Effects of Using Inulin and Grape Pomace in Broiler Diets on Performance, Carcass Yield, Intestinal Viscosity, Immunity, and Antioxidant Status

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of inulin and grape pomace addition to broiler diets on performance, carcass yield, intestinal viscosity, immunity, and antioxidant status. In the study, a total of 160 unsexed 0-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were divided into 4 groups as follows: the control (CON) group, and the groups consuming diets with 10 g/kg inulin (IN), 50 g/kg grape pomace (GP), and 10 g/kg inulin + 50 g/kg grape pomace (INGP) respectively. At the end of the experiment which lasted 42 days, 48 animals were bled for the analysis of immunity and antioxidant parameters. At the end of the study period, while body weight gain, carcass yield and intestinal viscosity values between the groups was not significant, grape pomace had a negative effect on feed consumption and feed conversion ratios (P<0.05). Immunoglobuline (Ig) G levels of the animals in the INGP group were significantly lower than those - in the other groups (P<0.05). The Catalase (CAT) activity was increased in groups consumed diets containing grape pomace (P<0.05). While β carotene level was elevated by inulin in the blood of animals, vitamin C and E levels were elevated by inulin and grape pomace significantly (P<0.05). As a result, it was observed that the use of inulin and grape pomace in broiler diets had no negative effect on carcass yield, intestinal viscosity, and antioxidant status. However, the inulin and grape pomace combination on feed cosumption, feed efficiency and immunity had a negative effect.

Evaluation of the Clinical and Laboratory Findings of Asthmatic Children with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

INTRODUCTION

There are a limited number of studies about the clinical findings of coronavirus infection in pediatric patients with asthma. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of pediatric patients with asthma and healthy children without chronic disease who infected with SARS-CoV-2.

METHODS

This is a retrospective, case-control study comparing the asthma diagnosed and healthy children who were diagnosed as COVID-19 in our hospital between March 11 and November 10, 2020.

RESULTS

During the study period, 6,205 children were diagnosed with CO-VID-19 in our hospital. Only 54 (0.87%) patients had a diagnosis of asthma. The mean of the age was 10.5 years and 53.7% (n:29) of the patients with asthma were male. Cough, shortness of breath, emesis, and diarrhea were found to be significantly higher in asthma group than in the control group (respectively p = 0.002, 0.000, 0.002, 0.019, 0.015). Patients who were given SABA was significantly higher in asthma diagnosed patients (p = 0.000). Hospitalization was significantly higher in asthma group (p = 0.025), and the duration of hospitalization was significantly higher in control group (p = 0.034). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of requiring oxygen treatment and in laboratory findings between groups.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that pediatric patients diagnosed with asthma were in a mild clinic. According to these findings, asthma may not affect the course of the COVID-19 in children.

The perception and attitudes of nursing staff in state psychiatric hospitals regarding the causes and treatment of substance abuse and effecting factors

Objective

This study was performed with the aims of determining the perceptions of nursing staff in psychiatric hospitals regarding the causes and treatment of substance addiction as well as their attitudes towards people with substance abuse problems.

Method

This study was carried out with 389 nurses working at 5 state psychiatry hospitals in Turkey. In this study, demographic questionnaire, the causes of drug abuse scale (CADAS), drug abuse scale (CUDAS), attitudes scale (AS), and a demographic questionnaire were used. Independent sample t-test, variance, correlation, and linear regression analyses were used.

Results

In this study, 82.8% of the nurses were female, and the mean age was 33.79 ± 7.58. We found that the demographic characteristics of the nurses did not affect their perception regarding the causes of addiction and treatment (P > 0.05); but it did have an effect upon their attitude towards people with substance use problem (P < 0.05). Also, it was established that there was a negative relationship between their perception regarding causes of substance misuse and their attitude towards a person with substance use problem; and a positive relationship between their perception regarding substance misuse treatment and their attitude towards the person with substance use problem (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Nursing staff working in psychiatric hospitals in Turkey have the perception that a person takes substances in order to “cope with problems”and for reasons pertaining to his/her “social environment”. Nursing staff tends to indicate a negative attitude towards persons with substance abuse problems, such distancing themselves socially from the patients.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.