INTRODUCTION: The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes children as individuals entitled to fundamental rights, including the right to health. This right extends to children receiving inpatient care, ensuring their access to appropriate medical treatment and protection. However, the awareness of these rights among caregivers remains limited, which may influence the care children receive.
METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary pediatric hospital. A structured questionnaire was administered to accompanying persons of hospitalized children to evaluate their awareness of both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and national patient rights regulations. Sociodemographic data and response patterns were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: Out of 200 participants, only 28% were aware of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and just 35% had prior knowledge of the national Patient Rights Regulation. Common misconceptions included the child’s right to refuse treatment, informed consent requirements, and the child’s right to confidentiality. Awareness levels were significantly lower among participants with lower educational attainment (p < 0.05).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that many caregivers lack sufficient knowledge of children’s rights in medical contexts. This lack of awareness may hinder effective communication with healthcare professionals and limit the child’s autonomy and participation in care decisions. Systematic caregiver education within hospital settings could help bridge this gap.
The goals outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child are not fully realized in clinical practice. Increasing awareness among caregivers is essential to promote child-centered care and uphold health-related rights during hospitalization. Future studies should focus on developing and evaluating interventions to improve understanding of child and patient rights.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate birth and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women aged 50 years and older, a rarely studied and high-risk demographic group.
METHODS: This retrospective study included 24 pregnancies in women aged ≥50 who delivered at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital between January 2019 and March 2025. Data were collected on maternal demographics, obstetric history, pregnancy complications, delivery characteristics, and neonatal outcomes.
RESULTS: Out of 44,136 total births, 24 (0.054%) occurred in women aged 50 or older. The median maternal age was 50.5 years. Chronic comorbidities were present in 41.7%, with hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes, and asthma being most common. Half of the cohort experienced pregnancy-related complications, primarily gestational diabetes and hypertension (16.6% each). Cesarean delivery was performed in 79.2% of cases. Preterm birth and low birth weight occurred in 37.5% of deliveries. Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was required in 58.3% of newborns, with a median stay of 2 days. Trisomy 21 was diagnosed prenatally in two cases through amniocentesis. Most pregnancies were spontaneous (75%); 25% followed assisted reproductive techniques, including conventional IVF (12.5%), frozen embryo transfer (8.3%), and oocyte donation (4.2%).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Pregnancies in women aged 50 years and older are associated with high rates of maternal and neonatal complications, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and NICU admission. The findings highlight the need for individualized prenatal care, comprehensive counseling, and close perinatal monitoring to mitigate risks in this growing but vulnerable population.

INTRODUCTION: As the high levels of parental, especially maternal, anxiety may result in some neurodevelopmental problems in their children, we aim to assess the anxiety levels of parents during the preprocedural period for different interventions.
METHODS: The study included a total of 131 participants, 73 of whom underwent catheter intervention while 58 of them underwent surgery. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-2 (STAI-2) and The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used. The participants were divided into 3 anxiety classes: mild, moderate, and severe, according to their BAI scores.
RESULTS: Although there were no significant differences between groups regarding the mean STAI-2 score, the mean BAI score was statistically significantly lower in the catheter interventional group than in the surgery group (p=0.002). In the total population, we demonstrated that BAI scores were significantly higher in parents with boys than in parents with girls (p=0.030). In a separate analysis, the BAI scores of parents with girls were not different in the surgery and catheter groups. However, the BAI scores of parents with boys were almost significantly higher in the surgery group than in the catheter group (p=0.064). As the distance between home and hospital increased, the probability of moderate or severe anxiety according to The BAI class increased only in the catheter group (p=0.017). However, the same was not seen in the surgery group.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The fact that parents whose children had catheter intervention had lower anxiety levels than those whose children had surgery, may guide the physicians regarding which procedure to choose.

