We determined influenza, pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccination rates amongst people aged ≥65 years and evaluated factors affecting the vaccination rates. Materials and Method: The vaccination rates were investigated using face-to-face interview in 543 patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to the internal medicine outpatient clinics of Kafkas University School of Medicine and public hospitals in the 30th health service area. Subjects were divided into two groups: vaccinated and unvaccinated. Vaccination status was the dependent variable; knowledge of vaccination and socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics were the independent variables. Results: The number of unvaccinated subjects was 6.6 times higher amongst participants with no knowledge of vaccination than amongst those with knowledge of vaccination (95% confidence interval, 2.9-14.9, p=0.001), 2.6 times higher amongst participants with no primary education than amongst those with primary education (confidence interval, 1.5-4.5, p=0.001), 2.7 times higher in participants with insufficient income than amongst those with sufficient income (confidence interval, 1.2-5.9, p=0.006) and 2.2 times higher amongst participants living in rural areas than amongst those living in urban areas (confidence interval, 1.2-3.7, p=0.006). These were the factors affecting the vaccination status in the elderly. Conclusion: Additional solutions are required to encourage physicians and other healthcare providers to provide the elderly with information and encourage them to be vaccinated as recommended by the 'Centre for Disease Control and Prevention' , increasing the vaccination rates amongst those living in villages and rural areas and with low income.
Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of several types of malignant solid tumors but its clinical use is associated with ototoxicity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of selenium administration on lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]) and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in rats. Healthy wistar albino rats (n = 21) were randomly divided into 3 groups: control (C), cisplatin (Cis), cisplatin and selenium (Cis+Se). Cisplatin was administered for 3 days to Cis and Cis+Se groups. Cis+Se group received selenium 5 days before cisplatin injection and continued for 11 consecutive days. Hearing thresholds and lipid peroxidation (MDA) levels of the rats were recorded before injections and at the end of experimental protocol. The cochleas of animals were harvested for histologic and immunuhistochemical examinations. In biochemichal analyses, pretreatment with selenium prevented the elevation of MDA levels in Cis+Se group rats. Moreover, animals in Cis+Se group had better hearing threshold levels than animals in cis group. Samples obtained from the animals in Cis group revealed extensive loss of the normal microarchitecture of the organ of Corti. On the other hand, animals in Cis+Se group exhibited a preservation of the morphology of the organ of Corti and outer hair cells. In the immunohistochemical examinations of cochlear tissues stained with anti-caspase-3, a higher degree of immunopositivity was found in the Cis group. When Cis+Se group and Cis group were compared, significantly less immunopositivity occurred in the Cis+Se group (P < 0.05). Thus, it appears that pretreatment with selenium may reduce cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in rats.
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