Nefise Betül Ercan

As participation of children in exercise and organized sports increases worldwide, the health care needs of young athletes differ substantially from those of adults due to age-specific physiological, biomechanical, and psychosocial characteristics related to growth and development. Pediatric Sports Medicine (PSM) is a pediatric-based, multidisciplinary subspecialty that encompasses preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE), exercise prescription, management of sports injuries and overuse syndromes, sport-related concussion, heat-related illnesses, assessment of sudden cardiac event risk, relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), planning safe sports participation for children with chronic medical conditions, and safeguarding in sport. In the United States, PSM is formally structured through pediatric-based fellowship training and board certification, whereas Europe lacks a standardized model and relies on heterogeneous approaches integrating pediatrics, sports medicine, and rehabilitation. In Türkiye, sports medicine training remains largely adult-oriented. Given that pediatric subspecialty training is strictly based on prior pediatric specialization and that pediatricians are routinely consulted for comprehensive medical evaluations, the absence of a pediatric-based PSM structure has resulted in notable gaps in pediatric-specific PPE standardization, early sport specialization and load management, RED-S screening, integration of school–club–health care systems, and the health care component of safeguarding policies. This narrative review presents a literature-based synthesis of the conceptual foundations and clinical and public health rationale of PSM, summarizes relevant international guidelines and consensus statements, and proposes a feasible framework for its implementation in Türkiye, where this subspecialty has not yet been established.

The present study sought to determine the extent of alexithymia within the cystic fibrosis (CF) population and examine how it relates to both the severity of the illness and the effectiveness of patient disease management strategies. The study sample included adolescents aged 14 to 18 years, consisting of individuals with confirmed CF and age-matched healthy controls. Patients with CF exhibited significantly higher total scores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) compared to the control group ( P = .013). A significant negative correlation was also observed between TAS-20 scores and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV ₁ ) ( P = .005). Pediatric pulmonologists should be aware of alexithymic features when managing CF. For patients who are clinically regressing and have persistent difficulties maintaining adherence to treatment, a multidisciplinary approach that integrates the expertise of pediatric psychiatrists into treatment approaches can overcome both the medical and emotional challenges of CF.

Aims: This study aimed to to describe clinical and radiological characteristics of cold agglutinin-positive pediatric patients and to evaluate factors associated markers of disease severity, including CT utilization, respiratory support and length of hospitalization, in patients with suspected Mycoplasma pneumonia infection and cold agglutination positivity. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients aged 0-18 years who presented to the pediatric clinics of Necmettin Erbakan University between January 2015 and January 2025 and had cold agglutinin positivity. Demographics, presenting symptoms, pulmonary and extrapulmonary findings, imaging results, treatment settings, respiratory support needs, and laboratory parameters were extracted from medical records. Comparative analyses between patients with and without chest CT imaging were performed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: A total of 242 patients (52.9% female; mean age 8.31±4.41 years) were included. The most frequent symptoms were cough (83.5%), nonspecific complaints (42.6%), and fever (38.4%). Abnormal respiratory findings were present in 45.0%, most commonly bilateral crackles. Extrapulmonary manifestations occurred in 20.2% of patients. Chest X-rays showed bilateral involvement in 47.9%. Patients who underwent CT imaging had significantly higher rates of abnormal respiratory findings, increased need for supplemental oxygen or noninvasive support, and longer hospital stays (p

Introduction: Therapeutic plasmapheresis (TP) is an extracorporeal treatment method used for a variety of patients with various diseases. Methods: For this retrospective study, patients who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and received TP therapy between 2013 and 2023, and whose medical records were reached, were included. Results: A total of 72 children were included in the study. The most common indication for TP was septic shock, followed by multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C). The median number of TP sessions was 2, and the median PRISM III score was 14.5. Of the patients, 56.9% had ASFA class 3 diagnoses, and 5.6% developed thrombosis as a complication. The mortality rate was 44.4%, most of whom had an underlying disease. Conclusion: TP is an important supportive therapy in critically ill patients admitted to PICUs. We believe that early initiation of TP may be life‐saving with proper indications.

