The Interobserver Agreement between Residents and Experienced Radiologists for Detecting Pulmonary Embolism and DVT with Using CT Pulmonary Angiography and Indirect CT Venography

Ulas Savas Yavas,Cuneyt Calisir,Ibrahim Ragip Ozkan 대한영상의학회 2008 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.9 No.6

Objective: We wanted to prospectively evaluate the interobserver agreement between radiology residents and expert radiologists for interpreting CT images for making the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Materials and Methods: We assessed 112 consecutive patients, from April 2007 to August 2007, who were referred for combined CT pulmonary angiography and indirect CT venography for clinically suspected acute PE. CT scanning was performed with a 64×0.5 collimation multi-detector CT scanner. The CT studies were initially interpreted by the radiology residents alone and then the CT images were subsequently interpreted by a consensus of the resident plus an experienced general radiologist and an experienced chest radiologist. Results: Two of the 112 CTs were unable to be interpreted (1.7%). Pulmonary artery clots were seen on 36 of the thoracic CT angiographies (32%). The interobserver agreement between the radiology residents and the consensus interpretation was good (a kappa index of 0.73). All of the disagreements (15 cases) were instances of overcall by the resident on the initial interpretation. Deep venous thrombosis was detected in 72% (26 of 36) of the patients who had PE seen on thoracic CT. The initial and consensus interpretations of the CT venography images disagreed for two cases (kappa statistic: 0.96). Conclusion: It does not seem adequate to base the final long-term treatment of PE on only the resident’s reading, as false positives occurred in 13% of such cases. Timely interpretation of the CT pulmonary angiography and CT venography images should be performed by experienced radiologists for the patients with suspected PE. Objective: We wanted to prospectively evaluate the interobserver agreement between radiology residents and expert radiologists for interpreting CT images for making the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Materials and Methods: We assessed 112 consecutive patients, from April 2007 to August 2007, who were referred for combined CT pulmonary angiography and indirect CT venography for clinically suspected acute PE. CT scanning was performed with a 64×0.5 collimation multi-detector CT scanner. The CT studies were initially interpreted by the radiology residents alone and then the CT images were subsequently interpreted by a consensus of the resident plus an experienced general radiologist and an experienced chest radiologist. Results: Two of the 112 CTs were unable to be interpreted (1.7%). Pulmonary artery clots were seen on 36 of the thoracic CT angiographies (32%). The interobserver agreement between the radiology residents and the consensus interpretation was good (a kappa index of 0.73). All of the disagreements (15 cases) were instances of overcall by the resident on the initial interpretation. Deep venous thrombosis was detected in 72% (26 of 36) of the patients who had PE seen on thoracic CT. The initial and consensus interpretations of the CT venography images disagreed for two cases (kappa statistic: 0.96). Conclusion: It does not seem adequate to base the final long-term treatment of PE on only the resident’s reading, as false positives occurred in 13% of such cases. Timely interpretation of the CT pulmonary angiography and CT venography images should be performed by experienced radiologists for the patients with suspected PE.

Expectations of Response from Octreotide Therapy in Recurrent Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumors - Do They Reflect Reality?

Ulas, Arife,Dede, Didem Sener,Sendur, Mehmet Ali Nahit,Akinci, Muhammed Bulent,Yalcin, Bulent Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.24

Propofol with and without Midazolam for Diagnostic Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopies in Children

Ulas Emre Akbulut,Seyfi Kartal,Ufuk Dogan,Gulgun Elif Akcali,Serap Kalayci,Hulya Kirci 대한소아소화기영양학회 2019 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.22 No.3

Purpose: Various publications on the use of sedation and anesthesia for diagnostic procedures in children have demonstrated that no ideal agent is available. Although propofol has been widely used for sedation during esophagogastroduodenoscopy in children, adverse events including hypoxia and hypotension, are concerns in propofol-based sedation. Propofol is used in combination with other sedatives in order to reduce potential complications. We aimed to analyze whether the administration of midazolam would improve the safety and efficacy of propofol-based sedation in diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopies in children. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of children who underwent diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopies during a 30-month period. Demographic characteristics, vital signs, medication dosages, induction times, sedation times, recovery times, and any complications observed, were examined. Results: Baseline characteristics did not differ between the midazolam-propofol and propofol alone groups. No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of induction times, sedation times, recovery times, or the proportion of satisfactory endoscopist responses. No major procedural complications, such as cardiac arrest, apnea, or laryngospasm, occurred in any case. However, minor complications developed in 22 patients (10.7%), 17 (16.2%) in the midazolam-propofol group and five (5.0%) in the propofol alone group ( p =0.010). Conclusion: The sedation protocol with propofol was safe and efficient. The administration of midazolam provided no additional benefit in propofol-based sedation.

