No abstract

Introduction:Preanalytical errors, along the process from the beginning of test requests to the admissions of the specimens to the laboratory, cause the rejection of samples. The aim of this study was to better explain the reasons of rejected samples, regarding to their rates in certain test groups in our laboratory.Materials and methods:This preliminary study was designed on the rejected samples in one-year period, based on the rates and types of inappropriateness. Test requests and blood samples of clinical chemistry, immunoassay, hematology, glycated hemoglobin, coagulation and erythrocyte sedimentation rate test units were evaluated. Types of inappropriateness were evaluated as follows: improperly labelled samples, hemolysed, clotted specimen, insufficient volume of specimen and total request errors.Results:A total of 5,183,582 test requests from 1,035,743 blood collection tubes were considered. The total rejection rate was 0.65 %. The rejection rate of coagulation group was significantly higher (2.28%) than the other test groups (P < 0.001) including insufficient volume of specimen error rate as 1.38%. Rejection rates of hemolysis, clotted specimen and insufficient volume of sample error were found to be 8%, 24% and 34%, respectively. Total request errors, particularly, for unintelligible requests were 32% of the total for inpatients.Conclusions:The errors were especially attributable to unintelligible requests of inappropriate test requests, improperly labelled samples for inpatients and blood drawing errors especially due to insufficient volume of specimens in a coagulation test group. Further studies should be performed after corrective and preventive actions to detect a possible decrease in rejecting samples.

This study showed that pterygium is associated with tear hyperosmolarity and abnormal tear film function.

The growth factor levels on days 7 and 14 suggest that autologous PRP can be stored at -20 °C without preservative agents, although in vivo studies are required in order to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the detected growth factor levels.

Photorefractive devices have been evaluated for their effectiveness in detecting anisometropia, hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism. We investigated the reliability of Plusoptix S08, the newest photoscreener, and Topcon autorefractometer by comparing them with cycloplegic retinoscopy. Plusoptix S08, cycloplegic retinoscopy, and cycloplegic autorefractometer measurements for 235 eyes of 118 children (59 female, 59 male) with a mean age of 4.9 ± 2.6 and median age of 5 years (range 1-12) were conducted. The Plusoptix S08 produced the following mean (± SD) results--spherical 0.27 ± 1.64, cylindrical power -0.81 ± 0.71, axis 89.73 ± 61.18, and spherical equivalent -0.05 ± 1.61. The cycloplegic retinoscopy produced the following mean (± SD) results--spherical 0.12 ± 1.35, cylindrical power -0.89 ± 0.71, axis 92.18 ± 68.39, and spherical equivalent -0.15 ± 1.31. The cycloplegic autorefractometer produced the following mean (± SD) results--spherical 0.16 ± 1.44, cylindrical power -0.88 ± 0.72, axis 90.86 ± 68.21, and spherical equivalent -0.12 ± 1.41. This study has shown that cycloplegic autorefractometer and retinoscopy results are similar and Plusoptix S08 is a very safe, easy-to-use and reliable screening method of refraction, especially for ophthalmologists unskilled in retinoscopy. Plusoptix S08 is a useful tool for estimating refraction in patients for whom conventional autorefraction is not an option.

