Journal of Knowledge & Health in Basic Medical Sciences
Year:2010 | Volume:5 | Issue:1|Papers Count:11

Introduction: Because of the increased risk of chronicity of hepatitis B in HIV infected patients, immunization against HBV is recommended in patients infected with human immune deficiency virus. This study aims at determining the factors which affect the response to HBV vaccination in Iranian HIV positive adults, compared with a healthy control group.Methods: From April 2007 to May 2008, 50 HIV+ and 50 healthy control subjects who were seronegative for HBV received 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine at 0, 1 and 3-month points. About 1-2 months after the last dose of vaccine, HBS antibodies were tested in the two groups. Persons were considered vaccine responders if their HBS antibody levels were greater than 10 mIU/ml.Results: In the HIV+ group 40 cases (80%) were vaccine responder and in control group, 46 (92%) people responded to vaccine. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.8). There were no significant relationships between age, gender, BMI, smoking, alcohol drinking and the method infection and HARRT treatment. In the HIV group vaccine response was associated with CD4 count level (P=0.03).Conclusion: HIV infected patients are recommended to be HBV vaccinated at the regular doses and intervals. If CD4 count is less than 200/ml, HBS antibody should be tested in certain period for HIV+ individuals.

Introduction: Lipid peroxidation is a normal phenomenon that occurs continuously at low parts of the human body. However, if these peroxidation reactions are not controlled by antioxidant defense, they can in part be toxic to cells and membranes. It seems that pregnancy and labor can produce oxidative stress. So, this research was carried out to assess oxidative stress in pregnancy and normal delivery.Methods: In this analytic cross sectional study, two 60-membrgroups of pregnant and normally delivering women were selected. Having signed an informed consent form, in order to measure oxidative stress indexes, the researchers obtained 5cc vein blood from the participants. The blood from the pregnant women was obtained in 38-40 weeks of pregnancy, and in the normally delivering group the blood was obtained during the full dilatation in labor. Inclusion criteria for the two groups were not having any acute or chronic diseases, being prim para and having singleton pregnancy. Immediately after delivery of the fetus, and after providing care for the delivering mothers, blood samples were collected from their newborns.Results: The mean age of the pregnant group was 22.8±52 and of the delivering group 21.4±1.8. The mean of lipid peroxidation significantly higher in the delivering women (5.58 nmol/l) than pregnant women (3.64 nmol/l). There was also a positive correlation between labor lipid peroxidation, and thiol groups and total antioxidant capacity women with newborns.Conclusion: The data showed a significant difference between lipid peroxidation in pregnancy and labor, so that peroxidation was higher in delivery. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between oxidative stress indexes in delivering mothers and their newborns. It seems it is necessary to reinforce antioxidant defense in mothers and mothers need to use antioxidant supplements during pregnancy.

Introduction: Skin cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer in Yazd, and childhood and adolescence are particularly important time for preventing later skin cancer risk. The goal of this study is to assess the factors relevant to skin cancer preventive behavior in female high school students in Yazd based on protection motivation theory.Methods: Participants in this cross- sectional study were 360 female students from 4 high schools in Yazd. Data were gathered through a self- report questionnaire and were analyzed using SPSS, and statistical tests of ANOVA, T-test, Pearson correlation and regression.Results: Pearson correlation coefficient showed that a significant positive correlation exists between behaviors and perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, fear, self- efficacy, response efficacy and coping-appraisal, and a significant negative correlation exists between behaviors and response cost, reward and perceived threat (P<0.01). Two cognitive intermediary processes of threat appraisal and coping-appraisal could predict 54% of protection motivation where threat appraisal was a stronger predictor (b=0.335). Also, protection motivation could predict 41% of preventive behavior.Conclusion: Results of this study support the effectiveness of PMT variables for prediction of skin cancer prevention behaviors in subjects.

Introduction: Prolonged labor has been associated with cesarean delivery and low Ph cord blood. Furthermore, hemorrhage and infection, which are strongly associated with long labor, are leading causes of maternal death. Due to the importance of duration of labor, this study investigates the effects of Hego (LI4) acupressure on length of delivery time, mothers’ physiological responses i.e., respiration and pulse rates of mothers, and Apgar scores of newborns.Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 100 pregnant women, who were at the beginning of active phase of labor (dilatation 5- 3) and had referred to Fatemiye educational and research clinic in Shahroud, were randomly assigned to either the LI4 acupressure (n=50) or LI4 touch control (n=50) group. The experimental group received LI4 acupressure at the onset of the active phase for duration of each uterine contraction over a period of 20 minutes but the control group received only LI4 touch. Length of delivery time was calculated in two stages: from 3-5 cm cervical dilation to full cervical dilation and full cervical dilation to the delivery. Pulse and respiration rates were measured before intervention, immediately after intervention, 20, 60 minutes after intervention and then each hour until delivery. One-minute and five-minute Apgar scores were also registered.Results: There were significant differences between the groups in length of delivery time. The total labor (3-5 dilation to delivery) was significantly shorter in the LI4 acupressure intervention group (P=0.038) . Maternal pulse and respiration rates weren’t significantly different between the groups (P=0.711, P=0.108) . There were no significant differences between two groups for neonatal Apgar scores at one and five minutes. (P=0.2, P=0.3).Conclusion: These finding showed that LI4 acupressure was effective for shortening the length of delivery time and had no side effects on mothers’ pulse and respiration rate or no newborns’ Apgar scores. Therefore, this safe, simple and modern technique which requires no cost and equipment can be used in maternity hospitals.