Efficacy and Safety of Low Dose Ketamine and Midazolam Combination for Diagnostic Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopyin Children

Ulas Emre Akbulut,Ulas Emre Akbulut 대한소아소화기영양학회 2015 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.18 No.3

Purpose: We aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of low-dose midazolam and ketamine combination for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) in children.Methods: The study included the children (n=425, 10.78±3.81 years) who underwent UGIE for diagnostic purpose during 1 year period. All children were sedated with low dose midazolam (0.1 mg/kg) and ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) intravenously. Effectiveness of the sedation and complications during the procedure and recovery period were recorded. Results: Endoscopic procedure was successfully completed in 414 patients (97.4%; 95% confidence interval, 95.8-98.9). Mean±standard deviation (SD) duration of procedure was 6.36±1.64 minutes (median, 6.0 minutes; range, 4-12 minutes). Minor complications occurred during the procedure in 39.2% of the patients. The most common complication was increased oral secretion (33.1%). No major complications were observed in any patient. Age and Ramsay sedation scores of patients with complications during the procedure were lower than the others (9.49±4.05years vs. 11.61±3.43 years, p=0.002 and 2.10±1.46 vs. 4.37±1.16, p=0.001). Mean recovery time was 22 minutes (range, 10-90 minutes; mean±SD, 25±12.32 minutes). Minor complications developed during recovery in 60.1% of the patients. The most common complication was transient double vision (n=127, 30.7%). Emergence reaction was observed in 5 patients (1.2%). Conclusion: The procedure was completed with high level of success without any major complication in our study. Combination of low-dose midazolam and ketamine is a suitable sedation protocol for pediatric endoscopists in UGIE.

Substance P is a Major Mediator Causing Delayed Emesis in Anthracycline-Based Chemotherapy - Really?

Ulas, Arife,Silay, Kamile,Akinci, Sema,Yalcin, Bulent Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.24

Lung Cancer in Women, a Different Disease: Survival Differences by Sex in Turkey

Ulas, Arife,Tokluoglu, Saadet,Kos, Mehmet,Silay, Kamile,Akinci, Sema,Oksuzoglu, Berna,Alkis, Necati Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.2

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of sex-based non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) varieties on survival rates. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed in patients with NSCLC who were diagnosed by histological methods between the years 2000 and 2010. A chi-square test was used to compare variables. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Of the 844 patients, 117 (13.9%) were women and 727 (86.1%) were men. Adenocarcinoma was more common in women than in men (p<0.0001). There were more women non-smokers than men (p<0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in ECOG PS, weight loss>10%, stage, LDH, albumin and treatment between women and men. Women younger than 65 years (17.0 vs 12.0 months; p=0.03), who had adenocarcinoma histology (15.0 vs 10.0 months; p=0.006) and who had a hemoglobin level ${\geq}12g/dL$ (18.0 vs 12.0 months; p=0.01) were found to have a better median OS rate than men. Median OS rates were found to be 13.0 months in females and 12.0 months in males (p=0.14). Among metastatic patients, the median OS was 11.0 months in females and 8.0 months in males (p=0.005). Among stage IIIB and stage IV patients who had first line platinum-based chemotherapy, the median OS was 17.0 months in women and 11.0 months in men (p=0.002). The response rate of chemotherapy was higher in women than in men (p=0.03). Conclusions: In our study, we found that survival duration is longer and chemotherapy response is better in women with NSCLC who do not have anemia or comorbidities and who are mostly non-smokers with adenocarcinomas. Further studies regarding the causes of these differences may provide clarity on this subject.

Patients with HER2-positive Early Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Trastuzumab: Clinicopathological Features, Efficacy, and Factors Affecting Survival

Ulas, Arife,Kos, Tugba,Avci, Nilufer,Cubukcu, Erdem,Olmez, Omer Fatih,Bulut, Nilufer,Degirmenci, Mustafa Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.4

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinicopathological characteristics of our early stage breast cancer patients who are epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpressed/amplified (HER2+), the efficacy of trastuzumab treatment and survival results. Materials and Methods: Patients with HER2-positive early stage breast cancer receiving adjuvant trastuzumab were investigated retrospectively. Clinicopathological features of 210 patients and treatment outcome were analysed. To evaluate survival rates, the Kaplan-Meier method was used. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted with the Cox regression model. Results: Mean age of the patients was 51.8, 71.9% being postmenopausal. Some 37.6% of patients were node negative, and 31% had T1 tumor size and 52.4% were positive for estrogen receptor. Of 210 patients, 89.5% completed planned 52 weeks adjuvant trastuzumab treatment. The median follow up was 27.5 months (6.0-86.0). Relapse free survival (RFS) was 68.0 months (95% CI: 62.1-74.0) and overall survival (OS) was 74.8 months (95% CI: 69.5-80.1). The 3 year OS for all patients was 92.0% and RFS was 79.6%. During follow up, relapse was detected at the rate of 14.3%. Trastuzumab associated cardiotoxicity was found at the rate of 3.3%. In univariate analyses, larger tumor size and grade III were significantly associated (p<0.05) with RFS. Multivariate analyses of covariates displaying p<0.05 identified grade III as an independent prognostic factor. Conclusions: In the present study, it was established that trastuzumab had a satisfactory safety profile and treatment efficacy as in other clinical studies and that among clinicopathological factors evaluated, only being grade 3 had a significant effect on RFS. The occurrence of relapse with adjuvant trastuzumab makes it necessary to identify molecular predictors, which will define this group better and help explain resistance to anti HER2 based therapies.