INTRODUCTION: Standard treatment includes immediate debridement of non-viable tissue and closure of the wound with dressings that provide favorable conditions for reepithelialization. Since superficial and deep areas may coexist in second-degree burns, the choice of dressing is also very important in second-degree burns.
The aim of this retrospective study was to summarize our experience with Suprathel® in the Burn Center and to examine the contribution of Suprathel® to wound healing in heterogeneous second-degree burns.
METHODS: Patients with superficial and deep second-degree burns hospitalized in Ankara City Hospital Burn Treatment Center between April 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Age, gender, burn etiology, total burn surface area(TBSA), depth of injury were recorded. Patients were grouped according to dressing options or treatment regimen with Suprathel. Epithelialization time, skin grafting time, if performed, and graft harvest rates were compared within groups.
RESULTS: Of 130 patients hospitalized for second-degree burns (deep dermal burns), 58 were closed with Suprathel®. 43 of the patients who did not receive Suprathel underwent a graft operation. Eight patients underwent grafting after Suprathel application. The remaining 29 patients underwent escharectomy and conventional dressing methods.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: When the patient groups with and without Suprathel application were compared, there was no significant difference in terms of gender, burn etiology and burn localization. However, there were younger patients in the suprathel group. Epithelialization time was shorter and graft acceptance was higher in suprathel treated patients.
When the total burned body surface areas were compared according to the treatment methods applied, it was observed that the burn area requiring graft was significantly smaller in suprathel treated patients.

INTRODUCTION: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia (E.) coli has become an increasing concern in pediatric community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs). The primary aim of this study is to investigate and identify the clinical, demographic, and medical history-related risk factors associated with ESBL-producing E. coli strains isolated from urine cultures of pediatric patients diagnosed with community-acquired UTIs.
METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 100 pediatric patients with ESBL-positive E. coli UTIs hospitalized between 2008–2012, all of whom received meropenem therapy. Risk factors, clinical manifestations, urine collection methods, comorbidities, and prior antibiotic exposure were collected.
RESULTS: ESBL-positive E. coli UTIs were more frequent in boys during the neonatal period but became predominant in girls thereafter, with the highest prevalence under two years of age. Clinical manifestations vary with age, ranging from nonspecific symptoms such as fever and vomiting in infants to typical complaints like abdominal pain and dysuria in older children. E. coli was identified as the leading pathogen, while high resistance rates to commonly used antibiotics (ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, TMP-SMX) were observed. Carbapenems remained the most effective agents, though their use should be reserved due to cost and hospitalization requirements. Underlying urinary tract abnormalities, vesicoureteral reflux, recurrent infections, and recent antibiotic exposure were major risk factors for ESBL (+) UTIs.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results highlight the clinical significance of ESBL-producing E. coli in pediatric UTIs. Early recognition of risk factors, careful diagnostic evaluation, and rational antibiotic selection are crucial for optimal management.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to investigate whether there has been a measurable change in the use and indications of blood and blood products during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period.
METHODS: A total of 1,050 patients were retrospectively analyzed, including 563 in the pre-pandemic period and 487 during the pandemic. Patients monitored for emergency benign diseases, elective benign diseases, trauma, transplantation, and malignancy were included in the study, while those with bleeding due to coagulopathy or suicide attempts were excluded. The blood products used included erythrocyte suspension, fresh frozen plasma, platelet apheresis, and pooled platelet suspension.
RESULTS: The mean hemoglobin threshold for transfusion was significantly lower during the pandemic (7.9 ± 1.3 g/dL vs. 8.7 ± 1.8 g/dL, p < 0.001). During the pandemic, there was a statistically significant shift in blood and blood product usage patterns among surgical patients. The proportion of patients receiving one-unit erythrocyte suspension increased (22.8% vs. 12.6%, p < 0.001), while two-unit transfusions decreased. FFP use declined, it increased significantly in emergency benign diseases, colorectal/GI surgery, surgical debridement, and transplantation. Apheresis platelet transfusions increased during the pandemic (3.1% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.005), while pooled platelet use remained unchanged. Mortality was higher during the pandemic (12.5% vs. 9.4%), but the difference was not statistically significant.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with measurable shifts in blood product utilization patterns in general surgery, influenced by changes in surgical priorities and healthcare constraints.