TEHRAN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL JOURNAL (TUMJ)
Year:2008 | Volume:66 | Issue:5|Papers Count:12

Background: Over the last 35 years, quinacrine has been used to sterilize more than 150,000 women in 40 countries, first in the form of slurry and now in the form of cylindrical pellets. Some studies confirmed the tubal occlusion by hysterosalpyngography, but this method increases the chance of failure. Only a few studies on tubal occlusion have used transvaginal sonography for confirmation, and there were some doubts about the effect of quinacrine on the endometrium. We performed this study to evaluate the tubal scar and endometrial pattern by ultrasound and to determine the feasibility, acceptance, and side effects of quinacrine sterilization (QS) in Iranian women.Methods: This prospective clinical trial was done at the Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences between April 2005 and July 2006. One hundred sexually active women ranging from 30 to 47 years of age, who had at least two children above two years old, requesting sterilization, were sterilized by this method. By the end of menstrual bleeding, seven pellets, each containing 36mg quinacrine, were inserted in the uterine fundal area via the cervical canal. The procedure was repeated one month later. Three cycles after the first step, transvaginal sonography was performed to visualize the tubal scar and determine the endometrial pattern. Patients were followed at one and three years after initiation of the procedure.Results: All women were satisfied with the procedure. There were no side effects. No pregnancies had occurred, nor were there endometrial thickness abnormalities. Scar formation was visible in the tubes.Conclusion: Quinacrine sterilization is a useful method for women and can be recommended to family planning services as an ambulatory procedure due to its efficacy, simplicity, acceptance and cost effectiveness.

Background: Chronic Subdural Hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common challenges of neurosurgeons. Most predominant among the elderly, the incidence increases incrementally with age and might lead to permanent severe complications. The aim of this study is to outline the symptoms and signs and to compare the outcomes and complications among two groups of patients who underwent two different surgical procedures.Methods: In a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study performed on 125 patients with CSDH from 2000 to 2005. Computed tomography scan was used for diagnostic imaging in all cases and magnetic resonance imaging was also obtained for six patients.In one center, group 1, which included 82 patients, underwent surgery with a single burr hole and closed drainage, and, at another center, group 2, which included 43 patients, was treated with a method using two burr holes and close drainage.Results: Of the 125 patients, 102 were male and 23 were female. The mean age of patients was 65.79±16.41 years. The most common symptoms were weakness in extremities (78.4%), headache (72.8%) and decreased level of consciousness (24%), respectively. At presentation, 88 (70.4%) of the patients had several symptoms and 37 (29.6%) had only one symptom. A history of mild head trauma, such as falling, was observed in 83 (68%) of the patients. The interval between head trauma and the onset of symptoms ranged from 10 to 120 days (mean: 46 days). Hematoma recurred in five cases from group 1, whereas two cases from group 2 had recurrence of hematoma. Postoperative epidural hematoma developed in one case from group 2 and tension pneumocephalus also occurred in one group 2 patients.Conclusion: As a treatment for CSDH, the single burr hole method was significantly better than the two burr hole method.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative neurodopaminergic disease in nigrostriatum pathway of animals and human, the resultant loss of nerve terminals accompanied by dopamine-glutamate and other related neurotransmitters-imbalances in this pathway are responsible for most of the movement abnormalities. Increasing evidence suggests that an inflammatory reaction accompanies the pathological processes caused by Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) seen in many neurodegenerative disorders, including PD. These findings have not indicated any evidence based on the effect of selective and non selective COX-2 inhibitors on the rigidity of PD.Methods: The rats left substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) was destroyed using the electrical lesion thus PD model was created. Then oral aspirin and celecoxib (200, 400 mg/kg) were administrated to parkinsonian rats acutely and then the rigidity was evaluated using Murprogo’s Method.Results: Both compounds were able to decrease the rigidity of parkinsonian rats (p<0.05) respectively but selective cox-2 inhibitor (celecoxib) was found more effective and potent than that of non selective cox-2 inhibitor (aspirin).Conclusion: The findings suggest that COX-2 inhibition decreases the rigidity of PD in the animal model. Therefore, as results of the study COX-2 inhibition was shown good evidence based on the use of aspirin and celecoxib and PD affiliated rigidity improvement that this can be beneficial and interest for neuroscientists. These findings are additional pharmacological and medicinal information to further assess of non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as alternative therapeutic agents for PD affiliated rigidity treatment. Further experiments seem to be necessary to complete this research such as investigation the effects of NSAIDs on the striatum neurotransmission pathway.