Medication Errors in Chemotherapy Preparation and Administration: a Survey Conducted among Oncology Nurses in Turkey

Ulas, Arife,Silay, Kamile,Akinci, Sema,Dede, Didem Sener,Akinci, Muhammed Bulent,Sendur, Mehmet Ali Nahit,Cubukcu, Erdem,Coskun, Hasan Senol,Degirmenci, Mustafa,Utkan, Gungor,Ozdemir, Nuriye,Isikdogan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.5

Background: Medication errors in oncology may cause severe clinical problems due to low therapeutic indices and high toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. We aimed to investigate unintentional medication errors and underlying factors during chemotherapy preparation and administration based on a systematic survey conducted to reflect oncology nurses experience. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 18 adult chemotherapy units with volunteer participation of 206 nurses. A survey developed by primary investigators and medication errors (MAEs) defined preventable errors during prescription of medication, ordering, preparation or administration. The survey consisted of 4 parts: demographic features of nurses; workload of chemotherapy units; errors and their estimated monthly number during chemotherapy preparation and administration; and evaluation of the possible factors responsible from ME. The survey was conducted by face to face interview and data analyses were performed with descriptive statistics. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests were used for a comparative analysis of categorical data. Results: Some 83.4% of the 210 nurses reported one or more than one error during chemotherapy preparation and administration. Prescribing or ordering wrong doses by physicians (65.7%) and noncompliance with administration sequences during chemotherapy administration (50.5%) were the most common errors. The most common estimated average monthly error was not following the administration sequence of the chemotherapeutic agents (4.1 times/month, range 1-20). The most important underlying reasons for medication errors were heavy workload (49.7%) and insufficient number of staff (36.5%). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the probability of medication error is very high during chemotherapy preparation and administration, the most common involving prescribing and ordering errors. Further studies must address the strategies to minimize medication error in chemotherapy receiving patients, determine sufficient protective measures and establishing multistep control mechanisms.

Propofol with and without Midazolam for Diagnostic Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopies in Children

Akbulut, Ulas Emre,Kartal, Seyfi,Dogan, Ufuk,Akcali, Gulgun Elif,Kalayci, Serap,Kirci, Hulya The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2019 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.22 No.3

Purpose: Various publications on the use of sedation and anesthesia for diagnostic procedures in children have demonstrated that no ideal agent is available. Although propofol has been widely used for sedation during esophagogastroduodenoscopy in children, adverse events including hypoxia and hypotension, are concerns in propofol-based sedation. Propofol is used in combination with other sedatives in order to reduce potential complications. We aimed to analyze whether the administration of midazolam would improve the safety and efficacy of propofol-based sedation in diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopies in children. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of children who underwent diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopies during a 30-month period. Demographic characteristics, vital signs, medication dosages, induction times, sedation times, recovery times, and any complications observed, were examined. Results: Baseline characteristics did not differ between the midazolam-propofol and propofol alone groups. No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of induction times, sedation times, recovery times, or the proportion of satisfactory endoscopist responses. No major procedural complications, such as cardiac arrest, apnea, or laryngospasm, occurred in any case. However, minor complications developed in 22 patients (10.7%), 17 (16.2%) in the midazolam-propofol group and five (5.0%) in the propofol alone group (p=0.010). Conclusion: The sedation protocol with propofol was safe and efficient. The administration of midazolam provided no additional benefit in propofol-based sedation.

Efficacy and Safety of Low Dose Ketamine and Midazolam Combination for Diagnostic Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Children

Akbulut, Ulas Emre,Cakir, Murat The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2015 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.18 No.3

Purpose: We aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of low-dose midazolam and ketamine combination for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) in children. Methods: The study included the children (n=425, $10.78{\pm}3.81years$) who underwent UGIE for diagnostic purpose during 1 year period. All children were sedated with low dose midazolam (0.1 mg/kg) and ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) intravenously. Effectiveness of the sedation and complications during the procedure and recovery period were recorded. Results: Endoscopic procedure was successfully completed in 414 patients (97.4%; 95% confidence interval, 95.8-98.9). $Mean{\pm}standard$ deviation (SD) duration of procedure was $6.36{\pm}1.64minutes$ (median, 6.0 minutes; range, 4-12 minutes). Minor complications occurred during the procedure in 39.2% of the patients. The most common complication was increased oral secretion (33.1%). No major complications were observed in any patient. Age and Ramsay sedation scores of patients with complications during the procedure were lower than the others ($9.49{\pm}4.05years$ vs. $11.61{\pm}3.43years$, p=0.002 and $2.10{\pm}1.46$ vs. $4.37{\pm}1.16$, p=0.001). Mean recovery time was 22 minutes (range, 10-90 minutes; $mean{\pm}SD$, $25{\pm}12.32minutes$). Minor complications developed during recovery in 60.1% of the patients. The most common complication was transient double vision (n=127, 30.7%). Emergence reaction was observed in 5 patients (1.2%). Conclusion: The procedure was completed with high level of success without any major complication in our study. Combination of low-dose midazolam and ketamine is a suitable sedation protocol for pediatric endoscopists in UGIE.