Researcher Bulletin of Medical Sciences
Year:2011 | Volume:16 | Issue:3 (81)|Papers Count:9

Background and Aim: Treatment of low-grade glioma (LLG) is one of the problems of neurosurgeon. According to reports, treatment of LGG tumors has been successful with stereotactic brachytherapy (SBT with temporary 125Iodine seeds). Due to the lack of reported experience in our country in this regard, this study was conducted on patients treated in Shohada-Tajrish Hospital between 2004 and 2011.Materials and Methods: This case series was conducted on consecutive patients with diagnosed LGG tumors treated with SBT (125 Iodine seeds). Patients follow-up were at least 6 months. Survival of patients was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier method.Results: During the study period 8 patients (7 male and 1 female) with a mean age of 31.1±10.6 y were treated. One patient died due to respiratory and cardiac problems. The overall survival was 42% and 7 patients were alive by the last follow-up.Conclusion: It seems using SBT (temporary 125Iodine seeds) in the treatment of LGG tumors is acceptable. It is recommended to compare the efficacy of this method in newly diagnosed patients compared with those who did not respond to the previous treatments.

Background and Aim: Nowadays different leadership styles determine the efficiency and effectiveness of staff in different conditions and sectors. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between leadership styles of head nurses with continuing activities of nurses in specialized units in selected hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2009.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, data was collected through two standard questionnaires of leadership styles and staff tendency to remain. Data was analyzed by statistic descriptive techniques.Results: Findings showed that the scores of authoritative, charitable, participatory and consultative style were 0.12, -0.21, 0.24 and 0.998, respectively. The total score of staff tendency to remain was 2.4. Conclusion: The positive correlation between participative style of head nurses and staff tendency to remain showed that this can be an appropriate way which leads to improvement of management of nursing unites in our country.

Background and Aim: Presence of stressors during the last weeks of gestation has been associated with behavioral disorders in the offspring. The aim of the present study is to determine if prenatal exposure with noise affects anxiety in adult offspring.Materials and Methods: Three groups of pregnant rats were exposed to daily noise stress with durations of 1, 2 and 4 hour (s) /day from day 15 to 21 of gestation. A forth group was left undisturbed during pregnancy. Using elevated plus maze (EPM), their offspring's anxiety behavior were studied when 45 day old (n=10 in each group). Percentage of entries and time spent in open arms over the total exploration in both open and closed arms were calculated. Also, total serum corticosterone of dams and offspring were measured.Results: We found that applying noise stress (2 and/or 4 hours) in late gestation increased anxiety behavior in the offspring (P<0.05), also, their total corticosterone concentration were higher than the control group. The anxiety behavior and corticosterone level of offspring with one hour noise stress was similar to that of controls.Conclusion: Applying noise stress on pregnant rats increased anxiety behavior and total corticosterone level of their offspring, but the incidence of these alterations depended on duration of the sound stress.

Background and Aim: In congenital hydrocephalus, there is excessive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulation in the brain that negatively impacts water homeostasis. Aquaporins are a family of transmembrane water channel proteins. They play a significant role in the developing brain and possibly have a role in congenital hydrocephalus.Materials and Methods: We studied the regulation of aquaporin-1 (AQP-1), in the hydrocephalus-Texas (H-Tx) rat model by Immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis, and ELISA assays. Hydrocephalus develops in these animals due to obstruction of the cerebral aqueduct on embryonic day 18, and the condition is fatal by 4-5 weeks of age. AQP-1 protein expression was evaluated in unaffected H-Tx animals, affected hydrocephalic (HC) animal and Wistar control animals at embryonic ages of E17 and E19, and post natal ages of P3 and P10.Results: Our findings indicate that AQP-1 is down-regulated in the congenital H-Tx and affected (HC) animals compared to Wistar control animals. The decrease occurs at day E17, one day before aqueduct stenosis in this animal model. Postnatally, the decrease in AQP-1 is more evident at age P10, suggesting this might be a longstanding phenomenon.Conclusion: AQP-1 may play an important role in the production or absorption of CSF in the early gestation period of congenital hydrocephalus. The molecular aspects of early development in this rodent model may involve an abnormality of aquaporin regulation. The mechanism of AQP-1’s direct involvement in the CSF pathway or its indirect effect on cortical development remains to be understood.