Background: Infectious diseases are problematic in all around the world especially in the developing countries and early diagnosis of infections and one etiologic agent has a major role in the treatment of one patients. There are some culturing methods consist of conventional, semiautomatic and automatic. One of automatic methods is BACTEC system worked by fluorescent technology and Co2 production of organisms in culture media.Methods: This study is based on observational-descriptive method with simple convenient sampling. We analyzed 262 samples of body sterile fluids of patients admitted in pediatric and internal wards of a university (Rasol- Acram) Hospital. They are consisting of 150 blood, 46 synovial, 32 CSF, 24 pleural, and 10 peritoneal samples.Results: There were no differences between two sexes in BACTEC and Conventional methods. Average age of patients with positive and negative culture in two methods had not differences. 72 (27.5%) samples were positive that 32 (12.2%) samples only in BACTEC method, 4 (1.5%) in conventional method and 36 (13.7%) in two methods had statistical differences (p=0.003). That means positive cultures are seeing in BACTEC more than Conventional method. Comparison of two methods in positive blood culture samples had statistical differences (p=0.02) but no statistical differences in other body fluids were seen. i. e. positive cultures were seen in BACTEC more than conventional method.Positive culture in these two methods had statistical differences in antibiotic utilization (p<0.001). Positive culture in antibiotic utility was seen in BACTEC more than Conventional method. The average time of culture to become positive was 17.5+ 5.88 hours in BACTEC against 62.36+ 13.98 hours in Conventional method. Contamination was seeing in 4 samples in BACTEC and 2 in Conventional method that had no significant differences.Conclusion: According to these data organism detection in BACTEC culture media from body sterile fluids overall and specially from blood is more successful than Conventional method. It is a better method in antibiotic utilization. BACTEC can isolate organism in shorter duration than Conventional method. BACTEC can facilitate early and accurate diagnosis of infectious etiology, shorten duration of hospital stay and decrease mortality and morbidity and cost.

Background: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract. Different molecular alterations have been described in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma that, the most frequently altered gene is mutations of PTEN. Up to 50-83% of endometrioid carcinoma reveals altered PTEN characterized by loss of expression. In endometrial hyperplasia, which is precursors of endometrioid carcinoma, loss of PTEN expression is 30-63%.Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 90 cases of endometrial curettage including: 30 proliferative endometrium, 30 hyperplastic endometrium and 30 endometroid carcinoma.Immunohistochemical specimens were graded semiquatitatively by considering the percentage of staining with two cut-point 10% & 50% on the whole section for each specimen.Results: loss of PTEN expression was observed 0%, 0%, 30% of 51.7% in proliferative, simple hyperplasia, complex hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma respectively with cut-point 10% and 0%, 5.3%, 30%, 52.2% in endometrioid carcinoma respectively with cutpoint 50%. Also there was no difference in PTEN expression between atypical complex hyperplasia and endometrioid carcinoma but there was significant difference between simple hyperplasia and proliferative with endometrioid carcinoma & atypical complex hyperplasia.Conclusion: These results show loss of PTEN expression in endmetrioid carcinoma and no differences between endometrioid carcinoma and atypical complex hyperplasia.Therefore, assessment of PTEN expression by negative immunostaining and matched with routine hematoxylin and eosin stained can be a new tool for diagnosis of endometrioid carcinoma.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a pulmonary pathology occuring in context of infection, trauma, burn, and sepsis. Tissue injury and release of chemical mediators result in tissue damage and organ failure especially respiratory failure. Many therapeutic modalities including vitamin E, allopurinol, and N-acetylcystein (NAC) have been used to decrease levels of inflammatory factors and to control and improve signs and symptoms.The antioxidant feature of NAC induces synthesis of glutathione- the scavenger of free radicals- and increase respiratory drive and PaO2. In time diagnosis of ALI, prompt institution of treatment will reduce mortality and morbidity in critical illness.Methods: This open label analytical clinical trial included a total of 50 patients admitted in the ICU ward of Sina University Hospital. They were randomly divided into two groups of 25, the case group received NAC 150mg/kg in 100ml Normal saline within 20 minutes then 50mg/kg in 100ml Normal saline within 4 hr after that 50mg/kg daily for three days. The controls received only normal saline. Oxygenation and ventilation parameters were studied in both groups.Results: There were no significant difference between the groups in terms of demographic indices, mean SpO2, ABG values, mortality rates, and clearing of chest xrays.The best outcome was seen in young traumatic patients.Conclusion: In this relatively small group of patients presenting with an established ALI/ ARDS subsequent to a variety of underlying disease, intravenous NAC treatment during first four days neither significantly improved systemic oxygenation nor reduced the need for ventilatory support.

