Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Year:2023 | Volume:41 | Issue:750|Papers Count:3

Background: The parameters of image quality depend on the radiation dose and the CT scanner type. This study aimed to simultaneously compare the image quality and the risk of carcinogenesis caused by radiation in the CT scan of the brain in different scanners. Methods: The present descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 patients who had been referred to hospitals of Isfahan city including Kashani (Siemens (scanner 1) and Canon (scanner 2)), Al-Zahra (General Electric (scanner 3)), Isa bin Maryam (Neusoft (Scanner 4)) for brain CT scan. Organ doses and effective doses of patients were obtained with a calculating program, Impact dose, and risk of exposure-induced death (REID) values estimated by the PCXMC program. The image quality was evaluated by examining the parameters of image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). To compare different scanners, the CNR to REID ratio was introduced as the C criterion. Findings: The average values of REID for scanners 1 to 4 were obtained at 2.98, 4.46, 5.07, and 4.65 per 100,000 men and 3.22, 6.16, 6.53, and 6.26 per 100,000 women, respectively. The average CNR values for scanners 1 to 4 were 1.24, 1.05, 1.66 and 2.08, respectively. Scanners 1 and 2 had the highest and lowest C criteria, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the radiation dose and the risk caused by radiation in the brain CT scan test should always be evaluated considering the image quality parameters, and a scanner with a higher CNR to REID ratio is more suitable.

Background: Intussusception is one of the most common causes of acute abdomen in children. Pediatric surgery centers commonly use barium enemas to treat intussusception. The present study aims to determine the relationship between the time elapsed since the onset of symptoms and the size of intussusception with successful placement with normal saline enema under ultrasound guidance in children. Methods: The statistical population included all patients referred to Fatemi Ardabil Hospital for treatment from October 2019 to September 2020 with the diagnosis of intussusception. A total of 144 patients were extracted from the HIS system of the hospital. T-test, Square-Chi, and ANOVA tests were used for data analysis, and the logistic regression test was used for multivariate analysis. The p-value values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Findings: The mean and standard deviation of the age of the participants in the study was 16.8 ± 7.8 months. 80.6% of patients out of 144 patients had successful enemas, and 3.4% had symptoms of disease recurrence. The success rate of normal saline enema was not significantly related to age and gender as well as initial symptoms of the disease. However, the time elapsed since the onset of symptoms and the size of intussusception had a significant relationship. Conclusion: Attention to the size of intussusception and quick and correct diagnosis of children with it and normal saline enema as an effective treatment method and, barium enema can be useful for treating intussusception in children.

Background: Patient education and enhancing self-care ability are important for cardiac patients. The study aimed to compare the effect of self-care education by nurses and peers on the self-care ability of Candidate patients for angiography. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a pre-post-test was conducted in two groups of candidate patients for angiography in Shahid Madani Heart Hospital of Khorramabad in 2022. Sampling was convenient and the sample size was 56 people. The intervention included self-care education for the patient during two 30-minute sessions before and after angiography by a nurse or a peer. The research tool was Kearney and Flescher's self-care ability questionnaire (1979). Data were analyzed with t, Chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests at a significance level of less than 0.05. Findings: The samples included 28 women (50%) and 28 men (50%), married (96.4%), with under-diploma education (75%), housewives or unemployed (48.2%), and with average income status (42.9%). The Mean ± SD of self-care ability in the two groups before intervention was 138.00 ± 12.56 and 133.11 ± 11.08 (P = 0.128), which after the intervention were reached 141.36 ± 11 and 139.11 ± 15.39 (P = 0.001). The two groups were the same in terms of education effectiveness (P = 0.216). Conclusion: Self-care education by a nurse or peer increases the self-care ability of Candidate patients for angiography. The effectiveness of training by a nurse or a peer on self-care ability is the same. Therefore, depending on workload, the number of nurses, the ratio of nurse to patient, and the time required for caring, a peer can help or replace a nurse to educate the patient.