Studies in Medical Sciences
Year:2010 | Volume:20 | Issue:4|Papers Count:18

Background & Aims: Oral breathing during exercise is effective in appearance of exercise-induced asthma. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between habitual and obligatory oral nasal switching points with tidal volume and respiration rate during exercise in non-athlete, and non-smoker adults.Materials & Methods: For this assessment twenty volunteers (ten males and ten females) were selected. After tidal volume and respiration frequency measurement, two protocols were done using body plethysmograph. In these protocols, habitual and obligatory oronasal switching point was determined during exercise on ergometer bicycle. Also ventilation rate and work load were measured in switching times.Results: The results indicate that habitual oral-nasal switching points were shorter than the obligatory oral nasal switching points and both switching times were shorter in females. The significant correlation was determined between tidal volume and obligatory oral nasal switching points in males.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that increase of ventilation rate is one of effective determinants of obligatory oral nasal switching points and effect of increase of tidal volume especially in females is more important for this determination. However, the ventilation rate is more in males than females, but slope of Alveolar ventilation / oral nasal switching points curve is steeper in females. In conclusion, ventilatory impulses drive from respiratory center is more accelerated in females in regard to men.

Background & Aims: This study was performed to compare the effects and complications of single and double surface photo therapies.Materials & Methods: This study was done on 80 neonates. Infants in group one and two received single and double surface photo therapies, respectively. Bilirubin level was measured at the beginning of the study, 12 and 24 hours after phototherapy and at the releasing time. The complications of phototherapy such as hypocalcemia, thrombocytopenia, skin rash, and diarrhea were evaluated.Results: The mean total bilirubin level of single and double surface photo therapy groups at the beginning of therapy were 16.84±1.29 and 20.80±2.38 mg/dl, respectively and 15.00±1.38 and 16.75±2.34 mg/dl respectively after 12 hours of therapy. Serum bilirubin concentration decreased during phototherapy (p=0.000) and there were significant differences between two groups. After 24 hours of therapy the mean total bilirubin levels of single and double surface photo phototherapy group were 12.15±1.70 and 12.81±2.83 mg/dl, respectively. Serum bilirubin concentration decreased during phototherapy and there were significant differences between both groups. There was no significant difference between two groups during hospitalization and bilirubin decreased at releasing time. Skin rash was more frequent in double surface phototherapy group (p<0.05). No other significant relation between two groups in hospitalization period was found.Conclusion: Double surface photo therapy was more effective in decreasing bilirubin after 12 and 24 hours but there was no significant difference between two groups in duration of hospitalization, bilirubin decrease at releasing time, and complications of phototherapy.

Background & Aims: The main aims of children health for the current century have focused on short stature and one of the important aims of W.H.O in 21th century is to reduce the stunting rate below 20% in under five year-old children. This study aimed to evaluate short stature in under five-year children in Asad Abadi Health Center in Tabriz.Materials & Methods: This cross sectional-descriptive study was carried out on under five year-old children who referred to Asadabadi Health Center. NCHS growth charts were used for evaluation of growth parameters. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Statistical procedures used to analyze the data included chi-square test, logistic regression, and Pearson correlation. Differences between groups were considered significantly when p<0.05.Results: 1600 children with the mean age of 21 months, consisting of 50.1% males and 49.9% females were studied in a period of eight months. There was statistically a meaningful correlation between patents' and children's height positive family history was a risk factor for shortness of children. Also the correlation between index of height for age at birth and gestational age was statistically significant (P=0.000).Conclusion: There is a significant association between parent’s height and the stunting of their children. In addition, positive family history is a risk factor for stunting of children.