Purpose: This study investigated how socio-cultural characteristics, including gender, age, socioeconomic status, religiosity, and parental education, influence the gender perceptions of medical students and how these perceptions are influenced by medical education.Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 380 volunteer medical students who completed a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic items, the validated Nijmegen Gender Awareness in Medical Scale, and the Perception of Gender Scale (PGS). Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results: Mean PGS scores were significantly higher among first-semester students compared to sixth-semester students (101.94±19.40 vs. 95.52±19.83, p=0.013) and among female compared to male participants (106.51±13.28 vs. 87.71±19.94, p<0.001). Self-reported “very religious” participants demonstrated significantly lower PGS scores compared to other religious categories in both female (p<0.001) and male (p=0.002) subgroups. Gender Role Ideology towards Doctors scores showed a moderate negative correlation with PGS scores (r=–0.459, p<0.001).Conclusion: Female gender, younger age, urban living, higher income, and higher levels of maternal and paternal education supported a positive gender perspective. Towards the end of medical education, gender perceptions tend to become less egalitarian. These findings highlight the potential for medical education to negatively impact gender perceptions and underscore the need for integrating gender awareness training into medical curricula to promote more equitable attitudes among future physicians.

In our country, a considerable number of athletes are under the age of 18, and concerns regarding their physical, psychosocial, and athletic development are increasingly prominent. In the US, Pediatric Sports Medicine (PSM) , which has yet to be established in Turkey and many European countries, deals with the care and monitoring of young athletes. This study aimed to explore the challenges pediatricians face during preparticipation evaluation (PPE) of young athletes, the difficulties encountered in managing this specific population, and their perspectives on how the establishment of a PSM division could contribute, particularly in addressing legal responsibilities. An online questionnaire was comprised of 12 questions, which addressed participants' personal and professional features, as well as which specialties pediatric athletes were mostly referred, types of sports of pediatric athletes, challenges experienced with the athlete and his/her parents during PPE, their awareness on PSM fellowship abroad, and their opinions on interests of PSM and establishment of PSM in our country. A total of 360 pediatricians were recruited. Of the participants, 89.7% reported challenges with parents due to requesting immediate issuance of reports and 52.2% due to requesting reports without the child being present. Of the participants, 69.2% had never heard about PSM. Of the participants, 83.3% stated that establishment of PSM in Turkey would definitely make contribution, and 73.9% stated that PSM should definitely be established. Awareness of PSM is low among pediatricians. The establishment of PSM in Turkey is widely supported and considered to be beneficial.

Amaç: D vitamini eksikliği ve yetersizliği tüm toplumu etkileyen önemli bir sağlık sorunu olarak güncelliğini korumaktadır. Çalışmamızda anaokulu ve ilkokul yaş grubundaki çocuklara tiyatro gösterisi yapılarak D vitamini farkındalığının artırılması amaçlandı. Yöntemler: Şubat 2024-Mart 2024 tarihleri arasında, Konya ilinde özel bir anaokulu ve ilköğretim kurumunda D vitamini bilgi düzeyinin artırılması amacıyla tiyatro gösterisi gerçekleştirildi. Tiyatro gösterisine katılan öğrencilerin ebeveynlerine tiyatro öncesi ve sonrası belirtilen anket soruları sorularak bilgi düzeyleri incelendi. Bulgular: Çalışmamıza 59 ebeveyn dahil edildi. Çocuklardan 48 (%81,3)’i ebeveynlerine tiyatro gösterisi hakkında bilgi vermişti. Tiyatro gösterisi öncesi 44 (%74,5) ebeveyn D vitamini hakkında bilgi sahibi olduğunu beyan etti. Tiyatro sonrası 12 ebeveyn D vitamini takviyesi kullanmayı düşünmekteydi. D vitamini hakkında yeterli bilgi düzeyine sahip olmadığını düşünen 16 ebeveynden 14’ü tiyatro gösterisi sonrası D vitamini hakkında bilgi sahibi olduğunu beyan etti. Sonuç: D vitamini kullanımının yaygınlaştırılması ve profilaksi kullanımının özendirilmesiyle ilgili yapılacak çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

