Objective: To determine socio-demographic features and the quality of life and associated factors in the elderly living in nursing homes. Methods: The study sample consisted of all the elderly living in a nursing home in the centre of Kahramanmarafl. Ninety-three elderly people were living in the nursing home. Ninety-one elderly people completed a questionnaire composed of questions about demographic features. Forty-two elderly people with sufficient cognitive functions filled in the short form of SF-36 which had been adapted to Turkish culture before to determine the quality of life. Scores to be obtained from SF-36 range from 0 to 100. High scores indicate an improved quality of life. Results: Out of all the elderly people included in the study, 65.9% were male and 34.1% were female. The mean age of the participants was 75.8±8.1 years and the mean duration of residence in the institution was 3.1±2.5 years. Seventeen point six percent of the elderly people were smokers, 14.3% were using Maras powder and 31.9% were nicotine addicts. Eighty point two percent of the elderly people had at least one chronic disease. The mean scores obtained by the participants were 42.25±13.04 for physical health and 42.25±13.04 for mental health in SF-36. In addition, the lowest score obtained from the subscales of SF-36 was 41.77 ± 9.83 for general health and the highest score was 50.36±9.82 for vitality. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the elderly living in the nursing home had a very low quality of life. Further studies on the quality of life of elderly people living in nursing homes and factors affecting the quality of their life will shed light on and accelerate interventions likely to be performed to improve the quality of their life.

Objective: Obesity which is an epidemic health problem, also effects pediatric population. Recently more attention is paid on obesity and thyroid function tests as more obese children are seeking for medical care. Aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between thyroid hormone levels and obesity in childhood period. Methods: Children between 5-11 years old who attended at Marmara University Family Medicine and Pediatry outpatient clinics for various reasons between April 2011 and August. 2011 were enrolled in the study. Blood samples for TSH and fT4 were collected from all children. Results: 300 children aged between 5-11 years were enrolled in the study. 159 of all children were girls and 141 of all children were boys. Mean age of the children was 8.4±2.1 years. There were 100 children in normal weight group (5-85p), 74 children in overweight group (85-95p), 126 children in obese group (>95p). TSH levels were high in 1% of normal weight group, 9.5% of overweight group and 11.9% of obese group. TSH levels of obese group were significantly higher than other groups (p=0.007) but there wasn’t any significant relationship between fT4 and BMI (p=0.395). There was a statistically significant, but weak correlation between BMI and TSH levels (r=0.152; p<0.001). Conclusions: In our study, as compatible with the literature we found statistically significant relationship between BMI and elevation of TSH. fT4 levels and BMI did not correlate significantly.

Objective: Undernutrition is common among the elderly. It is even more common in the older people taking home care compared to general population. In this study, it is aimed to examine nutritional status of elderly patients taking home-health care service and its relation with sociodemographic variables and laboratory parameters. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out between August 2011 and September 2012 in home health care unit of Taksim Research and Training Hospital in Istanbul also providing home health care service to an elderly institute. For sociodemographic features health status and laboratoy parameters, the nationally standardized patient files have been used. Mini Nutritional Assesment test has been used for nutritional assessment and applied by the nurse or the doctor. Scores classified as normal nutrional state as risk for malnutrition between 17-23, and below 17 as malnutrition. Results: A total of 89 elderly patients included in the study. Twelve (13.5%) were in normal nutritional status, 38.2% were at risk for malnutrition and 48.3% were malnourished. The presence of a wound/pressure ulcer, being bed-ridden, suffering from hypertension or cardiac insufficiency were significantly associated with malnutrition (p<0.05). Self-caring people were also at higher risk for malnutrition or were more malnourished (p<0.05). Total protein, albumin were significantly lower and CRP were significantly higher among the participants who were malnourished (p<0.05). Conclusions: Malnutrition and risk of malnutrition are common among elderly patients taking home health care service. To assess the nutritional status of patients taking health care service at home and to intervene as it is needed will positively effect general health status, quality of life and complications of chronic diseases of these patients.

Objective: Adult immunization is currently a center of interest for all over the world. The aim of this study is to investigate knowledge, attitude and behaviors of adults regarding adult immunization. Methods: In this descriptive study, a questionnaire consists of 18 items exploring demographic variables and knowledge, attitude and behaviors regarding adult immunization was implemented to the patients admitted to the five family health centers in three major central districts of Antalya. Data was analyzed with SPSS 19 software. Mean and standard deviations were used for descriptive analysis as well as Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman correlation analysis were used for comparisons. P<0.05 was accepted for statistical significance. Results: Ages of the 100 participants were ranged between 19-63 and mean duration of education were 9.9±4.3 years. 50% of the participants were female. 59% had at least one immunization procedure during their adult lives. Majority of these vaccinations were tetanus toxoid (43 participants). Regarding knowledge about immunization, 37% of respondents stated that only adults with certain diseases should be vaccinated and immunization of the whole community is not necessary; 36% of participants stated that they know that there are vaccines for adults but they don’t know what these vaccines are. The most well-known vaccine was influenza vaccine (32%) followed by tetanus (30%), hepatitis-B (12%), HPV (9%), pneumococcal vaccine (5%), MMR (3%), Herpes zoster (1%), rabies (1%) and meningitis (1%). Immunized and non-immunized participants did not significantly differ in their opinions about adult immunization (p>0.05). Conclusions: Our study suggested that adults do not have sufficient knowledge about adult immunization which is leading to low immunization rates below desired leve

