Journal of Military Medicine
Year:2011 | Volume:13 | Issue:2 (48)|Papers Count:13

Aims: Thermal stress is one of disturbing physical polluting factors of work environment. A wide spectrum of complications and diseases from mild disorders such as burn sensation to lethal conditions such as thermal shock may occur, due to uncontrolled thermal stress. This study was performed to evaluate thermal stress in one of Tehran's smelteries according to WBGT index and to present control methods.Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, four stations were selected in one of Tehran's smelteries which its staff was exposed to heat directly and indirectly and stages of evaluation and measuring thermal stress were performed on four successive days of mid-August, in year 2006. Glass thermometer, wet bulb thermometer, standard globe thermometer and silvered Kata thermometer with K=420 and range of 52-55C° were used respectively for measuring dry, natural wet and radiant temperature and air velocity. Data were manually analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: WBGT was less than threshold limit value in forging strain and cutting stations in summer of 2006. WBGTTWA was estimated 27.49C° in foundry platform, which showed that its workers were exposed to higher thermal stress than allowed, compared to threshold limit value for heat exposure according to ACGIH suggestion.Conclusion: Atmospheric conditions are not favorable for work in foundry platform in summer season and measures should be taken in order to control radiant heat.

Aims: Improvements in nanotechnology in the past decayed has created various opportunities for evaluation of biologic effects such as anti-bacterial effects of nanoparticles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of calcium carbonate nanoparticles on two different bacteria including Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Staphylococcus aureus.Methods: The antibacterial effect of calcium carbonate nanoparticles against mentioned bacteria was evaluated by dilution in agar containing medium and dilution in Broth medium. Each of prepared Broth Media (10 ml) was inoculated with 1 ml of bacterial suspension (106 CFU/ml) and incubated. Sampling of culture Media was performed in specific intervals and diluted as 10-1, to 10-6. Then 100 ml of each sample was transferred to agar plates and was spread carefully and then incubated. Grown colonies were counted and MIC and MBC was determined.Results: Calcium carbonate nanoparticles showed very good antibacterial effect and after 16 hours the bacteria were totally diminished. The lowest and highest MIC concentration of these nanoparticles in solid medium was 31.2 and 125 mg/ml respectively. The MIC of calcium carbonate nanoparticles in Broth Medium was two times more than the MIC concentration in solid medium, while different concentrations of ordinary calcium carbonate not only revealed antibacterial effects but also supported the bacterial growth.Conclusion: Use of calcium carbonate nanoparticles as an anti-microbial agent is recommended in different fields of medicine, food industry and agriculture and can be of importance considering health and economic issues.

Aims: Expected hospital standards of the Health Ministry should be studied and investigated and existing weak points should be detected through continuous investigation of primary service providing centers, by valid local and international standards. The aim of this study was to assess the rate of observing the joint commission international standards in the laboratory of a military hospital in Tehran.Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted by qualitative method, was carried out in a military specialty and subspecialty hospital in Tehran. The international joint commission standard checklist was translated and after interviewing the laboratory expert and personnel (20 people), the interviews’ text was given to 10 accreditation specialists. The score of each section was extracted from interview text by consensus of accreditation specialists. Finally, Excel software was used for drawing diagrams.Results: The studied laboratory gained the complete score of JCI standards in 52% of cases and gained partial score in 40% of cases. In addition, it didn’t follow JCI Standards in 8% of questions. Generally, the studied hospital libratory had 71.52% of JCI standards and therefore the evaluation was in favorable level.Conclusion: Regarding the incomplete accordance of the studied hospital situation in health ministry evaluation and JCI standards, it is necessary to take measures for more attention to international standards. The absence or imperfection of policies and necessary documentations is the most important weak point of the studied laboratory; therefore, determining strategies and needed documentations can considerably increase the obtained score.

Aims: Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD) is a dangerous syndrome in spinal cord injured veterans who suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI) at or above the sixth thoracic vertebra and results in irrecoverable complications. This study was performed to evaluate the nurses’ knowledge level about Ad among SCI veterans, and its correlation with the demographic characteristics of nurses.Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 94 male and nurses who were selected by cluster random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of demographic and AD related knowledge questions which its validity was confirmed by 15 faculty members and its reliability was evaluated to be good after doing test-re-test. The answers were classified based on 3-choice Likert scale in three levels of good, moderate and weak. Data was analyzed by SPSS 11.Results: The age mean of studied cases was 35.62 and the bachelors’ degree had the most frequency (91.5%). The mean work experience was 10.27 years. The knowledge level of nurses in 22.3% of cases was in moderate level and was weak in 77.7% of cases.Conclusion: the knowledge level of nurses about autonomic dysreflexia and its complications is weak based on the obtained results.

Aims: Military Forces have to store primary food ingredients in order to have food security and provide foods for their personnel. Therefore detection of potential pests in warehouses can be very important in their control and maintenance of food. The aim of this study was to determine the abundance and diversity of pests and also the rate of cereal contamination in the warehouses of military units.Methods: This cross- sectional study was done during 2007-9 in 9 unite of military grain storages. Sampling of cereals was performed according to the method of Standards Institute and Industrial Research of Iran. Separation of arthropods from cereals and beans was performed by direct observation, using the stereomicroscope, Berlese funnel, flotation, vapor exposure and etc. Data was analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistical methods by SPSS 12 software.Results: Four species of pests including Oryzaephilus mercator, Tribolium castaneum, Bruchus lentis and Bruchus rufimanus were determined and respectively separated from rice, barely, lentil and broad bean. The warehouse 1 and 3 were the most contaminated places, respectively with mean 1.3±0.65 and 1.4±0.6 of grain per 100g. Barley with about 3.2±1.1 per 100g was more contaminated than other products.Conclusion: Contamination of cereals in the studied warehouses is often less than standard and in only two cases of barely stocks is more than limited.