Background: Radiation to some parts of the heart is unavoidable in the therapeutic course of primary tumors in many kinds of cancer, including breast cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of acute and subacute cardiac complications following radiotherapy in patients with left breast cancer.Methods: In this study, we enrolled 53 patients with left breast cancer who underwent mastectomy or lumpectomy between September 2005 and September 2006 in Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, and subsequently underwent chemotherapy with anthracyclines (<450mg/m2) and Endoxan plus taxane/fFluorouracil followed by radiotherapy. In all patients, electrocardiography and echocardiography were performed before initiation of radiotherapy, immediately after radiotherapy and again three and six months later to check for radiotherapy-induced cardiac complications such as pericardial effusion, valvular lesions, left ventricular dysfunction, conduction system disturbances and other variables.Results: Thirty-nine patients completed the follow-up period. Among these, 10 (25.6%) patients experienced cardiac complications following radiotherapy. Among these, mild pericardial effusion in seven (53.85%) patients, mild mitral regurgitation in three cases (23.08%) and Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB) in two cases (15.38%) were the most common complications. We found no correlation between cardiac complication and tumor dose, dose fraction and type of chemotherapy protocol. We noted no cases of new or more serious complications, such as cardiomyopathies or coronary artery disease, nor any changes in ejection fraction by the end of the follow-up period.Conclusion: In patients with left breast cancer, acute and subacute cardiac complications following radiotherapy are not serious and have no clinical significance. Further studies are needed for more assessments in this area.

Background: The resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to broad spectrum cephalosporins may be mediated by extended spectrum b-lactamases (ESBLs). These enzymes are encoded by different genes located either on chromosome or plasmids. In this study, we determined the antimicrobial resistance patterns of P. aeruginosa isolates and screened for ESBL production.Methods: After isolation from burn patients in Tehran Hospital, identification of P. aeruginosa isolates were assessed using biochemical tests. We then performed disk agar diffusion (DAD) according to CLSI guidelines to determine the pattern of antimicrobial resistance. The frequency of ESBLs and prevalence of the OXA-10 and PER-1 genes were determined with combined disk and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, respectively.Results: One hundred strains of P. aeruginosa were isolated. The resistance of these strains to cephpodoxime, aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem, meropenem, cefotaxime, levofloxacin, piperacilin- tazobactam and ceftriaxon was 100%, 90%, 83%, 92%, 85%, 88%, 63%, 66%, 98%, 89%, 70% and 91%, respectively. Of these, 40 strains (40%) were ESBL positive, 29 strains (29%) were OXA-10 positive and 18 strains (18%) were PER-1 positive.Conclusion: Our results confirm the need for proper antimicrobial therapy in burn hospitals, considering the resistance pattern and frequency of strains producing ESBLs and the presence of the OXA-10 and PER-1 genes. Since an increase in the prevalence of ESBL in P. aeruginosa strains might lead to the transfer of these ESBL genes to other gram-negative bacteria, we recommend the use of appropriate drugs, especially cephalosporins, in burn hospitals.