Background & Aims: Chronic Allograft Dysfunction is a major concern for graft loss in Renal Transplant Recipients. This paper investigated the waiting time and death-censored graft survival in renal transplant recipients with chronic allograft dysfunction. The association between short-term and long-term kidney function in this patients were studied.Materials & Methods: In a single-center retrospective study, 214 renal transplant recipients with chronic allograft dysfunction were investigated at Urmia University Hospitals from 1997 to 2005. Kidney function at each visit was assessed with GFR. We applied NKF and K/DOQI classification of chronic kidney disease staging system to determine stage of kidney disease in this group of patients. Kaplan-meiers survival analysis and log-rank test were used for data analysis.Results: The pure death-censored graft loss was 26.6% with the mean waiting time of 81.7 months. In overall, death-censored graft loss in Pts with stage 3 at the beginning of the study (start of chronic allograft dysfunction’s process) is faster than other Pts.Conclusion: The findings show that kidney function in the first year after transplantation is one of the main prognoses on death-censored graft loss. Therefore, care of renal transplant recipients in the first year increases long-term kidney survival.

Background & Aims: Regarding the previous studies on anti bacterial and anti parasitic activities of peganum harmala in both traditional and modern uses, comprehensives studies on fungi are necessary. The goal of this study was determination of minimum inhibitory concentration of peganum harmala alcoholic extract on Candida and pathogenic Aspergillus species in vitro.Materials & Methods: The study subjects were Candida species and Aspergillus isolated from clinical specimens. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined as the first diluted fungus tube being compared to MCFarland standard 0.5 (without a turbid appearance). In order to detect the minimum fungicidal concentration, a small volume of each treated minimum inhibitory concentration tube was inoculated on Saboroud glucose agar 4%. The first media plate with no growth of fungi was considered as minimum fungicidal concentration.Results: Minimum inhibitory concentration was measured on Candida species. As we showed the most significant inhibitory effect of peganum harmala extract detected on Candida tropicalis and Candida glabrata and the lowest inhibitory effect on Candida albicans. The highest fungicidal effect was on Candida glabrata and the less effect on Candida albicans. We could not show a detectable inhibitory and fungicidal effect on Aspergillu species.Conclusion: Alcoholic extract of peganum harmala seeds shows inhibitory and fungicidal activity against Candida species.

Background & Aims: C ystic fibrosis is the most common life threatening genetic disorder amongst Caucasians. Infants and toddlers with cystic fibrosis are at risk for poor growth. Controlled behavioral assessment studies have not focused on this population. Good nutrition is essential for normal growth and development. The aim of this study was to determine the usual pattern of intake and adherence enzyme replacement therapy in children with cystic fibrosis and pancreatic insufficiency.Materials & Methods: In this case control study 34 children (3 months to 11 years) with cystic fibrosis were covered in gastroenterology clinic of Tabriz Children Hospital (2007-2008). Anthropometrical measurements of weight-height, middle upper arm muscle environment and their nutritional status using the food frequency questionnaire were collected. The results were compared with 34 healthy children of the same age and gender.Results: Thirty four patients with the age range of 71.38±61.85 were evaluated. There was a significant difference only in weight/height (P=0.000) and weight/age value (P=0.04), but other anthropometric data were not statistically significant. 85.3% of the patients received nutritional supplements and 70.6% had enzyme replacement. In average food intake significant differences between cystic fibrosis patients and normal children were in spaghetti, egg, ice cream and liver. Only %47.1 of the patients’ parents received nutrition counseling.Conclusion: Malnutrition and poor growth is important for cystic fibrosis patients. P roper treatment and adoption of a standardized approach to nutritional assessment leads to significant improvement in nutritional outcomes of cystic fibrosis patients, demonstrating that systematic changes in clinical practice can improve clinical outcomes.

Background & Aims: A Large number of epileptic people in developing countries are confronted with unpleasant incidents that may be due to inadequate instructions. If they were given enough care, they most likely would live as normal individuals and could restart their daily activities. Consequently, they would be less influenced by psychological and bodily effects of epilepsy. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of self-care education on knowledge and functions of epileptic individuals who referred to selected educational hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2008.Materials & Methods: This study was accomplished over 120 patients who were divided by a systematic method into two groups: an experimental and a control group. In the first step, the demographic information of the patients was collected and a survey investigating both groups’ knowledge and functions was carried out through a questionnaire. Then the experimental group was instructed using appropriate educational materials. The second step of the study was accomplished one month after the last session of the instruction by re-examining both groups’ knowledge using the same initial questionnaire.Results: The results show that patients’ knowledge and function scores of experimental group were increased and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the scores of the first and the second test of the control group.Conclusion: Self-education of epileptic people not only increases their knowledge and affects their functions but also encourages them to take care of themselves which prevents re-hospitalization.