ÖzetAmaç: Akut koroner sendrom, akut göğüs ağrısı ve miyokard iskemisine bağ-lı gelişen semptomları içeren klinik bir durumdur. İskemi modifiye albumin (IMA) son yıllarda AKS tanısında kullanılmaya başlanan yeni bir belirteçtir. İs-kemi durumunda oluşan reaktif oksijen radikallerinin IMA oluşumuna neden olduğu saptanmıştır. Bizim çalışmamızın amacı, yeni bir kardiyak iskemi belirteci olan IMA'nın AKS'deki düzeylerini tespit etmek ve reaktif oksijen radikali oluşumuna neden olan sigara içiminin IMA düzeylerine etkisini ve bu etkinin, IMA düzeylerini değerlendirmedeki rolünü ortaya koymaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Troponin I yüksekliği olmadan akut koroner sendrom tanı kriterlerine sahip 63 hasta ve yaş olarak benzer 61 kontrol bireyi bu çalışmaya katıl-mıştır. İskemi modifiye albumin düzeyleri kolorimetrik metot ile ölçülmüştür. Bulgular: Hasta grubundaki serum iskemi modifiye albumin düzeyleri kontrol grubuna kıyasla anlamlı olarak yüksekti (Sırasıyla 0.644 ± 0.168 vs. 0.534 ± 0.116). Her ne kadar kontrol ve hasta grubunda sigara içenler daha yüksek iskemi modifiye albumin düzeylerine sahip olsalar da bu fark istatistiksel olarak anlamlı değildi. Tartışma: Bu çalışma, akut koroner sendromlu hastalarda sigara içimi ve iskemi modifiye albumin düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi değer-lendiren ilk çalışmadır. Bu çalışmada, akut koroner sendromlu hastalarda sigara içiminin iskemi modifiye albumin düzeyleri üzerine hiçbir etkisinin olmadığı saptanmıştır. Anahtar KelimelerAkut Koroner Sendrom, İskemi; Risk Faktör; Reaktif Oksijen Türleri; Kardiyovasküler Ölüm Abstract Aim: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a clinical condition that exists signs and symptoms with acute chest pain and myocardial ischemia. Ischaemiamodified albumin (IMA) is a new diagnostic biochemical marker for acute coronary syndrome. It has been proposed that reactive oxygen species which occur in ischemia lead the formation of IMA. The aim of our study is to determine the levels of new cardiac ischemia marker IMA in ACS, the effect of smoking that is an event that leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species on IMA levels and the role of this effect on the interpretation of IMA results. Material and Method: 63 patients who met the acute coronary syndrome diagnosis criteria with no elevations of Troponin I, and 61 agematched control subjects were included in this study. Ischemia-modified albumin levels were determined with a colorimetric method. Results: Serum ischemia-modified albumin levels in the patient group were significantly higher compared to the control group (0.644 ± 0.168 vs. 0.534 ± 0.116, respectively). Although smokers have higher ischemia-modified albumin levels in the control and patient groups, this difference was not statistically different. Discussion: This is the first study evaluating the relationship between smoking and ischemia-modified albumin levels in acute coronary syndrome. In this study, smoking was found to have no effect on ischemia-modified albumin levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Polypropylene suture as a frontalis suspension material in ptosis patients with poor levator function maintained satisfactory results at follow-up. This material allows easy and repeatable eyelid height adjustment and does not obviate future eyelid procedures.

The aim of this study was to evaluate glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels, lipid parameters, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), c peptide and glycated hemoglobin (A1C) values in pregnant women at high-risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Material and Method: In this cross-sectional study, we included pregnant women at high-risk for GDM who attended the endocrinology and metabolic diseases outpatient clinics at İzmir Katip Çelebi University Atatürk Training and Research Hospital between January 2013 and April 2013. Twenty pregnant women with GDM and eleven without GDM participated in the study. The dependent variable in the study was GDM that was evaluated by 75 mg oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Independent variables were the levels of glucose, A1C, insulin, c-peptide, GLP-1, TSH, and lipid parameters, all evaluated in fasting blood samples. Besides, glucose, insulin, c-peptide, GLP-1 levels during OGTT were also evaluated in blood samples collected at 60 and 120 minutes. Results: While fasting insulin levels were statistically significantly higher among women with GDM, there was no statistically significant difference in the levels at 60 and 120 minutes between the two groups. There was no significant difference in fasting c-peptide levels and c-peptide levels at 60 minutes during OGTT between the two groups, however, c-peptide levels at 120 minutes were higher in women with GDM. The women with GDM was found to have lower fasting GLP-1 levels than women without GDM. Although it was not significant, GLP-1 levels at 60 and 120 minutes were also lower among women with GDM. Discussion: A decrease in GLP-1 levels may have a role in the etiopathogenesis of GDM and type 2 diabetes mellitus.