Objective: Depression and anxiety are more common among the patients with diabetes in comparing with healthy people. Anxiety and depression, adversely affect the diabetic patients’ compliance, response to treatment and prognosis. Also, they increase the risk of complications, mortality and health costs, and decrease the quality of life and self-care. Recent guidelines recommend to screen depression and anxiety among diabetes patients and treat patients with any psychological problems. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of anxiety and depression among type two diabetes and determine their relation with quality of life. Methods: Four-hundred type 2 diabetes mellitus patients are included in the study, who applied to Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Family Medicine Department. A questionnaire is applied that investigates socio-demographic factors and stage of the disease among patients. Also, HAD scale for screening depression and anxiety and, EQ5D scale for assessing quality of life are used. Results: 21.8% of the patients had anxiety, and 42.0% had depression. Women had higher scores both for depression (p=0.001) and anxiety (p=0.001) than men. Depression was related with higher education level, low socioeconomic level, duration of the illness, existence of hypertension and complications (p<0.05). BMI, duration of diabetes, existence of complication were also found related with anxiety (p<0.05). Quality of life was significantly lower among the obese and hypertensive patients (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study shows that depression and anxiety among patients with diabetes are related with various factors like comorbidity, complications, BMI. Further studies are needed to show, carefull and good planned family medicine care can decrease depression and anxiety prevalence by effecting these factors

A prescription is a document that is prepared by medically qualified persons for the pharmacist and patient to implement the therapy according to the information and instructions written on it. Even though a prescription was traditionally written on paper in the past, nowadays it is mostly written electronically. Electronic (e) prescriptions are the ones which are prepared entirely electronically by a special software and communication networks of all related format information and routine procedures such as drug supply, reimbursement, registration and follow-up. Turkey initiated this practice in pilot areas in 2012 and the Social Security Institution has made it mandatory for the reimbursed prescriptions except for some limited cases since January 15, 2013. It is predictable that e-prescription would provide substantial benefits to rational use of drugs, in case of successful maintaining of e-prescription practice which can offer important advantages to the physician, reimbursement authority, health center, pharmacist, patient and the other relevant individuals and institutions in many respects like speed, convenience, accuracy etc. as compared to hand-written prescriptions. It is mentioned in various platforms that related individuals need information about this practice that is yet considered new. Introduction of e-prescription practice details and its contributions to rational use of drugs were included in this article.

Poisoning with mad honey occurs by ingestion of grayanotoxin containing honey produced by bees fed with the flowers of “Rhododendron ponticum” and “Rhododendron luteum”. It is prevalent in Nepal, North America, Brazil and Japan, and in Eastern Black Sea region in Turkey. Toxic symptoms in case of poisoning by ingestion of mad honey may be seen even with very small amounts. It can cause life threatening conditions. In this case report, a family of 35-year-old mother, 38-year-old father and their 5 and 10-year old daughters poisoned with mad honey and admitted to the emergency department is presented. Parents complained of dizziness, nausea-vomiting, abdominal pain and faintness. Daughters had complaints of mild nausea and weakness. Upon the finding of bradycardia and hypotension in parents, mad honey consuming was questioned and a history of breakfast with honey was taken. In this case report, it was aimed to review of the diagnosis and treatment of mad honey poisoning that can be confused with many other diseases.

Legislation of family medicine specialization took place in 1983 in Turkey and the first vocational training program started in 1985 in training and research hospitals. Establishment of family medicine departments at universities in 1993, according to the regulatory decision of the Board of Higher Education was an important milestone in the development of family medicine as an academic dicipline. This development had been followed by residency training and appointment of academic positions in universities. The first successful results were taken in 1996 regarding promotion of associate professorship positions. Discipline was strengthened by developing academic staff each year. During the process of the development of academic staff, the formation of juries for evaluating applications of associate professorship was one of the major problems because of the lack of standardization. Over the years, increasing numbers of academic staff and the development of the discipline played a huge role in solving this problem. As of 01.06.2013, the number of associate professors reached to 92 and 20 of the associate professors among them appointed to professor degree. The majority of the associate professors are from universities (79.4%), and the second group are from training and research hospitals (13.0%), and 7.6% of them are from primary care. 43 of 92 (46.7%) associate professors were female in the discipline