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We aimed to reveal the relationship between the meteorological variables and suicide rates (completed suicides and suicide attempts) independently of the seasonal cycle and holiday effects. This is an observational retrospective study. We collected the data on age, gender, and suicide method of all suicide cases transferred to hospitals from the scene by emergency medical services as well as those cases in which the victim died on the scene between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2019. We also collected data on maximum, minimum, and average temperatures (°C), average humidity (%), and average actual pressure (hPa) measured daily in Ankara. The total number of cases due to suicide between the given dates was 6777. The suicide method in 60.1% of the cases was drug poisoning, which was the most common suicide method. Investigating the effect of meteorological variables on suicide cases (suicide attempts and completed suicides), the present study found that after smoothing the effect of the day of the week and seasonality, an increase in the minimum temperature on the day of the application by 1 unit (1°C degree) leads to an increase in the number of suicides by 0.01 point (0.01 ± 0.005, p = 0.046). There was no significant change in the variables other than the minimum temperature. We believe that the results of the present study will contribute to growing body literature about the epidemiology of suicide. We also believe that there is a need for large-scale studies that include individual data to reveal causality.

Many biomarkers and scoring systems to make clinical predictions about the prognosis of sepsis have been investigated. In this study, we aimed to assess the use of the quick sequential organ failure assessment score (qSOFA) and modified early warning score (MEWS) scoring systems in emergency health care services for sepsis to predict intensive care hospitalization and 28-day mortality. Patients who arrived by ambulance at the Emergency Department (ED) of Dışkapı YıldırımBeyazıt Training and Research Hospital between January 2017 and December 2019, and who were diagnosed with sepsis and admitted to the hospital were included in the study. Demographic data and physiological parameters from 112 ambulance case delivery forms were recorded.QSOFA and MEWS scores were calculated from vital parameters. Of the 266 patients diagnosed with sepsis, 50% (n = 133) were female, and the mean age was 74.8 ± 13. The difference between the rate of intensive care (ICU) hospitalization and mortality for patients with a high MEWS and qSOFA score and patients whose MEWS and qSOFA score were lower was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Thus, the criteria for MEWS and qSOFA could determine ICU hospitalization and early mortality. Those with a high MEWS value had a mortality rate approximately 1.24 times higher than those with a low MEWS value (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.110–1.385), while those with a high qSOFA score had a mortality rate approximately 2.0 times higher than those with a low qSOFA score (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.446–2.693). Those with a high MEWS were 1.34 times more likely than hose with a lower MEWS to require ICU hospitalization (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.1773–1.5131), while patients with a high qSOFA score were 3.21 times more likely than those with a lower qSOFA score to require ICU care (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 2.2289–4.6093). Although qSOFA and MEWS are clinical scores used to identify septic patients outside the critical care unit, we believe that patients already diagnosed with sepsis can be assessed with qSOFA and MEWS prior to hospitalization to predict intensive care hospitalization and mortality. qSOFA was found be more valuable than MEWS in determining the prognosis of pre-hospitalization sepsis.

Trauma resulting from accidents, violence, or war claims over five million lives annually, with traffic accidents and falls being predominant causes. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges in trauma care. Even though the number of injuries decreased during the lockdown period, the transportation of trauma patients became even more challenging due to concerns about infection control and the need for enhanced protective measures. This simulation workshop was conducted in a controlled environment to test and refine protocols for the safe transport of trauma patients with COVID-19. Our goal was to develop comprehensive guidance on the intrahospital transportation of these patients, ensuring the highest level of patient care and safety. We detail a five-step approach from preparation to the pre-landing, initial assessment, patient transfer, and patient handover phases, emphasizing adherence to protocols, equipment readiness, and personal protective equipment (PPE) use. The primary issues we encountered were related to time management, the decision-making process for applying lifesaving procedures in an open environment, and the risk of cross-infection. The workshop underscored the importance of swift and coordinated care, balancing life-saving interventions with efficient transport to a definitive care facility.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to compare cardiac output, echocardiographic pulmonary velocity-time integral, and end-tidal carbon dioxide values before and after the passive leg raising maneuver in healthy volunteers. Methods: The Ethical Commission approved the study. A total of 36 volunteers were included after signed informed consent in our study. After 12 h of fasting, vital signs, cardiac output, pulmonary velocity-time integral, and end-tidal carbon dioxide were measured when the participants were lying supine. Then, participants' legs were elevated to 45 degrees passively, and all measurements were repeated. Pulmonary velocity-time integral was obtained in parasternal short-axis view with the aid of pulse Doppler. Pulmonary root measurements were recorded. Echocardiographic stroke volume and cardiac output were calculated. The differences between values of cardiac output, pulmonary velocity-time integral, and end-tidal carbon dioxide before and after passive leg raising were statistically compared. The level of significance was accepted as p < 0.05. Results: Significant differences were found between pre- and post-passive leg raising values of these three measurements. The effect of passive leg raising on pulmonary velocity-time integral measurements was greater. The change in end-tidal carbon dioxide was not correlated with either cardiac output or pulmonary velocity-time integral alteration. Conclusion: Our results showed that measurement of pulmonary velocity-time integral changes after passive leg raising is a more useful bedside method to predict fluid responsiveness than measurement of end-tidal carbon dioxide and cardiac output alteration.

