Evaluation of experiences of the patients discharged from the COVID-19 intensive care unit: a qualitative research.

Making arrangements by learning how intensive care patients feel due to a disease called as fatal worldwide can make it easier for patients to cope with the disease. For this reason, it is important for healthcare professionals to understand the patients who have been infected and discharged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experiences of the patients may affect the perspective of the disease and cause different changes in the perception of it. This study, which was conducted based on this idea, aimed to examine the intensive care experiences of patients discharged from the COVID-19 intensive care unit. This study used a phenomenological qualitative approach. A semi-structured interview form was used to interview 23 patients discharged from the COVID-19 intensive care unit. The findings were reported on the basis of consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. In line with the data obtained from the interviews, five main themes and eight subthemes were created. The main themes were classified as emotional expressions (positive/negative) related to intensive care experience, coping methods, analogies (for COVID-19 and nurses) and attitudes towards the care provided (respiration, nutrition, excretion and privacy, sleep, communication). In this study, the participants experienced negative emotions such as fear of death/anxiety, sadness, loneliness, and helplessness during their intensive care experiences. Most of them stated that they tried to cope with prayer and communication. The participants compared COVID-19with deadly and respiratory-inhibiting tools and diseases. They expressed difficulties in breathing, nutrition, excretion and privacy, sleep and communication related to the care provided. In this process, they made positive analogies for the nurses who spent the most time with them, such as angels and family members.

Individuals living with cancer in Turkey and the COVID-19 pandemic / Las personas que viven con cáncer en Turquía y la pandemia de COVID-19 / As pessoas que vivem com câncer na Turquia e a pandemia da COVID-19

Abstract: The aim of this study is to determine the problems faced by individuals living with cancer (ILCs) in accessing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. This qualitative study's sample consisted of 18 volunteer interviewees from 10 cancer-related patient associations in Turkey. Research data were collected by semi-structured interview method. Data collection and analysis were carried out simultaneously. In the sessions where all researchers participated together, the data were coded with a common view, and main and sub-themes were determined. In the analysis of the data the inductive thematic analysis method was applied. Information was gathered under two main themes: compliance with the measures taken and access to health services. Lack of information about nutrition, physical activity, psychological problems, caused by the lockdown and social distance measures taken within the scope of the pandemic should be accepted as problems within the scope of the right of individuals to access health, and additional programs should be prepared to minimize these. Cancer types should be considered in delaying diagnosis, treatment, and controls related to cancer, so that patients are not harmed at least or at all. It is important to ensure that patients do not hesitate to attend diagnosis, treatment, and controls with the anxiety of being infected with COVID-19, both in transportation to health facilities and in terms of preventing transmission in health facilities.

Resumen: El objetivo de este estudio es determinar los problemas a los que se enfrentan las personas que viven con cáncer (ILC) para acceder a los servicios sanitarios durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Turquía. La muestra consistió en 18 entrevistados voluntarios de 10 asociaciones de pacientes relacionados con el cáncer en Turquía. Los datos de la investigación se recogieron mediante el método de la entrevista semiestructurada. La recogida y el análisis de los datos se llevaron a cabo simultáneamente. En las sesiones los datos se codificaron con una visión común y se determinaron los temas principales y los subtemas. En el análisis de los datos se aplicó el método de análisis temático inductivo. La información se recogió bajo dos temas principales: el cumplimiento de las medidas adoptadas y el acceso a los servicios sanitarios. La falta de información sobre nutrición, actividad física, problemas psicológicos, causados por el encierro y las medidas de distanciamiento social tomadas en el ámbito de la pandemia, deben ser aceptados como problemas dentro del ámbito del derecho de las personas a acceder a la salud, y se deben preparar programas adicionales para minimizarlos. Los tipos de cáncer deben tenerse en cuenta a la hora de retrasar el diagnóstico, el tratamiento y los controles relacionados, para que los pacientes no se vean perjudicados en lo más mínimo. Es importante asegurar que los pacientes no duden en acudir al diagnóstico, tratamiento y controles con la ansiedad de ser infectados con COVID-19, tanto en el transporte a los centros de salud como en la prevención de la transmisión en estos centros.

Resumo: O objetivo deste estudo é determinar os problemas enfrentados pelas pessoas que vivem com câncer (PLWC) no acesso aos serviços de saúde durante a pandemia da COVID-19 na Turquia. A amostra consistiu de 18 respondentes voluntários de 10 associações de pacientes relacionados ao câncer na Turquia. Os dados da pesquisa foram coletados usando o método de entrevista semi-estruturada. A coleta e análise de dados foram realizadas simultaneamente. Nas sessões, os dados foram codificados com uma visão comum e os principais temas e subtemas foram determinados. O método de análise temática indutiva foi aplicado na análise de dados. As informações foram coletadas sob dois temas principais: conformidade com as medidas tomadas e acesso aos serviços de saúde. A falta de informação sobre nutrição, atividade física, problemas psicológicos causados pelo confinamento e medidas de distanciamento social tomadas no contexto da pandemia deve ser aceita como problemas dentro do escopo do direito de acesso à saúde das pessoas, e programas adicionais devem ser preparados para minimizá-los. Os tipos de câncer devem ser levados em consideração ao atrasar o diagnóstico, tratamento e check-ups relacionados, para que os pacientes não fiquem em desvantagem mínima. É importante assegurar que os pacientes não hesitem em ir para diagnóstico, tratamento e check-ups com a ansiedade de serem infectados pela COVID-19, tanto no transporte para instalações de saúde quanto na prevenção da transmissão nessas instalações.

Applicability of calf subcutaneous tissue to subcutaneous injection in young adults.

AIM: The aim of the study is to provide usage of subcutaneous tissue of lateral calf area (region of M. Gastrocnemius) in addition to the existing injection regions and to compare tissue thicknesses of the lateral upper arm, anterior and lateral thigh, anterior abdomen regions and calf regions. BACKGROUND: Subcutaneous injection (SC) is an application of 0.5cc drug with an injection (No. 25 and 8-15-18mm long) to the connective tissue under the skin. Individuals to which SC injection is frequently applied, should rotate the injection areas. METHODS: This research uses the descriptive method. One hundred and sixty-one students (aged; 20.09±2.268) were used as test subjects. Demographic data was obtained from the students who agreed to participate in the research. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Skin thickness measured using the Holtain Skinfold Caliper. SPSS 20 package software was used for statistical analysis of the data. For comparison of the tissue thicknesses between genders, the t-test was used for independent groups. In order to determine the interactions between anthropometric measurements within each other and other numerical measurements (age, length. BMI, etc.). Pearson Correlation coefficient and related P value was performed. Statistical P value is taken as 0.05. RESULTS: Consideration of subcutaneous injection applicability of the calf region depended on the injector lengths: 8mm, 15mm and 18mm, 86.3%, 59.6% and 47.8% of the population, respectively were found applicable for this region. CONCLUSIONS: The calf region could be recommended as SC injection region with an 8mm injector. According to the findings it can be said that the calf region of female genders is more applicable than male genders for SC injection. Calf region could be proposed as anticoagulation treatment.