorized into 6 factors: organizational, individual, environmental and health, logistical, communication and information, and other factors. These factors are significant in terms of issues such as delayed access to disaster victims, disruptions in response processes, and an increase in morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, the findings in our study shed light on future research in the field of disasters and offer opportunities to develop a roadmap for improving the conditions of medical rescue teams.

The Knowledge, Practices, and Perceptions of Surgical Nurses Concerning Spirituality and Spiritual Care.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe the knowledge, practices and perceptions of nurses concerning spirituality and spiritual care. DESIGN: A descriptive study. METHODS: The study was performed with 142 surgical nurses working in three public hospitals in a city in Turkey. A "Personal Information Form" and the "Spirituality and Spiritual Care Grading Scale" were used for data collection. The data were analysed on SPSS 25.0 software. FINDINGS: While 77.5% of the nurses reported having heard about the concepts of spirituality and spiritual care, 17.6% reported having received instruction concerning spirituality and spiritual care during their initial nursing education and 19.0% after graduation. In addition, 78.2% provided spiritual care in the clinics where they worked, 40.5% reported that patients were given religious support and 37.8% stated that patients were given the opportunity to be involved in their own care. The nurses' total mean spirituality and spiritual care grading scale score was 57.6±5.6. A statistically significant difference was determined in mean scale scores between nurses who had and had not heard about the concepts of spirituality and spiritual care (P=0.049) and between those who practiced and did not practice spiritual care in the clinics where they worked (P=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of surgical nurses had heard about the concepts of spirituality and spiritual care but had not been exposed to them during their initial nursing education. However, the majority practiced spiritual care in their clinics, and their perception levels were above average.

Effect of intrapartum vitamin D levels on labor pain.

AIM: Vitamin D has widespread receptor distribution in the body, and therefore it has vital roles in numerous pathophysiological conditions. It also affects pain manifestation through its functions at various stages of the pain pathways. This study aimed to investigate the effects of intrapartum vitamin D levels on pain experienced by women during the first stage of labor. METHODS: A total of 127 term-nulliparous women at the early stage of labor were included in the study. Serum 25 (OH) vitamin D levels were measured at the beginning of labor to determine intrapartum vitamin D levels. Labor pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale at different stages of cervical dilation (VAS0 , VAS1 , VAS2 ). Postpartum pain (VASpp ) and women's birth satisfaction score (BSS) were also evaluated during the early postpartum period. RESULTS: There was a moderate negative correlation between vitamin D and VAS0 and VAS1 (r2  = 0.4, p = 0.000; r2  = -0.570, p = 0.000, respectively), and a weak negative correlation between vitamin D and VAS2 (r2  = -0.373, p = 0.000). No significant correlation was found between vitamin D and BSS and length of labor (p = 0.127, p = 0.126, respectively). CONCLUSION: In nulliparous women with low vitamin D levels, the first stage of labor and the early postpartum period may be more painful. To facilitate management of labor pain, during the antenatal period vitamin D levels should be monitored, and in cases where the levels are deficient, vitamin D supplementation should be started.