An overdose of colchicine can be lethal due to its narrow therapeutic index. We aimed to describe the successful management of a large intentional overdose with plasmapheresis therapy. A 32-year-old female presented to the Emergency Department with nausea, vomiting, and dizziness eight hours after intentionally ingesting 0.9 mg/kg colchicine in tablet form. She was treated with plasmapheresis and supportive therapy. The only abnormality in four days of observation was one-day transient lymphopenia (0.82 x 109/L).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of compression on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score following the application of 3-in-1 femoral nerve block (FNB), used for pain palliation in patients with hip fractures. This was a randomized controlled trial study on application of pressure versus no pressure following FNB in patients with hip fractures. Their VAS scores were recorded and an ultrasound-guided 3-in-1 FNB was performed as a standardized procedure. After the procedure, patients were randomized into two groups and a weight with 2 kg pressure was applied to the treated area in one group. After 30 min, VAS scores were recorded again. VAS scores of all patients recorded before and after the procedure, and post-procedural VAS scores of pressure-applied and no pressure-applied groups were statistically compared. 34 patients were included in this study with 17 patients falling in the compression group (group C), and the remaining half in the non-compression group (group NC). The pre-procedural mean VAS scores were 9.35 (95% CI; 8.95–9.76)), while the post-procedural mean VAS scores dropped to 2.35 (95% CI; 1.65–3.06) in group C. The pre-procedural mean VAS score was 9.12 (95% CI; 8.64–9.59), while the post-procedural mean VAS score was 5.06 (95% CI; 4.09–6.03) in group NC. When the average reductions in VAS score following the procedure were compared, the mean difference between the two groups was calculated to be 2.94 (95% CI; 1.69–4.19) which favours group C. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Our study shows that, the application of simple compression after 3-in-1 FNB in patients with hip fractures provides a significant reduction in VAS scores.

Metformin can cause gastrointestinal system symptoms, hyperlactatemia, and lactic acidosis even at therapeutic doses, and toxicity can result in serious complications and high mortality with massive infections. The prognosis for undifferentiated lactic acidosis is poor, with an expected case fatality rate of 30-50%. We present the case of a patient who was admitted to the emergency department with a large intentional metformin overdose. The patient was initially asymptomatic, but deteriorated rapidly during the observation period, developed cardiac arrest, and required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and continuous renal replacement therapy. Considering this case, we aim to emphasize that metformin overdoses may worsen in the late stages and that the follow-up period should be performed in a monitored setting that can provide, if needed, advanced cardiac support therapies such as ECMO.

INTRODUCTION: Stroke is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in the world and therapy is time-sensitive. The biggest obstacles to optimal treatment are pre-hospital transport delays and hesitation to administer intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (iv-tPA) and perform a mechanical thrombectomy (MT). A number of educational sessions were held in Istanbul to address these problems. This study examined the effects of this training. METHODS: This retrospective study was designed to analyze the effectiveness of stroke treatment training programs provided to 2645 medical personnel in Istanbul, Turkey. The transport time, accuracy rate of stroke diagnosis, and treatment parameters of a 1-month period in 2017 and the same month in 2018 after the training were evaluated. RESULTS: In all, 1628 suspected stroke patients who were transported to a hospital by ambulance in October 2017 (n=796) and October 2018 (n=832) were included. There was a minimal but meaningful decrease in pre-hospital transportation time (p<0.05). In 2017, 27% of the patients who were transported to the hospital with the suspicion of stroke were ultimately diagnosed with acute stroke, while 36% were diagnosed with acute stroke in 2018 (p<0.05). Applications of iv-tPA and MT to acute stroke patients also significantly increased in 2018 (tPA: 14% vs 26%, p=0.003; MT: 6% vs 13%, p=0.034). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The analysis indicated that the educational programs targets were successful based on an increase in the diagnosis of stroke and use of iv-tPA and MT.

Medical personnel, including physicians, nurses, and paramedics, as provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, should be in full personal protective equipment (PPE) during aerosol-generating procedures (2,3). During CPR, however, performing chest compression may cause the rescuer’s face protection devices to adhere to exposing the rescuer to viral infection (5) poorly. Authorship Contributions Concept: T.E., L.S., Design: T.E., B.K., A.D., Data Collection or Processing: S.K., T.E., L.S., Analysis or Interpretation: T.E., A.D., LS., Literature Search: S.K., B.K., J.S., Writing: S.K., T.E., B.K., J.S., A.D., L.S. Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological disorder that is estimated to affect approximately 1000 patients each year in the Republic of Turkey. With this review, we aim to update the recent evidence related to the acute management of patients with SCI in out-of-hospital and emergency department settings. We performed a literature review of publications in the English language and indexed in PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus using the following search terms: “spinal cord injury” and “acute management”, “spinal cord injury” and “immobilisation”, “spinal cord injury” and “transfer”, “spinal cord injury” and “transport”, “spinal cord injury” and “airway management”, “spinal cord injury” and “haemodynamic management”, “spinal cord injury” and “steroid”. We also reviewed the recent international guidelines. This review reports the immobilisation of patients with SCI and management strategies relevant to their transfer, airway management in cervical SCI, haemodynamic management and methylprednisolone use. The patient’s spinal alignment should be maintained with appropriate techniques for sufficient immobilisation to ease safe extrication and transport. Patients with acute SCI should be promptly and carefully transported from the place of injury to the nearest specialist SCI facility.