When writing a manuscript, we often use words such as perfect, strong, good or weak to name the strength of the relationship between variables. However, it is unclear where a good relationship turns into a strong one. The same strength of r is named differently by several researchers. Therefore, there is an absolute necessity to explicitly report the strength and direction of r while reporting correlation coefficients in manuscripts. This article aims to familiarize medical readers with several different correlation coefficients reported in medical manuscripts, clarify confounding aspects and summarize the naming practices for the strength of correlation coefficients.

Sample size estimation is an overlooked concept and rarely reported in diagnostic accuracy studies, primarily because of the lack of information of clinical researchers on when and how they should estimate sample size. In this review, readers will find sample size estimation procedures for diagnostic tests with dichotomized outcomes, explained by clinically relevant examples in detail. We hope, with the help of practical tables and a free online calculator (https://turkjemergmed.com/calculator), researchers can estimate accurate sample sizes without a need to calculate from equations, and use this review as a practical guide to estimating sample size in diagnostic accuracy studies.

An earthquake measuring 7.7 magnitude on the Richter scale occurred at 04:17am on February 6, 2023 in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş province Turkey. In the hours following the 7.7 magnitude event in Kahramanmaraş, a second 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the region and a third 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Gaziantep, causing extensive damage and death. A total of ten provinces directly experienced the earthquake, including Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, and Kilis. The official figures indicate 31,643 people were killed, 80,278 were injured, and 6,444 buildings were destroyed within seven days of the earthquakes (as of 12:00pm/noon on Monday, February 13th). The area affected by the earthquake has been officially declared to be 500km in diameter. This report primarily relies on observations made by pioneer Emergency Physicians (EPs) who went to the disaster areas shortly after the first earthquake (in the early stages of the disaster). According to their observations: (1) Due to winter conditions, there were transportation problems and a shortage of personnel reaching disaster areas on the first day after the disaster; (2) On the second day of the disaster, health equipment was in short supply; (3) As of the third day, health workers were unprepared in terms of knowledge and experience for the disaster; and (4) The subsequent deployment of health personnel to the disaster area was uncoordinated and unplanned on the following days, which resulted in the health personnel working there not being able to meet even their basic needs (such as food, heating, and shelter). During the first week, coordination was most frequently reported as the most significant problem.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to determine whether bedside visual estimates of left ventricular systolic function (LVSF) by emergency physicians (EP) would agree with quantitative measurement of LVSF by the modified Simpson’s method (MSM), as recommended by the American Society of Echocardiography. Methods: After limited focused training, 2 trained EPs performed bedside echocardiography (BECH) procedures s between January and June 2012 to prospectively evaluate patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with dyspnea. EPs categorized their visually estimated ejection fractions (VEF) as either low or normal. Formal echocardiography were ordered and performed by an experienced cardiologist using the MSM and accepted as the criterion standard. We compared BECH results for each EP using chi-squared testing and performed correlation analysis by Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Of the 146 enrolled patients with dyspnea, 13 were excluded and 133 were included in the study. Comparison of EPs vs. cardiologist’s estimate of ejection fraction yielded a Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.77 (R, p<0.0001) and 0.78 (R, p<0.0001). Calculated biserial correlations using point-biserial correlation and z-scores were 1 (rb, p<0.0001) for both EPs. The agreement between EPs and the cardiologist was 0.861 and 0.876, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and the positive and negative likelihood ratios for each physician were 98.7-98.7%, 86.2-87.9%, 0.902-0.914, 0.980-0.981, 7.153-8.175, 0.015-0.015, respectively. Conclusion: EPs with a focused training in limited BECH can assess LVSF accurately in the ED by visual estimation. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(2):221–226.]

Türkiye has a long history of devastating earthquakes, and on February 6, 2023, the region experienced two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, striking Pazarcık and Elbistan, Kahramanmaraş, respectively, on the East Anatolian Fault Zone. These earthquakes resulted in significant loss of life and property, impacting multiple cities across 11 cities, and leaving a lasting impact on the country. The 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes rank among the deadliest and most damaging earthquakes in Türkiye, alongside the historical significance of the 1939 Erzincan Earthquake and the 1999 Marmara Earthquake. Despite reforms following the 1999 Marmara Earthquake in disaster policy and preparedness, the scale of damage from the February 6 earthquakes has been shocking, necessitating further insights and lessons for future earthquake management. This paper presents the outcomes of immediate response efforts organized after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes to elucidate emergency response activities and their impacts on communities, considering the substantial size and severity of the damages. The study focuses on evaluating the emergency response provided within the first 24 h, 3 days, and 2 weeks after the earthquakes, aiming to promptly identify the nature and effectiveness of these responses, as well as the conditions that hindered their efficacy. By shedding light on the specific experiences and challenges faced during these crucial timeframes, the research aims to offer valuable insights and lessons learned. These findings contribute to improved preparedness strategies and more efficient emergency response measures needed in responding to future disaster scenarios. Ultimately, this study provides a useful resource for all stakeholders involved in emergency response and disaster management, offering valuable guidance to enhance resilience and preparedness in the face of seismic hazards.