Background & Aims: It is aimed to analyze the individual specifications of addicts who referred to the treatment centers of Tehran in 2008.Materials & Methods: The population of this analytical-descriptive survey was all addicts who attended to the treatment centers located in Tehran. Through random sampling from all attendance to Rehabilitating Drug Addicts Units and NGOs, 256 people constitute the final population of this study. Data gathering tools were questionnaires comprising demographic plus MMPI questions. To analyze the data, SPSS version 11 was used.Results: The findings of the study show that 19.1% of addicts were jobless, 38% lessees, 2.3% illiterate, 60.5% single, and 57.8% of them had an income of less than 2, 000, 000 Rials, reflecting the fact that unemployment has no relation with the tendency to addiction. In contrast, better economic status and higher educational degree had a significant correlation with tendency to addiction which reflects failure of social supporting institutional programs. Based on MMPI, the amount of exposition to danger in addicts consists of 7.81% in mania, 28.12% Schizophrenia, 12.5% in paranoia, and 33.98% in unsociability, 12.5% hysterias, 57.42% in depression and 22.26% in self assumption of illness, reflecting disorder in their personality.Conclusion: According to MPI, if the results of depression, unsociability and Schizophrenia among addicts were high and the L and K rates were Low, treatment and consulting services would be advised.

Background & Aims: Renal stone is a common disease in GU system. Differential diagnoses of this problem are appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy, torsion of ovarian cyst which are important to be differentiated from each other. Sonography is a procedure for diagnosis of stone but it cannot diagnose all of the ureteral stones. Ureteral stone produces obstruction leads to increased pressure in ureter and kidney. Increasing pressure in kidney decreases compliance of this organ and manifests as an increase in renal vein resistance. In this study we aimed to calculate renal compliance in obstructed and non-obstructed kidney.Materials & Methods: In a descriptive cross-sectional study we did Doppler on 33 patients with acute renal obstruction and calculated venous compliance and arterial resistive index (RI) in normal and obstructed kidney and reported the results by mean and percent.Results: The compliance in normal kidney was about 0.56 and in obstructed kidney was 0.34 so the compliance was lower in obstructed kidney. Arterial RI in obstructed kidney was above 0.63. This was below 0.62 in normal kidney. These two RIs are very near to each other though using arterial RI in comparison with using venous compliance seems to have less accuracy.Conclusion: This study showed that using renal compliance which decreases in obstruction is a suitable way for detection of obstruction.

Background & Aims: Frequently, blood units ordered and cross-matched for elective surgeries are not used. This study was designed to evaluate the current practice of blood ordering for elective surgeries in Imam and Motahari Hospitals in Urmia.Materials & Methods: In this cross sectional study, 895 patients underwent 29 different kinds of surgery during three months. The overall cross-mach to transfusion ratio, transfusion probability, and transfusion index were calculated. The same indices were calculated for each kind of surgery separately.Results: For 895 patients undergoing elective surgery, 1732 cross-matched blood units were ordered. Furthermore, 222 blood units out of 1732 were utilized for 144 patients in operation rooms. Overall cross-match to transfusion ratio and transfusion index was 7.8, and 0.25, respectively. With the exception of gastrectomy and debridement of thermal induced wounds, in remaining surgeries cross-match to transfusion ratio was significantly higher than acceptable value of 2.5. Highest transfusion indices were related to gastrectomy, esophagectomy and open reduction of leg fractures.Conclusion: The current practice of blood ordering for elective operations leads to significant deviation from standard values. Observance of scientific principles of blood ordering can lead to a decrease in unnecessary blood ordering, working pressure on blood bank, and wastage of blood units. It seems that the current pattern of preoperative blood ordering should be seriously reevaluated.

