The Views and Attitudes of Nurses on the Topic of Sexual Counseling

This study aims to determine the views and attitudes of nurses on sexual counseling. This qualitative study has been conducted with 103 nurses who work at a university hospital. Data have been gathered with a form developed by the researchers. In order to determine the level of competence, the Visual Analog Scale has been used, which is scored from 1 to 10. The SPSS 10.0 program has been used for data analysis. Data has been analyzed with the Mann–Whitney U and Chi-square tests techniques. Percentile distributions and means were also calculated. Only 17.5% of nurses previously performed sexual counseling and 88.9% of those did so without any request from the patient. Among those nurses, 72.2% perceived themselves as competent in the field and defined their level of proficiency as a mean 6.77 ± 51.79.27.8% were trained in the field of sexual problems and sexual counseling and 22.2% perceived their training in the field as sufficient.74.8% believed that their colleagues and themselves should receive specific training in the field and 63.1% demanded to receive this training. 55.6% reported that they referred patients to another health professional for sexual counseling when necessary. The average level of which nurses perceive themselves competent in providing sexual counseling is moderate and the level of which nurses can actually provide sexual counseling is insufficient. In order to prevent this problem, we recommend preparing training programs for nurses on sexual counseling which contain sufficient information.     

Remission of endometriosis by hyperbaric oxygen treatment in rats

We designed this prospective, randomized controlled animal study to determine the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on experimentally induced endometriosis in a rat model. Surgical induction of endometriosis was performed in 40, nonpregnant, female, Wistar-Albino rats at the Experimental Medicine Research Center of Istanbul University (DETAE). Four weeks later, the first and second laparotomies for volume measurement and peritoneal fluid (PF) collection were performed, and the rats were divided randomly into the study and control groups. The study group was exposed to HBO treatment for 6 weeks. Then, a third laparotomy was performed on all of the rats. The volume, histopathologic scores, Ki-67 labeling of the endometriotic implants, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the PF were measured. The mean volume of the endometriotic implants in the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group at the end of the study (57.4 ± 12.5 vs 94.6 ± 17.2 mm(3)). The mean histopathological scores (1.60 ± 0.50 vs 2.42 ± 0.51), Ki-67 immunohistochemical scores (1.50 ± 0.51 vs 2.37 ± 0.49) of the endometriotic implants, and the TNF-α levels (5.33 ± 1.02 vs 8.16 ± 1.76 pg/mL) were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for 2 hours a day for 6 weeks resulted in significant remission of endometriosis in rats.     

STATIN‐D Study: Comparison of the Influences of Rosuvastatin and Fluvastatin Treatment on the Levels of 25 Hydroxyvitamin D

Several studies have shown that low 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels are associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease and an increase in 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels protects against cardiovascular disease. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of rosuvastatin and fluvastatin on vitamin D metabolism. The study population consisted of 134 hyperlipidemic patients who had not previously been treated with lipid lowering medications. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to rosuvastatin 10 mg or fluvastatin 80 mg XL during the study. Lipid parameters, 25 hydroxyvitamin‐D, and bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) were obtained at baseline and after 8 weeks of rosuvastatin and fluvastatin treatment. Sixty‐nine patients were administered rosuvastatin, and 65 patients fluvastatin. Total Cholesterol and LDL cholesterol decreased after 8 weeks of both rosuvastatin and fluvastatin treatments. Rosuvastatin was significantly more effective than fluvastatin on lowering total (P < 0.001) and LDL cholesterol (P < 0.001). There was a significant increase in 25‐hydroxyvitamin D with rosuvastatin treatment (P < 0.001), whereas no significant change in 25‐hydroxyvitamin D was observed with fluvastatin treatment. Mean BALP fell from 18.5 to 9.6 u/I (P < 0.001) with rosuvastatin and from 17.0 to 12.8 with fluvastatin (P= 0.004). There was no significant difference in BALP levels between rosuvastatin and fluvastatin treatment (P= 0.368). The present study demonstrated that 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels increased with rosuvastatin treatment; whereas fluvastatin treatment had no effect on 25‐hydroxyvitamin D. This disparity could be related to the potency or the bioavailability of these two statins. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between statins and the vitamin D physiology.     

Renal deterioration caused by carcinogens as a consequence of free radical mediated tissue damage: a review of the protective action of melatonin

This brief review summarizes some of the publications that document the preventive role of melatonin in kidney damage caused by carcinogens such as 2-nitropropane, arsenic, carbon tetrachloride, nitrilotriacetic acid and potassium bromate. Numerous chemicals generate excessive free radicals that eventually induce renal worsening. Melatonin partially or totally prevents free radical mediated tissue damages induced by many carcinogens. Protective actions of melatonin against the harmful effects of carcinogens are believed to stem from its direct free radical scavenging and indirect antioxidant activities. Dietary or pharmacologically given melatonin may attenuate the oxidative stress, thereby mitigating the subsequent renal damage.