Aims: Bacterial agents are among the most important sources of infection transmission in hospital wards. Thereby, designing of a bio-aerosol convertor for investigation of biological agents in air is necessary. The aim of this study was designing of a suitable system for bio-aerosol production and elimination of Escherichia coli from contaminated air using bone char.Methods: This applied research was performed during 8 months. Bone char was prepared by electrical furnace. Bone char was crushed and pulverized with a range of 20- 60 mesh. The absorptive characteristics of Bone char was determined using X-ray diffraction technique. The pHzpc and specific surface area were determined via titration and N2 gas adsorption according to BET absorption isotherm method. The bacterial aerosol with concentrations of 103-107 CFU per ml of airflow were prepared by a nebulizer and injected to the system. 7th version of RSM software was used for data analysis.Results: E. coli removal efficiency had a linear correlation with adsorbent weight as 103 CFU/ml initial bacterial concentrations and with 4, 7 and 10 g adsorbent mass reached to 30, 20 and 15 CFU/ml, respectively. In addition, the adsorbent pore size in the range of 20-40 mesh was more efficient in bacterial removing in comparison with mesh particles >40. Efficiency of the contaminant air purification achieved 99.99% with the 20-40 mesh adsorbent at 30 minutes.Conclusion: The designed system for production of bio-aerosol has good performance in the study of Escherichia coli removal from contaminated air using bone char.

Aims: Strategic human resource practices play a crucial role in conducting individuals towards the development of innovational activities. Strategic human resource practices and organizational innovation are two important factors and primary means by which the organization can achieve organizational goals. This study was conducted to investigate the relationships between strategic human resource practices (staffing, training, participation, performance appraisal and reward) and organizational innovation in a military center.Methods: This descriptive correlation study was performed on 220 military personnel of a military center who were selected by simple random sampling in year 1388. Data were collected by a researcher-made strategic human resource practices questionnaire and organizational innovation Martin Patchen’s questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and regression technique by SPSS 14 software.Results: There was a significant positive correlation between strategic human resource practices and organizational innovation. Also there was significant relationship between the dimensions of strategic human resource practices and organizational innovation (p<0.05). The multiple regression analysis indicated that staffing and participation are significant predictors of organizational innovation.Conclusion: Strategic human resource practices including staffing, training, participation, performance appraisal and reward, positively explains the organizational innovation and can influence the attitudes and behaviors of employees and create organizational innovation.

Aims: Nurses are among professional groups that are affected by psychological factors and stress and anxiety and stress are their common problems. The objective of this study was to examine the abundance of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of military nurses.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed from February 2008 until April 2009 on 272 nurses working in a selected military hospital who were selected by probable multistage sampling method. Data was collected by a two-part questionnaire containing individual data and DASS-21 Standardized Questionnaire. The test consists of 21 items including three 7-question subscales of depression, anxiety and stress. Analysis was done by SPSS 15 software.Results: Results showed 24.9% rate of depression, 27.9% anxiety and 23.8% stress among military nurses. Depression scores were higher among female nurses. There was co-relation between prevalence of stress and anxiety with level of education and ward.Conclusion: The high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among military nurses is alarming. The development of adequate and appropriate support services for this group leads to healthy nurses and therefore health promotion.

Aims: Complex physical movements that are often dangerous have increased the importance of balance in military forces. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between cadets’ physiological arousal and activation with performance in a static balance task. The task was chosen according to its association with military health and physical fitness.Methods: This descriptive study with correlation pattern was carried out in 2009 on 30 male cadets with the age range of 19-23. Skin conductance Level (SCL) as arousal index was recorded continuously during the 30-second performance of a static balance task. Sway index was recorded on an electronic stabilometer as performance measure. Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise linear regression was used to analyze the data by SPSS 16 software.Results: Results indicated a negative linear relationship between activation and performance, while arousal did not correlate with performance. Activation also predicted performance with a medium strength.Conclusion: The quality of the task is affected by activation, but not arousal. Confirmation of these data in future studies will lead to comprehension of the interaction between physiological measures and its behavioral associations in high level military or sport performance, especially in emotional contexts.

Introduction: International growth of militarism, has also accompanied the presence of Military Medicine (disaster). Ethical concerns require a comprehensive ethical protocol. The presence of military forces in other countries within unexpected events as the first response groups, in addition of a humanitarian act, can be the cause of growth in the national security of sponsor country. This study was performed with the aim of investigating ethics in travel medicine and international military medicine and analyzing its effect on the rate of relief-seekers’ satisfaction. A developmental study based on correlation method was performed and data was collected by correlation method. Using the electronic and published local and international references and utilizing Google search engine and scientific databases, "ethics" was investigated in travel medicine and international military medicine, and its effect on the rate of relief-seekers’ satisfaction was systematically analyzed.Conclusion: There was differentiation between international ethical codes in the international military medicine and travel medicine. Applying the travel medicine ethical codes had positive correlation with peace and world health development. Due to the active presence of Iran’s military medicine in the disasters of region, applying the standards of medical ethics at the international level can promote peace in the region.