Background: In the treatment of bronchial asthma, the identification, isolation, and elimination of causative allergens is the most effective part of treatment. With the recent diversification within the pet industry, pet owner exposure to many unknown antigens is on the rise. The results of population studies have been contradictory and some epidemiological studies have failed to confirm this, some indicating that keeping pets might actually reduce the risk of sensitization and asthma. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between pet ownership and asthma.Methods: This case-control study included 300 asthmatic participants referred to the Children’s Medical Center over a two-year period. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding pet ownership, pet gender and puberty, the place it was kept, how long the pet was kept and the reason for keeping the pet. The same questions were asked from 300 age- and gender-matched nonasthmatic individuals as the control group.Statistical analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (OR) of asthma morbidity in individuals who kept pets.Results: The OR for asthma morbidity in patients who kept pets was 2.59 (CI=1.60-4.21 and p<0.001). Financial aim was the most common reason for keeping a pet and most pets were mature and kept outdoors. No significant correlations for pet genders were observed.Conclusion: This survey provides evidence that pet ownership is an important risk factor for asthma, therefore we suggest that individuals at risk for asthma (atopic individuals) must avoid contact with pets. However, more research in this field in Iran is necessary.

Background: post operative pain is an essential problem. Epidural infusion of two different doses of bupivacaine in pain management of post orthopedic surgeries was studied.Methods: In this double blinded randomized clinical trial we studied two groups of 42 patients undergone knee surgery. Based on block randomization, patients received two different concentration of bupivacaine (0.1% or 0.125%) in combination with fentanyl (1.7 mg/ml). The beginning infusion rate was 5 ml/h. Pain scores were documented by a blinded researcher 6, 12, 18, 24 and 48 hours after completion of surgery according to VAS tool. Patient satisfaction, complications and treatment failure (when increased volume of epidural infusion or other analgesics were required) were evaluated.Results: In higher bupivacaine dose group, post operative pain scores were not significantly lower in different hours and during the follow up (both p values less than 0.001). After 48 hours, patients satisfaction were more in the higher bupivacaine group.There were no significant differences in complications. Treatment failure was more significant in lower bupivacaine dose (33.3% versus 11.9%, p=0.03).Conclusion: continuous epidural infusion of both bupivacaine and fentanyl provide acceptable post operative pain control in orthopedic patients. Although higher concentrations of bupivacaine during first hours are more effective, lower concentrations are as effective as the higher one, during subsequent hours.

Background: Nosocomial infections increase patients’ morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay especially in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and have become a matter of major concern. Controlling and preventing nosocomial infections need enough information about epidemiology of these infections. This study aims at estimating the incidence rate and the most frequent bacteria which cause these infections in neonatal intensive care unit of Ghaem university hospital, Mashhad.Methods: In this study which is performed during a twelve month period in 2004 and 2005 at neonatal intensive care unit of Ghaem hospital, 971 hospitalized neonates were studied. Data were collected considering the standard surveillance protocols. Early onset neonatal nosocomial infections and late onset neonatal infections were defined as illness appearing from birth to seven days and from eight to twenty-eight days postnatal age respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using the c2 test.Results: In this study 32 cases of nosocomial infections were identified so the incidence rate of nosocomial infection in this ward was 3.29%. Fifteen babies identified with early onset neonatal nosocomial infection and the rest have presented with late onset neonatal infections. In order of frequency, the sites of infection were: primary bloodstream (84.4%) and pneumonia (15.62%). Coagulase negative staphylococci were the most common bacteria (43.74%) isolated in these patients. Other isolated bacteria were Klebsiella pneumonia (31.42%) and other gram negative bacilli such as E.coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Acintobacter spp. The mechanical ventilation and umbilical catheter were associated with nosocomial infections as risk factors in our study (p<0.01).Conclusion: Our findings show that the neonatal intensive care unit of Ghaem hospital has low rate of nosocomial infections. However, as neonatal intensive care unit is an area of great concern in terms of nosocomial infection, preventive measures especially hand washing should be intensified.

Background: Lung leiomyoma and pulmonary arterio-venous malformation (PAVM) are both rare diseases. Occurrence of them in a patient is rare too. Because of their limited signs and symptoms and so serious complications, accurate diagnosis of both diseases is important.Case report: We present a 73 –year old female with PAVM combine with a coincidental solid mass in left upper lobe. Because of fistula size and combination with a solid mass, the lesion is treated by left upper lobectomy.Results: As most of lung diseases will be present without any signs and symptoms, the presence of asymptomatic findings in the lung such as nodule on chest x- ray should be assessed carefully.