Aile Hekimliğinde Kronik Hastalıkların Yönetimi kitabı, birinci basamak sağlık hizmetlerinde kronik hastalıkların etkin yönetimi için kapsamlı ve kanıta dayalı bir rehber sunmaktadır. Aile hekimliği uzmanları, birinci basamak hekimleri, aile sağlığı çalışanları, ebeler, hemşireler ve sağlık yöneticileri için hazırlanmış bu kaynak, kronik hastalıkların tanı, tedavi ve takip süreçlerine dair güncel bilgiler içermektedir.rnrn● Aile Hekimliği İlkeleri ile Birinci Basamakta Kronik Hastalık Yönetimi: Bu kitap, Aile Hekimliği İlkeleri kapsamında aile hekimlerinin kronik hastalıkları etkin bir şekilde yönetebilmesi için bilimsel temellere dayalı rehberlik sunmaktadır.rnrn● Hasta Merkezli Bütüncül, Sürekli, Kapsamlı ve Multidisipliner Yaklaşım: Kardiyovasküler Hastalıklar, Diyabet, KOAH, Geriatrik ve Mental Sağlık gibi yaygın kronik hastalıkların yönetiminde ekip çalışmasının ve bireyselleştirilmiş bakımın önemini vurgulamaktadır. Kronik hastalıklarla yaşayan bireylerin yönetiminde aile hekimliğinin temel prensipleri içinde bütüncül, sürekli, kapsamlı ve multidisipliner bakım stratejilerinin uygulamalarına odaklanmaktadır.rnrn● Güncel Bilgiler, Klinik Rehberler ve Uygulamalar: Kanıta dayalı güncel tıbbi bilgileri, tedavi yaklaşımlarını ve birinci basamakta uygulanabilir pratik önerileri içermektedir.rnrn● Aile Hekimleri İçin Kapsamlı Bir Kaynak: Aile Hekimliği Uzmanları, Birinci Basamak Hekimleri, aile sağlığı çalışanları, ebeler, hemşireler ve sağlık yöneticileri için rehber niteliğinde hazırlanmış olup, kronik hastalıklarla mücadelede etkili stratejiler sunmaktadır.rnrn● Sağlık Hizmetlerinin Geleceğine Katkı: Birinci basamak sağlık hizmetlerinde kronik hastalık yönetiminin kalitesini artırmayı amaçlayan bu eser, hasta bakım süreçlerinde sürdürülebilir iyileşmeler sağlamak için önemli bir başvuru kaynağı olacaktır.rnrn● Eleştirel Düşünme Soruları: Bu kitap, kronik hastalıkların yönetimi ile ilgili temel kavramları daha iyi anlamanızı sağlayacak tartışma soruları ile düşünce ufkunuzu genişletecek önerileri içermektedirrnrn● Öğrenme Hedefleri ve Anahtar Kavramlar: Kitap boyunca odaklanmanız gereken temel noktaları belirleyerek, klinik pratiğinize yön verecek güncel bilgilere erişiminizi sağlayacaktır.rnrn rnrn“Birinci basamak sağlık hizmetlerinde kronik hastalıkların yönetimi, bütüncül bir yaklaşımı zorunlu kılar. Kronik hastalıkların yönetimi, sadece tedavi süreçlerini değil, hastaların yaşam kalitesini artırmayı da gerektirir. Bu kitap, aile hekimleri için pratik ve güncel bilgilerle donatılmış kapsamlı bir rehber niteliği içererek, aile hekimlerinin karşılaştıkları zorluklara kanıta dayalı çözümler sunarak önemli bir boşluğu dolduracaktır.”rn— Prof. Dr. Yeltekin Demirelrnrn“Günümüzde kronik hastalıklar, sağlık sisteminin en büyük yüklerinden biri haline gelmiştir. Bu kitap, aile hekimleri için yalnızca bir kaynak değil, aynı zamanda hastalarıyla etkili iletişim kurmalarına yardımcı olacak bir yol haritası oluşturarak daha kaliteli sağlık hizmet sunumunu sağlayacaktır.”rn— Prof. Dr. Süleyman Görpelioğlurnrn“Kronik hastalıkların yönetimi, hekim-hasta iş birliğini ve bireyselleştirilmiş bakım yaklaşımlarını gerektirir. Bu kitap, aile hekimlerinin hastalarına daha etkin bir rehberlik yapabilmesi için güçlü bir içerik sunuyor. Birinci Basamak Sağlık Hizmetlerinde çalışan tüm sağlık profesyonellerinin önemli başvuru kitabı niteliğinde...”rn— Prof. Dr. Serpil Demirağ