Introduction: In order to prevent from the complications of the coronary angiography, patients who undergo this procedure need to have absolute rest on bed at least for 6 hours. This restriction to bed leads to patient's fatigue and back pain. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of patients' instruction by video on the levels of fatigue and back pain after angiography.Methods: In a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design, 128 patients were randomly assigned to either control or experimental group.Control group received verbal routine education by nurses, and experimental group received an informative video about the required measures before, during and after the coronary angiography procedure. Using visual analogue Scale (VAS), levels of fatigue and back pain were assessed immediately after and at 2, 4 and 6 hours after the procedure. The data were analyzed by descriptive and interpretive statistics such as t-test and ANOVA via SPSS 15.Results: Analysis of data showed that the average score of fatigue and back pain in the first stage of assessment was not statistically significant between the two groups (P>0.05). The study finding also showed that the control group at 2, 4 and 6 hours had significantly higher fatigue and back pain score than the experimental group (P<0.001).Conclusion: The results of this study recommend the use of instructional video as a useful method for decreasing fatigue and back pain in patients undergoing coronary angiography procedure. To increase satisfaction and reduce fatigue and back pain, it is suggested that this method be used as a part of the preparatory program for patients who are to undergo invasive procedures.

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most prevalent disorders in women which decreases efficacy. In Chinese theory, dysmenorrhea treatment requires harmonization of energy and blood. The aim of this study is the evaluation of effect acupressure on severity and duration of primary dysmenorrhea.Methods: In this clinical trial, 194 eligible student teachers from Nasibe Teacher Education College were selected. In the first cycle, severity and duration of pain were determined. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to either experimental or control group. In the second, third and fourth cycles, 3-7 days before menstruation, acupressure was applied at liv3 and placebo points for 20 minutes per day. With the onset of menstruation, the severity and duration of dysmenorrhea was determined for the three cycles. Instruments include wrong-Baker faces pain scale, Beck -21 questionnaire, a clock, Acuhealth tens pro 900 set and force gauge. Data were analyzed through chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test, Friedman test and independent t test.Results: There was no significant difference in severity of pain between two groups in the first cycle (P=0.40) but there was a significant difference in severity of pain between two groups in the second (P<0.05), third (P<0.01) and fourth cycles (P<0.01). In the fourth cycle, the median severity of dysmenorrhea was 6 in the two groups. In the fourth cycle, it was 4 in intervention group and, 6 in the control group. There was no significant difference in duration of pain between two groups in the first (P=0.81) and the second cycle (P=0.09), but there was a significant difference in severity of pain between the two groups in the third (P<0.05) and the fourth cycles (P<0.001).Duration of pain decreased significantly in intervention group, compared to control group.Conclusion: Applying acupressure at liv3 point was an effective method to decrease severity and duration of primary dysmenorrhea; therefore, acupressure is suggested as useful, effective, cheap, and available treatment for primary dysmenorrhea.

Introduction Foot orthosis is used as protective treatment in people with flatfoot. This study aimed at assessing the effects of Foot orthosis on energy consumption in 20 runners with flat feet.Methods: In this study a treadmill and a Quark b2 were used to measure oxygen consumption. For each patient, a pair of foot orthosis with the appropriate size was prepared. The maximum running Heart rate, vo2 max and vo2 of the subjects were measured and calculated with and without foot orthoses. The data were compared through paired T-test.Results: In this study, after using the foot orthoses, the mean VO2 (ML/M), theVO2 max (ML/M for each Kg of body weight) and the maximum heart rate respectively reduced from 4504.6 to 4488.3, from 63.6 to 63.4 and from 168.7 to 168.0, all of which indicating a significant observed reduction (P<0.05).Conclusion: Foot support devices (orthoses) result in realignment of lower extremity joints in patients with flat feet, thus length- tension relationship of muscles improve. This prevents muscle fatigue in long- distance running. Finally, when suitable foot orthoses was applied energy consumption during running decreased.

Introduction: Vaginitis is one of the most common gynecologic problems to which a considerable percentage of out-patient treatments is devoted annually. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalent microbial factors in hormonal and surgical contraceptive method users who referred to medical and health centers in Hamadan, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive/analytic, 160 women referring to family planning clinics were selected based on a quota sampling procedure. In addition to the detailed history and demographic characteristics of the subjects, samples of their vaginal discharge for wet mount examination, gram staining and culturing were obtained. SPSS was used to analyze the data descriptively and analytically.Results: The results revealed that majority of the users of natural methods (50%) and surgical methods (72/5%) had positive clinical signs, but 65% of hormonal and 80% of condom users did not have any clinical symptoms. The findings indicate statistically significant differences between clinical signs and contraception methods (P=0.00). Trichomoniasis, vaginalis had the highest prevalence of 5% in surgical method users and 2.5% in hormonal method users, while no case was reported in users of condom and natural methods.Gardnerella was reported in 7.5% of surgical method users, in 5% of hormonal method users and in 2.5% of natural method and condom users. The prevalence of candidiasis in hormonal method users, surgical method and condom users, and natural method users was 7.5%, 5% and 2.5%, respectively. E. coli was also reported in 7.5% of hormonal method and condom users and in 2.5% of natural method users.Conclusion: Noting the high prevalence of bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and candidiasis in the subjects, it is suggested that women using contraception methods be regularly followed-up for clinical examination and counseling.