Backgrounds & Aims: Some of polymorphisms are located in the promoter regions or other regulatory sequences of cytokine genes and are associated with increased or decreased amount of cytokines production. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of polymorphisms of IFN-g+874 and IL-10 -1082 in the normal population.Materials & Methods: 109 normal individuals were included in the study and genomic description was carried out using ASO-PCR method.Results: Allelic frequency of alleles A and T for IFN-g+874 were 50.92% and 49.08% respectively, and the highest genotype frequency was for the genotype A/T (54.13%). Allelic frequency of A and G for IL-10 -1082 also were 50.92% and 49.08% respectively, and genotype A/G had the highest rate among different genotypes of IL-10 -1082 (96.33%).Conclusion: The alleles A and T of IFN-g gene (+874) were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, while it was not the case for A and G alleles of IL-10 gene (-1082).

Backgrounds & Aims: Diazinon as nonsystemic organophosphate insecticide is commonly used as an agent to protect fruits and vegetables. This study sought to investigate the effects of Diazinon on histological structure of the testis and fertility of the rats.Materials & Methods: Thirty five male adult rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and test. 70 mg Diazinon/kg body weight were administrated orally, once a day for 60 days. Seven micrometer tissues -thick sections of formalin fixed paraffin embedded testis- were stained using method of Weigret-Iron. Diameter of seminiferous tubules, thickness of the seminiferous epithelium, and thickness of the capsule of testis were measured.Result: Irregular shape and atrophy in seminifrous tubules were noted in treated rats between the 10th to 60th days. Disjunction and remarkable edema in interstitial connective tissue were also observed in seminiferous tubules and germinal epithelium cells. Diameter of seminiferous tubules and thickness of seminiferous epithelium were significantly decreased. Giant cell was evident in some of the seminiferous tubules by the 24th day of the study.Conclusion: The data suggest that diazinon can cause considerable atrophy in histological structure of the testis thus, morphological changes can lead to functional deficiency in males.

A 53-year old woman with a history of renal transplantation was admitted to the hospital because of headache, blurring of vision and fever six years ago. She had a history of post transplant diabetes mellitus since 5 years ago that was controlled with insulin. Physical examination on admission was a low grade fever, periorbital edema, erythema, chemosis, and tenderness of maxillary bone. The tissue was obtained by sublabial Caldwell incision that contained sinus mucosa and skin granulation tissue and was sent to pathology. The pathologic review of specimens disclosed invasion by nonseptate hyphae fungi that was compatible with invasive mucormycosis. Regardless of surgical deridement and continued amphotericin B with doses more than 1mg/kg for more than 5 weeks, the disease progressed.Mucormycosis in immunosuppressed and especially diabetic patients must be considered and has a high mortality rate. Success in treatment and survival improvement may be achieved by early and extensive surgical excisions in addition to prolonged antifungal drug administration.

Although there are numerous studies about the effects of music on patient's recovery, less evidence is available about the effects of music on the physicians and hospital staff. It is generally believed that silence and tranquility should prevail in operating rooms and any extra noise is regarded as a distraction and can interfere with verbal communication among personnel. Do the harmonic and pleasant sounds have the same effect? In their latest study published in Injury, Ulmann, et al indicated that tranquility in operating room does not mean strict silence and even the sound of music can help to bring about the intended tranquility in operating room. In order to evaluate the influence of music on surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses working in the operating room, a questionnaire was designed and 300 copies were distributed among the doctors and nurses at five different hospitals in Urmia. The collected data were analyzed 70.2% of participants believed that light music improves verbal communication between personnel and 90.3% of responders claimed that music in the operating room improves their concentration. Anesthesiologists and older personnel had a tendency for low volume music. The obtained data revealed that music in low volume could improve verbal communication and concentrating ability of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other personnel working in operating rooms. An interventional study can be designed to reassess the results obtained from this questionnaire-based study.