Background and Aim: Patients with chronic renal disease have an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD). The cardiovascular mortality of dialysis patients is 10-15 times higher compared with general population. Renal transplantation has been shown to improve the quality of life and survival in recipient. However, with increasing number of people joining the waiting list, there is an increasing effort to carefully screen patients for their suitability to be a potential recipient. Consequently, Cardiac evaluation prior to renal transplantation has been a pillar of this screening process.Materials and Methods: In this study, 75 pretransplant dialysis patients with high risk criteria for cardiovascular events (including history of diabetes mellitus, age>50 y, clinical symptoms and signs of CAD or ST-T change in ECG) were evaluated through coronary angiography with sildenger method.Results: There were 75 patients (44 men and 31 women) with mean age of 52 y. Obstructive CAD was demonstrated by coronary angiography in 50 patients (66.6%) and 25 patients (33.3%) showed normal coronary arteries or Mild CAD. Among 33 diabetic patients, 29 (90.5%) showed obstructive CAD and 4 (9.5%) were normal or showed Mild CAD. From 42 nondiabetic patients, 21 (50%) showed CAD and (50%) were normal or showed Mild CAD.Conclusion: According to this study, for diabetic renal transplant candidate, a baseline coronary angiography for risk stratification of CAD is useful and cost-effective, but nondiabetic patients remain a subject of debate and need more evaluation.

Background and Aim: Venous Thromboembolism is one of the most serious conditions in ICU that might complicate patient’s general condition. This descriptive study was delivered to assess the cumulative incidence of VTE amongst ICU Patients in a general university hospital in Tehran in a one year period.Materials and Methods: We reviewed all the files from patients admitted to ICU for a one year period from May 2005 to May 2006. Patients who had an episode of venous thromboembolism were selected and their age, gender, preliminary disease, prophylaxis regimen for venous thromboembolism, treatment approach, and their outcome were recorded.Results: There were 14 cases of venous thromboembolism among 339 patients admitted. Out of these 14 patients 5 had pulmonary thromboembolism and 3 patients expired (2 general surgery and 1 neurosurgery cases). 5 out of 14 patients had received prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism while none of the 3 expired patients had received it. Based on the underlying disease, there were 4 general surgery patients, 6 neurosurgery, 3 orthopedic surgeries, and 1 internal medicine patient. Treatment approach in all cases was heparin and enoxaparin administration while one case had IVC filter. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the incidence of VTE in ICU patients and the mortality rate is predictable, therefore correct and effective DVT/VTE prophylaxis can prevent massive PE and death amongst high risk patients.

Background and Aim: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) has been identified as a pathogen since 1970. This organism can cause poor outcome and death in neonatal period and also puerperal infection. In other countries, the prevalence of rectal and vaginal colonization of GBS is about 20-30%. In Iran there are different reports about the prevalence of GBS colonization. Diagnosis and treatment of GBS colonization can prevent mortality in neonatal period and morbidity during post partum period. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of GBS colonization and sensitivity to various antibiotics in women who were visited in prenatal clinic of Mahdieh Hospital.Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was carried out on 246 women at 35-37 weeks gestation in Mahdieh hospital in 2008. Vaginal & rectal samples were cultured in special medias. If there was positive gram, CAMP test was done to identify GBS, then their sensitivity to antibiotics were studied. Our findings were analyzed by SPSS software.Results: Prevalence of GBS in our study was 5.3% and there was no correlation with age, education, rupture of membrane, parity and nationality. But there was a poor relation between multiple gestation and positive culture. Antibiotic sensitivity was identified as a sequence of Erythromycin, Cephasoline, Clindamycin, Vancomycin, Ampicillin, and Penicillin.Conclusion: In our study, the prevalence of GBS was lower than other studies from Iran, and sensitivity of GBS to Penicillin was lower than other antibiotics.

Congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy (CHN) is a rare severe polyneuropathy of neonates presenting with hypotonia, areflexia and severe muscular weakness leading to early mortality or profound morbidity. Here, we report a case of this disease presenting at birth with severe hypotonia, weak respiratory effort and ventilator dependency. Electrodiagnostic study showed severe nerve conduction velocity delay, sural nerve biopsy demonstrated nerve bandles without any myelin. These finding are compatible with congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy. Thus, CHN should be considered in differential diagnosis of severe neonatal hypotonia.